I used a cartoon illustration of the flinstone cars to draw the sides of 1/2″ plywood. They were the same width and length as large swim noodles. These plywood pieces, once cut, would give the shape of the log sides. This would also determine the scale of other parts of the car.
Next, I used a table saw to cut a large 4 inch swim noodle in half. After slicing the swim noodles with a large bread knife, my daughter coated the plywood and noodles with contact cement. The log sides were created by me bonding the two pieces.
Once the glue had dried, I did some more shaping and trimming using the bread knife. The entire noodle was coated with Bondo-Glass, which can be purchased at any auto parts or large hardware store. I applied it in one direction, but it looked a bit like tree bark once it dried. Bondo-Glass sets in just 15 minutes. This keeps the project moving along quickly.
Next, I built a frame simple enough to support the whole assembly. I originally planned to leave the floor open for the children to push their feet on the floor. My grandkids were too small for the flinstone cars, so I added a floorboard to protect their feet as they were being pushed.
I made the seat from scrap wood. I used a bandsaw to shape it so it looked like it was made from rock. To accommodate safety restraints, I made three small slits. The seatbelts were made from straps with clips I bought at Wal-Mart’s camping section for $1.
I used a table saw to make the top. I ran a 2×4 through it several times, turning it slightly every time. These poles looked almost like they had been whittled out of wood. Then I cut them to length.
After the car was cut, Pebbles and Bambam checked it for size before they decided to help.
Once the children were inside, I used an flinstone cars electric drill and hole saw to make openings in the sides. The upright poles were then attached to the plywood with Gorilla Glue, screws and a screwdriver. They would serve as handles for pushing the car so I made sure they were securely mounted.
Original castors were attached to frame, but I quickly discovered that the rock wheels tend to scrape on uneven ground.
This was fixed by cutting holes in the rock wheel’s bottom and installing a 2×4 flush to the bottom. This creates a sturdy mount for the castors. The castors were then attached using two-inch lag bolts.
The final step was to add details to the car. I painted the log sides to mimic wood grain, and repaired any flaws.