Did you build models when you were a kid?

Still do mainly during the winter and rainy days in the warmer months,lately have been getting unbuilt kits from the 60s and 70s to build eventually..

 

I remember reading when I was a kid that you could make spark plug wires out of thread. But you needed to run the thread through some wax to get rid of any fuzziness.
I tried it. Not bad.

 

Stripped the wrap off the bread ties & used the ultra-thin wire for plug wires.

 

....I like that idea. Need to give it a try.

 

I'm the eldest of 10 children.
I had almost no time to myself.
But I found that the basement was cool in the summer and warm in the winter and nobody went down there very frequently. So that was my getaway, mainly to work on models.

 

Anyone remember what kit this was? In the fifties I lacked the skills you guys have, so I never finished it. I think you would have to build a little jig to put this body together. It’s been in a shoe box in the closet all these years. I’m so impressed with the craftsmanship you guys are displaying here. I did build a lot of models back then. Airplanes, Aircraft Carriers, cars and boats. It was a great pastime hobby and a car or plane would only set you back a buck.

 

Yes~
Growing up in the rural South I was drawn to HOT ROD's at a young age, like a moth to the flame,
FIRST WITH THE PRINTED WORD AND PLASTIC MODELS, later I graduated to the real things.
I eat, sleep and dream about ol' cars, and spend way too much time here!

I would close the door to my room and spend hours building models, when I got married I gave all of them to Brenda's little brother, Recently I purchased a model a the swap meet and it didn't take long to realize I don't have the patience to sit still long enough to build a model start to finish like I did in my youth. HRP

 

I built models from an early age. My grandpa and grandma owned a gambles store, when I would go and visit papa would get a 1/43 scale kit off the shelf and send me to the back room to put it together while they were busy with customers. I built heavy in my twenties and thirties and then started building one to one scale stuff. I recently had a knee replacement at age 58 so to keep myself busy I’ve been building again. I probably have 150 kits that I never built and while looking for kits to build I found my very first model my papa had gave me, a 1/43 scale 36 three window.

 

It's probably an easier question to ask how many people here didn't build model cars as a kid. I see two people chimed in to say no so there are a few, but I'll bet the overwhelming majority of us did.

 

My favorite was the Visible V8, the motorized one with the spark plugs that lit up. I won a prize at our schools science fair with it. Dad helped me build it. Good times, sure miss Dad and hope I’m half as good a father as he was. I don’t think very many kids build models anymore. They are pricey now the last one the Grandson and I did was like $70 total a long way from the $2 - $4 I spent in 60s and early 70s.
Thanks for the memories guys, yep I forgot all about that crappy lemon smelling stuff they called glue! Threw my one tube in the garbage.
Dan
Dan

 

…but look at the great responses and memories triggered by asking who did it…

 

Models were a big thing for me as a kid! Chopper and monster trike pic was a special effect shot. Discharged a fire extinguisher in the basement..

 

I have built hundreds over the years and still do, I introduced my son to model building when he was 4 he is near 50 now and still building he also has over 300 un-built. Last picture shows some I keep on display.
Model cars have been a great therapy for both of us and will continue building for many years.

 

I started with Airfix planes kits, discovered JoHan model cars at 12 and haven't really stopped, at 16 bought my 1st car a 38 Ford Sedan & have had my 1940 Dodge since 1971.......opened my owned Hobby Shop, Scale Automobilia in 1996 specialising in plastic car,trucks & planes, closed it in 2016 & have built over 100 models since........see attached pic of the Dodge outside the shop, and the "Tower of Empty Model Boxes" ........plus a couple of model pics.............andyd

 

I too started when I was 8 or 9 and I'll be 60 this year. That and the fact that my dad was a mechanic and hobbyist left me doomed (in a great way) as a car junky for life.
Have a hundred or so built, 60 or so needing assembly and many parts bags and boxes.
Here's a link to some of my builds
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/media/albums/model-stuff.37541/

 

I was really into model cars growing up. I’ve built a few in the last 20 years. I always think I’m gonna build another one. I never built a “Big T”, and that’s kind of on my bucket list.

 

My latest detour from working on full sized cars! I picked up this old tether car at a local show, and have been getting it back to working condition. Metal body, so easy to sand and paint. The model airplane engine dates to late 1940's and runs great! It's about 14" long, and has real wire wheels. The wires look like tiny sewing needles they're so thin. I take it to the local schoolyard on the blacktop and drive a spike in to tether it when running it.

 

When I was a kid? All are vintage kits. About a third are vintage builds. All the new builds are in the last couple years. And these are just the vintage kits lol

 

Guess I should quiz to see if you can tell the new builds from the vintage builds lol. All they vintage builds were done before 1969.....most before 1965.

 

I was serious about model building as a kid, almost all cars. I still have a few from then. I have done a couple as an adult when laid up with an injury. I did the Bantam Blast last winter.

 

I make my own magnetos. Most for sale are not great.

 

I got that beat.....

 

Deuces: If you got the beat… stop by and we can tap it out together!!

 

I won't pretend to have any idea of your financial situation, but.........you MIGHT be able to afford a kit once-in-a-while. Check out the kit section of Hobby Lobby, and if you see something you like, keep an eye peeled, or check their website, for the (about) twice-a-year- 40% off on them. That might help you out if you get the hankerin'. Can't say there'll be much that is HAMB friendly, but you might see others that trip your trigger.

Roger

 

Having knee replacement just a little over three weeks ago this is what has passed the time until I get back to work.

 

From my post in the Sunday Models thread.


I finally dug out most of my models that I bought in the 70's to the early 80's in my attic. I hadn't worked on any for over 40 years. They're in various stages of assembly and lots damaged from storage. Most models would be HAMB friendly. I have a variety of Monogram antique classics as well as some Hubley metal kits that aren't pictured. The Monograms are Duesenbergs, Packards, a Cadillac, Continental and Cord. They suffered the most damage since they're the most delicate. I moved them to my desk and I'm slowly trying to piece them back together. It's super hard with the bad tremors I have in my hands.

 

This is where I used to buy my JoHan kits.

 

Went to our Hobby Lobby this weekend and they had 6 or so (mostly muscle) at reduced prices, $7.50 and $8.50. Grabbed a few. Also went to my local model shop, everything was $30-40. I did find a Hippie Hemi dragster for $10 though. Not sure how they expect to attract new enthusiasts..

 

I had a bit of sticker shock seeing current prices on model kits when I bought some model glue. $30 and up for most 1/24 car kits. Model paints were also quite high.
I agree that prices like those won’t attract new enthusiasts.