"Roadster" (...Morgan)
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This paper model was built when I was ten years old, during my fourth-grade years. Until then, I had mostly made simple paper car models with very “square” shapes. Building this Roadster, however, started as a challenge from my father. He suggested that we each build, as a friendly competition, a paper model of a "Roadster" that appeared as a drawing in a book. At first, I protested, convinced that the design was far too complex for someone accustomed to boxy paper cars. To my surprise, I ended up winning the competition thanks to a more realistic approach: I designed the cabin and the engine compartment as separate elements, creating an actual firewall between them (like a real one). This small but important detail made the model more authentic. |
The design attracted enough attention that it was published in a children’s magazine (as seen in the picture), allowing other kids to build their own version. The drawing used in the magazine was carefully redrawn by my father based on my original model. The wheels deserve a special mention as well. They were taken from cheap and rather unattractive plastic toy cars that were widely available at the time. Each wheel was mounted on a solid metal axle, which ran through the bottom of the car. To support it, I added a second layer of paper, shaped specifically to hold the axle in place. Unfortunately, I later made a foolish mistake and threw the model away. By that time, it even had its own custom box with drawings on it. Looking back now, I deeply regret losing it — not just as a model, but as a small piece of my early creative journey.
SUZUKI Jimny SJ10
(Handmade)
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I made this model car when I was approximately 14 years old. This scale model was made of plywood and it roughly follows the line of a Suzuki Jimny SJ10. The scale model was built only by looking at one picture of the car shown in a magazine, while its overall dimensions were following in proportion the size of the wheels that came from another toy car. For the front wheel fender, I have used tin can cut and shaped then glued underneath the plywood. For the embossed pattern on the door and front hood I have used paper stripes. Wood filler was used where the angled front meets the door and after sanding the whole car was painted in "Suzuki yellow" with a compressor paint machine. After it dried, I have used transparent scotch tape as a guide to paint the black lines for the door and hood. The front lamps are paper cut out, while the interior is folded paper for the seat and dashboard. They were colored using marker pens. The roll bar is made from doorbell wire. The windshield bar is also made from doorbell wire but this was only a result of my imagination as a kid, not something present on the picture I've used as a basis. The pictured model was built around 1982 while the pictures were taken in 2022. Still no rust, only some dust ...
SUZUKI JIMNY SJ10 brochure picture
YAMAHA XS1100
(Handmade)
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This YAMAHA XS1100 is a very special model for me as it was built around 1981-1983 when I was 13-15 years old. It doesn't use a specific scale as its dimensions were determined by the size of the wheels which came from a plastic toy car. It was built using only one photo of the motorcycle that appeared in a local car magazine however the photo was actually sourced from the 1978 October issue of Cycle World magazine (last photo from our 2023 update).
In the following lines I'll present you the parts list and how some of the components were built:
- First the frame was built using a copper wire that was painted in black. The front and rear suspensions were built using a thicker aluminum wire that were flattened at the end with a hammer for the hole that had to be drilled for the front and rear axis (made from the same aluminum wire) The same aluminum wire was used for the front section of the exhaust pipes as well.
- The fuel tank and the seat are carved from one piece of wood that was painted in two colors. Over the front fork there were mounted two triangles made of wood, glued in place using wood glue then painted black. The copper wire used for the frame had two hooks where the triangles of the front fork were attached allowing the handlebar to be turned to left and right.
- The gear box is another piece of carved wood, painted in black. The engine block was made out of a piece of paper that had the air-cooling fins glued to it piece by piece. For the fins I have used a thin aluminum that was used to seal coffee cans. These were cut in stripes with a scissor, bent to form an L shape and glued piece by piece to the paper engine block. The same aluminum from the coffee can was used for the side of the rear fender, the termination of the exhaust pipe, the rear-view mirrors, the disc brakes and the silver housing of the turn signals. The turn signals as the taillight and dashboard are made of paper that was hand colored accordingly. The headlamp is from a toy car.
- For the clutch and front brake lever, the rear-view mirror and the fake nonfunctional rear suspension I have used doorbell wire. From the same doorbell wire the insulation was stripped and used for the front brake and clutch cables. For the front and rear fender, I have used a food can that had no print on it. (They had paper labels glued to it) For the final assembly I have used wood glue to fit all the components in place.
Update September 2023: Finally, after decades of meticulous care taking, I've built a storage box with a sliding-removeable transparent exterior. New pictures added to show the results.
In the following lines I'll present you the parts list and how some of the components were built:
- First the frame was built using a copper wire that was painted in black. The front and rear suspensions were built using a thicker aluminum wire that were flattened at the end with a hammer for the hole that had to be drilled for the front and rear axis (made from the same aluminum wire) The same aluminum wire was used for the front section of the exhaust pipes as well.
- The fuel tank and the seat are carved from one piece of wood that was painted in two colors. Over the front fork there were mounted two triangles made of wood, glued in place using wood glue then painted black. The copper wire used for the frame had two hooks where the triangles of the front fork were attached allowing the handlebar to be turned to left and right.
- The gear box is another piece of carved wood, painted in black. The engine block was made out of a piece of paper that had the air-cooling fins glued to it piece by piece. For the fins I have used a thin aluminum that was used to seal coffee cans. These were cut in stripes with a scissor, bent to form an L shape and glued piece by piece to the paper engine block. The same aluminum from the coffee can was used for the side of the rear fender, the termination of the exhaust pipe, the rear-view mirrors, the disc brakes and the silver housing of the turn signals. The turn signals as the taillight and dashboard are made of paper that was hand colored accordingly. The headlamp is from a toy car.
- For the clutch and front brake lever, the rear-view mirror and the fake nonfunctional rear suspension I have used doorbell wire. From the same doorbell wire the insulation was stripped and used for the front brake and clutch cables. For the front and rear fender, I have used a food can that had no print on it. (They had paper labels glued to it) For the final assembly I have used wood glue to fit all the components in place.
Update September 2023: Finally, after decades of meticulous care taking, I've built a storage box with a sliding-removeable transparent exterior. New pictures added to show the results.
