Introduction: This is a review I've been anxious to do, on a car I've been anxious to get my hands on. I've seen and held several different Highway 61's models in the past, in retail shops, but never purchased any because of what I perceived to be poor quality control; models I saw (even in unopened packages) had poor chrome, crooked trim pieces, and an overall cheap look. With the new line of Pontiac LeMans and Dodge 330 cars, it seemed that sentiment was very positive; if you frequent the Diecast.org message board, you'll read tons of overwhelmingly positive posts about these diecasts. Amidst all the happiness and joy, I decided to take a chance on them, and placed an order for one Poly Green Dodge 330 and one Aquamarine Pontiac LeMans. And boy was I excited when they arrived! First out of its package was the Dodge 330 (we'll get to the packaging later), and now that I've had a couple of days to stare at it and play with it, it's review time...

Highs: Of all the reviews you'll read on this site, this is the one for which the "High/Low" rating system is most appropriate. Highway 61's Dodge 330 is a study in contrasts, from amazing highs to "this sucks" lows. Let's start with the highs: the paint is smooth and relatively blemish-free, and actually very nice. What a great color for this car, and one that typifies '60s styling. My guess is, this is one of those either-you-love-it-or-you-hate-it colors, and I'm in the former camp. The wheels, with dog-dish caps, are painted the same color as the car, and look outstanding. I should mention that the tires on this car are extremely realistic...they look and feel like real tires, not a trivial detail in my opinion. I won't spend much time on the interior, other than to say that it does look good and is fully carpeted, with folding soft-touch seats. The trunk is also well done and features a full size spare under a lid that opens smoothly and stays up on its own. The real highlights are found at the front of the car, under the hood, and the hood itself. the engine is a thing of beauty, fully wired and plumbed, and just a wonder to behold...easily my favorite part of the car. The hood operates on the most amazing hinges I've ever seen; every diecast manufacturer should buy this car and study the hinges. I've actually caught myself, otherwise catatonic, just sitting in front of the car raising and lowering the hood just to hear and feel the springs at work (I know, I may need professional help). It's worth mentioning that the front and rear bumpers look great (other than a deep scratch on the rear bumper), as does the front grill. Other positives include a working glovebox door, spring-loaded driver and passenger doors with smooth action, and that all panels (hood, trunk, doors) line up well with tight and even shutlines. Finally, I love how the driveshaft turns when you roll the car, which also turns the fan in the engine compartment...very cool!!

Lows: Don't worry, the lows don't overwhelm the highs, not even close. But the lows are annoying nonetheless: the tie-rod connecting the front wheels is about 1/16 of an inch too short, which causes the tires to be skewed...for example, if the left front is pointing straight ahead, the right front is pointing inward, off by about 25 degrees. This comes into play when you go to roll the car across a table (to watch the fan spin!), and you notice that it's almost impossible to roll the car straight. If you do roll it straight somehow, it will happen with the tires pointing off in a different direction. While I generally like the paint (especially the color), there are too many spots where the paint "bunches up", and forms ridges where it dried unevenly. I mentioned that the front and rear bumper look good...not so the other chrome trim. I'm sure many of you are waiting for me to comment on the chrome trim, and whether it has improved since the Olds models, and I'm sad to say it has not improved. It's rough, it's uneven, and it has too many blemishes and rough spots. This is a shame, because it really detracts from what is an otherwise beautiful diecast (I wish my camera was capable of displaying enough detail to show the chrome up close, but it's not great at close-ups). Mounting posts are visible on the front lower amber lights, as well as in the taillights, though those probably bother other collectors more than they bother me. Earlier I mentioned the packaging, and I'd like to elaborate on that. You're probably thinking, "who the heck cares about packaging?!". Normally, I don't comment on packaging, but this is easily the worst diecast packaging I've ever seen. The best way to explain is to say that the plastic container holding the car is designed such that getting the car out is a minor challenge, but getting it back in and having it look like new will require patience, fortitude, and an engineering degree from MIT. That's important if you ever sell your diecasts, like I do. People will usually pay more for cars that come in their original box, but they should pay you more just to throw this box in the garbage. UT, Autoart, Maisto, etc. may use cheap window boxes also, but at least it's easy to remove and replace the car if necessary.

Summary: I'm very glad to own this Highway 61 Dodge. It's a beautiful diecast of an interesting '60s automobile, in a very unusual but authentic color. I love the craftsmanship that went into the engine, the interior, the wheels, and the hood hinges. But I do wish that Highway 61 would have spent more time on the chrome, paint quality, and overall quality control. After all, this is a $40-50 diecast, so it competes directly against Kyosho and Autoart for collectors' dollars, and thanks to ebay, comes very close in price to some GMP and Lane diecasts. If you're interested in the subject matter, and your eyes can look past the chrome issue, you'll enjoy owning this diecast.

**If you'll recall, I mentioned at the beginning of the review that I purchased this Dodge along with a Pontiac Lemans. Well, the LeMans never made it out of the package. Thanks to the plastic window in the package, I saved myself the trouble; the chrome on that LeMans was very poor (much worse than on the Dodge, not sure why). Not only was it terribly rough, and uneven, but the trim styling pieces on the side were badly crooked. The front grill on the LeMans is not done as well as on the Dodge, and the wheels don't look as good either. It took about 30 seconds to decide the LeMans was going back for a refund. If the LeMans is on your "buy" list, I recommend seeing it in person before making the purchase.