Do You Create A Backstory For Your Builds?

[oldcarfan]

If I win the lottery, I won't tell anyone, but there will be signs.

A long time ago, my friends and I used to play a game. We'd sit and tell what we would do if we won the lottery. Well, a while back, I started creating a backstory for some of my models based on this idea. In the story a couple of young guys win the lottery in a big way and decide to start a racing team. My Cannonball entry this year is being run by these guys. I haven't decided on a team name, but I've already started planning a diorama backdrop for their shop.

The guys have a thing for European cars and old school racing and start collecting and building Porsches, BMWs, and Mercedes vehicles. I've designed some decals to go on their cars, but I printed them on Micro-Scale paper and it seems to be brittle and doesn't want to stick to the cars.

Now for the questions: Am I the only one who goes into this kind of mental detail? I find it helps me concentrate on my builds.

Second question: Does anyone have tips on getting the Micro-Scale paper to work? I printed some three years ago and some more about a year ago, used their laser paper and printed the decals on a commercial laser printer. I put a thin coat of Testor's clear over it to keep the print from coming off. The decals were brittle, but I can sort of make them work but they really don't stick well. Could it be that the paper was old? I tried decal setting solutions, but I can't say it made a lot of difference.

[Ace-Garageguy]

10 hours ago, oldcarfan said:

...Now for the questions: Am I the only one who goes into this kind of mental detail? I find it helps me concentrate on my builds.

I have a mental backstory for almost everything I build, because the majority of my interest is in "what ifs" rather than replicas of anything 100% real. Most of my builds represent era-correct but fictional hot-rods, competition cars, or prototypes that never were.

If I'm going to pull something out of my imagination, but as I have respect and understanding of how and why things were done the way they were done in a particular era, I find I enjoy having a plausible backstory in order to create a believable model.  

Edited February 24 by Ace-Garageguy

[StevenGuthmiller]

Nope.

The only thing I’m interested in while working on a project is the history of the subject itself.

I get all of the back story I require just from researching the subject and trying to translate that into the model.

I suppose if you consider building a model that represents  a vehicle of a certain age, mileage, etc, or a car that may have been owned by an individual with certain vague personality characteristics a back story, then yeah, I guess.

But I’ve never felt the need to create a detailed scenario or narrative around a project.

Maybe I just don’t have that sort of imagination.

But, I guess if it’s something that helps you, go for it.

 

 

 

Steve

[David G.]

Not usually. But if something I build needs an explanation, I'll usually come up with a reason I built it the way I did.

A good example is the 1958 Chevy Proton. A fictional nuclear powered concept car.

 

 

 

Here's the explanation I came up with:

"Explanation of Chevy Proton Power Systems.

If I remember correctly, at the time I was thinking of how much horsepower it would take to move a 1956 Chevy Nomad with two fifty-gallon tanks of water and a lead shielded reactor added. According to my research a 1956 Chevy Nomad wagon, on which this car is based, weighed a little more that 3,000 lbs. To that we add 100 gallons of distilled water (8lbs. per gallon for 400lbs) and associated storage tanks and plumbing which I estimated at an additional 100lbs. For the powerplant itself, I just swapped out the weight of a Chevy 283 engine and automatic transmission at an estimated 750lbs. total. Together and that adds up to an additional 1,250lbs. more than the stock '56 Nomad or about 4,300lbs.  My 1971 Delta 88 weighed just a little less than that and got along just fine with about 300 horsepower at about 445 lb-ft of torque.

I figured all that in horsepower because I live in the USA.  To convert to gigawatts, we should first convert the horsepower rating to kilowatts. Horsepower is not really a set standard but more of a range which is roughly 1hp to .75kW which works out to about 225kW. In GW that's a disappointing 0.000225 GW. I think Doc Brown has me beat."

*****

That's about as detailed as I ever got.

Cheers,

David G.

 

[atomicholiday]

I never have created a back story for any of my builds.  But I do enjoy reading it when others do make one up.  I'm a sucker for a good story teller. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 hours ago, David G. said:

Not usually. But if something I build needs an explanation, I'll usually come up with a reason I built it the way I did.

A good example is the 1958 Chevy Proton. A fictional nuclear powered concept car.

 

 

 

Here's the explanation I came up with:

"Explanation of Chevy Proton Power Systems.

If I remember correctly, at the time I was thinking of how much horsepower it would take to move a 1956 Chevy Nomad with two fifty-gallon tanks of water and a lead shielded reactor added. According to my research a 1956 Chevy Nomad wagon, on which this car is based, weighed a little more that 3,000 lbs. To that we add 100 gallons of distilled water (8lbs. per gallon for 400lbs) and associated storage tanks and plumbing which I estimated at an additional 100lbs. For the powerplant itself, I just swapped out the weight of a Chevy 283 engine and automatic transmission at an estimated 750lbs. total. Together and that adds up to an additional 1,250lbs. more than the stock '56 Nomad or about 4,300lbs.  My 1971 Delta 88 weighed just a little less than that and got along just fine with about 300 horsepower at about 445 lb-ft of torque.

I figured all that in horsepower because I live in the USA.  To convert to gigawatts, we should first convert the horsepower rating to kilowatts. Horsepower is not really a set standard but more of a range which is roughly 1hp to .75kW which works out to about 225kW. In GW that's a disappointing 0.000225 GW. I think Doc Brown has me beat."

*****

That's about as detailed as I ever got.

Cheers,

David G.

 

An "explanation" makes sense to me, especially if the model in question is a total fantasy such as your example David.

Someone viewing the model would probably be curious as to what your MO was for building the model.

 

I can also understand a back story if it's an actual factual or historical account.

If someone is building a replica of a vehicle that exists, or has existed at one time, and there is a legitimate story behind that vehicle, whether it be a famous custom or race car, or even just a family vehicle that has an interesting history behind it, then I'm all ears.

I don't know.

I guess it's just me, but on the occasion that I do see a model with some extensive fictional story attributed to it, it really doesn't interest me much.

The model itself is the focus, and it's just my opinion, but a made up story about it's existence really doesn't do anything for me.

 

I don't want to stir up a hornets nest, but I kind of feel the same way when I see guys that name their models.

Not so much just calling it Betty, or Veronica, but the ones that conjure up some fantastical name that they somehow feel enhances the model in some way, like a bright yellow street machine called "The E-Lemon-ator" or some goofy sh--

Sometimes I feel that their just trying to promote their model as somehow something better than it actually is.

In any case, much like the backstory thing, it doesn't really bug me.

It just kind of makes me chuckle.

 

But hey, we all have our little idiosyncrasies, and in the end, whatever floats your boat is good I suppose.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[espo]

6 hours ago, David G. said:

Not usually. But if something I build needs an explanation, I'll usually come up with a reason I built it the way I did.

A good example is the 1958 Chevy Proton. A fictional nuclear powered concept car.

 

 

 

Here's the explanation I came up with:

"Explanation of Chevy Proton Power Systems.

If I remember correctly, at the time I was thinking of how much horsepower it would take to move a 1956 Chevy Nomad with two fifty-gallon tanks of water and a lead shielded reactor added. According to my research a 1956 Chevy Nomad wagon, on which this car is based, weighed a little more that 3,000 lbs. To that we add 100 gallons of distilled water (8lbs. per gallon for 400lbs) and associated storage tanks and plumbing which I estimated at an additional 100lbs. For the powerplant itself, I just swapped out the weight of a Chevy 283 engine and automatic transmission at an estimated 750lbs. total. Together and that adds up to an additional 1,250lbs. more than the stock '56 Nomad or about 4,300lbs.  My 1971 Delta 88 weighed just a little less than that and got along just fine with about 300 horsepower at about 445 lb-ft of torque.

I figured all that in horsepower because I live in the USA.  To convert to gigawatts, we should first convert the horsepower rating to kilowatts. Horsepower is not really a set standard but more of a range which is roughly 1hp to .75kW which works out to about 225kW. In GW that's a disappointing 0.000225 GW. I think Doc Brown has me beat."

*****

That's about as detailed as I ever got.

Cheers,

David G.

 

My complements on your design combining the features of so many different year models together and actually making them look correct somehow. This model reminds me of an auto insurance print ad from years ago. I don't recall the companies name, but they would photo shop a picture of a make-believe car in their insurance ad. Looked like they didn't want to pay royalties to any manufacture but wanted sort of a generic looking car for their ad. 

[GLMFAA1]

When you build fire apparatus it is either a replica of real apparatus with a history of itself or it's a piece that fits into your fictional fire department.

greg

[Richard Bartrop]

Unless I'm doing a replica of a specific car, I find some kind of backstory helps guide design choices and helps to keep a certain harmony to the build.  It doesn't have to be a particularly elaborate story either.

Edited February 25 by Richard Bartrop

[Sledsel]

I do not have back stories per say but have many things that influence or lead me in a direction. Pictures I see, hot wheels, even others builds will give me ideas. I know if it is a subject I am not familiar with I will do some research to be sure what I am doing is correct. 

[David G.]

18 hours ago, espo said:

My complements on your design combining the features of so many different year models together and actually making them look correct somehow. This model reminds me of an auto insurance print ad from years ago. I don't recall the companies name, but they would photo shop a picture of a make-believe car in their insurance ad. Looked like they didn't want to pay royalties to any manufacture but wanted sort of a generic looking car for their ad. 

Thank you kindly David. It's the one build that I'm most proud of.

David G.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Two backstory-dependent builds...

 

[CabDriver]

On 2/24/2024 at 12:24 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

a bright yellow street machine called "The E-Lemon-ator"

Oh man, now I GOTTA build that 🍋 

[StevenGuthmiller]

26 minutes ago, CabDriver said:

Oh man, now I GOTTA build that 🍋 

Probably already been done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

 

[Bucky]

I think one aspect of our hobby that really could benefit from a back story is a diorama. A well designed and well built diorama actually tells its own story without it being written down on paper.

[Classicgas]

Not back stories as much as why I did it the way I did. I by and large build factory stock or perhaps day 2 cars. Once in a while I do something as a what if the factory did it.. currently I'm doing a 75 Gremlin with a what if AMC bought the rights to the Pontiac OCH6.

Edited February 26 by Classicgas

[Fat Brian]

Yes, it's honestly one of my favorite parts of a build, figuring out how a vehicle came to be the way I'm building it. I think this started because I'm allergic to building anything stock and had to find a rationale for the things I build. How elaborate it gets really depends on fun the story becomes. Here's a recent example of a deep story dive: 

 

[stavanzer]

Every Build idea has a backstory. Some of my Backstories are more complicated than my building skills, but every kits has an explanation for why it was built. (or started)

[iamsuperdan]

Every now and then I'll daydream about my build while building it.

Most of the time though, I shut the brain off, turn on some music, and just get lost in the build, not thinking about anything other than the task at hand.

[StanGlover]

Not really a backstory, but all of my builds are done as if I myself owned the 1:1 version of that kit, then this is the colors/wheels/mods I’d want it to have. I definitely don’t have the funds, space, or time to own the real versions of these car kits, but it’s fun to imagine I do in scale!

[espo]

I like when a builder includes what their vision was when they post pictures of a build. The back story sort of does that for whoever is looking at the pictures. 

[Russell C]

On a few occasions for my GSL Contest entries, I printed out the backstory, where it was a great excuse to pass off some of my shortcomings on the build as actually being exact replication of the shortcomings of the 1:1 vehicle I was "replicating." Here's the printout from the Under Glass thread for my backwards VW bug (I really should have budgeted more time to do a better paint job).

[Ulf]

Absolutely, I don't build my dream cars. However, I always have a clear picture of who would have had the car I build. I have a soft spot for battered pickups and poor man's street machines and YouTube is full of inspiration. 

[oldcarfan]

14 hours ago, Russell C said:

On a few occasions for my GSL Contest entries, I printed out the backstory, where it was a great excuse to pass off some of my shortcomings on the build as actually being exact replication of the shortcomings of the 1:1 vehicle I was "replicating." Here's the printout from the Under Glass thread for my backwards VW bug (I really should have budgeted more time to do a better paint job).

That's cool!

[oldcarfan]

On 2/26/2024 at 7:49 AM, Fat Brian said:

Yes, it's honestly one of my favorite parts of a build, figuring out how a vehicle came to be the way I'm building it. I think this started because I'm allergic to building anything stock and had to find a rationale for the things I build. How elaborate it gets really depends on fun the story becomes. Here's a recent example of a deep story dive: 

 

I love the details