Hey Larry, welcome to the hobby.

As far as being a model builder, that can only help in this hobby. You can take these as far as you want, even RCing static kits like Trumpeter's T-34 series.

In terms of HL, they are a good start, but consider them toy grade. You'll be a bit shocked by the lack of detail when compared to 1/35 or even 1/48 static armor kits. They certainly can be wrestled into a nice model with a whole host of AM products.

The other end of the spectrum would be Tamiya, a true hobby grade entrance, but much more expensive. The beauty of them is non-hassle quality right out of the gate, I have 10 year old builds that are still going strong after much abuse.

Here's a HL stug, a Tamiya Pz IV and aTrump T-34 with Tamiya electronics: