Model Car Building: A Scale Model of Your Favorite Car is a Great Hobby!

In the world of model car building, anything goes, and as your skill increases so will the amount of items you can replicate on a scale model. Today a modeler has a vast array of parts and supplies that can reproduce quite a few items found in a real car. Specialized parts are also available, such as reproductions of specific engines, carburetors, blowers and even transmissions.

Photo Etched parts have opened up the realm of possibilities even further, with offerings of linkages, fittings and brackets for alternators, air conditioning and other tiny parts once left to the imagination or builders with access to expensive tools and equipment.

Materials are available to replicate carpeting, gauge faces, clear lenses, braided lines and more.

It is even possible in this computer age to print your own decals to replicate specific cars of your favorite racers.

Not all cars are available as a model kit, aftermarket parts are available to transform a car a year or two before or after the car you want into that year in some cases. Grilles, tail light panels, hoods, and even bodies are made in plastic, resin and in some cases metal.

Sheet styrene, square tubing and round, Beams and channel are available to those into model car building so that even scratch building roll cages and body panels, fuel cells and tool boxes, and even suspension pieces and hydraulics are possible with patience.

A level of detail is possible that was once only a model car building dream. Not everyone will want that much detail and not everyone has that much time or patience. But it is nice to know that if you want a set of disc brakes to be displayed on your model car, it can be done.

Body putty can be used to smooth panels or fill scratches just like on the full sized cars. All the paint colors, interior colors, and fine details can be reproduced. Stock factory colors can be bought to reproduce factory cars and air brushes can replicate custom paint jobs of real cars with practice.

Tires and wheels are made by specialized companies to replicate not only factory correct examples, but also every other type wheel and tire from pro street to 22 inch tuner and customs.

Wiring is fairly easy to duplicate in miniature, with a little patience, and adds realism to the scale model you are trying to build.

The possibilities are endless, your imagination the only boundary to your building. From old style gassers to new drifters, if rolls on tires, chances are it can be reproduced.

A trip to a local model show and competition is also a great place to get ideas for builds and to hone your skills. Most builders are happy to show you ways to improve your skills and your models. Please remember not to touch any displays as they are breakable!

A few minutes near a master builder can create an awe inspired lifetime of model car building in anyone interested in cars. The same goes for ships, planes and armor!