Scale Die Cast -0715

7/17/2019 Scale Die Cast -0715

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/scale-die-cast-0715 1/12

June/July2015

1961 Aston Martin DB4Rennversion By CMCp.8

1959 Mercury Park LaneHardtopBy NEOp.6

1934 DUESENBERG

J GRABER

DIECAST REVIEWSSIX NEW

y Automodello4


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/scale-die-cast-0715 2/122 Scale Auto DC • JUNE/JULY 2015

SAVAGE’S GARAGE BY MARK SAVAGE

YOU like cars, WE like cars!

WELCOME to Scale Auto DC, adigital collection of diecast and resinmodel car reviews from Scale Auto magazine.

We hope you have as much funreading the reviews as we do writingthem.

NEW, NEW, NEW This is something

new for Scale Auto and somethingyou’ve told us you’d like to see.No, we’re not crazy. We know you

prefer building your own plastic carmodels, and Scale Auto is all abouthelping you do just that.

But nearly 75% of you have told us

that you also collect diecast models.Some do it to complement, or fill

gaps, in their plastic car collection.Some buy diecast because of the wide

variety of models, scales andawesome detail.

Some, like me, got hooked as a kidwith the tiny and not-so-detailedMatchbox and then Hot Wheels cars.

FREE, FREE, FREE For more thana year, we’ve been reviewing diecastcars of all sorts in Savage’s Garage onour website, ScaleAutoMag.com.

Those reviews are free and willcontinue.

This new digital magazine is freetoo, supported by the advertisers you

see in its pages. Please let them knowyou appreciate their products.

OUR GOAL: Scale Auto DC willshow you the latest diecast cars froma variety of car categories: Muscle,Vintage, Exotic, and anything racy

we can find.We’ll send you Scale Auto DC

every other month, just like themagazine. But this digital issue w

come to your email inbox in themonths between print issues.

We’ll review the latest hot mofrom the best diecast and resin cmakers in the world.

You’ll see 1/24, 1/18, and 1/43models, each with a little historysome highlights of what makes model special.

It’s that simple, and it’s free!

Let us know how you like ScaAuto’s new digital diecast magaz

Email us at ScaleAutoDC@

kalmbach.com.

Mark Savage, Editor

New, clean design.

Easier navigation.

Improved searching.

Weekly specials.

NEWSTORE!

The Newest Addition

to Your WorkbenchKalmbachHobbyStore.comShop our new site for books, DVDs, and other products

related to all of your favorite trains and modeling magazines.

New features include:

https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/scale-modeling





2015 Ford Mustang GTMfg: AutoWorld (from Round2)Scale: 1:18Stock No: AW221MSRP: $94.99Link: Autoworldstore.com

JUNE/JULY 2015 • www.ScaleAutoMag.com 3

Ford celebrates 50 years of theMustang this year with its sixthgeneration of the pony car andAutoWorld is quick to the party.

AutoWorld’s Mustang GT is welldetailed and value priced, not unlike theoriginal Mustang that debuted in spring1964 at the New York World’s Fair.

THE HISTORYMustang was the first sporty coupe

that became known as a pony car, nodoubt because of its name. But it starteda trend of sporty, sometimes high-horse(sorry) compact cars with long hoodsand short rear decks. Think Camaro,Barracuda and Javelin as primeexamples to follow from Chevy,

Plymouth and AMC.What was dubbed a 1964 ½ Mustangended up being Ford’s most successfulnew vehicle launch since the Model A.The first production Mustang was basedon Ford’s Falcon and projected to sellabout 100,000 units the first year. ButMustang was a monster hit, selling morethan 1 million in its first 18 months.

While the original was underpowered,a V8 was soon installed and a fastbackmodel quickly followed. The 2015maintains a classic Mustang profile andits iconic three-bar taillights.

THE MODELYou can’t help but like a bright red

Mustang GT, but considering the 2015model is still new in dealerships it’s

impressive that AutoWorld already hascreated such a detailed 1:18 version.

First, this is a diecast metal car thatfeels solid and creates an exciting shelfdisplay model. Profile is accurate andthe forward slating rear lights easilycommunicate this is the 2015 model.

Body lines are well executed with thesubtle creases in the roof evident andtwo rectangular air vents in the hood,complete with mesh inside the slim slots.

Windows feature black trim, whichalong with racy black wheels give themodel a high-performance look, red and

black dominating. I like the wheels’ tinysilver wheel lugs at the center of theirhubs too and the oversized silver brakerotors visible behind them.

AutoWorld continues its tradition ofthe hood, doors and trunk opening andwith each new model it seems the diecastarm of Round2 creates better enginebay and interior detail.

Under the hood, which easily poses inthe open position, is a muscular silver5.0-liter V8 with “Powered by Ford” onits headers. A silver chassis stiffeningrod connects the suspension towers and

there’s a radiator overflow container, airfilter and other tubing and electricalconnectors in the bay. AutoWorld alsoincludes a black hood support rod that

you can use for realism, but it isn’tneeded to hold the hood up.

Inside, the black interior is welldetailed from the Mustang sill plate toan authentic looking dash and centerconsole loaded with gauges and radiocontrols. The seat backs are adjustableand the 3-spoke steering wheel isconnected to the front wheels so theycan be posed. Pedals are silver, includinga clutch pedal and there’s a black ballshifter and large park-brake handle onthe console between the bucket seats.

Other details include wipers, side

mirrors with reflective faces, a realisticrear window defroster grid, sidereflectors on the rear quarter panels andsilver “5.0” badging in front of thedoors and sharp-looking head andtaillights. There also is a black grillewith silver pony in the middle and GTlogo on the blacked out tail fascia.

Underbody detailing is impressivewith dual exhausts and workingsuspensions front and rear.

At this price you won’t find a moresharply executed, well-detailed versionof the newest pony car.

AutoWorld’s 2015 Ford Mustang GT

http://www.autoworldstore.com/product_p/aw221.htm







DIECASTREVIEWS

Duesenberg is an iconic brand with ashort, but glamorous history, not tomention undisputed beauty. Automodello proves that in 1:24 scalewith its stunning 1934 Duesenberg JGraber. The name sounds exotic andGraber makes me think of somethingwith a wing and racing stripe. Butinstead this is a sporty art deco 4-seater,one of the best looking Deuseys everand a standout at California’s PebbleBeach Concours d’Elegance.

THE HISTORYDuesenberg was based in Auburn, asmall northern Indiana city. Started in1913 by brothers August and FredDuesenberg, the company closed shopin 1937 after the Depression flattened itsluxury car market. The firm had beenpurchased in 1926 by E.L. Cord, whoalso created notable cars under his ownname, and the Auburn brand.

The Model J was built from 1928 to1937, with most made in the early yearsbefore the Depression. Duesenbergswere the ultimate high-end luxury cars

that also were the top performance carsof their day. They won the Indianapolis500 in 1924, ’25 and ’27. Princes andmovie stars owned them, but most weresold just as a chassis and engine, withbodywork by individual coachbuilders.

The J Graber is a long wheelbase(153.5 inches, about 2 feet longer thantoday’s Chevy Suburban) that started asa chauffeur-driven town car. But it wasconverted into a sleek convertible bySwitzerland’s Graber coachbuilders,founded in the 1920s. Graber made car

bodies for the likes of Alfa Romeo,Bentley and Bugatti.These were specialty one-offs, this one

ending up in Bill Harrah’s famous carcollection before making its way to SamMann in 1998. Mann restored it andthat’s the award-winning modelAutomodello has chosen to recreate.

THE MODELIn addition to being stout due to its

cast resin body, the Duesenberg looks aselegant as the original in a stunningdark blue over bright royal blue paint

scheme that echoes its art deco era.There’s a handsome vertical photo-

etched grille along with chromeheadlamp bodies and textured looklenses. The J features chrome doorhandles inside and out and a chromehood handle on either side of the nose.

Other detailing includes external doorhinges and two thick rows of louvers oneach side of the hood. The car’s runningboards are chromed and include blackribbing and the boards abut a chromefender guard, adding definition to the

car’s lines.More chrome? Yes, in back is achrome gas cap and external trunkhinges, plus trunk release handle andtrim around the license plate. The frontbowtie bumper and rear bumper areblack and chrome, while below arebeautiful chrome wire wheels and widewhite-sidewall tires.

The interior and roof are black as is a3-spoke steering wheel with a large huband the dash face is blue featuringgauges with well-defined faces. The Jalso has a floor-mounted shifter.

Automodello also provides a blacktonneau cover to complete the car’sappearance, or a black canvas-feel roof.Roof and tonneau cover are storedbeneath the model. Just pull out theboxes’ base inserts at either end and thecar and base are easily removed.

Up to 499 of the J Graber will bemade and a much more limited TributeEdition in silver and black is available.Only 80 of the Tribute Edition, whichwas approved by the car’s owner, weremade. They cost $334 each.

Automodello’s 1934 Duesenberg J Graber

1934 Duesenberg J GraberMfg: AutomodelloScale: 1:24Stock No: AM24-DUE-GRAMSRP: $299.95Link: Diecasm.com

4 Scale Auto DC • JUNE/JULY 2015

DIECASTREVIEWS

http://www.diecasm.com/1934-duesenberg-j-graber-cabriolet/







http://www.diecasm.com/



Mercury, now defunct, was a strongbrand in the Ford Motor Co. lineup,especially in the 1950s and ‘60s. Mercurystyling often pushed the envelope

further than Ford was willing to go withits mainstream lineup.

Enter the 1959 Park Lane Hardtop,hot on the heels of the Turnpike Cruiser,possibly the most chrome-laden,doodad-encrusted car ever.

Now American Excellence TradingCorp. brings the NEO brand’s 1959Park Lane to the states in 1:43 scale fordiecast collectors to fill a specific gap intheir collections of late-’50s U.S. cars.

THE HISTORYBy 1959 jet and space-age themed

styling was at full tilt and Mercury, theentry-level luxury and performancebrand for Ford, was in deep. Its modelswere chromed bigtime and its stylistshad enlisted rocket-shaped sculptingfrom its vent windows to its tail.

In back were modest fins featuringtriangular taillights that resembled cateyes, but with round bulbs that tied into

the rocket-themed side panels.The Park Lane was a fancied up

version of the Monterey and in 1959stretched three inches to a 128-inch

wheelbase, the longest of the Mercurylineup. These were long cars that alsocame as coupes and convertibles. Powercame from a 430 cu.in. V8 that wouldcreate 310 horsepower and an awe-inspiring 360 ft.lbs. of torque.

THE MODELOur review car was a handsome light

metallic blue Park Lane crisply cast inresin, which is increasingly the materialof choice for small scale models. TheNEO version’s dimensions look right onfor this long, lean two-door.

Like other cars of the 1950s, the ParkLane was big on chrome and NEO nailsthat here with a wide chrome mesh grilleand bumpers, the chrome bezels aroundthe dual headlights, chrome gun sightson the front fenders, chrome mirrorsand full window trim all around the car,chrome door handles and rocket-likedesign that spreads from doors to tail.

There’s chrome trim too along thecar’s rocker panels and lower third ofthe front and rear quarter panels.

I like the twin tailpipes and the

somewhat bubble-like wraparoundwindshield and rear window that givesthe car an extremely glassy cockpit,reflecting the car’s jet-age theme.

Inside are medium bright blue seatswith white leading edges and a whitestripe a bit over midway up the seatbacks. That accent stripe carries ontothe door panels where you can seechrome-look trim and door handles.NEO’s dash looks sharp with a full-facegauge pod popular in 1950s cars, plus aY-spoke steering wheel with horn ring.

The Mercury also features wide

white-sidewall tires, full chromehubcaps, plus photo-etched Park Lanescript logos on the front fenders andMercury name nose and tail.

NEO is a scale model brand based inthe Netherlands that has been aroundfor years and now is gaining a presencein the U.S. market. Our model wasprovided by American Excellence.

NEO’s 1959 Mercury Park Lane Hardtop

‘59 Mercury Park Lane HardtopMfg: NEO (from American Excellence)

Scale: 1:43Stock No: 185948MSRP: $70.95Link: American-Excellence.com


https://www.american-excellence.com/v2/index.php?p=details&i=185948






http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/scale-die-cast-0715 7/12www.american-excellence.com

1:43

2013 CHEVROLETCorvette Stingray (C7)No. E57-188310 $

39.95 $28.00

1967 Cadillac EldoradoNo. E57-191464 $ 97

1970 MERCURYCougar Eliminator

No. E57-133122

$

50

PORSCHE 911 CarrerNo. E57-190467 $ 58

1936 Buick SpecialNo. E57-196487 $ 23.95

1985 Dodge DiplomatNo. E57-195599 $ 32.95 $18.00

» ALL BRANDS

» ALL SCALES

» 100% DIECAST

» NEW WEBSITE

» FASTER DELIVERY

» CHECK IT OUT NOW!

1954 CHEVROLETCorvette (C1)No. E57-187093 $ 74.95 $31.00

FLATRATE SHIPPING - DISCOVER MORE THAN 18,000 DIFFERENT MINIATURES

1959 MercuryPark Lane HardtopNo. E57-185948 $ 68

http://www.american-excellence.com/

http://www.american-excellence.com/



1961 Aston Martin DB4 ZagatoMfg: CMCScale: 1:18Stock No: M-140MSRP: $489Link: cmcmodelcarsusa.com


Only 19 Aston Martin DB4 Zagatoswere made over a 2½-year period fromlate 1960 into 1963. All were custom-made and designed by Gianni Zagato.

Now CMC offers a limited editionrun of 1,000 bright blue racing versionmodels for premium diecast collectors.CMC launched its DB4 lineup last yearwith a sumptuous street version inAston Martin racing green.

This and all CMC Aston’s consist of1,825 parts of which 1,394 are metal.

THE HISTORYThe DB4 was designed to beat

Ferrari’s 250 GT in sports car andendurance racing. Aston Martin hadwon the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959

and was looking to get back in thewinner’s circle in 1961 with itslightweight DB4.

While it packed a stout 314-horseinline 6 that would do 0-60 mph in 6.1seconds, the DB4 couldn’t beat Ferrari.But it did win a support race at theBritish Grand Prix in 1961, and the likesof Jim Clark, Innes Ireland and RoySalvadori drove a DB4. No less thanBrit Stirling Moss placed third in one atthe 1961 Goodwood races in England, amoral victory for the British carcompany.

THE MODELLike all CMC models, the race

version Aston is meticulously assembledby hand and the DB4 is flawlessly

painted a bright blue with white circlesto house the racer’s number.

There’s more than just the paint jobto differentiate this race version fromthe original green DB4. This Aston hasno external mirrors, adds a second gasfiller door, this one on the driver’s siderear fender, and two chrome-ringedrunning lights on the grille.

The race version also has just onewindshield wiper and does away withthe side body trim, including the slottedengine vents just in front of the doors.In back, the big chrome trunk latches

are gone with simple hood pins used tosecure the trunk.CMC delivers racier looking bucket

seats here too.Other detail is tremendous, as in the

original CMC DB4 Zagato, from thefunctioning gas caps atop the rearfenders to a highly detailed underbody.Doors, hood and trunk all open, asyou’d expect.

Both doors’ windows feature slidingwindows within them and there aremetal door handles too. Likewise, metaltrims all the windows, including the rear

windows with their funny bulgeindentation to mirror the rear fenders.

Front and rear lights look realisticand up front is a toothy grille exquisitely

rendered. All it needs is some bugs andbutterflies stuck to it to look like it justpulled into the racetrack’s pit area.

CMC creates another beautifullydetailed engine under a well-sculptedrear-opening hood, which features asupport rod to allow you to display thiswith engine exposed. The inline6-cylinder engine, which made 314horsepower in the original car, is wiredand features three dual carbs off theengine’s passenger’s side. There’s alsocomplete sparkplug wiring.

Inside the trunk is a removable spare

tire held by a three-point leather belt.Meanwhile the exposed rubber istreaded Dunlap racing tires mountedon Borrani stainless steeel wire wheelswith central locking nuts.

Inside is a 3-spoke steering wheel thatlooks like wood and a faux carpetedfloor. Both doors open wide enough tooffer a plain view of detailed gauges, thewrinkled paint-look dash finish and apark-brake lever next to the driver’s seat.

I loved CMC’s original green DB4,but the race version is even cleaner andmore exciting to display.

CMC’s 1961 Aston Martin DB4 Rennversion

https://www.cmcmodelcarsusa.com/component/virtuemart/models118/aston-martin-db4-gt-zagato,-1961-blue-limited-edition-1,000-pieces-detail?Itemid=0







http://www.cmcmodelcarsusa.com/



Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3Mfg: AutoartScale: 1:18Stock No: 81306MSRP: $122.90Link: Autoartmodels.com


So rare are Aston Martins on this sideof the pond that we always are excitedto see them in whatever scale.

But Autoart surprised us this month

with a stellar Vantage V12 GT3 racer in1:18 scale. This one features a compositebody, the first of several new Autoartmodels using a new process to createmore precise exteriors.

NEW PROCESSGone is the old die-cast zinc body

shell, substituting injected ABScomposites instead. What are ABScomposites?

Good question!You may think ABS stands for anti-

lock brakes, but here it stands for

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. That’sa thermoplastic polymer that blendsAutoart’s own special materials to createa reinforced body similar to what full-size automakers use for many parts of acar these days, avoiding rust and dentsand dings.

The advantage, says Autoart, is asmoother body with sharper creases andbodylines. An eyeball inspection of thisnew Aston Martin confirms that.

Overall this makes for a betteroutward appearance and the body iscloser in scale to that of the real car.

This new process also appears to keepcosts in check, as the review Vantagelists at $122.90, up only slightly from theAstons that Autoart made just a few

years ago, and those were sealed bodies.This one’s doors open to reveal the nicediecast interior that still gives the carreasonable heft.

THE HISTORYEnough on process, the Vantage V12

GT3 is a race version of the beautifulVantage sports coupe that has had muchsuccess in European sports car andendurance racing since its inception in2005. The car is based on the DBR9,which has raced at LeMans in France,and other major endurance events.

The full-size Vantage V12 GT3’s bodypanels are carbon fiber with analuminum roof and lightweight 500+horsepower, 5.9-liter V12 under thehood. A Vantage tips the scales atroughly 3,400 lbs., so with all that powerhas been a racer at full gallop.

THE MODELI own one of Autoart’s earlier Aston

DBR9 racers and putting the two sideby side is a good measure of howconsistently beautiful the car’s body is,both before and now in composite. The

vents and bodylines are so crisp hereand the beautiful Aston Martin metallicracing green finish is stellar on both.

Things you’ll like?

Little touches like the metallic lookingAston badges front and rear along withtow hooks for moving the car around pitand paddock. Compared with the earlierAston there are smaller carbon fiber-look nose and tail wings. The grille withits black metal mesh covering is smallerand there is mesh work in the hoodvents too.

Headlights are slightly different, withtwin projector beams on each side, plussingle side exhausts exit through theracy fascia below the doors.

The doors open here so you can easily

view the single red Recaro race seat withits shoulder harnesses. There’s a silverfully integrated roll cage inside thecockpit and carbon fiber-look race carconsole with race steering wheel andchrome steering column.

Underneath the Aston are Michelinracing slicks and smoked steel-lookwheels and a black diffuser on the car’slower tail. Other details include a singlewiper, carbon fiber-look mirrors andcrisp scallops in the front quarter panelswith 5 vertical vents. Up top is a thinradio antenna.

Autoart’s Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3



PJ Colt: 1970/71 Indy Winner

Mfg: ReplicarzScale: 1:43Stock No: R43009 (1970 winner)

R43002 (1971 winner)MSRP: $89.99Link: Replicarz.com

JUNE/JULY 2015 • www.ScaleAutoMag.com 11

By 1971 Al Unser was no longer justBobby Unser’s younger brother, he wasa 2-time Indianapolis 500 winner, whileBobby had won just once.

The decidedly quieter Al had hookedup with Parnelli Jones’ team and had adominant PJ Colt chassis and Ford V8engine behind him. That helped Al lead190 of the 200 laps to win the 1970 Indy500 and, ultimately, the 1970 Indy CarNational Championship.

Unser also was lucky to have thecolorful sponsorship of JohnnyLightning, a then new diecast toy carmaker that was challenging the likes ofHot Wheels and Matchbox. The resultwas a bright blue racer with yellowlightning bolts in 1970 and a darker blue

version with those same lightning boltsfor 1971. Every kid in America knewthis car and its color scheme.

Replicarz reprises the cars brilliantlyin 1:43 scale. This is part of Replicarz’snew 1:43 scale Indy Car series that alsoincludes the 1947-49 Indy-winning BlueCrown Spark Plug specials.

THE HISTORY

Al Unser came into the 1970 Indy 500with just four Indy 500 starts under hisbelt, including a second place finish in1967. But he had missed the 1969 race

due to a freak bike accident that left himwith a broken leg.

But driving for the team headed byJones, who had won Indy in 1963 and

nearly in 1967 in the famous STPTurbine, Unser was nearly unstoppable.He won five races the previous USACseason, three on paved tracks and twoon dirt. In 1970 when he was champion,Unser won 10 races, five each on dirtand paved tracks. The following twoyears his teammate, Joe Leonard (his caris available now too), won thechampionship, showing the Vel’sParnelli Jones Race Team’s strength.

Unser was beating the likes of A.J.Foyt, brother Bobby, Leonard, DanGurney and Lloyd Ruby in a highly

competitive series.

THE MODELBoth Replicarz models are beautifully

executed and while many casualobservers will assume these are the samecars in different color schemes, they arenot.

Close inspection shows the bright blue1970 model with a wider left side podthat protected the fuel tanks, while the1971 model is slim with each side beingthe same dimension.

The 1971 model’s nose also has small

red winglets on the side and yellow frontsuspension springs. The JohnnyLightning decals, while similar, also varysome and the 1971 model is No. 1,

reflecting Unser’s championship theprevious year, vs. the No. 2 on the 1970car. Various sponsor decals, which wererapidly growing in numbers by 1970,also vary from year to year.

Spectacular detail at this price andsize include the delicate well-executedfront and rear suspensions with theirslim supports and springs. There’s a fuelinsert coupler on the left side of each,flat wings that run next to the enginecompartment, silver duct work to feedthe turbo and the silver and black turboitself on the engine cowl. The car’s tall

driver’s mirror also sits atop a tripod just to the right of the cockpit, whichincludes a black seat and steering wheel.

Al Unser’s name, along with that ofChief Mechanic George Bignotti, areprinted on the cars’ sides. And the racersride on brushed-metal look wheels withknock-off central spinners andFirestone branded black slicks to givethe cars a realistic race-morning look.

Replicarz’s 1:18 Indy Cars are special,but for folks with less space, or smallerbudgets, the 1:43 scale cars are a perfectfit to complete an Indy Car collection.

Replicarz’s Johnny Lightning PJ Colt - 1970/71 Indy 500 Winner

http://www.replicarz.com/Johnny-Lightning-PJ-Colt-Winner-1971-Indy-500-Al-Unser-Sr/productinfo/R43002/







11

PAGES!

Brass tubing Wire

Bend Bend

Rubber tubing

Bend45˚

Bend45˚

+ NISSAN FAIRLADYBUILDUP PART 2 + TOLEDO NATIONALS

SHOW COVERAGE

V o l . 3 6

•

I s s u e 6

April2015

CLAY KEMP’SHAWAIIAN p.41

EXPANDEDREVIEW

MAKE A GREATVINTAGE INTERIORBy Steve Bouttep.46

AGED MAG WHEELS THE EASY WAYBy Tim Boydp.26

MAKE DOORS,HOODS, & TRUNKSTHAT WORK!

HOW-TO SPECIALEXPANDED ISSUE!

By Ken Hamiltonp.14

Build a Better Car!

WE SHOWYOU HOW!

P 2 6 1 2 2

Every issue of Scale Auto ispacked with how-to tips andinstructions to help you takeyour models to the next level.

You’ll get 6 issues ayear full of:

• Expert advice from experiencedmodelers who know how.

• Airbrushing and finishing tips.

• Reviews of the latest kitsand tools.

• Tricks to make every builda success!

SAVE 44% »

ScaleAutoMag.com

J U S T

$ 1 9. 9 5 *

*Add shipping and handling: $7 Canadian per year; $7 Foreign per year. All pricespayable in U.S. funds, checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Make checks payableto Kalmbach Publishing Co. Special offers may vary. Savings based on annual

newsstand price of $41.94.

https://secure.kalmbach.com/order/?c=A56SD

https://secure.kalmbach.com/order/?c=A56SD

Documents

Scale Die Cast -0715