MTFCA Forum

In 1962, I remember going through the Sears wish book catalog which you may recall, came out every year and had in it, all the toys available for Christmas. In that year, a giant, 1/8th scale Monogram model appeared of the “Big T”. A famous hot rod made from a 1924 Model T. Being 8 years old and too young to realize it was a model that required assembly, I wanted one in the worst way. My parents wisely did not get it for me, for I had not yet attained the skills for such an advanced Model. Fast forward to 2010, I found a 1962 vintage Monogram “Big T” model on eBay and decided to build it. Do any of you recall receiving one of these for Christmas in 1962 and building it? The attached photo is the result of my efforts. Being 1/8” scale, the overall length is about 18” long. It also came with rope rails, a sign on a tripod, and a trophy cup with which to set up a showroom display. An electric motor was also available that could be purchased separately, if you chose to go that route. Probably one of the nicest models ever created by Monogram. Due to the success of the “Big T”, Monogram also put out several other big 1/8th scale hot rod models in the years following 1962, but Big T remained the most popular. I don’t have much time for building models now, but this is one I had always wanted to build since I first saw it in 1962. Jim Patrick

Boy, Jim, that turned out nice!

My motto is: "You're never too old to have a happy childhood"

I bought Tudor Sedan T hot rod kit as a kid. Put it together and was dissatisfied. I took it apart and with parts of another kit added, I kit bashed the evil Madame Medusa's swamp boat from the Disney film "The Rescuers"

I sure wanted one. It was a bit pricey for me. I built lots of the 1/25th scale ones.

I believe the "Visible V-8" is still out there. That was the big one for me.

The original “Visible V-8” was made by “Renwal”, who made a lot of the “visible” models using clear plastic to show the inside of things that many schools and shop classes used as educational aids. I remember my 6th grade teacher obtained a Visible V-8 for us boys to build in 1965, but we screwed it up royally. Too many chiefs. LOL! “Renwal” made the “Visible Man” the “Visible Woman” the “Visible Head”, the “Visible Cow”, the “Visible Horse”, the “Visible Fish”, etc. They even made a visible car chassis with visible differential and visible shiftable transmission in the same large scale as the visible V-8 that you could mount your completed visible V-8 into. I’d like to get a vintage “Renwal” Visible chassis to build and mount the Visible V-8 into it.

The toys and models we had in the 50’s and 60’s were very educational and taught us a lot as we played with them. Toys such as Erector Sets, Erectronic Sets, Chemistry Sets, Microscope with dissecting sets, Casting Sets (for casting lead toys), Vac-U-Form, Steam Engines, Steam Operated Steam Rollers & Locomotives, Go carts, Pressure Launched Water Rockets, real tool sets, Cox Gas powered Airplanes and cars, Bow and arrows, BB guns, etc.

Toys these days are so child safe, they are neither, fun, challenging, nor educational. No wonder kids turn to video games for the challenge and stimulation we got from our toys. We were lucky, for many of the skills and confidences we acquired and learned from our toys helps us today in working on our Model T’s. Jim Patrick

How cool Jim....that sure turned out nice.

That particular model was before my time, but I am old enough to remember the Sears catalog and pouring over it with my siblings. Then we'd get to go to the big Sears store in Harlingen, TX and marvel at their escalator. There weren't many multi-story buildings in south Texas at the time. The candy store was right at the top of the escalator as you exited it, so you'd get assualted with the sites and smells, then just to the left started the toy section. My brother and sister and I would walk, slack-jawed up and down the aisles. We were lower-middle-class and received exactly two store bought toys a year, one on our birthday and one for Christmas. Seeing so many wonderful things amassed in one location was sublime.

It was a magical wonderland, especially at Christmas. The world is missing such things today.

My mom worked in the secretarial pool on the third floor of the Sears buidling. My dad took me there with him one time when I was just a little guy. I must've been 5 years old, but I remember it well. It looked like something out of MadMen....rows and rows of women typing and a man in a suit walking among them, checking on their work.

My dad built his T bucket hot road about that the same year and got lots of trophies to go with it.

Matt

I built the model "Visible Woman" she was the only woman in my whole life who was transparent enough for me to get along with!

I built many military models of WWII aircraft carriers, destroyers, airplanes, etc. and a few cars. Always saved up my paper route and lawn mowing money.

I had similar experience with the big Joske’s store in San Antonio Don. Only we were in the upper lower class and I only got one store bought toy a year

Navy ships and '64/'65 Mustang models for me!

I lusted for the big Monogram XKE. I could never afford it as a kid anymore than I can afford a real one now.

paul

Paul. To reignite that old childhood lust, here is an original 1964 Monogram 1/8 scale XKE.

Yup, that's it! In those days I would have preferred the fastback GT as that kind of car was rare and more suited to long high speed touring. Now, I think the roadster would be better. I just enjoy driving with the top down more.

Paul

My Dad had machines in the AMT plant on 14 mile in Troy, Michigan. One day he brought home their 1937 Cord model. It was cast in color with a maroon body and tan top. It had a steering box, opening doors, and operable windows. It was gigantic and had Vogue Tyres. I learned early that there were other spellings.

My kid brother accidentally knocked it to the floor.

The kit became available again years later but the moveable features and color got thrifted out. I bought the newone for nostalgia. The kit remain in my closet; someday I will get to it.

Good memories, if we could only go back!!!!

The "Big T" wasn't before my time, I was 17. I built that model and loved doing it!

I saw the big T at the store but I built the 1/25 scale models when I was in to model building.
In our town I usually went to Woolworth, Wards and Knesset’s where the toy dept was and there was a section devoted to model cars and airplanes. Built Revells bucket T in 1/25 scale as that was the most common along with others. There were model car shows where there were some customized kit cars that were really neat. Contests in kit building was advertised which helped with interest. Times have changed since then these days. You don’t see those contests like we did in the 60’s and 70’s. I guess they are in to video games and playing with a computer and not interested into things like model cars.

My mom saved this .I built it 55 years ago, I found it when we sold the house.that is what moms do..

This is a fun thread, Jim. I had four brothers, so we had lots of models. We would take extra parts and pieces from broken models and create our own. When rat rods came out, they were like the full size version of what we made as kids!

I was into it big time 7th -9th grades. Kept a few. Many have had the wheel rims issues from several moves. Have another stash somewhere

Didn't build the Big T but did an SJ Duesenberg in the same scale, that had an electric motor. The big kit maker in the UK was, and still is, Airfix They do lots of classics such as Jag E and even a 1/12 Blower Bentley. I had squadrons of their aircraft hanging from my bedroom ceiling.

Their 1912 T was based on the car of Eric Bamford, member 2 of our Model T Register. Eric is still going well in his 90s and still has the T. Their designer couldn't get his head round the T pedals so gave it a gearstick!

I did not like hotrods then, much as I have no use for them now. I
would have preferred a stock TT flatbed model, if I had done models,
but what modeling I did was HO scale train stuff. I got heavy into
scratch built, ...only using trucks and wheels and detail hardware
as any sort of kit-supplied parts. Growing up on a farm, I was quick
to just want the full scale example of whatever it was. For that, I
gave up any railroad aspirations and focused on more "managable"
"toys". Honestly, my TT flatbed really is nothing more than a full
scale model, when I think about it !

I built a Visible V8 and a Visible Chassis when I was about 13 or so. I got some extra V8 parts from a friend of mine and made a "3 Deuce" intake and carbs for it. Made "slicks" and "traction bars for the chassis. Yep, I was a "Hotrodder" in training. Dave

Nice collection Frank. Like you, I had boxes and boxes of left over model parts, but my Mom threw them out along with my baseball cards, comic books and old toys when I was off in the Marines defending the world. I’d sure like to have the things she tossed. Jim Patrick

I started out with model airplanes B-17's, Me-109's & Fw-190's @ about six. The first model car I built was a 1923 T Roadster. (this could have
been a clue)? At eight I got into slot cars, By ten gocarts then got my first car @ thirteen. Dad made me sell the car when he cought me driving
to the cart track. I raced cars for 22 years & carts off & on for 53 years. I only made a handfull of models once I discovered the internal
combustion engine so I missed out on alot of those big models. Maybe real pistons where more interesting than plastic ones.
Craig.

Jim: Thanks for posting this. I got one for Christmas. I don't remember how old I was, maybe about 10. Building it was the coolest thing I had ever done in my life at that point.

Jim

Thanks for sharing, have been building 1:25 scale car models since the ‘60s, when an AMT kit sold for $1.25

And still do it, fun to make a model of your restored car, or just past time desk work

I built the Visible V8 engine as a kid along with a slew of other car models of all makes.

I did the V-8.

I received a REVELL (I think that was the brand) Chrysler Slant Six kit as a child. Never put it together. i think I still have it somewhere in the original box.

The original price of the old models from the 60’s can be found on the ends of the box. Price was usually around $1.49. An afternoon of mowing and yard work usually provided me with enough to afford one. Now, some of them go for over $100.00 depending on their condition and rarity. The original 1966 Airfix 007 Aston Martin DB-5 is a rare one, but it has all the gadgets the one in Goldfinger had. What fun times those good old days provided.

The 1/8 scale models were a bit pricey for me but I bought many of the $1.49 and $2.00 ones. Oh, how magical they were. That's my education into naming car parts.
Yes, mowing lawns to pay for them.
I bought dozens.
Rich

I currently have 18 military vehicles in my personal motor pool. Jeeps, trailers, weasels, mules, mutts, and some light trucks. People asked me how I got into the military vehicle restoration hobby and which branch of the service was I in, I tell them I never served, but grew up building every military model kit I could afford. Mostly airplanes in that light grey plastic color, the vehicles in that dark green color and the ships in the same grey as the planes.

My favorites were the Lindberg line kits that you built the little electric motor with the magnets and copper wire you had to wind up around the armeture. Half the time I could get it to work and half the time I just got free magnets.

But, bottom line . . . building those kits as a child planted the seed to do the same in full scale in my not so childhood.

Model kits are rare, not as popular and the price is ...forget about it. And, if you look at the German WWII model kits available today, they canot show them with a swastika on them. The decals come with a cross and four little lines and you put your own swastika together. Gotta be PC WOC

I built the “Big T”. As a kid. Made a display platform of plywood covered with green velvet, and used the posts and ropes. Even won a local model completion with it!

These are the posts I wish we had a thumbs up icon for...

I did a LOT of aircraft models, hung them up in my bedroom, to the point I drove the old man and his missus crazy! My uncle (when mom was going through radiaton and chemo at Stanford, when cancer treatment was still a HUGE unknown, and she volunteered to be their guinea pig to hopefully find some key to fight that mess - they were trying ANYTHING) also taught me the intricities of building "boats in Bottles" (which was his love and hobby), my piece d'resistance when I was 12 1/2 was a scale model of the Balclutha (a Lumber cargo ship kinda famous on the west coast) in a magnum bottle... Uncle Steve taught me how to set the rigging so it was right, that alone took WEEKS)... The project took me a few months to complete, and when it was done, I gave it to him for his collection.

Sorry it wasn't when I "was a boy", but it was still a huge part of when I was a kid!!

I finally remembered where to look for this. It spent more than 50 years in my mom's attic. I guess you could call it a barn find the way it is now.

The heat of an attic can play havoc on the plastic, colors and glue of 60 year old models. I hope all the parts are there and you can finally finish it, or, if it was ever finished, re-finish it. Good luck. Jim Patrick

I still have mine, but it is 1.25 scale. It is in pieces. I retrieved what remains of my old models and reassembled them as best I could. I gave a short talk on the history of AMT and my car modeling at the recent meeting of my Model T club chapter.

You can get old glue off by gently scrapping it off with a razor blade then wet sanding with 600 grit paper, then compounding the area as well as the entire body with Meguiar’s rubbing compound. You’ll be able to see your reflection in it. Only takes a tiny bit. Jim Patrick