Why do you model?

[atomicholiday]

Because I’m addicted to styrene.  Man do I need a hit right now…

I got back into it in the late 90’s for the nostalgia, but I’m not sure that still plays a part.  As Steve said near the beginning of this discussion, it’s in large part about the love of the automobile.  I’ll never be able to have all the cars I dream of in 1:1, but I can have just about anything I choose in scale.

Also, I enjoy my time at the bench.  It’s a great way to decompress and still keep the mind and hands busy.

[Daddyfink]

Fame, Fortune, Women and the Exotic Locals

Oh, you meant styrene models! I like cars. 

[TarheelRick]

Yes, yes, and yes to all the above. I've been building off and on since '62. Took a short break while in the USAF, got tired of packing and moving everything so I sold my collection. Once I retired from the USAF went into Michael's found a Lindberg '67 Chevelle and a Gordon Championship car on sale for $5 each. I have since built the Gordon car in my own way, but still have the Chevelle on the shelf along with 200+ others waiting their turn. I have loved cars since two of my uncles had '58 Oldsmobiles, one black and one pink. Another uncle had a 41 Ford pickup with a 292 and Packard three speed, he was a good Ford mechanic when not consuming adult beverages. I build models because I cannot afford the real ones. My '80 Pinto is starting to hit me in the wallet deeper than I had originally expected.

[Richard Bartrop]

I need a reason?

[gtx6970]

1st and foremost.

I'm a gear head and have been since I was old enough to walk and talk.

Bought my 1st model car sometime mid 60s I think.

 

I've taken some time away here and there over the years.  But for some reason...I always come back to it. 

 

Recently retired so I've a lot more free time on my hands.  And model Cars are my way of admiring the stuff I enjoy at a much less expense than trying to own multiple vehicles .

 

Not to mention it keeps me busy and makes me work my brain  from time to time .

 

I have several hundred kits to get thru while I'm on the green side. I figure I've got enough kits to last me until about 120 years old...give or take.

Edited September 9, 2024 by gtx6970

[Brudda]

I started modeling when I was young . Mom was cooking and I loved cars so I loved modeling. My mom passed when I was very young. So I had to grow up fast. No more modeling, had to fill in as much as possible for my pop. So no time to model,  12 years ago I had a stroke. Took 6 months for rehabilitation. For fine motor skills I asked my Dr. if building models counted. He said yes and I had to show him the finished model to pass /sign off on my fine motor skills. So this is how I started to model as an adult. I really liked modeling and have not stopped. I have met the coolest people in modeling and will not stop modeling. It’s just super fun, and it reminds me when my mom was alive. I put on old tunes and just model. Relaxes me and it’s the perfect stress relief. 

[Radretireddad]

Quite simply because I enjoy it so much. My father got me started on it when I was a kid in the sixties and I’ve never stopped since then. It’s relaxing, it keeps the old imagination on full boil, and it’s something I enjoy getting better and better at which is way more than I can say about my attempt to learn to play the guitar.

Edited September 8, 2024 by Radretireddad

[Shark]

Like Radretireddad said above, got started as a kid in the 60's. I build mostly Nascar. Quit watching it years ago, so I sorta relive the past building and researching my projects , which lately have been leaning towards the independent drivers.

[Pierre_tec]

Cause is fun! Well, somes give more headaches than others, but mostly they are fun. You can get creative, it’s just plastic, and there are so many talented modelers, that inspired me to build better every time.
Beside, been a gear head all my life, I’m tech for living, so I can get to known, and learn about many cars thanks to modeling.

Edited September 2, 2024 by Pierre_tec

[charger74]

Its just a fun hobby. Its not just the fun I have when I build, its also all the great friends i made in this hobby. And my wife says it my yoga !!!

[Tim W. SoCal]

  I've been a car guy since I was old enough to walk. I make my living as an auto tech and have for many years. I started building model cars in 1967 or '68. Back then, I would buy and complete a build before I would buy another kit. I started building my stash around 1979 or so. The main reason I built model cars in my teens and early 20s was to have replicas of cars I would own if I had the funds and space to collect and maintain them and enjoying the feeling of accomplishment when the kit was assembled. I also love Drag Racing and, when I graduated High School, planned on being a professional Pro Stock car owner / driver. My dream was to be the next Bob Glidden or Grumpy Jenkins. This led to building and collecting race car models. I worked in a world famous Hot Rod - Custom Car shop for a while and was inspired by many of the cars that would come in for work. This influenced and motivated me into model car endeavors such as my Coyote powered '69 Mustang in Poppy Red, my '69 Dodge Dart GTS 440s in Q5 Turquoise and F5 Green, a Pro Touring '69 Barracuda in J5 Limelight Green, the Speedway Motors '66 Nova Gasser and quite a few more.  The main reasons I continue to build are 1) Time at my bench relaxes me and compels all my cares and responsibilities disappear for a while. 2) I love the imagining, researching and planning each individual project. 3) It brings back the joy and nostalgia of a simpler time, when my entire life was ahead of me and filled with anticipation and wonder. 4) The feeling of achievement and gratification when a project is finished. 5) It launches explicit daydreams of my driving the model cars I've built as 1:1 vehicles and the settings and scenery I would be driving them in. 6) Building, planning and collecting currently available model cars for future builds beats the BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH out of spending my leisure time watching the garbage we're inundated with on TV.

[thatz4u]

Because at my age I still can.....I've been through the 60's twice, first time was much more fun...

[catpack68]

For me? It’s a stress relief and very relaxing.

[W-409]

I've had a passion for old cars as long as I can remember. When I was six years old, I saw a Monogram '70 Chevelle that my dad had built. A nice, clean factory stock build in red with black SS stripes. At that moment, I knew I wanted to start building models as well, and now over 20 years later here we are...

I guess there are two main points that keep me going with this amazing hobby:

-I'm able to build cars that I could never own in 1:1 scale (either because of the rarity / price of the car, or because of just the fact that I have several 1:1 cars already and have no space, time or money for more).

-I can build an accurate replica of some 1:1 car for my display shelf.

 

Another good thing, when I started as a kid, I learned a lot about cars from scale modeling. I learned how all the parts look, what they are supposed to do, learned to recognize, for example, engines (I was young when I could tell a difference between for example, a Small Block Chevy or Ford) and learned a lot about the cars in general.

Nowadays I'd wish I had more time to actually build models, but I'm pretty busy so I don't get that much bench time, especially in the summer. I have tons of projects and cool ideas I want to build. You will see them here when I get to actually building them.

[PHPaul]

Pretty much everything listed above to one degree or another, with some additions:

1.  Long, cold Winters in Maine, keeps me from going shack-whacky.

2.  I built models as a pre-teen/teenager and had pretty definite visons which I did not have the resources or skills to achieve.  Now that I'm retired, I have better (tho not unlimited) resources and am developing some of the skills.

3.  While models of cars and trucks provide some outlet, what REALLY gets my creative juices flowing is dioramas.  I absolutely LOVE starting with nothing more than an idea and creating things for which no kit is available and, often, never existed anywhere but in my imagination.

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

I build hot rod models because I have never been able to afford a real one (well, priorities, actually, two daughters, etc...) so that kinda keeps the jones away. I will buy a real one once I sell this big house and I retire (wifey promises).... -RRR