Car Model Kits for Beginners: Scales, Skill Levels and a First Kit

For a first car model kit, choose a simple, low-part-count kit: Airfix rates 1:43 vehicles at its beginner level, and Revell’s easy-click kits plug together without glue. Many other car kits are 1/24 or 1/25 scale, glued with plastic cement and painted by you, so check the box for the skill level and whether glue and paint are included.

Wikipedia lists 1/24 and 1/25 among the common scales for car kits and notes that most car kits come with vinyl tires. It also warns that nominal scales vary: some 1/25 models are larger than some 1/24 ones.

Car kit scales at a glance

The scales come from Wikipedia’s list for automobiles; the 1:43 rating is from Airfix.

Snap or glue?

Revell describes its easy-click system as colored components that plug together and are decorated with stickers, built for quick success. Its other kits are unassembled and need glue and paint that are not included. Revell labels kits by level, from those easy-click builds to complex kits for experienced modelers.

If you have built Gunpla, a glued car kit is a step up: the parts are usually one color, so painting is part of the build.

Car model kits (1/24 and 1/25)

Shop car model kits (1/24 and 1/25)→

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• Revell car kitsBrowse →
• Tamiya 1/24 sports carsBrowse →
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What you need for a car kit

Airfix’s essential tools apply to any glued kit:

1. Sprue cutters to remove parts. Avoid scissors, which can stress or snap the plastic.
2. A hobby knife to clean mold lines and nubs.
3. Tweezers for small parts and decals.
4. Sanding sticks to smooth seams.
5. Clamps or clothes pegs to hold parts while glue dries.
6. Plastic cement made for polystyrene. Airfix notes it slightly melts the plastic to fuse parts, unlike super glue.
7. Paints and brushes.

Tips for a first car build

• Read the instructions through before cutting anything.
• Paint the body before final assembly so you can reach every edge.
• Test-fit before gluing. Car bodies, chassis and glass have to line up.
• Spray body color in thin coats. Revell advises several thin layers rather than one heavy coat for any spray work.

Reading a car kit box

Before you buy, check four things on the box or listing:

1. The scale, such as 1/24, 1/25 or 1/43, so the model suits your shelf.
2. The skill level, where the maker gives one. Airfix uses 1 to 4; Revell uses its own level system.
3. Whether glue and paint are included. Revell marks its unassembled kits as needing glue and paint that are not in the box.
4. The condition. For a first build, choose a new, sealed kit so no parts are missing.

Decals and tires

Where a car kit includes water slide decals for numbers or markings, apply them on a glossy surface with setting solution, as Microscale’s instructions describe; our water slide decal guide walks through it. Wikipedia notes that car kits usually come with vinyl tires rather than polystyrene ones, though very inexpensive kits may mold them in polystyrene too.

Weathering and finishing

Not every car has to look new. Weathering, such as dust, rust and grime, adds age, and Airfix lists weathering tools among its advanced options. Start with a clean build, then try it on a second kit.

For more beginner kits, see plastic model kits for beginners and model airplane kits. When brush and can painting are not enough for body color, read airbrush kits for models. The finishing steps in how to apply water slide decals work on car kits too.