Tommy Boy (The Movie) '67 Plymouth GTX Convertible

       
 
 
Made By:
Malibu International LTD for Reel Rides
Scale:
1/24
MSRP:
US$18.87
Overview:
Packaging (Design):7/10
Packaging (Durability):7/10
Casting (Body):6/10
Casting (Interior):8/10
Casting (Chassis):6/10
Casting (Engine):6/10
Paint (Exterior):7/10
Paint (Interior):9/10
Paint (Trim/Graphics):7/10
Overall Panel Fit:6/10
Total Score:6.8/10

 
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Reel Rides Tommy Boy 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX
Reel Rides Tommy Boy 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX Packaging Reel Rides Tommy Boy 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX Wheel Reel Rides Tommy Boy 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX Dashboard Reel Rides Tommy Boy 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX Engine Reel Rides Tommy Boy 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX Rear Suspension Reel Rides Tommy Boy 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX Rear

 
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Packaging

The Reel Rides box is a three-window design, with a large window on the front and top of the box and a smaller window on each end flap. The dominant color is a solid dark red, with the various logos scattered across its surface. The Reel Rides logo is at the bottom center of the front panel, top center of the top and inside back panels, and top center of each end flap. The Malibu International logo is in the top left corner of the front panel, bottom right corner of the top panel, top right corner of each end flap, and top left corner on the back and bottom panels. The movie logo ("Tommy Boy (The Movie)") is just to the right of the Reel Rides logo on the top and front panels, and bottom center on each end flap. The scale and age warnings are on the top and front panels. The back panel has a large clapboard graphic with a brief write-up of the movie and the vehicle in it, and the GM logo in the lower left corner. The bottom panel has the remaining legal and contact information. The car is held down by four screws to a plastic base, with the model info and Malibu International logo printed on a chrome silver sticker on the font of the base. The hood and trunk are held closed with thin rubber bands, while the doors are held shut with a wide plastic band.

 

Casting/Paint

There are both good and bad points here, with extremes in both directions. The overall casting is generally good, and most of the body lines look especially crisp, but the top trailing edge of the passenger's door is malformed. The panel lines on the doors and trunk are dead-perfect, but the hood is terrible: it sits above the fenders instead of between them, and the right rear corner has taken a chunk out of the cowl. The door handles, passenger's vent window, and left wiper are good, but the mirror, driver's vent window, and right wiper are badly crooked. The rest of the trim falls between these two: it's cast well, but damaged and covered with fingerprints (there are also fingerprints in the paint on the underside of the hood). Engine detail is marginal at best, but the interior looks great with sharply cast parts and good attention to detail.

 

Features/Accessories

The doors, hood, and trunk all open and close nicely, though the hood hinge is assembled wrong so it doesn't fit all that well.

 

Accuracy

This seems to be Reel Rides' Achilles heel. They do a decent enough job of producing a '67 GTX, but the details are all wrong. The grille surround is too heavy, it doesn't have the fender bullets, the windshield frame is wrong, there are no sun visors, and the taillights and rear panel are both cast and painted wrong. In addition, the wheels, fender & rocker trim, fuel cap, and exhaust tips are all wrong for the Tommy Boy car. Scaling is a bit small, looking to be closer to 1/26 than 1/24.

 

Overall

I was really looking forward to the release of Reel Rides' cars, as they are a perfect fit for my collection of TV & movie cars. Unfortunately, there are way too many problems here to ignore: the panel fit issues, damaged chrome, crooked trim, simplified engine and chassis, and inattention to detail compared to the 1:1 prototype give the impression of a replica that was rushed out the door about a month before it was ready. Hopefully their next line(s) will address these issues, because they have the potential for some real knockouts. As it is, these are about twice the price they should be. Only recommended to diehard fans of the movie or anyone willing to put in the work to fix the flaws here.

 

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