Sunday, April 24, 2011

Restoration: KO ROTF Voyager Swerve; Update: KO Kabaya Fortress Maximus

KO ROTF Voyager Swerve
Gotten this KO some time ago, love the robot mode, dislike the car mode... now after taking this picture, understand why... Front of car not wide enough and no side mirrors, hahaha... Technically, it is not Swerve, as the head is still Sideswipe's... and the feet are different... Anyway, did some touch up, tighten some loose joints, and remove some silver paint... now looks better...

Car mode...



Robot mode, in package...


Robot mode, after fiddling... This is my favourite of the 2 modes...




KO Kabaya Fortress Maximus
Gotten some breather and also to de-stress, I finally built up this little fella... Very neat little piece, able to transform into all 3 modes... well, almost... but then, the head is just a head, and has to be unplugged from robot to transform into city or battle-station mode, so... made him a little headmaster Cerebros... yeah, the little yellow-red figure at the bottom of the picture...


City mode...


Battle station mode... yeap, my little headmaster Cerebros can stand inside the cockpit...



Made this headmaster from an extra KO Kabaya Road Caesar kit's brainmaster... Don't want to damage the original head clip, so after some hard work, finally managed to built him... The green piece is the face...


Ready to head on, Cerebros...


Head on!!!! Fortress Maximus!!!! (Or is it Minimus???)


The head is too too wide and causes the shoulders to be pushed out a little... but no big problem, so still ok...


Witness my firepower!!!!!!


So how does the new headmaster Cerebros measures up to his predecessors? Here's a size comparison...


Size comparison in city mode...


Grandfather, father, son...


Hope my haul reach Shanghai & S'pore without hiccups...

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Side-Tracked: Recent Haul of TFs (92) - HFTD Breacher, RTS Jazz, RTS Optimus Prime, RTS Wreck Gar

Went over to Isetan PP today... And it turn out to be a haul for me... =) ALL TFs cost $13.90 (yeah, I know, stupid to buy the scout class one, same price as the deluxe version... but what to do, so cute..)


HFTD Breacher
Opps, bough this on impulse, as it looks so cute... Face looks like Cybertron Ransack, maybe is his cousin or brother, hahaha...



RTS Special Ops Jazz
I initially wanted to buy him to repaint into Stepper... now got to consider... too much work... anyway, if got time maybe can consider... This piece seems to be the last piece on the racks of TFs...



RTS Optimus Prime
The return of the (shrunk down) Laser Optimus Prime!!!! Wonder if the other places have managed to restore back the no. of pieces for this TF...



RTS Wreck Gar
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND GOT THIS AT $13.90 ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIPEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! Have been searching high and low for this piece, refusing to go to CSC just to buy 1 overly-priced Wreck Gar... About 2 weeks ago I saw it at a price of $40 in 1 shop in CSC, so with the hype of scalpers stories, I believe the price will be at least $50? Hmmm... not worth... But this is such a GOOD representation of the G1 character, sometimes I just feel like giving in to go over to CSC and buy 1... luckily... I believe this is the only piece on the racks of TFs in Isetan PP, together with RTS Jazz (maybe got 1 more, not sure) and RTS Optimus Prime... Got 1 RTS Perceptor, but I did not like the mold, so put it back... and it disappear after 15 mins when I walked around the area again... Hope it is someone who likes the RTS Perceptor mold to have bought it, in this case happy for him/her...



Good news from 65Daigou too, my KO Music Knights (Bike-Armours) and KO G1 Mindwipe has been ordered, now waiting for the whole lot to be shipped to Shanghai & to S'pore, hope no hiccups... keeping my fingers crossed...

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Side-Tracked: Recent Haul of TFs (91) - PCC Searchlight w/ Backwind, PCC Leadfoot w/ Pinpoint

Bought these 2 yesterday at OG Albert, at $9.90 (usual price at $19.90)... Damn, the leader class ROTF Starscream and Hook Optimus selling at $49.90 only.... should have gotten them instead of the coupon 1-for-1 Starscream bought at OG private member sale... Still can't find RTS Wreck Gar... no surprise, after reading all the post in forums... damn the scalpers... will have retributions one (cannot sell and have to lelong in the end, hahahahaha....) hahaha... just being a bit crazy......


PCC Searchlight w/ Backwind
Backwind... *~ p~u~u~u~d~* ... hahahahaha..... Backwind's legs are loose, else everything seems ok... Searchlight is fine... rotor whirl freely... Nice copter mode... Actually I prefer to flip out to have "chest wings" in robot mode.... those who transformed him before should know what I mean...



PCC Leadfoot w/Pinpoint
Awww... don't they remind you of Sureshot with Spoilsport, one of the original Targetmasters? Love this TFs... I like the bigger head of Leadfoot better, but can't transform to car mode with it on ... The biceps' rotating joints are TOO tight... else everything looks good... Love the targetmaster, looks very humanoid.... like the Nebulans in the old days... And transforms into a decent gun...



Finally settle with 65Daigou for the wrong shipping weight, and got the refund... will see if got good TFs / KOs, then order...

Friday, April 8, 2011

Side-Tracked: Recent Haul of KOs (90)

Finally haul from TaoBao.com arrive... still yet to settle the wrong shipping weight cost with 65Daigou... But the delivery is fast, just 1 day of arranging... Anyway...


KO Oversize ROTF Legends Optimus Prime
My 2nd purchase of the same mold... Because the earlier one I bought has a single-piece leg (without the lower leg that is flipped out)... Going to combine them... if can... No packaging...



KO Ruckus
Looks like the shampoo plastic type... good....



KO Classics Ramjet
Ok, bought this as one day, I suddenly thought of getting a orange colour seeker o get parts for my custom Sunstorm I did earlier... That Sunstorm's ball-joints on the legs are damaged and repaired one, very loose... and difficult to take out to repair, so... Note this is the very simplified version: no chest-wheels, moulded cockpit on canopy, missiles are moulded with the arm launchers...



KO Snap-Assembly Lio Kaiser
Yes, also the 2nd set I bought, cos really badly wanted to make a good Hellbat, instead of the Doubledealer wannabe... So can probably use the excess Gaihawk to mould into Hellbat...



KO Binaltech Grimlock
Arrggh.... both arms are popped out when I received the item... Face is quite... different??? Hmmm....



KO Movie Barricade
Arrrgh... Again, the return of popped out parts... anyway head is unique, lightly translucent orange!!!! The "POLICE" paint job is good though...



KO ROTF Leader Jetfire
Amazing, what else can't China KO... Choose the orange colour one, as I already have purchased the black one (in the Buster 2-pack)... Face is remoulded... body seems so too...



KO Sixshot
Hahaha... finally got one that is (nearly) in his G1 colours!!!! Plastic quality is not too bad, but already got cracks and such... shampoo bottle plastic still can be torn... lots of excess sprue not cleaned... nevermind, can restore... Front of body is translucent!!!!!!!!!! Hahaha... comes with the 2 guns (not in picture)... pity it is not MOSC...

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Recent Restoration & Fiddling with KOs...

Restore or fiddle with the following KOs these few days... Umpteen left to do...

KO TFA Oversize Optimus Prime
Not much done in vehicle mode... yes, this is the voyager version which has been oversized to leader size...


Made a face mask which is missing... Ugly but still looks better than the un-mask face... Tighten up the joints and such.. Quite a nice piece...



Sorry for the bad picture... Did not fix the picture before posting...



KO Oversize ROTF Dirtboss
This is oversize to deluxe size... Joints are often loose, but without simplification... This should be the correct size for ROTF Dirtboss... same for ROTF Ransack...



Repainted the figure too... Too tired to relink the earlier posts of the KOs before mod, so please do a quick google if you'd like to compare, sorry & thanks...



Love this figure very much... Size comparison below...




KO Mini Inch Up (Cybertron Dirtboss)
Yes, I call this mold Inch Up, its Japanese name, to avoid confusion with the ROTF version... It is roughly scout size, and very cute..


The wheels-spread feature still exists & without the need to use CyberKey!!!!!! Hahahah...


Bot mode... Has a different head sculpt... Quite simplified, guns cannot flip forward, but still, a nice piece...



KO Oversize ROTF Ransack
Yes, the oversize version... The stupid KO maker actually joins up the arms to the wings, so have to pull out the small ... arrghh.. difficult to explain... anyway... restore it back... not able to remove the "missiles" on the top wings, as ... too lazy, hahaha... anyway, it might look ugly after removing, if not done properly... ok, I am lazy... hahaha... Did not realise the weapons on the arms are reverse until pictures are taken, so just leave them alone... The stands on the plane body to support the top wings are too long, got to cut them shorter... Ankle joints are loose too...



Awesome after restoration....


Size comparison....




KO G1 Headmaster Skullcruncher (Repaint)
Just felt like repainting the arms of Skullcruncher, although I do not have the right paint colours... So gotten the nearest colours and did a repaint.. Then realised still can do some more restorations... like ratcheting mechanisms of the lower legs, waist twisting piece, etc... Below shows the before and after of the alligator mode... Looks nicer after repainting the front limbs right? Hahaha....



Bot mode's before & after... Did some minor paint touching up for the face too...




65Daigou has shipped my earlier items to Singapore already, but I am hesitant to make 2nd payment & delivery, as realised the shipping weight could be wrong... also wants to wait till my KO Sixshot (old-D; lousy quality version) is shipped to S'pore, then deliver together... Hope they respond to my enquiry soon...