Well, I figured some eagle eye would spot DD's new First Response line. I have some info from Dennis Deal that I was going to post earlier but didn't get around to it. Pretty exciting news - this information will be posted on DD's website soon (this is a very long post but I think it's worth it for police collectors):

"Diecast Direct is extremely pleased to introduce our own 1/43 scale police car series. These are our own exclusive products manufactured in our factory from tooling of our exact specifications. The detail, quality and accuracy marks an evolution in the hobby by raising the standard of diecast model police vehicles.

Our first offering is a 1/43 scale 2007 Ford Crown Victoria. After purchasing the tooling used to create the PSP 100th Anniversary model in offered in 2005, we invested in new tooling updating it to a 2007 model. It will be available with an all black wheel with separate chrome center cap or the current full wheel hubcap.

Updated police equipment will include the latest generation of high tech voice, computer and radar antennas. A new generation low profile strobe roof light features highly realistic mounting points and two versions of highly detailed push bumpers are also available.

The console is equally detailed and features a separate computer screen, microphone and cable. “Slicktop” versions will feature the latest interior mounted strobe light equipment. An added enhancement is the correct mounting of the spotlight in the windshield “A” pillar. Interiors will feature exact factory colors and will be painted properly, not molded in color.

This will be the most accurate, highly detailed and accessorized model of this vehicle ever offered. To assure our specifications were achieved, I met with the factory engineers and technicians in China to discuss each and every detail.

The Crown Victoria will offer numerous versions long requested by collectors. These include a correct Michigan State Police version featuring the exact color and all equipment specific to the MSP and exclusive to Diecast Direct, the first factory made and authorized New Hampshire State Police cruiser. Other FCV’s representing departments that have never been done or those that have changed colors and markings will also be offered.

We will also acquired tooling for the Fleer 1941 Ford, and White Rose 1949/1950 two and four door Fords. Additional police equipment parts are being created that will enable us to offer limited editions of outstanding, never before offered police models from these eras.

And if this weren’t enough, the paint colors featured on all our police models will match actual factory paint codes for the particular department or car represented.

The biggest news however is our soon to be released 1/43 scale police version Dodge Charger. Diecast Direct began this project in late 2005 when I attended the annual police vehicle evaluations hosted by the Michigan State Police. There I photographed the pilot police Chargers and spoke with representatives from Dodge Fleet about specifics of the police version.

Designed without compromise to represent the police spec vehicle, finite details include the dash mounted shift lever and both types of police wheels, opening hood, front doors, trunk and pose able front wheels. Like our 2007 FCV, this model will incorporate modern police equipment finely detailed to be exact replicas of the real items.

Approximately 30 departments are currently identified for production including exclusive rights for Diecast Direct to produce the New Hampshire State Police Dodge Charger.

Custom imprint will be available for departments desiring to have their 2007 Fords or Chargers replicated in model form. The vast array of police equipment available and in-house design capability will assure any department seeking to have their cars made that Diecast Direct can offer the most realistic models available.

For customizers the 2007 Ford and Charger will be offered as plain cars with the possibility of several pre-painted versions. Created specifically for the custom police car modeler, these will be the most “customizer friendly” 1/43 diecast police models ever offered.

Included with each will be a full assortment of parts you’ve long wished someone would make combining a body without any pre-drilled holes. This should make it far easier for modelers to drill holes only where required for their specific project needs and does away with the headache of filling in and repainting to cover the customary holes in the roof.

The first of these will be available in late winter of this year continuing in spring."

As for the Maryland helicopter, Dennis said it will come with a stand for in-flight display and will have all the unique equipment that the actual MSP helo carries.

Diecast Direct also is going to continue White Rose and Fleer's relationship with the Pennsylvania State Police, making helicopters. The next PSP helicopter will be released in late Spring or early Summer. It will be a vintage Bell 47 (new tooling, not the Corgi model). It was on Fleer's list, delayed when Fleer went out of business but DD "acquired the tooling and revitalized the project," according to Dennis. DD also is going to make the PSP's current Agusta Kowla (that's the word he used, maybe he meant "Kiowa")
before the end of the year (another new tool).

Dennis tried to buy the '72 and '73 Plymouth molds that Ed mentioned when he bought the other Fleer molds from Upper Deck (the sports card company that bought Fleer's property), but because a different diecast company in China had possession of those molds he wasn't able to get them at that time.

Since Dennis is a former MD State Trooper, it's not surprising that Maryland is the first release in the First Response line. However, with 30 Chargers on the way, police collectors will have an incredible selection. It will be interesting to see if all this detail can remain competitive in price. It really is amazing that a company like Diecast Direct, who is mainly a distributor and retailer, is willing to fund new tooling like the Charger and to take a chance on revitalizing the Fleer products. They deserve a great deal of appreciation (and business) from police collectors!

Thanks for that updated info Dick. That is amazing news..I hope it all plays out as plannned. Put me down for one, two, ten of everything! I can't wait to see a photo.

Photos of diecast 1941 and 2007 MSP cars are up on the Diecast Direct website....Helo photo is the real helo.

Crown Vic looks great.

Ed

Location: Phila PA

They do look nice...but aside from the antennas, the Crown Vic looks just like the new re-tooled Gearbox 07 CV??? I pre-ordered mine!

Troy, while the DD and Gearbox might look alike at first glance (after all, they're both 2007 Crown Vics), I think you'll find that the First Response car is a great improvement over Gearbox's, even though that model has been upgraded somewhat. I have the PA State Police 2005 Crown Vic, the only model made from the Fleer casting from which Diecast Direct's 2007 was made, and it's way above Gearbox's. For example, the Fleer/DD car has the steel wheels with center cap, with the correct number of holes in the wheel for 2005, the tires have the correct pattern, the spotlight is correctly mounted on the A pillar, the Vector lightbar is accurate, it all the antennas in the right places and it has accurate, current radio and computer equipment inside (even a video camera mounted on the mirror) and equipment in the trunk. It has a very detailed engine and you don't need a rod to hold the hood open. Gearbox has a nice car but the spotlight is mounted through the windshield, the "steel" wheels are just the regular wheel covers painted black(!) and their Vector or Vision bar, after all these years, still has an empty space in the middle.

Dick,
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Thanks for all the info. Ever since you told us all about DD getting a number of the castings off Fleer, I have been keeping my eye out. I have the PSP Fleer 2005 Crown Vic and it is a much better casting than the Gearbox version. I still maintain that the Gearbox Crown Vic was ruined by wheels that seem way to small.
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I am hoping that a black and white version of the Crown Vic is done by DD.

Thanks for that additional info Dick. They truly sound like they will be well worth the money. I'm really excited about any "blank" versions and would also love to see a black and white version.

I am not really into 1/43 much, but a couple of blank red versions would be nice too. Also, a NY State Trooper version would go well with the Corgi old school Dodge.

Ed Baldini supplied the correct info about the Agusta helicopter - it's a "Koala" and is in service with the NYPD among others. I hadn't heard of it before, being more familiar with Agusta's military choppers.

FF46,

You will just have to paint the blank cars red until they get all their police versions done

Why has no one produced a 70s and 80s Ford or Chevy, or a Ford Taurus after all these years? Every reincarnation of the current style CV since Gearbox first offered the model seven years ago, with those minor changes seen only with a magnifying glass by us without 20/20, is just the same model over and over again. I appreciate the effort to use the improved Fleer mold, but we need a variety, not the same old-same old.

Dick,

thank you for the info, i def will order them

Location: Behind the **** on my wooden shoes smoking some free grass

Chuck,

I agree with 100%. Using the 3 foot rule to look at a model, most of this goes away. I would like to see them re-issue the 80's Caprice. Or if they decide to invest in a new mold, the Grand Fury/Diplomat, LTD, or even the Monaco.

Heck if they decide to concentrate on Modern pieces how about a Tahoe or Suburban?
I really went away from police modeling in 1/43 because there isn't much new out there.

Jeff

How about a late 80s Crown Vic wagon?!?

Chuck, I agree that it would be great to see a '70s or late '80s police car. I believe it was Mark B. who posted here 2-3 years ago saying that Corgi had planned to follow their '74 Monaco with a late '80s Diplomat if the Monaco sold well - apparently it did not. It's amazing that Corgi has produced literally dozens of different British police cars ranging all the way from the '50s to the present and apparently sells enough of them to crank out at least 10 or 12 new ones every year. I've talked to some people in the business who said that the interest in the late '80s Dodge or Plymouth just wasn't there, that most cops (who the industry seems to think constitute the bulk of police collectors) only want what they're driving now. I don't think that's true, but that's the conventional wisdom. Of course, a lot of the police business comes from customizers and premier orders from departments and retailers, and those usually want current vehicles. I think the only customizer who regularly does vintage cars is Dan Coviello. However, I agree that there are many significant police cars from the '60s through the '80s that should be made - but I doubt we'll see many of them. (Sorry, the Taurus isn't one of them, in my opinion.) Regarding Jeff's points, unfortunately the White Rose molds for the '88 Caprice and the Mustang both were lost in China somehow - Elaine at Northwest Police Products told me that they wanted to do RCMP versions of both and that's what they were told. There are some other modern police vehicles available in 1:43rd besides the Crown Vics - Gearbox Impala and Expedition, Hongwell Tahoe, Welly Suburban and now the DD Charger will be coming out.

I agree 100% with what Dick has posted. It all comes down to cost on behalf of the diecast company and how they think they can re coup the cost of what they invest. I have read that to produce a new castings it costs the company thousands of dollars to do so.
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However, Diecast Direct have an extra advantage when it comes to this. They were shrewd enough to purchase already in existance castings that Fleer once had. Now its up to the collector to support the cars that they release. If the sales are there it will give them plenty of food for thought when it comes to investing in other castings such as a Diplomat. Corgi proved that three years ago when they stipulated that any future castings of US police cars would depend on the sales of the Dodge Monaco. The Dodge was a fine diecast model, however they did not sell well.
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Diecast Direct have shown that they will produce new castings such as the Dodge Charger, its up to us to support their new line of police vehicles. You never know what Diecast Direct and Dennis Deal may decide to do in the future.

Here is a list of 10 departments I would like to see.
1. LAPD Crown Vic.
2. San Francisco Crown Vic.
3. Las Vegas Metro Crown Vic.
4. San Diego Crown Vic.
5. Miami Dade Crown Vic.
6. Nevada Highway Patrol Crown Vic.
7. Boston PD Crown Vic.
8. Oakland California PD Crown Vic.
9. Dallas PD Crown Vic.
10. Oklahoma Highway patrol Crown Vic.

All we need is for cities such as LA and Dallas not to be such hard As%es when it comes to giving permission.

I see that Jeff over at Policecarmodels.com will be also carrying this line.

Also Manny's Diecast - I expect a lot of dealers will have it eventually.

Only the MSP s out at this time?

What about NHSP or Mass SP.

I was rather disappointed with Walt COnroys Mass SP SUV. The colors were wrong.

There will be more departments. These cars won't be available for at least a couple of months. There are about 30 departments lined up for the Charger. DD may be aiming the Crown Vic more at the customizing and premier markets since there are so many versions out there already.

For the record, Walt Conroy didn't have anything to do with the Mass. SP Expedition other than selling them like all the other Gearbox dealers. I wrote him as soon as I received it and said the colors were off. He said he'd received complaints from 3 others by that time and was going to ask Gearbox. Never heard what the response was.

I'd say you can be sure that the First Response cars won't have color problems. Dennis is a stickler for accuracy in colors, markings and equipment. Uses factory paint codes where he can get them. He even took a paint chip off the inside of the trunk of a '49 Ford to match it when he was doing those for White Rose!

I hope DD release more than a few versions of the Crown Vic. Whilst the Charger is an impressive car, I believe that the Crown Vic looks great as a police car. Not to mention that it is a great casting of this car.

Excellent. Dick might you tell us who else is planned for the chargers?

NYPD and MASS SP would be must dos

I sure hope my pre-order went through?? Never got a response back from DD and no response to an e-mail I sent last week? I can't wait to see how these cars turn out. It sounds like a great deal for us cop car collectors. I really hope that DD comes through with some blank versions for us to customize our little hearts out with

John, I don't have a list of all the Chargers. The only ones I know of are Virginia and New Hampshire State Police. I'm going to ask Dennis for a list if he can give that out. NYPD is pretty plain looking but I know they'd sell. I would really like to see the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Charger made that was at Police Week last year - it was the only one they had (at least at that time it was).

Diecast Direct have a website now for the First Response line. All it has is that more info is coming soon. The web address is firstresponsereplicas.com. But as I said, nothing on it yet.

I appreciate the new offerings of Police models in 1/43rd, as the market has been scarce for Cop stuff in that scale. However, when will we ever see a late 70s and early 80s Ford? Plus I'm surprised no company has ever issued a Taurus in 1/43rd scale. One more Crown Vic, no mater how nice, is just another addition to the already over issued multitude of CVs on the market.

The answer to Chuck's question is probably never. The reason yet another FCV is being made is that the mold was already available, probably at a very good price since the sports card company that bought Fleer's stuff didn't really want the police diecasts. Personally, I would much rather see an '80s Fury or Diplomat made than a Ford, but I'd welcome anything from that period - but a TAURUS? Now THERE was a real police car... At least there's a plastic model of it, which is more than can be said for many other police cars far more deserving of immortality...

Chuck, you certainly appreciate the more obscure vehicles used in LE and EMS. First the Bluebird bus and now the Ford Taurus.

Please Gentlemen. I just lost my 1997 Jeep with 99,699 miles due to an unintended kitbash with a guardrail. Now I find I will get a Ford Hybrid Escape SUV, or a dreaded Impala. Heaven help me if I get a Ford Focus Hybrid. I would settle for a beatup Taurus, as that in my opinon is an upgrade over the new Environmentally Friendly shoeboxes.

As for a Taurus model in 1/43rd. Well, I see a lot of those slugs in local PD dress, and it definately is a subject that needs modeling. As for the older Dodges, Chevys, and Fords, they would be very welcome. Why no plain white cars from past eras is really beyond me. So many aftermarket decals, and all we have are CVs. Oh well, I agree that the manufacturers will never catch on to what we really want.

But back to First Response, I'd purchase a FHP, and blanks if available. Why not, it was a nice issue in PSP.

Chuck, hope you had a stash of FHP decals for your projects. Someone just ran out of them.
I have long said that one day, someone in China is going to sit down at a computer, and read this forum, FireEngines.net, ScaleFireHouse and perhaps a few others. And they are going to grasp what is said. And from then on, that person will basically have a license to print US currency. Its bound to happen. Probaby later than sooner, but one day someone with the power to change, will do it. Then we will realize those long sought after models of vintage police and fire vehicles. Might be a few less doo dads or maybe not exactly what we want, but it can be done.
Many in the diecast industry think they know what we want, but we never seem to see it. I think the Diplomat, Taurus, the 9C1 Nova, early Impala and Caprice, Days of Fury's Past, the Monaco and even a nice in scale station wagon for supervisor vehicles, all models that would sell well decorated, or plain. Maybe if the FDNY used it, we would have seen it already. Some new spark in the police car line could bring a lot of collectors back. It could promt me to reprint, or print new decals. Or maybe not. Only time is going to tell. Sounds like Diecast Direct may be on to something. Going to have to watch, but not give up hope.

I hope to see the very pretty blue ande gold of The WV State Police.

John

Location: WV

Since the boom in 1/50 scale fire apparatus, how about someone moving into 1/50 with 4 door sedans, pick ups & (yuk!) SUVs? I personally would prefer 4 doors & station wagons, 1990 & earlier, & of the Ford blood line. Early 70s & previous MOPARs would be nice as well.

Diecast Direct MUST get their hands on the Fleer 1973 Plymouth castings.

I owned a 1/1 Plymouth(wayyyyyyyyyyy back when) & those 1/43 pieces just never looked right to me.

The 69 casting is not real good. The 72 casting was a big improvement. The 73 was even better but not perfect. In his earlier post, Dick mentions that they are trying to locate the 72 and 73 castings to purchase. The 73 casting deserves a place in this new line IMHO.

While I do look forward to DD's new line (especially generic Chargers that I can customize for my departments new cruisers), I'm not overly excited that the Crown Vic is a slightly re-hashed Fleer mold. With all due respect to everyone here, Fleer's FCV was only marginally better than Gearbox's, and BOTH suffer from poor proportioning, incorrect wheel size, incorrect windshield and window shapes, heavy handed details like door moldings, etc., etc., etc. They are only passable, and clumsy renderings of the actual FCV.

There is only one, properly proportioned, correctly shaped and detailed FCV. That is IXO's. Of course, when you compare IXO's price tag to Fleer and Gearbox, it's only natural. They obviously took a great deal more time and effort to insure their FCV was right, and passed those more expensive tooling efforts on to the consumer.

Don't get me wrong, I'll probably grab some of DD's FCV's. I just think IXO's are lightyears ahead in quality and detail than the others (albiet without operating features). Just my $.02.

Location: Central Mass

And talking of IXO's FCV, read my previous post concerning a few bargains to be found for kitbashers of this model,
http://pub14.bravenet.com/forum/1136930767/show/585165

Location: London UK