good first model for a 14 year old boy

[truckaddict]

Ive been given the task of finding a good model for a first time modeler who is 14 years old. Im thinking that a prepainted 32 amt ford. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

[Jordan White]

First time modeler? Go with a snap kit to start since it's easy to assemble and can be a good painting lesson for him. Do you know what sort of vehicles he's into?

[High octane]

Have you checked out the Elvira kit by Polar Lights?

[blunc]

find out what excites this potential model builder, whether it's race cars, hot rods, custom cars, trucks...etc.

introduce to this forum, show the possibilities, advise that it's a learning process and that skills need to be learned/developed.

[Scuderia]

i agree on snaps the 85 camaro was recently reintroduced and is nice n easy. also the 91 formula which was redone again as well. as far as snaps theres always vettes n vipers that can b easy to build and are a lil more exotic to the eye of a younger builder

[Foxer]

I too agree a snap kit is good for a first time modeler. A 14 year old is well able to do things we do ... I was chopping tops at 14, but this is a first kit. Get a car that follows his (or her) interest.

[gtx6970]

Snap kit all the way. This is my 13 year old daughters very 1st model. It's one of the Polar Lights pre-painted snap kits. And it's 99% out of the box ( tires and wheels included )
i picked the decals and helped her lay them out.( multilayer Fred Cady decals ) but 100% of the rest of it is all her. From cutting - trimming all the pieces off the sprues,a bit of sanding off molded lines on small parts, No painting ,,no extra parts. Body came pre-painted and interior is molded in color .

It was a tad bit tight to get some of the pieces to snap in place but she was ( as am I ) thrilled to see it completed.

Now she is building one of the clear body car trailers now to put it in, ( simple glue kit ) And she already built one of the Dodge Ram pickups snap kits to display it all with .

Edited December 7, 2012 by gtx6970

[W-409]

Actually Snap Kit is not must have either. I built AMT '60 Starliner as my first model car when I was six years old. Dad just kept telling me what I had to do with all of those parts. Maybe somekind of Revell's Basic Builder-type of kit would be good, like the Classic Chevrolets.

Edited December 7, 2012 by W-409

[slusher]

I think the polar lights dodge or polar lights 64 gto would be a great first kit since its prepainted....

[mikethepoormodeler]

Maybe he could start with an Accurate Miniatures McLaren.

[Greg Myers]

We've been all over this one in another post in the Kit Review section. I think the die cast version is a great start.

[Guest]

I think any of the Round2 curbside Camaros, Corvettes or Challengers would be a perfect kit for a 14 year old beginner.

[Monty]

Actually Snap Kit is not must have either. I built AMT '60 Starliner as my first model car when I was six years old. Dad just kept telling me what I had to do with all of those parts. Maybe somekind of Revell's Basic Builder-type of kit would be good, like the Classic Chevrolets.

I agree with Niko on this. Even without someone else's assistance, a 14 year old should already possess the brains to interpret the instructions on an average glue kit (such as the Revell Basic Builders Niko mentioned) as well as the dexterity to put it together. IMNSHO, if snap kits are to be recommended at all, they should be relegated to kids in the single-digit age range.

I've never understood the "dumb-it-down" mentality that seems to go along with "snap" kits. My first car model was Revell's notorious '55 Chevy with opening doors etc. I'm not going to lie and say it went together easily, but it turned out OK considering that it had been built by an unassisted 8 year old. I wasn't exactly resilient back then, but I knew that that building experience would teach me lessons that would serve me well as I continued building.

Edited December 7, 2012 by Monty

[Jordan White]

In my opinion, for whatever age, giving them a glue kit to start is like getting someone into woodworking by telling them to make a table with some builder plans. Sure some may have the dexterity to do it correctly the first time around, but there are some that may think it's too complex and just give up. With a snap kit (or other basic builder kit), you at least let them get a feel for it. They can learn how to clean up mold lines, use the right amount of glue, and even learn how to create a good looking paint job. Then, their next kit could be a glue kit in which they could take the processes they've learned and apply them to the more advanced kit.

[DrKerry]

Snap kit all the way. This is my 13 year old daughters very 1st model. It's one of the Polar Lights pre-painted snap kits. And it's 99% out of the box ( tires and wheels included )

i picked the decals and helped her lay them out.( multilayer Fred Cady decals ) but 100% of the rest of it is all her. From cutting - trimming all the pieces off the sprues,a bit of sanding off molded lines on small parts, No painting ,,no extra parts. Body came pre-painted and interior is molded in color .

It was a tad bit tight to get some of the pieces to snap in place but she was ( as am I ) thrilled to see it completed.

Now she is building one of the clear body car trailers now to put it in, ( simple glue kit ) And she already built one of the Dodge Ram pickups snap kits to display it all with .

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marcus M. Jones]

the kid is 14 not 4 so i would go with the prepainted kit.

[Monty]

the kid is 14 not 4 so i would go with the prepainted kit.

I think that's backwards logically. Yes, the younger they are, the more simplistic the kit should be. The same 14 year old who can find cheat codes for WoW, Halo etc (I'm not a gamer) can't figure out a printed instruction sheet? 14 year olds can't handle painting a kit? If 14 year old kids haven't matured enough to deal with glue models, I don't want them anywhere near real cars when they turn 16. Eventually, I'll reach the age where I'm lumped in with the old guys on the board, but most of us were building (gluing!) and painting out kits at an early age. Take off the water wings and swim!

[Casey]

Let's not equate skill with age, but rather try to match the 14 year old's building experience with a kit that matches.

The Revell '57 Chevy Bel Air, '34 Ford, '77 Monte Carlo, '63 Corvette, '69 Camaro, etc.-- any of their modern snap-together kits, really-- would be a good first choice. They fall together and the bodies are molded in color, so no spray painting is required. If you feel he is ready for something a bit more advanced, the suggested AMT curbside kits would be another good choice, as would the Revell '85 Camaro Z/28, which is basically an advanced snap-together kit.

I don't see any dumbing down in these suggestions, and I don't see any harm in starting with a kit which may be a little bit too easy. I'd rather see him complete the kit, and if he wants to build another one, help him find something a bit more challenging as his skills grow.

[Art Anderson]

In my opinion, for whatever age, giving them a glue kit to start is like getting someone into woodworking by telling them to make a table with some builder plans. Sure some may have the dexterity to do it correctly the first time around, but there are some that may think it's too complex and just give up. With a snap kit (or other basic builder kit), you at least let them get a feel for it. They can learn how to clean up mold lines, use the right amount of glue, and even learn how to create a good looking paint job. Then, their next kit could be a glue kit in which they could take the processes they've learned and apply them to the more advanced kit.

And yet, the vast majority of model car builders ages 55 and up started with glue-kits for one simple reason: There were not snap kits around back in our younger years.

And learn? We learned by doing, mostly on our own--very, very few of us had fathers with much understanding of model kits, and many lacked even the older brother--so learn by doing it was, seriousl.

Yeah, it's nice to have a mentor, even fun to be a mentor in this hobby, but at the same time, for the mentor to push this way or that can often be disingenuous, even overwhelming. Better to first gauge the level of interest in the subject matter, and if that is there, with at least a bit of passion, gentle and positive encouragement.

Art

[Agent G]

Todays youth are more into "instant gratification" than us olde farts. The world ran slower for us, not so anymore. I agree that we should match building experience with a kit. If a kid nowadays, remember instant gratification, can't complete the task in a timely manner, they lose interest. We lose a potential master modeler, and the potential future of the hobby, possibly forever.

Nothing wrong with any of the suggestions, just take the one that best fits the kid.

G

[Jordan White]

And yet, the vast majority of model car builders ages 55 and up started with glue-kits for one simple reason: There were not snap kits around back in our younger years.

And learn? We learned by doing, mostly on our own--very, very few of us had fathers with much understanding of model kits, and many lacked even the older brother--so learn by doing it was, seriousl.

Yeah, it's nice to have a mentor, even fun to be a mentor in this hobby, but at the same time, for the mentor to push this way or that can often be disingenuous, even overwhelming. Better to first gauge the level of interest in the subject matter, and if that is there, with at least a bit of passion, gentle and positive encouragement.

Art

Thing is though, look at the kits you older guys had to work with: they were practically equal to the basic kits found today. Screw-together body, metal axles, low parts numbers, simplified assembly procedures, all stuff that you would find on today's snap kits and basic builders.

And yes, you guys did have to "tough it alone", however that's not the case today. What's wrong with sitting down with your kid and showing them the ropes? You don't have to do anything but simply make suggestions or show them the best way to do something. If they choose to not follow, well then it's up to them.

But hey, I guess it simply is a generational matter in this thread.

[southpier]

And yet, the vast majority of model car builders ages 55 and up started with glue-kits for one simple reason: There were not snap kits around back in our younger years.

And learn? We learned by doing, mostly on our own--very, very few of us had fathers with much understanding of model kits, and many lacked even the older brother--so learn by doing it was, seriousl.

Yeah, it's nice to have a mentor, even fun to be a mentor in this hobby, but at the same time, for the mentor to push this way or that can often be disingenuous, even overwhelming. Better to first gauge the level of interest in the subject matter, and if that is there, with at least a bit of passion, gentle and positive encouragement.

Art

this

[Don Sikora II]

I agree the Revell Snap-Tites like the '57 Chevy would be a good place to start. There are a lot of different ones to look at...'63 Corvette, Ferrari Enzo, '69 Camaro, recent Mustang, etc. so he should be able to pick out something than interests him.

If you want to go glue, it's tough to beat "classic" Monogram for a beginner. Maybe the '78 Firebird, the full-fendered '32 Ford roadster, or something from Tom Daniel.

[blunc]

I agree on the Tom Daniel kits, monogram made them rather simple.

I think we should just wait and hear what fascinates this new model builder.

Edited December 8, 2012 by blunc

[southpier]

by the time this thread is over, he'll have his driver's license and discover girls