What was your first model car?

[Stanward VonDiederichs]

On 6/21/2023 at 10:08 AM, Rodent said:

My first 1/25th scale kits were the AMT '64 Galaxie Craftsman, molded in kind of a burgandy, and an AMT "Trophy" '49 Ford. I got them at the same time when I was 7 and had my tonsils out. I was able to put the '64 together, but Dad helped with the '49. He built a few kits in the early 1960s after having a work accident that left him pretty much disabled for about 3 years.

I had smaller scale kits, ships, and planes as well. I really don't remember if they came before or after the Fords.

I still have my 64 Ford galaxie with a 427 it's so old that the Chrome on the front bumper and grill is disappearing and turning to the White plastic. ?‍??

[Sledsel]

7 hours ago, Stanward VonDiederichs said:

I wish at that time somebody made an Edsel so I could use the tail lights on a 57 Ford.

  You mean the Edsel wagon lights in the '57 kit? I have a set of the pieces that came in the original release of the '57 that accepted those lenses. 

[W Humble]

Andy: so make a mold and resin-copy them for posterity?  :-<)

Delivering PPG paint to a local body shop five years ago. I saw a 'barn' custom '57 Ford with Edsel lenses AND a '57 DeSoto grille -- classic!  Completely dechromed, otherwise, in white.   

Wick

[Bugatti Fan]

A 1/32nd scale Airfix Bentley Blower way back I think in the late 50's early 60's. They have flogged this old kit with its solid wire wheels to death over the years as re releases. 

Funny thing is though, Airfix got the radiator winged B badge in the correct position on this ancient  kit, but cocked up badly on their big 1/12th scale Blower despite having access to the actual car. The big one has been re released a number of times without this glaring error ever being corrected, but oddly enough somewhere down the line they took the time and trouble to change the number plate! The newer number plate is on a car that is owned by Bentley Motors, so possibly it may have had to be changed due to a licencing issue? Ralph Lauren owns the blower with the original plate that Airfix had on the model. His car was previously owned by Tony Bamford the boss of JCB. It was whilst in the hands of its further previous owner Neil Corner that Airfix produced the 1/12th scale kit.

Edited March 29, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[TonyK]

These weren't the very first models I built but close to it. They left a lasting impression on me though. Been wanting to get the '66 Impala again and build it as a stock car like I did when I was a kid.

[Andrew McD]

To the best of my memory my first model car was "the Deuce" a 1932 Model B Ford from AMT in 1959.  I was 8 years old at the time and my oldest sister who always had an interest in art and painting helped me assemble it.  I'm pretty sure we didn't paint it but I seem to recall applying decals.  A few years later I had more success building the Visible V8 which I found tremendously informative in the operation of the internal combustion engine.  I've built models off and on over the years but only since retirement in 2016 have I become immersed in the hobby.

[bobss396]

Mine was either the Monogram Green Hornet or the Black Widow. When I run across the tires or moon discs at swap meets, I get an instant flashback to 1961 or 1962. 

We had a Christmas gift exchange when I was in 2nd grade in our school, it had to be real cheap stuff, new or used. I got a Pyro Jersey Bounce kit... not my style at the time. I swapped it to my older brother for a used Hardy Boys book.

[Brutalform]

Im pretty sure it was a red Jaguar. I was young, in the early 70s, and my dad enrolled me in this model of the month club. Every month they sent you a model kit, packed nicely in a brown, cardboard box, in the mail. My very first model from the club was the Lunar Module, and the second was the red Jaguar. One of those long nose, 12 cylinder cars. So not my first model, but my first car model. 

[Novaguy]

1940 ford panel truck and 40 ford touring given to me by my dad from his collection of unbuilt kits from the 50s still have both in cabinet were they been since 1974 when I built them after that they bought me kits 1-2 a month plus every gift I gotten from anyone was a model car or truck still to this day never had time to build them all my 3rd kit was vega poison kit still have but needs restoration because dad was a Chevy man and had lots cars at one time got lots Chevy kits 

[espo]

On 3/29/2024 at 8:18 AM, TonyK said:

These weren't the very first models I built but close to it. They left a lasting impression on me though. Been wanting to get the '66 Impala again and build it as a stock car like I did when I was a kid.

I share your interest in the '66 Impala SS being an original owner of a 1:1 back in the day. I also built the AMT kit when it came out and it would still be a great kit and the price of one may be more affordable now with the Revell model on the market. I would suggest trying to build the Revell version as it is slightly better with additional detailing that AMT did not have. Much the same can be said for the Revell kit in the box you show. 

[W Humble]

Bob, funny you should mention the old Mono tires; I had the Green Hornet, Model A tub, Sizler, and some other of their kits, and all the tires are gone from my parts box -- which is unusual 'cause I don't toss things away.  The funny Moon discs, yes.  I never liked the Mono axle/wheel mounting, and it broke easily. (I had three younger brothers!)  In rebuilding these old models, I have been stuck with 1/25 sizes.  I did the repop 'Slingshot' this year, and was able to swap some Sizler slicks and 5-spokers onto it, which are a bit too modern (intro in '63) for the late-50's style kit. 

Finding tires nowadays that look like the old Firestone Super-Sport (Indy or road racing) skins is difficult, and I need some.  Most are 1/24, also; my Strombecker Scarab and Comet Panther kits had them, but only one now is in my stash.  I wonder if anyone has a source for this profile tire?  Resin or 3-D would be okay.  I want to finish builds of two vintage Bonneville-racers, but need the tires.  I tried Indycals resins, but they seem undersized for my kits, even tho 1/25.  If I were really adept at casting, I'd make some of the Comet tire that I still have, at least.  I get too many rejects when I attempt tires!  The old 'Stones were really tall profiles, as one can see in photos of old skool racers, and many cars ran big 'n littles, requiring two sizes.  I tried 'Wanted' but not much luck.  Oh well...  Wick

[Bainford]

On 4/7/2024 at 11:28 PM, Brutalform said:

Im pretty sure it was a red Jaguar. I was young, in the early 70s, and my dad enrolled me in this model of the month club. Every month they sent you a model kit, packed nicely in a brown, cardboard box, in the mail. My very first model from the club was the Lunar Module, and the second was the red Jaguar. One of those long nose, 12 cylinder cars. So not my first model, but my first car model. 

This one?

Edited April 19, 2024 by Bainford

[CaddyDaddy]

Red Baron........followed up by the Beer Wagon.

[Big_John]

My mom gave me a Monogram 1934 Ford to put together on a trip to see my older brother who was stationed in Norfolk. 

I was 7 years old... and the car ended up looking like a 7 year old tried to put it together in the back of a '57 Chrysler. 

It was the start though!  

 

Edited April 26, 2024 by Big_John

[Slotto]

I just ran across this photo from the late 70s. Looks like the AMT Model A Roadster. Scalemates says this version came out in 73.

Edited May 15, 2024 by Slotto

[Novaguy]

On 4/16/2024 at 11:38 AM, W Humble said:

Bob, funny you should mention the old Mono tires; I had the Green Hornet, Model A tub, Sizler, and some other of their kits, and all the tires are gone from my parts box -- which is unusual 'cause I don't toss things away.  The funny Moon discs, yes.  I never liked the Mono axle/wheel mounting, and it broke easily. (I had three younger brothers!)  In rebuilding these old models, I have been stuck with 1/25 sizes.  I did the repop 'Slingshot' this year, and was able to swap some Sizler slicks and 5-spokers onto it, which are a bit too modern (intro in '63) for the late-50's style kit. 

Finding tires nowadays that look like the old Firestone Super-Sport (Indy or road racing) skins is difficult, and I need some.  Most are 1/24, also; my Strombecker Scarab and Comet Panther kits had them, but only one now is in my stash.  I wonder if anyone has a source for this profile tire?  Resin or 3-D would be okay.  I want to finish builds of two vintage Bonneville-racers, but need the tires.  I tried Indycals resins, but they seem undersized for my kits, even tho 1/25.  If I were really adept at casting, I'd make some of the Comet tire that I still have, at least.  I get too many rejects when I attempt tires!  The old 'Stones were really tall profiles, as one can see in photos of old skool racers, and many cars ran big 'n littles, requiring two sizes.  I tried 'Wanted' but not much luck.  Oh well...  Wick

 

[Novaguy]

I do have quite a few tires from old kits including johan along with other parts and bodies if u email me pictures what u need I’ll check. Headline it model tires so I’ll notice it

[W Humble]

Model Tires  1/25 or 1/24 scale:

Evan; working on it! & Thx!  Wick

[Dave Ambrose]

My first model car was an AMT 1962 Thunderbird Convertible. The kind with the metal axles front and rear, and those strange chassis screws. 7 year-old me thought that was wonderful. That was also the point where my grandfather taught me it was okay to modify tools to fit your needs. There was no paint involved, but it was clearly a life altering experience. 

[W Humble]

The metal axles and screws -- actually a great boon for a very young beginning modeler -- were of course just ancillary to our 3-in-1 kits being descended from promotional models.  I had done a lot of early car kits, plus aircraft, ships, and military, before being attracted to the AMT car kits in 1959, when I was 14.  With metal axles, I never again had the problem of securing wheels OR having them glue themselves solid to the chassis!  Plus, the ugly screws did assure that the bottom parts stayed with the top, without a tablespoon of Duco Cement being applied!  I even developed dropping a mini-dab of Vaseline or aptly-named 3-in-1 Oil onto the axles to keep 'em moving!  Remember the 'lowering kit's with optional axle holes?  OC, the first of those had no engine, so the wire-through-the-block problem didn't occur!

I still convert my car kits to metal axles, for the above reasons, tho now I use a steel brad with a similar diameter, trimmed and placed in short lengths of tubing, for front wheels.  OC, at almost age 79, I don't attempt show-winning models -- my goal is to get all those old kits (most bought and begun before 1965!) finished before my small-motor and eyesight fail completely.  Dave, hope you appreciate those faculties, as they diminish a lot!  I also make a priority of creative 'customizing' over trendy stuff -- or is it I just stick with very old trends?  Imagination is the key; I never build a model kit 'as boxed' in my checkered career.  Thanks for a good mag, and a vital forum!! Wick

[deuces wild]

Mine was the MPC WYNN'S CHARGER dragster from '71... Yeah, the one with the iron-on... ?

I bought 2 more from the last release a few years back...??

[Jim N]

When I was young, my parents worked many weekends and my sister and I stayed with a great aunt and great uncle.  Most of these weekends, they provided me with a model car to build.  I don't remember much about the kits other than they were built unpainted.  A number of them had the bodies in multiple pieces.  I am also sure that these were the gluiest of glue bombs.  I remember these times fondly now that I am much older.  I know I should have shown more gratitude when I was young, but being a typical sniveling little kid, I did not.