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Bigger is not always better. Size doesn’t really matter. Good things come in small packages. Less is more.
BA-LON-EY!! Size DOES matter; in diecast cars anyway. Give me a one-twelfth scale Corvette any time and I am in diecast collector heaven, thank you very much. Okay, a guy or gal can’t logically collect many of these huge monsters without giving up living space and sure, you can do curls with them until your biceps shred your shirt sleeves, but no one is actually advocating abandoning 1:24th for 1:12th. Well, unless you have a mansion and the mints forego their ‘standard’ scale precision offerings in favor of these big boy’s toys instead – not likely Leonard! But once in a while one of these behemoths rolls into town and makes a HUGE statement. And to borrow a line; ok, I’m outright stealing the sucker from Tom Hnatiw of the “Dream Car Garage” TV show on Speed Channel; “Do you need a car like this?” No, of course not. It is large, bulky, heavy, takes up the space of four or more 1:24ths and can be relatively expensive. “But do you want a car like this?” Oh yesss, with every fiber of your diecast car collecting heart! So what makes this model so outstanding? In a word, everything my friend, everything. So let’s explore that, shall we?
First, it’s a Corvette. Second, it’s a Danbury Mint Corvette. Third, it’s a Danbury Mint 1957 Corvette. Fourth, it’s a Danbury Mint fuel injected 1957 Corvette, in the most popular color pick of that model year. Ok, that’s fourth and fifth but you get the message; it’s a fabulous iconic choice to fabricate into a big honkin’ model. And while you may not want to kick your 1:24ths to the curb just yet and start collecting 1:12ths exclusively, one or two of these giants will be more than a welcome addition to any serious, or even not so serious, collection. Fans, I am telling you, if you haven’t yet seen one of these babies in the flesh, there is ample opportunity to build some down-and-dirty-detail into one of these big bad boys and DM is wearing the overalls to do it. At this scale, there is an appreciably larger canvas to fill with exciting little goodies and it renders more enjoyment to its owner in the form of readily accessible playthings. Take the working soft top. A 1:24th model could employ this feature but its size makes working with it tenuous at best. Here, in 1:12th, it operates easily. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ll go over each and every working item on the model in a minute. But first I need to talk about the paint, overall look of the model itself and its fidelity to the 1:1.
The paint, Onyx Black, is exceptional. More Vettes in 1957 were painted this color than any other; 2189 of them. Good reason. The sinister color and inherent glossy nature of the paint made a visual statement, especially when mated to the silver coves and the to-die-for red waffle-patterned interior. Checking the ordering block for option code RPO 290 gave the new Vette buyer the whitewall tires, at $31.60, and added a cool contrast that was all the rage in the late fifties. DM’s paint work is not only up to their normal excellent standards but I believe surpasses it here. They then waxed the daylights out of it, or should I say nightlights? Overall, the replica looks like a perfect clone to a 1:1. Ride height is flawlessly interpreted and the fidelity of build is a spot on replication of the real car. Each part fits with exceptional tolerances. But it’s the total attention to detail and the sheer amount of it that Danbury gives us that makes this model so enjoyable. If you’re ready I’ll run down the considerable features and detailing of the model. Detailing-wise, DM went nuts. Just look at the chassis or engine bay to realize this. This is the most realistic chassis I have ever seen on a model. Hell, it may be more realistic than some 1:1’s I’ve seen. Check this out; turning the rear wheels turns the driveshaft. The driveshaft turns the engine crank, generator and fan belt and fan. Time for an oil change? Go ahead and unscrew the oil filter. When done, check the oil level by removing the dipstick. Detailing goes beyond amazing. Consider this, all brake fluid lines, fuel lines, emergency brake cabling and the fittings that go along with all of them are connected perfectly to where they should be and the trans linkage, braided straps for suspension travel limitation are formed as if by Chevrolet themselves! All chassis markings are correct, accurate and in the proper places. Did DM do this model or the NCRS? The suspension works faultlessly and you may remove the wheels and tires. The hubcaps are held on with tiny magnet centers. Removal displays the internal brake system and lug nut detail that may put you into sensory overload.
I won’t go overboard in describing the engine bay. Simply put, it must be seen in person to be appreciated. Suffice to say that once you first see the generator wiring you’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt that DM is serious about detailing to the next level. The plumbing, fuel lines, throttle body linkage and vacuum tubing is resplendent and far above anything seen so far in a diecast miniature creation. That’s what this scale brings to the collector’s table. Just be sure its legs are sturdy. The hood hinges and prop rod are likewise amazing to behold. The wipers have real springs where the 1:1 does and the photo-etch pieces add realism too incredible to describe. They move across the windshield. Pictures do them injustice. Ok, hang on, here we go: The cowl vent, just in front of the windshield, opens. The windows roll up and down; easily. The side and rearview mirrors adjust. The center storage console door between the seats opens. The seats themselves move forward and backward. You may shift the transmission through each of its four speeds and reverse gears via the floor pattern gate. The fuel filler door opens. The antenna, a three-piece affair, just like the 1:1, operates. The tonneau deck cover opens to reveal the down top, in white. Oh, it also unfolds and fits upright flawlessly! So does the auxiliary hard top. The spare is removable, so is the jack. But I saved the best for last. Take a second and catch your breath, I had to. Push in on the ignition. It has a key in it already. That is the master power switch. Now go on and open a door. The courtesy lights come on. Close the door to deactivate them. On the dash, to the left of the steering column; see the headlight switch? Push it in. Voila, lights. Cool. Remember the days that these ‘57’s had the floor mounted high beam button? Yeah, there she be. Push it in. There you go; high beams! Go ahead, push on the brake pedal with your finger, you know you want to. Uh huh, brake lights. Turn signals? Well, D’oh! Down for left turns, up for right turns. Super cool. The batteries hide under the down top in the storage area.
At nearly half a G one wouldn’t exactly call this diecast cheap. But I would term it a value. For the sheer size of it and what all it does I can’t help compare it to four or even five 1:24th models with slightly lesser detailing. To me that means good value for the money. On the Thrillometer, this big brute weighed in with an 11.75 reading. How can that be? Simply put, the model found new undiscovered diecast territory and pushed the envelope past the ten spot. It’s everything a ’57 FI Vette should be and then just a little more! So in my opinion, if more is better, too much is just right. This black beauty is just right.
The issue price is $495.
(04/15/2006)
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