Collector's Corner - Sun Star 1963 Ford Galaxie 500XL

Another of my favorite 1:18 scale models is the 1963 Ford Galaxie 500XL by Sun Star. This company has done great things with American cars, replicating such obscure models as the 1953 Nash Airflyte and the Kaiser Henry J. The '63 Galaxie was an excellent candidate, since it was a popular platform for NASCAR racing back in the day and made for lots of opportunities to release in various NASCAR liveries in addition to stock. My personal favorite version is the metallic pewter/champagne one seen here.

Normally I wouldn't buy a beige-ish model but on this car I think it wears the color beautifully. Sun Star put a lot of effort into making this one, and it isn't even one of their more expensive castings. The Galaxie is a big and heavy car. This is a big and heavy model. Unlike their '64 Galaxie, the trunk on the '63 opens. The side trim is separate pieces of chromed plastic, which is a bit heavy handed in its application but more convincing than if they had molded the trim spears into the body and painted them silver. Certain details in the engine are lacking, but the FoMoCo windshield washer fluid bag is a nice touch. My favorite parts of this car are the finely detailed grille and rear taillight panel. The body is free of glaring casting seams and the paint quality is very good. The interior features a fully detailed dashboard and seats that fold forward. Door hinges are of the inexpensive dog-leg type, but are handled well enough that they keep the leading edge of the doors close to the body and aren't overly noticeable. I like that Sun Star included a radio antenna on the front fender, though I'm afraid of breaking it off.
Owning this Galaxie has made me want to collect more Sun Star releases, and I look forward to seeing what they do in the future.