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Danbury Mint 1:12 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air “Big Kahuna” Super Pro Street

Reviewed by: Tony Perrone

Duuude! This is BIG! Ok, I have that pre-requisite bit of surfing-culture jargon out of my system. Obviously sparked by the name of the model, and evidently a factor from the Pro Street quarter mile scene that influenced Danbury’s development of this diecast, it puts one in mind of surfing and drag racing. Its name is probably more descriptive, however, of how really large the model actually is. I clock it in at somewhere north of eight pounds. Big Kahuna, indeed! And yes, it is based on DM’s 1:12th 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible of January 2004 issue.

You may want to start your inspection of the model by backing up, giving it some room, and admiring it from afar. At least, initially. At 1:12th scale you have to do that, out of respect for its presence and, logistically, to take it all in. After all, we did establish that it is BIG! Its stance is low to the ground and somewhat in the weeds. Ok, another drag racing/hot rod term but you get the picture. The deep blue paint calls to mind a surfer’s haven in the Pacific Ocean. Dark and metallic, the finish challenges the best 1:1 paint job out there today. The graphics are reminiscent of an up and coming drag star. Not yet the country’s top gun in the Super Pro Street ranks but maybe a shade-tree mechanic’s entry; conservative yet purposeful. That’s a good thing too, because too many sponsors logos and graphics would just hide this beauty’s good looks.

Of course beauty is only skin deep; so take a close look at all the detail and workmanship that DM built into the car. From below you will immediately see proper attention to authentic drag strip detailing. The chassis is a race-bred affair extending back past the rear tire tubs and lends support to the fuel cell above while providing an anchor for the twin chute system. Race suspension and coil-over shocks cradle the rear axle and gives a stable foundation for the massive tires. I love the patterning of these street slicks. Further up front, shift linkage, fashioned in metal, header tubes and engine wiring are readily visible. You can see the brake calipers and rotors inboard of the skinny front tires. But for an even better look, remove the spinners and take off the tires! This affords a great view of the wheel studs, brake caliper and drilled rotors. And like the 1:12th convertible, earlier mentioned, turn the rear tires and the driveshaft turns. But as you turn them, open the hood and watch the blower belt and blower rotor pulley turn as well. Ok, since we’re there, let’s explore this cavernous area of wildlife. And I do mean wild. There’s the potent Chevy V-8 with all the trick components modern science has to offer for the old push rod mill. Moroso® heads, high energy ignition and spark wiring, billet aluminum fuel block and anodized fittings, incredibly fashioned fuel lines and metal wire injector block with its full compliment of plumbing and so much more I’ll leave for your search. The awesome throttle linkage isn’t just there for show. Open the driver’s door and stick your finger in. It’s ok, there’s plenty of room; BIG, remember? Go ahead, push down on the accelerator. Watch the linkage articulate. As you do this, look at the blower butterflies open and close. Too cool!

Don’t forget to check out the hood hinges and realistic brake cylinder hold downs and fluid lines under the hood. Oh, and those twin metal spouts just fore of the windshield; they’re the nitrous purge valves. Yeah, you can see the twin NOS bottles snuggled next to each other on the front edge of the tire tubs where the rear seat used to reside. Fold the seatback and slide the whole seat itself forward to get a better look. Take a long minute or more to appreciate all that the interior has to offer. Obviously the roll cage affords great protection as do the racing belt harnesses. Note the fire bottle between the seats and the readability of the gauges and tach. You will love the photo-etch metal work on the steering wheel and floor pedals. You know from reading the review on Danbury’s 1:12th Chevy drop top that the lights work. Same here. But before we learn how to do all of this and before closing the door, roll the windows up. Go ahead, you can do it. Place a fingertip on the window crank and rotate it. The window goes up and down. The vent wing opens manually. It would be too difficult to roll the rear windows down so they are static. All right, let’s venture rearward and lift off the trunk lid/wing combination. Be sure to check out the awesome detail of the dual battery cabling and tie-down assembly to one side and the metal high-flow fuel pump to the other.

Lighting functions begin by opening the fuel cell in the trunk. This is accomplished by pushing the red square cell forward and letting the rear come up from the floor. Position the three AAA batteries, supplied with the model. You may disconnect the fuel line from the rear of the cell and reconnect it later, it isn’t necessary for the operation of the electrical system. Reinstall the fuel cell with batteries now aboard. Be ready to be amazed. There are two red buttons on the dash board, straddling the steering column, that handle the lighting functions. The one to the right is the master power switch. The one to the left of the steering column is the headlight switch. Push them in to operate and push again to turn off the operations. Once the master switch is engaged the interior lights come on when either door is opened. Push the headlight switch on to work the headlights and push down on the high beam floor switch, to the left of the clutch pedal, to engage the high beams. Cool. Now move the turn indicator down for left turn signals, right for right turn, and press the brake pedal for the stop lights. Way cool! Sorry, all “varooom-rooom” noises must be made by the model’s owner.

Danbury calls this a Museum Masterpiece. Yeah, buddy. Since it’s so large I guess a 100-based Thrillometer, proportioned to size, is best indicated. In this case, we see a massive reading of 99.9!

(01/14/2006)