[Sticky] Lost Reviews - Franklin Mint & Danbury Mint

Franklin Mint 1970 Corvette LT-1 Coupe- Nbr Ltd Ed of 5000 - E557

This was Corvette’s first year for Mulsanne Blue. It is an amazingly gorgeous color choice for FM’s latest fiberglass ‘shark-body’ Vette. Taken from the famous Mulsanne straight on the Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe, Chevrolet was, by now, fond of naming colors after famous forms of races and race tracks. Names come to mind such as Can-Am White, Sebring Silver, Monaco Orange, Silverstone Silver, Monza Red, Riverside Gold, Le Mans Blue and Daytona Yellow.

There are two minor inconsistencies; this color exterior did not come with saddle interior for the 1970 model year, just blue and black only. And the T-tops are metal instead of body material, fiberglass. Having made this statement, however, let me drop back and punt because both, to me, are actually positive points. I’ll explain; although saddle was not a color Chevrolet allowed on blue cars, they should have. It looks spectacular. Second, were the roof panels made from the lighter weight fiberglass, they would, no doubt, be more difficult to keep in place. I’m guessing, as well, that it was most cost effective to use existing diecast panels painted to suit. With the savings, maybe FM would be free to apply some other feature to the little Vette. Wishful thinking? Check out the brand new telescoping prop rod under the hood. It’s brand new tech on these FM shark-bodies.

FM made this into the LT-1 variant. The engine bay looked completely different than on the standard or big block cars. FM did the rendering proud. The small block comes across with fine detail and authentic realism. So does the interior. The belts, fold-forward seats, dash detail and internal sprung door hinges lend nice accuracy to the model. The chassis exhibits nice brake lines and a true-to-life working steering dampening piston. The stance and shape looks spot on. The external scripts and emblems are chrome metal foiled, the lights flip up and the paint and striping are faultlessly applied and exacting. Overall, this is a very pretty Corvette addition to the growing collection. TP 09/07/2007

Franklin Mint 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi- Nbr Ltd Ed of 2500 – E665

Complementing the Plum Crazy 1970 Challenger Coupe, this R/T Hemi version in convertible form is dolled up in Banana yellow with bold black hood accents, side stripes and rear spoiler. The interior is jet black with matching boot and up top. Although modified to formulate the convertible version of the car, the model shares the great detail and intricacies of the coupe.

As with the hard top, this is also new tooling. The doors are mounted on the internal hinge plates that eliminate the dog legs. The doors also snap shut and align like the 1:1. Chrome metal foil badgings are really nice and have no need to be covered in floor sealant. The suspension is full-function and even the driveline rotates. The air cleaner is removable and TFM took a compromising route on the hood pin/tether replication. But before you turn your nose up at that, let me elaborate. While a considerable detailing effort goes into making functioning hood pins, they are laborious to remove and reinsert. TFM has fashioned the hood pins with tethers attached so that you can open and close the hood without the actual tedious job of putting the model in display mode once again. I like that. AND, the hood is on new-tech scissors springs hinges!

The interior has great detail. The seat belts, dash, door and floor detailing is really good and the sills and window moldings all lend great detail touches to the reality of miniature here. The trunk features a good level of detail as well. The space-saving spare is lettered correctly, jacking stickers in place and the jack and floor mat are fabricated well. The engine bay carries the day in the detailing department. Wiring, fuel and emergency lines are all thoughtfully crafted and the overall ‘look’ of the model is faithful to the real McCoy. The paint finish is absolutely excellent and is glossy and smooth. Below the metal foil side badgings are minute, “R/T” scripts within the paint stripe and the grille-mounted emblems and the rear-mounted block letters in the backup lights are awesome.

Beside the coupe or any muscle car model this car comes off, challenging the top banana– sorry, couldn’t help myself.  TP 11/15/2007

Franklin Mint 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi – E509

This is an all new tooling and far too long overdue. Thank you Franklin Mint for not only doing it but doing it right! TFM has previously given us the 1970 Plymouth variant of this car, the Cuda, in various forms. But the Challenger-faithful among us have been missing the issuance of Dodge’s version. And what a version it is; the R/T 426 Hemi-powered coupe, as reviewed here, and the upcoming drop top iteration in yellow and black. The coupe is quintessential-period in Plum Crazy with white side stripes and silver shaker hood scoop. And just in case the color combo doesn’t completely bring back the seventies for you, TFM tossed in the pure white interior just to be sure you’d recall your bell bottom and disco days.

As an all new tool, we see a lot to like here. The doors are mounted on the internal hinge plates that eliminate the dog legs. The doors also snap shut and align like the 1:1. Chrome metal foil badgings are really nice and have no need to be covered in floor sealant. The suspension is full-function and even the driveline rotates. The air scoop is removable and TFM took a compromising route on the hood pin/tether replication. But before you turn your nose up at that, let me elaborate. While a considerable detailing effort goes into making hood pins that function, they are laborious to remove and reinsert. TFM has fashioned the hood pins with tethers attached so that you can open and close the hood without the actual tedious job of putting the model in display mode once again. I like that.

The interior has great detail. The seat belts, dash, door and floor detailing is really good and the sills and window moldings all lend great detail touches to the reality of miniature here. The trunk features a good level of detail as well. The space-saving spare is lettered correctly, jacking stickers in place and the jack and floor mat are fabricated well. The engine bay carries the day in the detailing department. Wiring, fuel and emergency lines are all thoughtfully crafted and the overall ‘look’ of the model is faithful to the real McCoy. The paint finish is absolutely excellent and is glossy and smooth.

I guess you could say that I was plum crazy over this issue but then I would be pandering to a cheap laugh – so I won’t go there. But if you want a great little muscle car and a period ‘70’s icon, check it out at Legacy Motors – DO go there! 10/10/2007

Franklin Mint 1970 Oldsmobile 442 Hardtop – D999

Franklin Mint returns to the spotlight with this all-new tooling. Thinking about legendary muscle cars, one cannot help but recall the pedigree of the 442. FM did a fine job of making this model but also added the W-30 option that made the car such a stand-out in 1970. The option coding W-30 featured, among other goodies, an aluminum intake manifold on the 455 cubic inch motor, red fiberglass inner fender wells, and a fiberglass OAI hood. The car pumped out 370 ponies but managed a whopping 500 lb-ft of torque! That’s stump-moving, long stroke power to be sure.

Franklin fashioned spring-loaded door hinging assembly to replace the old-style dog leg intrusions. This is a most welcome move for them and I hope they continue to offer it on future models. I’d like to see more realistic hood hinging and the use of chrome foil badging and emblems but one step at a time. I really can’t complain about the tampo printing of the “442” and “W-30” insignias because they were done very well. The paint, Nugget Gold, is even and rich and has a nice glossy finish to it. The black hood stripes and accent pinstriping are applied beautifully. It was pointed out on our forums that the tires are incorrect. “Polyglas” is spelled with an extra “S”. FM went to work on providing lots of detailing on this replica. The trunk carries nice carpeting with the spare tire and jack present. They are not removable. Three instructional stickers are seen under the trunk lid. Chrome plastic window, windshield, back light, trunk and hood trim pieces add an extra dimension to the detailing of the exterior. The interior also carries the full gamut of detail. Wood-grained accents are found on dash, console and door panels, and photo-etched metal highlights the fabric belt buckles and door sills. Photo-etch metal is also put to good use on the wipers.

The big show is under the hood and FM did a great job there. The perfect flat red paint was used to simulate the fiberglass inner fenders. Battery to starter cabling is in place and all plug wires, fluid lines and hoses are scaled in properly. Brake fluid lines are made from silver metal wire and warning labels are affixed nicely. “Oldsmobile” is spelled out crisply inside the forced air air cleaner housing and bright metal fuel lines and brake fluid lines are seen running down and back under the car. Extra high marks for the way they carried that out. The suspension is functional and doesn’t get in the way of an accurate stance or ride height situation.

Overall, this is a very pleasing issue. I would rate this as a solid 9.5 on the Thrillometer scale. Issue price is $120.  TP 07/25/2005

Danbury Mint 1969 Chevrolet Nova 427 Coupe- Yenko – 1451

The muscle crowd these days must be living right. But the Chevy muscle crowd, with a backward glancing eye to the sixties, must be positively ecstatic. Danbury recently released a real winner in their Yenko Camaro so what a treat it is to drive this Yenko Nova up to it and park beside it. Time for celebration in the streets. In fact, back in the sixties and early seventies, that’s just what this little green puppy was doing; celebrating in the street and perhaps even more responsibly, on the strip.

A serendipitous departure from DM’s previously issued black Nova SS 396, this metallic Rallye Green Nova is a 427 Yenko/SC and comes off looking wholly different and although brighter, is somehow meaner and nastier appearing than its black-bombshell brethren. Maybe it is that properly bad attitude. A snarling 427 big block can give a car the sort of indigestion that comes from eating up other cars of the day. Sharing many of the “go-fast” pieces found in DM’s “good stuff” parts bin that highlighted the SS 396, the Yenko goes, yet, a step further. Add some sYc (A poetic license spelling of Yenko Sports Car) stripe markings and badgings and seat-top testimonials, then throw in a sinister black vinyl roof and you have the beginnings of an untamed street tiger. Yenko used some five-spoke mags. Good grief, DM couldn’t have duplicated them better if they did them in 1:1. These have to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. The rims of the wheels themselves are metallic while the center spokes are perfect magnesium simulations. The disk brakes can be seen through the spokes. The lug nuts are chrome and so is the center cap, with a red, white and blue Yenko insignia. Speaking of Yenko badgings, they’re in miniature abundance on the car. On either front fender, at the rear portion and on the rear center valance, you will find the “Yenko” banner and shield in patriotic colors. On the fenders and trunk lid, you will also see an incredibly reproduced chrome metal foiled, “Nova” emblem and chrome foiled, “427” emblem up front. There is one on the rear valance as well. The dual white stripes have imbedded sYc and Yenko S/C statements in green fields. The use of metal is found on rear window frame bottoms and door sills, extending antenna and astounding chassis brake lines, some covered in flexi-coil and rear leaf suspension bracket mount points. A lot more can be seen in the engine bay but hold your horses (pun intended) we’ll get there in a minute.

Before we look internally I have to confide that I, and maybe you, take the fit and finish for granted on these DM works of model art. I swear they keep getting better. The paint is perfectly scaled, metallic-wise; smooth, even and shiny and the fit of doors, trunk and hood seem laser-cut. Of course the doors are mounted on internal hinges but even the door and trunk lock buttons are separately fashioned pieces. The door locks, atop the door panels, have faultlessly shaped buttons but also have the button-bottom surrounds that go with them. The dash and separate tach, the steering wheel, shift handle and fabric belts all add to the realism and a big, “thanks” goes out to DM for replicating working sunvisors too. Certainly not expected but surely a welcome extra feature on a 2-door hard top. The trunk, as you’d expect for a Yenko muscle machine, is Spartan. The splatter-paint floor has been reproduced efficiently, and the jack and tools are under the spare. The jack stand, with a metal center spud, holds it to the floor. It is removable and hard to reposition, especially if you have the fumble-fingers commonly plaguing us aging gents, but well worth the effort that the sight affords.

Under the hood. Ah, that wondrous breath of scale fresh air. Behemoth engine, incredible plumbing, detail everywhere you look and the absolute mastery of material usage, yeah, that’s DM at their best. The state of scissors-springs hood hinges has never, and I mean never, looked finer than on this model. I swear they seem improved since the advent of the Nova SS396! But check out the power brake unit and master cylinder assembly. This is model-craft at its very best. Again, material usage, at its finest. There’s vinyl tubing entering the gold-painted power unit, a metal hold-down clip fastening the master cylinder top, flexi-coil tubing simulating the brake line and a separate metal fluid line. The air cleaner uses metal wire mesh as a filter retainer, there is a tiny dipstick, small cabling for the battery, medium tubing for the windshield washer and standard plug wiring. The heater hoses, replete with GM ID numbers, look for all the world like real ones. There is a small fuel hose leading to the carbs, metal carb linkage and the correct blue return throttle spring and perfect miniature labeling. This engine ranks right up there with the very finest engine bays of any car I have ever seen or reviewed – period. Flat out, this is nothing short of a museum piece.

The modeling of our diecast creations keeps taking forward steps. Perhaps these steps seem well placed and on specific cars but in total, they act to push the envelope of the art to dizzying heights and they make me wonder what is yet to come. Thrillometer readings near the pinnacle at a staggering 9.997 on this baby!  The issue price is $115. TP 12/05/2005

Danbury Mint 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Coupe White – 1420

To my mind, there is probably no other car that has Zora Arkus-Duntov’s fingerprints on than the ’69 ZL-1 Corvette. Zora once said that he drove a ZL-1, with drag slicks mounted, to a 10.5 second quarter mile time. In October of 1969, Motor Trend Magazine recorded a time of 10.6 seconds through the quarter at 132 mph! This, too, was on drag slicks of the day which were inferior compared to today’s standards. Of course the motor is legendary and the car one of only two. DM released the first of the two ZL-1’s, the Daytona Yellow beauty owned by Roger Judski of Roger’s Corvette Center in Florida, in January of this year. I’m here to cheer Danbury for offering the second and perhaps somewhat cleaner looking of the two cars. The owner of this Can-Am White ZL-1 is Kevin Suydam who owns the Corvette & American Muscle Car Collection, located near Seattle, Washington. The car has been featured in almost every Corvette magazine and several reference books on the marque. I first laid eyes on the car on pages 136 through 139 of Randy Leffingwell’s, “Corvette, America’s Sports Car”. It was love at first sight.

To DM’s complete credit this would have been an easy repaint of the former ZL-1. But the two cars were not exactly alike and we all know that DM does their homework. Just between you and me, they even have an in-house Corvette aficionado helping them on the Vettes. But mum’s the word on that, ok? Visually, the first difference that you will note between the car models, beside the difference in color, is the striping. The Daytona Yellow car has the black stripe accent across the car’s nose and up the peaked fender tops. The balance of the vehicle is color solid. The Can-Am White jewel has a strip as broad as one third of the car’s width running from the domed hood on back through the tail and wrapped around it. The stripe itself is flanked by a pencil thin pinstripe that DM reproduced magnificently. Other subtle cues hint at the differences of the siblings. The white car has redline tires where the first ZL-1 has blackwalls. The yellow ’69 runs outside exhaust pipes while the white car looks a tad bit cleaner without them. But this is a personal preference. DM had to fashion the correct pipes and muffler system and run them out through the rear valance. Beautiful job. Both diecasts feature rally wheels, chrome trim rings and center caps. Both utilize the same interior and of course, same monster motor. And I cannot say enough about the chrome metal foiled “Stingray” scripts on the fenders and “Corvette” block letters on the tail. The crossed flag badgings, front and rear, are equally spectacular.

The highlights of the model include opening gas filler door, photo-etched door sill plates, internal door hinging, working suspension, opening spare tire carrier; the white car has a fifth redline, functioning headlight pods and leather seats and belts. The engine is as true to every photo of the 1:1 car that I have seen. Leave it to DM to faithfully reproduce that center of attraction. Both cars have the optional chrome side vent louver trim. Kevin’s car has been totally restored. The car came equipped with the Muncie M22 four-speed tranny, G81 Posi rear, F41 suspension package, J50 power brakes with the J56 heavy duty brake option and K66 transistorized ignition system. The aforementioned redlines are F70x15 in size and the car was ordered with heater and defroster delete. The car has received its Bloomington Gold certification and looks for all the world like it did the day it left the factory. In fact, DM gave us the model of that car, perfect in each of these details. Well, not exactly, the Bloomington Gold certificate remains with Mr. Suydam.

The newly calibrated Thrillometer jumped up to a 9.78 reading for this white knight and very well earned! TP 06/20/2005

Danbury Mint 1969 GTO – DM1584

If bad things come in three’s then good things come in four’s. This is the forth DM iteration of the 1969 GTO coupe. But WHAT an iteration! It takes the legendary form of the Royal Bobcat. Some history: Not unlike the Yenko dealership to Chevrolet, Royal Pontiac, in Michigan, was a dealership devoted to Pontiac performance enhancement. They warmed up factory stock iron to some outlandish giddy-up and go standards.  Their signature series was simply called the Royal Bobcat.

DM scales the GTO coupe for 1969 to mimic the famous muscle car from that house of go fast. The color is immediately striking; Crystal Turquoise with white accents on hood, body sides and the full trunk. After allowing the body color to flow right up next to the white paint accents, Royal outlined the accent portions with another white border, this time adding a small red pinstripe. It also accentuated the top front fender and on to the upper frontal portion of each door ending with the official “Royal Bobcat” emblem.

Danbury masterfully recreated that paint scheme flawlessly. The red striping is almost imperceptible in its nicely scaled presentation. And all the emblems, “Hurst”, “GTO” and even the hood scripts, “Ram Air IV” are delicately scaled perfectly. The thin red line tires contrast the body paint and DM even fashioned license plate frames, fore and aft, to depict the Royal dealership logo pieces. The model features a readable hood tach, separately formed door and truck lock buttons and an accurately slanted extending antenna.

This model springs from a former tooling so do not expect the newer tech door hinges or scissors sprung hood hinges. But do expect not to miss them all that much. The interior, chassis, trunk detailing and engine bay model craftsmanship are still remarkable in this latest GTO release. When looking at the functioning suspension, check out the header pipes, a Royal add-on. The trunk is sophisticated and shows off the splatter paint floor, jacking instruction sticker, spare and jacking tools and the interior is faultlessly executed. Take note of the folding visors, photo-etched belt buckles, terrific dash, console and beautifully done floor mats. The steering wheel and shifter, with white cue ball shift knob, are a miniature delight.

The engine remains a stronghold of DM design and model manufacture. Proper stickers, battery cabling, wiring, hose and fuel line fabrication are all magnificent. This is a wonderful adaptation of history to an existing tooling and my compliments to DM for rendering it! TP 05/15/2009

Danbury Mint 1969 Mustang Boss 302 – DM1595

Do you know what I’m starting to think? When it comes to reproducing Mustangs in 1:24^th scale, especially the early to mid-year variations, Danbury is the boss. Make that, BOSS. Checking the Car Lists I see DM has constructed Boss 302, Boss 429 and Boss 351 models in ’69, ’70 and ’71 vintage. They even dubbed one the Boss Nine. It is a radical “Pro Street” drag racing machine to-die-for.  FM comes in at a close second, producing the 302 and 429-engined versions for model year ’69 and ’70. But with DM’s high-tech features on these little trinkets, the shine is on their apple.

Essentially a recreation based from their initial 1969 Boss 429 model, issued in Raven Black back in ’03, this model trumps all other Boss Mustangs, at least in my eye, in model year and color choice and given the flat black hood and trunk deck and cool side graphics. Acapulco Blue is a deep, rich blue with just the right amount of metallic. Danbury still amazes me how they apply such a gorgeous paint job just to be one-upped by the way they craft the side graphics and top-facing body panels with outlining and painfully thin pinstriping. You nearly need a magnifying glass to discern them from the overall secondary paint scheme. And those, still-mind-blowing-after-all-these-years, internal door and hood hinges! Add the functionality of the rear window louvers and the scaled, dimensional chrome metal-foiled, “Mustang” block letters across the trunk lid; fantastic!

You gotta check out the wood trim in the interior. The wheel is also wood grained and the detail of folding sunvisors, seatbelts, dash and console are magnificent. DM’s best craftsmanship has always been the detailing of the chassis and engine compartment and the Boss 302 does not disappoint. You can spend an hour just marveling at all you take in when you examine the engine, its fine wiring and plumbing and the intricate steering and suspension work below. Come back a few days later for another look and you will be amazed all over again.

The rear suspension has a little ‘give’ to it while the front has a touch more flexibility but it all renders a perfect stance and the overall fidelity to the 1:1 is astonishing. Yeah; DM is the BOSS when it comes to replicating Mustangs. I want more!

TP 08/06/2009

Danbury Mint 1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro 427 – 1442

As if muscle cars from the sixties weren’t stout enough on their own, dealerships like Yenko Hi-Performance in Pennsylvania, Baldwin-Motion out of New York, Dana Chevrolet in California and Nickey Chevrolet in Chicago upped the ante considerably by placing special customer orders under Chevy’s COPO system for out and out hot rods! Special orders could be placed with the Central Office Production Order system (COPO) under code number 9562 for Camaros. Yenko then would receive a factory crate 427 big block and dealer-install it into a no frills package adding suspension updates and special sYc designations. That stood for Yenko Sports Car. Yenko’s little beastie pumped out 450 raging horse power and was a legendary street and strip fighter par excellence.

Danbury has taken the ’69 Camaro to its ultimate rendition with this monstrously good looking piece. A natural in Hugger Orange, they perfectly added the black Yenko arrow logo and twin broad hood stripes and fashioned the side stripes that traverse the front fenders and widen into the rear spelling out “Yenko/SC” before the stripe climbs up to the tail’s spoiler. The chrome metal foil work on the badging is exceptional. Infinitely scaled, we see the “Camaro” script on the top of the nose, top of the read deck lid and “Camaro” and Yenko’s patriotic logo on each front fender side. “427” badges straddle the hood bulge and additionally, the rear end carries a “Yenko” badge and “427” over a super cool license plate frame that exclaims, “Hi-Performance Yenko” and “Canonsburg, PA” surrounding a “1969” plate. Even the mag wheels have the Yenko branding on them in tiny miniature. Sitting on a flat surface, the model exudes a body builder’s physique, pumped up and glistening. The beefy suspension allows the car to sit pert and ready for action, the tires, large for their day, hint at the extra grunt that they had to deal with. The paint shines like the car was just washed and waxed. DM has always been good with paint. But even though of somewhat older tech, the model comes across as today’s personification of precision diecast engineering. Just check out the chassis. Every cable and brake line one could imagine is built into this diecast. The steering functionality and front working suspension are right up to date. Tire patterns are faultlessly reproduced and the build execution is awesome.

The interior is slick. Jet black, it features a distinctive tach mounting, low and accurate to the real car, a gauge cluster separate to the dash gauges and the black-balled shifter knob and lever that came with the Yenko Camaro. Fabric belts and the sYc logo prominent on the seat headrests round out the proper interior effect. The trunk is devoid of mats yet features the splatter paint that Chevy really used in this car. There’s a spare mounted over tire tools. The engine compartment is the mainstay of this Yenko bad boy and DM did justice to the 1:1. You simply have to check out the brake master cylinder hold-down clamps associated plumbing. DM realistically simulated the coiled fluid lines and replicated the mass of hoses and wires and hood air induction system lines.

This is a legend in automotive history and now a legend in diecast Camaro replication. If you ever lusted after the precision of the CM Camaro but disliked the somewhat unconventional scale of 1:20, this is your quintessential Camaro. The Thrillometer ranks this baby as a 9.95!

TP 08/25/2005

Danbury Mint – 1970 Dodge Charger R/T - DM1561

DM been berry, berry good to us fans of the Mopar. Case in point; here ya go, the Dodge Charger R/T, in none other than Plum Crazy!  In regard to the Charger, specifically, Danbury has modeled the 1968 and 1969 model years and have given us the wildest and mildest colors, great option packages and various engines. This comes as the first 1970 iteration and in that wonderfully nutty color of purple that everyone back then loved. In a light metallic, the grape shade is applied faultlessly and perfectly accented with a white tail ‘band’ stripe. The seventy model year held some nice changes over the sixty nine and DM did them justice.

While the car retained the same new Coke-bottle shape of the sixty eight and sixty nine cars, one nearly over-the-top styling cue was the cool side vents on the front section of the doors. Others were a new front bumper that completely encircled the grille, the rear longitudinal tri-striping and taillights that ran the entire width of the car’s rear flanks. DM made this a Magnum 440 engine, automatic car with a bright wheel lip option and outfitted with white buckets. They also added nice brand name tires, Goodyear Polyglas GT’s. 

That’s the nice thing about DM’s lineup; they can offer so many more iterations in different hues to satisfy so many more of us Mopar-mad diecastaholics. The colors and options and levels are seemingly endless. But they get the detailing and workmanship right each time. The operational features include working suspension, opening gas cap removable spare and folding front seat backs. The interior has a nice floor mat with jacking instructions placed on the underside of the lid. Jacking tools are present. In the driver and passenger’s quarters, DM excels. The fabric belts and PE buckles are well done, the dash and console is very realistic, and I love the shifter and simulated wood grain all over. The door panels display accurately scaled cranks and the gauges are brilliantly executed.

The chassis detailing includes working shocks and leaf springs in the rear and torsion bars and a sway bar up front. You have to see the transmission lines too; way cool. Topside you will enjoy the scaled antenna; it disappears into the body, the sealed chrome metal-foiled emblems, front, rear, roof sail panels and scoop-sides, and wait until you check out the motor. That big lump is wired, plumbed, stickered and battery cabled to the enth degree. Yeah, DM knows how to please us Mopar-maniacs all right. Keep ‘em coming boys, we still got room. (Well, some of us must, right?)

TP 10/04/2008

@perrone1 My favorite Camaro is the 1970 Z 28 so I had to have the model in Yellow. Nicely done but not over the top detail.

@perrone1 Have both of these ZL-1 1969 Corvettes and both are state of the modelers art. The yellow one is my preference of the two because the black graphics really stand out on the yellow body.

Thank you Bob!!

Danbury Mint 1970 Mustang Mach1 “Twister Special” – DM1600

About the car: The “Twister Special” was a specially made 1970 Mustang Mach1 produced by Ford exclusively for the Kansas City Sales District Ford dealers. Synonymous with the tornado-prone geographical area, the name “Twister” was aptly applied. Consecutively numbered, only 96 Twister Specials were built. In addition, 90 1970 Torino Cobra’s with 428 SCJ motors were fabricated and 4 Torino Ranchero’s with the 351 Cleveland engine were made. Of the 96 Mustang Twister’s, 9 had the 351 Cleveland V-8 with 4-speed tranny, 39 had the same motor with an auto trans, and 24 each, were made with the 428 SCJ; half with a 4-speed, the other half with an automatic transmission. Each and every Twister was painted Grabber Orange while all Torino’s and Ranchero’s were painted in Vermilion.

About the model: Danbury picked a stunningly flamboyant Mustang to reproduce and they did all the home work necessary to accurately pull off a magnificently detailed replication. The diecast depicted here is a one of 24 Twister built with the big, bad 428 SCJ power plant and equipped with a 4-speed gearbox and 3.91 traction-lok rear axle. (JUST the one I'd want to own!) The paint is exquisitely applied, glossy and rich and shines like a mirror. Then the DM Boyz got busy replicating the black accent flashes; centered on the hood, surrounding the massive air scoop sticking up through it. They labeled the scoop sides perfectly with, “Cobra Jet” scripting, and interrupted the secondary stripe with a painted, “428” in black.

Not to be outdone, the sides of the car are adorned with a center black stripe accented with a black pinstripe running from the front fender into the door and part way into the rear fender. There’s a “Ford” oval in the front fender stripe and, “Mach1” in the door stripe and you better get out the magnifying glass to see it in its infinite glory. Then the rear fender is emblazoned with a cool Kansas twister and the car’s namesake, “Twister Special”. Wait until you see the fabrication of the lower body panel where the, “Mach1” moniker resides in photo-etched metal. Just above it is a chrome metal-foiled, “Mustang” badging script. Up front, the black air dam and meshed metal grillwork dominate the car and lead your eyes to the twin hood hold-downs in chrome. The antenna raises and calls attention to the nearby black-washed cowl air vents.

The trunk and chassis detailing are typically DM-astonishing but play a back-up role to the leading parts of the interior and engine bay build. Oscars all around here please, this is an Academy moment. The doors open on internal hinges to showcase a fantastic interior that provides what might be our only opportunity to view a real Twister Special’s driver’s lair. The wood inlay of the doors and dashboard are phenomenal. The visors work, seats fold forward and the delicate nature in which DM crafted the ‘small’ parts is legendary. Ok, now to the 428 Cobra Jet. Boys and girls, this is what precision diecast engineering is all about and always should be – perfection. I hope you didn’t put that magnifying glass away, you’re going to need it here big time.

Of course Danbury’s latest claim to fame hood scissors springs are present, but just cast your eyes toward that massive V-8 in all its magnificence. Every informational sticker is in place; the battery, brake cylinder, carburetion and radiator connection is present and accounted for. Wiring and plumbing have never been better crafted and the suspension componentry below is represented as if by Ford manufacture itself. If ever there was a ‘must have’ model, this would be most definitely it. For more detailed information on the actual car visit the Twister Special Registry website at:   http://www.twisterspecialregistry.com/

TP 10/23/2009

Danbury Mint 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Convertible Nbr Ltd Ed – 1444

Simply put, and with no specific reference to details, historic significance in the automotive realm, and with no commensurate relation to the outstanding muscle cars of its time or previous model lines of the same genre, I completely love this model! Why? Good question. I have asked myself the same thing as I have looked the model over and pondered its good and potentially, not so good points. I do not currently own the diecast that this particular image was based on, the DM 1970 Olds coupe, either in limited edition or the previous favorite, red 442 model. So what is it that is so appealing to me? Well, in a word, everything. All right, I’m sorry for being so obtuse here, so let’s explore what it is that actually pushes my buttons on this little gem-like creation.

At the outset, I could not get past the beautiful color and paint; Twilight Blue Poly. A darker blue, like the deepest part of the Mediterranean, it also has a scaled hint of metallic. Don’t let the flashback of the photos mislead, the metallic in normal light is perfect. And the paint itself is faultless. It is applied evenly and smoothly and contains a shine factor that suggests a foot-deep wax job performed by its justly proud owner. Contrasting eggshell white buckets and a white fabric covered up top make up a spectacular package. The twin pinstripes on the side of the car absolutely have to be seen up close, they are magnificent. DM also provides a matching interior-color top boot. While gazing at the interior I was struck by the great level of detail and the multiplicity of textures. The seats are an opalescent masterpiece, deeply defined with black fabric seat belts with photo-etched buckles. The carpet is protected by four black rubber floor mats. The detail of the dash is grand; air vents are formed especially well and the gauges, steering wheel, foot pedals and console shifter follow suit. Even the door panels are rich with elegantly scaled door handles, window cranks and Olds emblems. Little lock buttons adorn the door tops and the driver’s side employees a remote outside mirror switch. The visors work too. The top and boot fit is ideal. The doors do use the older style dog leg hinges; about the only potential point, alluded to earlier, that I can find to nit-pick and then, painted black to blend in, it isn’t distracting.

The trunk features a soft leather-like floor covering with spare, non-removable, and jacking tools. In fine DM fashion, there are three tiny labels on the underside of the trunk lid. The first is an anti-spin differential warning label, the second a jack storage label and the last a jack instructional caution label. Chassis componentry is all in place. The rear suspension operates on coil springs and working shocks with twin short arm suspension beams and the front cradle arms fully move on working springs. The steering uses a three piece fully operational tie rod system. There is great body detail everywhere you look. The emblems are all chrome metal foiled and are crisp and clean and flawlessly scaled. The front grillwork and emblem are of photo-etch materials. The chrome trim of the body sides and wheel well moldings are inset well and so is the hood centerline strip and door top edges. Even the wheels are highly detailed and correctly scaled in. Check out the photo-etched wipers, they’re delicate and realistic. Lifting the hood affords the best bang for the buck detail-wise. Underneath the hood itself, you will see a soft, flocked simulation of hood insulation. And though the newer hood hinges were not a truly viable option on this model the engine details more than make up for them in spades. DM fashions the coolest master cylinder lines, hold-down clamps on the cylinder top, dip stick and scaled plug wiring. All hoses and battery cables are in place and engine labeling is crisp and readable in 1:24^th its normal size.

So what exactly is it that floats my boat with this release? Not any one facet of the model but all of it; overall. The execution of the model is flawless, beautiful in its color choice and nostalgic in its 1970 style. Though not a milestone in automotive achievement, it is one tasty dish worthy of a Thrillometer ride to a 9.8 rating. TP 09/03/2005