OLD First Gundam 1/60 Char's Zaku

Release 1980.12

Price ¥2,000

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Two of the runners aren't in poly bags.

The box size is the same as the 1/60 First Gundam.

Parts diagram

Manual

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Even at 1/60, the soles of the feet are still completely flat~

A total of 4 hands are included.

Using a unique polycap part, you can mount the heat hawk on the side of the waist.

1/60 Char figure

OLD 1/60 Char's Zaku - According to the manual, you can achieve a light-up effect by inserting a separately sold grain b

According to the manual, you can achieve a light-up effect by inserting a separately sold grain bulb (Mugikyu) into the eye area.

OLD 1/60 Char's Zaku - Those tiny grain bulbs are hard to find these days, so I grabbed an LED instead since that's what

Those tiny grain bulbs are hard to find these days, so I grabbed an LED instead since that's what everyone's using now. A 3mm 3V LED is the best fit size-wise — you can find them online for around 400 won each.

The 3mm LED couldn't be inserted from the back, so I widened the hole with a hobby knife.

LED inserted from the back of the eye.

Mono-eye seals and metal contacts for the battery are included.

I put a pink seal on the front of the LED and taped the back to hold it in place.

OLD 1/60 Char's Zaku - Pop two batteries into the connected battery box and the LED lights up. There's no separate switc

Pop two batteries into the connected battery box and the LED lights up. There's no separate switch at all — it's a pretty primitive setup where the light just stays on as long as the batteries are in..

OLD 1/60 Char's Zaku - The battery box can be secured inside the torso, and since the backpack is detachable, you can re

The battery box can be secured inside the torso, and since the backpack is detachable, you can remove it to swap batteries in and out.

The LED effect looks pretty decent. ^^

OLD 1/60 Char's Zaku - Just like the 1/100, the slot for securing the head antenna is filled in, so you have to open it

Just like the 1/100, the slot for securing the head antenna is filled in, so you have to open it up yourself with a knife.

Just like the 1/60 First Gundam, polycaps are used in all the joints.

OLD 1/60 Char's Zaku - The shoulders and upper arms use a classic ring-and-hook joint system, so you need to be careful

The shoulders and upper arms use a classic ring-and-hook joint system, so you need to be careful not to glue everything together at once when cementing.

Articulation is roughly about this much..

The shoulder joints can raise up quite high.

OLD 1/60 Char's Zaku - You can spread the hip joints apart, but the poor grip on the soles means you can't spread them t

You can spread the hip joints apart, but the poor grip on the soles means you can't spread them too wide.

OLD 1/60 Char's Zaku - Zaku machine gun action (1/4)

OLD 1/60 Char's Zaku - Zaku machine gun action (2/4)

Zaku machine gun action

Heat Hawk action

Machine gun + heat hawk action

OLD 1/60 Char's Zaku - Together with the 1/144 and 1/100 Char's Zaku. The color separation on the 1/100 was excellent to

Together with the 1/144 and 1/100 Char's Zaku. The color separation on the 1/100 was excellent too.

Together with the 1/60 First Gundam and Amuro figure.

Together with the PG Char's Zaku.

In December 1980, the 1/60 Char's Zaku was released alongside the 1/60 First Gundam. Just like the 1/100 version, the color separation on the Zaku is nearly perfect, which means even a straight build alone gives you a pretty sizable and convincing Zaku.

Just like the 1/60 First Gundam, polycaps are used in every joint, giving it incredibly solid and stable joint strength. Sure, the articulation is limited as you'd expect from an old-school kit, but those joints that are actually sturdier than the PG's deserve some real credit.

On top of that, as a special gimmick exclusive to the 1/60, you can add a light-up effect using separately sold small bulbs. I tried buying some 3mm diameter LEDs online and fitting them in, and the lighting effect actually looks pretty decent. For reference, 3mm diameter LEDs are exactly the right size — anything larger won't fit into the eye sockets, so keep that in mind. The LEDs are powered by 2 standard AA batteries, and there's no separate switch, so it basically works like: insert batteries = ON, remove batteries = OFF. Very old-school in design, but thankfully the backpack detaches easily, so you can pop it off to swap the batteries in and out.

Anyway, the fact that you can build such a large, well-color-separated Zaku for just ¥2000 makes this a pretty fascinating kit — and with joint strength that really stands out for its size, it's a classic old-school kit in the best sense. In terms of value for money in Gunpla history, this is pretty much an all-time great, and it's a kit I'd happily recommend to anyone looking to enjoy a bit of old-school nostalgia. :-)
[ Updated at 2016.5.6 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.