Okay, this is a different kind of comparison. This article will compare these two cars on their "detail-ability" and how they respond to my kind of detailing. The results may surprise you.
Both
have decent looking grills and both need some attention to look
their best, but the Maisto is more accurately molded to represent
the 1:1. The Ertl is too chunky up front but does take to detailing
as well. The hood on the Maisto fits much better as well. Round
1: Maisto.
I
would rather have a hardtop without the fakey vinyl roof but Maisto
did a credible job with the vinyl roof treatment. The Maisto body
is well proportioned and cleanly molded, but seems a little over
exaggerated in the fender contours. The Maisto wheels are better
when detailed but the tires are way off. I'd give this round to
Ertl, but just by a nose.
Ertl
wins on the stripe shape, Maisto on the bumper and tail lights.
I guess I could make metal exhaust tips for the Maisto too since
the original equipment ones are a little too rounded. The Ertl
looses some points for the oversized rear bumper and generally
less-than-outstanding treatment around the rear bumper pad. Maisto
by just a touch.
The
treatment inside the trunk of the Maisto is not that great but
at least it has an opening trunk. The hood opens more completely
as well on the Maisto. It's a toss up for how well the chrome
foil goes on, each one takes to it quite well. Maisto again because
of the trunk.
Ertl
wins on the shape of the stripes and hood dome. You can see how
similar in size they are to one another. I think the Ertl is more
accurately molded in the rear window area. Though the Maisto has
wiper arms visible, the Ertl has slightly better paint and a cleaner
molding to make the best of the chrome foil treatment. The Maisto
is just cleaner, sharper and just as good on how it details up
so I'd call this round Maisto by a hair.
Now
you can really see what I mean about the hood stripes and dome
shapes. The Ertl has a better shape and look to the back edge
of the hood and has separate chrome hood pins. The Maisto pins
can be chromed, but just don't look as nice.
The
Maisto interior is more nicely detailed from the start and has
a little bit cleaner set up. The Ertl gets big point for having
a steering wheel that really takes to detailing, but the Maisto
already has nice detailing there so it comes out ahead again.
The
Maisto motor perks up with some attention, but still can't quite
reach the level of detail found on the Ertl. And the Ertl requires
less work to look that way to boot. Maisto's molded in master
cylinder and washer bottle just ruin the overall effect even when
detailed.
There
is just so much more on the Ertl to detail with much more powerful
results. While it's not the best of Ertl's efforts, I still can't
help but think Maisto could have done at least this well. I should
find a way to make the under hood cowl induction baffling on both.
The
Maisto takes quite a bit more work here but the results are outstanding.
It comes with no separate driveshaft so I added one. Even with
all this extra work, the Ertl wins this one because of it's superior
engine casting, exhaust pieces, floor pans and rear axle. They
aren't the best I've seen, but when fully detailed the Ertl just
looks better and more complete.
So, overall, I'd say the Maisto when detailed just edges out the Ertl. Of course this could be a whole different story if the Ertl had not been such an old mold. Either way, both cars take well to detailing. In fact, both really need such attention to look their best.