Do you remember the first model you ever built?

[JamesW]

Thanks to Lyn's Ebay listings I found a pic of the first model I ever built.

[Scott Colmer]

Hey Gilbert...

"I kind of remember back in the early seventies, A monogram model it was yellow molded plastic, kind of like a rocket powered motorcycle. That all I remember it sure would be cool to find one again."

Is it this?

http://www.showrods.com/large_image_pages/..._fly_large.html

Scott

Edited December 12, 2009 by Scott Colmer

[Bernard Kron]

This was my first model kit:

The 1939 & 1940 double Indianapolis 500 winner driven by Wilbur Shaw, the Boyle Special, a Maserati 8CTF.

A very simple curbside kit molded in metallic burgundy (must have been very advanced plastics for its day) and featuring real rubber tires and separate exhaust pipe, seat and steering wheel. I seem to remember using some metallic silver paint my mother had for antiquing stuff to do the grill, wheels, exhaust and steering wheel spokes. It was so simple I built it in part of an afternoon. I was 10 and I was hooked. Up to then I collected built small scale car models like Dinky Toys and Corgi. After that I never bought another built up model. Never have. I also almost never built anything but automobiles. My best friend in high school was an awesome airplane modeler so I tried some then but it just wasn't my thing...

The incredible thing is that I did a web search on "Aurora Models" and the kit picture above was my first hit! Ain't the Internet grand?

Edited December 12, 2009 by gbk1

[7000in5th]

Well, children, I started building before plastic was invented:

Well, okay, maybe I glued together a couple of the plastic Revell (?) Old Timers before the Ace kit but the Ace came early in my kit building life (at age 10 or so). The box of wooden blocks above was supposed to result in a 1949 Ford convertible, like so:

HOWEVER, being the Kustom King that we all thought we were, I decided that a two seat roadster (pre-T-Bird) would be a whole bunch sexier. Here is my Brownie Hawkeye picuture of it taken in the day:

And, to my everlasting delight, it is still in my display case today:

If you want to learn a lot more about this Ace kit and my version, check HERE.

[Sixties Sam]

Great history lesson, David. It's amazing that you still have that model. Hang on to it! I thought I was the old guy here, but you were building that model when I was born in 1949!

For a future project how about taking an AMT 49 Ford kit and turning it into a 2 seat roadster, following the concept of your old Ace model, then display it beside your original? Just an idea.

Sam

[robertw]

Yes I do, and I still have it. This will really date me but I think the year was about 1958 and the kit was the Aurora Fokker DR-1 Triplane. It gives the term glue bomb a new definition. It's unpainted and molded in a dark red plastic and only about three of the original decals are still clinging to the plastic mostly out of sheer stubborness. The only reason it survived was that I gave it to my grandparents who kept it in a china cabinet for many years before it came back to me. It was then stored away in a box in an attic but now enjoys a place of pride on my model shelves. Age has its privileges even if its not very good.

I don't recall my first car model but it might have been Jo-han as I recall building many of them during my early teen years. Unfortunately they've all disappeared over the years.

robw

[Railfreak78]

My first model was mid 80's snap tight red molded Camaro 1:43 scale I think. I never painted it and then put the stickers on it. I was 6 years old and left it outside on a hot Phoenix summer day and the windows and roof melted. I never touched them again till I was 9 and my first glue kit was a F14 Tomcat which I screwed up the moving wings which brought me back to cars and my first 57 Chevy Hot Rod mag edition.

[Chuck Most]

This isn't the actual model, but the first model I ever built was this one-

The old Monogram Snap Tite Fox body Mustang with the fadeaway pony decals. I was six years old, and remembered being quite pleased with the results- even though I broke off one wheel and (crookedly) glued it back on! I don't recall what ever happened to it, but I picked up this one built up for $1 a week or so ago. I like having it around- it's like having an old childhood pal back!

[JT]

I'm not sure if it was the first, but it was one of them, the 'Lil Coffin show car. I still have it and abouot 50 of the first models I ever built. Some of them are real bad!

The 'Lil Coffin is in pieces along with another shell to hopefully rebuild some day. I'll have to see if I can take a few pics.

A couple of the other early ones were the Paddy Wagon and the Beer Wagon.

One of my early favorites was the 69 Bonneville and the Chevelle Drag Team with a 65 Chevelle drag racer and a 63 Impala tow vehicle.

The one kit that almost turned me off of modeling was the 57 Nomad! That thing just wouldn't go together! Not until I got mad and through it against the wall!

I still have all of those, need to dig them out and put them all in one case.

[Ragnar]

Well I'm 63 and I built my first models when I was 6 or 7 years old, so I have no idea what my first car model was! I remember Building Airfix models of early sports cars, and several Hot Rod kits in the fifties, But the first ones I remember were the the early AMT Roadsters, and some Arora kits. They were all pretty bad!

CHEERS!

[Casey]

While cruising eBay I came upon the first model I ever built, this Revell Snap-Tite Corvette Stingray:

I can still vividly remember applying the waterslide decals at the kitchen table and what they smelled like. I may have to pick one of these up again for old times sake.

[Tony T]

I was able to figure it out recently, thanks to a friend.

I remember building my first model on my Grandmother's kitchen table.

It was a Palmer Mustang, I think. Definitely a Palmer kit (still have a wheel or two in my parts box, I believe!), and I was about 5 or so, so that would have been around '67 or '68. It was definitely a glue bomb, and it was played with to death!!

The first one I did with paint with my Dad's help was an AMT '53 Ford pick up, which I had rebuilt two or three times! I still have that one packed away, and a reissue to build again.

[Junkman]

I remember it very vividly. It was an Airfix M3 Half Track in 1/72. I must have been 8 or 9. Did it together with my father, who is a brilliant modeller, albeit he does railways.

[Guest snapper]

This isn't the actual model, but the first model I ever built was this one-

The old Monogram Snap Tite Fox body Mustang with the fadeaway pony decals. I was six years old, and remembered being quite pleased with the results- even though I broke off one wheel and (crookedly) glued it back on! I don't recall what ever happened to it, but I picked up this one built up for $1 a week or so ago. I like having it around- it's like having an old childhood pal back!

This reminds me of my first build, which was pretty similar. It was the '55 Chevy Snap Tite 1/32 scale. Good idea to just get a built one - that would be nice just to have it sitting around again.

Edited February 9, 2010 by snapper

[Bill Eh?]

I can't remember exactly which one came first. I built a few of the Aurora 1/32 hotrod kits, that were molded in one solid colour. I remember doing the 'Ohio George Montgomery" gasser kit. The one that stands out in my mind was the multi-version dragster kit called the Sizzler. Those were some fun days. I think many of my kits met the same fate as others, blown to pieces on May 24th long weekend.

[801ryan]

k there was one I helped my dad with when I was about 7 or 8 it was a capri that was battery/wire controled, we..lol.. he put it together for the kid next store. then about a year later I got an old Hod Rod 30's type car molded in maroon with a bucket seat that hinged not shure what kit it was what a glue/paint bomb that was ....but about 3 years later the one that got me hooked the "Heavy Chevy" Chevelle the one you could build stock or street. the LHS had a detailed that was totaly cool plug wires, coolant hoses, BMF every detail. I bought one and took it home and built it in day slicks,blower and the centerline style wheel's...fun times ....

[crazyjim]

I built my first model in 1958 and I have no idea what it was. It is no longer though. Got together with friends and we got our hands on some firecrackers and blow up the kits we had built.

[weasel]

in 1961, i was spending a week with the grandparents, Gma wanted to get me something to do, so, as we WALKED to the grocery store, we passed a small hobbyshop, hmmmm..."Gma, can we stop in this store??" well, a little later i had my 1st model kit..a 1961 Valiant 4door..got some glue and some purple bottle paint and A brush[that was on friday] and proceded to build the model on the dining room table!! well, monday rolls around, the Valiant's done[paint was probably tacky still!!] and up to the hobbyshop i went!! didn't get anything, well, maybe a certificate of some kind, but, i didn't care... i loved it!! being in 1961, not many people took model pics then, so, no pic...BUT, i got back into the hobby in 1988 building the Tide Monte Carlo stockcar, i was hooked AGAIN!!! i DO have pics of that one... after a couple months[and new/more skils], i went back and added some more detail to it..rollbar padding, tire lettering...

[89cxsport]

It was either a tank or a 57 Chevy I believe the tank was first. Still have both out in the shed.

[ChrisPflug]

First new kit I got was the snap SWAT Chevy van

Followed by the two color orange and yellow Mazda pickup then some more 1/32 snap kits- 55 Chevy street machine, 57 Fairlane, and '57 Vette

First glue kit was a Revell '57 Bel Air with opening everything and molded in an awful hot pink color- didn't turn out well, especially with the old "Sniff-Proof" glue

When visiting my grandparents I did get to make some custom creations from a big box of stuff that remained of my uncle's late 60's model collection. Also ended up with a carton containing unboxed kits of most of the '71 MPC annuals