In this episode, the second all female team in Junkyard Wars history, the Wenches with Wrenches, are taking on a group of car guys, the Custom Cruisers, in The Great Suitcase Race. Each team will have to build a car capable of carrying all four teammembers. Sounds easy, right? Well, the car will have to fit inside of four suitcases. Also, the car MUST be engine powered. They will start in the packed position and run to the start of the track, assemble the car and race along a track which has a wall. They will have to dismantle and pack their car up, pass the suitcases through a hole in the barrier and reassemble the car on the other side. Finally, they will have to race the final leg of the track to the finish line. If any part of the car goes outside of the track, they incur a time penalty. There is also a penalty if they use their hands or feet to propel the car. The fastest time wins the final berth in the semi-finals.
 

The Custom Cruisers are going with a tried and true design...sort of. They are going to use the suitcases to make part of the chassis. They will have to build a support inside because the cases are rather flimsy. They will connect them, like a train, and lie flat on top of them. They will also attach a wheel to a small engine which will push them along. If they can find enough engines, each suitcase will have it's own powered wheel. The big, and I do mean big, problem is that one teammember weighs almost 300 pounds...that will require a lot of support. Also, working engines? Small working engines? I think we all know the likelihood of finding more than one of those. Also, since they're pushing at the back of four suitcases, there will probably be a tendency for the train to jack-knife.

The Wenches with Wrenches are going to maximize space. Each case will hold one component (or two) of a bobsled design. They will sit, one behind the other on a foldable frame (one suitcase) with 3 wheels (another case) and a friction-drive engine (another case). The final case will contain the other odds and ends to assemble the car. A friction-drive system uses one wheel rubbing on another. The smaller wheel on the engine will rub against a larger wheel, causing the whole thing to move. The problems here will be strength. Can they build a folding frame strong enough to carry four people? Also will the wheels be strong enough to support the weight, not to mention will this friction-drive system work? (It's never been used before on the show).
 
 

Wenches with Wrenches l to r; Capt Alicia, Pammy & Geri inset; expert Hanz Schultz	Custom Cruisers l to r; Broyles, Capt Brewsir & Willie inset; expert Jim Papadopoulos
The Wenches' bobsled dragster	The Cruisers' train
You'll have a wheel-y good time if the plan works	The chainsaw engine will be used to push 1,000 pounds of Cruisers
Cutting steel to make a frame	Judge Doug Malewicki
The Wenches' folding chassis fits neatly into one suitcase	Tyler & Karyn goofin' around
You can see the wheel on the side of the chainsaw engine	The little wheel turns the big wheel in a friction drive system
The front axle assembly goes onto the main chassis	Pammy spies on the other team
Tyler & Judge Doug contemplate the Cruisers' design at days end	A quick test to see if it works before time runs out

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