Remember Your First Model Car?

I still build models! Here's one of my first kits, an Aurora Cunningham.



This car later morphed into the Cobra when it met up with Shelby.

 

Another one.

 

This is a pretty cool car! The Jersey Bounce was a popular dance of the 40's.

 

All great stories and memories, it seems.
Makes me want to rush out and buy a couple for my son.
Chaos - that's about as touching a story as I think I'll ever read.

 

I remember my first few: The AMT '57 Chevy my dad built with me (we ran out of gloss red, and the hood was shot red oxide primer); the Monogram Deuce roadster I sawed the fenders off of and painted whitewalls on the radials; and the AMT '40 Ford coupe that came out real nice until I blew it apart and tried to chop the top.

I have a real bad track record for building models...

-Dave

 

The first model I had was the original AMT 40 Ford coupe. My brother actually built most of it though. The first one I actually built was an AMT 62 ford pickup w/trailer. Man those were the days.

 

As a side, this sort of runs into what could be another thread topic ( I won't waste anyone's time, though)...How many of you remember good, old fashioned hobby shops? We still have a couple in my neck of the woods, but, not nearly as many as there used to be around here. It turns out, my Dad still talks to a few guys that run a couple up in MA and northern CT and VT at the Model Train shows he attends here, in the NorthEast. He asked me to go to one w/ him recently so I, of course, made my son come with and he "re-introduced" me to a couple of them. They're all 30 yrs. older than I remember, but, still really nice and just as willing to talk about the kits they carry.

 

My first one was a Tommy Ivo dragster, in about 1964 or '65.

 

Go to the link below to see what building that first model car CAN lead to!

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2011/01/20/keep-repeating-this-isnt-real/

I'm planning to see the one above at the NAMES Expo in Southgate, MI in April....


(My first model that I ever built was a 1950's 1/32 scale MGA, I think....first "big" kit I ever did was MPC's '66 Pontiac GTO!)

 

Was that the 4 Buick engined "Showboat"?
I always wondered about those Revell kits back in the 60's ..like that 4 engine Mickey Thompson "Challenger".
Difficult builds...Like stuffing 10 lbs of stuff in a five pound bag.

 

As you can see from the picture I was really little when I built my first model.....

 

the bottom one....from a toy store in Temple City, California



I still have a few of the boxes...great art work on the old ones....







These photos are from several years ago. I ran out of room, so they are now on the dry-walled ceiling

 

THIS was the one ya had to have...about 1964 or so, maybe '63...

 

Not sure of my first, but i know i couldn't wait to get this catalog back in the early '70s. the T'rantula and Badman '57 were two i had, but sadly, not any more

 

this was my first also!~ it was fun to build and cool to look at.

 

My first Model cars were all ROTH cars! Still have them.....in the box! Never built them. The first one I ever built was the Lil' Coffin. I plan on building it again soon....I think I built a total of 500 or so. Still have a few of the ones I built when I was a kid.

 

A couple photos of kits my Dad built when he was around 12 or so - STILL exist today! These have been untouched and remain in identical condition since 1960.






A couple of radical kustoms my Dad hand built at the age of 13, still preserved:





First model kit I ever kustomized (age 10)

 

This was my 1st 1/8th scale model. I have a bunch of them still built back in the day. Even the gear box works on this one. I bought at least 8 different 1932s but in the smaller version. My big T is Yellow. I'll post pictures of it.

 

Believe it or not, my first model car was a '59 Stude Lark, which I painted black. I eventually blew it up with lighter fluid and firecrackers. (I'm sure I'm the ONLY one who ever did that! LOL. I don't know HOW most boys don't grow up missing at least one eye!)

My buddies at the time had a cool dad who had large models that I'd estimate NOW at being about 1/18th scale. Man! They were way cool! He had stuff like the '40s Lincoln Continentals. Sorry, but I was a 9-year-old kid, so I don't have pix!

 

I started with planes...had a battleship.....then switched to cars...had about 50..ended up kit bashing, customizing and scratch building...I had the "lil coffin" Ala Kart, showboat, double dragster set, Stone, woods & cook..a bunch of 40 fords.....several 3-in-1 kits which were mt favorites....and many more....great memories...sadly all went to goodwill while I attended college and my closet got taken over....I got into it again when my son was 10 or so..have about 50 again now...on display in the living room like a good bachelor...and stacked in the closet...and bookshelves...and in the garage.....probably always have some around...and always take pics at shows...my favorite thing...great thread...let's see more PHOTOS OF BUILDS..!!! here are a few of mine..
the forty was a re-creation of one I did when young...but different....now on a pro-mod chassis...

 

my first model car was MOPAR MISSLE DON CARLETON PRO STOCK DUSTER
Given to me on Easter,by the easter bunny...no less!

 

Snake funny car

 

I hope AMT/MPC comes out with this again soon!! I'd be bummed if they didn't..

 

How about the Monogram 1/24 scale Snake and Mongoose funny car kits from the early '70's... I got the 2 'n 1 kit laying around here somewhere.... This was the Snake's Yellow 'Cuda and the Mongoose's red Duster F/C kits..

 

Cool thread....
I really can't remember my "1st" model...there's been SO many.....I do remember a Monogram 1957 Bel Air I helped my pops with....
I still have @ 100 models....some still in the boxes, unbuilt.
I do remember my favorite model, an MPC '57 Chevy gasser with the tilt front end. I got it when I sent in all my GOLDEN OPPORTUITY tokens from the side of the MPC boxes....still have it somewhere.

 

My step dad gave me a box of his old models going back to the 40s. I'll dig them out.

 

Mazooma1-that room reminds me of my cousin's basement when I was growing up. It looked very similar w/ the boxes and pics on the walls. The center of the room was full of slot car tracks, it was the coolest place. When I was lucky enough to get invited up to his room, I remember there were dump truck models all over the dresser and a couple of wall shelves. He was 10 yrs older and the coolest guy in my world. He owns his own trucking business now with a fleet of dump trucks and has always had custom bowtie pickups.

 

1/32 Opel GT molded in dark green metallic and '57 T-Bird in blue metallic from _______, and AMT 1976 Ford Capri. Epoxy glue to mess stuff up with.
Must've been a can opener to what I have for model car stuff today. That was 30 some years ago.