ERTL Authentics Muscle Machines 1967 Chevy Impala SS 427. THE Most Detailed And Realistic Diecast Car I've Ever Seen!

June 9, 2020

#389

Gentle reader,

Although the title does not reflect it, this is Chapter Four in my series: Real Cars I Have Owned In Diecast Miniature.

For links to every article in the past I have written about diecast cars, including ALL previous chapters of this series, click on this link:

The Robb Collections: INDEX To EVERY Diecast Die Cast Car And HO Slot Car Article I Have Written  

I bought my first car at seventeen in September, 1973. It was a 1964 Chevy Impala two-door hardtop. My buddy had a four-door hardtop and I liked his car, so bought one for myself for $300. They don't make "hardtop" cars anymore, they are not safe in side impact collisions.

My second car, I bought from another buddy, for $250. It was a much more rare car and I should have kept it. But I bought it for it's larger, more powerful engine to replace the smoky 283 V8 my Impala had. It was a 1964 Chevy Chevelle Malibu SS convertible. It had a 327 V8, four-speed manual transmission and positraction rear end. 

After the engine swap, I later wanted another convertible. So, I bought a 1967 Impala SS convertible. It too had a 327 V8 but had the two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission.

This is a photo of THE only convertible '67 Impala SS I could find on line. It is 1:43rd scale and costs WAY more than what I paid for the 1:18th scale car I am about to show you.

I wrote an article years ago also about all the cars I have owned, but illustrated it with genuine car dealer brochures. Here is a link to that article:

The Robb Collections: A Journey through time, via Automobile Sales Brochures  
I bought brochures from various sources over the years. This one I bought at Carlisle in Pennsylvania at the annual swap meet and car show, a LONG time ago. 

Here is the page showing the SS convertible. I love that red interior! 

Mine was cream colored outside with a black interior and convertible top.
The link below will take you to a page with a car like mine that nearly matches the colors mine was.

Ertl 1:18 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS427 - Diecast Zone 

If you click on this photo (or any) it will open up a window over this one and the picture SHOULD be much larger. Hopefully you can read the small text.

The car I have I purchased new via eBay. Here is what the seller wrote:

"Ertl 1:18 Scale 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS427 features:

Opening Doors with Authentic Hinges  ///  Opening Hood with Metal Hood Hinges  ///  Opening Trunk with Spare Tire, Trunk Mat

Detailed Black Interior  ///  Soft Bucket Seat that Slide Back and Forward  ///  Individual Seat Belts  ///  Console

4-Speed Transmission  ///  Detailed Dash  ///  Wood Grain Steering Wheel  ///  Carpet  ///  Floor Mats

Highly Polished Electro-plated Chrome Parts

Metal Radio Antenna that can be in the Up or Down Position

Detailed Chassis  ///  Dual Metal Exhaust

Rallye Wheels  ///  Red Line Soft Rubber Tires

Working Front and Rear Suspension - Springs and Shocks

Working Drivetrain with Rotating Rear Wheels and Driveshaft

Extremely Detailed 427 CID V-8 Engine with Soft Intake Hoses, Spark Plug Wires and Full Engine Compartment Labels and Decal" 

Actually, only the front suspension moves up and down. I did not try to slide the seats nor see if the gearshift moved.

Every piece of chrome on this car IS chrome and is a separate piece. Over 200 pieces make up the car.

There is the antenna mentioned by the seller. It does move up and down. My car's antenna was on the right front fender.

If this had a black interior, it would be like mine was. It too has the small block 327 V8 not the large block 427 of the model.

This real one has the front mounted antenna. Looking at these two real ones, I think ERTL got the tires a little too small in diameter on the model. But I don't care.

A spare tire in the right place. Note the "trunk mat" mentioned in the ad. Bottom of the bumper jack holds down the spare in real cars.

SS 427 models did not have the IMPALA SS badges on the fenders behind the wheelwell. See the beige real car above.

The chrome strip on the edge of the door was an option. It even has tiny keyholes on the doors and trunk.

Check out the door panel. Door lock button, two cranks to open and close the windows. 1967 was the last year for GM cars to have vent windows. That's what the little crank is for, to open and close the small window.

Even a tiny GM sticker on the doors!

Check out those wipers and correctly sized steering wheel.

Chrome badge on the hood denotes 427 engine.

Aside from using stickers for small details such as A/C-Heater controls, the interior details are superb.

Seatbelt down by the side of the seat, real dials for the gauges. They even have the brake pedal down lower, (closer to the floor) which is accurate for cars back then with power brakes.

Even sill plates which look like the real things.

The radio face is also a sticker. 

Carpeting is one thing a model this large should have. They even added the little lever on the side of the seat back which unlatches the back for access to the rear seat. 

Extremely detailed chassis with separate exhaust and all other components, rather than molded into the chassis. 

Transmission crossmember has serial number on it, below. Serial number is also stamped into the box.

Note the wires going to the starter motor and the bolts that attach the exhaust tubes to the manifolds. 
And yes, "tubes" is the right word. If it moves: car. truck, train, plane boat or ship, they are tubes. If it's a structure, they are pipes. 

The oil filter even has the factory sticker on it! I'm not sure how the car is all put together. No visible screws anywhere.

When you rotate either rear tire, the driveshaft rotates just like a real car. First time I've seen that.

Very detailed suspension front and rear. All the right pieces in the right places. No shortcuts were taken.

The best and most complete underhood details such as wiring, A/C tubing, brackets, real rubber radiator and heater hoses and the wiper transmission is molded into the firewall.
Check out the hood hinges with springs. Work exactly like the real things.
They even molded in the black sealant that goes around the A/C tubing as it enters the housing for the evaporator and heater core. Unbelievable.

The sticker is loose on the A/C compressor, a little glue should fix that.

Sparkplug wires going down to the correct locations on the engine.

Chrome radiator cap and overflow tube, the battery looks like the AC Delco unit that came with the car.

This car has the optional front disc brakes, thus the dual reservoir master cylinder. 

I am just tickled pink with this car, as I think you have figured out.  

I've bid on a 1964 Malibu dealer promotional car, hopefully I'll win.

Thanks for reading my humble blog. Please take a moment to click FOLLOW above and feel free to leave a comment below or on Facebook.

Scott
June 9, 2020
#389