Anybody collect / build 1:18th scale diecast (or other) model cars?
Most car guys are really little boys at heart ... always pushing little cars around. I already covered HO slot cars in another thread (HERE). I don't remember bringing up other model cars however.
I started building plastic scale model cars back in 1962 or 63. I built any scale but was drawn to 1/25 due to its detail. I fooled around with plastic kits off and on for a number of years, but never like when I was a kid, until about 20 years ago when I discovered 1/18 diecast. Initially all that was available here in the US were the Bburago and Solito, which were ... ok ... but just. Then Ertl and Joeuf models started coming out ... and I started paying more attention. Then I noticed Revell of Germany ... and I started buying!!!
Initially I just wanted to buy the cars on my "ten best looking cars ever made" list. But I thought almost ALL of them looked GREAT ... so my collection got over 200 pretty fast. Since that time I culled out the more common of them and have become more selective in my purchases. I don't have a particular theme as such, but see that I naturally lean towards 2 place sports cars & coupes and seem to prefer GT fastbacks over open roadsters.
Unfortunately, because they gather dust like MAD, I only have closed cabinet display storage for about 100 ... the rest of my collection is packed away in boxes.
Well, it turns out that I can't simply collect them ... there are so many cars I NEED!!!, but are not commercially built. The 1957 Chevy Stock car (Glen "Fireball Roberts" drove Chevys before switching to Pontiac) seen in the photo above arrived today. I needed this car not only because I don't have anything from NASCAR ... but I also needed the steel wheels to turn one of the early 'Vettes in the back ground of the lead photo into Briggs Cunningham's Vette that won it's class at Le Mans. I'll have to have the wheels and tires cast for me because plain steel wheels are impossible to find. The other red Vette will become a model of the first Vette racer. I've already found the wheels for that one.
But I can't do all that without building a model of my old MG racer. I already had the roadster and GT in the back ground so I bought an extra MGB roadster and started hacking, sanding and painting. I started this project some time ago and do a little as the mood hits me.:
Add in some polystyrene rod and I get a roll cage, some scrap aluminum and plastic gets me a racing seat ...
... and then a little work on the lathe and I have a set of 2" SU's with velocity stacks. The engine paint is the real deal MGB (BMC) from back in the day. I have 8 cans of the stuff. The finned valve cover is all aluminum. I still have to come up with the correct mini lite wheels for the car. Until somebody makes a DECENT set, I've started making my own, but it's really difficult to get the spokes correct. I never did get a Paddy Hopkirk gas pedal in the real car, but I think I just might fab one up for old time's sake.
If there is any interest at all, I might dig out what I think are the 10 best looking diecast cars and put them on this thread.
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I know that might be to much RL for some here ... but do any of y'all collect 1:18th scale diecast cars ... or ANY models at all? Why don't you share them here!
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