Franklin Mint 1946 Chevrolet Suburban Sheriff’s Wagon Ltd Ed - E414
This purpose-built vehicle was perfect for handling the criminal element in the late forties. Paddywagons had been around for a long time prior to the Suburban but none were any better suited to the task than this full-sized Chevy. Similarly, this isn’t the first FM Suburban but it certainly is a treat to have the Suburban line extended to such a specific and interesting calling. Originally issued, in October of 1999, FM offered us the ’46 Chevy Suburban Carryall. In green over black, it was outfitted as a sportsman’s vehicle. It came with a canoe and camping accessories. I had to have it. Then to spice things up a bit they followed up, in 2000, with a Ski Lodge version in Model 3105 Light Duty Panel Truck disguise. It carried everything the skier or rescue crew needed for a cold day’s outing.
A little over a year later, FM released their 1946 Suburban Carryall 3106 dressed up in red and green and ready to go to a Christmas party. It was designated as the 2001 Christmas Limited Edition. Four years passed before FM revived the image as a Suburban Carryall 3106 but this time in the livery of a red & white rescue ambulance. So maybe it was a forgone conclusion that the sheriff needed to enter the picture with the next obvious variation of the Suburban. This is one cool little customer. The Sheriff of Franklin County comes well armed to the diecast scene. He brings along a floor-mounted two-way radio, complete with wiring and coiled mike cord, a set of handcuffs on the front jump seat and a sheriff’s cap laid over a 12 gauge riot gun.
The model has a lot of nice features. Both seats flip forward. The windows slide up and down on both doors, FM built in a rotating driveshaft, photo-etched keyfob seen hanging from the ignition and there’s room for at least six bad guys in the back. Screening all around protects the sheriff and his passenger. You’ll find working suspension and a removable spare. The engine is finely wired and plumbed and fit and finish is superb. I can’t imagine what new variant may flow from this Suburban next but I sure can’t wait to see it! TP 02/24/2008
I have the Sheriff, Ski Lodge and the original green one from FM, along with DM's Hot Rod version, Budweiser and Campbell Suburban's. And my wife has driven nothing but Suburban's, Yukon's in the 30 years we have been married.
I have the Sheriff, Ski Lodge and the original green one from FM, along with DM's Hot Rod version, Budweiser and Campbell Suburban's. And my wife has driven nothing but Suburban's, Yukon's in the 30 years we have been married.
Danbury Mint 1969 Ford Mustang Boss Nine Pro Street Machine 1361
DM has given us a number of quarter mile race cars to date but this may well be the nicest denizen of the drags yet. In Grabber Blue with black hockey stick stripes, a flat black hood with a snorkel large enough to suck in a low flying seagull and an aluminum wing suitable for NASA use, this piece is period correct for, like, right now dude! The big blue oval gang would be righteously proud of this strip rocket. DM affixed all the up-to-date goodies needed to make a pass at 1320 feet in 8.40 seconds. That’s fast in anyone’s book boys and girls.
Borrowing little from their 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 technology, this model regales in the best engine, chassis and interior detailing offered anywhere in diecast precision today. While the body is similar and the door hinges are the internal spring units, everything else is new and fabricated specifically for the Boss Nine. DM fashioned an all-tubular race chassis that runs from the radiator and steering support links, through to and including the roll cage in the interior, to the drag link, torsion suspension and wheelie bars. The mammoth engine is based on a Boss 429 cubic inch monster motor fed by a tunnel ram manifold intake and two massive four barrels. Aside from the prerequisite plug wires and braided hoses, we are treated to magnificent fuel lines and throttle linkage.
The fuel lines appear as minute black rubber hoses and the throttle linkage is made up of metal lines and photo-etched double pump linkage assemblies in the rear and on the driver’s side. This is the best such linkage I have seen to date. A metal overflow tube is used on the aluminum radiator that features twin photo-etched electric cooling fans. An oil cooler is parked next to the radiator and braided hoses run to the oil filter section of the big block. The alternator is held in place with a photo-etched bracket and a rubber belt connects it to the crankshaft pulley. A high-spark juice box is wired and metal brake fluid lines are plumbed. Take an extra minute to appreciate the front brake system when enjoying the engine view sans hood. The photo-etched brake rotors are drilled and they ride inside large calipers. Photo-etching is also used on the bottom of the motor for such things as an oil drain plug and transmission shift linkage. Totally cool. Metal springs are used for the coil-over shocks, front and back and the rear tires are positively gargantuan! Needless to say the rear of the car was tubbed to allow for such huge drag tires, albeit Street Pro variety.
The hood and rear deck lid/airfoil are held in place magnetically but hold onto them if you turn the car over. Lifting off the trunk section, you glimpse the properly cabled battery and fuel cell. The latter is plumbed from the electric fuel pump forward. Further toward the front, you will find a photo-etched Mustang and stereo speaker grill and a plumbed and ready Nitrous bottle. Ooo, Pony-Power! Open the doors for one of the better interiors in automotive diecast design today. Once past the foam-covered roll cage, careful not to hook the drag chute rip cord, we’re treated to a sparse, yet business-like interior fully functional for going way too fast. The dual race buckets sport fabric belts with photo-etched buckles, the NOS and extinguisher are plumbed and photo-etching brings foot pedals and door sills and gauge surrounds to life. Aluminum door panels and dash inserts add to the realism too. Even the visors fold down.
There is a ton of detail in every little corner of this model just waiting to be found. From the photo-etched Dzus clips on the hood to the liquid-like paint, this is a Ford-Lover’s, drag fan or detail-rich diecast aficionado’s dream.
DM has won a 9.9 on the Thrillometer from me on this little treasure.
Right from the git go I will state straight up, that in my personal opinion, this is DM’s most awesome drag car yet! They have given us a number of race-bred vehicles, some incredible quarter mile performers among them, but this release blows them all away. Yes, yes, even my beloved Corvette split window Pro Mod drag machine and just barely ahead of the phenomenal 1969 Ford Mustang Boss Nine Pro Street car. This chartreuse Charger is ‘cool’ personified. Keep in mind as you look at the photos here, engine shots specifically, that this is a 1:24th scale diecast model. You know, it’s not necessarily incumbent on Danbury to rise to this level of sophisticated detail for race diecasts. Let’s face it, who else in the so-called mint 1:24th field today is offering race versions of their standard car inventory? They are the only game in town when it comes to precision race iron. They need only make slight transformations to their showroom stock street vehicle line-up and most would be happy. But not DM. No, the boys in Connecticut seem to have high octane running through their veins and a liberal dose of tire smoke in their nostrils and thank goodness for the results. They have gone overboard with innovative scale goodies loaded up everywhere there is a place for your eye to fall on this little green quarter-miler.
For starters, there are photo-etched metal parts everywhere. They’re on the removable rear wing in the form of Dzus clips. There are metal mounting pins in the trunk to align that wing, four more up front to position the hood; they pierce the way-cool photo-etched pin surrounds on the blacked-out hood. Exhaust exits are done up as photo-etched SuperTrapps. There is a metal radiator capping piece, inside door panels in replicated sheet aluminum and a bright metal driveline strap. And the photo-etched metal air filtration unit perched atop those twin four barrels simply must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. (It is even scribed with, “Edelbrock”.) Speaking of the hood; ya got choices galore. Oh you can display it open. You can display it closed. You can display it with the scoop in place or you can slide that scoop off and show it without. You can position the air cleaner in place or take it off to show the dual quads, but ya doesn’t hasta call me Johnson. Oops, sorry, I got lost in a time warp there for a moment.
As with all DM’s shiny little soldiers, the paint on this Pro Street warrior, in retina-damaging Sublime Green, is an inch deep and, especially the gloss black rear fender, “HEMI” billboard segmentation, as glossy as a wet mirror at midnight. Take off the wing. Now, take off the hood and open both doors. Can you believe all of this detailing? Uh huh, it’s as subtle as a Chicago brick thrown through the living room window! Check it out – the photo-etched metal license plate frame houses the Mopar Performance tag, leading your eye to the drag chute, tethered dutifully through the wheelie bars. (The wheels actually spin free.) Inside the trunk are housed twin-cabled batteries, twin electric, high-flow fuel pumps, a cool fuel cell replete with clear tank filler tubing from the race filler cap outside and even a paint-matching black trunk logo exclaiming the car’s ‘R/T’ heritage. This theme is carried over into the passenger’s compartment, on the rear bulkhead between the huge wheel tubs. And while we’re on the subject, just marvel at the ingenious detail in this interior. We have a full roll cage, complete with foam rubber covered bars with metal tie-down straps to cushion the brave passengers. An obnoxiously cool chartreuse and black seat scheme, twin Sublime-colored NOS bottles, a fire extinguisher bottle, nifty gauges and photo-etched steering wheel center and photo-etched, “Charger” and “R/T” badgings on the glovebox. The former matches the ones on either sail panel of the roof. There’s the prerequisite MSD ignition box on the passenger’s side footwell, larger-than-life tach with shift light and even a photo-etched ignition key dangling from the dash. Oh yeah, the driver left his or her, “Mopar” magazine on the console. And you just have to check out the drag chute pull device hanging from the ceiling!
The mechanicals include Dodge Viper brakes, a remote-located oil filter, aluminum oil sump and an oil cooler plumbed inside the radiator front edge! The twin carbs feature enormously cool fuel lines and incredible linkage, the likes of which you may never see enough of. The wiring is outstanding as is the overall plumbing. Yeah, the model has all the details, unexpected and completely astonishing. My goodness, we even have the Dodge Ram logo showing up on the custom race wheel center caps for crying out loud! This could have just as easily been a model presentation from the US Air Force because it is above and beyond! Here’s a model that you can look at for a month and not see the same thing twice. And as far as the Thrillometer is concerned we may as well judge the model like a dog show. Don’t laugh, I’m serious. Dogs are not judged one against the other but to the standard of their breed. So for the standard of the Pro Street, DM deserves a fair and equitable 10!! Yeah buddy! TP 02/02/2006
At the 1954 Motorama auto show, Chevrolet unveiled a concept car that combined the look of the previous year’s two seat ‘dream car’, the Corvette, with a station wagon body. The concept was named, “Nomad”. It was painted in a medium blue with a white top. Like so many concept vehicles before it, the car did not see production. Now I do not know if DM will ever build that particular concept Nomad but when it comes to custom cars, DM has more than earned our respect, admiration and loot! Their diverse and subject-rich selection and execution of cool and dynamic customs cars is quickly becoming legendary in the precision diecast arena. They made this ’54 Corvette Nomad into one of the most beautiful custom diecasts to come out of Connecticut yet.
First, as I study the model, I cannot get past the finish. DM’s paint work has become synonymous with perfection. In the industry they have been leading the cutting edge technology in finish application. The Nomad’s paint is simply outstanding. The coverage is flawless, even and amazingly glossy, especially for a metallic so well scaled. Even the cream paint of the top is finely applied so that the horizontal roof styling lines are crisp and clean with no thick paint to hide the body details here. Fit is likewise superb. The doors and tailgate are on internal and external hinges, respectively, yet when closed the scaled gaps are tight and spaced exactly on each side. The hood is on two disappearing pivot points up front and supported by a telescoping prop rod. The hood closes to exacting tolerances. It is interesting to note, the hood is little more than half the length of the standard ’53-’55 Corvette hood. Other body panel dimensions are also different in size than the standard Vette of this vintage.
The side windows slide to open or close and the tailgate window may be pulled up or nestled back down into the door itself. That was an unexpected bonus. With both doors and tailgate opened, you have a remarkably good view of the interior cabin. Who knew that station wagons could be this cool? The Gomad, as DM calls it on its custom license tag, has an off-white and saddle tan interior. The carpeting is a rich caramel color as is the seat inserts, dash top and center of the steering column. The seat bolsters are sort of an eggshell shade and so are the headliner, steering rim and dash and the door panel centers. The flat rear floor and tailgate are trimmed in chrome while the door panels and rear passenger areas are accented in chrome and gold bright-work. The photo-etched door sills bear the GM, “Body by Fisher” seal. Fabric and photo-etch makes up the seat belts and buckles. And a fire extinguisher is mounted on the transmission tunnel just in front of the seat center.
The car is totally up to today’s retro-rod look with a slammed stance, lowered and sporting some hefty meats; low profile rubber, front and rear. But check out the wheels! Dude, DM outdid themselves here. The fully chromed mags feature the most realistic lug nut treatment you may have ever seen on a 1:24th. Get out the magnifying glass, it’s worth the effort. Take your time there but be certain to look past the wheels for another eyeful. The brake rotors are photo-etched metal and fully drilled out. They turn within huge multi-piston brake calipers. The suspension is static but look underneath to see the complete detail of the front springs and rear shocks. From below you will also see the starter wiring and attention that DM paid to the exhaust plumbing. The rear section exits through the rear bodywork just like the concept vehicle. Very realistic. Speaking of bodywork, it’s adorned with a beautifully scaled front Corvette medallion and outrageously formed chrome metal foiled cross flags and, “Fuel Injection” badges on the front fender sides. They are covered with magnetic plastic from the factory to keep them in place and safe during shipping. When you remove the plastic strips you may need to rub your finger beneath the script to take off any residue. Be careful not to touch the script itself.
You’ll find no weak sister under this hood. No, for cruising the boulevard in twenty first century style we have a fuel injected small block pumping out 360 ponies of Gomad power. All the prerequisite wiring and plumbing is in place and the battery cabling needs to be seen up close, it’s fabulous.
As I mentioned, I have no idea if DM will ever produce the original concept car but this sweet treat should appeal to a wide variety of folks. Its audience should include Corvette fans, custom fans, station wagon fans and those of us old enough to remember the Motorama concept cars. Anyone that just loves incredible detailing on our 1:24th machines will also get a rush out of this model. This is a limited edition for this year only. Production ends 12/31/05 so get your order in now. Issue price is $135. 06/17/2005
Ltd Ed of 2500. But it is more available than the same LE# of the Ambulance!
great run of the "big cars"Tony 🤨 
