Plastic Car Models and the Spare Parts Box!

Save them! Sounds simple enough doesn't it? In reality, if you break them down into like categories and separate them from the sprues (plastic trees they come on) most of them take up very little room. Smaller parts can go into the small divided plastic storage boxes that can be purchased at any department store. Cabinets with multiple drawers are also very handy when it comes to storing small parts. They also provide the ability to see into the box without having to open it, which speeds up the process considerably when searching for a specific part.

Keep carburetors and manifolds separate, alternators and fan blades, mirrors and spoilers, and so on....

Not only can you save these parts for another model, to customize or convert them into needed parts. You can trade them to someone who needs that part for something you need or even sell them on E-bay.

From stock tires to hub caps that fit a 1969 Roadrunner, whitewalls for antiques, decal sheets and instruction sheets, it all has a place in your collection.

Store windows wrapped in tissue to prevent scratching and keep decal sheets flat to prevent them from curling up. Plastic baggies can be used to separate and label pieces that are in need of such treatment for later identification.

Two in one kits are great for adding parts to your stash and almost any model can have leftovers when complete. Condense these parts down and try to get as much into each box as you can without destroying them so that they take up as little space in your home as possible.

Be sure to label the outsides of boxes as to what they contain to simplify part chasing in the future, especially if you intend to trade them. It doesn't pay to set up a trade only to discover you can't find the part you need to complete it.

The more parts you collect the more organized you need to be, or you may never find that special part that your memory screams would be perfect for your present project... if only you could find it!

I use my parts constantly to detail new models and to customize old ones, to trade for things I want and to give to builders that need them. There are even swap meets at the contests and clubs.

You may not want that old set of tires, but you can bet someone does.

Spare parts can even come in handy if you decide to build a diorama, like a garage scene. Have you ever seen a hot rod shop without spare parts lying around? Or a trunk opened up without something inside of it?

Save those parts. You never know when it may be exactly what you need!