The Diecast Zone · Model Car Club Since 1994
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Forum 18
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Topic starter
04/07/2026 12:43 am
Browsing can lead to good things, sometimes, and three days ago it did. I saw a listing for three cars by Bburago, a 1961 Mercedes 300SL, a 1957 Corvette convertible, and a 1961 Jaguar convertible. As it turned out I was the only bidder, though I wasn't entirely surprised by this. I wanted the Jag, most of all, for an idea I had, but that is the only one that arrived with a slight hiccup: it's right front turn signal was shattered. The surround is fine, but the 'glass' is missing a bit. For the price paid for each I can't really kvetch about it, so I went looking for a 'donor car.' That auction ends today at 14:00, so we shall see. There seems to be a plethora of this model available so I don't anticipate failure at this point.
I'm not so fond of the Corvette, as it seems oddly oversized, in comparison to my other 1/18s, but it does have the spare tire in the trunk, which I didn't expect. The windshield and chrome surround are loose, but I can sort out that issue.
04/07/2026 5:33 am
VERY nice! I have had all three of these at one time, but now, only the Corvette. It was signed by Zora Duntov so it stayed. All three have great fidelity to the 1:1.
Topic starter
04/07/2026 6:47 pm
@perrone1 The Corvette appears too bulky in comparison to all of my 1/18 models, especially those from the 1930s.
The 1:1 dimensions are:
Jaguar 175 inches long, 65 inches wide.
Corvette 168 inches long, 70.5 inches wide.
Model comparison:
Jaguar 10.23 inches long, 3.54 inches wide
Corvette 9.64 inches long, 4.05 inches wide
When I run the numbers, they support your point that the fidelity of the models is correct, but visually, I am flummoxed. I don't remember those older 'Vettes being so bulky looking.
Tony Perrone and Christopher Moroni reacted
05/07/2026 10:24 am
@gdh ...yes indeed, you beat me to the punch. Despite the crude execution of that Corvette (which has been around for about 35 years ) the overall scale is fairly accurate - AND - with a bit of "tweaking" this $5 model can be made to look far more realistic.
Many years ago - just for laughs - I swapped out the wheels, added just a bit a detail and a top. These minor & hasty enhancements were enough to, IMO, improve the model considerably. 👍 👍 👍
Topic starter
05/07/2026 8:11 pm
@chris I don't have a mini salvage yard nearby so the wheels may have to wait. In the meantime, I am considering a respray, as I am not fond of turquoise.
By the way, how difficult is it to remove the wheels, or is it the same process as the Bugatti?
This post was modified 4 months ago by GDH
Christopher Moroni reacted
05/07/2026 8:45 pm
@100ford2003 Thanks....but there's MUCH MORE I could do; the most obvious being the side cove trim - it should be chrome of course. Perhaps one day. 🤔 🤔
Steve Jacobs and GDH reacted