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A continuation of Danbury’s Pro Street group, this one is sure to make the Bowtie Boys stand up and cheer. According to the dial-in shoe-polished on the windshield, this is the quickest of DM’s Pro Street drag race machines to date, with an 8.34 second quarter mile index. The rear license plate says it all: IXLR8 (I accelerate).
DM has admirably amortized their initial tooling costs for numerous replicas by translating the images into race iterations or specialized versions of the original. In the case of the Pro Street diecast series we see one of them in 1:12th scale, a ‘57 Chevy Bel Air Super Pro Street, “Big Kahuna” and one 1:16th version of the ’55 Bel Air made into a Pro Street model. In 1:24th, including this Camaro, we see eight Pro Street draggers to date. There are two ’57 Chevies. One, in yellow, the original Pro Street brought out by DM in 1999, and the other, the Coca-Cola Pro Street livery drag race version. Additionally, there is a ’68 Chevelle, ’69 Dodge Charger, ’69 Mustang Boss Nine, ’58 Plymouth Fury and a ’57 Bel Air Florida State Seminole specialty diecast; Pro Street iterations, all.
Detailing was spread far and wide on these Pro Street babies and none more so than on this Camaro. Extra rich in visual delight, made possible by the Daytona Yellow paint, a favorite for this car, the first personal impact is immediate. Relatively free of frills, the black accent stripes on front fenders and doors, adds just the right amount of contrast. Low body stance, muscular hood, wide rear tires, bold side-exiting exhausts and a carbon fiber and aluminum rear wing sets the bad bowtie attitude for the competition to follow. Purposeful detailing adds a vast dimension to the realism of the model.
Let’s just start off by chronicling the use of photo-etched detail enhancement pieces. There are photo-etch rear wing Dzus clips and P-E metal hood hold-down fasteners. Look close to see the Edelbrock headers, photo-etched metal spelling out “Edelbrock” on the valve covers and removable air cleaners. DM used P-E pieces for the air intakes just fore of the windshield, the “SS” on the grille and interior rear panel, the marker light covers in the front valance, NOS tie-downs, drag chute rip cord release handle and seat belt buckles. And lest I forget, the key fob is made of the same wonderful stuff. The use of metal wire for tubing and line assemblies is also most welcome in the simulation of 1:1 pieces and goodies. Witness the fittings and lines coming from the aluminum fuel cell to the fuel pump. The use of this material in the engine alongside the 572 crate motor is almost overwhelming to the scaled senses. Chrome metal-foiled insignias of “572” adorn the front fender edges.
DM’s use of metal wire to fabricate throttle linkage, fuel lines and the utilization of P-E for the alternator bracket, aluminum sheeting to fashion the radiator top, thinly scaled wiring for the plugs, electronic control system and the braided fuel lines is outstanding!
Don’t miss the drag chute cabling or the battery wiring with external hook-up. And be complete when you examine the interior. It is awash with every conceivable detail from fabric belting to delicate detailing of the tach face, fire bottle and nitrous tank plumbing and the awesome P-E foot pedals.
The model features a bad blower, carbon fiber wing and rear shelf and four-link rear suspension. A 6-point roll cage lends driver protection and the NOX canister looks too good nestled between the tubbed rear tires. I won’t say too much more and allow you to miss certain detail exercises. The hood fits well on magnets and can be displayed with or without the reverse hood scoop and with or without the air cleaners in place. Be sure to take note of the awesome tire design, rotor discs and calipers and the chrome wheel design all the way around. The exhaust tips are metal and the wheelie bar is authentic.
Every time DM announces another Pro Street, they raise the bar on detail and on my blood pressure; what a nice little dilemma.
(07/09/2006)
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