Inside the body of the car you'll find two interlocked circular gears, the small metal pinion, and the larger plastic spur. Unbolt both gears and lift them out of place to make room for their replacements. Since speed is your goal, you'll get the best results using a larger pinion (with a larger number of teeth) and a slightly smaller spur (with fewer teeth). If you're more focused on improving your car's acceleration than maxing out its top speed, go with a smaller pinion and a larger spur. You'll be sacrificing a little bit of velocity, but you'll make up for it with more precise cornering and cooler running temperatures. Changing the size of the gears is one of the simplest and least expensive ways you get your car running faster. Unscrew the bolts holding the wheels in place and slide the wheels off the axles. Remove the washers from the ends of the axles, then use a Phillip's head screwdriver to open the housing around the drive shaft and pop out the bushings inside. Insert four high quality ball bearings and reassemble the drive shaft and axle. Most consumer-grade RC cars are outfitted with cheap brass bushings that turn the wheel on the axle. These bushings aren't designed for high-output performance, and can slow your car down drastically. The ball bearings are able to spin more freely than bushings. This eliminates drag, which can reduce engine strain, and increase battery life. While you've got the wheels off, consider trading them out for a new-and-improved set. Select wheels with a tread that's suited to your preferred racing style. That way, you can be sure that they'll hold up under the most demanding conditions and make the most of the speed offered by your car's other modifications. Full spikes will offer more traction on uneven surfaces like mud and damp grass. Mini pins perform well on carpet, turf, and other uneven terrain. Bald, slick treads and softer tire types are the best choice for hard, smooth paths like paved roads. If you're looking for a good all-around tread, try mini spikes. They strike a balance between speed, grip, and maneuverability. Consider swapping out the stock frame of your RC car with a lightweight alternative such as aluminum or graphite. These materials will reduce the pressure on the wheels, which means they won't slow down the car as much as dense plastic and heavier metal pieces. Keep in mind that the lighter your car is, the less traction you'll have when changing direction. If you're skilled with a rotary tool, use it to cut off unnecessary plastic sections of the chassis and surrounding body, like the bulky area around the battery socket or the speed control tray. Trimming the majority of the bulk from the front end of the car can also help make it more aerodynamic (and also make it less likely to flip over when stopping at high speeds).

Summary: Alter the gear ratio. Replace cheap bushings with ball bearings. Switch out the wheels. Remove excess weight.

Re-purpose an old wire hanger by using colorful tissue paper. Use pliers to untwist the hanger and shape it into a circle. Thread 6" x 1 1/4" (approximately 3-15 cm) pieces of tissue paper onto the wire (alternating colors, if desired) until it is full, then twist together the ends of the wire to make a circular wreath. For more volume, thread the pieces of tissue paper in alternating directions and crumpled them beforehand. Using pliers, stretch out a hanger to make a large loop with a handle. Fill a basin with a mixture of two parts water and one part dishwashing liquid. Dip the wire bubble wand in the soapy water and wave it gently in the air to create large bubbles. Make an old wire hanger into a camping accessory by reshaping it with pliers. Untwist and straighten the hanger completely. Bend the wire approximately 5 inches (or 25-26 cm) from one end and double it over to create a handle. If you wish to make the handle more comfortable to grip, wrap it with something like handlebar tape (available at bike shops, or online).

Summary: Make a decorative wreath. Make a large bubble wand. Make a stick to roast marshmallows or hot dogs. Finished.

If your clay is only slightly hard, you may be able to soften it just by warming and kneading it with your hands. Before you start kneading the clay, hold the clay in your hands to warm it. You can also warm it using the heat of your body by sitting on top of it. Warmth helps to revitalize the clay. If your clay is only a little bit hard, you may be able to restore its softness just using body heat. No matter what method you use to soften clay, always warm it first. If the clay is especially hard, you may need to use a heat source to soften the clay. Lay a hot water bottle over your clay for twenty minutes to help soften it. You can also use a heat lamp, but be sure to not heat the clay over body temperature. This can cause the clay to start to bake, which will make it unusable. Additionally, you can put the clay in the microwave for 10-second spurts until it is warm. Once the clay has softened, roll it between your hands in a snake shape, then roll it into a ball. Rolling the clay creates friction, which helps to soften it. You can also cut the clay into small pieces, then roll it. If the clay is still too hard to roll with your hands, you may need to use more force. Lay the piece of clay on a clean cutting board or on the counter, then press down on the clay to flatten it out as much as you can. Then roll the clay out with a rolling pin. After you roll it out, it should be warm enough to roll with your hands. If your clay is too hard to roll out with a rolling pin, you will need a large amount of force. Break the clay up into as small of pieces as you can, then place the clay pieces in a sealed plastic bag. Wrap the bag with a cloth and put it on the floor or on the cement or pavement outside. Use a rubber mallet to pound on the clay for several minutes. Using the mallet will break up the clay and add friction which will make it softer. After you have used the rubber mallet, take the clay out of the bag and roll it with your hands into a ball. After you have rolled the clay, knead the clay with your hands on a counter just as you would with dough. Use as much force as you need to pull apart and reshape the clay. Kneading the clay ensures that you handle the entire surface area of the clay. You can also use a clay-kneading machine if you don't want to knead by hand.
Summary: Warm the clay with body heat. Warm the clay using a heat source. Roll the clay in your hands. Roll with a rolling pin. Hit the clay with a mallet. Knead the clay.