How Old Were You When You Built Your First Model

[dodgefever]

Since I haven't posted much yet, this will serve as an introduction. My Dad built a few kits with me when I was 6 or 7 (so this would be '76-'77), but the first I built myself was a Matchbox Gloster Gladiator biplane. I remember that was the first one where I was allowed to use the Stanley knife to trim parts!

I had a couple of 1/32 Mongram Snap Tite kits after that, but the first 1/25 I built was AMT's '50 Ford convertible. From then on, it's just been cars for me, with the odd truck when I was in my teens.

[Dan Helferich]

I was 7, it was 1958. My aunt ,uncle and cousin Brian were staying with us for a few days. Brian was 2 years older and just as much of a car fanatic as I was. He had stared building model cars earlier that summer. My dad, uncle , Brian and I went to Arlens[ a dicount department store]. My uncle bought a '58 Pontiac convertible for Brian and a '58 Buick hardtop for me. I was hooked! Wish I still had that Buick. The oldest of my models I have is a '60 Pontiac convertible. It's rough, but with a Modelhaus windshield frame and chrome I hope to have it back on display![one more project! I need my head examined!]

[Dan Helferich]

As a child I scratchbuilt an artillary cannon model and was extremely honored to be invited to the Whitehouse to present it to President Lincoln.

As I was leaving, I heard Mary Todd Lincoln say "Christ! Would it kill you to take me to the theater just once?"

Lyle you got me laughing! Unfortunatly I'm so old I may have been there that day!

[KT EASTMAN]

It was about 1980 and I was 7ish years old when I built my first CAR model. It was a Monogram Mazda RX-7. I still have the rear half of it and some of the interior( Long story!!!) My first model was a plane I recieved as a birthday gift when I was about 5 and my Dad helped me put it together because it was a glue kit. I remember taking it outside and playing with it to the tune of about 5 minuites before I destroyed it and my Dad threw it away!!! KT

[robertw]

Enjoyed reading this threat and hearing the names of some of these old and even ancient kits once again. I'm one of these old guys whose modelling roots go back to the bagged Airfix, Pyro, SMP & AMT 3'n1 etc.

I'm not sure of my first build, probably in the mid to late '50's I said I was one of the old modellers) but I remember building a squirrel that you then covered with flocking. I still have one of of my earliest builds, a Fokker Tri-plane probably by Revell or Aurora. Unpainted, gobbed with glue with a few decals still clinging to it, it survived only because it sat in my grandparents china cabinet for years (I think there's a rule that says grandparents must be proud of their grandchildren) it then ended up in a box of old kits in my parents attic. It now sits in my model cabinet in a place of pride, honored for it's history not its quality.

robw

[DrewC]

8 or 9 years old for me 1963 - 1964. I was the youngest of about 5 friends that were building - they had me buy a kit of an early 60's Thunderbird; the body was made up with the two sides (front and rear fenders and doors), the hood, trunk and interior were one piece and the chassis. Even at that age I knew it was a horrible kit. My older brother had dabbled in building too. One model (almost a complete build) was an AMT '40 Ford in which he nailed a deep burgandy metalic paint job. His building stopped as mine started to grow AND after one of the neighborhood girls whacked his 40 Ford dream off the "porch" railing (as it sat curing) Poor SOB!!!!

I must admidt, building in those days was awesome - not a care in the world and plenty of yelling from my Mom about my spray painting! It was a blast. And now, with a great inventory, I'm just starting to build again!

[bob paeth]

My first model was a built up which I modified with modeling clay. My parents told me I was about three years old at the time. As I recall, it was a '35 Ford 2-door sedan in about 1/32 scale and made of rubber. "History" says that I modified the fender profile and added to the rear portion of the body. This type of modeling continued with a '34 Ford panel delivery and a '34 Ford coupe, also in 1/32 scale. In 1939, at the age of 4 my parents took me to the Worlds Fair in San Francisco and I came home with a '39 Ford 4-door ( in rubber ) that was bigger than 1/32. This too went under the re-modeling aspect with the addition of using tin foil along with clay. The last rubber model I worked on was a '46 Buick 2-door fastback. By this time I was about 12 and had advanced to cutting out the windows, sanding off some of the trim and brush painted. I also experimented with working suspension using straight pins bent around the steel axles and inserted into the rubber body. Next came "promo" models, already assembled, but nevertheless, modified. My first actual kit was a wooden model of a World War II jeep, somewhere around 1947 which would have made me about

12 years old. I think my first plastic model kit was the '58 Buick by AMT.

bob

[samustang2001]

I WAS ABOUT 6 YRS OLD

[samdiego]

I was 6, it was 1965. My dad stashed a palmer kit on top of the fridge to see if I would notice. I did. I remember the separate body sides, but can't recall what car it was. I never stopped. Never even really slowed down. My father built from time to time. The kid I hung with the most (Dink) was 4 yrs older and his brother was 4 yrs older than Dink. They both built. It was in the 1:1 car mags, Boy's Life, Comic books. I talked car dealers out of their old promos. To me, it was everywhere. Definitely in my room, anyway.

Edited February 16, 2008 by samdiego

[gerry78]

my dad built models and put them in my room at the age of 5. i took up building shortly after, with his help! i got to do the same thing with my daughters this x-mas. they were planes and i had to cut them out of the runners, but they assembled them. feels good to know that models will still be built be the next generation! they are 3 and 4 years old!

Edited February 17, 2008 by gerry78

[rmvw guy]

I started building airplanes when I was eight. When I was ten (1960), my friend Randy's Dad bought a new Ford and Randy got a 1/25th promo of it! I wanted one so, Randy and I rushed to the dime store (WT Grants) on our bicycles where I got a 1960 Edsel convertible, they were out of Fords, for one dollar I believe. Of coarse it got the spot light treatment, full decals, lake pipes, the works and glue on the window glass. Later it got baby blue paint applied via paint brush. Ironically it fell victum to a fire about 10 years ago started by me! What was I thinking? ......The next build was much cooler, an AMT '32 Ford coupe. Randy got one too. We hot rodded them and played crash up derby. I still have this one, I think, I've built it so many times I'm not sure.

[Dragline]

I was about 6-7, so somewhere between 71-72. it was a Dave Deals Bug Bomb.

Bob

[1930fordpickup]

8 or 9 and it was a 74 Pinto . Put the boss 429 in her and put a round window in place of the big clear one , Brother helped a ton or should I say I helped him a little .LOL

Latter in 1980 -1982 I made a hacked up prostreet out of her . Must find that car in the stash and try to fix it up.

[Brizio]

I don't remember exactly, because a thet time I was into Die-Cast model cars, so probably 8-10 year old.

[mnwildpunk]

it was 1982 I was 5 at that time I built I think79 camaro. I remember it was molded in yellow plastic. No paint just lots of glue. Once I finished I wanted to play with it and broke it ten minutes later he-he

[Rob Hall]

I started w/ Revell and Lindberg 1:32nd scale snap kits at age 6 in 1976...built my first glue kit (Revell '56 Chevy 'Bad Dream') in 1978...then several kits from the AMT 'Countdown Series' in '78-79...

[Fat Brian]

My first model was Mark Martin's #6 Folgers Thunderbird, I was about ten so it was most likely 1991. I built it in two days, didn't sand anything, used half a tube of red glue, and then proceeded to barrel roll it down our hallway like some Talladega nightmare. That lasted a couple of weeks until there weren't enough parts left to fly off to make it fun anymore so it was back to Legos for a while.

[ChrisR]

Round about 6 years old!

[FASTBACK340]

My Mom helped me build the Aurora 1/32" Batmobile when I was 7-8.... back in the late 60's. Then I attempted the `67 Olds Toranado...a Pyro Trike...a few aircraft carriers and planes, then settled on cars.

[jcbigpaw]

I think I started actually building models when I was about 9. I was in the model of the month club (was that Revell?) and signed up for cars, boats, planes, spaceships, whatever theyd send me. I do have a picture of me when I was about 4 or 5 with a black primer "hot-rodded" model someone had built for me. Think it was a Plymouth Duster which woulda been new since that was in 69 or 70.

[BKcustoms]

My first model was given to me by my uncle when I was 6 and I've been building models ever since!

[BOSWELL891]

i started when i was 13 I am now 15

Edited July 1, 2012 by BOSWELL891

[MAGNUM4342]

I was five. It was a glow in the dark human skeleton. I was a creepy kid.

[RancheroSteve]

About 5 years old. I think it must have been an AMT 1/32 Thunderbird - brush painted it red as I remember. Pretty much hooked after that, although I laid off for a while from late teens until my mid-thirties.

[Edsel-Dan]

I believe the First ones I built myself were Palmer's roughly 1/43 scale cars.

Mom cut the parts off the trees with a kitchen knife, I glued them together.

First 1/25 I built was MPC's 70 Impala Convertble "Vampire Machine"

I added the Bat on the Hood, Fangs to the grill, Web Hub caps Over-top the Stock ones.

Wish I still had that one.

My dad built most of my kits before that. Not very good.

Ones I remember having, Jo-Han Police Fury, Deville Convertible, Ambulance, & Hearse With Coffin

MPC 69 Coronet Convert "Mission Impossible"

AMT 49 Mercury, Pete 359 California, Fruehauf 40 Beaded van.

Of those, I still have the Merc complete!!!

Only Parts exist of the rest. (Except the MI Coronet--Nothing I can find!)

Thought with Tires/rims I Could rebuild the Fruehauf!!

Though it is painted Copper, and has Police decals on the AMT Arrow boards.