The color of this car at first seems not to compliment the chrome but upon further inspection, and a little side by side comparison, shows the impact a little detailing can have. At one time I believed Ertl did not detail the grill correctly, but research turned up that the RS grill this year was painted dark grey with chrome highlights on the edges of the grill bars. (This does not hold true for Ertl's 1970 BM Camaro which has a grill looking much the same, that one should be ALL black to be accurate.) This car does not have a lot of chrome to begin with but the trim that can be added helps greatly to define the shape and look of the car. One thing that should be pointed out here is that many cars of the era had trim that was optional. Many Mopars had wheel openning molding but this trim was optional and many cars were ordered without this trim. The point is that it requires a great deal of research to determine if certain trim was standard on a certain model of car or if it was optional. Then, if it was optional, you need to decide if it should be included in your detailing efforts. Some cars just look best with a minimum of chrome trim, especially the stripper models with taxi-cab hubcaps.
To see a full photo layout of the detailed Z28 by itself, go to the 1970 Z28 page.
Isn't it amazing what five little dabs of silver paint can do to make those chrome lug nuts show up and make the wheel look so much more real. Some detailing really takes no talent or time and at very little cost.
Ertl's big oversight on this model was that they didn't chrome the air cleaner lid. As I explained on the previous page, this was likely not an oversight from lack of concern for detail but more than likely a production cost concern. Regardless, the engine compartment really perks up with a little chrome foil applied to the air cleaner lid and a little paint here and there. The master cylinder and brake booster sure look better in gold than chrome.
Let's see the detailed one up close:
Again, the undercarriage just comes alive with touches of paint. The driveshaft, leaf springs and steering components are painted a Testor's Steel color while the gas tank is painted silver and the shocks are flat grey. A touch of paint to the starter and oil filter help set the engine components apart as distinct assemblies. Compare the before undercarriage of this Z/28 with the underside of the 442 pictured elsewhere and you can see how Ertl has included more detail in their more recent offerings.
A top-down view gives a picture of most of the added chrome details. See how the chrome helps define the edges of the windows and improves the realistic nature of the model? Also note that the shifter knob is painted white and the shifter pattern on the console is painted silver. Just a few little things that spice up the entire package. You sometimes have to look for items which can benefit from a little detailing. Some items stand out more than others. Note how the wiper arms are almost invisible on the non-detailed version but are very obvious on the detailed one.
Ertl did a great job on the interior but there is always room for improvement. The door panels are some of the best I've seen with wood grain color and plenty of chrome trim. But they left out the chrome trim around the instrument cluster and around the horn button trim. This type of detailing can be maddening to include since it takes so much time to do right but adds just a little extra something. But the point is to improve the overall look from as many angles as possible. Don't be afraid to add details which might go unnoticed at first glace, they will add visual impact even if they are not specficially noticed as detailing work.
