Breaking Bad Chevy

By Maz Woolley

All text and photographs by, and copyright of, the Author unless otherwise stated.

Greenlight have a large number of TV and Film related vehicles in their ranges in scales from 1:18 to 1:64.  A few also make it into 1:43 scale like the licensed vehicles from the Fast and Furious franchise. Here we look at the 1982 Chevrolet Monte Carlo which is Jesse Pinkman’s car in the TV series Breaking Bad which was a phenomenal success a few years ago. This has been released in 1:64 scale previously when the mobile home from the series was also released. Later it was released as a 1:43 scale model diecast in China. In some cases Greenlight then go on to release a standard car using the same casting as they have with the Lincoln Continental amongst others. but haven’t done so with this one yet.

The 1982 Chevrolet Monte Carlo was the second year of the fourth generation of this car which is a two door coupe based on the same chassis as the Buick Regal, Pontiac Grand Prix and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. In 1982 the Monte Carlo was not at its best, the turbo had been withdrawn and two diesels introduced. Interior options no longer included a bucket seat sports pack. The car was losing its previous muscle car image.

Later the car became popular with customisers as it was cheap and mechanically simple with a front engine and rear wheel drive unlike the GM cars that followed it which introduced the FWD engine/drive units in the Monte Carlo and its ‘siblings’.  In Breaking Bad the car is customised as a low rider but the model doesn’t really reflect this although the wheels are spaced out further than standard.

The Greenlight model is about the same standard as the models made by Universal Hobbies for the James Bond Partwork. Interestingly the Greenlight details on the base are all printed on but ‘1/43 made in china’ is moulded in. This suggests to me that the car will be available to other brands as a standard model later.

The wide track is achieved by fitting spacers in between the wheel and the base which again suggests that the car will be made later with a standard track width.  The wheels are a reasonable match to the car in the TV series but the whitewall is an entirely different place from that on the TV car.

Whilst many of the details are good. The grille is nice, as are headlights and the emblem on the bonnet. However the inserted rear window has a slightly crude surround and the plating is inconsistent and does not colour match the printed chrome round the front door and screen.

The rear lights are nicely made inserted parts with the chrome rims and the motif on the lights well done. The wipers are fine plastic items which look much more convincing than thin one dimensional  PE items fitted to many resin models.

The quality of the paint finish is excellent and the number plates are as used in the programme. The door mounted mirrors are nicely made and even have reflective ‘glass’ fitted.

Looking inside the car there is a lot of moulded details but apart from the steering mounted gear lever in silver it is all in black. Interestingly the back window and rear side windows are privacy glass but pictures of the TV car show them as clear glass.

Models of American cars of the 1980’s are not that common so even though GM sold only just over 90,000 of the 1982 Monte Carlo it is a welcome addition to the shelf.


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