Tall T rod survivor probably from the '60s

[chepp]

This is not mine. It was the only built kit (no unbuilt kits) among incoming donations to a railroad and history museum from the house of an elderly man who died last year. It isn't known if he made it but it is likely since he lived in that house since childhood and never married. I had met him a few times in the past few years but I don't know what his hobby interests were. However, this is from his obituary, "...he did have something he held dear, a 1938 Chevy that he sunk a lot of money into restoring. It was a creamsicle-colored car that we [co-workers] never got to see," suggests that he might have been a car guy. As far as I know, that car is long gone.

I'm speculating that this was built in the '60s from the 1/25 Lindberg Motorized "T" Coupe kit that debuted in 1965. The oddly-shaped trunk (probably for the mechanism or batteries) is the clue, I think. The running gear was cobbled together from other kits except that the wishbones appear to be copper electrical wire with clear insulation. What is interesting is that despite the crudeness of the build there was an attempt at detailing the engine with thread and intake ball plugs connected with tiny chain. The glued-open trunk lid shows a set of chrome tools inside. The body is unpainted and has velour fabric glued inside and out while chrome tape adorns the underside.

I call this a spontaneous build. Somebody had some parts and then just glued them together without an overall idea of what might result. He didn't want to bother with paint yet added tiny details. The dragster headers and wire wheel covers on skinny tires are contradictions that an adult might not choose but to a youngster they were OK.

I was a kid building 1/25 cars at that time but I don't recall ever doing something like this. I did glue on corduroy fabric to simulate tuck and roll interiors and did add sewing thread wiring sometimes but at least mine were fairly cleanly assembled and almost always painted. In retrospect, I'm wondering if I should have been more carefree and creative.

If you were building model rods or customs when a teen or younger, did you make any like this one?

[skip]

I built as a kid as well, under the influence of my uncles, Don Emmons, Car Model, Model Car Science and others built some pretty clean models for the day. I used Sewing Thread for ignition wires and other under hood wiring, Corduroy fabric to simulate Rolls & Pleats, velveteen fabric, Spray Paints intended for models, lots of Testers and Pactra bottled paints... Pretty much typical building materials from the sixties era of model car construction.

Where I differed from a lot of the young modelers around me was taught skills; my uncles took the time to teach an eight- or nine-year-old beginning modeler some of their tips and tricks to build better model cars. From the start. The first model that I ever build with help from my uncle was a Gee Bee air racer. With that kit I was taught to fit up parts, use minimal amounts of tube cement, use red nitrocellulose filler or as we called it back then putty then how to sand the filler and prep for paint. With each successive model they (and my Dad) took the time to share their knowledge and help me along. Years later, that teaching has paid off to the point I would consider myself to be an average or above average skilled modeler. Its really a story of taking a kid under your wing, teaching them the skills to be a better modeler hoping someday they'll be a better modeler than you!

[HotRodTom]

Evidently, skip, chepp and I hung out with the same folks growing up! I, too, started building around 8 years old and learning the true art of assembly techniques and tricks. Using rubber cement and aluminum foil for chrome trim, sewing thread, flannel for interiors, red devil wood putty for filler, cutting open panels and doors with thread, the "black magic" of hinges from paper clips, making mural decals from magazine clippings, how much "orange tube" glue to use, when to use white glue, how to thin pactra paint to brush it on without leaving brush marks, how to properly prepare spray paint to use, how and when to sand.
All the things we "modern builders" take for granted that we do every time we crack open that kit, we either taught ourselves or were blessed to have the gift of someone's time and attention to share this hobby with us.
We have an awesome opportunity to share with each other and even share with a " young gun" that might be interested in this great hobby of ours. Sharing truly is caring.