This somewhat garishly-painted Yat Ming Chevy Bel Air is not a vintage die cast, but it fits in with the other brands featured in this part of the forum. Its proportions look quite realistic. It probably came in a two-pack at the now-defunct "Ames" store.

This one was once a cake decoration at one of our toy club picnics!

Does any of you have this casting in a more realistic color scheme?

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b228/PropMonster/ToyAuto_YatMing/YatMing1093BelAir.jpg

I think I do,I'll snap a pic in a few minutes....

EDIT:

Ok,here it is. I had this since I was a kid. It was originally all blue with some stupid tampo on the roof,I thought it looked dumb on that car so I blacked out the roof to cover it up. But everything else is "stock".

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a62/notablazer/Die-Cast%20Collection/d247e580.jpg

I like that version better, thanks.

I did not want to remove the tampo from the Chevy, because I actually like the rear, dark blue portion.

These castings are nice enough to collect, but cheap enough to experiment with. Here's a Yat Ming Ford from which I removed some red tampo printing, using nail polish remover:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b228/PropMonster/ToyAuto_YatMing/YatMingGalaxie66.jpg

hey i have that Ford... I really like it, I don't think that year has ever been done by any other diecast manufacturer...

hey i have that Ford... I really like it, I don't think that year has ever been done by any other diecast manufacturer...

You're right Yatming seems to be the only one who made the 66 Galaxie. Here are 6 different examples with 3 spares, The dark blue one with no tampos was made that way by Yatming for another company.

Sorry about the small picture but I cannot get larger ones to upload :confused:

Though they have somewhat cheapened in overall quality over the last few years, Yatming nonetheless has produced some very nice castings.
I collect many of their older castings (metal base, open door cars) from the 80's and 90's among them the 65 Mustang, 69 Toytota 2000GT, Lincoln, Caddillac, Corvette, XKE Jaguar, 63 Chevrolet Impalla among many others.
I have about 200 cars.
I'd like to have that 56 Chevy - that I don't have.
I agree - the tampos really negatively distract from these cars.
Interesting too is the Yatming timeline (that I am still trying to figure out); where this company actually derived from be it Playart or Zee Zylmex as many of the older style Yatmings castings I collect come from these two companies (with modifications to the tooling).
These new castings I have have no clue on their roots.
;)

Though they have somewhat cheapened in overall quality over the last few years, Yatming nonetheless has produced some very nice castings.
I collect many of their older castings (metal base, open door cars) from the 80's and 90's among them the 65 Mustang, 69 Toytota 2000GT, Lincoln, Caddillac, Corvette, XKE Jaguar, 63 Chevrolet Impalla among many others.
I have about 200 cars.
I'd like to have that 56 Chevy - that I don't have.
I agree - the tampos really negatively distract from these cars.
Interesting too is the Yatming timeline (that I am still trying to figure out); where this company actually derived from be it Playart or Zee Zylmex as many of the older style Yatmings castings I collect come from these two companies (with modifications to the tooling).
These new castings I have have no clue on their roots.
;)

The Chevy pictured is a 57. Do they also make a 56?? The only other Chevy I have seen is a 64. They also make a 63??

The Chevy pictured is a 57. Do they also make a 56?? The only other Chevy I have seen is a 64. They also make a 63??

Hello,
Don't quote me on the years (I am very bad at that), I could be wrong. I just know I own the cars. My Impalla is black. My Mustang is white. The Jaguar is blue.

You are correct indeed.

Did they make an older Galaxie too (like the same year as their Impalla)?
:thumbsup:

I have never seen a Galaxie other than the 66 and I have been looking for them for about 5 years. I wish JL would make a whole series of them from 59 through 69 or so.
I own a 1:1 66 Galaxie like the Yatmings that I bought new in 66 and would really like to see more diecast of it.

I like this one the best - a '65
I remember my aunt had one like this in a lighter shade of blue; dad bought it and used it from '68 through '72:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b228/PropMonster/ToyAuto_VariousBrands/Racing%20Champions/RacingChampionsFordGalaxie65.jpg

Yat Ming also made a 1959 Galaxie. It also came in red with the top up. #8901:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b228/PropMonster/ToyAuto_YatMing/YatMingGalaxie59.jpg

Yat Ming also made a 1959 Galaxie. It also came in red with the top up. #8901:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b228/PropMonster/ToyAuto_YatMing/YatMingGalaxie59.jpg

OMIGOD you guys are driving me nuts. Do you know of any source for those Galaxies. The 65 is terrific. I need I want I must have!!!! :cool:

Interesting too is the Yatming timeline (that I am still trying to figure out); where this company actually derived from be it Playart or Zee Zylmex as many of the older style Yatmings castings I collect come from these two companies (with modifications to the tooling).
These new castings I have have no clue on their roots.


You'll be interested in this- MoparNut360 did a comparison of the #1057 "Duster" and #1056 Aspen castings. Evidently the Duster's actually a Dart Sport, and both are shrunken versions of model kits produced in the '70s.

The same can be said of Playart's '79-'82 Mustang- I saw the model kit (reissued) that this car is based on at Wal*Mart just last year.

So this explains where some of these castings came from. And obviously a few are Tomica copies (Lincoln, Cadillac Fleetwood...).

You'll be interested in this- MoparNut360 did a comparison of the #1057 "Duster" and #1056 Aspen castings. Evidently the Duster's actually a Dart Sport, and both are shrunken versions of model kits produced in the '70s.

The same can be said of Playart's '79-'82 Mustang- I saw the model kit (reissued) that this car is based on at Wal*Mart just last year.

So this explains where some of these castings came from. And obviously a few are Tomica copies (Lincoln, Cadillac Fleetwood...).

What I find interesting Sean is that many striking similarities exist from many Playart cars (and the Tomica's for example), but with just a few modifications on the tooling itself rather than just a blanket re-use of the exact tooling but with perhaps simply just a different brand name on the base.
I recently did a comparison with a Playart XKE Jaguar and a Yatming version (with a 25X printer's magnifier loop). VERY, VERY CLOSE, but with just a slight difference in perhaps part of the hood line (and part of the base) - almost deliberate.
This leads me to believe that perhaps the re-use of the tooling was not quite on the up & up legally, that indeed they were not really given permission or that infact the tooling was maybe even stolen (or reversed tooling on an example).
In regard to the model kits, these are plastic right (and I will assume much larger scale than 1/64)? How can you be sure that that these were "borrowed"? I'm not questioning your sincerity; I find this information even more typical Yatming bizarre - I would not put this past them.

In regard to the model kits, these are plastic right (and I will assume much larger scale than 1/64)? How can you be sure that that these were "borrowed"? I'm not questioning your sincerity; I find this information even more typical Yatming bizarre - I would not put this past them.

The model kits "inspired" the Yatming/Playart castings. How- beats me, I don't know the Yatming casting process. But the fact that the model kits and the 1/64 diecast cars share the same characteristics (we'll use the "Duster" as an example: side pipes, is really a Dart, as the grill and taillights give away, mislabeled as a Duster). Also, where else is a factory in Hong Kong going to get info on the Dodge Aspen in the days before the Internet. My theory is they picked model kits of cars they thought would sell well/look interesting and went from there.

Unfortunately, I don't have any of the model kits in question, and a websearch for the Mustang kit turned up zilch. The Mustang is the one that made me get the connection to the Playart right away- I have always hated the Playart "Turbo Mustang" casting- its awful (so bad I've never actually purchased one for my own collection- a fact I regret right now as it would make a comparison alot easier than going by memory). I saw this model kit and went 'Ugh, they did the same ugly rear 1/4 window treatment the Playart did' and then it hit me- this model kit was being reissued by Wal*Mart (it was I think $7.44) from a much earlier model kit. The Playart copied the odd rear 1/4 louvres that I've never seen on any real Mustang.


Playart's Mustang, on Tales of Toy Cars: http://www.breithaupts.com/pl79must.jpg

Wish I could find the model kit...

Any chance you have a link or pics to the Duster/Dart and the Aspen? I don't think I've ever seen them...

--rick

Here is the Aspen.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b228/PropMonster/ToyAuto_YatMing/yatming_aspen03.jpg

http://www.breithaupts.com/ym1057.jpg Dart/Duster

I have to hand it to Yatming - they made some cool cars and cars that nobody would imagine (like an Aspen?!). And their quality level (detail and overall finish) was impressive, a notch higher Playart and way above Zee/Zylmex.
But for those stupid graphics (whose idea were those? the Chinese? - as they have this thing for loud, garish graphics??).
Sean, Interesting on this Duster (I have this car too); I'm curious did the model kit that these were taken from also have side pipes? That feature there dates clear back to the redline days (Mattel HotWheels).