[Sticky] Lost Reviews - Franklin Mint & Danbury Mint

Posted by: @perrone1

Posted by: @sizedoesmatter

@perrone1 

Danbury Mint 1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible – 1445

Great review T! Love this one from DM. The front end sits a tad too high, and the full wheel covers lack brightness, but otherwise a terrific example from DM.   

Thank you John!!

Tony, when I responded, in my mind was the '60 Impala, not the '59. I guess you can call that a senior moment...sorry about that.

@sizedoesmatter 

@perrone1 Tony, this rates right up there with your best writeup ever on one of the best models ever. As always you had me going back to reexamine the model and discovering many of the details I had either missed or forgotten. You are the man.

@perrone1 This Bonneville hardtop dots every "i" and crosses every "t". The 58 Pontiac Bonnevilles and Chevrolet Impalas were both magnificent designs IMO.

Posted by: @bob-jackman

@perrone1 Tony, this rates right up there with your best writeup ever on one of the best models ever. As always you had me going back to reexamine the model and discovering many of the details I had either missed or forgotten. You are the man.

Thank you SO much Bob!!

@perrone1 The RHS Caddy is one I don't have. I was so busy trying to keep up with all of the releases that DM and FM had that I passed on many of the more whimsical models they did...too bad.

@perrone1 I bought the Dover White 59 Caddy because it had the up top and gave a different look to my 59 Cadillac display.

@perrone1 I loved the DM 59 Impala convertible until it began to twist up like a potato chip. Today the model is bowed in the middle and the doors are sprung open. Very sad.

Posted by: @bob-jackman

@perrone1 I bought the Dover White 59 Caddy because it had the up top and gave a different look to my 59 Cadillac display.

How 'bout that! Me too! 

Danbury Mint 1959 Corvette Roadster – 1427

Save for DM’s awesome race-bred 1959 “Purple People Eater” Corvette, there has only been one Mint stock 1959 Corvette until this issue. It was by TFM, in Roman Red. (Note @ End of Review) Rooted in new-tech diecastology, DM’s beautiful Frost Blue roadster follows in the footsteps of their other C1 masterpieces. With white coves and white convertible ‘up top’, the model is very striking in this metallic shade of blue. Add the blue interior and the blue-on-blue combination is especially nice on the eyes.

As with their models of the 1958 and 1960 Corvettes, this little fellow has the internal spring hinge doors, opening gas filler lid, extending antenna, fully functional suspension and unmistakably ‘DM’ detailing throughout. Starting from the bottom and working up, I note that DM carried on their feats of authenticity by adding the frame dates and coding stamps. That’s a nice specific touch that I really relish. They are in red on the black frame rails, driver’s side and upside down as they were placed that way in production. The trunk mat is a little harder to extract but rewarding when you do. The jacking tools are attached and lend an additional detailing touch that is highly welcome. Under the mat is the spare tire cover and jacking instructions. Then comes the spare itself; it’s removable. The interior, all in blue, is awash in detail from the readily readable gauge dial faces to the delicate accents on the door paneling. The visors flip up and down. The seat belts are fabric with photo-etch buckles. I like the photo-etch metal windshield wipers too, very multidimensional in detail and scaled to size. Under the hood, you see the dual quad motor that pumped out 270 horse power, so marked in red on each valve cover, as was the case in real life. DM added metal fuel lines and cabling making the engine compartment very realistic. The telescoping hood lift rod helps that realism too.

The model features separately fashioned medallions front and rear and DM stuck with the added detail on the taillights, simulating the four screws that fasten the red lenses to the chrome bezels. The stance is perfect and with the white top in place the model really shines. The Thrillometer needle bounces right to the frosty reading of 9.75. The issue price is $115.

(Note: TFM later issued a 1959 Corvette ‘Barn Find’. DM issued an Inca Silver 50^th Ann 1959 after this release)

TP 08/04/2005

Danbury Mint 1959 Ford Thunderbird 50^th Anniversary Edition - DM1573

Forget the Danbury Sports and Special Vehicles Thunderbirds, and don’t count the T-Birds made by other commercial vendors for DM in NASCAR livery. Notwithstanding, DM has made 20 different and unique Ford Thunderbirds including this Casino Cream model year 1959. And this gorgeous little puppy makes up the third ’59 to please our discerning yearning for late fifties Square Birds. Their White and Tahitian Bronze variants are rendered in coupe formula, while this issue presents the first drop-top adaptation for the 1959 model year. The structural appearance of the model, color choice, convertible iteration and options choice makes this my favorite fifty-nine DM square bird to date.

This diecast looks a lot like the DM ’58 Bird in Monarch Blue. Our first Square Bird, the model featured a soft up-top with folding trunk/tonneau cover and integrated tonneau with the fabric-lined roof. This time, in black to match the interior, it really contrasts the body color. The interior represents the leather option that Thunderbird offered for the first time in 1959. It shows a delicate white indention in the black upholstery and mixes well with the white, folding sunvisors and white steering wheel. But take that continental kit off the blue Bird, if you weren’t a fan, I wasn’t, and you have a wholly different and phenomenally gorgeous Square Bird to rejoice in with your collectibles display.

The car sits perfectly; no undulating suspension to mess with your stance memory of fifty-nine. The color is faultlessly applied and the detailing is nothing short of DM master craft. The roof looks great in place. It has the built-in tonneau on the rear bottom quarter. Fold the tonneau down and close the trunk lid before displaying with the up-top. But be sure to take ample notice of the detail-rich trunk compartment. The spare tire is removable and the plethora of hydraulic components and the mechanical hinge assembly will leave you speechless. The driver’s and passengers compartment is awesome. The doors open on new-tech internal hardware and the dash and center console are richly detail-appointed. Chassis-wise, we see magnificent detail in engine and trans-bottom replica and the steering and line fabrication is beyond description.

Under the hood we have come to expect DM instant gratification in detail and material usage. No disappointments here. With hood raised, we see exquisite detail in hose and wiring assembly and the fittings and windshield washer are uniquely crafted to scale. Check out the carb linkage – to die for! The antenna raises and lowers and you will enjoy the way the rear license plate folds down to reveal the gas filler tube.

All together, this model approaches the pinnacle of detail and build perfection that is the essential Thunderbird for 1959. Perfect planning apparently makes for perfect model execution. Of the fifty-nines, you may enjoy the display of this one the best – I surely do. 50th anniversary Limited Edition. This product will be limited to production in year 2009. All models will cease on 12/31/09. Order number 991-003.  TP 02/26/2009

@perrone1 Love those C1 Vettes. This rare Frost Blue is exquisite and a standout in my collection..

@perrone1 When the square bird came out in 1958, there many who were upset with Ford for turning the baby birds into four passenger vehicles. Turns out, it was huge success for Ford in the sales department and their bottom line. DM didn't miss a beat when it came to giving us an outstanding variety of big birds to choose from with the exception of the 63 which got missed much to my dismay. No need to cry over spilled milk but I can always wonder what might have been.

Posted by: @bob-jackman

@perrone1 When the square bird came out in 1958, there many who were upset with Ford for turning the baby birds into four passenger vehicles. Turns out, it was huge success for Ford in the sales department and their bottom line. DM didn't miss a beat when it came to giving us an outstanding variety of big birds to choose from with the exception of the 63 which got missed much to my dismay. No need to cry over spilled milk but I can always wonder what might have been.

Thanks for your GREAT responses Bob! I was one of the many who got upset with Ford for discontinuing the two-place T-Bird. In fact, I still am!!  HA! 

Tony, keep those reviews coming.  I have been saving each one and filing along with all the photos I have collected as well.  Always looked forward to seeing your reviews on the old site.  It is a shame they have not done any more with this one.  Especially the auction part, at least they would have been making money to keep the site updated.