Contributors

Bill Coulter, writer/builder

At 71, Bill Coulter has witnessed pretty much the whole model car-building phenomenon…from the beginning. He’s been building something for over sixty years. Starting around 1950 with a fascination with anything with four wheels, Coulter cut his teeth on Ace wood kits, Revell Highway Pioneers, the occasional airplane model, and many other obscure kits not deserving of mention here.

Bill was your typical closet model car builder, as it wasn’t a popular activity with the other farm kids he grew up with. It wasn’t something his parents admired most about him back in the day, either. In spite of that, he never stopped working to improve his skills, learning everything the hard way by the old-school, trial and error method. During this period (mid-50’s), the Revell-AMT 1/32nd scale American car series were his favorite, building subjects.

By 1958, AMT released their first 3-n-1 annual kits and for Bill it was a total redefinition of the hobby. Those breakthrough kits were the mainstay of his model building for many years. Also, (along with two close buds), he competed in the Fisher Body Craftsmans Guild, which was an annual contest sponsored by General Motors. It was a life-changing opportunity for him to expand his hands-on model building skill set. Learning to sculpt clay, mold hydro-cal plaster, machine various metals and develop hand-made talents that would prove essential to him in later years.

Bill was able to maintain his connection to model car building while he studied Industrial Design at the University of Cincinnati. After graduation in 1965, and between a marriage, a full-time job, and starting a family, somehow Bill was able to keep active in his chosen pastime.

By the late 1960’s, what really elevated Coulter’s building level was something they call “synergy”. Simply put, it’s where a group’s influence often results in expanding one’s individual awareness, imagination and final output.

Over the years Bill has continued to broaden his building subjects and increase his overall interests in the whole hobby realm.

Since his first published article in Car Model magazine in January 1970, many doors have opened for Coulter. He’s been blessed with the opportunity of writing for just about every model magazine (foreign and domestic) that’s been in print. Bill was never a contest-style builder, choosing instead to build and write more for the “everyman” in our hobby.

Since that time, Bill has penned hundreds of articles and columns, and he’s written nine books to date. Some have said Bill Coulter has probably written well over one million words about this model car-building hobby he loves so much. He was inducted into the International Model Car Writer/Builder Hall of Fame in 2006.

You can believe Bill Coulter will continue doing what he’s been devoted to for sixty plus years, as only God himself knows how many more years folks will have to put up with his blah-blah-blah.

 

 

 

Contributors

Jairus Watson, SketchPad

Jairus Watson is one of the best automotive artists in the country (yes, we’re biased), and his work has been featured here in Model Cars Magazine since the first issues, and even the old Plastic Fanatic Magazine. He also happens to be one of my bestest friends…

He lives up in Salem, Oregon, and is active in the model car clubs up in the Northwest.

You can check out his personal web site: JairusWatson.net

Contributors

Tim Boyd, Writer

Tim Boyd has been building model cars since the early 1960’s. His first contest entry was awarded Fourth Place Nationwide in the 1968 Dodge/Car Model Magazine/MPC Funny Car Contest. He went on to become a frequent winner in the 1970’s MPC National Model Car Championship, including Second Place Nationwide finishes in both 1976 and 1978, and the highest combined finish by a builder in a single year (Second and Third Place in 1978) during the entire history of the contest.

Tim’s freelance model car journalism career started in 1978 with a 17 year run as the author/photographer of the monthly “Modeler’s Corner” feature in Street Rodder magazine. He has been a regular contributor to model car magazines since 1979. He has contributed many articles to Model Cars magazine, and also contributed to its predecessor, Plastic Fanatic. In total, his work has been published in over 25 different magazine titles worldwide. In 2000, he was inducted into the National Model Car Builder’s Museum Hall of Fame as its “Writer/Builder” nominee for that year. Tim also authored the book “Collecting Model Car and Truck Kits” (MBI Publishing, 2001).

His full time career is in the 1/1 scale auto industry, where he just began his 35th year as an employee of one of the major automotive manufacturers. His current title is “Director, Design Strategic Concepts Group” and he reports to the Group Vice President, Design and Chief Creative Officer of the company.

Visit Tim’s website for thousands of photos of his model car projects as well as several “on-line how-to” articles.

Columnists, Writers

Tim Ahlborn, Trucker’s Corner

I’ve had a fascination, no obsession for all things Peterbilt since my family bought me an AMT Peterbilt California Hauler model kit for Christmas in 1970.  I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the old Peterbilt headquarters in Newark, California.

in 1975, the former Madison, Tennessee plant in ’76 and the Denton plant in ’05 and am honored to be part of the Denton open house each year with a large display of my models inside the factory.

Visit my web site at Tims Trucks.com