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Art & Inspiration What Model Cars Did You Build?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Sanford&Son, Apr 9, 2026.

  1. Sanford&Son
    Joined: Oct 13, 2006
    Posts: 784

    Sanford&Son
    Member
    from Visalia,Ca

    What Model Car Kits did you build as a kid? A buddy of mine stopped by and we were reminiscing about when we built model kits as kids. Turned out we had built most of the same ones: The Tarantula, Orange Crate, Red Barron, Boot Hill Express.....
    upload_2026-4-9_10-17-51.png upload_2026-4-9_10-42-48.png
     
  2. lothiandon1940
    Joined: May 24, 2007
    Posts: 32,740

    lothiandon1940
    Member

    Built dozens of AMT 3 in 1 kits all through the '60's and '70's. Still build models to this day. 20240710_113255.jpg 07032014 (1) (1).jpg thumbnail (22).jpg 491268347_1094403409400324_97775323738922539_n.jpg IMG_0025-vi.jpg IMG_0026-vi.jpg IMG_0024-vi.jpg
     
    302GMC, LOU WELLS, bobss396 and 8 others like this.
  3. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 23,002

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    I'm not much of a custom guy but there were quite a number of drag oriented cars, roadsters, muscle cars, etc. also, a few of the "wacky" 60's show cars.
    One favorite was Monograms' "Trantula" fuel dragster, I did leave off some of the goofy stuff, another one was a 1960 Ford Starliner, painted it a light metallic green (three times).
    The fastback roof paint liked to run, turned out pretty nice finally.
    Once I got my drivers permit in 1969 at fifteen, the draw to model cars faded soon after.
    I did build a 66 Nova Super Sport in the mid 80's to replicate our 67 Nova, at a glance only the headlights are different, the red paint really came out nice on the first attemp.


    upload_2026-4-9_11-12-11.jpeg

    upload_2026-4-9_11-15-27.jpeg

    upload_2026-4-9_11-23-38.jpeg

    Not ours but nearly identical.
    View attachment 6689594


     
  4. Black_Sheep
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 1,596

    Black_Sheep
    Member

    All of them. Tarantula, the Red Barron car, Boot Hill Express, Lil’ Coffin, Monkeemobile, the Stone Woods & Cook Willys, lots of shoebox Chevys, NASCAR stuff, cl***ic trucks, you name it.

    Model building was my gateway drug for old cars…
     
  5. dirt car
    Joined: Jun 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,718

    dirt car
    Member
    from nebraska

    A bit off topic perhaps,but always wondered about the Franklin type die cast 32 Ford unchopped 5w coupe being all but forgotten, seems the 3w, 'B'-400, roadster etc. made production & of course the chopped 5w version in various colors & formats, but nowhere that I'm aware of is a quality version of the 5w to be had. As I understand it the rights for offshore production has been disbanded so it may never happen.
     
    Tow Truck Tom likes this.
  6. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,426

    AHotRod
    Member

  7. Dan Hay
    Joined: Mar 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,479

    Dan Hay
    Member

    All of them, I built all of them. Here’s a sample. CD1CB87B-D078-4ED4-9DB1-E87220775F46.png
     
    302GMC, MMM1693, wicarnut and 4 others like this.
  8. Paladin1962
    Joined: Mar 10, 2025
    Posts: 295

    Paladin1962

    I build the little ones cuz I can't have the real ones!
     
  9. hotrodjack33
    Joined: Aug 19, 2019
    Posts: 5,117

    hotrodjack33
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Growing up, I had a good size paper route and could afford a couple model kits per week.
    Between 1960 and 1966 I built every hot rod model kit by AMT, Revell, Monogram, MPC etc. several times...I wasn't much into those "late-model" 3-in-1 kits though.
    By 1966 I had moved on to 1/24th scale slot cars...rewinding/de-winding Mabuchi 36D motors and soldiering up my own br*** ch***is's.
    I do remember the first kit I ever built though...AMT '40 Ford Sedan.
    000.12.jpg
     
    Jimmy, bobss396, BigRRR and 3 others like this.
  10. guthriesmith
    Joined: Aug 17, 2006
    Posts: 12,676

    guthriesmith
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    When I was a kid, I remember building lots of them and still have most of them somewhere in a box. But, I would be lying if I tried to remember what they all were. I remember one birthday party when I was in grade school. Every kid that came gave me a model car as a gift except for one that thought for some crazy reason that maybe I liked Star Wars or something and got me some action figure... :rolleyes:
     
  11. Tow Truck Tom
    Joined: Jul 3, 2018
    Posts: 3,614

    Tow Truck Tom
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Clayton DE

    AWW Gee More than my share of Deuce coupes,
    Got my first Testors Jag on the Model T Roadster.
    40 Tudor first rattle can paint and corduroy upholstery. '29 bobber A P/U
    Fell in love with the lines on a '59 Buick. Did the double dragster Topolino kit.
    And a whole bunch more 'til Pops handed me the 2 key sets to both family cars.
    Took 9 months to have him find replacements, as I wrecked the Dodge and blew up the Ford.
    :cool:
     
    lothiandon1940 and hotrodjack33 like this.
  12. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 9,120

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    Every one I could get ahold of. I loved the AMT 3 in 1 kits; plenty of spare parts for other cars!
     
  13. chevyfordman
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 1,536

    chevyfordman
    Member

    I built mostly 32's and 40's, now I have real ones too.
     
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  14. Russ B
    Joined: Jun 13, 2010
    Posts: 1,627

    Russ B
    Member

    I started with the Highway Pioneers by Gowland/ Revell in mid fifties. I settled on mostly AMT/SMP 3in1s (annuals) starting in 1958, and then AMT Trophy Series (early hot rods) that followed.
    By 1964 I was starting college and greatly slowed down the model building. I pretty much stopped models until about 2000. And now my vision limits my building to almost nothing.
     
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  15. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 8,371

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I don't do model cars; I am into model trains, steam engines in particular. As a matter of fact, if I could figure out how to swing it, I would have a restored Pacific instead of all the cars. Cruise nights might be difficult.:rolleyes:
     
  16. willys36
    Joined: May 6, 2006
    Posts: 3,328

    willys36
    Member

    I build cars but also LOVE trains. Got a Marx set as a kid, collected a bunch of Marx over the years.
    IMG_1071.jpg IMG_1072.jpg IMG_1073.jpg
     
  17. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 8,371

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    wicarnut likes this.
  18. hotrodjack33
    Joined: Aug 19, 2019
    Posts: 5,117

    hotrodjack33
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  19. spudshaft
    Joined: Feb 28, 2003
    Posts: 719

    spudshaft
    Member

    As a kid I built off topic stuff - I still have a trans am and a dodge charger I built. Back then wal mart had a 1/4 aisle of them for under I think $10 each. I’ve lately bought a couple off eBay for $30-40. Where are y’all buying kits now?
     
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  20. Royalshifter
    Joined: May 29, 2005
    Posts: 16,278

    Royalshifter
    Moderator
    from California

  21. oldiron 440
    Joined: Dec 12, 2018
    Posts: 4,308

    oldiron 440
    Member

    I built whatever I could get my hands on, before my teen years I preferred AMT, Monogram and JoHon because they were easier to build. But later I started building Revel, MPC and others.
    I quit building because the model companies quit making new models, after you’ve built the same kit two or three times the thrill is gone well at least it was for me.
     
  22. Ned Ludd
    Joined: May 15, 2009
    Posts: 5,591

    Ned Ludd
    Member

    Yes, I built the showrods as an adolescent in the '70s. I've had a fondness for them since I was 10.

    In the mid-'70s we lived in Canada for a few years, and my friends and I had a thing about wild g***eresque street freak kitbashes based on just about anything we could find. But I did other weird stuff, too. I remember a mid-engined "silhouette" Vega road-racer, and a flame paint job on a WWII tank.
     
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  23. lothiandon1940
    Joined: May 24, 2007
    Posts: 32,740

    lothiandon1940
    Member

  24. bobss396
    Joined: Aug 27, 2008
    Posts: 18,831

    bobss396
    Member

    Growing up, AMT was the way to go. I had more than one Revell kit that never got finished.

    MPC came along in 1966 and I noticed the thinner molding on the bodies. AMT stuff was thicker.

    I had a bunch of Johan kits that were quite good.

    Now AMT is still re-popping old annuals and the molds have seen better days. Other brands like Revell or Monogram were much crisper, less flash, better fit, better detail.

    Now I have jumped into 3D printed kits, which bring challenges of their own.
     
  25. willys36
    Joined: May 6, 2006
    Posts: 3,328

    willys36
    Member

    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  26. 9200 IH
    Joined: Apr 20, 2014
    Posts: 38

    9200 IH
    Member

    Funny Cars and Top Fuel. The Hawaiian, Tony Nancy, The Snake and ****oose, etc.
     
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  27. willys36
    Joined: May 6, 2006
    Posts: 3,328

    willys36
    Member

    Nope, all Marx. Marx is Chevrolet, Lionel is Lamborghini. I get a complete Marx train or three for the price of one Lionel engine!
    My original train I got in the 50s is the diecast steamer with the 4 car consist on the 3rd shelf up.
     
  28. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 8,371

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Must be my age. When I was a kid, ALL Marx was tinplate. In 1958, I switched to HO and never looked back.
     
  29. Paladin1962
    Joined: Mar 10, 2025
    Posts: 295

    Paladin1962

    My two favorites are Pacifics and Consolidateds. My FAVORITE Pacific would be the Southern Crescent....
     
  30. mad mikey
    Joined: Dec 22, 2013
    Posts: 9,533

    mad mikey
    Member

    I mostly built drag car kits, g***ers, altereds, rails, funny cars, AFX. hot rods. At Christmas when I was a kid I always asked for car models, paint and glue. Good times.
     
    bobss396 and lothiandon1940 like this.

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