Old school comparison: Redline T-bird vs. Redline T-Bird - Topper Johnny Lightning vs. Mattel Hot Wheels

This is a comparison that's 45 years out of date - comparing 2 OLD-SCHOOL late '60s Ford T-Birds - BOTH with redline wheels....

Yes, we all know that the term "Redlines" means Hot Wheels Redlines - the creme-de-la-crime models of the diecast collecting scene.  And the Custom T-Bird's always been one of my favorite Redline models - a big American '60s muscle car, done with a few custom touches.  A cool car, with the only real downside being the very high price point needed to get into it these days - $30 or more for a fair/good condition model, $100 or more for a C8-C9 condition model, and easily $500 or more for a MIP model or a rare color.  Ouch!!!

But back in the day, Hot Wheels faced competition from the original Johnny Lightnings - made by Topper in those days rather than today's Playing Mantis.  Topper's even had red line wheels and so took on Hot Wheels head to head!  Most of those old Toppers were fantasy models - but they made a FEW realistic castings - and this "Custom Thunderbird" is one of their best.  One of the best things about these old Topper models is that they came with both an opening hood AND opening doors (but also with cast-shut doors - so hunt wisely!).   Unfortunately, the price points for Topper's realistic cars is only slightly better than that for Mattel's Hot Wheels - with reasonable examples in better colors often exceeding $50.  They are so rare that I haven't seen a MIP trade on EBay - so I can't tell you what the high end price points are...

So, which one is better?  Who made the better Custom T-Bird back in 1970?!?  Let's get to the comparison!!!

I only have 1 Topper T-Bird, in gold, while I have several Hot Wheels T-Birds.  But one of those Birds is in gold, so it makes it a gold vs. gold custom T-Bird comparison test...  What could be better!?!

At first blush, it looks like it'll be a tight race.  Size-wise, they are both right on top of each other - built big, sized just the way they should be.  Their dimensions are RIGHT on top of each other.  Definitely a draw in the size category.

Paint:  I'm a fan of Hot Wheels Spectraflame paint, but Topper's color is a bit richer, making Mattel's gold paint look like Fools Gold.  In the paint category, the Topper wins.

Metal Body Detail:  The Topper has more body contour than the Mattel.  The Native American Thunderbird symbol is actually cast in relief on the B pillar, just like on the real car.  The roof has a contour line, the trunk and hood has air body vents on it and there is an actual gas cap.  The Mattel's body is nice, but there aren't even door line markings, while the Topper has handles...  The only place where the Mattel scores points is in the hood scoop - where the Mattel looks more bad-ass...  Easily, this category again goes to Topper.

Grill and Light Detail:  This category is close, but Mattel eakes out a win, with the Thunderbird symbol being cast in relief on the grill, and an actual license plate bracket on the rear.  Everything else about the grill and light detail is nice for both cars - with nice metal relief cross-hatching on the grills, and a cast metal AND painted in backlight.

Base Detail:  Both bases are metal and have a lot of detail for the time, but the Mattel has more.  Winner - Mattel.

Opening Features:  The Topper has to win in this category - with opening doors AND an opening hood, though the engine detail is certainly nicer in the Mattel.

Interior:  Again, the Topper wins - in part since the opening doors allow you to see more of the interior.  But even so, the Topper has more interior detail.  Advantage - Topper.

Ride:  The Hot Wheels has an actual suspension - giving a soft and silky ride.   The Topper feels suspension-less - giving an easy (and important) win to the Hot Wheels...

Overall score:  With Topper taking 4 of the 6 six categories, it's hard to argue that Topper should win overall.  That's the way it should be.  If I hadn't looked at it by category, I would have still given the win to Topper.  But the Mattel model is still a very nice model! 

It's nice that the winner is (slightly) cheaper.  But the Topper Redlines are VERY hard to find.  When you DO find one, make sure that you get the one with opening doors... 

The last couple of photos show the other T-Bird models:

In the one to the right, I show the Playing Mantis re-make of Topper's Custom Thunderbird (in purple).  This model stays pretty true to the original, but loses the opening doors and the vintage appeal.  It's a nice model for $3-5, released in the late '90s, and has nicer paint and a smoother ride than the original.  But I still heavily prefer the   authentic Topper Johnny Lightning!  I also include Hot Wheel's Authentic "Spoiler" version of the T-Bird - now called the "TNT Bird" - in dark red.  This casting is the "Custom T-Bird" casting, but with a blown engine and no hood.  It's a great model - a favorite of mine.  While I like all of the Spoiler cars, this T-Bird is definitely one of my favorites!  Unfortunately, the Spoilers are no cheaper than the regular cars - you'll pay dearly for this model!!!


Finally, I show a few other color variations of Mattel's custom T-Bird and Mattel's TNT Bird! 

Mitsubishi Montero (Pajero) - is the Fast Lane Montero a good Montero - and can it compete with a Tomica?

I recently vacationed in Costa Rica.

Vacations always cause me to evaluate and regard and see ordinary cars differently.  For instance, Beijing China was filled with beautiful Volkswagons, with black early '00s Passats functioning as limousines, and mid '80s generation Passats functioning as funky-cool police cars.  It made me want to have one of my own - which was odd - since I ACTUALLY have a blacked-out early '00s Passat...  But somehow, the Chinese Passats in Beijing just looked cooler than my suburban commuter Passat... 

In Costa Rica, the car that really caught my eye was the Mitsubishi Montero.  These cool looking rugged 4X4s were the high class limousines of Costa Rica.  Never mind that in Chicago these are 150,000 mile $4K used car specials, in Costa Rica they were GOLD.  Never mind that I have a nice '09 Mercedes Benz GL500, I NEEDED to have a Montero.  So guess what I started searching Craigslist for...?

 ...and of course, this got me thinking about Matchbox cars, and whether I had a nice Montero...  ...which I in fact
do - a "Fast Lane" (drugstore brand) Montero in teal...


I normally have no respect or patience for Fast Lane cars, but this one looked nice, and was a casting of a seldomly modeled car.    

There is a lot to pick at about the casting...  The cheap wheels, the overly shiny plastic for the grill, the plasticky roof rack, the plastic baseplate without even a word on it, the teal color, the odd graphics, etc.  A lot of collectors wouldn't even give it a 2nd glance...

But on the other hand, there is a lot to LIKE about the casting...  Its nicely sized - REALLY nicely sized, big in the same way that a real Montero is big.  It's nicely detailed - a pretty reasonable model in its own right.  It looks cool dressed up with the pusher bar and the roof rack.  And of course, its a Montero when I have very few other Monteros...  This is a cool model - even though its from a cheapo-manufacturer!  Overall, a nice and valued part of collection! 


But how does it compare with other Monteros?  My other Monteros are Tomicas, which given the high quality quotient inherent in most Tomicas, is bound to make the comparison a little difficult for this Fast Lane... 

I have 4 Tomicas badged as Pajeros (Monteros), though 1 is a Pajero junior and 2 more are short 2 door vs. full 4 doors.  Only 1 is a real full size 4 door Montero/Pajero, in silver with a green stripe along the side.  It has opening doors, and large wheels (that I'm actually not very crazy about).  But overall, it is a very nice casting, correctly sized, with great detail.  If you don't have it, you should get it.  There is no doubt that its nicer than the Fast Lane, in almost every regard.  (But that doesn't mean that I don't like the Fast Lane casting...).   So no, the Fast Lane Montero CAN'T compete with the Tomica Montero - though both are highly regarded castings in my eyes!

 The other shorter Monteros are also nice pieces.  I have 2 that are non-Pajero-Juniors, one in silver and one in green with a light on the roof.  I don't like the wheels, but I love the classic Montero big front ends...  But I can't help wishing they were full 4 doors vs. 2 doors. 

The Pajero junior is a police truck, though I think I have another (older) Pajero junior casting in green that I wasn't able to find for the photo shoot. 

I like all of the Montero castings.  The 4 door Tomica is easily my favorite, but the Fast Lane is still a nice casting... 

'70's Mopar police cars - which would Rosco drive?

...all this talk about the '68/'69 Dodge Charger comparo post (General Lee!) and the recent '70s Firebirds post (Smokey and the Bandit!), inevitably makes me think about the other guys - the '70's police cars, sometimes driven by daft Rosco Coltrain-types, sometimes driven by the heroes themselves, who were always competing with the good/bad guys...  And for some reason, they were usually in Dodge and Plymouth Mopar police cars vs. Chevys and Fords... 


So...  ...how have these '70's Mopar police cars been modeled in 1:64 scale...?  Are there any good models?  Read on and see...!

First up is the one of the newest models, the retro Dodge Monaco Police car, released in the last few years by Matchbox.  I've heard other bloggers comment on how excellent of a model it is...  ...but for this casting along with the other retro Matchbox, I remain solidly luke-warm.  I think I'm put off by the overly shiny (and hence cheap looking) plastic grills combined with the ultra-wide wheels... 

But even I have to admit that this particular casting's not too bad.  It's size is reasonable - and I'm a guy who loves seeing the big '60s and '70s American cars modeled - especially when its a more normal car vs. another endless muscle car.   It's trim and detail are reasonable.  On the downside, it's tires are too wide (though the wheels look good), it's light bar too fake and plasticky, it's bottom base-plate ridiculously fake and plasticky, etc.  As with other retro Matchbox castings, I wonder why collectors are so interested in them - especially when authentic vintage fair-good condition castings are available for not much more on E-Bay.

Next up is the champion, the Lesney Matchbox Plymouth Gran Fury police car, a car from my childhood and so the archetypal Matchbox police car for me...    Yes, this one is an immediate favorite for me. 

It's a smidgeon longer than the above Monaco, a full size car from the Lesney era.  THe metal baseplate gives it a nice heft, the light bar is solid, the metal work in the grill is quality, etc.   All in all a great model!  ...Though not as great of a model as the earlier Mercury police car (but that's not Mopar!), nor of the Hot Wheels Mercury police red-line (a favorite model of mine), but a solid contender from the Lesney era.  On a scale of 1-10, a solid 7....   Does it get any better than this...?

Next up are the Kidco Dodge Monacos, in regular, lock-ups (rubber tires!) and burnin' key car form.  All but the key car have opening doors and a full interior.  They are sized right in line with the Lesney, though I wonder how realistic the 2 door configuration is for a police car.  The plastic bases and grills detract relative to the Lesney, but the opening doors are a nice touch, as are the rubber tires on the lock-up Park Service model (which as the nicest version, will be the one used for the comparison).

The suspension isn't up to Lesney standards (the lock-up version has no suspension), but otherwise the car compares favorably.  I would again rate it a 7 of 10, though the lesser "normal" Kidcos (blue and yellow above) are probably only a 5, and the key-car version without an interior is probably only a 2...


Zylmex did an older Plymouth (in the background to the right), with a metal base and opening doors.  The plastic grill looks a bit cheesy, and the car is sized a tiny bit smaller than the Kidco and Lesneys (though large for a Zylmex.  The light bar is awful but the rest of the car is A-OK, again a solid 7....

A Yatming is up next.  If you read my "top 30 Yatmings of all time" post, you'll understand when I refer to it as a poorer, newer, cheaper Yatming casting, with plastic base and grill and no opening parts.  It's size is right in line with the Kidco though, and even as I see its flaws I still like this casting. 

It's fun to see both Kidco and Zylmex out-quality the Yatming, given that Yatming occasionally has real quality products...  Too bad they didn't a police version (or if they did - I don't have it!) of their Coronet (1st on my list of the 30 best Yatmings of all time!). 

Tomica comes up next, the last of the vintage models, with thier F-Series (US Market) Dodge Coronet in police and taxi guise.  It's sized right in-line with the Zylmex and has similar detail, but done in metal vs. plastic.  It has typical Tomica quality, with a soft suspension, nice trim and opening doors.  I give it another 7...

Playing Mantis is next to the fight, with their Johnny Lightning Dodge.  This one is BIG and solid, without opening parts, but undeniable presence.   The metal detail (real pusher bars!!!) and paint are both beautiful and it comes with rubber tires, though for me the newer casting lacks vintage appeal.   For the sake of argument, I give it a 7, though I wonder if it doesn't deserve more....

Finally, Greenlight comes along with THEIR '74 white Monaco, a HUGE car, much larger than the rest, with exquisite detail and crazy large lights.  The size is a bit off-putting - does it really need to be this much larger than the others...?, though the rest of the models attributes are captivating (glass stop lights?!?).  Correct wheels and hidden headlights give credibility to this model - I have to give it at least an 8.5...

But where is ERTL?  Didn't they do a Dukes of Hazard line that sold for 30+ years (sometimes you can STILL find it on the pegs), with Rosco's police car...?!?   To answer the question, Yes, they did Rosco's police car, though for an odd reason they chose to press an existing casting of an early '80s Oldsmobile 88 into service instead of creating an authentic casting...  This was a rare oversight, since the other ERTL DoH castings are more authentic.  But regardless, an Oldsmobile's not Mopar, so I excluded the casting (it would have ranked poorly anyway...!). 

And what about Hot Wheels - doesn't it have an entry here?  Well, again, no.  They did several '70s police cars, including the wonderful Mercury Park Lane and a 442.  But these were both replaced by a generic police car which did not appear to be based on any real car...  From the headlights and grill you could almost believe it was Mopar - but the rest of the car makes it clear that it is no specific model...  Shame on you Hot Wheels - this car might have been the first example of the current trend of non-licensed castings.

So, how do these 8 castings - 6 vintage - 2 retro modern - compare...?  Which is the best '70s Mopar police car...?  First, let me be clear - these are all super-nice castings...  This is a hard decision to judge!

Well, the first one to eliminate is the Greenlight...  Don't get me wrong, it is an AMAZING casting.  Possibly the nicest casting ever done by Greenlight.  This is a display case car - a museum car - an heirloom car.  The problem is the scale...  It just doesn't FEEL like 1/64.  It might actually be correct "true scale", with the rest of the entrys being too small - but I don't really think so.  I think that this is more like 1:55 scale - and as such - it just doesn't really belong in this bunch of cars.  The Greenlight wins in a special category of cars - those bound to be displayed in a museum.  For those of looking for "Matchbox-like" cars - ones that you can zoom around on the carpet and chase Bo and Luke in their General Lee - read on! 

Among the remaining contenders, it becomes a very close fight - probably the hardest 7 casting battle to differentiate that I've done to date.   There's not a loser in this bunch - I really like all of the cars.... And how fun is it that we have 3 cars from non-name brand vintage labels - the Kidco, the Zylmex and the Yatming, duking it out on an even playing field with the Tomica, the Lesney Matchbox and the Johnny Lightning!?!  This comparison serves as evidence for anyone who needs convincing that these old drug-store brands are worth collecting...! 

The new Matchbox is the first to go.  A good casting.  If it had opening doors, or a suspension that actually had some give, or a shade of plastic for the grill that wasn't SO glaringly bright, it might have actually gotten higher in the finishing order.  But not a bad finish for a retro Matchbox, all things considered, and I have to admit that I'm impressed by this casting.  You need a couple of these for your police station layout... 

The Yatming is the next easiest to eliminate.  It is the cheapest of the remaining, with the least features...   But I still like this casting.  I'm glad I've got it.  Its a great addition to my collection - just not quite up to the standard of the other castings.  It takes a proud and hard-fought 6th place. 

With 5 cars remaining, the competition gets even tougher...  The perennial favorite Lesney Gran Fury...  the soft and silky Tomica Coronet...  The over-achiever over-detailed Johnny Lightning Dodge with rubber tires...  the forest preserve dark horse Kidco lock-up with rubber tires, or the even darker horse upset Zylmex Plymouth with opening doors...? 

The Kidco falls next - it just feels like the wrong real car to model a police car on...  A 2 door?!?  Plus the grill is a bit cheap-looking... 

Thinking about it, looking at the models, and running them back and forth, another car falls out of the pack...  This time its a real surprise, as the Tomica gets relegated to 4th place (by me - the blogger who loves Tomica!).  It just lacks the "gotta have it" factor for me...  nothing I can put my finger on - but this is what a comparison test is all about.  4th place - just missing a podium finish... 

In 3rd place it'll be the new model - the Johnny Lightning.  This is a great model with amazing detail, great heft, and wonderful rubber tires...   but lacking the vintage appeal of the other models.  A great casting by any view, and with opening doors, possibly a winner... 

2nd place is the dark horse candidate - the Zylmex Plymouth...  I REALLY wanted this model to win - just to see Zylmex beat out Tomica, Lesney Matchbox, Mattel Matchbox, Greenlight, Kidco, and Johnny Lightning for the title...  And it ALMOST beats them all, all except for Matchbox!  Nice job Zylmex - I love this car! 

And that leaves Matchbox as the winner.  When this test started I really wasn't sure that the Gran Fury was going to be able to hold off the challengers.  But this casting is a quality casting - and the quality kept pulling it back to the top of the pack.  One of the best of the late '70s Lesney castings, and the best '70s Mopar police car in 1/64th scale...! 

P.S.  This really was a fun comparison - of 8 wonderful castings.  All of these are great, and every one's a winner.  If I wrote the blog tomorrow night, I might pick out an entirely new order. 

P.P.S.  There are many people who would pick the Greenlight to win outright - no comparison - and I understand and appreciate that attitude.  It's an amazing piece.  In a way its far nicer than the other modern casting - the Johnny Lightning...  ...but also in a way it just out-sizes everything else - which for me, was its downfall! 

Why I hate Tomica Limited Vintage...

Tomica Limited Vintage cars look great...   Amazing castings that are often unique from ordinary Tomica castings, with correct wheels and highly detailed paint jobs, all from my favorite toy company...  What's not to like...?

Quite simply, the scale, that's what. 

When you buy Tomica Limited Vintage over the internet vs. in person at a store (and in the USA, the only place to buy them is over the internet), you don't get a sense for the physical size of the car.  You don't get that sense until you've paid $5-10 in shipping costs per car and had them shipped all the way from Tokyo or Hong Kong...   ...and realize that they are SMALL... 

Looking through all of the Tomica Limited Vintages in my collection, in the vast majority of cases, they feel under-scale to me - more like 1:70 scale vs. 1:64. 

The pictures illustrate this.  The car in question is a 1980's Toyota Town-Ace minivan - the same Toyota mini-van that Toyota sold in the USA in the late '80s to compete with the Dodge Caravan (the one where the engine was accessed from under the driver's seat...    ...and that was eventually replaced by the Previa, which was replaced by the Sienna).  I've lined up 3 other white minivans to compare it with - minivans that you might recognize from my recent minivan post.  In the first 2 photos, the Town-Ace is the 2nd from the right.  And you can see that it is NOTICEABLY smaller than the other white minivans - when in fact it should be essentially the same size as the others... 

I'm here to tell you that this is not an isolated case.  I have many other Limited Vintages in my collection which have this same problem... 

This is why I hate them...   ...you get all excited about how good they look on their own - and then are so disappointed when they end up being small...  

P.S.  They also frequently feel lightweight to me... 

P.P.S.  I also hate that Tomica has "vintage" in the name, which makes it very difficult to hunt through EBAY for true vintage Tomicas... 

closer to their size

Nissan Z Cars throughout the years; Matchbox vs. Tomica

Datsun/Nissan Z cars have never been my favorite Japanese sports car (although I am a sucker for the twin turbo 1990-96 version), I've always been a Mazda RX7 guy rather than a 300ZX guy...   But since it came out in the early '70s, the Z car has become a mainstay, perhaps even the embodiment, of the Japanese sports car scene...

Interestingly, both Matchbox and Tomica have covered the multiple generations of the Z car, and as my 2 favorite brands, it seems only appropriate to see who covered them better!  Therefore this is a different type of a comparison - not comparing one model - but an entire slate of models....   Can Matchbox match Tomica when it comes to Z cars...?

Going in chronological order, we start off with the 1st Z car - the 240Z.   Only Tomica covered the 240, but Matchbox covered the longer and later 260Z (which Tomica didn't cover), so we'll compare these 2 models for the 1st comparison...

In this case, there is just no comparison.  The Tomica model is a jewel of a model, with beautiful covered headlights, opening doors, fantastic trim detail, a soft suspension, a wonderfully detailed metal baseplate, a slim chrome front bumper running across the front, a Datsun script visible across the rear deck, etc.  Even the rear window has defroster lines in it.  My only complaint about it is the uninspired brown/copper color of it.  Overall, this is an excellent example of why vintage Tomicas (as opposed to upper-case V "Vintage Tomicas" - a sub-brand of Tomica) are such amazing models...

In contrast, the Lesney era Matchbox model is one of the duds of the Lesney years.  I've never liked the model - and I've had it since childhood (although I've lost that particular example).  Mostly the car just always appeared to long - it's the scale-length of a Cadillac!  And while the 260Z was a longer car than the 240 - the model is longer than it needs to be.  It came in magenta (mine) and silver with red.  The silver with red is the better color.  It has opening doors, but no suspension to speak off (superfast...  Really?).  Overall it is an uninspired model, competing head-to-head with one of Tomica's best castings...  Winner?  Tomica by a mile!

But Matchbox redeemed itself (sort-of) when it came to the 280Z.  They actually made 2 280Z models - one of the first time in history - and maybe the only time in history - when Matchbox made 2 distinct castings - in the same period (i.e. not one coming 40 years later) of the same model.  The first is the Hong Kong version (badged as a Fairlady Z), with the tiny Hong Kong wheels.  This one came in black and red (my childhood example - and not found in time for this photo shoot) as well as black and orange.  I actually slightly prefer the black and red version, but this particular black and orange version is in much better shape than my childhood black and red, so it'll photograph much better...  It is nicely sized, with a soft suspension, opening doors, excellent detail and metalwork, and a nice baseplate and interior.  At first glance, there appears to be nothing wrong with this model...

For some odd reason, Matchbox then replaced it with an entirely new 280ZX 2+2 Macau casting.  This one is huge - a hulking oversize beast of a casting.  It sits up high like a truck, with huge (but nice) wheels - in one case laser discs, in the other starbursts.   Again it has opening doors and nice metal work, and even outlines on the roof for t-tops.  But the size is really unfortunate - making the earlier Hong Kong casting the easy contender for Matchbox...

The Tomica 280Z version is a step-down from the jewel-like 240.   It switches to a plastic (but still detailed) baseplate.  The version I have is in blue and is pretty beat-up, which doesn't help the comparison.  The metal detail on the casting is fine, and it even has a rear window wiper (but no front wipers - the inverse of the Hong Kong Matchbox).  It has painted-on t-tops on the roof.

Comparing the Hong Kong Matchbox with the Tomica is a bit of a close call, but in the end the choice is easy.  Matchbox wins based on overall feel.  The Tomica just doesn't look/feel as nice - a bit too small, and somehow proportioned wrong vs. the earlier 240 Tomica.

The mid-80s 300ZX battle will again be rough...  The Matchbox version was one of the first vintage cars I got when I started collecting again in my early 20s.  I got the white with green FUJI film version, which of course was unable to be found for this photoshoot, but the 2 silver and red versions are just as nice and so stand-in well.  These ones are nice models, trading opening doors for an opening hood.  The 300ZX was a bigger car - and while these are a bit oversize, they don't feel it too much.  The cars have a hood scoop for the turbo, a metal baseplate and trim detail that includes the Nissan and 300ZX Turbo lettering on the back. The silver and FUJI versions come in 8 dot wheels, the red in starburst.  Either way you get it, it's a nice model...

But Tomica doesn't take this fight sitting down...!  The version I have is a consumer version in silver, with 300ZX V6 Turbo lettering on the side (there is also a police version which I don't own).  It's also got a Turbo hood scoop offset on the left side of the hood.  Both Matchbox and Tomica have a nice soft suspension, so it's a tie there.   The rear lights on the Tomica are a separate plastic (glass-like) piece - a real quality look - looking just like the real car (see above photo).   The front lights should be as well - but the plastic is broken and missing on my model.  Overall, it's a close fight, with the Matchbox appearing to be sized well until compared with the smaller Tomica model.  Picking a winner is difficult....!

I end up picking the winner the old fashioned way - just based on which one I like better....  And while I love the Matchbox model, the Tomica just feels better...   Winner - TOMICA (but it was close!)!

Fast forward to 1990, and the new 300 HP Nissan 300ZX...   Wow! - this was a great car in real life - a personal favorite of mine.  And I loved the Matchbox model.  Mine was in yellow - though the yellow one pictured was a mint example that I picked up later.  No opening parts, but great detail and glass T-Tops (and glass headlights!).  It came in a variety of colors, of which the silver version is nicest.

The Tomica is just not as nice.- based on its overall shape.  It's not as squat as the real and Matchbox versions - too long vs. wide.  The T-Tops are painted in...  While the opening doors are nice, and the separate piece headlights are cool (but unrealistic) it just doesn't wow the way the Matchbox does....  The police version is no better than the red consumer version.  Overall, it's not a bad car, but not as nice as the Matchbox...   Winner - Matchbox!

And now we get up to the 350Z/370Z version...  All I've got is the Matchbox 350Z in gold (pictured), but its available in a few other colors, competing against the Tomica 370Z (I've got 2 hardtops - one in yellow and one in graphite, as well as a black convertible).  I imagine that Tomica did a 350Z, but I don't have it.

This comparison is easy.  The Matchbox is an OK model, correct, but a little plain.  Detail is painted in, and there is nothing really wrong with the model.  But the Tomica just eclipses it - but more body contours, opening doors, better quality paint detail, etc.  I don't know what it is, but the Tomica easily wins.

So there you have it.  5 comparisons - across 5 (OK - really 7) different generations of the Datsun/Nissan Z car.  Tomica runs away with the first comparison, only to lose the second, barely win the third, lose the fourth, and again win the 5th...   Score, Tomica 3, Matchbox 2...  so does this mean that Tomica wins overall...?  Is Tomica the best scale-model maker of Z cars...?  

I'm not really sure, but I know I'm thrilled to have gotten the chance to do this comparison.  Most of these models (Matchbox 260Z excluded) are nice models - and I'm glad to have them all (Matchbox 260Z included).  Therefore I declare Matchbox and Tomica BOTH equal winners in modeling Nissan Z cars throughout the years...!

Late '70s Firebirds... Smoky and the Bandit... Firechickens... If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

I've been complaining about this subject for so long, that everyone is sick of hearing me on my soapbox...  About how we all have so many models of "cool" cars (Corvettes, '69 Camaros, etc.) and so few models of ordinary cars (Hyundai Elantras, Nissan Altimas, etc.).  But at least with all these different castings of the same cool car, this gives me an excellent chance to have a comparison test, in this case, of the late '70s Firebird (or "Firechickens" as my friends in high school called them...).  (If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!).

I grew up in the early '80s, so this car is the quintessential Firebird to me.  Made famous by the movie "Smoky and the Bandit", available with a huge (but emission-choked) V8...  10 times cooler than the similar Camaro...

I've got the car in at least 8 distinct castings, though depending how you count unique castings you can argue that I've got it in as many as 11 distinct castings, and more than 20 color variations (I found 20, but know that I've got a few more Firebirds in other colors stashed in various places).

The first casting I'll consider is the Lesney "Pontiac" casting,  I had the olive green one shown as a kid, and eventually also acquired the same casting in white (though I couldn't find it for the photoshoot).  As an adult I got the tan/bronze example.  The silver and red cars are the same casting but with T-Tops cut into their roof (does this make it count as a unique casting...?), I'm missing the black T-Top version.  This casting has been roundly critized by Firebird aficionados for having the incorrect non-wrap-around rear window of the earlier Firebird, because Matchbox was too cheap to create a new casting and instead simply slapped a new nose and hood onto the older No. 4 "Pontiac Firebird" blue casting...  The positives of this casting is that it has a nice heft to it, and it includes detail such as silver headlights from the baseplate (an excellent trait that several of these castings share).  However its got a bunch of negatives, including the big negative mentioned above, the fact that its a little big for its scale, and the boring metal baseplate with no detail on it.  But the biggest negative is that I just don't like it very much...   Ever since I was a kid, it never really felt like it adequately represented a late '70s Firebird to me...   This Lesney Matchbox may be a well known casting, but it's not going to compare well to its competition...

The other well-known Firebird casting from my childhood, and one that I was always a bit jealous about since I didn't have it, is of course the entry from Hot Wheels, the "Hot Bird"...  This again was best known as being available in black, but was also sold in other colors.  This gold example is a beautiful car, though I actually prefer the gold wheels on the black car over the standard wheels on the gold car.  The casting has T-Tops, which aren't deep enough, and its' rear light detail is a bit lame, but it's front lights are beautiful, silver in color and with amazing detail, another example of headlights created by having silver metal from the baseplates poking through the headlight holes.  There is no real suspension to speak of, but the car still rolls well, and most importantly - it really looks like the real Firebird.  This Hot Bird is a better casting than the Matchbox and so will be in contention for the best Firebird award....

Playing Mantis Johnny Lightning supplies the modern retro version.  I liked this one so much I have it in 2 casting variations - the '78 in black, yellow, bronze and red, and the '79 (more attractive nose) in maroon, blue and silver.  All are nice with beautiful paint colors, glassed in T-Tops, opening hoods (but that barely open...), and I have 6 different types of alloy wheels across my 7 colors.  3 have plastic tires, 4 (maroon, red, yellow and black) have rubber tires.  The phoenix (firechicken?) hood decal is beautiful...  My favorite of them all is the blue and then the silver, though none are losers.  I should note however that the front headlights themselves are a bit of a let down relative to the silver metal baseplate driven detailed ones on the Hot Wheels and some of the other castings.  Overall, it's a really nice casting - and a definite contender for best casting...

The 4 remaining castings are rarer...

I recently showed the Yatming casting in a "Top 30 Yatmings of all time" posting...  The Yatming is in my collection in red, blue and yellow, all with opening doors and cast t-tops, a metal base, a soft suspension, and again metal headlights showing through from the baseplate (but that aren't as nicely detailed as those on the Hot Wheels).  Again, a definite contender...

2 different black ERTLs make a showing.  The left most car is the higher quality model, with opening doors and a metal baseplate, but like the blue Matchbox it is the earlier version of the Firebird with the alternate nose and non-wrap-around rear window.  It's a bit large in scale, with oversize wheels.  While it has opening doors and a metal baseplate, those factors aren't enough to put it into contention for the best casting award, instead it'll be close to the back of the pack... 

The right most model is the "Smoky and the Bandit" casting - but although its more of a correct model for this particular comparison, its just not as nice of a model.  It feels like a cheap toy, with a plastic base and no opening features.  I didn't find it until after I'd done most of the multi-car photos - so its not included in those photos.   Again, it'll be close to the back of the pack... 

Kidco makes an appearance (leftmost car in the below photo of 3 black cars) with another black Firebird with an opening hood and T-tops.  The size is nice and small, but the baseplate is plastic, the standard Kidco wheels are cheaply, the headlights have NO detail, etc.  Overall, this car is quickly determined to be the last place finisher, giving Matchbox and the 2 ERTLs the chance to battle it for 2nd to last...  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that I've got this casting, it just doesn't stand a chance of being the best...

That leaves the last casting, by my favorite toymaker, Tomica (middle of the above 3 car photo, rightmost of the 7 car photo to the right)...  ....And this is a REALLY nice Tomica.  It's an F series, made for America, with a silky suspension, classic black color, opening doors, highly detailed headlights that are silver metal from the baseplate, etc.  Definitely a contender for best Firebird...

So which one wins?

Well, the Tomica, the Yatming, the Johnny Lightning and the Hot Wheels are all in contention for 1st place...   Of the 4, the Johnny Lightning gets eliminated first.  I love the casting and its colors, but there is just something special about vintage castings, that make them feel more authentic.  Or maybe, its just that I remember the vintage ones from my childhood...?  In addition, the lack of a suspension hurts the car.  It ends up in a strong 4th place, feeling more like a display piece than a toy.

The next to go is the Yatming.  It's a nice casting, and feels Tomica-like in its execution, until it is compared to the real Tomica, when it suddenly feels like a copy vs. the authentic...  It's a bit big, and just doesn't feel as jewel-like perfect as the Tomica.  It's opening doors are a nice touch, and it has a metal base with mechanical detail, but headlights just aren't as nice as those of the Tomica and Hot Wheels...   It goes home with its head held high in 3rd place.

After that, the choice becomes easy. I can't believe that the simple and common Hot WHeels, without any opening pieces, and with a half done t-top, is even able to make it to 2nd place against such strong competition, but it does.  The car is beautiful in either black or gold, and rolls great.  And it's headlights are gorgeous! In short, a great toy, and a well-deserved 2nd place finish. 

And leaves the Tomica in 1st place, an easy win in the end, a beautiful casting and well deserving of the best Firebird title.  It IS a bit ironic that a Japanese brand beat out all of the American brands for one of the most iconic American cars ever... 

Regardless, Burt Reynolds would be proud....!

P.S.  I realize that I didn't announce 5th - 7th place - the winner of the 2 ERTL / Matchbox fight...  Obviously the newer (and cheaper) ERTL will take 7th - but what about 5th and 6th?   I'm having a tough time picking, so I'm declaring it a tie!