[Sticky] Lost Reviews - Franklin Mint & Danbury Mint

@perrone1 For all of it's short comings I was torn to lay out $195.00 for this model plus the fact that I am not a signature collector, even Carrol Shelbys'. Upon arrival of the model, I became an instant fan of this outstanding model because of the paint color and the overall look of the car. Glad I didn't succumb to my initial feelings of negativity.

Danbury Mint 1967 Plymouth GTX – DM1568

Our first and only Plymouth GTX for the 1967 model year, in 1:24^th precision scale, was fashioned by TFM back in 1996. It came in Richard Petty’s #43 race livery. So, for the muscle crowd who prefer their cars in street form, this becomes the initial 1967 GTX model.  And thank you Danbury, for keeping us Mopar fans excited about new Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth offerings. This Bright Red 426 Hemi replicates Plymouth’s very first year of the GTX. It was said to be their gentleman’s hot rod and that is just what it was. Basically, a Belvedere performance creation, the GTX had all of Mopar’s ‘go-fast’ goodies. Just start up front with the optional elephant motor; a 426 hemi engine producing 425 stout ponies at 5000 rpm, it had 490 lb-ft of stump-pulling torque!

Plymouth saddled up its relatively light-weight body over race-bred suspension, including standard six leaf rear springs, heavy duty shocks and torsion bars. DM also equipped the little devil with standard three-speed auto and optional twin racing stripes. I like! Only 720 buyers bought the Hemi GTX for ’67. Great choice for a DM build. And the ‘boys’ did their usual magic trick by giving us a model that looks so realistic. You will swear that they miniaturized a real 100 point 1:1 GTX. One look at the interior will sell you. The chassis-view will convince you and by the time you thoroughly inspect the elephant’s V-8 quarters, you will be a true believer. The magical illusions occur all over the car. Pull up the trunk mat to reveal the spare cover. The spare is displayed with the jack base and the jacking stand is seen to the side.

Inside the passenger’s compartment, DM paid lots of attention to intricate detailing. The belts are superior, the seatbacks fold forward and the floor pedals and door handles are scaled they way they should be. Dash gauges, inner roof items and steering wheel detailing are spot on. The doors feature the remarkable internal springs and they shut tight and straight. The lock pin and striker plate have never been better. Outside everything works in unison to complete the miniature insinuation. Just check out the sealed metal-foil scripts. Up front, across the hood, “Plymouth” is spelled out in block letters. Equally as striking are the, “Belvedere GTX” badgings are either side of the front fenders. The lower bottoms are adorned with, “HEMI” in metal foil. Bringing up the rear you can make out the tiny, “HEMI” and “GTX” monikers riding the upper trunk lid.

But be prepared to spend some time in awe as you ponder the refinement of the modeler’s art when you open that twin-scooped hood. DM’s well deserved praise for their working scissors-sprung hood assemblies are simply phenomenal. The battery cabling is just breathtaking. So are the radiator hose clamps. Talk about making a believer out of you; wow! The wiring and plumbing are shear perfection and the fuel lines and fittings and the firewall detail is only eclipsed by the tremendous work that went into the master cylinder fabrication.

Whether or not you collect Mopars, you simply have to love this new offering. I hope it leads to many more Mopar issues. DM, job WELL done!  TP 12/16/2008

Danbury Mint 1967 Pontiac GTO Convertible – 1528

This was an eagerly anticipated follow-up to Danbury’s first 1967 GTO. That diecast was issued in hard top form and painted Plum Mist. The convertible rendition is every bit as worthy of the adulation received by that model and then some, if you happen to be a fan of drop-tops. The open air two door is once again painted in a perfectly-period color combo, Gulf Turquoise, with white fabric top and turquoise interior and it comes with a matching turquoise down-top boot. DM went the ‘sporty’ route with the coupe and optioned it out with sport-styled wheels and redline tires and dark body striping. This little number was subjected to a classier feel by the utilization of Rallye Wheels, whitewalls and a dual pinstripe in white. In addition, this model is a 360 hp auto-shifter instead of the multi-carb four-speed version.

Don’t you just love the way DM shifts things around like that instead of just adding a new color flavor to the body and hacking off the top? I certainly do; the more variables the better. Back to the paint for a second. It is not only as glossy as a Paris Hilton 8 x10 but it is so smooth that it rivals any actual car’s paint job. The metallic is infinitely small. This is Danbury at their finest. The precise fit of the boot, convertible top and the alignment of doors, trunk and hood are tight and laser straight. This total attention to craftsmanship presents a model few others can match. It is like comparing Peyton Manning to the neighborhood bar stool quarterback. When you see the real deal in person, you know you are viewing the best. The ride height, on functional springs and shocks is amazingly accurate.

The overall fidelity-to-form is flawless. Operating features include the aforementioned suspension, a flip-down plate to expose the gas cap, internally hinged doors, sunvisors, a removable spare, complete with removable cover, those ingenious scissors springs hood supports and fold-forward seatbacks. The trunk is detail-rich with scaled hood hinges, trunk light wiring, scaled instructional stickers, jack, detailed latch mechanisms and correct plaid floor matting. Detailing features are too numerous, but the highlights include the fully detailed inside of the up-top, a simulated black fabric cover for the top storage area behind the rear seat and an interior apportioned out by the likes of a cruise ship director. Plenty for everyone, there are floor mats, front and rear, fabric seatbelts and photo-etched buckles, gorgeous wood trim on steering wheel, dash and console. Beautifully crafted separate pieces include rear seat ashtrays and tiny little door panel chrome handles and power window buttons.

DM uses some of the finest-scaled chrome metal foiling on their cars and, delicate as they may be, they sell that illusion of miniature reality. The “GTO” block lettering, lower body panel emblem and hood insignia are magnificent. The fabric-covered white top is phenomenal in its ‘feel’. The chassis showcases fuel lines, emergency brake cabling, suspension componentry and multi-color paint to sell the accuracy of the 1:1 as 1:24^th and the engine is pure DM-madness. Every conceivable stone to yield credence to believability in scale form has been overturned for your viewing pleasure. From potentially overlooked engine stickers to  yeoman-style plumbing to big-play-maker  wiring and materiale usage; the motor bay is replete with the details from scale-model-collectors dreams.

This is Danbury Mint at the top of their game. The finest in diecast art and craftsmanship, rendering a popular brand to the fullest extent of the modeler’s skill and expertise. It’s all beyond today and into tomorrow.

TP 10/01/2007

Danbury Mint 1967 Pontiac GTO Hardtop - 1501

The Danbury Mint has had a good run of Goats. You know, GTO’s, Grand Turismo Omologato’s, Gee-To’s. The car that helped define what muscle cars used to be, were, and might forever be. They’ve given us GTO’s in the form of its second year, 1965; some 1969 iterations and now the first 1967 model year. Styling was oh-so-cool by now. The squared styling of the Tempest, in ’64, gave rise by 1967, to stacked headlights, instead of the horizontal format, longer flowing lines and a more Coke bottle shaped figure overall. The GTO became sexy; sexy and fast!

DM sculpted up a gorgeous image and immortalized it in a deep grape-colored coating known to the Pontiac GTO tifosi as Plum Mist. Ok, it sounds like some fancy yuppie wine but, oh boy, does it kiss the hourglass styling with color and accentuate its lovely lines. The metallic is small scale but the clear coat is big time, glossy and perfect. Almost imperceptible is a faint and elegant black dual-pinstripe that runs the body’s full length. Danbury got the skinny part of the duo, the top stripe, about as fine as anything you are likely to see in this scale, ever. Another amazing feat is the chrome trim all around the window opening edges. They are separately fashioned pieces that make a fabulous detail advantage over rival diecast makers that may merely paint on chrome window surround simulations. DM didn’t stop there.

Look closely and you’ll find the same extensive treatment of the windshield, rear window and side vent panes; all encapsulated in chrome trim individually formulated in miniature. The lower body-side valances are also separately fashioned affairs and they run up and over the wheel wells adding a superior detailing touch. Another striking feature of the exterior realism is the chrome metal foiling treatment of the badging. There are three standard sized, “GTO” badges on the grille and rear fenders. A smaller one lives on the trunk lid edge. Full GTO emblems, with diamond-shaped checkerboards, reside on the lower front corners of the lower chrome valance moldings. Completing the compliment of small detail touches are tiny door lock buttons, separately formed door and trunk locks, a Pontiac hood ornament, awesome miniature vent wing latches, thin antenna and a flip-open rear license plate that reveals the gas filler cap.

DM filled every crevice of this beautiful model with demonstrable craftsmanship. The interior is like an art show of the model-makers trade. Open the internally hinged doors for a breathtaking view of the delicate gas pedal linkage, the delicate console-mounted shift lever, the grand detail of the seat belts and steering wheel, gauges and door handles. Flip the seatbacks forward and view the rear seat texture and fabric belts. Even in the trunk we find miniature illusion masquerading as a 1:1 car. The spare is removable and allows a better look at the trunk mat and jack. Scaled jacking instructions are stuck to the underneath of the trunk lid and we that the trunk is wired along the driver’s side hinge. The splatter paint trunk sides are realistic too. Chassis-wise we see DM at their best, crafting real-looking trans linkage, emergency cabling and offering working suspension while maintaining perfect model stance.

Engine bays remain DM’s best trick in fooling us into believing that these little treasures can actually be started up and driven into our daydreams. Once again they built in those wondrous scissors spring hinges that really work authentically. The use of actual paint colors to the real car make an accurate look at the whole of the motor compartment. The power braking system is shown in two different metallic colors and that technique is carried lower to the engine oil pan, transmission and drive shaft. But above, it is the absolute tiny metal brake lines, scaled wiring, hoses and fuel lines that sell the illusion of the model as a 1:1. DM fashioned a readable hood-mounted tach and detail-rich scoop above the Poncho’s motor just to finish the daydream appropriately.

This is, in my estimation, the finest rendition of a 1:24^th scale GTO out there today.  TP 02/20/2007

Danbury Mint 1968 Corvette Pro Touring Convertible – 1465

Once again the car-guy gang at the Danbury Mint has coaxed an existing tool into yielding another fascinating custom/hot rod image. This time we find DM’s beautiful factory 1968 Corvette morph from a stock British Green butterfly to a custom purple bird of prey. Talk about your retro-cool. I see C4 donor parts blend into the early C3’s best features and produce a better machine than either ever aspired to be! From the front air dam to the ground effects side fairing, with integral side-exiting exhaust, to the huge dubs, this diecast compels our custom spirit.

Some Corvette fanatics swear that the most perfect form of Corvette is the “Mid Year”. That encompasses the 1963 through 1967 Corvette. Others maintain, with equal conviction, that the “Shark-Bodied” Corvettes, from 1968 through 1982, are what it’s all about. I can easily see both sides to that argument, and regularly oscillate between both. Suffice to say that either can be considered correct; albeit, for differing reasons. DM incorporated the sleek and slinky styling of the C3 with the modernization of speed and luxury tech of the C4 to make up a combination of yesterday and today. The body has largely been unaffected, save for the addition of the side fairing pieces and custom add-ons, such as big chromies and low-profile tires, a custom paint scheme and what I’d call, “Go Fast Pieces”, placed onboard, hither and yon.

DM’s in-house Corvette aficionado knows how to tweak a stock machine into a fantasy vehicle with the aplomb of Tiger Woods taking on his home golf course. We see the same loving attention applied to this replica as we do the ’65 Corvette Canyon Racer, ’55 Corvette Dry Lakes Racer and 1:12^th ’57 Corvette Street machine – an interpretation of what yesterday’s cars with today’s-tech can ascertain. In my estimation, this is as solid an effort from DM as there has ever been. Ok, there are those who will disapprove of the irreverence of the paint scheme and interior color choice and those who will flip over it. Count me in the latter column. Pumpkin, Saddle, Sunset Orange or Tangelo, has become a staple for leather binders of top-level custom and hot rod interiors now for the last several years and the color is hot. Love it or hate it, it is what’s happening in today’s art craft of stitching up custom interior hides.

DM went the ‘Full Monty’ on detail craftsmanship. Just check out the photo-etch parts content. The racing belt harnesses are some of the best in the business. If they don’t do it for you, check out the steering wheel center and the awesome treatment of the foot pedals! The dash and center console is largely made up of C4 parts. The shift lever has the old-time cue ball added and when you flip open the rear deck lid you see the inspiration for the engine, a double shot of nitrous! Twin chrome NOS bottles feed twin lines, made of fine metal wire, through the floor and forward to the Vette’s motivation, a V8 dressed to the nines. The doors are mounted with inside hinges and snap shut faultlessly.

The hood opens with the help of a telescoping prop rod and shows off all the grand wiring and plumbing. Lots of chrome gives a show car appearance to the engine bay. The big chrome wheels and sick paint job (I heard that ‘sick’ is a good thing these days) grab your attention like a kiss on the face from a super model; the other kind of super model. The black top portion is as slick and glass-smooth as it gets. The purple underbelly is metallic and equally as glossy. The contrasting pumpkin stripes are bold on the hood bulge edges and razor fine as they delineate the top color from the bottom.

We find DM’s chrome metal foiled letters spelling out, “Corvette” on the rear end and a license plate reading, “PROTOUR”. The pop-up lights work, the visors flip up and the full sized chromie spare is removable from underneath. This model jumps out from any collection and is a most welcomed new member to my Corvette diecast fleet. TP 03/12/2007

Danbury Mint 1968 Dodge Charger- Bullitt  -  1530

Who would the Lone Ranger have been without Tonto? Sherlock Holmes without Dr. Watson or Columbo without that decrepit Peugeot? Could you then imagine the Bullitt Mustang without that infamous black Charger? Good guys can’t fight crime without bad guys and DM is sensitive to our needs that way. I’ve been sitting on the Bullitt Mustang (not literally, thank you so much) wondering just this very thing. Well before you know it here comes that sinister little menace we all cheered to its demise just to be rid of those two nasty old villains. Sure we hated to see the marvelous Mopar go up in flames but hey, McQueen walked away from the incident unscathed so all was right with the world. Well now, all is right with the diecast world; we got both of them, and in one piece, depicted before the carnage.

Once again, DM had to do diligent research to render a car that was used and modified for its role in the movie. The film representation is what we see here. In the rich tradition of DM Dodges, this is only their second 1968 iteration. We have ‘69’s to suit most pallets but one ’68, the “Christine” Charger. As movie cars go, I love Christine the Plymouth, but on the subject of Dodge’s I think I’ll take the black Bullitt chase car. It typifies ‘bad’. Warner Brothers ® bought two 1968 Dodge Chargers for the movie, both four-speeds. They came from a Chrysler dealership in Glendale, CA. The man responsible for maintenance on all of the star cars, Max Balchowsky, traded Ford’s carburetor for a Holley making it run better. He later remarked that he, “Hardly did anything to the Charger’s engine.” The suspension, however, was beefed up a bit.

DM took their flawless little tooling and made it triple black; a black body, black interior and black vinyl roof. About the only things not black are the engine, steering wheel, trunk mat, whitewalls and the hubcaps. How many of those hubcaps did the big Dodge lose in that chase scene? Most fans count 6!  All four are accounted for here. Even after some time, Danbury’s Charger still looks magnificent. The trunk has fine detail, removable spare, visible jack and jacking instruction sticker. The working suspension is flawless; the rear operating on leaf springs and functioning shocks while the front assembly features an entire articulating cradle assembly on either side. The torsion arms and anti-sway bars are operational. Interior detailing is DM-dramatic! The seats are handsomely crafted in fine detail. Belts and buckle ends and dash and gauges detailing is perfect. The seats fold forward and doorsills are photo-etched.

The motor was the star of this co-star on film and DM makes it stay that way in model scale. The big 440 Magnum is snug in its little home fed by every conceivable wire, hose and tube DM could find to yield authenticism. You just have to see the tiny throttle return spring. The hood opens wide to allow a grand view and the spring assembly and latching mechanism lends fantastic detail to the believability factor. Great little scale selling points abound; tiny little door lock buttons, retracting antenna, photo-etched grille, chrome metal foiled, “Charger” script and movie-correct license plates all play their part on cue. I’d love to own this model on its own merits but to have it as a part of the famous movie duo is something really special. It might even inspire another viewing of the movie that typified car chases back in ’68.

TP 03/23/2007

Danbury Mint 1968 Dodge Charger R/T - DM1608

Go ahead and count them; you know you will. There’s eleven Danbury Mint Dodge Chargers listed on our Car List and Reviews section. They range in model year from 1967 to 1970. So where would this 1968 variant reside? Well, of the four sixty-eights, two of them are ‘movie cars’; a “Christine” in blue and the “Bullitt” bandit ride in black. The last issued variation was done in Bright Red and carried the same wheels as the Bullitt car but is the only sixty-eight without the vinyl roof. This fourth issued Medium Gold bon-bon is done up as a street machine supreme; dog dish hub caps, redline tires, red bumble bee stripe and black vinyl-clad dome just to make the competition think it was your daddy’s car. But the hemi-filled engine bay declares a different tune when fired up.

Yeah baby, four hundred twenty six cubes makes for a helluva racket, especially at wide open throttle! Knowing that, the Danbury Boyz impersonate the Dodge Boys pretty well when it comes to offering us Mopar fans an R/T. This golden nugget flows from an older tooling base but you’d never know it to look at it. Opening the trunk displays scaled trunk lid hinging, a miniature jacking instruction sheet sticker, a highly detailed and removal spare and accurately crafted jack and floor matting. You will also see the fuel filler tube that leads up to the opening gas cap. The suspension articulates with the right amount of ‘give’ rearward, working on flexible leaf springs and working shocks while the front suspension is spring loaded and features moving sway bars in front and torsion bars to the axle’s rear.

Opening the doors renders a grand view of the detail-laden interior. The seats, seat belts, dash and gauges steal the show here. Outside the show picks up with marvelously crafted metal-foiled badges and insignias on the roof sail panels, rear valance and grill. The antenna disappears and so do the headlamps. They have covers to flip back and forth. Opening the hood will almost fool you into believing this is new school technology since the hinges are disguised with actual tiny springs in them but allow the hood to open wider than the 1:1 offering a panoramic view of the Hemi baby! Those wires, cables and fan belt have never looked more realistic and good gracious, wait until you see the simulated radiator hose clamp. They shrunk a real one!  Not to be overshadowed, the brake cylinder has dual brake lines made from metal wires that lend an authentic touch to the brilliantly detailed engine bay.

An absolute must have for the Mopar fan but a great classic for the muscle car gal or guy as well.   TP 01/15/2010

Danbury Mint 1968 Plymouth Road Runner 383 – 1527

If Coors Brewing Company made their Coors Light beer back in 1968 they would have immediately visited a Mopar showroom, picked out a Buffed Silver Metallic Road Runner, and put it on every commercial ad they made. They would have proclaimed it as the famed, “Silver Bullet”. And think about how much easier it would have been for the Lone Ranger to round up the bad guys in one of these studly machines! Sorry Silver, your services are no longer needed; the back forty for your butt!

Danbury follows up on their herd of ‘sixties Mopar muscle machines’ by corralling the head stallion in formulating this 383 Road Runner. Previous issues included the1968 Plymouth in Electric Blue in Hemi form, two 1969 Dodge Super Bee’s in 383 and 440 configuration and a spate of sixties Dodge Daytona’s. But full circle achievement renders us a Beep-Beep roller with attitude, looks and early era charm in a ’68 light-bodied, big engine Plymouth with bright silver body, black vinyl roof and two-toned red interior. The model is simply superb, seen up close. Changing the looks of the previously issued ’68 RR completely, we see a different engine, use of sculpted and period-correct wheels and optioned out as a relatively rare bird. Why not, the roadrunner is a bird that rarely flies; it prefers to run.

Outfitted as a lesser-known “Road Runner decor group 68” car, DM chose to use Plymouth’s option code 360. In a recent Bulletin Board post, George Bojaciuk recalled what goodies all came with this option package. It had, as he so accurately pointed out, “the rear deck appliqué, center pillar moldings, partial horn ring and expanded interior colors. The option code for the red vinyl bench is H4R. The auto on the column is classic budget.” MyMopar.com bears witness to his good memory and to the lengths that DM went to in order to get it right and offer a wholly different image than the previous Road Runner iteration. The interior, as mentioned, switches from a four-speed tranny with floor-mounted shifter to an automatic transmission with column-mounted gear selection lever.

All appropriate floor pedals are changed, the sun visors still flip and fold and the seats, in dark and lighter red, are resplendent, if somewhat Spartan, while holding true to the accuracy of the build. The trunk hinges are scaled and slim, jacking instructions affixed to the upper lid and the removable spare reveals the nicely fashioned jack and tire iron on a plaid floor mat. The suspension is fully operational and the coloration of the driveline is amended to reflect the correct drive shaft for an automatic instead of the stick shift car. Of course the trans itself has been changed, correctly linked and plumbed with fluid lines. DM even thought to change the exhaust pipes to include the cross-over pipe connection different than the system on the Hemi milled car.

No more flat black side-scooped hood; this one carries body-color paint and the “Hemi” script has been removed from within the scoop indentions and replaced with “383”. The difference is day and night when peering into the marvelous cavern afforded by a wide-opening hood. And like the magnificent door hinges, the hood comes with the prerequisite DM scissors springs that they pioneered for 1:24^th scale. The orange lump is missing in favor of the blue 383 cubic inch V8. Thankfully, along with its appearance comes a readily seen throttle return spring, wires, cables and hoses as if straight from Chrysler Corporation themselves. The paint is flawlessly applied, the stance and lack of panel gapping is awesome and the overall look of the piece is quite dramatic in this color combo. In person the model looks real. Were it actually drivable I can just hear the driver now – “Hi Yo Silver…..Away!”

TP 07/31/2007

Franklin Mint 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 HT- Nbr Ltd Ed of 2500 - E664

Entering the arena for vintage Chevy muscle cars, this ’69 SS 396 makes its presence known quickly. Franklin blended up some beautiful paint to drench this little beauty in. Glacial Blue Poly was a gorgeous silver-blue metallic that was highly popular in the late sixties and early seventies and used on numerous GM-built products in different blends and known by various other names. TFM did the shade proud on this Chevelle and it makes the latest issue really stand out. There were three 1970 models replicated but this is the fourth 1969 Chevelle release. There was a convertible version among them so this becomes the third hard top. To my eye, it is the loveliest. The independent dealer version is suitably bad in black and the orange iteration is just plain hot. But for sheer good looks, blue is beautiful.

Franklin did a remarkably good job in crafting this model in new technology. The engine is detailed to the hilt. Every wire, hose and label is in place and the delicate scaling and painting procedures exact a true appearance when comparing it to the 1:1. The trunk hinges are detailed and scaled back from the older ‘mint-sized’ utilitarian versions. There are instructional stickers put to good use there and a detailed spare as well. The suspension works nicely and still allows a perfect stance when displayed. Opening the doors on the new-tech hinges reveals good detail inside too. Past the P-E sills is a great set of dash gauges, seatbelts and nice seats. They look better in person than in the photos. Flash lighting was the culprit here. The antenna is short and slim and the paint was applied perfectly.

TFM added a gorgeous triple pinstripe in white. A broader center strip flanked by thinner ones, they run the length of the beltline. Then added were terrific little chrome metal-foiled badgings on the side, “SS396” and “Chevelle by Chevrolet” on the trunk edge. Styled wheels, shod with Good Year® Polyglas® white raised letter tires, were applied. The overall look of the model is grand. A perfect addition to the Chevy, Chevelle or muscle car collector among us. Issue price is $120. TP 10/05/2007

Franklin Mint 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 - E039

This is The Franklin Mint at its finest. During FM’s corporate redefinition period, Danbury Mint, and to a lesser degree, GMP, raised the 1:24^th precision bar of detail and functionality exponentially with their many new release models. With the minor exception of hood scissors-springs hinges, this diecast replica exhibits every bit of ‘catch-up’ technology that places it square in the middle of the 1:24^th precision boxing ring all over again. Is this particular image worthy of a major title bout? Probably not, since it is not what I would personally consider an all-out ‘clamor-for’ model, but it is certainly an important enough image to consider as a main event attraction, at the very least. From the standpoint of major muscle it is definitely a heavy weight in a heavy weight era of legendary big guns. So when it comes to FM reentering the precision Mint car battles, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes would say, “The game’s afoot.” This model’s development and release harkens back to the hey-day that was FM in diversity of image and execution of stance, style and accuracy. Should DM and GMP worry? Well, no, unless they decide to rest on their laurels to date. Will they? I sincerely doubt it, so expect this and subsequent FM images to pique the competition and assure us collectors of a plethora of new and forthcoming exciting images from all of the precision top contenders in the future.

FM pulled out all the stops on this all new tooling. First let’s look at the image, its detail and its workings. The shape, ride height stance and overall symmetry of the piece is dead-balls-accurate. The paint is lavishly applied and the fit is excellent. This would include the stripe alignment, chrome trim around windshield and rear glass, absolute minimal gaps and opening panel closures. All external badging is chrome metal foiled, right up to date. The doors swing inward in front and open on internal spring hinges. Right up to date. The chassis exhibits great definition of detail with its working suspension componentry and the brake fluid lines and drive shaft markings. The trunk shows an authentic splatter paint floor and the spare carries a well defined jack stand base and wing nut fastener. The trunk underlid shows off warning labels and jacking instructions. Inside we find great attention to detail with amazing little floor mats emblazoned, up front, with, “Chevelle” and all are done in black and white on a black flocked carpet. The dash, console and steering wheel are not immune to detail fabrication and the seats have separately fashioned belts front and rear. The tires are white lettered and the wheels are detailed nicely as well. The scale forming of outside rearview mirrors and metal radio antenna are welcome and the inside door handles and window cranks follow suite.

FM’s best mission statement is read under the hood. The brake master cylinder and power assist unit is painted realistically in flat gold. There is realistic labeling all over the engine and radiator cross member. The labeling on the air cleaner is awesome too. Easily readable is, “396” and “Turbo-Jet 375 HP”. The engine wiring, windshield washer bottle and photo-etched wipers add a sense of scale and authenticity that makes up a nice package of miniaturization.

This issue packs a nice, almost unexpected, punch. It places, almost single-handedly, the FM diecast reemergence squarely back in contention for our diecast dollars. The model is a true knock-out. The issue price is $120. TP 11/30/2005

Franklin Mint 1969 Chevrolet COPO Camaro- Nbr Limited Edition of 5000 – E267

Central Office Production Order (COPO) Chevrolets have been the legendary subject of discussion, car magazine articles and even a little mythology from time to time. Regarding Chevrolet’s 1969 Camaro COPO, history was pretty well documented. Franklin’s subject of this limited edition is the COPO order 9561. Their accompanying materials state that there were around 1000 units sold. They are spot on. Chevrolet historians actually account for 1015 order 9561’s. There was a rarer version, the order 9560, an all aluminum ZL-1 accounting for a scarce 69 such sold cars. These are considered, today, to be the most valuable Camaros to exist. But, yo, don’t get it twisted; the 9561 is still plenty special. Most were delivered to Yenko Chevrolet in Pennsylvania. But this one represents a little more bling and is not adorned with the common Yenko graphics and stylized branding. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?

In Garnet Red, a deep, almost maroon shade, FM opted to give the already rare car a color to enhance its bad dog attitude. The clean white twin-center stripes are gorgeous and flanked by thin pinstripes. The white vinyl roof simulation is spectacular – this, coming from a guy who mostly hates vinyl roofing on coupes. Here though, it works to add the right sparkle to the dark crimson body. And off-shoot of FM’s popular Camaro tooling, you have a lot to like in this one as well. The interior is resplendent in black; lots of detail on dash, gauges, console and seating areas. The trunk is sparsely appointed, just like the real COPO. The emblems and insignias are metal foiled and look awesome. Period mags, used on these COPO and Yenko cars really make a visual statement and the FM model is no exception. The killer engine is the center of attention and well worth the under-hood look. The simulated cowl induction features a realistic hood and the engine exhibits all the right wiring and instructional labeling seen on the 1:1. The suspension is functional and the wheels rotate the driveshaft with each revolution. Wipers are delicately fashioned and the overall look of the model has good proportion. The ride height is somewhat tall but in real life the cars, when new, were sort of up on their tippy toes, not squat like the renditions of today.

In an edition of 5000 these models are not as scarce as the genuine articles but they are a much better bargain, especially if you do not want to re-mortgage the house to buy one. The issue price is $120.  TP 10/02/2006

Danbury Mint 1968 Pontiac GTO- Convertible  DM1625

This is Danbury’s first 1968 model year Pontiac GTO. They have given us a ’67 in drop top and hardtop variants and the ’69 in convertible and coupe versions to bracket it, as well as a ’65. That one, too, was released in both top iterations. The ’68 Goat was completely restyled over the previous year’s model. All rubber bumpers, named Endura, gave the car a bumper-less appearance and the option of having hidden headlights totally transformed the grille area of the car compared to the ’67. The coupe version numbered 77,704 production units while this ragtop accounted for only 9,980 such vehicles.

DM chose a bright April Gold for the exterior and mated it to an Ivy Gold interior combo. A bold choice, but suitably beautiful. The white top contrasts well but you have the option of displaying the model with the gold ‘down top’. Would that be considered a triple gold alternate? I actually like it. Plus, it grants a terrific look inside the passenger’s lair affording a view of the great seat detail, belts and photo-etched buckles, white shift knob with detailed shift pattern and wood steering wheel. The dash, floor and door detailing are also welcome additions to the show. The sunvisors flip up and down and the driver’s side floor mat is realistic. The model is not based on new tooling; I’m thinking it emanates from the ’69 convertible originally issued in 2004.

The usual DM perfection of perfectly fitting pieces is highly evident here; the top boot and white convertible top fit flawlessly. Both doors, hood and trunk lid close tightly with minimal gapping, the suspension articulates well while holding an authentic ride stance and the paint is faultless. The trunk detailing includes the spare tire with jacking tools and instructional sticker on the inside lid. The engine is typical DM with all the obligatory bells and whistles.

Once again, Danbury has a knack for taking a previously issued image, changing what is necessary to make it a different model year and picking an awesome color to represent a wholly different and unique diecast replica. And while, as a past owner of a 1964 GTO, my favorite GTO years were sixty-four through sixty-seven; this gold-on-gold beauty is a fine example DM’s model picks and looks as sharp and fresh as any such rendition I’ve seen lately.  TP 06/25/2010

Danbury Mint 1969 Chevrolet Camaro – SS Convertible – 40^th Anniversary Edition – DM1589

Danbury rendered its first 1969 Chevy Camaro in 1993. It was a convertible. It was reprised in a different paint scheme a year later but all subsequent sixty-nines were coupe iterations. For the fortieth anniversary of the breed, the Danbury boys decided to do, or should I say, redo, a drop top once again. Ok, I fully realize we’re talking about an older tooling here so what would make it a tempting little morsel short of re-tooling up costly new and fancy featurettes?  How ‘bout a wicked-looking paint scheme and some high-tech metal-foiled scripts? Well, there you go!

The interior color of this menacing black bad boy is simply called dark red. But mate it too a red-striped exterior with redline tires and you have a palatable Camaro that would look equally gorgeous in the late sixties or cruising the interstates today. There’s no frills in the build but do expect perfect panel alignment, no gapping, perfect stance and a wonderfully appointed engine bay with the right detailing throughout. The interior is nicely done with a finely executed dash, steering wheel and floor-mounted shifter. The trunk is realistically depicted with spare and jacking tools seen peering out from underneath.

In this case, it’s all about color choice. Where we once only had a choice of white and orange or blue in a ’69 rag top Camaro, now we have a certifiably wicked-intentioned model as an option.

TP 06/24/2009

Danbury Mint 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28  -  DM1560

With some cars and certain model year’s I am a purist at heart. I’m not too shy, when doing reviews, to tell you which diecast replications I truly love and why. Well, this one is a personal treasure. DM has done a diverse array of Chevy’s Camaro in one-twenty-fourth scale, albeit just the ’67 and ’69 model years to date. We have convertibles, coupes, RS/SS, Z/28’s, COPO’s, Yenko’s, an SS350 and a Pro Street drag machine, my personal favorite of them all. I’m not a big fan of coupes with vinyl roofs. Certain colors are not as enticing on some models as on others. But this Dusk Blue coupe, sans vinyl, with white stripes in Z/28 trim, lettered Firestones sporting a contrasting black and white interior, sends me straight to “production stock” Z/28 nirvana. Add the Rally Sport option and I get positively giddy.

I’ll tell you first off, there are no current tech hinges on doors and hood. Big points deductions? Oh no, bubba. What there is, is a refinement and perfection of the craft that aligns every body crease, door, trunk and hood gap as if by laser magic. The paint has never been more fluid and rich, the attention to detail never better and the overall conformity of body, stance and styling of the sixty-nine Z/28 is astounding. DM has added tire branding, this time in Firestone white lettering, the perfect period wheels, Rally wheels with chrome trim rings and has now sealed their metal foiled insignias and emblems. The seats provide a new innovation in texture and feel and the chassis and engine bay are better than ever.

Operational features include a folding license tag to reveal the gas filler cap; the detail to the inner side of the plate holder is super realistic, and a scaled metal extending antenna. The underside of the muscle car shows off great metal lines and accent pieces while the trunk and interior look like the one-to-one in perfect miniature. The under-hood view may leave you speechless. The use of various materials to cause the illusion of looking at the genuine article is masterfully carried out. The big twin chromed air filter is surrounded by a rubber hood seal to take good use of the cowl-induction hood. Metal lines on the master cylinder, wiring and hoses are all in perfect place and tiny engine and radiator stickers help sell the miniature fantasy.

It all adds up, the color choice, build craftsmanship, attention to accurate detail and the subject choice render a huge, “BRAVO DANBURY” from me. This one goes to the head of the DM Camaro lineup in my collection.   TP 10/04/2008

Danbury Mint 1969 Chevrolet COPO Camaro 427 Coupe – 1456

On the heels of Danbury’s incredible ’69 Yenko Camaro, comes this silver bullet. (Yawn) Absolutely gorgeous, in an understated manner, I may like this version of the late sixties Camaro the best. (Snore) No, I’m not nodding off as I look at this wonderful diecast release and try to contain my utter excitement over describing it here; I’m thinking of just how badly I would love to have been in the 1:1 version on some late night boulevard in 1969. This would have been my ultimate street “sleeper”! The Yenko Camaro gave unsuspecting would-be racers a hearty heads-up. If its mags, bright orange paint and “427” emblems on the hood were not enough, surely the emblazoned, “Yenko SC” on the tail would have been a clue of what you were in for. But this little puppy would have appeared as just another cute, stripped down grocery-getter in street attire. Plain and simple, no readily seen hot rod adornments, it has sweet little dog dish hub caps and no tail spoiler. Sure it had a body builder’s hood bulge but you would have seen that too late to stave off the onslaught of the 427 cubic inches of muscle that lay beneath it. As you no doubt know, “COPO” stood for Central Office Production Order. You just did not see very many of them around back then, only 69 were built, and today they are like fine, aged cheese to the Chevy and Camaro collector rat. Highly expensive cheese, at that.

Danbury has refined its Camaro tooling to its ultimate rendition with this COPO release, as far as I’m concerned. It amply floats my boat. I know we have been treated royally to many Camaro images but this COPO seems to epitomize the best that the breed had to offer. The COPO Camaro is one of the most highly prized collector’s cars in the high-end auction scene today and for good reason. All the elements are there; rarity, power, a pleasing shape and style that evolved over the car’s very first few years. In fact the Camaro may have never enjoyed a more popular following than in this year model design. So if you want the best and most desired version of the muscle car in scale, this would be my choice.

DM gives us a healthy dose of detail and realism throughout the model. Below, you will find an awesome display of plumbing. Fluid lines, made up of metal wire, flow front to back. Coil springs, up front, and outrageous leaf springs in the back highlight the functionality of the model while the tire tread patterns lend an air of reality to the piece. You know the flex tubing that you see on the brake lines of real cars? DM replicates it flawlessly. Even when you flip the “COPO” rear license tag down to reveal the gas filler cap, you will note the attention to detail on the opposite side of the plate holder – absolutely authentic. No frills in the trunk of this athlete; DM duplicated the splatter paint floor finish, added jack and spare and jacking instructions and warning labels. And for those of us that like the tires to be correctly labeled; they are, spare too. The COPO wears the Good Year® Wide Tread® F70-14 markings, so fashionable that year. The diminutive hub caps wear Chevy’s bowtie logo, in blue.

Inside, the seats are flanked with fabric belts and photo-etch buckles and wood grain lines the dash, center console and steering wheel. The floors feature black rubber floor mats. The door panels display fine detail and little door locks. Of course the star of the COPO’s show is the grunt under the well shaped hood, you know, the one with the bulging bicep that I mentioned earlier. It is a ZL-1 427 with 425 horse. (This HP rating was completely underrated) How do I know? DM and Chevrolet tell me so with Chevy’s crossed flags emblem exclaiming “427” and under it the “Turbo Jet 425 HP” in fine miniature labeling, readable with a magnifier. The cold air induction system is, pardon the pun, cool. And DM’s masterful treatment of the orange actuator line and hood liner are icing on an already calorie-filled cake. The plumbing, wiring, hose labels and dip stick are very welcomed and wait until you see the master cylinder brake tubing and hold-down wires. Masterful. The extending antenna is scaled to size and the “Camaro” hood edge and trunk lid script emblems are chrome metal foiled to round out the glorious presentation.

To the glory days of muscle cars this was a true pied piper, even if it was nearly impossible to follow when its hammer was laid down. The Thrillometer got a work out on this little number and the number came up a strong 9.975!

11/22/2005