OLD First Gundam 1/60 RX-78 Gundam

Release 1980.12

Price ¥2,000

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - Alongside the 1/100 Gundam box. The box is nice and big as you'd expect from a 1/60, but the size fee

Alongside the 1/100 Gundam box. The box is nice and big as you'd expect from a 1/60, but the size feels a bit awkward.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - Comparison with the MG First Gundam v2.0, which represents a typical Gunpla box size, and the v3.0 bo

Comparison with the MG First Gundam v2.0, which represents a typical Gunpla box size, and the v3.0 box which is ¥4000+ tier. Yep, still an awkward size~

Alongside the PG First Gundam box.

This is also the very first Gunpla kit to use polycaps.

Parts diagram

Manual

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Maybe it's the larger scale, but the head sculpt has more depth and dimension compared to the 1/100.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - The body color separation is better than the 1/100 too, but the blue sections on the upper torso stil

The body color separation is better than the 1/100 too, but the blue sections on the upper torso still come out white. They could've easily done proper color separation there — it feels like they just left it as a bright base color to make painting easier.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - On the 1/100 the white border of the shield was color-separated, but on the 1/60 it's just one single

On the 1/100 the white border of the shield was color-separated, but on the 1/60 it's just one single piece.

The red feet (?) are color-separated, but the soles are still completely plain.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - You can separate the upper and lower body to pull out the Core Block, and unlike the 1/100, the waist

You can separate the upper and lower body to pull out the Core Block, and unlike the 1/100, the waist armor properly covers the gap.

Core Block

The front of the Core Block slides out, and interestingly the white canopy section moves along with it. It's a unique gimmick you won't find on the MG or PG versions ^^;

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - The landing gear under the nose is even reproduced as a retractable working mechanism. Pull the nose

The landing gear under the nose is even reproduced as a retractable working mechanism. Pull the nose forward and the landing gear automatically deploys; push it back in and the landing gear links up and folds away. It doesn't retract completely — it just folds in enough to stay out of the way during Core Block transformation — but it's still a pretty impressive gimmick that neither the MG nor PG has.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - Core Fighter from various angles. (1/4)

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - Core Fighter from various angles. (2/4)

Core Fighter from various angles.

Weapons lineup. The Gundam Hammer is included here, which wasn't in the 1/100.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - The most baffling parts in this kit... there are 2 semi-transparent rods included that look just like

The most baffling parts in this kit... there are 2 semi-transparent rods included that look just like highlighter refills.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - You're supposed to shave the tip into a beam saber shape... The material is surprisingly hard, so a k

You're supposed to shave the tip into a beam saber shape... The material is surprisingly hard, so a knife won't really cut it — you'd need to file it down to get a proper shape.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - You have to boldly cut off the peg on the existing beam saber handle, then use a separate joint part

You have to boldly cut off the peg on the existing beam saber handle, then use a separate joint part to attach the semi-transparent rod.

This way you can use 2 different types of beam sabers.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - The other standard-shaped beam saber part is molded in white, and you attach it to the beam saber han

The other standard-shaped beam saber part is molded in white, and you attach it to the beam saber handle that was stored in the backpack.

When the beam saber handle is plugged into the backpack, the fit is loose and it keeps drooping down..

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - The chain section of the Gundam Hammer is assembled by manually linking each individual piece togethe

The chain section of the Gundam Hammer is assembled by manually linking each individual piece together by hand.

The large 1/60 bazooka has surprisingly good detail and depth.

Shells can be loaded into the front just like on the 1/100.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - The underside grip structure of the bazooka is articulated to make it easier to slot the handle into

The underside grip structure of the bazooka is articulated to make it easier to slot the handle into the hand's hole.

The inside of the large shield is very plain and bare, as you'd expect from an old-school kit..

A clear cellophane sheet is also included to stick over the eye hole on the shield.

A total of 4 hands are included.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - The hand and rifle don't fit together well, so it droops like shown above.. I didn't want to glue it,

The hand and rifle don't fit together well, so it droops like shown above.. I didn't want to glue it, so I just fixed it with double-sided tape. ^^

1/60 Amuro figure.

Polycaps are used in all the joints, giving it surprisingly solid joint strength.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - That said, articulation is still pretty lacking... ;;; At least the hip joints actually move, unlike

That said, articulation is still pretty lacking... ;;; At least the hip joints actually move, unlike the 1/100.

OLD 1/60 RX-78 Gundam - You can spread the legs apart to either side, but the ankles don't move laterally, so the feet don't

You can spread the legs apart to either side, but the ankles don't move laterally, so the feet don't lay flat on the ground.

Beam rifle firing pose

Bazooka pose. Regardless of scale, old-kit Gundams just never look quite right holding a bazooka. -_-

Normal beam saber action

Highlighter(?) beam saber action

Gundam Hammer action

Together with the 1/144 and 1/100 Gundams.

Together with the 1/100 Core Fighter.

Together with the PG First Gundam.

Together with the PG First's Core Fighter.

The old-kit lineup included a 1/60 RX-78 following the 1/144 and 1/100, and what's perhaps more shocking than the large 1/60 scale itself is the surprisingly affordable price of ¥2000. ^^;

Opening up the big box, you're greeted by a bunch of large parts — and once it's all built, the sculpt and proportions are actually not bad at all for something that came out in 1980. It definitely looks sharper and more stable than the 1/144 or 1/100, at least. The one thing that's a bit of a shame is that the blue on the upper body still isn't color-separated. The parts themselves are split up, so it would've been easy enough to separate the colors — my guess is they figured a lighter base color would be better for painting the light blue on top. (Or maybe not....)

Unlike the 1/100, where the core block was awkwardly exposed, the 1/60 lets you install and remove the core block while the waist armor properly covers it up. On top of that, the larger scale seems to have helped — the face has more depth than the 1/100, and the red section on the bottom of the feet is now color-separated, so there's a definite sense of incremental improvement. That said, the white border on the shield, which was a separate part on the 1/100, reverts back to a single red part here on the 1/60, just like the 1/144.

With a large kit like a 1/60, durability can easily become an issue — but this kit was the first Gunpla to use polycaps in the joints. I was a bit skeptical given that they're old-style polycaps, but the joint strength turned out to be surprisingly rock-solid, almost like handling a 1/48 Mega Size First Gundam. The articulation itself isn't anything to write home about for an old kit, but the sheer sturdiness of the joints alone is actually more reassuring than the PG First, and that's genuinely impressive.

On top of all that, there are plenty of unexpected little surprises — like the Gundam Hammer chain that you assemble link by link, the landing gear that deploys in sync with the cockpit nose movement, and the quirky highlighter(?) beam sabers. That last one especially caught me off guard: you actually have to carve and sand down a fluorescent-colored rod yourself to shape it into a beam saber. It's a very old-kit approach, clearly designed with some hands-on modification in mind.

Anyway, old-kit of old-kits though it may be, there's something genuinely appealing about being able to build a big, charming 1/60 First Gundam for just ¥2000. Clean up the seam lines and throw on some paint, and you'd probably end up with a surprisingly solid result. If you're looking for something a little different to work on, this is a fantastic value old kit that I'd highly recommend. :-)
[ Updated at 2016.5.5 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.