Monday, December 29, 2008

Older KO Transformers Repaints - KO Brakedown

Sad to say, I have to stop temporaily at mods, cos I have not documented the past bashes, only for the bashed version... So from now onwards I will only be able to show the finished version of my KO. For this Brakedown, I have bought 2 pieces, so I have the original one to compare. This is also one of the cheapo Cybertron series KOs that are supposed to form into a ugly gestalt.. Funny thing is this Brakedown comes in the Kup repaint version that was released in the original one .. I still felt Brakedown's black is nicer, so painted one into Brakedown colour... I did chop off their heads to bash it to rotatable, so that the head can be hidden when transformed into car mode, like the original transformation...


End result: Brakedown, robot mode... Note his hands are simplified...

Original Kup colour scheme in car mode...


Brakedown paint scheme in car mode...


More to come...

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Older KO Transformers Mods - KO G1 Kabaya (Boxed): Blitzwing

Blitzwing. One of the more "sensible" decepticon G1 triple-changer. I mean, look at Octane (oil truck? cargo plane?), Astrotrain ("choo-choo" train? space shuttle?)... I am ok with their designs (I bought an ORIGINAL Astrotrain, and ORIGINAL classics Octane, ok...) but deceptions... shouldn't they be war-lovers? Or at least transform into something more offensive? Like a fighter plane? Or tank? Blitzwing fits in here...

Robot mode...


I bought the KO diaclone Blitzwing (boxed with Broadside and oversized 2 members of Landcross) earlier. Wonderful design. This KO Kabaya version comes with a dominant red & white colour scheme with bits of blue, and size about 90% of real one.... Looks ok right.. let's move on first to tank mode...

Look out for the canopy that will be obvious in jet mode, red in colour. It looks a bit out of place here, right? But still not that bad....



So where is the mod? Nothing, except for the canopy which I just repaint it as red. Else, it will look extremely terrible in jet mode...



Many people don't like the blocky plane mode, say is too unrealistic... but I think the good side of it will be the kids will have more imaginative opportunities when playing with it.... Another thing I kinda like is the design, which gives 2 dominant colours with each vehicle it transforms into, and this gives a deeper impression that they are two different entities (same for white Astrotrain) ... in disguise mah...

Older KO Transformers Mods - KO G1 Kabaya (Boxed): Blaster

Next: Blaster..


This is again another wonderful little thing! The colours are almost identical to the real one! Chest component can open!
Below shows the pic from... eh.. I have forgotten where this comes from, but thank you sincerely...


Not much was done here, just colour the chest compartment and head, and put some self-printed stickers...


Robot mode (thank you, owner of this pic)... only thing to pick on, if you are really very picky, will be the visible slots on his forearms... but for me, its ok...


My repainted Blaster... too bad my smallest cassette-cons can't fit in... but nevermind lah...






Older KO Transformers Mods - KO G1 Kabaya (Boxed): Trypticon

Next on KO Kabaya: Trypticon


The biggest decepticon dinosaur has shrunk!!!! Below shows the pic from 'Black Gaine's' ebay store, after assembled...


Painted the mouth guns to silver else can't see them, and the top cap silver too... and some details to the small tank... Very detailed little figure... the tigh-jonts (to body) even mimic the real one, double rotating joints (needed for motorised walking action)...


I mainly reprint the stickers for the batle station mode, as the given stickers are quite awful... Pic below again from above mentioned store... just a side issue, 'Black Gaine's' store is not available anymore now... pity cos he used to carry lots of this KO Kabaya styled transformers... maybe next time will reopen....


Battle station mode

Older KO Transformers Mods - KO G1 Kabaya (Boxed): Galvatron

Last year, or this year, I bought a few boxes of KO-Kabaya Transformers, thoes that are made of lousy plastic. The most fun part is, of course, you get to assemble your own Transformer!!! It's like old childhood dream relived...


The box of G1 Galvatron...


With so many people scolding the Classics Galvatron, I thought I would show the G1 version... KO Kabaya (boxed) verison, that is... below shows the familiar cannon mode, cannon??? Think he is the only transformer (single-entity) tho transform into a cannon...


Below shows a picture from the 'Black Gaine's' store in ebay (I think... ) that shows the un-stickered version of the gun mode...


I painted 1 side of the wheels silver, and the other side stickered...


Below is a picture from http://www.taobao.com/ (I think...) that shows the raw Galvatron after assembled... notice he has a white 'crown'....


I did not colour him much. As many have know, these KO DIY transformers are extremely extremely difficult to paint on, so I kept the painting to a minimum... This painting was done long time ago before I repainted the Rodimus Prime (see previous post)... and now lazy to repaint...

Looks good enough, right? Like ... eh... Nemesis Galvatron???? .... but if a Nemesis autobot is a Decepticon, woudn't a Nemesis decepticon be ... an Autobot??? Hahahaha....

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Older KO Transformers Mods - Excellion (aka Cybertron Hotshot)

Excellion, in Galaxy Force line... more commonly known as Hotshot in Cybertron series. Reason I call him Excellion is:
(1) Hot shot is used for my Energon Hotshot mould
(2) He is more of a colour scheme of Excellion, less the flames on the hood
(3) Excellion sounds more nicer...

This is a good KO that has been getting the better reviews... Although there is no chip gimmick, It is not a major concern for KO collectors who just want to display it...

What irks me most is the back... nevermind it is hollow, but it is moulded uneven... as in its moulded with the cybertron key! Looks ok from the front but when transform into robot mode, it is ugly as u can see it behind the head.... So I trim off the chip, stick a big piece of ice-cream stick, carve to shape, paint... now looks more symmetrical.... and nicer...

Closer view of the bash...
Looks ok right? hahaha....

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Older KO Transformers Mods - Dreadlock (aka Cybertron Jetfire)

Right, here's a relatively simpler mod: Galaxy Force Dreadlock, otherwise known as Jetfire. The reason why I did not call him Jetfire is because I reserve "Jetfire" for the Macross Valkyrie mould... "But isn't he called Skyfire during the 1985/6/7 cartoon???" ... yeah, true, but Skyfire is used for my Henkei mould, whom I think looks a lot more closer to the cartoon... and the original toy for the Valkyrie mould is written Jetfire in the box.... hence I name this as Dreadlock as in the Japan Galaxy Force series to avoid confusion...

So what is this KO? Where is it bashed? Answer: This is an oversized LOC Dreadlock. I bought it in Thailand during the R&R while doing my reserbit. Very nice piece of KO, quite tight joints, relatively good plastic quality... As of my KO Kabaya-stlye LOC Dreadlock, I realised the LOC version is quite anime accurate... just a minor flaw... the fists show up obvious in jet mode!!!!!!!!!


OK, so I cut off his fists (ouch), attached a short piece of ice-cream stick to each, drill a hole, make some slots, drill holes on arms, & tighten fists to arms with the Tamiya plastic connector, I think... and here I have, a LOC-version Dreadlock with a more realistic jet mode, no fists!!!!

Can't remember why I cut off the upper arms for, though....

Nice cargo jet mode....

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Older KO Transformers Mods - Macross Valkyrie, Hun-Grrr, Hardtop

Macross Valkyrie:
Ok, I bought 2 of these in a toy shop in Bugis some time ago, down street where there is Mac Donalds, Koo Kee Niang Toufu... 2 because there are 2 head moulds, although they are interhangeable. There is an extra set of (ugly) open hands too, to hold the gun, in addition to the holeless fists. Awesome enlarged KO of the entry level transformable Valkyrie toy. It also comes with a unknown bootleg of duocons wannabe... though I thrash them later....

Anyway, back to topic, this KO looks funny... After careful scrutinising, I realised its the chest plate + head is too high! So I scratch my head, work my brain, and then use my hands... ... Viola! A decent enough Valkyrie! Made the chest piece able to slide down, re-align the head position... just like the original transformation now!!! Removed the ugly stickers, looks even better... Should I repaint the red to white??? Maybe... maybe next year's December project....
No, I did not just swap the head, do for another one, so total 2 KOs done.

Gerwalk mode....

Jet mode....


Hun-Grrr:
I bought this as part of the KO Terrorcons "giftset"set, the set that comes with 2 KO Technobots. This Hun-Grrr is a little smaller than the original, I think, and suspect that thus, the KO maker remove some parts of the hand-fist mechanism to swivel. Looks very ugly, more ugly in real toy than the picture you see below... so , use some of the spare plastic to cover up the arm... a bit ugly still, but so much complete, the arms..
(below) Complete arms!!!!
Hardtop:
This is the cheaper KO that is used to form part of the crap Cybertron gestalt with a Rodimus Prime wannabe head... I almost bought all the members, but later give up after seeing how bad this gestalt looks... in fact I threw away the Lugnutz and Ransack... so I just concentrate on Hardtop and Brakedown (Kup repaint)....
(above) pic is from some website, I can't remember, so sorry, and thank you (whoever you are) for letting many other people see this KO...
(below) after bashig. As you can see, the original KO has the back as the front... so corrected... added some pegs and screws for swivelling the body... cut & reverse the head... tighten the joints... repaint... there!!! 95% true to the real deal....
More to come...

Monday, December 15, 2008

Older KO Transformers Mods - Galaxy Shuttle

Galaxy Shuttle!!! The comarade of Sky Lynx as a big space shuttle to ferry the Autobots... This one that I bought is not the mini mini version, it is quite large, actually, about Devastator's height... Initially I hesistate to buy it, as this seems to be Galaxy Shuttle after he went through the warp gate and fused with Voltron!!!! But after 2nd thoughts, I had to get him, as he belongs to one of the rarer transformers to be KOed... so... below shows Galaxy Voltron:

And after the de-fussion, Galaxy Shuttle! (below)
Head is from a KO Mugenbine robot, repainted... Face looks uncanny similar to the real Galaxy Shuttle's face...

Feet (and fists) are from an old KO G1 Prime wannabe...

Oh, and did I mentioned that the materials of this KO is the same as that of the KO Dreadwind and Darkwing? Very durable, but resistant to super-glue and nail polish... So have to be careful not to over-cut...
Thre are some other versions of this KO, some come with Combaticon limbs, soem mini mini version.. Glad I got this one...


More to come...