Vital statistics
1:24 scale used-car-lot kit
West Coast Precision Diecast
21311 Deering Ct.
Canoga Park CA 91304
Price $225
Web site: www.wcpdi.com
Cast resin, “almost assembled” kit of a typical 1960s-70s-era used car lot; includes structure, interior and exterior details, and lighting; everything prepainted. Dimensions (building only): Length, 103/8″; width, 8″; height, 10¼”. Included “tarmac” base measures 24″ x 16″
Pros and cons
Pros: Good detail, especially on the interior furnishings; LED lights provide nighttime interest
Cons: Doorways a little low for 1:24 scale (5’10” tall in scale)
West Coast Precision Diecast’s used-car lot is their first foray into the world of structures. The company produces limited edition, 1:24-scale models of classic cars from the 50s and 60s (particularly Chevrolets), and offers this car lot as a way for their customers to showcase their collections. (Other dioramas are planned for the future.) The building is made from resin and comes pre-painted. I don’t know that “kit” is quite the right word to describe this product, as it comes mostly assembled. The builder has to do some minor fitting and arranging of the furniture, but that’s really it.
Everything comes well packed in the box. The first thing you remove is a black foam mat that becomes the “lot” of the used-car lot. Remove more styrofoam and you get to the rest of the bits and pieces. Each part is individually wrapped and placed in its own spot in the packaging. There’s little chance for anything to get broken in transit. Included are the office structure, roof, lighted sign, chain and fence posts for the perimeter, interior furniture, the ubiquitous plastic flags (not shown in the photo), and a figure of a used-car salesman. Cars (such as the one shown in the photo) are not included.
Assembly is simple and intuitive. Most of the time is spent tying the wires together for all the lights. There are printed instructions to assist, which are refreshingly easy to follow. The lights are powered by two AA batteries for the office and lamp posts, and two AAA batteries for the lighted sign. Each battery holder has an on/off switch to control the lights.
The structure itself is very well done. My only complaints are that the door hinges are a bit fragile and that the doors themselves are too short for 1:24. They scale out at 5’10”, which is considerably lower than a standard 6’8″ doorway. The salesman stands 6′ tall, so I assume he knows to duck. The interior of the office is completely decorated and has working LED lights in the wall sconces. The kit includes lots of well-made office furniture. (I’d love to see just the furniture offered separately.)
Overall, I’m quite impressed with this building. The literature does not say whether it’s UV resistant, so if I were planning to place it outdoors on a permanent basis, I’d give it a shot of UV-stable clearcoat, such as that made by Krylon. I also don’t know how well the foam mat would hold up outdoors. I’d be inclined to replace it with asphalt roofing or something like that. And if you don’t want a used-car lot, the building itself is generic enough to be any kind of small business. The lighted gold-crown sign will attract attention for whatever it is the business is selling.
