Pull-Back Race Cars!

Hi Friends! Happy Tuesday Thoughts – We hope you enjoy them!

We have been working pretty hard on our pull-back race cars this month in both the stores. We are so excited to have these kits in store and for birthday parties in Concord. As such, we wanted to take a bit to look at the official LEGO pull-back motors and to give you some ideas for your own MOCs!

How do the pull-back motors work?

These pull-back motors are so very fun! The energy that you put into pulling the car backwards is the energy that propels the car forward – this means that, with some experimentation, you can control the speed of the vehicle.

  • At Home Challenge: Race with someone to see who has the fastest car.

What design factors do I need to keep in mind?

First – take a look at the motor you are using and see how it works with the wheels attached. Some pull-back motors are not weighted evenly without LEGO and will not propel forward as easily. Knowing this will inform how and where you place LEGO pieces to make the car go. After that, keep in mind that you want to build interlocking pieces to give your car some strength to pull through whatever obstacles you run into.

  • At Home Challenge: Build your car to withstand running into a wall
  • At Home Challenge: Build your car to withstand a small ramp-jump
  • At Home Challenge: Build your car to break complete when it hits an object.

Can I create a car with more than one pull-back motor?

The short answer is YES! In fact, LEGO has created some models with combination motors and we have been able to build some too! Not only that, you can even do it with three motors if your take some time to play with it! That being said, the motors increase speed – so be sure your car design with good bumpers to survive the speed! And watch out for obstacles in your racing area. That being said, one motor is a wonderful combination of light and fast.

  • At Home Challenge: Combine your 2 pull-back motors into a working car

We think that the pull-back cars make for an awesome day of experimentation and fun! Check out some of the other At Home Challenges below!

  • Race to see who has the fastest care
  • Race to see whose car goes the furthest
  • Create a small ramp and see whose car go highest OR furthest after the jump
  • Who can create the least balanced car that still moves
  • Design a car to look: sleek, goofy, realistic, big, small, etc.