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HIGH-TECH TRACK WEAPON 〉〉 BBURAGO SIGNATURE SERIES FERRARI FXX-K THE PASSION, PRODUCTS Minichamps & PERSONALITIES Porsche 908/2 PLUS 11 MUST-SEE sumof merMaistoDesignDodge AUTOart Toyota 2000GT MUSCLE MODS 69ChargerR/T 44 vital Creative Customs from Mild to Wild vehicles from a 90 NEW MODELS INSIDE crucial year in car culture Display until November 27, 2018 Auto World Yenko 427 WINTER 2019 $6.99 US $8.99 CAN Chevy Nova DCXMAG.COM









CONTENTS DIE CAST X | VOL. 15 | ISSUE 1 FEATURES QUICK LOOKS Die Cast X (USPS 017-276; ISSN 1551- 60 | Acme 1970 Dan Gurney Trans Am 854X) is published quarterly by Air Age 24 | e Summer of ’69 Barracuda Inc., 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 61 | Laudoracing-Models 1980 Alfa USA. Copyright 2018, all rights reserved. Cars and culture converge in a year like no other Romeo GTV 6 2.5 Periodicals Postage paid at Wilton, CT, 62 | IXO 2017 Daytona 24-Hour GT and additional mailing offices. Canada 40 | Muscle Mods Racers Post Publications Mail Agreement 63 | e Complete Book of Classic Ford No. 40008153. CONTRIBUTIONS: Masterworks from the 1/18 Custom Diecast Syndicate and Mercury Muscle Cars, 1961–1973 All materials published in Die Cast X magazine become the exclusive OUT OF THE BOX UP FRONT property of Air Age Inc., unless prior 32 | Restomod Retouch Adds Style and 8 | Editorial arrangement is made in writing with the Substance Publisher. Descriptions of products were e Past Is Calling Us obtained from manufacturers or their Maisto Design 1969 Dodge Charger R/T 12 | Showroom press agencies and do not constitute New Releases & First Looks an endorsement by the Publisher or 34 | Resolve and Revisions Bring Redemption guarantee their safety. SUBSCRIPTIONS: to Stuttgart’s Sports Prototype REGULARS Go to our website: DCXMag.com. Rates 50 | Kit Car Garage one year (4 issues): U.S., $19.95; Canada, Minichamps 1969 Porsche 908/2 Spyder Targa Florio 52 | Motorpool $23.95, including GST; all others, $27.95. Winner All international orders must be prepaid Johnny Lightning Greatest Generation in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. Visa, 36 | 1969 Big-Block Battle Royale Dioramas MasterCard, Discover, American Express, 64 | Hot Wheels Highway and PayPal accepted. EDITORIAL: Send Auto World Mustang Cobra Jet vs. Hemi Super Bee vs. 50th Anniversary Favorites correspondence to Editors, Die Cast X, Yenko Nova 66 | Rear View Air Age Inc., 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT Kellogg’s Terry Labonte Chevy 06897 USA. Email: [email protected]. 46 | A Supercar Star Is Born Monte Carlos We welcome all editorial submissions but assume no responsibility for the AUTOart 1967 Toyota 2000GT loss or damage of unsolicited material. To authors, photographers, and people 48 | Swan Song for the Swedish Sport Coupe featured in this magazine: All materials published in Die Cast X become the DNA Collectibles Saab 9-3 Viggen Convertible exclusive property of Air Age Inc. unless a prior arrangement is made in 54 | is Classic Has Room with a View writing with the Publisher. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: To make sure you don’t miss Best of Show 1971 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser any issues, send your new address to Die Cast X magazine, P.O. Box 7337, Wilton 56 | Kinetic Energy Meets Fiery Passion CT 06897 USA at least six weeks before you move. Please include an address Bburago Signature Series Ferrari FXX-K label from a recent issue, or print the information exactly as shown on the 58 | is Seagrave Aerial Elevates Detail to label. For faster service, email service@ New Levels airage.com. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON- Fire Replicas FDNY Tower Ladder 1 POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address changes to Die Cast X magazine, P.O. Box 7337, Wilton CT 06897 USA.

BUILD THEEAGLEMOSS PRESENTS BUILD THE ULTIMATE 80s TIME MACHINE! R 20 INCHES LO deloreanbuildup.com/dcx 1:8 DELOREAN ILLUMINATED TIME CIRCUITS OPENING DOORS GET YOUR FIRST PARTS KITS ISSUES 1+2 The time circuits light up and The gullwing doors PLUS TWO MAGAZINES & Yours for only SCALE are already programmed for and hood open to November 05, 1955 reveal interior details. SAVE $19.85! (worth $21.80) $1.95 The doors even have FREE SHIPPING working lights that published WeeKlY come on when you open them BUILD THEEAGLEMOSS PRESENTS BUILD THEeAGLeMOss PReseNTs published WeeKlY NG! OVE NG! OVE Fully assembled model dimensions ISSuETM Length: 20.75\" Width: 9.13\" TM Height: 9.65\" (doors open) DELOREAN 01 DELOREAN TM Issue 02 R 20 INCHES LO REPLICA REACTOR & ENGINE BUILD THE ICONIC 80S TIME MACHINE IN 1:8 SCALE 04/11/2016 15:44 The DeLorean’s nuclear reactor and time machine components have J244_BTTF01_UKNAT_DELORIAN_P01_COVER v7.indd 1 BUILD THE ICONIC 80 TIME MACHINE IN 1:8 SCALEJ244_BTTF02_UKNAT_DELORIAN_P01_COVERv6.indd 1 been carefully reproduced along with original PRV V6 engine S 04/11/2016 16:23 METAL BODY 12-PAGE The model is principally made MAGAZINE of die-cast metal with every issue AN AUTHENTIC & HIGHLY DETAILED MODEL: • Over 20 inches long! • Officially licensed • An impressive range of working lights • Replica engine & time machine • Opening doors and detailed interior • High-quality materials • Easy step-by-step assembly 2018 © Universal WORKING BRAKE LIGHTS MOVING WHEELS © 2018 Eaglemoss Ltd. Studios and Press down on the brake Use the steering U-Drive Joint pedal to activate the brake wheel to turn the Venture. Back lights at the rear of the car front wheels to the Future, LIGHT UP GAUGES Back to the Future Part II, and The dashboard, speedometer Back to the Future Part III are and gauges light up trademarks and copyright of Universal Studios and U-Drive Joint Venture. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLC. All rights reserved. An incredible model and an unmissable offer – start building for just $1.95 today! Who can forget Doc Brown’s legendary time machine from Back to the Future? Now you can recreate this Quite simply, this is the finest Back to the Future DeLorean replica in existence! accurate and wonderfully-crafted, massive Order now and you’ll get the first two issues and parts kits, worth $21.80, for 1:8th scale replica of one of the most famous cars in just $1.95 with FREE SHIPPING. Plus, subscribe online the history of the movies. Not only has the and we’ll send you an Exploded View Diagram Poster model been made under the direct absolutely FREE. supervision of Joe Walser, the Satisfaction guaranteed! world expert on all matters relating Take advantage of our no obligation guarantee. We to the DeLorean time machine, but will send you everything you need to make your Back it’s also packed with tons of detail – including the all- to the Future DeLorean model. Plus, if you are not 100% important flux capacitor and its time machine circuitry, plus the satisfied, we have a no hassles return and money back guarantee. There is zero famously complex array of cables and lights that make this car so unique. commitment – you can cancel your subscription anytime – no questions asked. Subscribe online at deloreanbuildup.com/dcx OR call 1-800-261-6898 (quote code DCX) OR use the Order Form below. YES! Please enter my subscription to the ORDER FORM. Please mail promptly to: Build the Back to the Future DeLorean EAGLEMOSS 1:8 scale model. I will send no money P.O. Box 3926 now. Bill me the introductory price of Danbury, CT 06813-9910 $1.95 (Shipping is Free) for the first two issues and parts sets. Thereafter, I will Name: receive additional shipments at the rate of 4 issues and parts sets per month at Address: the regular price of $10.95 (plus $1.95 for shipping) each(*). My exclusive Free City: Gifts will be sent free, periodically, once State: Zip: the subscription is underway. I have no Telephone: ( ) DEL001 +YOURS FREE EXPLODED VIEW DIAGRAM POSTER obligations and I may cancel anytime. (*)Plus applicable sales tax, PA and NY Reply ONLINE in the next 7 days and you’ll receive this residents only. Limited Edition EXPLODED VIEW DIAGRAM POSTER for your garage, workshop or secret lab absolutely FREE! deloreanbuildup.com/dcx

EDITORIAL The Past Is Calling Ushe diecast world is all about respecting the past. For collectors, it’s WINTER 2019 | VOLUME 15, NO. 1 identifying those certain vehicles that deserve a spot on our shelf and EDITORIAL in our hearts and then seeking them out. For manufacturers, it’s about Executive Editor Matt Boyd ›› [email protected] T doing those machines honor by replicating those vehicles faithfully and Editorial Director/Surface Group with the right colors and options that speak to us. If you’re reading this, Peter Vieira ›› [email protected] then you know that the process is infinitely more complicated and nuanced than anything I can say in a few sentences. You probably have also experienced when it all Copy Editor comes together and it suddenly feels like a particular model picks you instead of the Suzanne Noel ›› [email protected] other way around. That’s exactly how I felt about this issue’s cover story. Early on, I was wandering through product-announcement emails, and I started to see a pattern. CONTRIBUTORS By some strange coincidence, it seemed that there were a bunch of cars from 1969 Bill Bennett, Peter Celona, Xin Choo, coming out. So I started searching specifically for them, and I quickly realized it wasn’t Wayne Moyer, Alan Paradise, Ron Ruelle, a coincidence at all. Dan Townsend, Mike Zarnock 1969 is just naturally a nexus of automotive 9-3 Viggen from newcomer DNA Collectibles, ART awesomeness! As my list grew…and grew… another brilliant truck from Fire Replicas, and grew some more, I knew I had my theme and the track-day monster Ferrari FXX-K Creative Director Betty K. Nero for this issue. e challenge then switched from Bburago’s Signature Series. AUTOart Designer Alan J. Palermo to picking what to leave out! Hopefully, I has brought back Toyota’s seminal sports car, Photographer Peter Hall got most of your favorites—if not, I’m sure the 2000GT, and the folks over at American DIGITAL MEDIA someone will tell me what I forgot! Excellence sent over another wonderful wagon: a ’71 Olds Vista Cruiser. And Mike Web Producer Holly Hansen I had another difficult choice to make with Zarnock gives us the lowdown on the Hot ADVERTISING the second feature in the issue: the profile of Wheels 50th Anniversary Favorites series. some of the modified muscle-car projects Strategic Account Manager Mitch Brian built by the talented guys over at the 1:18 I’ll finish up by asking you to click over ››203.529.4609 | [email protected] Custom Diecast Syndicate. I reached out to DieCastXMagazine.com and check out on a whim and ended up with a ton of cool our new Diecast Video Buildup series on the Ben Halladay customs and communication with some Eaglemoss Back to the Future DeLorean kit. ››203.482.8093 | [email protected] brilliant builders who were fun to chat with and super generous with photos and insights is giant model is sent in installments, so we Brian Vargas on their builds. I hope you enjoy—and maybe are building it a kit at a time, and we’d love to ››203.939.9901 | [email protected] get inspired by—what they shared. I already have you watch as our car comes together—it CONSUMER MARKETING/ know I’ll be revisiting those guys for future should be fun. Come visit us on Facebook/ story ideas. We review a bunch of great diecastxmagazine, and send us comments PRODUCTION SERVICES models in the issue—and a few of them aren’t on any of the above—I’d love to hear from e Media Source, a division of TEN, even from 1969! ere’s the quirky cool Saab you. You can even tell me what model year I e Enthusiast Network should profile next! MARKETING & EVENTS Marketing Assistant Erica Driver Event Manager Emil DeFrancesco PUBLISHING Group Publishers Louis V. DeFrancesco Jr., Yvonne M. DeFrancesco FOLLOW US On Facebook: diecastxmagazine On Twitter: @DCXmag On Instagram: @diecastx On Google +: DieCast X Magazine Visit us online: DCXmag.com Comments may be sent to: [email protected] EDITORIAL MAIL 88 Danbury Road, Wilton CT 06897 USA Phone (203) 529-4635 Email [email protected] Don’t forget that we bring you lots of great models and e Association of e Network for RCX.com info between issues on our website at DCXMag.com, Magazine Media Global Media and join the conversation on our Facebook page (Facebook/diecastxmagazine). And don’t forget to sign PRINTED IN THE USA up for our free Die Cast X newsletter so that we can send exclusive bonus content directly to your email inbox. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe, go to DCXMag.com/cs. Matt Boyd Executive Editor For a change of address, email [email protected] [email protected]

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SHOWROOM NEW RELEASES & FIRST LOOKS Stuttgart’s Sportscar Icon in Rainbow Colors AUTOart Porsche 911 GT3 RS 1:18 | $180 Porsche has been honing the 911 for 50 years, and yet with each new refine- ment it seems to get sharper and more capable. For many the GT3 variant is the ultimate 911. Naturally aspirated and with all excess weight shed in fa- vor of a pure driving experience, the latest packs up to 520hp and is as intense a Porsche experi- ence as you can drive legally on the road. AUTOart does numerous versions of the 911. e latest ones—a 991 in GT3 RS spec—has just been released in the Composite series (meaning it wears a plastic body over a diecast metal skeleton) in several wild new colors. is is Ultraviolet with silver wheels. Hey, if you’re gonna have a Purple Porsche, it should be a razor-sharp GT3 RS. Autoartmodels.com Two Pair is a Winning Hand Johnny Lightning 2-Packs 1:64 | $14ea JL has struck on a winning formula with its themed 2-packs of 1:64 cars. ey have several different genres. is time we’ve got a pair of Fords in the iconic Gulf Oil livery—a classic 1970 Boss 302 Mustang and a 2005 Ford GT supercar, which actually did offer Gulf colors as a special edition on the real car! e Boss even has engine detail. 2-Packs also have something for the JDM fans with its Import Heat 2-Pack. A pair of Nissans— a customized 240SX with a nice set of aftermarket wheels, paint and tint on the windows. And the iconic R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R in gloss white. e packaging for both includes cool little factoids about the cars in each set. 2-Packs are limited editions and they do sell out. Johnny Lightning, distributed by Autoworldstore.com

Another Great Chicago Fire Fire Replicas Chicago Fire Department E-One Cyclone II Engines 1:50 | $269ea How Fire Replicas manages to crank out the volume of new designs that they do is a mystery, but collectors are definitely the beneficiaries of their production wizardry. What we have here are three variations of the E-One Cyclone II—Chicago’s Engine 28, 50, and 71. Each one is comprised of 450 individual pieces—including high-definition resin, brass, wire, rubber and super thin-gauge stainless steel. Masterpieces all three! And if you want to see Fire Replicas’ handiwork in more detail, check out our review of FDNY Tower Ladder 1 on page 58. Firereplicas.com D50 Part Deux Getting In Gear CMC 1956 Ferrari D50 First Gear Mack B-61 Dump Truck 1:18 | $TBA 1:64 | $65 Back in our Summer 2018 issue Vintage trucks are a huge draw for the 1:64 collectibles market. we reviewed CMC’s spectacu- First Gear makes some very detailed ones like this Mack B-61 lar 1954 Lancia D50 Formula Dump Truck. Each one is all-metal construction and comes with 1 car, and at that time we told detailed interior and a functional dump bed. We don’t know too the story of how, following the much else about them yet, but one thing is for sure: the truck guys tragic death of Lancia team are going to go nuts for them! leader Alberto Ascari just as First Gear, distributed by b2breplicas.com, 3000toys.com the D50 was coming into its own. e Lancia family was so distraught that they quit racing and gave the D50 over to Ferrari to develop, which it did for two seasons, culminating in a championship run for Ferrari and its driver Juan Manuel Fangio. CMC has now released a ’56-spec Ferrari-badged version of the D50. Chief visual differences are the pannier fuel tanks which had been faired into the body. Interior and chassis detail is a match for the Lancia version—which is to say stellar! Cmcmodelcarsusa.com WINTER 2019 13

showroom Sweet Coke Promotion for the Holidays M2 Machines Coca-Cola Hobby Exclusives 1:64 | $TBA Earlier this year M2 announced a big deal they had signed with Coca-Cola for a series of diecast and collectible items coming in time for the holidays. We’re starting to get into that season, and M2 is about to release Series 1 of the Coke vehicles in 1:64. There is a standard release and a chase version of each of three castings: a ’56 Ford F100 Tow Truck, a ’57 Chevy Sedan Delivery, and a 1960 Volkswagen Delivery Van. Chases for the Ford and Chevy just play with the red vs white coloration, but the Super Chase for the VW—limited to just 250 pieces worldwide—comes in a raw metal finish with red Coke livery painted on the bare metal sides. All of these should be pretty hot sellers in the coming months, and getting Release #1 of any Coca-Cola promo is never a bad investment! M2Machines.com Ultimate Godzilla Hobby Japan 2017 NiSMO GT-R 1:18 | $250 The top-spec R35 GT-R has been out since 2017, but that hasn’t stopped manufacturers from pro- ducing miniatures of the 2017 NISMO GT-R (R35) today. With 600-hp on tap acceleration is brutal and aggressive aero helps it grip at corners. It is not hard to see why this is considered the ultimate Nissan performance car. Hobby Japan will be offering the track-ready Godzilla in four colors: Brilliant White Pearl, Meteorite Black Pearl, Vibrant Red, and Dark Matte Grey. Judging from the prototype samples, Hobby Japan has achieved a high level of finish on these 1:18 sealed resin models. They are set to be released this December, so here’s something to add to the Christmas wish list. Hobby Japan; distributed by Mark Models; markmodels.jp

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SHOWROOM e Ultimate Wingman? Minichamps 2017 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Valtteri Bottas No. 77 F1 car 1:18 | $165 Although he bristles at the characterization (as any true racer would!) its hard to argue against Fin Valtteri Bottas’ value to the Mercedes factory team in supporting both the Constructors’ Champi- onship and lead driver Lewis Hamilton’s 4th Drivers title in 2017. Bottas scored 3 wins on his way to a solid 3rd in driver standings for the season, trailing only his teammate and Ferrari lead driver Sebastian Vettel. Minichamps is the lead when it comes to diecast models of current Formula 1 in both 1:18 and 1:43. e Mercedes car is both fast and beautiful, and Minichamps does a beautiful job with it. e convoluted aerodynamic devices on the front wing are particularly interesting! Minichampsna.com Godzilla Meets My Fairlady Retro Rides from Japan Maisto Design Datsun 240Z and Nissan GT-R Tomica Vintage Neo Mazda Ēfini RX-7 and Crown HT Royal Saloon 1:18 & 1:24 | Prices vary With the latest from Maisto Design we bookend virtually the entire history (so far) 1:64 | $25-$30 of Nissan’s sports cars in the United States. First to arrive was the revolutionary 1971 Cars from the ‘80s and ‘90s are regaining their prominence in the car scene, and the Datsun 240Z (“Fairlady” in Japan), which almost single-handedly put the company third generation Mazda RX-7 is a great example why. Known for its timeless design on the performance car map, and enjoys a fanatical cult following even today. e 1:18 and Wankel rotary engine quirks, the RX-7 never really left the list of cool cars. Design version gets a set of Minilite-esque wheels on a wide set of Toyo-branded tires Tomica Vintage Neo decided to grant the wishes of JDM aficionados by producing under bolt-on fender extensions and a pair of racing seats. Very JDM! e 1:24 modern their 1:64 rendition of Mazda Ēfini RX-7. is red example slated for release this GT-R is even more radical, with a ground-hugging wide-body kit, a huge wing on the October. Tomica Vintage Neo will also be doing the Toyota Crown HT Royal Saloon, rear deck, and a set of 6-spoke Enkeis wrapped in Toyo tires. available in white and in two-tone pearl white and gold, in the same month. is Maisto.com Toyota Crown hails from the ‘80s, and its blocky design definitely looks the part. If you are able to find photos of Japan during that era, this mainstream sedan is the face of Japanese roads. What set this apart from the public taxi cabs is its designa- tion, the Royal Saloon was one of the highest trim levels available for this sedan. Whether you’re looking for a stylish ‘90s sports car or an ‘80s executive sedan from Japan, Tomica Vintage Neo will have you covered. Tomytec; minicar.tomytec.co.jp











www.diecastdirect.com Don’t Forget to request a Free Catalog with Your PurChase! Ad Code DCX2018 $9.95 Flat-Rate SHIPPING 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split Window (Black/Red) 1934 Blown Altered Coupe “Outlaw” #GT-US010 - $299.95 - 1:12 Scale #GMP18900 - $149.95 - 1:18 Scale 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 (Black) 1972 Pontiac LeMans GTO (White) 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (Red) #ACME-A1808004 - $124.95 - 1:18 Scale #ACME-A1801211 - $129.95 - 1:18 Scale #GT-US012 - $154.95 - 1:18 Scale M35 2.5 Ton Truck US Army, F-4D F-106A Delta Dart USAF 125th P-47D USAAF 56th FG, 62nd FS, Vietnam, 1968 FIG FL ANG, 1983 Penrod & Sam #42-25512, Robert Johnson, RAF Boxted, England, 1944 #HM-HG5701 - $34.95 - 1:72 Scale #HM-HA3611 - $89.95 - 1:72 Scale #HM-HA8455 - $87.95 - 1:48 Scale F-104C Starfighter USAF 479th TFW, A-4C Skyhawk USN VA-153 Blue Tail F-16CG Fighting Falcon USAF 8th FW, #56-0885, Joe Jordan, Edwards AFB Flies, Peter Mongilardi, USS Coral #90-0703, Kunsan Air Force Base, South Korea, 2007 CA, World Altitude Record, 1959 Sea, Vietnam, June 25th 1965 #HM-HA3846 - $87.95 - 1:72 Scale #HM-HA1039 - $67.95 - 1:72 Scale #HM-HA1428 - $82.95 - 1:72 Scale Dept. DCX2018, 3005 Old Lawrenceburg Rd. Frankfort, KY 40601 • Phone Orders: 800-718-1866 M-F 9am-5pm EST • Info (502) 227-8697

www.diecastdirect.com Mention Ad Code DCX2018 $9.95 Flat-Rate SHIPPING Don’t Forget to request a Free Catalog with Your PurChase! Coming July/August! 1971 Ford Mustang MACH I Bigfoot #1 1974 Ford F-250 Monster Truck (Blue) #SS3635 - $84.95 - 1:18 - (Medium Bright Yellow) - New! #GL29934 - $6.95 - 1:64 - Bigfoot (1) - Coming! #GL29934-Q02 - $11.98 - 1:64 - Bigfoot (2) - Coming! #SS3634 - $84.95 - 1:18 - (Grabber Green) - New! #GL86097 - $16.95 - 1:43 - Bigfoot (1) - Coming! #GL86097-Q02 - $33.00 - 1:43 - Bigfoot (2) - Coming! Coming Coming July! July! Coming July! Hunter (1984-91 TV Series) 1966 Shelby GT350H Coupe 1959 Cadillac Superior Station 1969 Chevrolet Nova Police (Black) (Black with Gold Stripe) Wagon (Light Aqua) #GMP18903 - $104.95 - 1:18 Scale #ACME-A1801827 - $134.95 - 1:18 Scale #GLM43101702 - $109.95 - 1:43 Scale Coming Coming July! July! 1951 Henry J Gasser “The Phantom” Artisan Collection - The Terminator 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner Hardtop (Gold) - New! (1984)-1977 Dodge Monaco (50th Anniversary) (Omaha Orange) #SS5100 - $129.95 - 1:18 Scale Metropolitan Police w/T-800 Figure #AMM1131 - $95.95 - 1:18 Scale #GL19042 - $71.95 - 1:18 Scale 1951 Henry J Gasser “Horrid Henry” 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk (Light Blue) - New! (Arctic White) - New! (Apache Red) - New! #SS5107 - $129.95 - 1:18 Scale #SS6152 - $79.95 - 1:18 Scale #SS6153 - $79.95 - 1:18 Scale Dept. DCX2018, 3005 Old Lawrenceburg Rd. Frankfort, KY 40601 • Phone Orders: 800-718-1866 M-F 9am-5pm EST • Info (502) 227-8697

So f u m Tmhee ristoryabounds with pivotal moments, but H ’69everyonceina while, it seems like the stars Cars and culture converge align and a bunch of significant by MATT BOYD in a year like no otherhappenings converge into a single extraordinary year. 1969 was one such convergence. That year left an indelible mark across many facets of our culture. When it comes to the automobile, ’69 was certainly a watershed moment—I would submit that no other single year in the postwar period was punctuated by as many important vehicles and events across the entire spectrum of the automotive world. Here at Die Cast X, we focus most often on a particular make, model, or theme that links a handful of similar vehicles. But with so many exceptional cars (and trucks!) across so many genres sharing this one moment in common, I thought it would be interesting to make that the theme and even use these automotive touchstones to reflect on a few of the historic events happening at the time. A Momentous Year in Motorsports n Formula 1 1969 crowned a n Indianapolis 500 Another legendary driver new driver’s champion in F1, and with it, the legend of the “Flying Scot” was born. It would scored his historic first—and famously only—win at a major be the first of Sir Jackie Stewart’s three world driver’s titles, winning six of the season’s open-wheel event in 1969. Mario Andretti drove his Brawner 11 races—several in dominant fashion. Spark has produced Stewart’s French-built Matra- Hawk to victory at the Brickyard. Ertl made it in 1:18 some Cosworth MS80 in 1:18 and 1:43 in various configurations. years back, but they are hard to find. Spark does it in 1:43. 24 DCXmag.com

Photos courtesy of Ford Media Center, GM Media Archives, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles n World Sportscar Championship The Gulf GT40 of the John Wyer team won Sebring and Le Mans, capturing much of the attention of the press and fans. Meanwhile, Porsche quietly racked up seven wins in the season’s other eight races, easily claiming the championship title. Four of those seven victories were by the 908/2—the lightweight Spyder version of Porsche’s first purpose-built sports prototype—including wins at the legendary Targa Florio and a dominant sweep of the top five places at the daunting Nürburgring. Minichamps has gorgeous castings of the 908/2 in both 1:43 and 1:18 (see our review on page 34.) n Daytona 500 In one of the race’s most n Trans Am The Chevrolet defended its 1968 title on the strength of legendary driver dramatic finishes, LeeRoy Yarbrough drove his aero-nose Mark Donohue and his Team Penske Camaro Z/28 winning six of the season’s 12 races. Chevy Torino past Charlie Glotzbach’s Charger 500 on the last lap to take his only Daytona win. Fellow Ford driver David teammate Ronnie Bucknum scored another two, helping hold off the four wins by Ford’s new Pearson successfully defended his NASCAR Grand National championship in the slippery aerodynamic Talladega, fending Boss 302 Mustangs. GMP made the best 1:18 Donohue/Penske Camaro several years ago, off a late-season charge from a radical Charger with a bullet nose and a huge rear wing, appropriately named the Daytona. and Welly made a surprisingly good Boss 302 Mustang racer which Acme has now revived. University of Racing makes race-accurate Torino Talladegas, Charger 500s, and soon a winged Charger Daytona in 1:24.

TrHaEvSaUilMsMaEnRdOTFr'6iu9mphs Quick specs: 1969 Corvette L36 427 “Astrovette” How fast?: Quarter mile in 14.1 sec. @ 102mph (Car and Driver) How rare?: 1 of 3 How valuable?: $6,022 (new); $1 million (now) A Different Kind of Star Car If there’s one single event of 1969 that most everyone knows, it’s NASA’s Apollo 11 mission to the moon. In the early hours of July 21, Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the lunar surface as the entire country watched in rapt amazement. That much we all know. But did you know that General Motors got them there? GM built the guidance computers, gyroscopes, and battery system that powered the lunar module, which means that, in a sense, the astro- nauts didn’t just drive Chevys to work—they also drove one to the moon! And they did drive Chevys to work, thanks to, of all people, the 1960 Indy 500 winner Jim Rathmann. Rath- mann owned a Chevrolet dealership in Melbourne, Florida—just 30 miles from the Kennedy Space Center, where NASA was based in the ’60s, and he had befriended a few of the original Mercury astronauts. Recognizing a public-relations opportunity and knowing that most of these men didn’t earn all that much on their military salaries, he convinced GM President Ed Cole to back a plan to lease a brand-new Chevy each year for $1 to members of the astronaut program. Appropriately, most chose Corvettes. Perhaps the most famous of them are the three cars given to the Apollo 12 crew— Pete Conrad, Alan Bean, and Richard Gordon—who flew in November 1969. Each man requested an identical ’Vette with T-tops, a 390-horse L36 427, and a special gold-and-black paint scheme designed by Bean himself. Franklin Mint created 1:24 versions of the Apollo 12 “Astro- vette” about 10 years ago. 26 DCXmag.com

Detroit Flexes New Muscle Quick specs: Pontiac 1969 GTO Judge Ram Air IV n Here Come Da Judge! How fast?: Quarter mile Pontiac sought to reassert its authority with the 1969 GTO, the machine that had in 13.90 sec. @ 100.5mph started the muscle-car craze five years earlier. To do that, it introduced “The (Motor Trend) Judge.” Brainchild of Poncho honcho John Z. DeLorean, the name was borrowed from the hugely popular comedy show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, but its How rare?: 302 (Ram purpose was anything but a joke. Meant as an answer to the Air IV Judge) reigning budget-muscle king—the Plymouth Road Runner—the Judge package had two How valuable?: priorities: speed and attitude. $4,000–4,500 (new); It came initially in just one $80,000 (now) color—Carousel Red—but was later expanded to the rest of the GTO palette. The 366hp Ram Air III 400ci engine was standard, but later in the year, the radical Ram Air IV became an option. Officially, it added just 4hp, but by adding large-port heads, a high- flow aluminum intake, bigger rockers, and the rowdy “041” cam, the real gain was more like 40–50hp! First-year Judge diecasts have been made by Ertl in 1:18, which Auto World has now updated. In 1:24, the old Danbury Mint cars are the standard, but they’re getting hard to find. n Firebird Plays the Name Game Early on, Pontiac’s pony car had been overshadowed by its Chevy sibling. The brand sought to give the Firebird some much needed race cred, like the Z/28 option had done for the Camaro. The company went about that by licensing the “Trans Am” name from the Sports Car Club of America. Only 697 were built that first year— each one white with blue graphics. But the T/A wasn’t merely an appearance package. Included was a revamped suspension, making it among the best-handling cars on the road, and the base engine was the Ram Air III. The Ram Air IV option was a hefty $558, which may explain why only 55 were ordered. Surprisingly, few diecasts have been made of the first-year T/A. Road Signature (Yat Ming) made one in 1:18, and Danbury Mint in 1:24. Ford n Ford’s Aero Warriors The Torino Talladega and Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II were built to do one thing: slip through the air on NASCAR’s superspeedways faster than Dodge’s Charger 500. To do it, they stretched the nose out and down 6 inches, Quick specs: flush-mounted the grille, shaved the bumpers, and tucked under the rocker panels. The tricks 1969 Boss 429 Mustang worked, and Ford took the NASCAR title in ’69. How fast?: Quarter mile in Maisto made a 1:18 Talladega, which is still 14.09 sec. @ 102.85mph relatively easy to find. A while back, GMP made (Car Life) a nice 1:24 Cyclone Spoiler II, but it has been out of production for several years. How rare?: 857 n Meet the New Boss! How valuable?: $5,000 The big news for the Mustang was the arrival (new); $250,000+ (now) of the Boss 302 and 429 engines, along with new, tougher-looking styling to match. They were designed specifically to dominate their respective racing series: Trans Am for the little Boss and NASCAR for the 429. The latter was a peculiar choice because the Mustang didn’t run in NASCAR. But Ford worried that it wouldn’t be able to sell the required 500 engines in a Torino, so the company split the two up—putting the bodywork on the Torino and the engine in the Mustang. Built to be high-winding track motors, neither was especially fast in stock form, but in race trim, they worked brilliantly. Boss Mustangs abound in both versions, but the ’69 429 is rarest because of the unique rear fender scoops. The old Highway 61 Mustangs remain among the most popular in 1:18, with good ones from Auto World as well. In 1:24, both of the Mints—Danbury and Franklin—did nice versions.

Mopar Quick specs: n Charging into the Wind A12 Super Bee and Road Runner The ’69 Dodge Charger R/T is simply one of the best-looking muscle cars of all time. No wonder it’s an evergreen for diecast manufacturers. The ’69 Charger 500? Not so How fast?: Quarter mile much. But it was meant to be pretty to airflow, not to eyeballs. With its flush grille in 13.75 sec. @ 104.52mph and back glass, it was much more aerodynamic for its intended use: winning NASCAR (Car Life) races. But as slick as it was, Ford was just a little slicker, beating Dodge at its own aero game. Which is why late in the season Dodge countered with the outrageous How rare?: 1,907 Super bullet-nosed, high-winged Daytona. It seems like virtually every brand that makes Bees; 1,412 Road Runners muscle cars has taken a turn at the R/T, and our favorite among current production models is probably the Auto World 1:18 casting; it does all three years (1968–70). And How valuable?: a new budget-oriented 1:18 is just out from Maisto. (Check out our review on page $4,200–4,400 (new); 32.) Auto World has also done the Daytona but, as yet, has not revived the 500. $80,000–120,000 (now) n The A12 Twins The Dodge Coronet Super Bee and Plymouth Road Runner had been introduced in ’68 with just two engine options: a 383 and the mighty 426 Hemi. With more than a 100hp gap and $800+ cost difference between the two, a third option made sense but needed to be special. The A12 option was the answer. Known as the “Six Pack” at Dodge and the 440-6 at Plymouth, the A12 cars could be ordered as a hardtop or a 2-door post coupe. Each featured a 440ci engine fortified with triple Holley 2-barrel carbs (hence, the names), a beefed-up short block, a special cam, and the heavy-duty driveline from the Hemi. They were nearly as fast as a Hemi for half the price, and unlike the finicky Hemi, they were easy to keep tuned. Instant legends! Auto World makes good A12s in 1:18. If you can find the ones Danbury Mint did in 1:24 a few years back, they’re worth a look too. 28 DCXmag.com

Chevrolet Quick specs: n 427s for Everyone! 1969 ZL1 Camaro and Corvette Dealer-based speed shops like Yenko, Nickey, and Baldwin-Motion had been How fast?: Quarter mile in 13.2 churning out 427 Camaros since ’67. But when Chevy opened up the COPO sec. @ 110mph (Camaro); 12.1 sec. @ (Central Office Production Program) in ’69 to allow dealers to order factory- 116mph (Corvette) installed 427s in not just Camaros but Chevelles too, the floodgates opened. Both Baldwin and Yenko expanded their 427-transplant program to include How rare?: 69 ZL1 Camaros; 2 ZL1 the lowly Nova, thus creating some of the lightest, hairiest, fastest muscle Corvettes cars ever! Numerous companies have made Baldwin and Yenko versions of the ’69 Chevys. Currently, Supercar Collectibles has a Yenko Chevelle and Auto World just released a How valuable?: $8,000 (Camaro)/ Yenko 427 Nova (see our review on page 36). $10,000 (Corvette) (new); $1 million (Camaro)/$1.5 million (Corvette) (now) n Factory Firepower Checking off “code 9561” on the COPO form got you a Camaro with an iron-block L72 427, but selecting “9560” instead got you the most exotic engine ever offered in a Camaro: the all-aluminum ZL1 race motor. And the best part was that it came in a plain Camaro wrapper, which gave no hint of the monster lurking under the hood. Also available in the Corvette, a ZL1 had 12.0:1 compression and a cam so wild that it was barely drivable on the street. But get its estimated 575hp out on a drag strip and look out! Of course, that kind of power came at a price: $4,160 in the Camaro, to be exact (in the ’Vette, it was $4,718). Mind you, that’s just for the option package. You still had to buy the rest of the car! Companies that have made ’69 Camaros, Chevelles, and Corvettes usually take a swing at the COPO and ZL1 versions—notably, Ertl, Highway 61, and the Mints in the old days, and currently, Auto World and GMP. Imports of Import In addition to the formidable pack of American muscle cars unleashed in 1969, several significant imports also made their debut. Here’s a list of some of the historic arrivals from overseas. n Aston Martin DBS V8—The company’s first n Mini—While the car itself changed relatively n Porsche 914—A collaborative effort between V-8 arrived a year after the DBS, and variants of it little, Mini officially became its own brand in Porsche and VW to give the former a new entry- would power every Aston for the next 25 years. 1969, unifying the Austin and Morris variants level model and the latter a flagship sports car, and abandoning the prefix. both 4- and 6-cylinder models were offered, n Dino 246 GT—Ferrari’s entry-level V-6 got and the effort yielded one of the best-handling n Nissan S30 Fairlady Z—Better known to sports cars of the day. a displacement bump to 2.4L, gaining much needed power and torque. Americans as the “Datsun 240Z,” the S30 is n Range Rover Classic (Velar)—The first one of the most successful sports cars ever n Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona”—Announced produced. This first Z car established the 26 Range Rover prototypes (badged as the image of Nissan’s sports coupe that continues “Velar”) were revealed in late 1969 as they in late ’68 as a ’69 model, the bladelike styling to this day. performed field testing ahead of the official was an instant sensation, and the thunderous sales launch in early 1970. 4.4L V-12 could push it to 175mph, making it n Nissan Skyline GT-R—1969 was a big year the fastest production car in the world. Early n Triumph TR6—The last of the 6-cylinder- models are distinguished by the Plexiglas panel for Nissan’s performance division, establishing in the nose. not one but two iconic nameplates! Initially powered classic TRs, the TR6 arrived in the available only as a 4-door sedan, the poster- United States (its principal market) for 1969. By n Jaguar XJ—Another late ’68 arrival, this child for JDM specials added a coupe in ’71 and far the most popular TR to that point, for many, never looked back. it remains the quintessential Triumph. luxurious sedan (and, for a short time, coupe) would become the face of Jaguar for the next 40 years.

THE SUMMER OF '69 By 1969, the Beatles had a psychedelic veneer, but underneath, they retained a certain polished refinement—not unlike John Lennon’s Rolls. For Abbey Road, a shaggier Fab Four were recorded walking in unison for the last time, literally and figuratively. Rolling Onward Popular culture was evolving in fast-forward in 1969 and nowhere was that more evident than in music. The Beatles, who had been iconoclasts five years prior, were now the rock ’n’ roll establishment—and the transition didn’t sit well with them. In August 1969, they entered a studio for the last time as a band, recording the songs and taking the photo for one of the most famous album covers in music history. Abbey Road was released the following month. Just two weeks prior to the Fab Four’s last For many, Woodstock conjures up images of a sea of free-love Led Zeppelin was fast, loud, and a little bit live performance (on the roof of Apple Studios), the hippies and scores of flower-power vans. Sun Star captures that dangerous—just like drummer John Bonham’s next British musical invasion got underway with the vibe in scale with its 1:12 Woodstock VW Bus. hot-rod T bucket. release of Led Zeppelin’s self-titled debut. Where the Beatles had a tidy sound with smooth harmonies and classical influences, Zeppelin was grungy and raw, blending blues and psychedelia with brute power into what many consider the precursor to heavy metal. Their sound well matched the spirit of 1969. But if there is one musical image that epitomizes 1969 and its unrestrained, intoxicating counterculture vibe, it would be Woodstock. Some 32 musical acts and an estimated 400,000+ fans converged on a farm in upstate New York August 15–18, braving rain, knee-deep mud, bad acid, and worse hygiene to soak in one of the most influential moments in music history. Approaching half a century on, the mere mention of the word paints a vivid image of the era in the minds of virtually every American. Sport—The Year of the Iron Men (and Woman) n Formula 1 paragon Michael Schumacher entered the world in January 1969. Holder of every meaningful F1 record—including most wins (91) and championships (7)—the key to his success was his endurance. His final win (in 2006) was more than 14 years after his first, and after retiring at the end of the ’06 season, he returned after a three-year layoff to race three more seasons (2010–12). n Tennis great Steffi Graf was born in June ’69. She turned pro at age 13 and, at 19, became the only player (man or woman) in the modern Open era to win tennis’s Grand Slam and added Olympic gold that year (1988), making her the only “Golden Slam” winner ever. She retired after 17 seasons, with every meaningful tennis record (although Serena Williams has since claimed some). n October ’69 welcomed the NFL’s Iron Man Brett Favre. His record of 297 consecutive starts is nearly two seasons more than the next closest player. n Major League Baseball’s Ken Griffey Jr. was born Michael Schumacher Ferrari 248F1 2006 Brazil. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) in November ’69. Best known for his 630 home runs (seventh all-time), he accrued them over a career spanning 22 seasons. 30 DCXmag.com

Big-Screen Stars Following a string of car-movie hits in 1968 (Speedway, The Love Bug, and the incomparable Bullitt, to name just a few), you might think that Hollywood would have had a slew of automotive blockbusters in the works for ’69. As it turned out, vehicle-free westerns like True Grit and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid dominated the box office. But there were at least three significant 1969 vehicle-centric films. Easy Rider—This ode to the open road remains the quintessential biker film. Dennis Hopper’s directorial debut made superstars out of Hopper as well as biker-film veterans Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson. Two- wheeled diecast replicas are comparatively less common, but Franklin Mint did nice 1:10 versions of the choppers of Captain America and his sidekick Billy. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service—Bond-franchise films are usually good for automotive action. This sixth installment is usually remembered more for being George Lazenby’s one and only appearance in the role of James Bond as well as for the scene-stealing brio of The Avengers star Diana Rigg as the Bond girl who was formidable enough to marry 007. Her ’69 Mercury Cougar convertible acquits itself well despite being out of its element in the snowy Alps, while Bond showcased the brand-new Aston Martin DBS. Minichamps made a Bond-branded DBS, and Eaglemoss includes both in its extensive Bond Collection subscription. The Italian Job—This quirky caper film came out just in time to herald the Mini’s 1969 split from Austin to become its own brand. The top-billed cast includes Michael Caine, Noël Coward, and comedian Benny Hill, but the real stars were three other Brits: 1967 (pre- split) Austin Mini Cooper 1275 S models in red, white, and blue. Numerous companies have done Minis, but some of the nicest are Kyosho’s 1:18 1275 S models. Hot Wheels does official movie versions in 1:64. 1969 seemed to be the year of the children’s program on television. The fall lineup saw the debuts of Scooby-Doo, The Brady Bunch, and Sesame Street all within a span of eight weeks! Jim Henson’s Muppets didn’t have much use for cars, but the Bradys always had a shiny station wagon in the driveway, and the Scooby-Doo gang always rode to their next case in the Mystery Machine. Hot Wheels has done the Mystery Machine in a few scales as well as picking up licensing for Brady family trucksters from Matchbox. WINTER 2019 31

OUT OF THE BOX BY MATT BOYD Maisto Design 1969 Maisto introduced a 1:18 stock cool with that tradeoff. But why Charger not too long ago, and did Maisto mold the windows Dodge Charger R/T that casting forms the basis of with the rear triangle windows this model too. In fact, the whole up? As expected, it makes a Restomod Retouch Adds Style Maisto Design series—which few minor concessions to keep and Substance comprises multiple scales (from the price low (painted window 1:64 up to 1:18) and genres from and wheel trim and signal We applaud any diecast company trying muscle cars to tuner cars to lights, for example), but since something new that gives more detail, value, 4X4s—was conceived as a way to this car will retail for less than or originality to a product line. These days, with offer a broader range of appealing $40 that’s perfectly fine. e the norm being cost-cutting, consolidation, or models using Maisto’s existing paint quality rivals models brands disappearing altogether, it’s refreshing to diecast tooling. All the revisions to with much bigger price tags; see a company like Maisto innovating and finding create this hot-rodded version are the application is smooth and ways to give collectors more. That’s the idea accomplished within the molded glossy, and there’s even a behind the Maisto Design series, the prototypes parts: interior, chassis, engine, carefully decorated “Charger of which we first caught a glimpse of early and wheels and tires. By doing R/T” script on the left side. And this year at the New York Toy Fair. Production so, it preserves one of Maisto’s the look is finished off with a versions have now been released, and we got crowning virtues: excellent detail crisply painted “Bumblebee” our hands on this Sublime 1969 Dodge Charger per dollar value. R/T stripe on the tail. e R/T. That’s not just an honorific—“Sublime” is the important stuff—the split grille, actual name of the paint color! Originally a 1970 e Charger casting is pretty rear valence, full exhaust, and factory color, it is a popular choice for custom good too. In this era of alternative that Charger quick-fill gas cap— Mopars like the one this model represents. casting materials (resin, plastic), are all separately molded out of Maisto holds the line with a beefy chromed plastic with appropriate metal body—well, mostly metal. flat black paint in the grille. e company chose to mold e doors have low-profile the vinyl-look roof panel out of hidden hinges and close firmly. plastic—we suspect not so much to save money as to allow easy e interior features modern conversion at a later date to a high-back sport seats with produce a Daytona variant with aggressive side bolsters—quite its flush rear window in place of appropriate to a restomod street this R/T’s recessed backlight and machine like this. ere’s a tall flying-buttress C-pillars. We’re shifter for the 4-speed sticking

AT A GLANCE MODEL 1969 Dodge Charger R/T Restomod MANUFACTURER Maisto (Maisto Design series) GENRE Classic muscle car SCALE 1:18 PRICE $39 (est.) WHAT WE LIKE + Restomod treatment doesn’t break the bank Sublime paint is just that ++ Look and stance from meaty soft-rubber Firestones e interior has been upgrated with modern high- Maisto has done a pretty good job molding the Mopar big block, back sport seats, and there’s a signature Mopar pistol- including radiator plumbing and heater hoses. It could use a bit grip shifter. more paint to highlight it, but that’s an easy fix. out of the center console with help showcase what is actually engine itself is molded in the weight of the car, they are lower the Mopar signature pistol-grip quite skillful molding detail in Mopar-appropriate orange, profile on the inside sidewall handle, but oddly both the shaft the interior. and the valve covers have than the outside—a good and the handle are flat black with the correct bolt pattern and solution that does not com- no paint highlights. In fact, that Popping the hood, we see a breather placement. e promise the authentic look “murdered-out” motif carries respectable rendition of a Mopar exhaust manifolds are chrome of the tire while still providing through much of the interior, B-block. Both the 383 and (as is the entire exhaust system) additional structure. muting the texture of the wood 440 Magnum share the same but retain the correct production grain on the center console. architecture (differing only in shape. Other engine extras FINAL THOUGHTS deck height), so without a decal include radiator and heater e color is perfectly in keeping on a stock air cleaner, the engine hoses, and a separate accessory When we encounter a young with the style of the car, but could be either displacement. and fan assembly. ere’s a collector getting into diecast, a few contrasting highlights— pleasant amount of detail here— we often point them to Maisto especially on that shifter—would is car has a chrome street it just needs a bit more paint to as a good bang-for-the-buck machine–style air cleaner, the pick it out. brand. With the Maisto Design series, the company now has e chassis is interesting. a new high-value option in the Detail here is solid too—but restomod category. is Charger the suspension isn’t. By which, has a ton of visual appeal and a I mean that it’s not solidly character distinct from the stock molded—it’s fully sprung and version. We’d love to see a few functional! at’s something more paint highlights applied Maisto does a lot, and I can’t here—something Maisto does quite figure out how it can offer quite proficiently with many that feature at this price point, other models—but even as is, but I’ll take it! e rolling stock this car offers a lot of content is completely unique to this for not a lot of money. Every car, and starts with chrome collector needs at least one Torq rust D lookalike wheels. ’69 Dodge Charger in his or her collection. is would be a great ey’re wrapped in staggered one to start with. ✇ radial soft-rubber tires, with “Firestone” stenciled on the SOURCE sidewalls. To make sure the maisto.com tires hold their shape under the WINTER 2019 33

OUT OF THE BOX BY MATT BOYD AT A GLANCE e 908/2 is from that wonderful period before aerodynamics ruined Minichamps 1969 MODEL aesthetics. Minichamps delivers the 1969 Porsche 908/2 graceful curves of the body with Porsche 908/2 Spyder admirable finesse. Targa Florio Winner MANUFACTURER Minichamps because the 908/2 Flunder Resolve and Revisions Bring straightened that taper out and Redemption to Stuttgart’s Sports GENRE it didn’t look half as good! Since Prototype Classic sports racer flunder means “flounder” in German, I guess I’m not the only By the mid-1960s, Porsche had made its name SCALE one who thought it was not an building light, nimble production-based sports 1:18 improvement aesthetically. racers and they were among the very best in the world at it. It was the dominant marque in the PRICE Minichamps revels in the small-displacement classes, but it was often $300 (est.) subtleties with this model. Look forced to compete against big V-8s and V-12s at the slimness of the simulated with twice the horsepower. WHAT WE LIKE door hinges. Even better, look at the fuel cap from side on and see As luck would have it, the to leverage the new G6 rules. + First-class presentation how the twist tab in its center is a Fédération Internationale de e 908 would be Porsche’s first and packaging piece of photo-etched metal inset l’Automobile (FIA) reworked into the cap, and it’s actually drilled its rules for 1966, carving out purebred prototype, and it was + Insane tire detail, down out. e grille opening is so tiny a new Group 4 (G4) Sports built around a 3-liter version of to crew notes on the you might never notice the fine Car category to fall between its flat-8 engine making 350hp sidewalls! mesh inside, but it’s there anyway. the production GT class (now in order to more effectively As mentioned, this car is a sealed- Group 3) and the Group 6 (G6) challenge for overall wins. + Flawless proportions and body resin piece, but because it’s Prototypes. Ferdinand Piëch stance a Spyder, both the cockpit and the was installed as head of Porsche Such was the plan, anyway. air-cooled flat-8 engine are open research and development, and e 908 ran six of the 10 races the 908 LH had won Spa and to the air—and to the eye. Getting tasked with building a new car in ’68, but it was outpaced four Monza, and finished a narrow a viewing angle on the instrument specifically to G4 rules: the 906. times by teammates in older second to the GT40 at Le Mans. cluster in its little binnacle sand- It won the 2-liter division handily 906s and 907s! e 908 won wiched between the dash and but could rarely compete for two outings—at Zeltweg and e 908/2 scored four victories, the low-slung yellow-tinted overall victories against the big- the Nürburgring—so it wasn’t including the Targa Florio, the windscreen is tricky, but when displacement Fords and Ferraris. all bad news. But the 908’s winner of which is the subject of you do, the gauges are perfectly inconsistency motivated Piëch to this review. e 917 even got its legible. e red fabric lining in e FIA announced more start work on the now legendary first win at the season-ender at the racing seats has texture rules changes for 1968. Alarmed 917 for G4, especially after the Zeltweg. Together, those seven that knocks down the shine to a by the escalating speeds (and production requirement was wins in 10 races were enough convincing matte. Etched metal costs) brought on by the epic halved from 50 to 25 cars. Group to take the title—the first time buckles on the harness are a tad battle between Ford’s GT40 and 6 regulations were relaxed as Porsche had claimed the top two-dimensional, but otherwise, Ferrari’s 330 P4, the FIA imposed well. e minimum weight was Prototype class win. the cockpit is aces. a 3-liter limit on G6 Prototypes lowered, prompting Piëch to and a 5-liter limit on G4 Sports remove the roof and shorten the e 908/2 is part of Cars, effectively outlawing both tail, cutting weight by 220 pounds Minichamps’ First Class the Ford GT40 and Ferrari P4. and creating the 908/2 Spyder. Collection of upscale 1:18 resin Ferrari quit the class in protest, It had more aero drag than the models, and “First Class” is an and Ford handed off its GT40 908 Langheck (“long-tail”) coupe appropriate moniker when it program to the Gulf Racing team (aka LH), limiting it on high-speed comes to the packaging. e of privateer John Wyer. at left circuits, but on tighter tracks model comes in a beautiful the Prototype class wide open the 908/2 was much quicker. padded display box; the model for Porsche, and Piëch went to With both in the stable, the team itself is mounted to a sturdy base work designing another new car would choose which to run based wrapped in cardstock printed on the track. By season’s end, with a cobblestone pattern, and features a stainless-steel ID placard etched with the car identifier, the drivers’ names, the race, and an individual serial number in the 500-piece limited edition. Normally, I’m indifferent to display bases, but I like the cobblestone look (even if it is just on paper). What I’m not remotely indifferent about are late-’60s sports prototypes like the 908/2. It has a deceptively simple shape, but the sweep of the nose, the swell of the wheel arches, and the way it pinches back down in the door area just so make it look fast and fluid just sitting there. But it’s a subtle thing, 34 DCXmag.com

Just behind sits the air- Right and below right: The 908/2 cooled flat-8 engine. There lopped off the roof and tail of the LH. are eight tall, unusually beige On the model, that gives excellent intake trumpets for the Bosch visual access to the 3.0L flat-8. fuel-injection system, leading Below: The cockpit detail is excellent, down to the cylinder heads. with the appropriate matte finish on The gunmetal gray mechanical the seat and legible instruments. gizmo to the right might look ignition-related, but it’s actually are “right” and “left.” Only the to intrude on the lines of the car was a part of that redemption a beefy mechanical fuel-injection “184 Tr” has me stumped, but with blocky fenders or clumsy story, winning the Targa Florio pump, with individual fuel lines I have little doubt it stands for wings has a lot to do with it. But and helping secure Porsche’s first running to the intake stacks. something authentic. the Porsche 908/2 is more than Group 6 title. Minichamps delivers And that brownish thing in the just pretty. The story behind it the attention to minute detail that center? That’s the unpainted Final Lap is appealing, too: A race car that has made it an institution with fiberglass of the fan duct and got off to a rocky start and was collectors, and with a limited run housing, because air-cooled race There’s a span of five years or so on the brink of being abandoned of only 500 units, this pedigreed engines need serious airflow! where virtually every car in the as a failure and replaced, but a Porsche is likely to sell out like so And lastly, a word about the Sports Prototype category has an lucky break on rules and some many before it. ✇ tires. We often dole out credit to aesthetic balance that speaks to clever re-engineering brought diecast companies for getting me. The Porsche 908/2 is both it back to win a championship SOURCE the printed sidewall markings, forceful and fluid. The fact that a season later. This specific car minichampsna.com but Minichamps takes it to a nascent aerodynamics have yet whole other level here. Not only Winter 2019 35 do we have treads and Dunlop lettering, but Minichamps has gone so far as to re-create the handwritten grease pencil notes the crewmembers scribbled on them—in German (because it’s Porsche). We’ve got “266,” denoting which team car the tires are for. Rennen is “run,” so maybe these were scuffs? And the “VR, HR, VL, HL”? That’s easy! Vorne means “front,” hinten is “rear,” and rechts and links

OUT OF THE BOX BY MATT BOYD Auto World Mustang Cobra Jet vs. Hemi Super Bee vs. Yenko Nova 1969 Big-Block Battle Royale 1969 was a momentous year throughout to-wild transformation of the offered it as a 2-door post coupe the automotive world, but nowhere was it more economy-minded Nova, courtesy only), and just two engines were significant than in the realm of the muscle car. of famed supercar tuner Don offered: a standard 383 or the By ’69, virtually every Detroit manufacturer Yenko, transplanting in a Corvette- optional Hemi. Midyear, the 440 was embroiled in a performance-car arms sourced 427. So we have a “Six Pack” joined them, offering race, convinced that supremacy on dragstrips pumped-up pony, a big-motor most of the Hemi’s performance and between neighborhood stoplights would budget brawler, and a speed-shop for about half of its eye-watering translate to victory on dealer showrooms. special going toe-to-toe. Let’s see $800+ price. at may explain what each has to offer. why the Hemi accounted for less And the theory seemed to be models in an effort to satisfy the than 1 percent of the Super Bees working. Of course, as the stakes public’s insatiable thirst for speed. e Dodge Super Bee is often built in 1969, and the specific car rose in the muscle-car sales overshadowed by its twin, the this model is patterned after was war, new fronts opened up. e With so much to choose from Plymouth Road Runner. e Road one of just 92 Hemi hardtops category diversified. Some brands in 1969, determining the “best” Runner won Motor Trend’s Car with a 4-speed. It graced the targeted the youth market by muscle car realistically comes of the Year for 1969, but except cover of Hemmings in December offering budget performance down to a question of taste. And for some minor styling elements, 2006, painted in this eye-catching models. e Mustang Ford it just so happens that Auto World the two cars are identical, so the shade of F6 Bright Green established itself as the dominant is in the process of releasing—at Super Bee deserves respect. Poly with a white bumblebee force in pony cars. Other marques the same time—three distinct Key to its success was the value tail stripe and prominent focused on melding luxury flavors of 1969 muscle in 1:18. proposition of a sub-$3,000 base “Ramcharger” hood scoops. with performance in search price and an option sheet focused As with the other two cars in of the upscale market. Some ere’s one from each of the on making the car quicker, leaving this article, the Super Bee is an emphasized stealthy performance Big ree, and each sports the luxury and appearance items updated Ertl casting; it captures by building sleeper muscle cars, 7 liters of big-block power. How to the upscale Coronet 500 and the shape well, right down to the while others slathered their could we resist lining them up R/T models. 1969 was the first distinctive Coronet fender covers. models with wild graphics and for a three-way comparison? year for the hardtop (’68 had extroverted option packages, Representing the Ford camp is seeking to win sales on image. the freshly redesigned-for-’69 e Auto World chassis features simulated overspray, greatly adding to its realism. And then you had a whole cottage Mustang Mach 1, packing a 428 industry of aftermarket speed Cobra Jet. Mopar devotees get shops selling parts and even the Dodge division’s Road Runner specially tuned versions of factory twin, the Coronet Super Bee, powered by the top-option 426 Hemi. Chevy fans get a mild- 36 DCXmag.com

BY ’69, VIRTUALLY EVERY DETROIT MANUFACTURER WAS EMBROILED IN A PERFORMANCE-CAR ARMS RACE. e black crinkle finish on the giant valve covers does a lot for the Hemi’s presen- e Super Bee’s interior is no-frills—bench seat, floor shifter—but at least it has a tation, as do plug wires and the metal mesh on the sides of the air cleaner. tach to keep tabs on the big Hemi! AT A GLANCE e casting does show its origins and it isn’t quite as smooth, but the Chevy dealer Don Yenko had been MODEL in the nonopening trunk and multicolored beltline Mach 1 stripe stuffing 450-horse L72 427s 1969 Dodge Coronet painted-on window trim, but the and flat black hood give it added into the similarly sized Camaro Super Bee door gaps are still straight and the flair—and, of course, there’s that since 1967. Other speed shops paint is beautiful. ram-air scoop sticking up through had copied the trick, and starting MANUFACTURER the hood. e Ertl casting has in 1969, Chevy made it easy by Auto World American e Mustang is another been dressed up with separately letting some dealers order factory- Muscle cover queen—this time, the cast emblems on the C-pillars, built 427 Camaros (and Chevelles) May 2007 edition of Hemmings hood, and tail, and it correctly directly through the COPO (Central GENRE Muscle Machines. ey called it incorporates Mach 1–specific Office Production Order) system. Classic muscle car a “showoff” by virtue of its $909 details like the body-colored sport But Yenko had another trick to pull. worth of options, a hefty addition mirrors and chrome hood twist A veteran drag racer himself, he SCALE to a Mach 1’s roughly $3,200 locks. ose pull it even—at least understood that low weight was 1:18 base. But it certainly wasn’t all for even with the Super Bee. just as important as high power show; included in the options were when it came to the quickest ET PRICE go-fast items like the 428 Cobra e Yenko Nova is a rolling (elapsed time)—and the light-on- $95 (est.) Jet with Ram Air, a Toploader contradiction. Chevy’s most the wallet Nova was also light on 4-speed, and a Traction-Lok rear modest offering, the Nova was the scale. Yenko ordered up just WHAT WE LIKE axle. On the surface, the black a compact family car that might 28 SS396 Novas and upgraded paint looks less flashy than the seem a peculiar basis for a fire- them to L72 427s—and, in the Finish is first-rate Mopar’s green or the Yenko’s blue breathing muscle machine, but + Engine detail and accuracy ++ A Hemi Super Bee is a welcome change of pace WINTER 2019 37

AUTO WORLD MUSTANG COBRA JET VS. HEMI SUPER BEE VS. YENKO NOVA While not the top-option Mustang, the Mach 1 is definitely the dressiest of the bunch. e chrome wheels and stripes are Mach 1–specifc, while the shaker scoop shows off the Cobra Jet. AT A GLANCE evident. Not surprisingly, the e Cobra Jet 428 was laughably underrated at 335hp; 375 is closer to the mark, Nova is the plainest of the three, but that’s still well shy of the Hemi and Yenko. e shaker intake looks great, but MODEL with a no-frills vinyl bench seat the lack of plug wires leaves the Mustang trailing the other two. 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and a base-model instrument panel with a sweeper-type infamous!) “Rim-Blow” steering chrome valve covers emblazoned MANUFACTURER speedometer. Yenko installed wheel as part of the Mach 1 with screen-printed Yenko logos Auto World American a column-mounted Stewart package. All three cars have and chrome-top open-element Muscle Warner tach to monitor the black-flocked floorboards, but air cleaner. e one miss is the upgraded engine, but that is the contrasting red floor mats on color of the intake manifold; the GENRE not present on the model. e the Mustang—along with many L72 engine had an aluminum Classic muscle car bench seat does fold forward, other little details that match the intake that was unpainted, but the though—a nice touch. e Super magazine car—put it solidly in the model’s is painted like the block. SCALE Bee interior is similarly austere, lead in the interior category. 1:18 and it too has a black vinyl bench. ey got the exhaust manifold Note the comically long shifter Engines are a different story shape and color correct, and there PRICE handle. at’s actually authentic; altogether. If the Chevy and Dodge are also nicely molded heater $100 manual-transmission Mopars seemed a little plain inside, they and radiator hoses, and a full set without center consoles came make up for it under the hood. of plug wires. By comparison, WHAT WE LIKE thus equipped to fit the space the Mustang’s 428 Cobra Jet is between the dash and the front e transplanted 427 in the Nova an underdog; Ford faithful know Nicely appointed interior of the bench seat. At least the is suitably impressive, with its Super Bee came with a tach! e ++ Keen attention to Mach 1— steering wheel was optional on specific features inside Super Bees, but it does not match and out the specific Hemmings car—the only miss on an otherwise solid + Cool factor of a Ram Air interior presentation. e Mustang Cobra Jet is definitely the most inviting of the three; the double-brow process, created the fastest and dashboard, which is a fundamental rarest Yenko Super Car of all! part of Mustang DNA, is much more interesting to look at and ey’re even rarer today, with less features a faux-wood finish, which than 10 known to have survived. is repeated on the inner door Auto World’s model wears Le panels and the center console. Mans Blue (the most popular of Yes, there’s a console because the four colors Yenko offered). bucket seats come standard on the Mustang, and they too pitch e model’s paint looks great, as forward, leaving the Super Bee do the fine lines on the signature as the odd man out. And Auto arrow-shaped “sYc” (Yenko World included the correct (and Super Car) hood graphics and side stripes. e color and rarity cool factor may give it just the slightest edge in my book, but that’s more a matter of taste; there is no clear winner in the exterior category. Swing open the doors and the roots of each car become more 38 DCXmag.com

e Nova started life as modest as they come, but Don Yenko dressed it up. e “sYc” graphic on the hood and the “427” fender badges served as a warning. e 427 transplant looks great in the Nova. Plug wires and heater hoses add real- an edge in authenticity. AT A GLANCE ism, and the Yenko decals are appreciated. If they painted the intake manifold the In keeping with their no- MODEL correct aluminum color, it would be the best of the bunch. 1969 Yenko Chevrolet frills approach, the Super Bee Nova 427 well that the CJ’s official rating Hemi, by contrast, delivers in fine and the Yenko wear base steel of 335hp was 30–40 shy of the style. e giant valve covers have wheels—body-colored, with MANUFACTURER actual output, but even so, it trails the appropriate black crinkle finish, “poverty caps” in the centers. e Auto World American the Hemi and the Yenko’s 427 by and plug wires jut up from their Mustang is a little dressier; it wears Muscle a considerable margin. So too in centers. e big oval air cleaner Mach 1–specific chromed steel scale; the CJ’s shape is correct and that covers the dual 4-barrels wheels wrapped in Goodyear GENRE the ram-air scoop assembly is looks just right, with the mesh Polyglas tires, while the Chevy Classic muscle car excellent, but it lacks some of the covering the open-element sides, and the Dodge get unmarked finer details present on the other and the housing mates perfectly sidewalls. Suspensions are SCALE two. ere are no plug wires on with the ductwork on the mundane; the Mustang and the 1:18 the distributor, for example, and underside of the engine. ere are Nova have control arms and coil the radiator hose is incorrectly no heater hoses like on the Yenko, spring upfront, while the Super PRICE routed. In any other crowd, the but the intake is correctly painted Bee carries the Mopar standard $100 Ford would do fine, but here, it is and the warning labels sprinkled torsion-bar setup. All three have simply outgunned. e Mopar throughout the engine bay give it leaf springs out back. Chassis all WHAT WE LIKE have overspray to enhance realism as well as separately molded and + Speed and rarity are the painted exhaust systems and gas stuff of muscle-car legend tanks. at puts them on pretty even footing, except that the Gorgeous color Mustang’s manifolds don’t match up properly with the pipes, and the ++ Chassis detail Super Bee sits just slightly too low on its rear axle. at leaves the e options aren’t as convoluted Yenko as the winner by a nose in for the Chevy and the Dodge, but the chassis department. they have a slight advantage in execution. If I had to pick a winner FINAL THOUGHTS (and at the start isn’t that what I said we were here to do?), I’d go Given how different the character with the Yenko Nova, primarily on of these three cars are, it’s the strength of its “specialness.” If impressive how closely they Auto World would paint the intake match up in diecast. Overall, Auto manifold and add a tach, it would World has done a laudable job with win going away. As it stands, it’s a the accuracy of all three, but you photo finish with the Dodge, and especially have to admire them for I couldn’t fault anyone for calling it doing their research on all the little the other way. ✇ interior and exterior touches that are specific to the Mach 1 package. SOURCE autoworldstore.com WINTER 2019 39

MUSCLE MASTERWORKS FROM THE 1/18 CUSTOM DIECAST SYNDICATE We’ve been spending a lot of time lately on the Web and social media HellFish ’Cuda admiring the brilliant custom work being done by some genuine artists in the world of diecast. One place where many talented builders congregate is Damon Paterson on the 1/18 Custom Diecast Syndicate Facebook group. After chatting with Syndicate group moderator Giannis Lo, we came up with the idea of asking e concept behind HellFish was to create a Pro-Touring the group members to submit some of their builds in the custom muscle/ ’Cuda built around a modern-day Hemi motor. Damon built restomod category. e models on the following pages are some of the it from parts of several different Highway 61 ’70 ’Cudas, and most interesting submissions. We made an effort to select a broad range of sourced the last few remaining parts with help from friends cars; many different price points and skill levels are represented. We wanted from the Syndicate Facebook page. He lowered the suspen- to show some of the “pro” level builds, of course, and we’ve got some that sion over a set of 20-inch BBS wheels designed by Uli Nowak, feature truly jaw-dropping craftsmanship. But we’ve also selected some and installed photo-etched brake rotors with resin Brembo tastefully executed versions of less complex builds, giving those of you calipers. He added a resin Optima battery and relocated it to who are thinking about getting into customizing some ideas on the kinds the trunk. e interior got new front seats and belts, a pedal of things you can do on a modest budget and without years of building and painting experience. So let’s take a look and find out a little about what set, and a new steering wheel. ere’s went into each of these modified muscle-car models. also an oversize fuel tank, a custom radiator, and a new exhaust system, plus an aluminum driveshaft and a reworked rear suspension, with the leaf springs replaced with coil-overs. Body mods include shaved mirrors and door handles, cutouts in the rear valance for the exhaust tips, a ’71 lower front valance with driving lights, plus a modern-style hood scoop to cover the enlarged opening needed for engine clearance. Damon finished off HellFish with a coat of silver paint, making for one sterling modernized Mopar! Nemesis ’66 Chevelle Giannis Lo Giannis built this ’66 Chevelle—which he named “Nemesis”—for his good friend Rob, who sent him the original Auto World Chevelle for an overhaul. What Giannis produced is his vision of the ultimate street restomod. He stripped the trim, added a carbon-fiber aero package and rear diffuser, and painted the whole thing Electric Cur- rant Red. Under the custom hood sits a 572ci big block with a pair of 7475 Precision turbos with dual wastegates and a custom intercooler backed by a TCI transmission. Out back is a methanol tank, dual fuel cells, and diff/oil coolers. e suspension features tubular A-arms, upside-down coil-overs, and oversize brakes behind Rotiform RNA 20-inch wheels. e interior got custom bucket seats with 5-point harnesses, digital gauges, and a Jerico-style shifter, making it one of the most complete restomod makeovers you’re likely to find. 40 DCXmag.com

MODS BytheDCXcrew 1967 Mercury Cougar ierry Boucher ierry got into building casually about six years ago and has completed 15 cars, including this subtle modernized Mercury. He started with a Cougar XR7 from Welly and treated it to a few well-chosen mods to produce a great budget build. He lowered the suspension and selected a set of GMP wheels and tires, and removed the yellow sidewall lettering for a more reserved look. For power, he pulled the supercharged “Terminator” DOHC 4.6 from a Maisto 2003 SVT Cobra Mustang with a custom intake, and repurposed the ’Stang’s exhaust tips for his side pipes. A Maisto Porsche Carrera GT supplied the seats. e production Welly paint looked pretty classy, so he kept it. ierry’s Merc is proof that you don’t need to spend huge amount of money on donor cars or parts to make a great-looking, personalized custom muscle car. Fathers Firebird Gabriel Clarke Gabriel started with kit models when he was seven and has been building ever since, switching from plastic to diecast about 18 years ago. He calls this creation the “Fathers Firebird”—a twist on the famous Mothers Camaro. e base car was a Guycast-exclusive version of the Lane/Exact Detail ’67 Fire- bird. He built it for fellow Syndicate member John Kieffer, who supplied the photos you see here. For power, Gabriel transplanted the twin-turbo small block from the GMP Streetfighter ’68 Camaro, after adding additional paint detail. He changed the interior to black and hand-built a roll cage. He repainted the Streetfighter wheels and installed the center cap from the Firebird wheels on them. He did that for the steering-wheel horn button as well. He ceramic-coated the exhaust and changed the tips, then installed a ’69 Firebird-style rear wing and a custom chin spoiler off an import tuner car. For paint, he sprayed black on the top half over the stock red, laid down a silver-tape stripe, then clearcoated the whole car. Gabriel tells us he does automotive paint and bodywork for his day job, and his pro experi- ence definitely shows with this stunning Firebird. WINTER 2019 41

MUSCLE MODS 1970 Boss Mustang Andy Ruiz Andy started with a pair of Highway 61 ’70 Mustang fastbacks for this build: a custom Boss 429 drag car and a stock Mach 1, both in black. His goal was to replicate a specific full-size custom Mustang he had photos of, and he did a masterful job. The Mach 1 supplied the main bodyshell, while the drag car supplied the hood and rear wing. The fuel-injec- tion manifold and stacks came from a GMP Drag Hemi, and were combined with pieces from both donor engines. He scored a set of resin headers from Shapeways. Dave’s Decals created a set of custom water-slide decals to re-create the vein pattern of the Cobra valve covers. Andy redid the interior with charcoal gray flocking and corrected the seat belts. He lowered the suspension to replicate the original car’s stance, and installed two-piece wheels from Uli Nowak, repainting the insert a stainless-steel color. Meet the new Boss! Memorable Monte Brian Ordung Brian built this machine eight years ago from a silver American Muscle Authentics ’84 Chevy Monte Carlo SS. His idea was to re-create a Monte he once owned in real life. He stripped down the whole car, grafted on a cowl-induction hood scoop, and repainted everything in Testors Firefly Red. The donor car’s interior was originally red, so he had to repaint that as well—this time in semigloss black. The exhausts have been capped with aluminum tips and a custom Rhode Island plate printed. Over the years, Brian has rotated through four different sets of wheels, and the Monte now sits on a set of GMP 10-spokes. He slapped a set of chrome valve covers and an open-element air cleaner sourced from his parts box onto the small-block Chevy under the hood, but since these photos were taken, Brian has begun a full engine swap as part of another round of upgrades. We can’t wait to see the new version! Custom Camaro Convertible Jon Sorrentino You may find this hard to envision, but Jon’s sweet con- vertible started life as GMP’s Berger Chevrolet Camaro 427 Drag Car, and he used parts from several other GMP Camaros to bring his custom to life. He removed the racing decals from the Berger body and then began surgery to remove the roof. He then grafted on work- ing sun visors and a convertible boot cover. The cool houndstooth-pattern interior came courtesy of GMP’s Yenko Camaro, and the twin-turbo small block was from the silver ’67 Comp Coupe. Chassis and suspension came from the Lateral G Camaro. (If you’re counting, that’s four GMP Camaro donor cars!) The wheels came off the “Overkill” Nova, and Jon removed the paint to reveal the chrome beneath. The Nova also supplied the front tires, but he added the wider rear tires from the Fast & Furious wheel set to better fill those wide rear wheel wells. 42 DCXmag.com

Trans Am Transformed Paul Siebert Here, we have another first-gen F-Body con­ vertible. Paul started with an affordable Road Signature 1969 Pontiac Trans Am, and like others on this list, he too sought to emulate a specific 1:1 custom. For the engine, he looked to GMP’s Chevy Z/28-spec 302 for the basic block, then added his own scratch- built intake-manifold plenum and runners for its custom fuel-injection system. He borrowed wheels from GMP’s Gulf Camaro and stripped them down to the chrome. For the interior, he chose not one but two pairs of Ertl Corvette seats, so both the front and rear occupants ride in style. Paul cut the headrests down so that they fit at the appropriate height. An Ertl Camaro supplied the convertible boot, while a Roush Mustang donated the roll bar. The visors are from a ’77 T-Top Trans Am, and the side mirrors are from a ’70 Camaro. The chin spoiler came off GreenLight’s Daytona. The center console is scratch-built from styrene, as is the custom side-exit exhaust. And underneath, the rear axle has been converted to coil-overs. This T/A is grade A! Aussie Phase 1 Falcon 4-Door Joel Barkle As you might tell from the subject of his build, Joel is from Down Under, and we actually first approached him about a different Aussie custom: a 1976 Holden Torana SS with a wild turbo LS3 swap. He is still working on that one, so he suggested we take a look at his ’69 Ford Falcon XW sedan—and we liked it even better! It started life as a Falcon XW GT-HO Phase 1 from AUTOart/Biante, and other than the upgrading of the wheels and carburetor to GMP pieces, this is how stayed for almost five years. He had acquired a 3D-printed cross-ram EFI manifold for a big-block Chevy from Shapeways for a different build but adapted it for use here. The cross-ram is so large that Joel had to relocate the upper radiator hose and dis- tributor, and he fabricated fuel rails, injectors, and a lifter-valley cover out of styrene, before painting the manifold silver and the rails and intake trumpets metallic blue. winter 2019 43

MUSCLE MODS Radical Ranchero Eduardo Redondo Eduardo is from Spain, but he has a fondness for classic American cars and decided to spruce up a budget Road Legends 1957 Ford Ranchero Courier Sedan Delivery. He didn’t like the ugly garnet primary color or the raw black plastic roof, and the engine was toy-grade. He addressed the color by first removing all the trim and sanding down to bare metal and then spraying Dupli-Color beige primer on the body and the roof to get a consistent base between metal and plastic. He then shot Rust-Oleum blue metallic from a rattle can over both. He resprayed the chrome trim to remove the “plasticky” look to them, then reinstalled it in the now-blue bodywork. The wheels and tires were cribbed from a Corvette Stingray, and Eduardo installed a salvaged engine/firewall/inner fender assembly from an AUTOart ’71 Mustang—the 351 Cleveland fits like a glove! For the interior, he covered the floorboards in red flocking and installed seats from a scrapped Lamborghini. He finished off the Ranchero with a set of custom decals he had made by a company in Spain, and posed it in a garage diorama for photos. Turbo Camaro Hill Racer Michael Carreras Michael has an impressive collection of augmented Camaros, mostly based on GMP’s first-gen casting. One of the coolest is this brushed-steel ’67. It started as a special-finish Z/28 Trans Am–spec racer, but Michael saw potential for something a bit more exotic. In his note to us, he joked it was his vision of a Pikes Peak contender! To help make sure that high-altitude air doesn’t rob too much power, he swapped on the fuel-injection manifold from a Streetfighter Camaro and a pair of giant turbos made from a resin kit by Michael’s friend William Darosa. Michael swapped in the interior from the Streetfighter too, as well as its set of GMP 5-spoke wheels and low-profile street tires. Final Thoughts There you have just a small sampling of the creativity and skill on display among the members of the 1/18 Custom Diecast Syndicate. Thanks to all the Syndicate members who submitted builds, and a special thanks to Giannis Lo for helping us connect with them. To all of you customizers out there—experienced or just starting out— keep building! And connect with us on Facebook/diecastxmag to show us your creations. While you’re at it, check out the 1/18 Custom Diecast Syndicate group page, too—it’s a great community, full of information and inspiration for any aspiring builder. ✇ 44 DCXmag.com

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OUT OF THE BOX BY MATT BOYD AUTOart 1967 100 fewer horses. But it earned just as many opening panels and nearly universal praise for both functional features. e company Toyota 2000GT style and nimble handling. Today, includes pop-up headlights, front- 50 years on, it has become one fender access panels, plus the A Supercar Star Is Born of the most valuable and sought- usual opening hood, doors, and after Japanese cars by collectors, hatchback. e 2000GT’s tiny dimensions having surpassed the $1 million necessitated that the doors extend below the windscreen, mark at auction multiple times in To aid access to the tiny cabin, making AUTOart’s hidden hinges that much more valuable. recent years. the designers extended the doors forward under the deeply Although the 2000GT is justly considered Over the years, AUTOart has curved windscreen, meaning the Toyota’s first—and arguably greatest—supercar, revisited the 2000GT periodically, side glass is only about half the much of the credit actually goes to another always to considerable collector width of the door. ese unusual Japanese manufacturer more famous for motor- door contours make AUTOart’s cycles: Yamaha. Yamaha had done engineering interest. What makes low-profile hidden hinges that work for several Japanese automakers through- this new version much more valuable; the doors out the 1960s, most notably Nissan. When so interesting open nice and wide, and hinges Yamaha decided to try its hand at a world-class is that, for the never spoil the scale look. e sports car to showcase its technical and design first time, the interior is upscale (particularly for prowess, it first pitched to Nissan the plans for company is a 1960s’ Japanese car), but that what would be the 2000GT. rendering it in was in keeping with its mission to its “Composite” compete with European sports and GT cars. AUTOart does a series—which is code stellar job replicating the wood for body panels cast in materials grain on the console and steering other than traditional metal. wheel. e chrome-rimmed Cue the skepticism from old- instruments are beautiful as well. school collectors, but at the risk Toyota matched the premium of offending the old guard, I’m sports cars like Ferrari’s 275 going to say that after comparing GTB and the Porsche 911 S by this new car with a previous- offering five forward gears in the generation 2000GT with a metal transmission (the E-Type only body, this new one is better. And had four!), and the model even I’ll tell you why. e composite depicts the tiny shift pattern allows thinner panels and more on the gear lever. Note also the precise edges, so the new car has peculiar chrome e-brake handle noticeably narrower, straighter panel gaps. e gaps look more scale, and the finish is just as good. And because AUTOart uses a metal frame beneath, it provides the strength to allow But Nissan was heavily E-Type, albeit at about 9/10ths invested in its own sports car— scale. e proportions are the Fairlady—and declined. So strikingly similar, with the pointed Yamaha then went to Toyota, nose, long hood, and a low roof which immediately recognized its tapering into a short fastback tail. potential and, needing a sports- It is similar to the Jag beneath oriented vehicle to help shake its the skin as well: a dual overhead rather conservative image, put camshaft (DOHC) inline-6 engine it into limited production—very mounted behind the front axle to limited, in fact; just 351 were built give it optimal weight distribution during its three years (1967–70.) and sending power to a limited- Despite a sticker price of $6,800 slip rear end with independent (more expensive than the E-Type suspension, and disc brakes all Jaguar, with which it is so often around. ere were differences, compared), Toyota didn’t make of course. As the name implies, money on them. One look at the the 2000GT’s engine displaced 2000GT and it’s obvious why it just 2 liters—less than half the is most often compared to the size of the Jag’s big 6—and made 46 DCXmag.com

that pulls straight out of the dash. routed dual exhaust system. e 2000GT used a DOHC inline-6 like its inspiration the Jag E-Type, albeit half Panels behind the wheels e 2000GT came on narrow the size and with 100 fewer horses. AUTOart’s execution on the Yamaha-designed head and carb system is excellent. open to give a preview of the 165-15 Dunlop tires on distinctive technical detail under the hood. 15-inch wheels with chrome further than the direction Nissan AT A GLANCE center hubs and outer rings, and took its Fairlady Z in the years MODEL ey fasten with tiny magnets, argent-painted bisected spokes that followed. e 2000GT has 1967 Toyota 2000GT and this proved to be the one in between. AUTOart does an collector appeal unlike almost frustration found on the model, as excellent job with both; the tread any other Japanese car, and each MANUFACTURER the magnetic pull proved stronger pattern is accurate, although, time AUTOart has produced one, AUTOart than the glue holding of the as is often the case, the car it has been eagerly received. It magnet in place on the driver’s forgoes sidewall markings. A word will be interesting to see how the GENRE side, requiring it to be reglued. of praise also for the chassis; collector community views the Classic sports car But hoisting the forward-opening the depiction of the A-arm switch to composite construction, hood reveals a pure delight of an suspensions front and rear are but objectively, it has tangible SCALE engine compartment. Yamaha outstanding. advantages that make this latest 1:18 thoroughly reworked Toyota’s 2000GT the company’s most 2.0L straight-6 from the Toyota FINAL THOUGHTS accurate yet. ✇ PRICE Crown luxury sedan, adding its $220 own DOHC head, cams, and triple Both Yamaha and Toyota deserve SOURCE Mikuni-Solex carbs to make high praise for the 2000GT—the autoartmodels.com WHAT WE LIKE 150hp and give it a sporty redline former for the design itself, and north of 7,000rpm. It’s a beauty to the latter for the savvy and the + Seductive shape that look at, too; the induction side has boldness to build it. While it could recalls the E-Type lovely detail on the linkages and not be considered a sales success fuel rail feeding the carburetors. in the conventional sense, the car + Meticulous engine and conveyed performance credibility interior detail e split cam covers have the upon Toyota, elevating its stature proper finish and scripts, and the on the world stage. If you want to + Loads of opening panels valley between features accurate see the car’s influence, look no plug wires tracing to the ignition coil on the left front. e exhaust side features a pair of 3-into-1 tubular manifolds that dump into a very Jaglike center- BECAUSE AUTOART USES A METAL FRAME BENEATH, IT PROVIDES THE STRENGTH TO ALLOW PLENTY OF OPENING PANELS AND FUNCTIONAL FEATURES. WINTER 2019 47

OUT OF THE BOX BY MATT BOYD DNA Collectibles Saab 9-3 Viggen Convertible Swan Song for the Swedish Sport Coupe Here’s the very first model we’ve seen from the new diecast company on the scene. How often do we get to say that? It’s called DNA Collectibles, and it’s based in Switzerland. The company does sealed resin-cast models in 1:43 and 1:18. So far, it has tended to focus on—logically enough—European makes and on models from the last 25 years or so. This genre is becoming more common in diecast as the next generation of collectors starts waxing nostalgic for the cars they grew up admiring. What we have here is the Saab is is the first model from e two-tone matte black and satin blue interior has a lot of character, and the 9-3 Viggen—considered by many DNA I’ve examined in person, and dash has a lot of detail in the instruments and switchgear. to be the last true Saab—before from the outset, the packaging GM took over (and eventually is quirky but classy and very off one of the centering tabs and mounted on a clear acrylic base. smothered the brand!). It was in practical—kinda like the Viggen! allowing the top to rattle around It’s cool looking, but to protect it, production from 1999 through It comes in a slick drawstring bag in the box. Luckily, it caused no DNA wraps the whole thing in a 2002, and at the time, the Viggen to protect the inner box, which damage to the model itself, but cling wrap so that you actually was considered something of is nice but rather nondescript. DNA would be wise to ship future have to remove the car from the a throwback—its 5-door hatch Inside that, you might be convertibles with the roof panel base to get the wrap off—not body and raucous turbocharged expecting a decorated inner box, removed and secured in a side super practical. 4-cylinder driving the front but nope! Instead, it is just foam compartment in the box. Most wheels were considered less surrounding the model itself. is collectors won’t end up using Packaging issues aside, sophisticated than many of its is the convertible version of the it—the Viggen is more handsome the model itself is gorgeous. A competition. It was a legitimate Viggen—not the hatchback most with the top down—but it’s nice word about the color: It’s called performer, though; its 230hp and of us think of. is is welcome for that DNA included the option. “Lightning Blue,” and among boatload of turbo torque was two reasons. First, the two-door While we’re discussing packaging, Saab enthusiasts, it is highly enough to keep pace with any droptop is more stylish than the note that DNA delivers the car prized. It was only offered on of the slick German or Japanese slightly hunchbacked 5-door, Viggen convertibles for a single class competition. Ironically, and second, it affords a much the years have shown the 9-3 better look at the interior. It was perhaps ahead of its time, presents one packaging difficulty, as many of those competing though. e car is delivered with brands have come back around to an optional convertible up-top turbocharged 4-cylinder power, panel, secured on the body and fun front-wheel-drive with plastic tie-down straps factory-special hot hatches like and centered with two tiny tabs the VW GTI, Ford Focus ST, and on the bottom rear edge of the new Honda Civic Type R definitely panel. e top on our sample follow in the Viggen’s footsteps. shifted during shipping, breaking 48 DCXmag.com

THE INTERIOR IS WHERE WE GET MOST OF THE BONUS DETAIL, AND WITH THE TOP REMOVED, YOU CAN GET RIGHT DOWN IN THERE WITH PLENTY OF LIGHT TO SEE EVERYTHING THE MODEL HAS TO OFFER. model year—2000—and just the console-mounted ignition notably also built jet-fighter AT A GLANCE 47 examples were imported to key switch! aircraft (and still does!), and MODEL the United States, making it as the Viggen was inspired by— 2000 Saab 9-3 Viggen rare as it is appealing. DNA does Since this is a sealed-body and even named after—one Convertible an exemplary job with it; it has resin model, we don’t get to see of the company’s jets. e just the finest hint of a metallic the rowdy little four-banger that name reportedly translates MANUFACTURER sheen. Surface detail is excellent, gives the Viggen its character to “ underbolt” (although DNA Collectibles with good light lenses. Badging and performance. At the time, I confess Google Translate is accomplished with decals its 230hp and 252 lb.-ft. of couldn’t confirm that for me). GENRE below the clearcoat, and they are torque were exceptional, and It’s appropriate, though— Modern European accurately rendered. hold up well even today. But the especially when you dump the convertible Viggen wasn’t just a motor; it clutch on the Viggen’s turbo-4 e interior is where we get received upgraded suspension, and wrestle the torque steer SCALE most of the bonus detail, and brakes, and rolling stock as well. while it launches you like a jet 1:18 with the top removed, you can down a runway! If this model get right down in there with e latter two are in evidence is representative, look for PRICE plenty of light to see everything on DNA’s model. e chunky DNA to be an up-and-coming $160 the model has to offer. I like the 5-spoke wheels are well molded powerhouse in the resin-cast two-tone matte black and satin and have Saab logos on their model space in the months WHAT WE LIKE blue upholstery. e dashboard center caps, and the tires have ahead. A couple of packaging is especially well executed. All good tread and contours. e snags aside, this is a successful + Quirky, cool, sporty Swede the buttons on the center stack brake calipers and slotted rotors early effort by a promising brand. subject are meticulously picked out with are visible through the spokes; We like the choice of subject, and paint highlights, the contrasting their detail is decent but not we admire the faithful execution + Gorgeous collector-friendly face of the dash panel is very quite up to the level of the rest of Saab’s last great model. ✇ Lightning Blue convincing, and there is excellent of the package. detail on the instruments. SOURCE + Brilliant interior detail Bracketed by the gear shift and FINAL THOUGHTS dnacollectibles.com e-brake handle (both are good) is one of Saab’s signature quirks— e Viggen is slightly odd looking but undeniably handsome and quintessentially Saab! Saab WINTER 2019 49

KIT CAR GARAGE This month’s Kit Car Garage is really Kit MPC Mack Heavy Hauling DM 800 “Truck” Garage, because we’ve got a pair of 1:25 | $40 big-rig kits—one tractor and one trailer—that we think would work together perfectly, so we Auto World bills this one as “king of the highway haulers,” and MPC definitely reached out to Auto World to check them out. gave it the royal treatment in the detail department. e DM 800 is a classic; in production for more than 20 years. It was the basis for many of Mack’s industrial applications, such as dump beds and tow rigs, as well as the tractor of choice for really heavy loads, where its extra strength was essential to getting the job done. MPC goes all out with this one. ere is a hyperdetailed Maxidyne 865 turbocharged diesel V-8—a real classic, and its 325hp was industry-leading in the 1960s when the DM 800 was launched. And you get to see it in all its vintage glory because the kit has a functional butterfly hood and the fenders swing up and away for extra access—very cool! e front wheels have functional steering too, which will be especially useful in posing the tractor with the trailer hooked up. Included are 10 detailed Goodyear tires molded in soft vinyl, plus lots of plated parts for the 5th wheel, fuel tanks, mirrors, and bumper. MPC doesn’t give a specific parts count, but we’d estimate a couple hundred—molded in black, white, chrome, and clear parts. As a result, MPC rates it at skill level 3, so you’ll want to have some experience to build up to this big boy. e kit comes in stylish vintage packaging, befitting this truck’s classic status. AMT Great Dane Extendable Flatbed Trailer 1:25 | $32 Speaking of big dogs, they don’t get much bigger than a Great Dane—especially when it’s extendable through the middle by more than 50 percent! at’s what this flatbed trailer can do thanks to a tandem adjustable setup and adjustable rear suspension. e trailer goes from 19.2 to 31.2 inches long to fit virtually any load. e kit was originally designed by Ertl but has now been updated and rereleased by AMT. It features more than 150 separate pieces and an all-new decal sheet with “Wide Load” markings. It will look perfect hooked up to the DM 800. We just have to figure out what the load should be. AMT and MPC, distributed by Auto World; autoworldstore.com 50 DCXmag.com