Model cars

I know we all like the full-size cars, but just noticing that I have more than a few models here in my office: custom-built resin Mini AFX; 1/43-scale Isuzu Bellett 1600 GTR; 1/25-scale plastic BRE Datsun 510 (still in box); die-cast Innocenti Mini rally car; plus a bunch of slot cars, Hot Wheels and other stuff.

So, what's your poison?

1/18th scale die casts. I have way too many of them.

Hot wheels and toy trains.

Don't have a lot, but it's all my sons fault. At least that's the excuse.

I've taken him to car shows and swap meets for years. Pawed through endless piles of hotwheels with him for his collection.

Then the lightbulb went off. There's no way I can ever afford an XKE, but for about a buck, I can have a nice XKE hotwheel. OK! And there it started. I've become quite willing to buy a hotwheel of some car I covet.

And then there's toy trains. I always loved my O-gauge Lionels. Now I have a rational excuse to play with them. I'm teaching him about electronics! Ok, so he prefers HO, fine, I can't see HO very well any more (it shrank, obviously, and it got darker recently under them).

I've tried to get the kid to build models, but he's never gone for it. But, at the last train show he realized there are kits for train cars, and he was most interested.

My wife went to England with a friend about 12 or 15 years ago. I asked her to bring me a new MGF. She brought me a 1/18 scale diecast model instead of the real thing. I collected a few more 1/18 scale models - MGTC, MGA, MGB, TR3, TR6, AH 3000, Morgan - and concluded that they take up too much space. I started collecting 1/43 scale diecasts, more British sports cars than anything, but American, German, Italian, Swedish, and Japanese as well. When they started taking up too much space - about 50 at last count, I started in on HO scale automobiles. But then I started collecting HO rail cars as well. It's an illness... My excuse was that when I get too old to crawl under my Triumphs and MG, I'll have my trains to occupy my time. But like Foxtrapper, I find the HO stuff is a lot harder to see than it was when I was a kid.

I recently came across a box of brand-new, unopened Hot Wheels. The box was in my house, so obviously I bought them. I decided to break up that collection and sent care packages to my cousins. I still have plenty of models to keep me happy.

I have a bunch of recent Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. Euro, muscle cars, race cars... whatever catches my fancy. Lately, I've been picky about the larger cars I buy, mainly due to no place to put them anymore. I have a cheap late 50's F250 (1:18), a 1:18 Demon (cheap but rare, so it was a bit expensive), and a couple of expensive E30 M3's - a black street car and a green race version (both of these still live in their boxes).

I couldn't resist a Indigo Blue VW Bora Variant (Jetta Wagon here) that is exactly like my own car, right down to the tan interior and BBS RXII wheels (that I added). I have a rare HO scale E30 M3 I found in a railroad shop.

I made 2 scale models of my Alpine. I striped a Johnny Lightning car and then built an AMT Tiger in 1/32. I took my car to a Dupont supplier and had it colorscanned. They brewed up a few ounces of paint and I now have them on the mantle.

Just inside the entry of the house I have a low wall with UNIMOGs, NASCAR, sidecar motorcycles and other assorted models. I have model cars...everywhere. What can I say? I was underpriveleged as a kid.... I never had a train set...(everyone sigh..)

Yes love my 1/18th collection. Its diverse and fun. With the new house I can start adding again. My wife and son enjoy getting me them for xmas and so on, but we're picky because the price keeps rising and I like to keep my funding for racing.

Still going to build a new shelf in the basement between some wall posts. Right now its wasted space. Plan on using clear acrylic with a pot light. Should look pretty cool.

My first car was a gift back in 1984. Many years later as a reward for getting a job I added a 2nd car and from there the collection bloomed.

A.

Plastic model car kits are a passion of mine. I don't get much building time anymore, but at any given time there is always a model project on the bench. I have a stash of over 500 unbuilt kits in my model room, so lots to keep me busy.

I had a 4'x6' acrylic case with sliding doors built for my collection. It was made to hold twenty 1/18th and a bunch of 1/43rd scale. When the second kid came, I lost my 'trophy' room. All of it is now in storage .

...if we add model kits, then I have a crap-load of those as well. Mostly from my youth, but I'll buy one once in awhile if it catches my eye to add to the pile of unbuilt kits in the attic.

In reply to lasttr:

" I find the HO stuff is a lot harder to see than it was when I was a kid."

LOL!! I had a huge HO collection dating from the early 60's to late 70's. I honestly don't know what happened to it, but its gone now.

But like you say, they would be harder to see nowadays. :-)

I used to build plastic model cars, but got rid of most of them when I got into the real thing. I collect die casts of cars I've owned or I have a special interest in. It's a fairly small collection now. The 1/18th are really nice but take up too much space. If I can't have them on display, what's the point?

I originally got into trains because I could also buy more cars to place on the layout. The trains have supplanted the plastic car kits as an occasional hobby. I started in HO, then went to N due to space. Now I'm into On30, because the level of detail is so much greater but they only take up the space of HO. Bachmann makes some really great stuff. Not my layout (I'm actually getting to run trains on it next month though):

At one time (late 1980's thru the late 1990's)had a collection of 1/24th 1/25 scale plastic models, maybe 500 kits or so. Some were pretty rare old MPC and JoHan stockcar kits and such. I also did a lot of scratch building for customers too. I built the David Pearson Wood Brothers 1973 Purolator Merc out of the JoHan Ford Torino stock car kit before it had been released as a resin body. I was able to sell almost everything and put myself through the Waterford Hills race Drivers School and go racing there for a season. I still have a few old rare kits that no one seemed to want. BRE datsun 510 and BRE Datsun 240 Z racing cars, early 1970's English Ford Escort Rally, Mk1 Austin Healy Bugey Sprite, 1970 Plymouth Duster and several other cars and some other odd ball builtup kits. And yes I'd sell the rest of the lot. Now my spare time is spent on the upkeep and feeding of a 1985 H-Production Honda Civic setup for SCCA roadracing. Email is thesnibborddot@gmail.com

Ian F wrote: I have a bunch of recent Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. Euro, muscle cars, race cars... whatever catches my fancy. Lately, I've been picky about the larger cars I buy, mainly due to no place to put them anymore. I have a cheap late 50's F250 (1:18), a 1:18 Demon (cheap but rare, so it was a bit expensive), and a couple of expensive E30 M3's - a black street car and a green race version (both of these still live in their boxes). I couldn't resist a Indigo Blue VW Bora Variant (Jetta Wagon here) that is exactly like my own car, right down to the tan interior and BBS RXII wheels (that I added). I have a rare HO scale E30 M3 I found in a railroad shop.

Regarding the M3. What brand and colour is it? I have a yellow HO scale from monogram. The box was actually labeled "BMW 325", but the model is an E30 M3. Unfortunately, the box, along with many Hot wheels and Matchbox European model cars were in a flood.

m

Not much really. All were gifts.

I have these below : ALFA 2300, MG-TC, a Ford Model T truck (it's a coin bank) and a white 2nd gen Miata exactly like my street car.

One of my daughters got one of those large-scale pink Austin-Healys (intended for Barbie) and I still have it (she doesn't want it). It's a bit shabby and is missing two wheels. Since they're really not worth that much anyway, I was thinking of painting it a proper British racing Green, installing decent wheels and displaying it.

7pilot wrote: Regarding the M3. What brand and colour is it? I have a yellow HO scale from monogram. The box was actually labeled "BMW 325", but the model is an E30 M3. Unfortunately, the box, along with many Hot wheels and Matchbox European model cars were in a flood. m

I don't recall the brand, but it is yellow. I'll check tonight. I bought an E36 M3 GTR from the same shop, although it was still in the package, as well as a E46 GTR from a vendor at W.G. a few years ago.

I've gone full circle with model cars having started when I was a kid, then moving up to the real thing and now I'm back to the models.

If you're looking for a model of something unusual or one that you used to own, check out my web site, resinrealm.net

Some are complete kits while others depend on AMT, Revell or Lindberg kits as donors.

Hmm... a canoe... but a useful one for a change.

I've a got real mix of stuff and sizes. Most are from my childhood - Grandparents sent me Lluedo stuff from the UK - mostly vintage era cars. Never be worth much money but I like them. I still have all my Hotwheels and Matchbox cars too - most in good shape. I just gave me youngest boy all my Micro Machines.

Ah, Micro Machines. While looking for something in my desk last night, I came across one.