As this partwork model is an Eaglemoss/Hero Collector/Die-Cast Club product, I want to inform my visitors about the recent disturbances and the possible future of Eaglemoss and these products.
Category Archives: NEWS
Special Issue #3
During the subscription build of this Eaglemoss 1:8 scale James Bond Aston Martin DB5 partwork model
, I did not expect any special issues to be offered. However, even after I finished this build, I was recently emailed that I was eligible to receive this third Special Issue. It consists of a very nice hardcover book titled James Bond’s DB5. Unfortunately, these Special Issues are not free, and I was automatically charged $47.95 for this item.
This deluxe 264-page coffee-table book measures 11”x12 ½” and is packed with full-page, high-quality photographs, including multiple shots illustrating the DB5’s appearance in No Time to Die. It was published in September 2021, so that may be why it arrived after my subscription concluded.
| Foreword by Daniel Craig When 007 first took control of the DB5 in Goldfinger it redefined the action movie forever, setting a standard for everything that came afterwards. Over the decades that have followed, Bond’s association with Aston Martin has only grown stronger. Bond and the DB5 are the perfect match: understated, stylish and powerful. This book is the official story of their relationship, from its beginning in 1963, when the DB5 was brand new, to the 25th Bond film No Time To Die, in which the DB5 once again takes center stage. The book draws on EON’s and Aston Martin’s official archives to present the inside story of the DB5, and includes original production artwork, film storyboards and exclusive photography. |
While this was unexpected, it is a beautiful book and makes a great addition to my bookcase! If you are not interested in these Special Issues, you need to contact US Eaglemoss Customer Service team at 1-800-261-6898 or at customerservice@eaglemoss.
Special Issue #2
During the subscription build of this Eaglemoss 1:8 scale James Bond Aston Martin DB5 partwork model, I did not expect any special issues to be offered. However, even after I finished this build, I was recently emailed that I was eligible to receive this second Special Issue. It consists of a very nice hardcover coffee table book titled 007 50 Greatest Bond Cars.
Unfortunately, these Special Issues are not free, and I was automatically charged $31.85 for this book. It was offered at $18.95, but Eaglemoss accidentally charged me for shipping and handling. I did receive an another email after it arrived that said this extra charge was in error and I did receive a refund.
Each of the fifty cars depicted in the book have their own 2-page spread detailing the usage, Q gadgets, and other information. For example, here are the pages for our Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger:
Another one of my Bond favorites is the Aston Martin DBS from Casino Royale:
While this was unexpected, it is a beautiful book and makes a great addition to my bookcase! If you are not interested in these Special Issues, you need to contact US Eaglemoss Customer Service team at 1-800-261-6898 or at customerservice@eaglemoss.
Final Thoughts
Of the many partworks I am building, this Eaglemoss 1:8 scale James Bond Aston Martin DB5 is the first one I have completely finished. And overall, I am very pleased with it. Technically, it was a fairly simple process with most of the 261 parts pre-assembled and held together by push-fit or the 261 screws (yes, the same number of both). While my experience was mostly positive, there were many frustrating moments mostly due to the order the parts were received in and some very tricky instructions.
I started my DB5 back in June of 2019, so it took just shy of two years to assemble. I believe this was Eaglemoss’ first partwork build-up as they acquired it after merging with GE Fabbri back in 2011. The DB5 has been re-released a few times since then, with all new magazines created in 2019, but the instructions were still lacking in clarity. I had to make many adjustments to make sense of them all, including combining them with the improved PDFs from 2013. Interestingly, the simplicity of the parts and the disorganization of the assembly instructions of the DB5 was showing its age as Eaglemoss’ following projects are noticeably better. Their later offerings have more steps, more parts, and those parts seem to arrive in a much more linear way.
I feel the 1965 Aston Martin DB5 is a beautiful, regal automobile full of classical charm and sporting a deeply storied history. Even with all of the complications expected of assembling this model, I decided it was still worth owning. If we then consider the inclusion of Q’s gluttony of spy gadgets from the film Goldfinger (1964), it just made this DB5 even better! Eaglemoss did their best to include these modifications in our model. Other than the ejector seat, everything works perfectly on mine, especially the electronics with all of the lights and sounds.
In the end, I had a great time completing the Eaglemoss DB5, and I want to thank all of my visitors who hung through this build with me. I hope sharing my experiences, tips, and tricks can help others get through their own DB5 builds in some small way. I am proud to have it in my display cabinet and look forward to building many more large-scale models!
Shop is Open!
I have had many visitors ask about the tools and supplies that I use to build my partworks, so I have created a ‘Shop‘ over at my main build site with Amazon links to most of the items I have used along the way. All proceeds go towards supporting my site costs, not for profit. I hope you all find this helpful!
If you want to build this specific partwork, check out the Eaglemoss 1:8 scale James Bond Aston Martin DB5 ordering page!
The Parts
There are hundreds of parts and screws that make up this Eaglemoss 1:8 scale James Bond Aston Martin DB5 partwork build-up model. I have put a small page together that lists the number of parts and screws in each pack as well as running totals. Check out The Parts!
Special #1
During the subscription build of this Eaglemoss 1:8 scale James Bond Aston Martin DB5 partwork model, I did not expect any special issues. However, I was recently emailed that I was eligible to receive this Special Offer. It consists of two ‘Bond in Motion’ replicas that are similar to our Free Gift #4:
- The Moon Buggy that Bond uses to escape from Whyte’s research facility in Diamonds are Forever
- The Dragon Tank that Dr. No uses to scare people away from Crab Key in the first Bond movie, Dr. No
Every issue of ‘Bond In Motion’ features a new 1:43 scale die-cast model in a specially-recreated scene from one of the films in the Bond Franchise. The models include all the gadgets and weapons you’d expect and have been carefully researched right down to the number plates.
The pair are NOT free, but are automatically charged and shipped for $39.90. I was not interested in these additional pieces, so I called Eaglemoss to cancel them. If needed, you can reach the US Eaglemoss Customer Service team at 1-800-261-6898 or at customerservice@eaglemoss.
Free Gift #4
If you signed up for the subscription-based version of the Eaglemoss 1:8 scale James Bond Aston Martin DB5 model build, you will receive five FREE gifts along the way. The first gift was a Poster, the second was the Blueprints, the third was the Collector’s Binder, and the fifth was the Display Base. However, they were unable to deliver the fourth gift until now. This is the 1:43 Model of the car.
The 1:43 Model of our Aston Martin DB5 is framed within a plastic case and is quite detailed. It even has the rear tire slashers extended.
Two sides of the case contain images that make it appear the car is in a high-speed chase scene. There are foreground elements of vegetation and roadside markers as well as the 007 logo on top. It is a nice display piece and I am glad Eaglemoss was able to get them sent out finally!
Halfway There!
With Pack 43 completed, we are now exactly halfway through the build of this Eaglemoss 1:8 scale James Bond Aston Martin DB5. We have made good progress considering we only started about 11 months ago. There have been delays, missing parts, and a serious lack of clear of instructions, but look at everything we have accomplished nonetheless!
I pulled all of my DB5 parts out of storage to take this picture of the various bits we have collected so far. It looks like a jumbled mess, HA! With my other partwork builds, I do not seem to have so many loose parts. This build just feels disjointed; it is really strange that the order of the parts we receive is not more linear. I think they could have done a better job with it, but I am still enjoying the process and I look forward to completing it. Thanks to all my visitors for joining me!
3-in-One Oil
If you are building any of the die-cast metal large scale models out there, you are probably familiar with the pain around driving screws into metal parts. In my experience, some of these screws have a tendency to bind up, strip threads, or simply snap off. Not only does it cause frustration, but it could cause a long delay in your build waiting for replacement parts.
For a while now, I have read about other builders that were using a little oil on their metal screw threads to help reduce the risk of damage and the effort needed to seat these screws fully. Up until this point, I had taken my time to carefully pre-thread metal screws, but it turns out they were on to something. I recently picked up some 3-in-One Multi-Purpose Oil (from the WD-40 Company) and it has changed everything!
I simply dip the tip of each metal screw into a tiny drop of this stuff and they go right in and without any drama. I should have done this sooner! If putting a little oil on the end of a metal screw is not feasible, you can also use a toothpick or other small tool to apply the oil directly into a screw hole before installing the screw.
To hold the oil, I use this fantastic 4 oz dispenser bottle with a built-in pump and metal lid. I fill it up and pump the lid when I need a little oil to work with. Additionally, it has a nice wide base to reduce the possibility of spills:
I highly recommend grabbing a bottle of this oil (or other similar lubricant). It will surely save you time and headache!