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After a month of wait, I finally got the 1/64 diecast model of 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood, made by a newcomer in the diecast game, known as GOC Vehicle Museum.
Seems like no one has made a detailed review of this model as well as the company so far, so I hope this review can be useful for some, and hopefully I can spread the word for this interesting diecast brand.
First off, a quick introduction to GOC.
GOC Vehicle Museum is a very new Chinese diecast brand, and they only have three line-ups so far: 1966 Hong Qi CA7600, 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood, and 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.
Interestingly, they were originally a group of mod makers for Grand Theft Auto games. Their motivation to create a diecast company, apparently, was a desire to actually own some of the cars they used to play in GTA.
Just like Auto World, they have basic as well as a premium line, and the difference seems to be the packaging. The latter comes with a display case and a leather-bound stand.
As heavymetalone64 once discussed this model a couple of months ago (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn-ao6LmHEc), they had a license issue with their products, and the production of not only Fleetwood but also Hong Qi was halted. They used to have these cars sold on eBay, but not anymore after they were taken down.
But they seem to retain their ambitions, and apparently Lincoln Town Car and another communist car will be coming this year.
More information on GOC at http://www.sohu.com/a/300809943_683356 (in Chinese. I used google translate).
Now, on to the Cadillac.
I got the white one because it was the cheapest (other than white, there are black, blue, pink, and chase red versions). The price was whooping $50 with shipping cost. This is NEO 1/64 level. Some said the production run is very limited with 800 units, so considering the rarity, it may be justified. However, at Taobao (Chinese version of eBay), Hong Qi and Evo X are sold in around $20 (there was no mint condition Caddy).
First thing first, it is HEAVY! It is the heaviest 1/64 diecast car I've ever had, hands down. Auto World Caddy feels like Tomica compared to this.
It is also HUGE! Not even Auto World Buick wagon is this huge. The proportion seems a bit bigger than 1/64, but I'll get back to this later.
Production is very solid at first hand.
It is made by one single mold, no separate parts except for the headlight.
One problem I had with my sample is the wheel, which is very wobbly. Here's my attempt to capture the condition:
Notice the right front tire is not lining up straight. All the tires are wobbly, and I bet it won't stand too long if you roll the car way too many times. However, it is a non-issue if you put this car on a display case, which I'm pretty sure most of you will do.
Metal chassis, metal base. The base is being screwed instead of being riveted. This makes it very easy to do wheel swap, turning into a lowrider for example.
Quality control is normal, and if you are used to tiny mistakes such as paint chips and paint bubbles made by AW and GreenLight alike, there won't be too many issues.
One very small problem my sample had is the headlight:
Notice the headlight on the right is (very) slightly dislodged. Some samples suffer from the worse condition than this, and I feel like its better for them to use single mold including the headlights, Auto World style.
Now, the accuracy of the casting. It is very accurately made, and I think the proportion is so much better than GreenLight. It's comparable to Auto World and M2. Not the TLV level, but I'm completely fine with that.
However, the size is BIG! It is too big, actually. I thought they are sticking to true 1/64, but I'm not sure. Check the photo below:
I compared the Fleetwood with crème de la crème of land yachts offered in 1/64. They are the biggest boats among all the boats. Allow me to be a nerd, but here is the length of each car in real-life scale, ranked from the longest:
1974 Estate Wagon: 5870mm
1976 Coupe De Ville: 5860mm
1977 Mark V: 5850mm
1993 Fleetwood: 5717mm
1974 Monaco: 5601mm
In true 1/64 scale, Fleetwood should be exactly between Mark V and mid-70s Dodge Monaco. However, the GOC Fleetwood is even longer than the Buick wagon. This is not true 1/64 scale, I'm afraid. It is at least reaching around 1/60.
However, overall I'm very satisfied with the model. There are no other 1/64 diecast makers offering the mid-90s Fleetwood, other than Jada, which is not my cup of tea. GOC seems to focus on classic cars just like Auto World and NEO have been mostly doing. Even if I have to pay $50, I'll definitely buy another classic American car by GOC, granted that they are an extremely rare model.
Thanks for reading my blog, and may the Golden Era of premium 1/64 American cars last long!
Seems like no one has made a detailed review of this model as well as the company so far, so I hope this review can be useful for some, and hopefully I can spread the word for this interesting diecast brand.
First off, a quick introduction to GOC.
GOC Vehicle Museum is a very new Chinese diecast brand, and they only have three line-ups so far: 1966 Hong Qi CA7600, 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood, and 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.
Interestingly, they were originally a group of mod makers for Grand Theft Auto games. Their motivation to create a diecast company, apparently, was a desire to actually own some of the cars they used to play in GTA.
Just like Auto World, they have basic as well as a premium line, and the difference seems to be the packaging. The latter comes with a display case and a leather-bound stand.
As heavymetalone64 once discussed this model a couple of months ago (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn-ao6LmHEc), they had a license issue with their products, and the production of not only Fleetwood but also Hong Qi was halted. They used to have these cars sold on eBay, but not anymore after they were taken down.
But they seem to retain their ambitions, and apparently Lincoln Town Car and another communist car will be coming this year.
More information on GOC at http://www.sohu.com/a/300809943_683356 (in Chinese. I used google translate).
Now, on to the Cadillac.
I got the white one because it was the cheapest (other than white, there are black, blue, pink, and chase red versions). The price was whooping $50 with shipping cost. This is NEO 1/64 level. Some said the production run is very limited with 800 units, so considering the rarity, it may be justified. However, at Taobao (Chinese version of eBay), Hong Qi and Evo X are sold in around $20 (there was no mint condition Caddy).
First thing first, it is HEAVY! It is the heaviest 1/64 diecast car I've ever had, hands down. Auto World Caddy feels like Tomica compared to this.
It is also HUGE! Not even Auto World Buick wagon is this huge. The proportion seems a bit bigger than 1/64, but I'll get back to this later.
Production is very solid at first hand.
It is made by one single mold, no separate parts except for the headlight.
One problem I had with my sample is the wheel, which is very wobbly. Here's my attempt to capture the condition:
Notice the right front tire is not lining up straight. All the tires are wobbly, and I bet it won't stand too long if you roll the car way too many times. However, it is a non-issue if you put this car on a display case, which I'm pretty sure most of you will do.
Metal chassis, metal base. The base is being screwed instead of being riveted. This makes it very easy to do wheel swap, turning into a lowrider for example.
Quality control is normal, and if you are used to tiny mistakes such as paint chips and paint bubbles made by AW and GreenLight alike, there won't be too many issues.
One very small problem my sample had is the headlight:
Notice the headlight on the right is (very) slightly dislodged. Some samples suffer from the worse condition than this, and I feel like its better for them to use single mold including the headlights, Auto World style.
Now, the accuracy of the casting. It is very accurately made, and I think the proportion is so much better than GreenLight. It's comparable to Auto World and M2. Not the TLV level, but I'm completely fine with that.
However, the size is BIG! It is too big, actually. I thought they are sticking to true 1/64, but I'm not sure. Check the photo below:
I compared the Fleetwood with crème de la crème of land yachts offered in 1/64. They are the biggest boats among all the boats. Allow me to be a nerd, but here is the length of each car in real-life scale, ranked from the longest:
1974 Estate Wagon: 5870mm
1976 Coupe De Ville: 5860mm
1977 Mark V: 5850mm
1993 Fleetwood: 5717mm
1974 Monaco: 5601mm
In true 1/64 scale, Fleetwood should be exactly between Mark V and mid-70s Dodge Monaco. However, the GOC Fleetwood is even longer than the Buick wagon. This is not true 1/64 scale, I'm afraid. It is at least reaching around 1/60.
However, overall I'm very satisfied with the model. There are no other 1/64 diecast makers offering the mid-90s Fleetwood, other than Jada, which is not my cup of tea. GOC seems to focus on classic cars just like Auto World and NEO have been mostly doing. Even if I have to pay $50, I'll definitely buy another classic American car by GOC, granted that they are an extremely rare model.
Thanks for reading my blog, and may the Golden Era of premium 1/64 American cars last long!
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