This is the first article for the Blog, so I would like to share a brief history of my model building. The first model I bought was around the age of 7-8, when I was in primary 4 or so. Since I have not raise my interest in car back then, the modelsI bought were mostly the plane and cybot of the Japanese TV show. I remember I bought a cybot called 鐵金剛 it's about 1 foot high both fists fly off as weapon. I like it very much, the model cost around $5.5, which was very expensive at that time. I got that model for my birthday as I recall.
In my secondary school year, my pocket money increased a bit because I have to eat out during lunch time. I saved whatever possible for the more sophisticated models. As I start enthusiastic in cars, I start buying car model kits. A box of 1:24 car kit at that time costs around $13-$2?. Almost everyday after school, I hang around the model shops for at least an hour browzing all kind of car model kits. I really want to buy them all. I remember the first model car I bought was a 1:24 Mazda Cosmo racing car which was in red and blue colour, but I can't remember the name of the model manufacturer and how much it was. The model, as well as many other models at that time, is not static model, it has facilitate with a motor (and some with headlight bulbs). As a student, my budget for this hobby is low and I don't have much experience to make the models look realistic. Frankly, I don't have much expectation, I only enjoy the building process. It would keep me happy for days if I was able to finish the model and it runs. I colored the car body with Airfix model color with brushes used for the Arts lesson in school, because I can't afford to buy the spray paint, so you can imagine how bad the paint job would be. Nevertheless, I am so satisfy with my works because it looks alike the picture on the box. After then, I bought car model kits constantly. Below are car models (Tamiya) I have built during the first three years in the secondary school, there should have some from Fujimi, and other manufacturers but I can't recall:
1:20 scale: Tyrell P34 Six Wheeler; McLaren M23 Ford; Team Lotus JPS Mk III; Porsche 928; Martini Porsche 935 Turbo; Kremer Porsche 935 Turbo.
1:24 scale: BMW320i Racing; Lancia Stratos Turbo; Martini Porsche 936 Turbo; Celica LB Turbo Gr. 5; Lamborghini Countach LP400; Martini Porsche 935-78 Turbo; Ford Zakspeed Capri Turbo.
In Form 3, I have been flew overseas to continue my secondary school education, that's broke my model building hobby until I completed my education and returned home. Now, my model collection has piled up which consuming the whole upper deck of my bunk bed and top of the wardrobe. I have counted model I bought since I returned home and found that I have bought as many as 180 kits so far and it keeps increasing. Therefore, I promise myself not to buy anymore kits indiscriminately.
