Many people think that Henry Ford invented the automobile and the assembly line, but that is not correct. He did change the world by using the assembly line to manufacture cars and put America on wheels. From 1909 until 1927, Ford turned out the Model T. The 1927 Model T gave way finally, to the Model A. However, from its beginning to end, more than 15 million Model T cars were made. Henry Ford almost singlehandly transformed America’s social and economic outlook in the 20th Century.

The 1927 Model T represented a basic formula for success. It was a simple and durable car that was turned out of the factory more economically than another other vehicle of the time, because of Ford’s use of the assembly line. The Model T while made on the cheap, was not cheaply made. For instance, the engine was cast en bloc, whereas other car makers made one cylinder at a time and put them together. Ford also came up with the removable cylinder head. Many feared incorrectly that the cylinder would leak, but that was not the case. Model T initially cost $825 when made in 1909. But by 1927 the price of a brand new Model T was down to $260. The reason for this was that as more cars were made, the price was dropped. By 1913 the Ford company could put together a car in 93 minutes, and sold 200,000 vehicles.

Top speed for the 1927 Model T was between 35 to 40 miles per hours, which was pretty good considering that the paved road was still off in the future. Engine cooling was very primitive as was lubrication. The gas tank was situated under the front seat with fuel fed to the engine by gravity. Foot pedals were used to operate the two speed transmission. Rims became available for $25 in 1919. Ford’s better idea took his company from making 10,000 cars per year in 1908 to 2 million cars just 15 years later. Ford was outproducing all of the other American car makers put together.

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Collection of diecast vehicles is a wide and varied hobby. It can mean different things to different people. Some collect them for the sheer fun of it while others use them to engage in auctions and sales to earn good money off them.

Miniature model cars began in the 1920s.They first appeared in America and England. Much unlike what we see today, the early models were made of alloys with high lead content, hardly able to last for a long time. They would rust, and eventually crack. They were also made of painted shells. Production technology at that time was also unable to produce model cars to a high level of detail. Soon, manufacturers start looking at these as a good opportunity. They start mass-producing model cars, trucks, boats, lorries and so on, and in good quality materials and an eye for details. There was a great leap in popularity and production of diecast cars in the 1950s.

Increasingly, die cast vehicles were directed at the collectors’ market. Even corporations start seeing the value of having their trademarks on vehicles. Such companies include Coca-Cola and Sears.

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You have all seen the cute little model cars out there for small kids, right? You know, the wooden ones that have just a few moving parts and that usually come unpainted and ready to be assembled. Well, if you are looking for a rainy day activity that you can enjoy with your youngsters, then this may just be the one for you.

If you decide that this is just right for you and your children, then you will want to run a few errands and make sure that you have the right materials before you get started. You will need a drop cloth, garbage bag, or an old sheet to cover the table at which you will be working. You will also need some fat-handled paint brushes that will be easy for little hands to hold and use. The next thing you will want to get will be some non toxic water based acrylic paints. Water based acrylics wash out with very little work and so will come out of any clothes that they may just happen to get on.

Another way to prevent stains is to cruise through the kitchen center of your favorite local store and pick up some cheap aprons for the kids to wear. If you are feeling particularly crafty then you can paint each of their names at the top of the apron bib. If they are too long, then you can cut them shorter so that the children will not trip over their feet while they are trying to paint. Once you get everything together, you will be ready to start working on the project.

Divide the parts of the car by the number of children that will be working on each one. For example, if you have four or more children you should consider buying two or more kits so that each child will feel like they have a significant hand in the painting and assembly process. Have each child work on similar parts so that no one feels like the other is getting to do more than they are. It is also easiest to work with one color at a time. That way you do not have a huge mess to clean up as well.

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As a father of three small children I was outraged by the recent Mattel toy recall. All of the toys were made by a contract manufacturer in China. Mattel said Wednesday, August 15th, that it was recalling 1.5 million toys globally and the recall would cost them at least $30 million dollars. The toys that were recalled included many Sesame Street and Nickelodeon characters, including Dora The Explorer backpacks, which my 2 year old daughter plays with often. Also recalled was the ‘Sarge’ character Die-Cast car from the Disney Pixar Cars movie. The ‘Sarge’ car is said to have excess levels of lead surface paint that could harm children. My 5 year old son has this car.

My wife and I buy most, if not all, of our children’s toys at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is the largest toy seller in the United States, with an estimated 45% of the retail toy business. I am of the very strong opinion that Wal-Mart has a social and moral responsibility to do independent testing of products manufactured in China and sold in their stores. China is notorious for low regulations in terms of health and safety standards. If Wal-Mart wants to continue to be the largest retailer in the United States they would be well served to know a little more about the products they sell. It is becoming the norm recently to hear of poor quality products coming out of China. The Mattel toy recall is the most recent problem in a line of bad products. Recently it was tainted dog food and toothpaste that will make you sick, all produced in China.

When will consumers in the United States wake up and smell the lead paint? We are the only thing standing between Wal-Mart and dangerous products made in China. If Wal-Mart thinks it is to expensive to know more about the dangerous products coming out of China then consumers must stand up and demand this from Wal-Mart. This can easily be done by boycotting Wal-Mart until they take a harder stance on poor Chinese manufacturing. Do you think this stance is harsh? Ask a parent of one of the sick children if this is harsh. Or ask a pet owner who lost their family dog if this is an acceptable business practice. If this boycott were to occur, the greedy hands at Wal-Mart would have testers sucking on die-cast cars immediately! Believe me, we would all benefit from this.

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When you get started collecting diecast model cars trucks, the first thing is to decide on the scale that you’re going to collect. Diecast are classified in terms of scale, 1:18, :1:24, and 1:25 to mention a few that you might see or hear people talking about. Scale refers to a fraction of what the real item is reduced in order to produce an accurate model. Keep that in mind when deciding where you are going to display your collection. 1:18 will require more shelf space than 1:24.

Collectors tend to collect the diecast model of cars or trucks that they love and have owned This is a good place to start a collection. There are some collectors that will only buy models from particular manufacturers or brands. Manufacturers like CORGI, MAISTO and Motormax are but a few of the names you will most certainly hear about. There are even custom manufacturers that will only release a limited number of models or custom create a one of a kind for you.

Caring for your collection is as easy as cleaning your furniture. One item that could damage your collection is long term ex-poser to the sun. This could cause the finish to dull, especially on a metallic finish. You can wax your models using car wax found at most automotive stores. Using a Q-tip will allow you to get into the small areas. Once waxed light dusting will keep your collection in tip top condition.

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