Everything I learned about cars I learned from...

After completing my model of my liner the other day, I got to thinking about how much I learned from building model cars as a kid. They were so instructional back then. Before I ever saw an unbuilt engine, I knew what they looked like from building models from Revell, AMT, Monogram, JoHann, etc. Parts didn't just have numbers or letters, they also were given the correct names for the parts, etc. Forgive me for waxing nostalgic here, but it got me to wondering how many more of you learned about cars from models...or elsewhere?
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Definitely - I can remember my first model as a really young kid, maybe 7. It was a snap-together, yellow funny car that my dad and I put together. Then I jut got hooked and like you're saying pretty soon I new the difference between a manifold and a muffler (and a fuselage and a hull since I didn't just build cars). I can still remember the smell of that glue and those little bottles of testers paint . . .

Yep, those 1/25 scale lug nuts were hard to see, huh?[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_spongebob.gif[/img]
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Greg, you had "big tube" exhaust before the ricers were even born!!![img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_bow.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_bow.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_bow.gif[/img]
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I can remember seeing pictures of all my from 1 year old (to date), of me getting either model cars, or older style diecasts/toys of cars/trucks, everything inbetween.(what can I say, I was their first, spoiled rotten). [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]
But early on, I used to fashion cars/trucks/whatever out of clay. I can remember taking the yellow/red/blue/green, and working for hours, trying to mush it all together until it was grayish looking. Then I'd commence modeling.
Then the model cars came. Had a few planes/boats/submarines thrown in for color, but mostly cars.
From there, went to bicycles, to cars, and now are going backwards again................................[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_spin.gif[/img]
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I hear you FX. My wife and I have ten "godchildren", all 10 years of age or younger. We'll be there in New York for Christmas with them, and it's a zoo. Kids just ricocheting off the walls. Well, being the Good Uncle I went toy shopping for them. It was very hard to find toys which weren't electronic and kept the child totally passive. So, I looked hard and came up with a toy dragster, a set of "American Muscle Cars" which were the Boss 302 Mustang and a '69 Camaro, another Hummer toy and a couple of model airplanes. I had to make sure I got toys some of the youngest ones didn't swallow. But they're instructive. I wonder if any of them will turn into gearheads due to these toys.

I did the model thing too, but I learned a lot about cars from reading my dad's on Popular Science magazines - Gus's Model A Garage. Also got something out of Cartoons, Hot Rod, Motor Trend, Pop Rod and some others. I saved my mowing money and on my 12th birthday (perspective - I'm 47), my mom took me to the ABC Wrecking yard south of Ft. Worth and I gave the guy $22 for a motor from the "pile" - specifically for me to take apart.

Thanks mom. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_bow.gif[/img]
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I started out with 1/10 scale R/C cars. These things were and are unbelievable as far as the working independent suspensions, coil over oil filled shocks, limited slip diffs,,, you name it and these things have them. Just like a real car,,,, I got the opportunity to work on these cars at my local hobby shop where I also became freinds with MIke Miller.As soon as I turned 16, me and Mike looked at my future Mustang in my neighbors field and it was all over from there.

I learned about cars from models too. The first model I had when I was about 8 years old told me that she loved hot guys and cool cars [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]....I've been trying my 'hardest' ever since[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img]
Oopss, we're talking about model cars huh?[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_spin.gif[/img]

I learned from models as well. I still remember my first one, age 10 (late bloomer lol), my dad bought me a model of a '57 chevy and of a '63 Impala (I think that's what it was). After I swapped parts, tires, bodies, motors, and other stuff between the 2 I realized that if I could do this in real life, than it would be kinda fun. That's when it all started