Curious on what I have here

[fun9c1]

Years ago my dad gave me these and a small bag of loose parts, most of which go with these. He remembers building the boat, but not the cars. Maybe the cars were my uncle's. Assuming it was either my dad or my uncle that built them, that would put them as kits probably from the '50s or early '60s.and they have pretty much all been together in a cardboard box I'm guessing since my dad & uncle moved out of my grandparents in the early/mid '60s. I'm not 100% sure if the vette was originally part of this collection or not, but I think it was. I thought you guys might enjoy looking at these, and any info anyone has on them would be appreciated like brand, box art, years released, etc. Right now my plan is to keep them as-is.

Enjoy!

[jaydar]

What you have are irreplaceable treasures. To add another generation to a family hobby is a great gift.

I truly envy you!

Joe.

[afx]

The drag boat is AMT. If you would care to trade it please send me a PM.

[iBorg]

I don't know if your Dad has passed or not. Mine has. That colors my viewpoints on this collection.

Those models are a connection to your father and a hobby you both shared. When you look at them sometimes you'll only see plastic kits from fifty or sixty years ago. At other times you'll see your Dad, his joy and the love you shared.

I inherited a large model train collection. Most of it is insignificant to me. There's an unfinished garden railway that I'll have to remove prior to selling my parent's house when that responsibility falls to me. That will be a hard project. I also received an old Tyco General Engine that may not run. Its where Dad left it. Every time I go into his train room and see it, I remember him. Most of the trains will be sold on eBay or at train shows. The General will eventually find its way to my office or a special shelf at home.

Keep those kits.....I can identify most of them for you....most have been reissued. Their value is minor compared to what that connection with your Dad means to you.

[Modelmartin]

They are all AMT kits and all of them have been re-issued, some many times. The 36 Ford was just re-issued a few months ago! The 40 Ford sedan hasn't been seen in a while. That may have some value. There is little cash value in most of them. If you have fond memories of your dad and uncle you could fix them up a bit and keep them.

[MsDano85gt]

all very true statements above, I would like you mentioned hold onto them all, just run you a soapy sinkfull of water get an old toothbrush and gently scrub and clean all the old dust off them, glue back on any loose pcs sit back and enjoy them as is maybe slight fixxing or modification, (they look like they were fairly well done)

[disabled modeler]

I am lucky enough to have some of my dads oldies...though mine need restored and parts Id never give them up if I could keep from it...there worth much more for their sentimental value to me. Id rather have them than all the new kits out there even though my task of trying to locate needed parts so I can restore them the work will be worth it to me. Ill have them and pass them down to someone that will appreciate them for what they are and mean to me when my time is up.

[DrKerry]

I'd keep them and display them as is. I too have my dads old model cars and they will never change from what they are. My dad is still around but not doing so well these days. You've got a nice collection of your dad there. Cherish them!!!

[fun9c1]

Thanks for the replies so far. My dad just turned 70 and is in good health. Just to be clear, I have no intention of selling these and am not interested in their monitary value. I'm just curious to have more info on them. For now I'm going to leave them exactly as-is. As they say, it's only original once! It is very tempting to do something with them, though...

Here's one more I didn't show the first time. The MG (I think that's what it is) is a smaller scale, maybe 1:43? It's about 2/3 as long as the vette.

[Daddyfink]

Thanks for sharing it with us and here is some info. Hope it helps!

[pharoah]

Very cool! Put the loose parts back on and display as is.

I've built every one of those at least once.. nice kits.

[fun9c1]

Just poking around that small bag of parts and discovered that I have the motors to the ones that are missing motors! The one on the left goes to the Vette, the bad boy in the middle goes to the hi-boy, and the one on the right goes to the Tudor Ford. The one in the middle says "Chrysler Fire Power" on the valve covers. The middle motor is quite a bit bigger than other two.

I also found the missing headlight lens to the tan one (not sure what kind of car that is...) and the bezel and lens to the Tudor.

[Modelmartin]

The Tan one is the 1936 Ford. Red one is a 40 Ford sedan. Light Blue is 32 Ford roadster. Dark Blue is 63 Corvette.

[Joker]

This is a link to Bob Black excellent Fotki page.

Lots of vintage instruction sheets and some photos.

Just remember Jesse (Daddyfink) boxtop post,

and go from there.

link...http://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/amt-instructions/automotive-cars--pi/ford/

[fun9c1]

Hey Jesse thanks for posting pics of the boxes! Pretty cool to see what my dad saw when he pulled these off the shelf back in the day.

[Belugawrx]

I say .....

Take them apart throw everything in Dot 3

Re-assemble as per spec

Paint them up

And present them to your dad as a thnx 4 everything

Don't forget the display cases

Micheals has glass (football) cases on right now for $19.95 Cdn

[impcon]

How fortunate you are to have these priceless little models in your possession and it is SO refreshing to read your words - "Just to be clear, I have no intention of selling these and am not interested in their monetary value. I'm just curious to have more info on them. For now I'm going to leave them exactly as-is. As they say, it's only original once! It is very tempting to do something with them, though...". In a day and a world where the dollar is king and all that matters on what seems to be a growing scale, it's music to my ears to hear someone who cares about something simply because it is what it is.

"It is very tempting to do something with them, though...". I think that what you are doing with the models is exactly what should be done to them and what they deserve - simply to be preserved as your dad or uncle created them. Each one of those cars is a part of who ever built it and once you change anything - you begin to erase it's true value - not in a monetary sense, but in a way that is far deeper, meaningful and I believe, respectful. Your dad is still alive and you treasure these - but you can't begin to imagine how once he is no longer with you, how to "value" of them will increase dramatically. Untouched, they will remain a part of him or your uncle - because it was his hands that built them and he put a part of himself into each one. Each one is a product of his dreams, his vision, his imagination and more importantly, of his mind and soul. These are precious beyond dollars and once gone or changed, given with how you feel about them at this moment, the time will come when you will regret your actions. If you have children, these are no different than passing on a family heirloom except that these were actually created by your father - your children's grandfather. inheriting a watch or a book or some object is significant, but when that item is the only one that ever has or will ever exist exactly as it sits at this moment - there is no value that can be attached to it. By "one of a kind", I mean that no where out there exists or ever will exist the little cars that were built by your father. They are truly unique and no matter what they are made of or how much someone says that they are or are not worth, they are a part of your family history in a small, but particularly meaningful and special way.

On a much larger scale, I have tucked away in my shop, what was given to me for my twenty first birthday by my parents. It will never be sold and will pass onto my middle son who may do what he wishes with it, but it will never leave my possession unless it is destroyed somehow. It's a Snowcrest White '59 Impala convertible and to me, because it was a gift from my parents who are no longer alive, despite having refused offers to buy it, I still own it. Some may say that it would be better in the hands of someone else, but it is warm and dry and safe where it is and I did at one time consider selling it when we were facing huge mortgage payments and it seemed there was no where else to turn for financial relief. We made it through, we still have our home and it is paid for and I have no seller's remorse. I have the option of doing something with it or just keeping it safe and dry. Options are much sweeter than regrets.

Maybe I am just a sentimental old fool, but life has taught me some harsh lessons, one of which is how important some things can and should be in life and how some things can be bought again, but they can never truly be replaced. Were I in your place, I'd put them as together as I could with what you have and make a safe place to place them and store them where they can be enjoyed by all such as a nice, wall mounted display case with locking glass doors and you will one day be able to open that case and touch a part of your dad which once altered, will lose it's uniqueness. If there is a tail light or an engine missing, then that would only make it more genuine and intimate, IMHO. I'd change nothing. But that's just me.

I am happy for you that you have found these and happy that they will be treasured and preserved for future generations in your family. Will your children appreciate them as you do? Only if you instill in them and teach them the true meaning of the words priceless and value beyond what money can buy.

Edited March 3, 2014 by impcon

[ToyLvr]

As Gary mentioned, perhaps I too am a sentimental old fool, but I think you've got a priceless time capsule giving you a peek into your Dad's youth.

Glue the loose parts back on, sit them on a shelf, and enjoy the view....

[Craig Irwin]

As Gary mentioned, perhaps I too am a sentimental old fool, but I think you've got a priceless time capsule giving you a peek into your Dad's youth.

Glue the loose parts back on, sit them on a shelf, and enjoy the view....

X2

[jbwelda]

that MGA is 1/32 scale and is very very popular with the slot racing crowd. Monogram made one and I am not sure if Airfix made one in England, maybe there is a trademark on the inside of the body.

edit seeing someone elses post I recalled, I think Lindberg made a 1/32 scale MGA too...might have been same tooling as others though.

very kool stuff, I would particularly put some time into the boat cleaning and fixing as appropriate.

jb

Edited March 3, 2014 by jbwelda

[lordairgtar]

The windsheild on the 32 Ford roadster came from a 1/32nd scale car, probably Lindberg's old Lincoln kit.

[fun9c1]

Wow, I really appreciate all the responses here! Gary, wow, it's like you put all my thoughts down into words. I agree with you. There is no way I would sell these and I hesitated to even glue parts back on, but the more I read everyone's opinions here, the more I figure they were attached when he was done with them and he did not intend for them to fall off, so gluing them back on only puts it back to the way he did it. I have decided that I will, at some point, clean them gently, put the loose parts on, the motors back in, and display it like that. If there are missing pieces after I've glued on what I have, so be it.

William, thanks for the info on the MGA. Funny, my dad ended up with a '57 MGA in college (bought it to impress a girl, and she hated it!) and my uncle has a '60 or 61 that he's had for years and years. Not sure which one of them bought that little model.

Bruce, as I said. I'll leave em as-is other than gluing parts back on, but as a "thanks for everything", I have a Lindberg '53 Ford Victoria that I am going to build just like the one he had which was his first car. That's my next project after this "Super Bee El Camino". Or maybe start it in parallel.

Thank you all for the opinions and info!

[John Goschke]

The 36 Ford is the AMT kit built as a roadster, not the Monogram kit as shown in Daddyfink's post.

[ChrisBcritter]

Another thing you can do - since most of them are easily available, you can get unbuilt reissues and build clones - copy the style and colors of your dad's models and use your own talents to make them even better than they looked brand new - like if your dad had access to modern tools, detail parts and paints (after all, most fathers want their sons to do better than they did).

[fun9c1]

Just getting back into this forum after 10+ years. For about the last half of those years I haven't had a man-cave, but now I do again, so back into the models! Luckily I still have the piece of paper from back then with my username and password LOL!

It was interesting to see what I was reading and writing about back then. This post in particular I felt like a follow up was in order, as there were alot of welcomed replies. I'll bet some of those who chimed in on this back then are still here!

Well here they still are, untouched since the original post almost 11 years ago. In other words basically untouched since either my dad or my grandparents put them in a box (which I also still have) in the early '60s. I bought this cabinet at a yard sale last summer, perfect size for them to all be together.

In the OP I said these were either my dad's or my uncles, but I think it's safe to say they were my dad's, as my uncle, as great a guy as he is, never had much interest in cars or in building things. My dad was all about both.

The two outboards on the bottom shelf were Dad's, for sure. They run on batteries and still work. He built this boat as a kid and ran those motors on it.

Looks like that Corvette is the AMT 3 n 1 customizing kit 6923 issued in '63. That would lead me to believe this is probably the last model he ever built since he moved from his parent's home in upstate NY to start college at Northeastern in the fall of '63.

He's still kickin' and turns 81 on Friday.