Speaking of taillights, why does Mattel go all out on SOME taillights and completely forget the front of the car or vice versa? The new Honda regular comes to mind. Wicked taillight tampos, but nothing for the headlights.
YES! I agree, Z06.
This has always been a complaint of mine. Mattel puts some crazy stripes and tampos all over many (most?) of their models whether mainline or upscale and forgets all about the headlight/taillight/grille details...
From what I understand from one of the Mattel employees, doing a tampo on front AND back is a lot more $ than doing either front or back and the rest of the car so they don't ever do the front and back anymore unless it's a RLC or $5 car like HW racing or Nostalgia. That's why you see cars completely covered in tampos except either the front or back.
I still don't think that's any excuse to leave them off a $3.47 premium car.
Never say never, or "don't ever", tbird. Some HW and MBX mainlines are nicely detailed both front and back (Porsches, Ferraris, Caddys, Deloreans come to mind) while some upscale cars lack front and rear detailing altogether (Slick Rides come to mind, for example or recent MBX Lesneys). Despite what the Mattel employee may have told you, there is no rhyme nor reason to their details.
Here are two HW mainlines that Mattel did right in my opinion with both front and rear detailing...
Ferrari F430 convertible:
And here are some that needed attention...
Dodge Ram Quadcab - lots of nice Superlift tampos, but the Mopar grille detailing was missed completely:
Before detailing
After my detailing
Upscale HW Garage Blazer - nice 2-tone job, but no headlight/taillight/grille detail:
Upscale MBX Real Working Rigs Pierce Quantum with no front/rear detail:
There are far more mainline cars with real quirky or bizarre tampos than with the realistic front/rear details that give each vehicle its individuality. I have given up on HW and MBX mainlines for the most part and am selectively purchasing M2, JL (c'mon, Tomy, make 'em better), GL and Jada. A $4.00 Jada
1:64 "Heroes" police cruiser has 10 times more detail than a more expensive MBX Lesney - opening doors, hatches/trunks, inside details: computer, partition/cage, weapons storage drawers as well as detailed front/rear lights, grille, detailed department logos and inventory markings, although they do have a bit of "M2 gappiness" with their opening features (but for $4 or 5 bucks that's OK with me)...
As I am becoming more educated in this hobby I am becoming much more selective and find I am purchasing far fewer mainlines and my dollars are being spent on fewer, yet nicer (IMHO) upscale cars and trucks...
Um, thanks for putting up with my rant. Didn't mean to be so wordy.
I'm going to take a nap now...