World's largest scale model car show Today, April 22nd, Wayne NJ

[Billy Kingsley]

My apologies for not posting this sooner, but the world's largest model car show is being held today, Saturday, April 22nd, in Wayne New Jersey at the PAL building. 

 

It is expected that over 2000 hand built model cars will be on display by builders from at least three continents. 

 

I am bringing seven of my own builds to show. (Although mostly race cars)

 

There are also three basketball courts worth of vendors and quality food available on sight. 

 

This is the scale modeling equivalent of Hershey.

 

The website is nnleast.com where you can find directions, pictures from past events and much more. It's something we all look forward to in the hobby. I'm headed out the door to go there right now myself...I will share some pictures tomorrow. 

[RansomEli]

Be sure to take some photos for us.

 

[TerryB]

I don’t know of any events like this close by to me, wish there was.  Back when I could get around independently I used to go to model railroading shows and buy a lot of stuff that now is stored in boxes in the basement.  The Hot Wheels and other 1/64 stuff is now my interest.

[Billy Kingsley]

I ended up being the official photographer and shot a whole lot of pictures...I'll get them processed tomorrow, too exhausted tonight. 

 

Terry, I moderate a group on Facebook which is nothing but model show flyers. If you send me a pm with your home region I can let you know when I see any. There are some in almost every state, although the northeast, Ohio and Indiana are the most populous with shows. 

[rocketraider]

Billy, have you ever seen Car Model  magazine? It folded in 1974 after master modeler Dave Shuklis died, but it was great.

 

I had a sub from 1971 till the end and learned some neat techniques, including some that were way beyond my capabilities. First saw it in a local newsstand in 1969 when I'd ride with my Uncle Gene to pick up his Sunday Baltimore Sun, after he and my Aunt Evelyn had retired from SSA Baltimore and moved here.

 

I was probably the only kid in my high school who read the magazine.🙄

[wayne sheldon]

Billy, I look forward to seeing your photos!

[Billy Kingsley]

Yes, I have some of the issues I've picked up at shows over the years. Fun to read! A few of the guys who had builds in the magazine are still active in the hobby.

[Walt G]

Only reading this now. I had attended this show several years ago ( maybe a decade or more ago) lots of stuff for sale . Model cars and maybe two pre WWII era pressed steel toy trucks also on a table for sale at the time.

[TAKerry]

I loved building car models as a kid. I still have most of them in boxes in the basement. Everytime I read a thread like this I want to dig them out and start some restoration work! One of these days I will. I was recently at Hobby Lobby and looked at the kits. Major sticker shock, but I suppose that is with me being old and out of touch. Most of the kits were in the $50 range. When I was about 10 or so, pop would take me to town on friday night, give me a $5 bill. I would head to western auto,  get a model kit (I preferred Revell as I thought there attention to detail was better and they were a bit more difficult to build, AMT was my second choice). Get a tube of glue and some paint to add to my collection of dozens of colours. Still would have change to get some candy or junk. I even had a workbench set up in the basement with my modeling tools, paint booth, the whole nine yards. It was like a high end car shop in miniature.

[Studemax]

Nameless National Luminaries started in Salt Lake City, did it not?

[JamesR]

On 4/23/2023 at 9:13 AM, TAKerry said:

I loved building car models as a kid. I still have most of them in boxes in the basement. Everytime I read a thread like this I want to dig them out and start some restoration work! One of these days I will.

Same here. Building model kits as a kid was a BLAST! Thirty years ago, I thought I would get back into it, and bought several kits, but finding time was difficult so I never put them together. I sent those unbuilt kits to a forum member about a year ago or so, and eventually gave away all of my completed kits from my youth. I hated having all that stuff in my closet and not being used for its intended purpose. When my kids were smaller, I tried getting them involved in assembling models but they just weren't interested. They did try, however, getting me back into my old hobby by giving me some pre-painted metal kits for birthdays and such. Other family members and friends did, as well. I still have those four or five kits assembled and displayed.

 

Despite my lack of involvement, I would still love to go to an event like the one Billy mentioned. I used to buy modeling magazines as a kid and would see articles on big shows on the east and west coasts. We had nothing like that around here, though I do remember hearing that sometimes local car shows would have model competitions and shows.

 

 

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When I was about 10 or so, pop would take me to town on friday night, give me a $5 bill. I would head to western auto,  get a model kit (I preferred Revell as I thought there attention to detail was better and they were a bit more difficult to build, AMT was my second choice). Get a tube of glue and some paint to add to my collection of dozens of colours. Still would have change to get some candy or junk.

As a kid I remember tiny little corner retail stores that would sell model car kits. Some of them were drug stores, some of them were craft shops, sothers were actual hobby shops. I remember those places - and the creaky ancient people who worked there - as fondly as the kits they sold. My grandma would give me $1 as a very small child and I could walk down to the corner drug store two blocks away (with my older brothers) and buy a 1/25 scale snap-together kit. (The 1/32 scale cars cost even less!) My first one was an AMT 1959 Buick...my first favorite car!

[TAKerry]

The local pharmacy (still there, Western Auto is long gone) had some model kits as well. Every now and then I would get one from there. But the selection was limited to  maybe a dozen kits. The WA on the other hand had a large shelf with probably 100 or so.

[Billy Kingsley]

I took over 1600 pictures so needless to say I will not be sharing them all, but here are some from the Factory Stock builds...you can see them all on my website here: NNL East 2023 album | El Camino Billy | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

AMT announced three new tools, a 1971 Dodge Demon, 1963 Ford pickup and 1960 Ford pickup. They made a 60 back in the day, but the tooling is long gone, so they made a new one.

 

 

 

Muscle cars are the most popular kits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were more heavy commercial builds than usual

 

OK not stock, but mine. I'm known for only building what's visible on a finished model, no engines or underside detail. 

 

The two Kodak cars and the Onx car are mine also.

 

This was my favorite build of the show. 

 

Yes, the NNL started because of the GSL in Utah, which is where I'm going next week. 

[rocketraider]

I am in love. Guessing these 57 and 58 Fords are resins that fit the AMT-Ertl 57 Fairlane and the Revell 59 Skyliner chassis?

[TerryB]

1980 Chevy Citation, amazing!  Great to see all the cars and trucks and the details they have.  I think I’ll stay with the kind that come with a little screwdriver in the box😀

[Dan Cluley]

Very nice.   I went to the Toledo NNL a couple of times about 20 years ago.

[JamesR]

Fantastic cars! Thanks for the photos. OK, that Dale Jr. race car is flat out amazing!!

[1937hd45]

Thanks for the photos Billy. A drivers license stopped my model building in early 1967, but I still have all the unfinished builds, along with the unfinished real car builds. 

[wayne sheldon]

Thanks for the photos, and I am pleased to see one of yours there!

 

I don't know about that "1932 Chevrolet model? Chevrolet never built such a car. However, many years ago I did try to buy a 1929 Chevrolet six cylinder with an after-market custom built boat-tail roadster body! The "Chevrolet" model looks like a cross between a Buick and a Cadillac with an extended hood and custom body? I wonder if there is a story behind the model?

[TAKerry]

Billy, thanks for taking the time to post. Your cars look amazing. I see that even in model form a Ford Skyliner must show with the top half down, LOL! 

 

[drhach]

Modelling was one of the ways that I got in to cars as well. I was building them long before I could drive. I tried to get my Son interested, but I don't think he's really a car guy. I had a bit of sticker shock too. But usually, you can find deals on ebay; especially for some of the reissue stuff. It's hard for me to set aside the time to spend on thigns like that right now. But I sure do miss it. Thanks for the pictures. 

 

Dan