Lane Collectibles 1:18 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Z16- Ltd Ed of 3000

OK, I'm not a real Chevy guy. I had absolutely no idea that this car existed. I thought the largest engine available for that year Chevelle was the 327 CID. But the mid-year availability of the 396 "Turbo-Jet" V8 gave Chevrolet the opportunity to shoehorn 201 of these big blocks into beefed up fully loaded tudor hardtops. With those limited numbers, you definitely had to be on Chevrolet's A-list to get an example of this first generation of the legendary SS396 line. This car did not come cheap, but the Z16 package gave the lucky owner a whole lot of goodies. Luxury options aside, these cars had convertible frames, beefed up drivetrains, with a modified full-size rear axle and full-size brakes. All this served to maximize the performance of the 375 HP high performance engine.

They say that beauty's only skin deep. Well, the true beauty of this car was under the skin, as the first year Chevelle had rather stodgy styling, carrying over the basic shape of the '64 Impala to the next year. Add the "simulated mag wheel covers" to the mix and you've got a car that looks like what a high school kid would do to his father's commuter car to try to make it look cool. Of course all junior would have to do is smoke a few of his classmates off the line and he'd rack up all the "cool" points there were.

Lane's diecast of this rare muscle car is an extraordinarily well designed replica. The basic lines of the car are perfect. The stance is right on, although uncomplicated with only a static suspension. The Regal Red paint is rich and virtually flawless. The shut lines are minimal. The doors open on invisible hinging, but have no stops. The trunk and hood, however, are simple arc hinges with rather heavy weld attachments. The chrome trim is nicely scaled although, on my example, marred by excess cement... some I could remove, some not. All lenses are plastic, not painted and only the front parking lights have the bull's-eyes associated with locator pins. The SS396 badge on the trunk deck is 3-D, but the "396 Turbo-Jet" flags and "Malibu SS" script are flat tampos. This is the only disappointing part of the exterior for me as these were the most significant features on what was an unusually plain trim-free body. And, this signage defined and separated the Z16 from its pedestrian siblings. It is a curious slight when one considers that Lane even replicated the special diecast "396" badging on the aircleaner.

The interior is nicely designed. White upholstery with black trim gives it a nice period look. All the hardware is chromed. The faux wood sport steering wheel has photoetched spokes and a detailed bow tie emblem at the center. The dash is beautiful, with all the gauges visible and even the brake release legibly labeled and microscopic "SS" on the glove box picked out in red. The twin rear speakers are nice photoetched pieces that even sport the 4 mounting screwheads. Lane routinely glues their seatbelts to the seats and this image is no exception. Ironically, the Z16 sported retractable belts so this shouldn't have been necessary. Not only was my example marred by excess glue that covered the buckles and parts of the belts, but both front seat female buckles had pulled away from the seat slightly, each taking a large patch of upholstery paint along with it. Also excessively glue-covered was the gear shift, filling the shifter gate with a crystalline mess.

If you ignore the crude hinges, the engine compartment is a jewel-like marvel of fine detail and proper paint, textures and sheen. The photoreduced labels and other signage also add a level of realism rarely seen. The plumbing and wiring are nicely scaled and lie quite realistically. You can follow the brake and fuel lines along the well-replicated undercarriage, where only the light gray plastic used to model the shocks look toy-like and out of place. Open the trunk and there's the same gray plastic used to model the jackstand and wingnut. The trunk floor has a decent photoreduced copy of the original pattern. Nicely done warning label and tire changing instructions are affixed to the deck lid. Other than the full sized gold-striped "70" spare tire, the rest of the trunk is without accessories.

If you're a Chevy guy, this is a proverbial "must have". If you're a muscle car guy, this is a seminal image that you can't ignore. If you just love a well designed diecast, this is definitely an image to consider. As many wonderful features as this diecast has, I can't completely ignore the quality control issues and curious content omissions. So, let's say 4 1/2 stars. You can't not love it, but you could wish for just a little more.

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