Art & Inspiration Model Kits that Inspired the young hoodlums

Ah yes, something that fed my car hunger... The early Revell kits were well detailed, but a PITA to assemble with their multi-piece bodies, plus being in 1/32 scale there were a lot of small parts. I put their '59 Ford Retractable kit together as an adult, and it was still a PITA. Even after they went to 1/25 scale, they were still hard to assemble. Usually above the skill level of a 8-12 year old. Never cared for the Lindberg kits as the detail was so poor; they looked more like toys than scale models. Monogram suffered from that to a degree also, but some judicious kit-bashing could correct that. JoHan had the 'weird' stuff; this was where you found late '50s/early '60s Mopars and AMC. Both AMT and JoHan got their start building 'dealer promos' for the manufacturers, their late '50/early '60s kits were little more than unassembled promos with glue-on louvers, spotlights, bubble skirts and a decal sheet. Bought tons of these at the 88 cent store (single kit .88, double 1.88). Super-easy to assemble and sturdy enough to roll around without breaking them easily.

Then AMT came out with their hot-rods... a game-changer. Much better detail (they now had engines!) with more custom features, these started the 'detail race' as each manufacturer tried to out-do each other. Lindberg and JoHan faded away, but a few new players showed up, with MPC being notable. Wish I still had my Jim Clark Lotus-Ford and Ford GT40… I liked the MPC models as they generally had better detailing than the AMT kits but usually weren't as hard to assemble as the Revell kits (although the GT40 with it's opening everything and fully-detailed suspension was a challenge). Many hours of enjoyment!

Of course, once I was driving, models lost their attraction. I built some later as an adult, but usually when working out of town; a cheap way to stay out of the bars... LOL. They all have since succumbed to the dust monster, the bane of all models...

 

Crazy Steve, the Lotus and GT40 were IMC. They also did the Little Red Wagon, VW Beetle, and big Dodge cabover truck. Really well detailed. But build-able.

 

Here's some pics of models I built about 40 years ago. Some were award winners at the NSRA Nationals model contests.

 

Only old guys can afford em??? I must be the youngest old guy here. Im 23 and buy all the model kits i can afford!!. Heres my recent rat truck just need to shoot some clear

Sent from my LG-M327 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

these . like things a little different.

 

Bump!....

 

I have been building a lot since I retired. Built my first at age 7. These are my latest HAMB friendly builds...

 

You have been a busy lad @greybeard360

 

The Revell 32 Fords that first hit the shelves in 1996 made a big impact. I have built a ton of them. Here are just a few of my Revell 32 builds. McGee Roadster, Chopped Tudor drag car, (Self chopped) and a Resin bodied fordor.

 

Woof woof...

 

I noticed a similarity between your first post Revell art

And a post on the Traditional Images page

As for specific thread input I always like my see through V8 I built as a kid. I wonder if a see through electric motor will ever be a big hit with kids?

 

Ala Kart. I still have the one I built in 1964, In 2004 I was in Hobby Lobby and found another so bought it too.

 

Here’s a few. I built the Willys and the 32. The black 5 window is an old Aurora probably built by a kid in the 60’s.

 

Model kits that inspired me ehh? Well, here are a couple that may have had something to do with that.

 

Who made the 55 gasser called Badman? Monogram?
Used to go to a local toy shop as a kid that had a massive selection of stuff like that in the mid Seventies.
Untold damage...

 

.......Yep, Monogram.

 

Red's Kagle '61 Starliner. Red's lost his left leg in a horrendous accident at Charlotte in '61 in this car.

 

Recent stuff.

 

Love the Ford, Don.

 

Yep! You can still find these on ebay.....

 

Love them Revell '57 Ford kits... especially the 2 gasser kits...

 

.Thanks, Steve.

 

Hello,

Before my brother started his hot rod modifying and racing, we were into making models of what ever was on sale at the toy store. The local toy store had a model section that had the latest in cool models. My dad used to buy two of a specific model so the two brothers would not fight over who gets to put the model together. Then as he saw the horrific fights with an Xacto knife and ice pick nearby, he decided to get two different models of our choosing.

That went well until we got older and now, our friends and lifestyles were on different tracks, except for drag racing. Our junior high school was into shiny toe, hard dress shoes, chino pants with a super creases on them, removal of all name labels/tags and no cuffs, but finished edges to fit right over the shiny toe shoes, sticking out.

For us, it was the style. We spent hours putting on shoe wax, putting a match to the shine, allowing to cool and then adding another layer to a mirror glaze finish on our toes of those hard shoes. When they were lurking out from under the creased edge pants, it looked quite nice. We still had Levis and tennis shoes sitting at home, but for the junior high school years, it was the gang/hoods, look that was almost mandatory on the Westside of Long Beach.

Jnaki

My brother and his group on the other hand in high school wore Levis, desert boots, tennis shoes and Pendleton shirts over white t-shirts. He was never into the tan chino pants/shiny toe shoes era. He went from wide cuff kid Levis to teen Levis without belt loops/ name tags and no red levi tag on the rear pocket. He even had my mom take out the decorative sewing on the pockets.

So, he was into a different dress up world. We wore what our friends wore. In looking back, it was a little hilarious to see 10-15 kids walking to school all dressed the same. It may have looked like a parochial school in the neighborhood, not a hard core, public school. But, it was a different world and time period.

As far as models, my brother got a 58 Impala model and of course painted it a matching black. From that point on, I wanted a 58 Impala model, but had no money to get my own. So, I fiddled with other models, changing them to fit my style of design.

There were some models that we completely glued together, but those were ones the other did not like.
Brotherly love at its finest. Over the years, it bit the dust in our mom’s house cleaning rampage. Too dusty for the study room and health for the two boys.

So, it took a zillion years to find another 1958 Impala kit that I could build. Why is it not sitting on my current office desk finished? It is still in the new garage drawer with the plastic wrap still around the kit box. I have been searching for some 1/25 scale Buick Skylark Wire Wheels to add to this model’s look as the last custom item I added to my real 58 Impala were those Skylark wires.
expert resurrection by @themoose

Still in wrappers never opened. Still in 1967 condition. They were both purchased in 1967 (70) during one of our toy store walk arounds. It was the only place near us that had models and these just popped up into our purchases.

Why are they still in wrappers? After being called a “hoarder” for storing these away, it is funny that I am still keeping them around for two reasons. One was mentioned above.

One: I am still looking for 1/25 scale Buick Skylark Wire Wheels to make the model into the “custom era” Impala from the 1963 Summer. Two: I am looking for the same 1/25 scale 1940 Willys Coupe front end with twin grilles. Presently there are no models with the twin grilles. There is a hard plastic version cast by another modeler, but it is not for me.

If and when I find the appropriate parts, then perhaps it will not be a part of the garage drawer hoarding program, but a cool dust catcher sitting on my desk.

So, from the junior high school days evolving into the high school teenager drag racing days goes from Chino Pants/shiny shoes to the Levis and sandals styling. It was just a step in the way we grew up, although we were still in the same neighborhood and lived there until we both went away in 1968. YRMV

 

Couldn't pass up this "basement find". Having it resurrected by a pro model builder I know. Giving it to a friend.

 

This was another one I built as a kid. I guess there's a million of these kits at the bottom of a landfill somewhere.

 

Yeah, this one fell to a M80 simulated Nitro explosion. Triggered by a butane fire burnout.
Oh, the carnage...

 

Must have built these kits a dozen times...


...go figure