There I was last month thinking I'd never buy a car with any sealed openings. At the same time I've wanted a GMP Nova but for that reason never bought one. Then this deal came up... and I changed my mind. Was my purchase worth it even though the hood is the only opening feature? That's what these reviews are for, so let's get going..
The box is pretty unusual, as in pretty boring. It's all white with a silhouette of the car on each car and information on each end. Personally I think it could use some color but it gets the job done.
Opening the box gives you.
Another box....
At least I know why the box, or "outer box" was so boring, this so makes up for it. While this inner box shares most of the information with the outer box, the rich blue and view window make this the definite pick for display. The back of the box gives you a multitude of information about the car and engine which I wish was on more diecast boxes.
Of course these cars come with a Certificate Of Authenticity..
Good, no third box.. Since we finally got to the car, looking past the doors and trunk, we see a very nicely done model. The (what I believe to be) Astro Blue paint is applied even with no paint bubbles or drip, though I think some overspray would have been cool. The window trim, mirror and wipers are clean cast and fit properly, but the lower line trim, door handles and badging are just painted, which is a slight disappointment. One thing I didn't expect is the door windows to be down instead of up, as this car obviously has sealed doors.
The front end is semi detailed with realistic headlights, grille and (painted) badging. Personally, the COPO license plate to me should be changed to something related to the cars history, like the GMP Road Runner models. Also note that I have the very rare "S" model Nova. It's like an SS, but way more rare, expensive and fake.
The rear end is mostly the same as the front, except the license plate holds the serial number, which is slanted a bit.. weirdly.
The wheels are color-matched "Dog Dish" rims with Firestone Wide Oval pie crust style wheels. These feature a deep cut realistic tread pattern which compliment the car perfectly. The only nit-pick I have is that the hub cap is painted instead of an individual piece, but it is barely noticeable.
While mostly inaccessible, the interior is a little detailed with various gauges and patterns. I could say more about it, but I can barely see it. One thing I can see is that the shifter could have been cast smoother. Is it too big? Or is that just me?
Under the hood (without real hinges), is the infamous 396 Turbo-Jet. This engine is moderately detailed with spider plumbing and a few non-engine pieces. For the only opening feature on the car, it's good enough. I'm just glad they let you lift the hood. My only criticism is that the cast pieces should have been more tight.
Yeah, this doesn't open... like it would be hard to do.. Moving along.
The undercarriage for this car has some detailed features including full exhaust, brake lines and detailed suspension. Like most newer GMP's, you won't find a rotating driveshaft or perfectly replicated suspension here, but what's presented is nice and sharp. My bug is that there's too many visible screws and holes on the chassis.
Overall, I like the car very much. Yeah it's not worth the price most people want for it, but for what I paid, I believe I got a very good deal. Don't buy this expecting your usual GMP quality, or else you'll be very disappointed. Would I recommend it? Of course. Is it better than the Autoworld Nova with opening everything? No idea.. I'd say no. I'd recommend it though and If you can find one at the right price, there's no reason to pass it up.
The box is pretty unusual, as in pretty boring. It's all white with a silhouette of the car on each car and information on each end. Personally I think it could use some color but it gets the job done.
Opening the box gives you.
Another box....
At least I know why the box, or "outer box" was so boring, this so makes up for it. While this inner box shares most of the information with the outer box, the rich blue and view window make this the definite pick for display. The back of the box gives you a multitude of information about the car and engine which I wish was on more diecast boxes.
Of course these cars come with a Certificate Of Authenticity..
Good, no third box.. Since we finally got to the car, looking past the doors and trunk, we see a very nicely done model. The (what I believe to be) Astro Blue paint is applied even with no paint bubbles or drip, though I think some overspray would have been cool. The window trim, mirror and wipers are clean cast and fit properly, but the lower line trim, door handles and badging are just painted, which is a slight disappointment. One thing I didn't expect is the door windows to be down instead of up, as this car obviously has sealed doors.
The front end is semi detailed with realistic headlights, grille and (painted) badging. Personally, the COPO license plate to me should be changed to something related to the cars history, like the GMP Road Runner models. Also note that I have the very rare "S" model Nova. It's like an SS, but way more rare, expensive and fake.
The rear end is mostly the same as the front, except the license plate holds the serial number, which is slanted a bit.. weirdly.
The wheels are color-matched "Dog Dish" rims with Firestone Wide Oval pie crust style wheels. These feature a deep cut realistic tread pattern which compliment the car perfectly. The only nit-pick I have is that the hub cap is painted instead of an individual piece, but it is barely noticeable.
While mostly inaccessible, the interior is a little detailed with various gauges and patterns. I could say more about it, but I can barely see it. One thing I can see is that the shifter could have been cast smoother. Is it too big? Or is that just me?
Under the hood (without real hinges), is the infamous 396 Turbo-Jet. This engine is moderately detailed with spider plumbing and a few non-engine pieces. For the only opening feature on the car, it's good enough. I'm just glad they let you lift the hood. My only criticism is that the cast pieces should have been more tight.
Yeah, this doesn't open... like it would be hard to do.. Moving along.
The undercarriage for this car has some detailed features including full exhaust, brake lines and detailed suspension. Like most newer GMP's, you won't find a rotating driveshaft or perfectly replicated suspension here, but what's presented is nice and sharp. My bug is that there's too many visible screws and holes on the chassis.
Overall, I like the car very much. Yeah it's not worth the price most people want for it, but for what I paid, I believe I got a very good deal. Don't buy this expecting your usual GMP quality, or else you'll be very disappointed. Would I recommend it? Of course. Is it better than the Autoworld Nova with opening everything? No idea.. I'd say no. I'd recommend it though and If you can find one at the right price, there's no reason to pass it up.