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Posted

New here- howdy. Thirty-seven years, to the best of my recollection, is how long it's been since I built a model. I grew up with Autoworld catalogs on my bedroom floor, model car and model rocket parts laying everywhere, not to mention the slot cars and HO's.

So here I am, almost fifty years old, and I'm gonna try it again. Actually been thinkin' about it for a long time. Need a relaxing hobby.

Back in the old days I was one of the few in our area to wire and plumb engines, etc. The detail stuff I'm reading about is amazing. In fact I'd have already started, but I keep reading (and studying) all these freaky new things folks are doing. REALLY lookin' forward to see if I've still got it after all these years.

Dale

Posted

Welcome. And welcome back to the dark side, the Force is much stronger now than you were a kid. :) There's no turning back. I myself had the Autoworld catalogs and used to wear the pages out looking through them. There are so many models and so much aftermarket stuff out there, you're really going to enjoy coming back to the hobby.

Posted

Welcome Dale!... Autoworld catalogs man that brings back memories for me...staring at the old Johan and MPC kits wishing i had the money to buy them. I will be 50 very soon too...WOW...amazed I made it this far...LOL...

Posted

He-He-He…. Remember when Bob joined the forum because his Wife bought him ONE model kit? I think he's building an annex onto his place it's grown so much so fast!

Welcome (back) to the hobby Dale. This forum is loaded with talent, the manufacturers are giving us what we want, and the aftermarket is supporting the hobby LIGHT YEARS past what we dreamed of as kids! I too grew up with models, HO cars, slot cars, etc. and now I'm 55 and am having the best time building now. I'm just getting back into it after a 10 yr. hiatus and I too do it for the relaxation and therapy of sitting alone, creating with your hands, and making something. No better feeling.

Well, maybe there is…. but that's for another forum. :rolleyes:

Posted

Welcome

I'm getting back into it too.

The nice thing about the layoff is now i can afford a $20 kit a lot easier than the $2.25 kits when I was a kid

The bad thing is now I need a magnifying glass to see what I'm doing

Posted

Man. Magnifying glass. Ouch- hadn't really thought of that... IF I get into this like I think I will, I'll need a new bench, more or less exclusive to the hobby. The best part about that is I'll be able to do it right the first time. A big difference from when I was twelve.

Here's my "plan". I'm a freak for dirt racing, especially non-winged spriint cars, midgets, etc. LOVE the old supers. And dirt modifieds. Of course, I like anything with wheels, but I've purchased some donor sprint car kits to practice on. Experiment, if you will.

Hopefully later this year I'll be building two sprint cars- the idea is to perfectly match the modified midgets of two young ladies that race here in central MO. They are grandaughters of a friend, ages 7 and 11. I want to match their cars PERFECTLY in every detail, albeit in a sprint car. I reckon that's going to be a challenge, especially seeing how one of them came out of the paint booth last week painted in RealTree Pink Camo.

I LOVE a challenge. Thanks for the welcome.

Dale

Posted (edited)

Man. Severely sad. I've been thinking about getting back into this long enough that I knew that the local Wal Marts had quit selling kits. But I'd heard they were back in the business. Not so. NOBODY around here (we're very rural, praise the Lord) has anything to do with modeling. No paint. No glue. Nothin'.

The last hobby shop in our area closed their doors two years ago. So I guess except for a supply trip up to the "city" someday, it'll all be online buying for me. Sad.

When I was a kid even the local GROCERY STORE had a selection of models, plus the glue and paint to at least attempt a build. Even kids that weren't gear-heads built a model car once in a while. It's where we learned the difference between a driveshaft and a pittman arm. We found out that cylinder heads and intakes went on top of an engine block. We learned terms like "differental", "third member", "headers" and "exhaust manifold". We knew the difference between a two-barrel and a four-barrel, and fuel injection. We learned in the simplest way the very basics of how a car or truck was put together. We didn't sniff the glue. Or the paint. My god.

In the late 70's and early 80's the local hobby shop sold most everything you needed. They hosted a couple of contests every year. They had a slot-car track in the back. We would walk down there at lunch time, and after school, to race. Looking back, it seems pretty simple. And I LIKE simple. And we didn't sniff any glue.

Nowadays if it's not already assembled, a kid (including mine, and I have three of the little monsters) has no clue. They expect their "toys" to be assembled and ready-to-go. With buttons to press. LOTS of buttons. Very sad.

I have a head cold and am feeling mean. Well, that's how I roll. I RANT. I RAVE. The writer in me can't help but shout explicatives at stupid things. And this is so sadly stupid, the way the world has turned.

I need to get started and build one.

Dale

Edited by Dale W. Verts

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