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Topic starter
12/01/2026 1:37 pm
If you guys remember I purchased the model on Ebay at a great price of $30. It has arrived and is beautiful, but I have some questions. If you look at the photos, the car looks white and black, but when I look in our data bases, there was not white and black Star Chief. There was the yellow and black limited edition. One of the photos shows it to be yellow/black, but even in person it looks more white or soft white/black. Also if it is the yellow and black version, it does not have a limited edition plate anywhere on the car. Typically they are in the trunk on FM's. Any help would be appreciated in solving this mystery.
12/01/2026 1:44 pm
Sadly, your pics do not "expand," they are incredibly small. 😔 😔 😔 This is what they look like:
Tony Perrone and John Napoli reacted
12/01/2026 1:59 pm
Hmm, I'm wondering if it is the black/yellow version where the yellow maybe got sun faded. John how does the color look on the door jambs, or underside of the trunklid?🤔
12/01/2026 2:10 pm
@geno THAT'S exactly what I was thinking - now that I can see it 😀 😀 - because it does NOT appear to have been repainted AND the rims are still yellow. 🤔 🤔 🤔
Topic starter
12/01/2026 2:38 pm
@geno looking at the passenger side, it does have a yellow tint. Door jambs are the same color as the side. Trunk and hood is black on the inside.
Christopher Moroni reacted
12/01/2026 2:40 pm
That sure looks like fading to me. Hard to tell from the photos. FM issued the convertible in two color combinations, yellow/black and 2-tone blue. I suppose a color sample could be floating about but looking at your photos the color looks irregular which says fading. It has sat in direct sunlight for a period. I bought a DM '57 Bel Air some years back that tuned out to be faded on one side. When I questioned the seller, he did admit that the display it sat in did receive partial afternoon sun. If the unexposed parts are yellow like the wheels, then...
John Merritt
South Lyon, Michigan - USA
Christopher Moroni and John Napoli reacted
12/01/2026 2:42 pm
We listed it like this in our databse:
|
1955 |
Pontiac |
Avalon Yellow & Raven Black |
XN79 |
3/1/1998 |
Good catch on the wheel rims Chris! No data on a B&W issue so this faded, VERY evenly, over time.
Any sign of where the L/E plate used to be attached????
Topic starter
12/01/2026 2:46 pm
@jcarnutz John: Thank you for the information. It is weird because the door jambs are the same color as the outside. So if it was fading, then the doors would have had to be open as well. The car is nice and glossy and the black shows no sign of fading or deteriorating. Even the bottom of the door jambs are the same color as the outside. My other question is the yellow/black was a limited edition of 5500. This shows no signs of it being a limited edition. Do you think it could be a color sample. I bought it without box and papers.
12/01/2026 2:57 pm
"Good catch on the wheel rims Chris! No data on a B&W issue so this faded, VERY evenly, over time."
Thanks..... Why would anyone repaint this but neglect to change the color of the rims? To me, that's a significant clue. 🤨 🧐
And yes, as many of us know, these paint finishes will fade if displayed near sun-lit areas, bright windows, etc.. Perhaps it was in a store-window display for a time, who knows? 🤔 🤔
David Green and John Napoli reacted
12/01/2026 3:03 pm
Of all the colors of diecast cars, yellow, in my experience, has faded more than any other."Good catch on the wheel rims Chris! No data on a B&W issue so this faded, VERY evenly, over time."
Thanks..... Why would anyone repaint this but neglect to change the color of the rims? To me, that's a significant clue. 🤨 🧐
And yes, as many of us know, these paint finishes will fade if displayed near sun-lit areas, bright windows, etc.. Perhaps it was in a store-window display for a time, who knows? 🤔 🤔
12/01/2026 3:18 pm
At the FM Gallery store in the Del Amo Mall, I remember seeing a yellow Mustang Boss 302 which had faded, not because of the sun, but because of the halogen lighting they used in the store. It was a regular issue, so it was on display for a long period of time. Those lights got very hot too.
12/01/2026 5:02 pm
@carsman1958 Oops, duh. I wasn't thinking, lol. Black trunklid.🤪
Tony Perrone and Christopher Moroni reacted
12/01/2026 5:10 pm
It certainly is a superb Pontiac and diecast model of it. I have the 1/18 version of this one from SunStar and it is an all-time favorite
Tony Perrone and Geno reacted
12/01/2026 5:29 pm
John, I saw this model few days before you said you bought it. As avid collector of color samples, I look at many auctions to see mis-described color samples and have scored several over the years. There are several other collectors who are very good at this too, and relentlessly search eBay . I thought the yellow faded, hence I did not bother buying it, although the low price was a good risk-reward opportunity. If this is a color sample, you did very well. If you find a preserved yellow paint anywhere, it is most likely faded paint. You can ask Raffi, he should be able to tell if off-white sample model was ever produced.
Also, the yellow-black car doesn't seem to have a LE plate on the undercarriage nor in the trunk.
Here is another one that looks faded.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/168007999987
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