Blast From The Past: The 1/18 Nissan 300ZX by Kyosho

Here's something I've never done before: buying an older 1/18 model.

I'm not talking about one that's been discontinued for a couple years. This is a Kyosho that was released in 2000, that I just got a few days ago. That's more than fifteen years old. Back in the year 2000, I was still a kid playing with my 1/18 Maisto cars, flying them off tables, tearing off their wheels, ripping off doors, and removing their stickers and decals for the hell of it. I'm still a kid now, but I've learned to take better care of my toys. And I would say that is a must for a rare model like this one. It's the only time the Z32-generation 300ZX has been done in eighteenth scale (with two other colorways), and it may be a while before we get another version of this 90's icon.

The 300ZX is the enthusiast favorite of the modern Fairladies. It, along with the Toyota Supra MK.IV and Mazda RX-7 FD3S, form the Japanese Holy Trinity of the 1990's. I'm more of a 350Z kind of guy, but being a Nissan fanboy first and foremost, this is a model that was going into the collection no matter what.

This piece is best described as having lived a wonderful DLM life with its previous owner. I look to continue its glory. Being a used model, it has its share of imperfections, from a paint chip on the hood to a slight crack on the taillight cluster. The left door is loose, as is the base. The paint could definitely use some polishing and waxing, something which I never thought I'd ever have to do on a toy. I cleaned it up as best I could without resorting to those measures.

Naturally, with its age, you have to question its level of quality and detail. In some ways, it is superior to budget models of today. For the most part, it honestly doesn't stand a chance with modern Maisto castings, which is something you have to take into consideration when you purchase an inferior model for a high-end price.

Exterior-wise, this 300ZX is certainly showing its age. Gone are the textured badges that you're accustomed to seeing with Kyosho. The painted black trim lines are not as tidy as they are now. The spoiler needs some realignment. The exhaust looks rather terrible. And most of all, that awful positive camber on the rear wheels! I must say though, at least the wheels look pretty good.

On a more positive note, the engine detail is way better than what you see on the best budget models today. Same goes with the underbody details, which I probably should have taken a photo of. This is where the model finally begins to feel like a Kyosho. The interior is lined with felt which, albeit a bit unrealistic, is at least better than seeing a sea of hard plastics. Overall, interior detail is nothing to scream about, but it's a 90's Japanese car. They weren't very fancy to begin with.

The verdict? Depends on how badly you need one of these in your collection. If you're looking for detail, stick to the more recent stuff. But if you need this model to relive the 90's glory days (in my opinion, the best era of automotive design), this is your best bet.

Like I said before: I'm a 90's kid. I like my 90's cars.

Project Premiere/World Class, Day 3: My Fair Ladies

And now we complete the three-headed monster from the Land of the Rising Sun. The triple threat. The trifecta. The Toyota Supra. The Mazda RX-7. The Nissan 300ZX. Also known as the Fairlady Z32 for our friends on the other side of the ocean.

The 300ZX is a rarity in the diecast world, at least currently. In fact, these two are the only examples in my whole collection. I collect a wide variety of brands, from budget to high-end, yet I don't have any others. Most of the castings out there have already been retired, including this one. They had already been long retired when I started collecting about seven years ago. The 300ZX is a fan favorite, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see Hot Wheels or Matchbox retool and release it in the near future.



These examples hold their own just fine. They're a bit larger, as are all older Matchbox models, but their over-the-top detailing is unparalleled when compared to today's lineup. I know, I already sound like a broken record and we're only three days in. The 300ZX is a car that has a lot of little details, especially with the design of the lights throughout the car. Matchbox has captured all of that perfectly, making this one of my favorite castings from the Premiere and World Class series. That taillight cluster though. It's perfect.

The yellow is a Premiere; the white, a World Class. Again, chrome windows + silver wheels = World Class. If you ever stumble upon some loose Matchbox cars that look like Premieres, just follow the simple formula.

I think both of these are just as good as one another. Ultimately I prefer the white paint over the yellow, but the Premiere has that interior detail that I've been raving about lately. And with the whole greenhouse engulfed in chrome, who knows if that white one even has an interior at all. You really can't go wrong with either though. Plus, if two is not enough, there's also another World Class recolor in red. Yeah, I think I'm gonna need more than two...