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I just received my first (shame on me for waiting so long) Precision Diecast
model from you know who on the West Coast. Why I have deprived myself of these
absolutely gorgeous cars until now beats me. I now have one of the finest, if
not THE finest, 60's model; available today. It is the black/yellow?? 1962
Impala Convertible. The paint on this baby is Black,Black,Black,etc. and
it's "wet" with gloss. In the past, I have picked up various models with my
bare fingers. NOT this one. You definitely want to use the gloves here and
preserve and protect the shine. And if the term "yellow" had turned you off,
don't fret. The top, boot and interior is more like a creamy tan in color.
It's hard to describe but IMO, it is no banana. The top is a textured plastic
with the look and feel of cloth of the correct grain and texture of a 1:24
scale car unlike some real cloth tops that are too course to look realistic.
The top (and the boot also) has visible "stitching" around the rear window and
chromed-tipped piping across the rear-most rib.
The detail is superb: doors that snap shut, separate "key holes" and handles,
proper internal hinges (send the "dogs" to FM), and vent window glazing. The
wheel covers pop into place with magnets, neat, and the belt-line chrome strip
has the proper swirl pattern as does the rear deck trim. Although the wipers
blades and arms are not photo-etched, they actually look more realistic than
the flat/thin P.E. type. The badges on the body are perfect, IMO.
The undercarriage detail is all there with working suspension having coil
springs, shocks and a track bar in the rear. The front suspension has upper and
lower A-frames, coil springs and a sway bar. The steering is realistic with a
gear box and tie rods to the wheels.The drive shaft turns with the rear wheels
and the ends of the exhaust piped are painted black to simulate a real exhaust
pipe, nice touch.
The interior is outstanding. You can read the speedo (with the help of a
glass), the shift-knob pattern, the radio dial and you can see the redline on
the steering column mounted tach. The glove box opens and the carpet has a nice
texture. You can tell that this is a fair-weather California car as it doesn't
have any rubber floor mats for our Midwest winter woes...LOL. (Didn't like mats
anyway). The center console opens and don't forget to remove your keys from the
ignition when you park this baby.
The engine bay shines with many, many details. Let's just say it's ALL there
including readable decals and lettering. Plug wires with standoffs, neat. The
hood opens and closes smoothly on neat little sissors hinges with springs and
it stays open. The underside of the hood has the proper form and bracing, not
like the flat interior of old. The trunk lid also stays open and is mounted on
properly sized and shaped hinges. Included are the hinge torsion rods that
always got in the way when you were trying to pack the trunk with luggage.
Wow, what a model!!! Does it sound like I'm thrilled with this model? You Bet!!
..... I'd give it a 9.99 on the T.P. Thrill-o-meter. Where's the missing .01
you ask? Well, it looks like the spare tire is "flat" (at least on one side),
so there goes the 10.0, sorry. Is the California plate correct for 1962, I
don't know and I don't care, I still LUV it. These models have arrived with
a bang and are going to be around for a long, long time.
(Wow, I think I just did a review.)
(04/04/2006)
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