“Hey, is anybody familiar with this model kit the “big red rod” By Lindberg? It’s much cheaper than a “big T”
I started with AMT 32 Fords and built the 36 and 40 models starting in 1958. They were around $1.25 then. Kept all of them until I got drafted in 1966. Put them away in the attic until I got married in 1978. Moved into the new house then and actually sold quite a few. Kept about 15 or so. and they are still in the bags i put them in in 1966. They are like me now stiff and lots of parts falling off.
I have been building models since I won a 1963 Mercury Comet AMT 3 in 1 kit for winning the cub Scout pinewood derby. That was the beginning of my model obsession and I am still building today. Models are the most affordable way for me to build all the cars I would like to.
I read the feedback on the re-releases some of the AMT kits. A lot of comments mentioned the poor quality of the kits, parts not fitting and lots of flaws in the bodies.
Sorry to hear of your health issues. I admired the kits you posted to the Sunday Models thread. Find peace however you can!
started with a 3in1 AMT 1925 model T coupe. still have it, So I recently bought the real deal-How to drive it tho. Newc
I built plenty, Monogram, AMT, Revell and more. Local photo shop also had a large model section and for the first Revell contest I built a T roadster Altered using mostly Revell Parts Pack stuff, didn’t place. Second year I built another altered with a scratch built frame, blown hemi and lots of detailing. Still have the trophy but the model is long gone.
Yes.....back in the mid to late 1950's I built lots of models with my brothers and a few car guy friends. Our greatest project each year was to build models for inclusion in several wintertime car shows in E. Iowa. We would display our models and spend time fantasizing about getting our learners permits as we walked thru the displays of the "real" hot rods at the shows. We even made the front page of our local paper with our cars and the awards we earned. I do not know where all the cars went over the years, but I have two unbuilt kits that my 5yr old grandson and I will soon tackle. Can't wait for the rush of the glue fumes !
I hung on to S’cool Bus all these years. I saw it in an insert ad in one of my other models, and I had to have it. Never saw one in the stores. My step grandmother convinced the manager of the Sears store to order some, and she gave one to me for Christmas. I was always into the way out stuff Tom Daniel did. It’s missing a few parts and I still wince when I look at my 12 year old brush paint skills, but it’s here with me. BTW, the prices went up because the copyright lawyers got involved.
These molds were parked for good reasons, many saw long service and became clapped out. One kit vendor I know was part and parcel in getting these molds resurrected, which were shipped out to China. I don't think there are a lot of people that can do delicate mold repairs. Especially overseas. So people put up with it and grumble.
I had two of these that I built. My paint skills were terrible at the time. I tried painting the fenders black as in the photo. It messed up so bad that I ended up painting the entire bus black by the time I was done.
There's a whole community out there! Try https://www.facebook.com/groups/447201828655860 For a while I was active on here: https://coffincorner.proboards.com/ I've kept in touch with many of the people I met there.
We had a bicycle shop in town, all discounted models. Old AMT annuals were 99 cents. Revell Parts Packs, paint, aftermarket parts that were beyond our skills at the time.
Yes I did, still remember my first attempt, what a mess I made of it with the glue, around 6/7/8 years old. I did get better with time and I would enter my cars at the Hobby Horse hobby shop, Capital Court Mall, Milwaukee Wi., at around 10/12 years old and won some trophies, kept some of the cars, awards which got lost, divorce is a bitch, maybe the glue, paint fumes explain a few things LOL. By the time I was 15 I was building my first car, my avatar 57 Chev 210 and it never stopped, now 77 and still playing with cars, all the HAMB cars gone, now OT fun. Check out my albums.
I'm truly having a 2nd childhood with models. Today, there is so much cool stuff around for tools and supplies. With my tax return, I'm buying a small table-top lathe. I got back into model cars in 1995, the internet was young, not too much for buying models and aftermarket parts. We had to rely on hobby stores for everything. There were more small shops around, most are now gone. The remaining ones carry little to nothing outside of kits, glues, paints and metal/plastic stock. The internet blew things wide open, eBay is a good source for almost anything I want or need. The resin casters of 30 - 40 years ago are mostly dinosaurs. The old casting process with molds is waning by far. We used to put up with crappy carburetors and very thick cast bodies that took forever to fit to a donor chassis/interior. Some traditional casters went to this lighter white resin that made thinner, more stable parts. The old tan stuff made a couple of old time casters very ill. 3D printing has revolutionized the hobby, but that has shortcomings as well. Some materials are quite brittle and difficult to drill holes in. There are layer lines to deal with too. I think the process will continue to improve in time.
Hello, At first, it was not hot rod models. Our neighborhood had nice draining gutters leading to an giant outlet at the intersection of our street and the bigger cross road to our neighborhood. When it rained in 1947, we floated paper folded boats down the flowing water. Since we were close to the U.S. Navy Base on Terminal Island, our dad took us to see the latest ships coming in for repairs and when he went fishing way down South in Seal Beach, there was a Navy loading dock with a large ship docked, getting its ammunition and whatever was loaded from the moving carts. So, naturally, he was involved and started buying simple models of the U.S. Navy warships for us to put together. Now, those were lining up our dresser and living room, so we used them on rainy days on the carpet. Then one day my brother grabbed one Battleship and took it outside in the rain, with his full on rain coat/boots, attire. Of course, I followed suit. Now my ship was a Destroyer. He lined his up in the flowing gutter in front of our house and let it go. It took off down the street, only to be stopped by a car parked too close to the curb. Then I let mine go and by the time we both started to walk down the sidewalk, my destroyer hit his battleship and we created a Navy war. Ha! Soon, we moved and now the street had the fastest water drainage, due to the nearness to the flowing Los Angeles River and its drain systems built in the river banks and local streets. Now, we had to both start up the block so the whole block was the race course and the water was wide enough for both of us to let our ships go at once. A water born drag race. Ha! Jnaki This model ship building got a boost with model airplanes and then finally, model cars. The basic model cars got put together fast and sat on counters/bookcases as dust catchers. But, they only moved when we pushed them or slid them down a long chute with sides. It was the beginning of a downhill track that led to timing runs and then a dual track downhill course for two cars. Now, the model cars with rolling wheels were in the mix and action would be held, instead of sitting around gathering dust, which our mom made us clean weekly. Bahhhh… Now, at least we had a toy models of cars with rolling wheels to push or let go down the sloping wooden chutes for the fastest times. There was no need to put a stop at the end, they just rolled out to the shiny floor and rolled to a stop by themselves. Drag races in its infancy. Eventually, the models detailing became evident with wax rods bending for roll bars and the custom headers on dragsters plus roadsters. But, those external detailing hot rods were “for show” only and not for the sloping drag race course. The wax rods were perfect for headers, but if they accidently hit an object in its path, the wax rods fell off or a new header system was created… These are the modern versions for the old wax resist rods we used for headers and custom roll bars. Our old wax tubes were a darker color of blue. So, they looked black, before we painted the headers silver or roll bars black or silver. Until we utilized thin needles in the backsides, the tubes painted or not melted somewhat in the hot summer days. So, after the insertion of needles, they remained in the shape we created. Note: We had a great end result of all of our toys and models we no longer used. There was a family of two boys and three girls that always needed some form of toys as there were a lot of little hands reaching out… So, our mom used to give away our stuff we no longer used, like clothes, toys, riding skates, bicycles and yes, models gathering dust on “her” bookcases that she, now had to dust as we were teenagers with different lifestyles and real cars… Today, there are no 1/24 scale models, although there are two boxes in the garage drawer that were purchased 30 years ago, still in the original packaging, not opened. Why? Well one day, I might make them to gather more dust. But, that is still in the air (pun intended). We all know what color detailing those two standard hot rod models will be when put together and sprayed with the latest paint cans. IF they get taken out of the garage drawer. YRMV
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