1972 Pontiac Trans Am

       

Site Features

Getting Started in the Hobby

Model Categories

 
 
Made By:
Jada Toys
Scale:
1/24
MSRP:
US$12.99
Overview:
Packaging (Design):7/10
Packaging (Durability):7/10
Casting (Body):9/10
Casting (Interior):9/10
Casting (Chassis):6/10
Casting (Engine):7/10
Paint (Exterior):9/10
Paint (Interior):9/10
Paint (Trim/Graphics):10/10
Overall Panel Fit:9/10
Total Score:8.2/10

 
Buy this car at eBay

Other Firebird Models
Bandit Firebird 1972 Firebird

Knight Rider Legends KITT
Smokey & the Bandit Firebird T/A
Thunderbolt & Lightfoot Firebird T/A
Smokey & the Bandit 2 Firebird T/A
Coors Bandit (Review)
‘72 Trans Am (Review)
Hooper Firebird
Turbo Teen
Knight Rider KITT
Jada Toys 1972 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Jada Toys 1972 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Packaging Jada Toys 1972 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Screaming Chicken Jada Toys 1972 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Interior Jada Toys 1972 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Engine Jada Toys 1972 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Wheel Detail Jada Toys 1972 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Trunk

 
Buy this car at eBay

Packaging

The box is Jada's standard three-window box. Primarily yellow, the box fades to a blue image at the end of the box around the rear of the car. "Bigtime Muscle" logos appear on all six sides, as does the Jada logo. A sticker in the top left corner of the front panel window notes "custom engine & interior," and all of the legal information is on the bottom of the box. The back of the box is relatively simple: aside from the aforementioned logos and yellow-blue fade, there is the company slogan ("keeping it real") and web address. The interior tray has two plastic molds capturing the ends of the car and holding the hood open, while a plastic panel with two screws hold the car down and a plastic band keeps the doors closed.

 

Casting/Paint

This is actually a modified reissue of an earlier Firebird, but nothing got lost in the update. The paint is clean and smooth, with a nice shine. The focal point of the car is, of course, the traditional "screaming chicken" Firebird graphic on the hood. This is flawlessly executed: delicate lines, clean, consistent edges, and very even color. There are also gold Trans Am scripts on the front fenders and trunk lid, and a gold "Bigtime Muscle" on the tinted rear window, and printed side marker lights. The grille surrounds, headlight bezels, taillight trim, exhaust tips, and rear bumpers are all chrome, while the rest of the trim is represented by silver paint. All of the lights are made of transparent plastic. The interior is primarily black with chrome details on the dash and door panels. It's not exactly stock, with large speakers and nitrous tanks on the back dash, more speakers on the sides of the center console, a tachometer on the A pillar, a TV monitor centered in the dash, and a Hurst decal on the passengers' side of the dash. Wheels are chrome 5-spokes over disc brakes with red calipers. The detail work is very clean overall, and the panel fit is excellent. Especially nice is the fit of the shaker hood around the top of the engine.

 

Features/Accessories

No accessories, but the hood, doors, and trunk all open. Although they have the typical oversized hinges, the way that they're done here makes them as non-intrusive as possible.

 

Accuracy

This is not meant to represent a stock Firebird T/A, so it gets a little slack. Even without the hood graphic, you'll have no trouble identifying the source here: the nose, tail, fender vents, and overall lines are unmistakable. It is definitely a bit more slab-sided than a stock Firebird, with rocker extensions making it appear a bit heavier than normal. It's about five scale inches too wide (across the rear fenders), but otherwise scales out to between 1/23 and 1/24.

 

Overall

This is one of Jada's nicest releases to date. It captures the powerful look of the 1:1 Firebird Trans Am, with custom work that is perfectly suited and nicely understated. The fact that its also available in a ram-air version means that you can get it with or without the hood decal, which is simply an added bonus. Very highly recommended.

 

Have a question, comment, or criticism about this review?
Send me an e-mail with your thoughts!
Content and images ©1998-2024 spencer1984.com unless otherwise noted. · Questions? Send an e-mail