REVIEW: ACME Trading Company 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer • DiecastSociety.com

REVIEW: ACME Trading Company 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer

Words and photos courtesy of Frank Koh

 

Over-the-top realistic features and scale fidelity for an iconic 4×4 Classic.  When my preferred local supplier DecKer Thoys of Decker Toy Store offered me this fabulous miniature of The First Blazer, I didn’t think twice about ordering it. A new casting and not just a re-hash of the decade-old Highway 61 Chevrolet C10 Pickup, this K5 Blazer famously captures the look of the real thing, as the photos show.

Elaborate details are everywhere. The interior of this top-of-the-line Custom Sport Truck (CST) variant stands out, with crisp and clear gauges on the finely-crafted instrument cluster, “soft-feel” vinyl seats, flocked carpeting, separate seat belt componentry, and even the shift pattern of the “Granny” stump-pulling four-speed manual is readable on the black gearshift knob.

Under the hood, there’s a fully wired and plumbed “Small Block” Chevrolet V8, and because it appears to be fitted with the Rochester Quadrajet 4-barrel carburetor the engine depicted is the top option 350 cubic inch variant, since the less expensive 307 cubic inches “economy” motor generally came only with a two-barrel carburetor. The entire engine bay is filled with all necessary componentry such as the power brake booster and the lines leading to the master cylinder, windshield washer reservoir, wet-cell battery with top-mounted terminals and cables, and even articulating metal hood hinges.

Up front the delicate grille design is replicated with the correct photo-etched pattern, and the headlights and turn signal lights are nothing short of life-like. Even the blue Chevrolet “Bowtie” above the grille is resplendent with its chrome borders, while the metal antenna and round door mirrors are also nicely done. The woodgrain lower body and tailgate trim proclaim the heavily-equipped, “luxurious” (a relative term) nature of this particular unit, and all heavy-duty undercarriage componentry are present, making this a genuine Sixties off-road legend that was, in real life, a resounding sales success.

The high-quality plastic removable top snaps into place with a reassuring “click” and fitment are practically seamless.  The only correction I had to make was a quick pass with the Molotow Chrome Pen on the windshield wiper blades which were chrome on the actual vehicle but black on this otherwise dead-accurate diecast metal miniature.

If only the amber front and red rear side marker lights/reflector assemblies had been done with separate plastic lenses instead of being “printed”, then this outstanding model would be that much closer to perfection.

THIS is how ACME should design, engineer and present its products. Some collectors are concerned with the brand’s link to Greenlight Collectibles, including yours truly. Hopefully, ACME’s product planners and quality control committees remain autonomous, for obvious reasons. Build quality, scale fidelity and realism are paramount, after all.

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4 Responses to "REVIEW: ACME Trading Company 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer"

  1. DS Team says:

    Thanks for sharing the review! We love hearing from the scale model community… Our team did review the 1972 version with “larger wheels” and was impressed with the model overall. Definitely a great model, we echo your conclusion too.

  2. JIMMY says:

    Thank you to the both of you for your reviews of these different versions of this new K-5 Blazer mold. This is just awesome, and it seems like the only real nitpick here is the side marker lights! I prefer this one to the lifted version, as it looked a bit funny for whatever reason.

    Thanks again for your reviews. No one would’ve thought about making cars like this within the past 15 years or so. This is a sign that this hobby (more collectively than ever before) may be expanding beyond making just hyper/muscle/sports cars. Seeing that a variation of the Square Body trucks has already been made (by Greenlight), Wish somebody would do a proper 1990’s Blazer/Suburban/CK, assuming that the Ford Bronco (OJ body style) will be released by Greenlight soon.

  3. Andrew Evans says:

    Great Review! And great pictures. My only questions is the scale size, the retail price, limited edition and number to be made, and when it will be available at local retailers.

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