[Wyatt]

1981 Datsun 280Z, casting #425, date 1999.

No known variations.



JLCollector link: http://www.jlcollector.com/425.html

[craftymore]

I plead stupidity. Wasn't even aware that JL had this casting. The blue version looks pretty good. I take it these were done in the mid to late 90s.

Sir Crafty

[RacerJoe]

Nice picture of a forgotten casting I was aware of'em back in the day but at that time i didn't buy many of the Small Red Cards that they came on. I always figured that they would show again in a different issue but they haven't. A good question would be why? -Licensing? what-

[darkwiz]

I always figured that they would show again in a different issue but they haven't. A good question would be why? -Licensing? what-

That is a great question RacerJoe . I too passed on the red cards waiting for a rubber tire version to be released(I'm still waiting ).

[davidj]

I like the green! Alas, I too did not buy the red cards which I mostly saw in grocery stores. I do like the look of this casting, but it could just be the super pic!

[Jeff Koch]

I always figured that they would show again in a different issue but they haven't. A good question would be why? -Licensing? what-

Yes. Or at least that's what I was told whenever I tried to slot it into a series somewhere.

jk

[LIGHTNING44]

The 280z was one of the greatest cars at that time. They were also pretty fast, espicially the 280ZX which was turbo charged. About 12 years before my time, but it is one of the cars a lot of the younger crowd loves. They are Nissan though. I don't have any of this casting. Love the car, but the casting looks to unrealistic. It would be great for a recasting. One thing i don't get about the casting is the louvers. I thought only the 280SAP had the louvers.

[tiretracts]

Nice car and great pic

This post has been edited by tiretracts: 07 June 2008 - 08:51 PM

[The Wheelman]

I would love to see a remake of the 280Z and would definitely love to see the introduction of the 1970 240Z into the lineup. It would be kinda cool to have a "Z Heritage" series, where they showcase the different generations from the 1st gen. S30s to the current gen. Z33s.

[impala765]

Very nice cars Wyatt, me too I wasn't aware of this casting. Well have to try and find a blue one.
Thanks for the nice pics.

[accobra64]

I don't have a single copy of that casting in my collection.

Wyatt, thanks for the latest addition of "The Picture Of The Week".
That definitely is a forgotten JL casting.

Cheers. Cobra

[martijn'75]

Great car and awesome picture! Thanks Wyatt for providing us the eyecandy. Love the blue one.


M75

[STUTZ]

I don't have any of that casting.

The blue 280Z looks good!

[Owl]

I must be the odd man, 'cause I made it my mission to collect every one of them. I even made a webpage dedicated to them, and you'll notice there's also a gold one in the bunch.

Owl's Red Card Database

[WoloMan]

Thanks for the pic of the week, Wyatt. I remember looking at new 280z's when my mom was shopping for cars (she bought a Plymouth Horizon ).

Owl, thanks for the site link and the education about the series. I don't have any of those because there aren't any Fords!

[accobra64]

I must be the odd man, 'cause I made it my mission to collect every one of them. I even made a webpage dedicated to them, and you'll notice there's also a gold one in the bunch.

Owl's Red Card Database

Owl, thanks for the link to some important information.
I knew about the original Red Card releases which included the Shelby AC Cobras and the Dan Fink Speed Wagons.
And there is a favourite in that group being the green chrome '57 Chevy Bel Air two door hardtop.
What I didn't know about was the later release of castings in the Red Card format such as a '69 Camaro coupe, '55 Chevy Bel Air convertible, and many other castings that I have but never kmow about being re-released.
And a note about the database, if you click on the listed colour of the casting, you will get to see an image of that specific casting. Definitely worth checking out.

BYW Owl, it's nice to see you post here on occasion.
I always enjoy your comments.
And Wyatt, sorry for the deviation from the original topic but the Red Card issue is definitely worth a comment.

Cheers. Cobra

[davidj]

I notice the blue Z-car is listed as Teal on Owl's database. And the pic there does seem to have a moer overall blue-green appearance. Quite interesting! Thanks owl for the information!

[accobra64]

1981 Datsun 280Z, casting #425, date 1999.
Wyatt's picture:




Image of casting from Owl's Red Card Database.
Used for reference purposes. Thanks Craig.


Image from JLCollector.com. Thanks Wyatt.

I thought that it would be interesting to show all three images from different sources after the comment above by DavidJ.

Lighting will have an effect on the colour of the image.

Cheers. Cobra

[davidj]

Thanks Accobra for the side-by-side pic arrangement! You are right it is interesting to see the three photos for color comparison. I just noticed the teal label due to the fact that most everyone had commented they preferred the blue.

[accobra64]

My vote goes for the blue coloured version, too.

Cheers. Cobra

[Owl]

Blue is pretty, but unless Wyatt got a paint variation, it doesn't exist. I am holding the teal Z in my hand... Well actually I had to put it aside to type, but anyways, I'm looking at it right now and this little Z is teal, and almost exactly the shade in the pic on my list.

Now, since everybody seems to like the blue color, perhaps when JL releases a new tool version (It could happen, right?) the first color choice should be the color in Wyatt's pic. If Home Depot can color-match, then JL should have no problem with that one.

[accobra64]

Here is another of those teal (?blue?) castings that seems to appear in various shades of blue/teal in many photographs.


Owl, without having that particular casting in my hand it is difficult for me to comment on the exact colour.

Another interesting aspect is the fact that many people do not see all the true colours in the light spectrum.
I know for myself that I see all the colours in the spectrum.
I have been tested for that more than once.

Cheers. Cobra

[Owl]

Unfortunately, the one thing that I used as a guide back when I first created the checklist no longer exists, though some of the oldtimers might remember.

Playing Mantis had release info, like checklists, that detailed early releases way back. The lists included colors, and in the case of the Red Cards, even mentioned if the casting was new and being premiered in a series. That is where the names of the colors came from, with some variation (some colors mentioned were far from the actual colors on the cars, notably the Chrysler Atlantics) If you notice the little stars next to particular cars on the list, those were "1st Run" castings.

I miss those older lists, which disappeared after the RC2 takeover.

I also have been checked for color correct vision, part of my military job way, way back. I am happy to say that I am not color-blind. Nor is Wyatt, I'm sure. Which leads me to wonder if Wyatt has this Z in his collection, or if it was one of those pics sent to him as a reference shot by someone at JL.

This is a fun thread, who woulda guessed how nicely it has expanded just from catching a few "Z's"...

[accobra64]

Unfortunately, the one thing that I used as a guide back when I first created the checklist no longer exists, though some of the oldtimers might remember.

Playing Mantis had release info, like checklists, that detailed early releases way back. The lists included colors, and in the case of the Red Cards, even mentioned if the casting was new and being premiered in a series. That is where the names of the colors came from, with some variation (some colors mentioned were far from the actual colors on the cars, notably the Chrysler Atlantics) If you notice the little stars next to particular cars on the list, those were "1st Run" castings.

I miss those older lists, which disappeared after the RC2 takeover.

Owl, I miss those great lists from back in the days of Playing Mantis.
What I liked most was the listing of the colour name that a specific casting was painted.
In retrospect, I wish that I had printed off those lists.
They were always a ready reference so that is probably why I never thought about or bothered printing them.

Owl, I believe that Wyatt probably took the pictures of the castings appearing in JLCollector.com.
But then again, there is the possibility that Mike G. (PMS485) may have sent the original images used in JLCollector.com to Wyatt.
And I am sure that Wyatt took the larger image of the group appearing at the start of this thread.

Now, after some thought, I am wondering if in fact because of the original colour that there may be the possibility of different paint shades. As the painting process advanced and one can of paint ran out, another was mixed, and another, and somewhere along the way there could have been some different shades of the paint made and applied to some of the castings.
Certainly a possibility.

Cheers. Cobra

[Jeff Koch]

Playing Mantis had release info, like checklists, that detailed early releases way back. The lists included colors, and in the case of the Red Cards, even mentioned if the casting was new and being premiered in a series. That is where the names of the colors came from, with some variation (some colors mentioned were far from the actual colors on the cars, notably the Chrysler Atlantics)

I helped put some of them together for the Newsflash, and they were a PITA (pain in the ...)

The problem was frequently one of timing: programs get delayed, licensors demand that cars must or must not be painted certain colors (I bet that's what happened with the Atlantic), etc. In the print version, with all the lead time necessary, it was tough. I sweated through a few of these with the layout guy at PM.

jk

[accobra64]

I helped put some of them together for the Newsflash, and they were a PITA (pain in the ...)

The problem was frequently one of timing: programs get delayed, licensors demand that cars must or must not be painted certain colors (I bet that's what happened with the Atlantic), etc. In the print version, with all the lead time necessary, it was tough. I sweated through a few of these with the layout guy at PM.

jk

Jeff, thanks for the comments about the "behind the scenes" stuff that we never thought about or even considered. Your comments are always appreciated.

Cheers. Cobra

[69Stang]

OK, add me to the "I never saw those before" camp! Nice selection Wyatt!

[Wyatt]

The color is more green than blue. The lighting in the picture makes it look blue. I may see if I can adjust it on jlcollector.

[pms485]

Owl, I believe that Wyatt probably took the pictures of the castings appearing in JLCollector.com.
But then again, there is the possibility that Mike G. (PMS485) may have sent the original images used in JLCollector.com to Wyatt.
And I am sure that Wyatt took the larger image of the group appearing at the start of this thread.

I think I did shoot that one, but I'm not 100%. It would be interesting to see it in the original archive cases to check it out. Those cases do exist at Round 2, but they aren't up yet. They're still stored in the warehouse.

[accobra64]

Welcome Mike.
It is indeed an honour to have you in our presence.
Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers. Cobra

[impala765]

Hi all, I found a blue or teal one on the bay and won it for a big 2$. Should be getting it next week. Now I can't wait to receive the car, not for the car itself but for the color. Well take a pic of it when it arrives and will post it to see the difference.

[impala765]

Hi all, I found a blue or teal one on the bay and won it for a big 2$. Should be getting it next week. Now I can't wait to receive the car, not for the car itself but for the color. Well take a pic of it when it arrives and will post it to see the difference.

Here you have it a teal Z