Art & Inspiration HOW MANY CAUGHT THE OLD CAR BUG FROM AMT?

Yes I'm back in the model garage !

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/sunday-models.869868/page-123#post-12739709


Hello,

We did build tons of models straight from the boxes as little kids. We had them on display in our den/study room. But, as we got older, we tried to keep them together without gluing in all of the parts. Why? So the next brother could make his version without having to buy another kit. Sometimes, little things fell off and not everything would stay together. But, we did have fun making our own version. The one thing we did not do was paint the body as it had to satisfy the other brother.

There were some models that we completely glued together, but those were ones the other did not like.
Brotherly love at its finest. We did make a model of the 58 Impala and had it painted black. But 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.


Jnaki

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 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.
Thanks @THEMOOSE
Still, dust is not welcomed in our house, and this completed model will gather tons of dust or create too much work for us old guys. If I put the finished (ever finish) model behind glass doors, it will stay relatively dust free and stay nice. But, it will have to fight our historic, vintage collection of stuff that is behind those glass cabinet doors for space.

"Maybe, someday..."

 

I still love building model cars..

My dad was taking me to kindergarten in 1961. I opened the glove box of our 54 Belair and there it was, an AMT 1957 Thunderbird (Craftsman Series) !!! I can still it.. I think it was that moment that I became a gearhead. All day long all I could think or talk about was that model car..

 

Does anyone know why they went to 1/25 scale? 1/24 makes a lot more sense to me.

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GoldMt...........from what I've read over the years the 1/25th scale was supposedly used as it was easier to extrapolate the masters and molds from the 1/10th scale size that the designers used in making the original 1;1 scale car.........at least thats what my understanding is.....as for why 1/24th was used as the more popular scale outside of Nth America I have no idea........and then of course there is the situation with Monogram car kits which were 1/24th scale up until they merged with Revell whose cars were generally 1/25th..........and any Revell reissues in 1/24th scale show their original heritage as Monogram kits.............but it really doesn't matter that much, at least to me, I just build them..........lol..........andyd

 

My brother and I would also assemble them without glue, using modeling clay to hold them together, until we found out that the clay would melt polystyrene if left in place long enough.

 

J C Whitney catalog

 

Hey S,
I am glad there is someone else that did that same thing. As two brothers who loved hot rod models, we could not afford to buy our own. We poured over the small parts and decided how to put together the model without gluing. (Our parents only bought one model when they could, for what reason, it was not one for each of us.) But, when we did get one for each of us, it doubled the pleasure as we did the same thing to both.

Sometimes, the cars would fall apart and this information came from our wise old mom. "Why don't you put small pieces of white rice in the corners, tie the parts together with string and when the rice dries, it becomes hard." From our mom? Giving her hot rod sons advice on what gluing techniques to use? That was funny. But, it did work.

We got some wax rods from a friend and melted them in various spots to hold down the doors, panels and necessary parts. That was much better than using old white rice pieces. the wax was strong, but when we wanted to make changes or add something else, it broke easily using a small sharp knife.

Jnaki
The wax rods also became our roll bars and modified frame pieces. They were even used to create custom headers for out hot rods and dragsters. But, we had to do it on a cold day as the wax rods were well shaped, but at any source of heat, began to sag. We corrected the problem when we put in needles into the was coating to keep them straight.

It was a great time for budding hot rod kids to experiment with small models, then as we got older, those little models gave way to real hot rods.

 

That is just exactly how it happened, yes indeed.

 

I'm here!!!!