retired & glad Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 I was looking at the next build on my small collection of kits and I got to questioning why build the motor. Unless it is a car or truck with the motor showing in the finished build, why spend so much time making it look good and correct if it is never seen once it goes on the shelf. I don't usually look at them once they are on my model display shelves. Usually just dust them every now and then but don't handle them much after that. So much time is involved in making it look good and then it is covered with the hood and never seen again. Does anyone else just spend the time making the body look good and leave the motor out when building. I don't enter contest or shows, so I think the next one will be motorless and spend the time on making the outside and interior better. Just my thoughts on this with no intent of critisizing those that spend the time building the motor.Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldnslow Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Curbside is a category at most shows , so you're not alone . Detail is a relative thing , it means more to some less to others , build what you like and don't worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSNJim Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Few of my models have a complete engine, if they have one at all. I don't see the need for one in a shelf model. Some have just the lower part and headers so that it looks right underneath the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 That's called a "curbside" build Richard and it is done all the time. Some kit manufactures don't even provide and engine. It's your model Richard build it your way.PS: If you have some left over engines you don't need maybe we could work out a trade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retired & glad Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 That's called a "curbside" build Richard and it is done all the time. Some kit manufactures don't even provide and engine. It's your model Richard build it your way.PS: If you have some left over engines you don't need maybe we could work out a trade.Thanks all for the info. JC, I have a few but they are built and from tear downs that I wanted to redo the paint job on the body. If I have any in the future, I'll keep you in mind. I'm glad that I am not the only one in the way I will be building. Curbside is what I was thinking but couldn't remember the word for it. Now I can spend the time to make a body better and finally finish something in a lot less time. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 I seldom put engines in anymore on a closed-hood car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTallDad Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 I generally display my finished models in clear plastic cases and the hoods are open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retired & glad Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 Well that clears that up for building a motor. I've always been one to follow instructions but I am going to break out of the line and do it my way. Thanks to all that responded. Looks like I'll have a few motors to give away in the future. I like both Ray's and Snake's signature.I have a few old Ford's and rod's that show the motor, so I'll give the motors in them a good going over.Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantrix Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Okay this might seem somewhat critical, but I gotta ask.If you don't enjoy building enough to complete the whole model and you don't look at them once finished, why do you build at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynehulsey Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 I was looking at the next build on my small collection of kits and I got to questioning why build the motor. ...RichardThe engine to my thinking is the heart of the vehicle and also one of my favorite parts in building a model. I know on a lot of modern cars its almost impossible to see the engine; but then I don't build much after 1955 except for a few exotics and race cars. And yes I do have some of the large scale engine kits and have bought a few 25th scale just to build the engine. "If you don't enjoy building enough to complete the whole model and you don't look at them once finished, why do you build at all?"To go back to old Zen thing, its the journey not the destination that is important. I do lots of building, but very little finishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Can-Con Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Okay this might seem somewhat critical, but I gotta ask.If you don't enjoy building enough to complete the whole model and you don't look at them once finished, why do you build at all?I don't particularly enjoy doing the "greasy parts" either and a good fraction of my builds only have a "place holder" for an engine and the hood glued shut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retired & glad Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 Okay this might seem somewhat critical, but I gotta ask.If you don't enjoy building enough to complete the whole model and you don't look at them once finished, why do you build at all?Hi Rob. I guess I enjoy the time at the workbench working on something. I never thought much about the motor building part until I was dusting them on the shelves I keep them on. Then I got to thinking, why build the motor if it isn't seen by anyone but me and wife. I do have a few that show the motors and do enjoy looking at them also. I also make cigar box guitars in my workshop but I can't play a thing on them. I give them to friends. I have owned a lot of full size Volkswagens in my time and I think I'll start building some models if they can be found. In those I will probably build the motors.Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Battista Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 I think it's all in what you enjoy in this hobby.... How far you want to go for your own liking... Me I like to detail the engines to make them realistic as possible in scale.... and also hinge the hood to show it. A hood laying next to a model doesn't look right..... That is my opinion and the way I like to build.... But I'm not going to knock a guy for not building like I do.....It's your model and your hobby and it should be done how you enjoy it...The worst model IMO is the one that doesn't get built....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 If you don't want to mess with the engines, by all means, forget about them. I usually will do the engine in a model if it originally came with one, but I build plenty of curbside kits that never had an engine & I don't add them. Even if you're entering a contest, you can still do well, even without an engine. I did quite well this spring at the NNL North show with a curbside '60 Dodge! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 To each his own as they say.... I like to build engines (if the kit came with it----a lot of resins don't) because as Wayne mentioned above, the engine can be the signature of the car. Be it a Hemi, Flathead, Buick Nailhead, I like to build the engine particularly from the era when engines defined a car. Gone are the days when each make (particularly within GM) had its own distinct identity engine wise. I like to replicate that as much as possible, right down to the correct firing order if need be. And yes, I plead guilty as one of those that display the car with the hood by its side! You can see the engine and all the detail better that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retired & glad Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 If you don't want to mess with the engines, by all means, forget about them. I usually will do the engine in a model if it originally came with one, but I build plenty of curbside kits that never had an engine & I don't add them. Even if you're entering a contest, you can still do well, even without an engine. I did quite well this spring at the NNL North show with a curbside '60 Dodge! Steve Hey Steve. Now that is a trophy. I bet close up the car is imaculate. How long did you work on that one? Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 I'm at the other end of the spectrum, and often open hoods that came molded shut so I can add an engine...and very often not the "correct" engine for the vehicle. In real life I love engines, and as mentioned above, feel they're the heart and soul of the vehicle.I've also done styling exercises that had no engines, just to see what an idea would look like in 3D, so I can see and appreciate both sides of the question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren B Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 (edited) Planes are in this category for me. I am getting in or at least trying to get back in to the model airplane hobby and I picked up the 1/32 scale fw 190 and it comes with a beautiful detailed engine but I do not want to open all the panels until I get good again with airplanes so I glued the engine together and it will be there just to hold the prop when I get to that point. I agree with a lot on here in this thread it is perfectly fine to build with or without engines, what ever you feel like modeling.....Curbsides are great to for getting away from contest full detailed builds when you experience burn out or a slump I did that a couple times and it get me to get a few more kits done in a year not 4-5 years like I usually do. Edited July 10, 2017 by Darren B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarheelRick Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 For awhile in the past few years I would do quite a bit of engine detail, not to the point of carb linkages, but wiring and fuel plumbing. Now I have sort of lost that desire and am satisfied with paint detail. I will probably do more with some level of detail, just sort of depends on how I feel. The main thing is I primarily build them for me, although I will occasionally try to build a contest model. Whatever yanks your chain is the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Force Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 (edited) I have never built a car or truck model without an engine and I don't think I ever will as I like doing and detailing them, and I do show them off in the display case.I think I only have bought one kit that doesn't have an engine in it, it's the Italeri Volvo VN 780 wich doesn't come with one, but I bought a resin engine and transmission to put in when the time comes to build it Edited July 11, 2017 by Force Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Hey Steve. Now that is a trophy. I bet close up the car is imaculate. How long did you work on that one? Richard Actually, I built this one a few years ago when I was cranking them out pretty quickly, especially the curbside builds. On average, I was finishing one every 3 to 4 weeks. recently I've started building more kits with much more engine & other detailing & that time has stretched out to more like one every 3 to 4 months! This is another advantage to building curbside. The finish line it's much closer! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatz4u Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 The 60 Edsel I just finished restoring was a curbside, I just added more detail to the chassis plate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retired & glad Posted July 11, 2017 Author Share Posted July 11, 2017 With the new cars now I can't tell one from the other. They all look the same to me. Back in the earlier days they had class. You could tell what it was even blocks away. Times sure have changed. Maybe what the future holds is flying cars.The 50's and 60's were unique with styling. That Dodge is excellent work. My Mom and Dad couldn't afford nothing like that. I only remember a new 1950 Chevy they bought. Learned to drive with it. My first car was a 1956 Chevy, Red and White. Wish I still had it.Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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