Re: Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles
Ok, here is what is left of my model car collection from the museum. Back in 1983, I sold 4 large boxes of model cars I had built during the 60s and 70s to a guy that said they had all become collectibles. I thought they were junk. He paid me a large sum of money and that was some of the start up money for what would become VLS. I understand he made a killing reselling them. Good for him! At that time I was competing. I only competed for two years and the models following are close to 30 years old and all have won at the IPMS nationals during that period.
I will start with a Jaguar XKE from Monogram in 1/8th scale. I built this in 1982. I went all out for that time. There wasn't much available to trick it out but, I managed. I had been working for both Pocher Italy and The Sharper Image in the States. Both sold custom Pocher models built to custom specs for customers with big bucks. I never knew how much, I just got $200 a paint job. That was cool with me, I was still a cop and that money really helped our budget back in those days! I averaged one a day, five days a week. A thousand dollars a week was a sweet second income in those days! I did that from 1979 to 1981!
I had never knew another modeler on the circuit in those days. I became involved in competition seriously when I entered the Winds of War in the 1982 IPMS national in St. Louis. After that, I competed for 2 years and then VLS began to grow. I knew instinctively not to compete with my customers so I retired from competition in 1985.
This model won best civilian vehicle in Phoenix, 1983. I took the old monogram kit, totally tricked it out with full electrical, Headlights, tail lights, dash lights, a circuit to work the turn signals, front and rear, and have the indicators or the dash work as well. The horn button worked, I went all out! It had brake lights that operated off the brake pedal and a horn off the steering column.
The interior was upholstered with maroon glove leather and the seats were button tufted. Maroon velvet served as the carpeting. All the gauges lit up and all the warning lights as well on the dash. The engine was fully wired, weathered, and that was very unique back then. I used everything I had learned in Aircraft, armor and ships to add to the realism of cars.
I mounted the car on a base which held the circuits and 14 D cell batteries. The switches that operated the electronics were at the side front.
Some additional shots.
Next, This Heller 1/24th scale Paris Bus won a lot of trophies back in the day. I really detailed in out inside and outside.
Then there is a Ford Cobra. I used a lot of brass and gave the fuel injected engine a lot of detail. I remember it won it's share of awards back then.
There is a story with this one. I had built the diorama, "Gas Pedal Stuck" to completion. I had my first Doberman and he was still a puppy. I had the dio sitting on a trash can waiting to be attached to the base. He came in, stood underneath the dio. I yelled for him to leave and he raised his head, toppled the dio and cars to the floor, and this engine was the only salvageable part left! I was pissed, but he had those great big sad puppy eyes, what the hell!
This was a national winner, but the years have taken their toll. The decals have yellowed and silvered, but I don't have the heart to pitch it!
Here's another little street rod.
I have always liked motorcycles, and had one the vast majority of my life. I liked to build them and here is a model of one I owned. A Kawasaki Z-1, at the time, the fastest production motorcycle in the world!
Next, I built a lot of the old Mercedes cars from the 30s and 40s. I always wished they made these in 1/35th. The maroon and Ivory one were the most used staff cars in the Reich, they were all painted black!
Here is a 1/24th Mercedes 540K, a real classic!
Way back then, even Susan entered the competition. She always liked model cars and could never get into military. Here is a 1/32nd MGTC she built in the 80s and won a first place in a model car contest! I coached her a bit, but if you know Susan, believe me, not very much!
Here is a little Willys gasser from way back when.
This Tamiya 1/12th Porsche 911 Turbo won a lot of trophies back in the day!
Finally, I had almost forgotten about this. It was only published in one model magazine in Japan back in '84 I think. I loved those old Mack Bulldog kits and I built this diorama around one. The figures were all I could find close to the scale back then. Believe me in those days the accessory market was a wasteland. I found these in the model railroad scale. They sucked but that was all there was!
I found whatever I could use to build this dio. I scratched the gas pumps and used the Sorry game playing pieces to finish them off. They worked!
I had just discovered PE. Nothing in our market, but it had been introduced in England in the model railroad market. I built my first PE tree here and thought It was sooooo cutting edge!!
I hadn't yet got into electric circuits, so I made a skylight so you could see the garage interior and the car being worked on.
More of those awesome PE leaves and grass! I was in heaven!
And finally, a shot of the Mack truck!
Hope you liked my old stuff. I am pretty sure all these vehicles were built al least 30 years ago.
Bob
I mean Huge Hot Rod 
