Welcome! I don't claim to be an expert on demolition derbys by any means. I know a few people involved in it for a while, and they were all happy with how my first (and only car) to date has turned out. In this section, i'll show you from my experiences what not to do.
Here is my car before the derby. I probably should have taken a few pics before it was done and painted and ready to go, but i didnt think it was important.
The car is a 1972 datsun wagon 510. I was lucky and got it out of my grandpa's field, where it has sat since ive been born, when he bought it for me to drive.
It can be tough finding suitable cars to derby with, but i think that any car that runs and isnt a chrysler imperial is fine. I just wanted to run a car into other cars. Dont spend more than $200 on a car... anything else is a waste to wreck. Keep in mind that you probably will have to spend time and money getting the car up to requirements. The doors have to be welded shut, or wired, all depending on your local rules. Almost all derbys make you move the gastank. Switches to start and stop are nice. Details on preparing a car from the standpoint of a mechanic are nice, but ive read the best of them, and ill give you the details from the viewpoint of a rookie mechanic who entered this not knowing about cars on another page here .
To summarize my first derby, it sucked. My tires span and i didnt do any damage. Hindsight shows i should have splurged on better tires than the originals, but i never did, and regret it now. Don't panic... if its your first year, show up on time, maybe an hour or two early. My battery in the derby car was dead and i had to get a spare out of the car i drove to the fairgrounds. Take tools with you... a hammer, sockets, extra gas... anything you take is something you wont have to bum off someone else.
The driver side is the spot of all damage, so ill show you a pic of it here.
Details are sketchy from the pic but its crumpled down the side.
Its not ruined, remember, if it'll still drive, you can go again next year!