Earlier this week, I went a bit stupid on eBay on bought a pair of 1/18 scale big damn Fords. And honestly, big damn Fords are the best damn Fords, so I don’t feel the least bit bad about it.
Now, as promised, are some pictures and a review of my two big damn Fords:
On the left, a Greenlight ‘64 Ford Galaxie 500 hard top as seen in Men in Black 3. On the right, an Ertl Precision 100 ‘64 Ford Thunderbolt, as seen in being awesome.
First up, the Galaxie:
Okay, so this is a pretty cool model. First, it’s really big. Like...really big. The Galaxie is a really big car is what I’m saying. The level of detail is really high, but not overdone. Probably my favorite part is the roof, actually. On the 1:1, it’s vinyl and this one has kind of a textured flat finish that’s quite pleasing to the touch. The engine is clearly a Ford 390, which is nice...Greenlight doesn’t seem like a company who’s interested in mailing it in just because some people are collecting it as a Men in Black collectible rather than car collectors.
If I was grading it, I would probably give it about an 8.5/10. I love the subject matter, and they nailed the Galaxie’s look and feel, but it’s not super detailed like some of the really high end models...at $40 plus shipping though, it’s excellent. Factoring in the price, it’s probably up over a 9/10.
And it’s new friend, the ‘64 Thunderbolt. I could have gotten this one in a few different colors, but I wanted either white or red...theres a black one available, but they only ever sold the Thunderbolt in white and red, so there you go.
Look, I’m not going to mince words here guys. This is as impressed as I’ve ever been with a scale model, especially at it’s price point. The paint and exterior on this car is gorgeous, I can’t find a flaw in it. Then look at the interior...there’s a key hanging from the ignition. Let me repeat that, because it bears repeating. There. Is. A. Key. Hanging. From. The. Ignition. I don’t know why that’s the thing that really impresses me here, but it’s just such a neat touch that I love it. And it’s not a molded plastic thing, it actually is a tiny little key on a tiny little ring that swings when you touch it.
Under the hood, the engine is just gorgeous. I mean it’s kind of dominated by the air cleaner and the ducts, but underneath there is a highly detailed 427. I can’t really get a picture that shows you guys just how good it is. Also, those hood pins you see there? Not molded into the hood, they’re legit hood pins that you need to remove to open the hood.
Around the back, the trunk opens and is complete with a wired battery...apparently it’s a boat battery that weighed quite a lot, for weight distribution and traction. Also, there’s a little door that opens to show the fuel filler on the back of the car, which is a really nice touch. And for some reason, the tires have plastic covers on them from the factory, which I hadn’t yet removed for these pictures.
Also a nice little thing, when you roll it the driveshaft turns. The suspension all works, the steering wheel turns with the front tires, and the doors are apparently held closed with magnets. Also, I know it doesn’t count for anything, but it weighs a damn ton. The Galaxie is longer and wider, but the Thunderbolt is definitely heavier.
I’ll tell you guys, I’ve had three Exoto Sauber Mercedes C9s, and this is about as nice a model as those were for it’s subject matter. I mean the thing is really just epic. They can be had for $50-70 shipped on eBay, and I don’t know that I could possibly recommend it any more highly for that price. I believe the model dates from around 2003, but they’re still pretty easy to find.
On a 10 point scale, this is a 10. Not much else to say about the grade, it’s awesome and I love it.
So there you go guys, big damn Ford Friday.