Majorette 1:24 1991 Chevrolet K-1500 pickup

Ever get that sensation when you come upon a diecast model you never heard before?  That can happen even in this world of 24/7 Hot Wheels news and unprecedented JDM cars, but they do exist and the best part they can be found cheap because there's not a lot of competition for these vehicles, sadly.  When you do find one post them on Hobbydb.com to keep track of a piece of history for others to share because any relatives of this casting have been subject to abuse by child's play or hidden deep into storage, so the chances of it appearing again are slim to none.  One of those examples is this fecent find of a Majorette 1:24 scale model, a rarely-seen category of Majorette models.

As mentioned before 1988 saw the new introduction of the GM full-size pickup trucks, with the K-series referring to 4x4 models as in this case of this bright red model with the cool sportside bed.  Past stepside beds were practical in allowing access to the part of the bed near the cab with step access points on either side.  By the 1980's this design was becoming vastly outdated compared to sleeker and more spacious fleetside bed designs.  Then GM resurrected the stepside bed with a new and more modern look that really looks good on these trucks and prompted Ford to revived the stepside as the flareside in the 1990's.  Majorette did release for a limited time a larger-scale line that included 1:24 scale models and a few 1:18 scale models.  Apparently that did not last for long as Majorette moved on after a few years.  What I did know is that Majorette made the Chevy C/K pickup as an extended cab stepside and a dually in 1:32 scale form; what i didn't know is that they made a 1:24 scale version as well.  This bright red truck is diecast metal with plastic base and a plastic inner bed insert, and details are nice except that they do not stand out much without any additional coloring to them (just like the Ertl plastic promotional models).

The front has a chrome grille with clear signal and headlights, though I had to add orange for the lower signal lights, while the black grille piece is separate from the outer chrome grille the lower support tabs are visible and there's no detailed bowtie logo (again I added my own details).  The lower bumper also has the chin spoiler that is part of the base, while the sides of the cab have the same issue as the Ertl truck: nicely detailed side trim that needed some additional coloring.  One feature that this casting has is exterior mirrors even though the doors do not open with the upper window frame mounts.  The chrome 5-spoke wheels are appropriate in the K-series wheel design and is mounted to the axle with snap precision just like the early Bburago castings, but the black dot in the middle is distracting so I added silver to help hide it.  The rubber tirest have a generic racing text along the sidewalls. 

At the rear is the stepside bed with 4x4 over the rear wheels and detailed step pads where I added my own details.  The taillights are tall and nicely done, silver CHEVROLET across the tailgate, and a lower chrome bumper with a New York plate and some odd nibs on the bumper step that looks as if it's holding the tailgate in place.  Speaking of which the tailgate does not open, yet still the bed area is accessible (some versions have a topper over the bed area).  A surprise here is the hood that opens up to show the 5.7L V8 motor.  It looks good with separate chrome V block, air cleaner, and detailed battery, but seems rather crude and the exhaust headers look a bit upright.  The base underneath shows off the separate chrome engine that also includes the 4-speed automatic transmission and rear leaf springs that are separate from the base.  Driveshaft, exhaust, and spare tire are detailed and look better with silver touch ups, while the front suspension is nothing but a flat panel covering the working steering and if this is a 4x4 model where's the transfer case and front differential?

 The interior has the same bucket seats and center console layout as the Ertl version with a dashboard that has detailed controls and a 4-spoke steering wheel that rests flat perpendicular with the gauges.  The transfer case shifter is mounted on the floor in the center, while the door panels have the correct detailing they are painted with the body, making it look cheap and out-of-place (once again my detailing saves the day).  This is not the best C/K pickup casting out there, but I do like the unique look of this sharp red 4x4 stepside truck and the uniqueness that it brings to the limited lifeline of the large-scale Majorette models.