The model car thread! :-)

[34_40]

I think it's great work! You are a real artist! What jumped out for me were the headers on the yellow car. Not sure why but it caught my eye.
My sciatica got so bad I was trapped on the couch for a week, surgeon "fixed it".. Worst. Pain.. EVER.....

[stovens]

Ditto I have a couple models waiting for me and retirement, The biggest is a wooden boat planked italian model of the USS Constitution. The rigging alone could take weeks. I also have a 1932 chevy coupe old metal kit made by Hubley that is waiting for retirement. I used to do WW2 planes, my favorite the Cosair! Hope the sciatica gives you a break, but the model making is fun.

[rspears]

Jim, the perspective on #1 is messing with me. Based on what you said these are all AMT kits which are 1/24th scale, but your picture makes the two latest additions look like 1/18 or even 1/16's! Another one is #2 - is the windshield clear, with rear quarters and back glass kind of amber? It's messing with me a bit! I hope you'll continue with more pictures!
Wondering how you display your builds, especially considering some are 30 years old!! I did 2 or 3 Cobra models, and after a few weeks on display found that my wife had been dusting them for me, with no idea that she was breaking off parts that were irreplaceable....

[J. Robinson]

34-40 - I don't know if you're familiar with any of these kits, but the headers on the yellow '40 are actually the top part of the headers from the AMT '32 Ford coupe, cut off just under the junction and some Evergreen styrene 1/4-inch tubing shaped and added for the long collectors. They are actually a little longer than I intended, but I already had them made, painted, and glued on the engine when I installed the tilt front end, so I just left them as they are.

Stovens - I have never tried a ship model, but I have seen some that really pique my interest. My mom's cousin was doing a model of the Cutty Sark years ago and I was really enthralled by its detail. I was waiting to see it finished, but they moved away and then I heard he had died. I have no idea if it was finished or where it is now.
The Corsair and the P-51D Mustang - the two wickedest looking planes of WW2.

Roger - Those are all AMT 1/25th scale models. Apparently, the perspective angle of the camera makes them look like different scales. You are right, the two cars in the foreground do look bigger.

Yes, the windshield is clear, the rear windows are all tinted red. It was common back in the "gasser days" to remove the "heavy" glass and replace it with "lighter" tinted plexiglass. This was my attempt to make it look like back then. I sprayed the rear windows with candy red before installing them.

I used to just set my models on a shelf somewhere, but when my son was little most of them "bit the dust". Later on, I was given a plastic jewelry display case that held about 9 cars. That helped for a while, but eventually the clear plastic yellowed and started looking bad, so it went away. At one point, I took my few remaining models to the school where I taught and put them in a display window in my office. They resided there for 20 years until I retired (12 years ago), and I had to bring them home. I had them wrapped in multiple layers of paper towels and stored in a box for a while. Finally, I bought a used bookcase at a local thrift store, added some extra shelves, and painted it black. I added a sheet of clear acrylic to the front and that keeps 95% of the dust out. I clean and dust in there about once a year. I have attached a couple of pics of the display case I took before I finished the "rustbucket" '40. The clear acrylic is removed so it wouldn't cause glare in the photos. I couldn't get it all in one pic, so the top couple of shelves are in a second shot. In addition to my models I have some 1/24, 1/12 and 1/18 diecast collectables.

[J. Robinson]

Back on page 2, post #21 is a picture of me in my stock car in 1970 and a picture of the model I did of it in 1983 or '84. That's probably the second-oldest model I have. Here's another shot of it, the other side. The scrape marks replicate the real car - I was passing another car on the outside and got forced up against the wall. I just lost a little paint, but a bolt in my front fender cut down his right rear tire! I made the pass...

[34_40]

I cannot say I am familiar with all these kits.. but they are done very very well! I also don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but Stovens comment about boats jogged my memory, back a number of years ago when radio control began getting to be "a thing" I had been watching a local club do mini boat racing on a local river. And I was drawn in! I made 2 boats, 1 from a kit called the SK40, it ran a water cooled nitro motor and would go 60 mph with the prop I was running. The other was homebuilt, it is my "interpretation" of the old airboats I remembered from Florida swamps. It ran a Cox .049 with a pusher prop and I used the same radio and servos from the SK40. It wasn't fast but I remember taking my mother with me and we ran it on a local pond. The SK I sold when we lived in New Mexico, the airboat sits in a box down in the basement. It's moved across the country twice so I can imagine the state of disrepair.. maybe we can "freshen"it up this winter. OH, there's a steam plant down there as well! Any interest in seeing?

[rspears]

OH, there's a steam plant down there as well! Any interest in seeing?

YES!!

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Displayed by my front entry door....
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20221110_174724.jpg

[firebird77clone]

on the display case, OH WOW!

I actually cut out sheet rock in my living room to make cubbies to display my best models, but alas, smoke damaged from the fire, I threw them away. That wall is now rock. Lots of little forget-me-nots in the nooks and crannies.

Two of my subsequent plastic car models currently reside in the shelf under my custom TV nook.

[J. Robinson]

34_40 - Yes! Let' see it.

Roger - Cox Babe Bee .o49 or Pee Wee .020? McCoy .60? I have an assortment of engines from .049 to .40 including OS Max, Enya, McCoy, Fox, and Cox. My only complete airplane is a Shoestring Stunter with a Fox .35. I've only flown it once myself and I had to hand it off to another flyer. In my old age I can only make about 5 revolutions and I fall down! I've let other people fly it occasionally and they say it's a good one.

Firebird - Pictures? Although my models are mostly hotrods or race cars, I like 'em all.

[40FordDeluxe]

Jim, I love your models! Those junk yard type car models intrigue me a lot. There is a lot of craft and talent in making them look like that and you sure did a great job on it. If you look on ebay there will be ones for sale on there. I have a few 40 Ford models and could you imagine they aren't finished? I bought a 392 and blower for one of the sedan kits I have. I used to have several models that I built. My absolute favorite ones were the 66 AC Cobra and 63 split window corvette. I think they were 1/8 scale as they were old kits when I got them as a kid. Too bad my brothers bombed them down our stairs and they were trashed. I also have a 68 corvette I cut up and used a pro street chevelle to donate the rear end and wheels and tires. I had it in primer and it was resembling my old vette when I was building it. At that time I had been traveling for work and had extra time to do them. Now that my garage is heated I rarely take any time to bust out the models. My sons are wanting to do some so hopefully this winter I'll just take the time to do some with them. Your collection and display is awesome!

[rspears]

Roger - Cox Babe Bee .o49 or Pee Wee .020? McCoy .60? I have an assortment of engines from .049 to .40 including OS Max, Enya, McCoy, Fox, and Cox. My only complete airplane is a Shoestring Stunter with a Fox .35. I've only flown it once myself and I had to hand it off to another flyer. In my old age I can only make about 5 revolutions and I fall down! I've let other people fly it occasionally and they say it's a good one.

I figured that you must have some type of enclosed cabinet!

On the engines, the little one is an early Cox .049, which had one of the first spring start attachments, making it a 1956/7 I believe. It was on a polystyrene Piper Cub that I got as a birthday present, maybe for my 9th? My dad affixed the very fine controller wires to the eccentric on the plane and we took it to the baseball field on a chilly December day. Fueled & started I held it at home plate and dad went to the pitcher's mound where we'd placed the control handle. The plan was that he'd make 3 circles to confirm the setup, then I'd run out to take over. In the 2nd time around he cranked the elevator up and the plane took off nearly straight up, the control wires floated down to dad and at about 150' the plane nosed over and came down, engine screaming. The impact put a big "V" bend in the fuselage, ending it's flying days. Years later I did start the engine, but I've never yet flown a control line plane!

The bigger one is a K&B Stallion 35. The tag on the box says it was $9.95, and I don't know it's history or really where I got it! I believe it was in some "stuff" that was given to me many years ago.

At the Gift Shop in a large Museum I was drawn to some vintage instruments from airplanes, like altimeters, MAP gauges, horizon indicators, etc mounted to nice wood bases, but they also had an assortment of these old little engines polished and mounted much like these two, priced around $100. As usual I thought, "I can do THAT!", but this time I really followed through. They'd have been relegated to the barn when Susan was here, but they fit OK as an entry display to my space....

[J. Robinson]

Ryan - Since you seem to like my "rust bucket '40", here are a couple of pics of my first attempt at rust and patina. Years ago, my son built a model of a '40 Willys gasser. The kit included parts to build either a coupe or a pickup version; he built the coupe. I took the leftover parts (cab and bed) and a bunch of leftovers from other models and built this little junkyard truck.

The frame and axles are unknown pieces from my junk parts box. The fenders came from a '37 Chevy. The engine is a 4-cylinder from a '32 Ford roadster kit. The seat and wheels are from a '40 Ford coupe. The radiator and one headlight are from a '36 Ford coupe. All the junk in the bed is from my spare parts junk box: there is a rusty old flathead, a model-B spoke wheel, a transmission and bell housing. a couple of old wheels with tires, and the right rear fender. I made the dents with a Bic lighter, painted it blue with a brush, then "dry brushed" it with brown to simulate rust.

[J. Robinson]

Here are a couple pics of some of the details on the "rust bucket '40".

In the front view you can see the corrosion on the radiator where it was leaking when the old thing was still running. Also, notice the greasy handprint on the firewall. The right-side view shows rust damage, the flat rear tire, fogged glass, the door handle is missing, and the rust streak from the hole.

My methods have improved since I did the old truck. Now I include rust holes and multi colors of rust. I use the "salt method" of replicating the base rust and patina (as seen on YouTube). After spraying the base colors and removing the salt, I use a combination of airbrush and dry brushing to get the look I want. When I'm satisfied with the look, I give the whole body a coat of Rustoleum Dead Flat clear.

[J. Robinson]

Roger - The Cox .049 engine has to be probably the most popular small engine ever. I have 4 of them - two Babe Bees, a Golden Bee, and a Black Widow. Cox is out of business now. I don't know if it's true; I was told that the founder died and the kids didn't want to carry on, so... Fortunately, there are still parts available on Ebay for the time being.

I started flying control line planes in junior high school and kept up, off and on, into adulthood. I even got my son into it briefly when he was in junior high. Then I took about a 35 year break. I built this nice plane about 20 years ago, but never flew it. Finally, about a year-and-a-half ago I took it to the local flying field where the club meets on Saturdays. One of the really accomplished fliers took it for a test flight and pronounced it "flight ready". A couple weeks later I attempted to take it up, got hit by a sudden gust of wind on takeoff, and crashed it. I took it home, repaired the broken fuselage and a week later tried again. This time I flew it successfully for a bout 5 or 6 rounds, handed it off to another guy, and promptly fell flat on my face!

Luckily, one of the other guys caught a picture of me and the plane in action just before I handed it off. He didn't get a pic of me "eating grass". It would have been funny if he had, I literally did a face plant.

Your display is really cool. I think I'll get my engines out a build a display for them. Right now they're just collecting cobwebs in a box. Here's a few of them; I have a couple more, too, plus the Cox .049's.

[34_40]

Jim - your talents and collection are awe inspiring!
Roger, I just love the mounts you made for the engines, the display is beautiful.

I'll see what I can dig out over the next few days. Boxes of stuff to go through... oh joy! LOL