Old Kits: To Build / Rebuild or Not

[gwolf]

What is your opinion on building or rebuilding an original issue kit from the 60s - 80s?

I say build it, but I have a friend that sort of sighs at the mention of me rebuilding a gluebomb original issue kit from the 60s.

Any thoughts?

[Mark]

Nothing wrong with building a kit, that's why they were made in the first place!  In some cases, it's better to just start with a mint kit than to scrounge parts and clean up someone else's substandard work.

On the other hand, some kits aren't easy to find or particularly affordable for most people, and then there are others (drag cars, show rods) that were never very accurate in the first place.  Why drop three figures on an original Pro Stock or funny car kit only to set aside the decal sheet and half of the parts?  In those cases the mint kit is best left on the shelf. 

[Warren D]

If it's NOS in the box, unbuilt then some would say it has value.  If it's already been built up and you want to rebuild it, I say go for it!  (Heck, if it's your kit, do with it what you want!)  I took an old Autocar A64B tractor that I had built up 30+ years ago and rebuilt it recently and couldn't be happier with the way it turned out.  I was never happy with the original build and almost threwit in the trash on many occasions.

[disabled modeler]

Me... I would build any old kit or rebuild any old buildup that needs it...old buildups needing TLC need to be restored so we save some model history.

[Snake45]

I have a couple rare old kits that I'll never build because I enjoy them too much just the way they are. I also have a couple that I DO plan to build. Now if it's previously built, I have no problem taking it back to bare styrene and starting over, no matter how rare it is. Lately, though, I find that if an old builtup has ANYTHING going for it, I really enjoy restoring it as much as possible, maybe making some improvements but staying more or less true to the OB's vision. So far I've restored a Maverick drag car, two '63 Corvettes, a '67 Corvette, two '68 GTOs, a '74 Charger, a '72 Chevelle, and an Aston-Martin DB4 in this fashion. And am doing a '71 Cuda even as we speak.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Snake45

[AC Norton]

they are plastic models.....and intended for building pleasure....you can't take them with you, so enjoy yourself and build them.....I admit that I build far less than back thru the year's, but if collector's and so called purist's knew or saw the cello I cracked open on 60's and 70's car's and built thru the 80's and up, they would die. get your work bench ready,,,,and have fun.........the Ace....

[gtx6970]

99% of everything I own is fair game to build. The only kit I have that will remain mint in box is a sealed MPC Barry Setzer Vega funnycar. I built one  as a kid and wanted a mint one for today. Ive also got a few builtups of the car on hand as well . So I am good.

I've also  got a mint unbuilt 60 Edsel kit....i bought it to build not collect dust. Unless someone offers me stupid money for it

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2017 by gtx6970

[thatz4u]

I love building original kits, & rebuilding glue bombs, it's a lot of fun...which is why I do it   

[espo]

I have several original issue kits from 40 to 50 years ago. For me these will not be built, especially if they have been reissued as I would build those. I don't often rebuild a  kit that is on display. I'm still trying to understand why someone would buy a glue bomb at a swap meet when a complete unbuilt kit is sitting there for the same price.   

[Foxer]

the definition of plastic kit includes the word "build" 

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

Build 'em, the only things I collect are vintage Revell parts packs: http://public.fotki.com/jferren/revell-parts-packs/ -RRR

[Ace-Garageguy]

The great majority of my kits are '60s-'70s that I bought after 2005 with the specific intention of building, one way or another. They're predominantly kits I had as a kid, or that I wanted and never got.

Most of my work involves heavy modifications, so I'm perfectly happy to start with a bodged gluebomb or a complete wreck if I'm building something fairly radical (just like with real cars), but if I want something close to what the kit was intended to build, I'll usually start with a clean, unbuilt original.

I'm a builder, not a collector, and I figure there are plenty of collectors saving pristine kits out there already. As investments, I just don't see it. They'll only ever bring chump change, so why not enjoy them by building them?

There are, however, a very few kits in my collection that are non-builders, with almost perfect boxes, 100% complete, most of the parts still on the trees, etc. These few have particular meaning to me, and I have builder versions should the desire arise to hack one up.

As far as rebuilding goes, I probably enjoy making something nice from somebody else's trash more than any other aspect of the hobby.

Before...       During the rebuild...    

Before...        Rebuild almost complete...        

                                                                                                                                                         

 

 

Edited April 5, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[CometMan]

Almost every one here buys their models to build them, Greg. Besides, in my experience, an old built model, even one that is quite rare, has only a small fraction of the value of an MIB example.

[SSNJim]

I'm still trying to understand why someone would buy a glue bomb at a swap meet when a complete unbuilt kit is sitting there for the same price. 

I typically won't buy a glue bomb unless it is an unusual kit, or has a part I've lost over the years. The last few I bought were a 1971 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler, 1960 Corvair 4 door, 1961 Pontiac Tempest 4 door, 1961 Dodge Phoenix,1969 Lincoln Continental, 1971 Ford Pinto, 1966-ish Olds Toronado, and 1960 Pontiac. Those you don't find unbuilt for less than $25 (The Cyclone and Corvair were more expensive, but comparably priced to a modern kit that's been reissued ad nauseum). All were complete and mostly undamaged, and built to various skill levels. The ones I have started on have disassembled pretty cleanly. I'm working on them at a glacial speed.

[Snake45]

I've brought some gawdawful backbirths you wouldn't believe back from the dead. It all depends on how rare it is, and how badly you want to do it. Ask Ron Hamilton, or Steven G., or Can-Con, GTX6970--it CAN be done!

[espo]

I typically won't buy a glue bomb unless it is an unusual kit, or has a part I've lost over the years. The last few I bought were a 1971 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler, 1960 Corvair 4 door, 1961 Pontiac Tempest 4 door, 1961 Dodge Phoenix,1969 Lincoln Continental, 1971 Ford Pinto, 1966-ish Olds Toronado, and 1960 Pontiac. Those you don't find unbuilt for less than $25 (The Cyclone and Corvair were more expensive, but comparably priced to a modern kit that's been reissued ad nauseum). All were complete and mostly undamaged, and built to various skill levels. The ones I have started on have disassembled pretty cleanly. I'm working on them at a glacial speed.

I would agree with you when looking for something that wouldn't otherwise be available. What I  meant was a readily available kit that was complete and priced the same as a glue bomb with a glue damaged body and interior  that needed a complete overhaul and most likely has some parts missing.  

[gtx6970]

Define 'glue bomb'

 

My definition is a heavily glued nearly impossible to get apart model. 

Those I actually try to avoid......unless it's near impossible to find example .

 

 

Old annuals builtups I actually search for those.

[62rebel]

Yep; "glue bomb" brings to mind something I might have built (??) as a child.... very disparaging remark IMHO when it's used to refer to actually fairly well done jobs from the "old days".... "built ups" is a more accurate term for those requiring simple disassembly, cleaning and painting, sometimes minor repairs or searches for missing parts. I reserve "glue bomb" for those that literally ARE such... every part from the kit (and then some) glued on with what seems to be an entire tube of glue per kit. Back to the original question; they're kits. Never intended to sit indefinitely, in the box, as some kind of vestal virgin... BUILD, REBUILD, and BUILD AGAIN if need be. Some of my friends who were builders took a few photographs of their completed (and fairly well done) kits and, over time, cannibalized them or rebuilt them time and time again. They had the pictures of the freshly completed, clean, unbroken and unmolested kits, they figured; the kits themselves were fair game since none of us were that well off to be able to afford new kits very often..... trading back and forth was common as well; most of my best work was undoing radically raised suspensions and "restoration" to somewhat more credible configurations of wild imaginations run rampant!

[W-409]

Of course they are meant to be built! I have several old kits (new kits & glue bombs and something from between) starting from the '60s and all of them will be built. If I wasn't going to build it, I wouldn't waste my money on buying it either. The only thing I understand is an old "Survivor build" that has been built long time ago and still looks great. It might be that I wouldn't start rebuilding that one, but then again, I wouldn't buy it either if I wasn't going to do a rebuild.

Old kit looks the best when it's built well.

[Tom Geiger]

Yep; "glue bomb" brings to mind something I might have built (??) as a child.... very disparaging remark IMHO when it's used to refer to actually fairly well done jobs from the "old days".... "built ups" is a more accurate term for those requiring simple disassembly, cleaning and painting, sometimes minor repairs or searches for missing parts. I reserve "glue bomb" for those that literally ARE such... every part from the kit (and then some) glued on with what seems to be an entire tube of glue per kit. 

 

How about a few illustrations:

Glue  Bomb.  Not a rare model at all, incomplete and probably was never complete.  Fun to play with these and make them into something.

Unrestorable glue bomb.  Old promo body is warped, burned and damaged beyond use. Only good for the remaining decent or restorable parts.

Restorable glue bomb. Not historically significant.  Not that overcome with glue. Looks as if it may come apart without much trouble.  Lot's of sanding and fixing to make it clean.

Another restorable glue bomb.  Go at it and build something!

Clean old built ups. Neatly built back in the day. These are on my shelf out of respect for the original builder and the years they've survived.

Neat old build - Subtle custom done back in the day. A clean build,  historically significant of build style and quality of the craft in this era. It's on my shelf.

A historically significant old custom. It took styling cues from the Bobtail Cat, showing the influence the magazines had over builders of the day. Maybe it's a hobby store contest winner. If it could only talk and tell us where it's been!

 I paid good money for this one.

A reference photo of Dave Shuklis  Bobtail Cat,  a 1962 Model Car Magazine cover car that currently resides in the International Model Car Museum.

Historically significant old custom. Very cool floating roof concept.  Execution is a bit rough, but fairly standard of the era. Full fur interior. A keeper in my book.  Another guy told me he would crush it under his foot.  

 

 

Edited April 6, 2017 by Tom Geiger

[vamach1]

Build them or your kids will sell them on Ebay when you're gone.

[62rebel]

Wonderful array of examples and that last statement says it all

[StevenGuthmiller]

If I didn't plan on building them, I wouldn't buy them.

It would be a little like filling your freezer with lobsters & fillet mignon just so you could open it up & gaze upon their beauty occasionally.

Completely pointless in my opinion.

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

I believe this may be classified as a glue bomb!

But then again, there is the possibility that there could be a diamond hiding inside of this turd.

 

Steve

 

 

 

[Snake45]

I believe this may be classified as a glue bomb!

But then again, there is the possibility that there could be a diamond hiding inside of this turd.

 

Steve

 

 

 

I believe you're right on both counts!

I could work with that, if I were interested in the basic subject matter, which I don't think I am. What is it under there, some kind of early '60s Mercury? I honestly don't know.