Encore G1 Ironhide & G1 Ratchet - Alternate Robot Mode Project

Was taking out 1 of the 2 left triangular caterpillar tracks for Ratchet when suddenly though of trying to figure out if there is any way to get a better robot mode for my Encore G1 Ironhide and Ratchet... after some fiddling, got this concept...
(1) Remove the base station.
(2) Pull out the arms slightly - the arm joint will be almost at shoulder level.
(3) Flip the feet as normal - for stability, only this time it has no toes, only heels.
(4) Attach a 3D head (to bash later, hopefully got some good spare heads... Or if got any cheap sale for the custom-made head kits that were available sometime ago) from the back, which has a hole-like cavity to insert into.

Should look something like this below (using the cardboard heads from the packaging as a reference):

Surprisingly, when I refer to pictures in the cartoon, Ratchet also has a sloping down windscreen chest (Ironhide too), and red hips. In this configuration, the arms will rotate at around shoulder level, and not awkward. Another improvement will be the "thumb" can now be seen on the fist, and the fist will also look better in shape. Only problem is the through-hole in the abdomen... Hey, the silver dashboard which can be seen through the windscreen reminds me of Classics Ironhide's/Ratchet's...

Hmmm... Probably some fans has figured out this configuration already, or even better ones... Still, I like it this way to get a more closer to G1 cartoon Ironhide and Ratchet without operating on the actual pieces... Now to find / make heads... hahaha....

Mods - KO Grand Convoy (mini) - Remod

Completed this piece more or less last night... KO Grand Convoy... mini size, not the original size... Bought the main set very long time ago... Used an extra KO Energon Prime for part to repair... and the new OPs are better, got elbow joints, so hanged them all... Below shows the old, better coloured KO OPs (top) & new KO OPs (bottom) ...

Old KO Grand Convoy (top pic) below... notice the paper-made wheel at cabin... and the non-elbow-jointed arms... Replace the wheel from the new KO (bottom pic)... and arms too...

...Old KO bot mode...

...after mod, my Grand Convoy has elbow joints!

Closer look at the arms mod...

Closer look of original wheel... bottom pic shows the replacement wheel...

...Old KO Super Grand Convoy...

Now new KO Grand Convoy got elbow joints!!!

... Alternate Super mode... Drill for hands, that's weird...

Update - KO Kabaya Kits #14 : Energon Prime

The last of my KO Energon Kabaya-styled kits is finally assembled... KO Energon Prime... as usual, the quality is quite good... joints are only slightly tight... except now I suspect 1 of the pegs is broken.. but can still swivel, so did not bother to find out... most joints are tight, this is the only one I did not use glue to tighten... I painted the black windows instead of using the stickers, as the stickers will cover the wipers...


... rifle can barely fix into the back post..


... bot mode... very short legs, hahaha... transformation follows the original one... very nice piece...


Size comparison with KO Energon Prime...

Can't remember if I had post this before or not... Here's combining Energon Prime with Rodimus, my way... yeap, both are KO... I call him Grand Rodimus.... Looks like Laser Optimus Prime...

... SURPRISE!!!! This KO Kabaya-styled Energon Prime can combined with the other KO Kabaya-style Rodimus to form mini Grand Rodimus!!!!

This is amazing... Looks so nice!!!! The square joint fits tightly too!

Oh, and Happy Lunar New Year to all!!!!!!!!!

Mods - KO Exkaiser (Yuusha / Brave Series)

In February also bought this piece... KO Exkaiser without trailer. The colours are 70% to original, quite a nice piece... Joints are mostly ok, just need to tighten up a bit for some... Removed the stickers, and the dried up glue took me around 2 hours to clean off with the Goo-Gone solution...


Vehicle mode... very sleek, futuristic sports car...


Bot mode... removed all stickers and replaced with some old ones (cut to shape)... Now looks like the original design...


... flick the lever at the side and watch the lion head flip in an instant!!! Quite a cool feature...


Armed with a big sword and rifle...


Funny how the whole figure looks better without KO stickers...

Update - KO Kabaya Kits #13 : Rodimus (Energon)

Hahaha... Funny looking Energon Rodimus... yeap, this is the KO Kabaya-styled Energon Rodimus kit I got from Genting trip last time... Yeap, the arms (shoulders) are funny, but I did not want to do any modding as this is one case where the KO Kabaya-styles one is more complex (arms)... and because of its small size (roughly scout-sized), it still looks ok... head looks very much like the KO Kabaya-styled Energon Prowl one... The arms-body pegs broke, due to my rough handling... and use screws to join instead...


Vehicle mode... very thoughtful of the makers to allow the weapon to be attached... but the fists are not able to fold in completely, which causes the back to tilt up slightly... You can choose not to fold down the fists at all, but they will show very obviously at back of the vehicle....


Removed the rifle to show how the spoilers look like... Stickers really make it look nice...


It seems this is able to do the superlink feature, but I am too lazy to take out my earlier assembled pieces to test... maybe next time...

Mods - KO Perceptor (G1)

Exactly 1 year ago I bought this KO Perceptor ( Side-Tracked: Recent Haul of KOs and non-KOs ), and its only 2 days ago I started to touch up him. This piece has some parts remoulded to be rounded, more organic-style. The major one will have to be the head, which looks like the cartoon version! However, like all KOs, it has a bad face paint-job (see http://www.actionfigurechecklist.com/Images/Album/index.php?v=view&i=7&p=Transformers_KnockOff_KO/G1/Perceptor/DSC01497_Perceptor.jpg )

So painted the head, and now it looks so much closer to the cartoon version!!! Also covered the red parts on the arms and black knees with yellow paint, to make the colours less conflicting... and some touching-up here and there...


Translucent blue rifle, cool... did not use the missile launcher, as it looks weird here... Btw, the head is also moved up by gears too, like the real one...


The scope can also be extended like the real one also (though it has no lens.. but I believe the real one has only 1.5x magnification... not much useful... ) !!! Amazing...


Artillery mode!!!!! Sweet, getting to like this mode more and more...


... very glad to have gotten this piece... and I don't have to spend $$$ to get the reissue... and this is a different colour one!!! hahaha...

Edit: Overall very good piece, and plastic is good, the whole piece is HEAVY...

Mods - Update on KO Classics Sunstorm's Arms

Ok, my first attempt to repaint KO Classics Sunstorm resulted in a very tired me, so tired that I did not want to mod the 1-piece arm to form the normal elbow joint which will take a lot of time (Refer to Mods - KO G1 Star Saber, Classics Sunstorm & Side-Tracked: Recent Haul of KOs (36) ). Then, think think think... not right.. until the day I got the very good KO Classics Thundercracker then I set my mind to make some elbows for Sunstorm... so cut off the arms, remove the middle part, and used some ice-cream sticks to make the joints, just like the real deal.. and cover the outermost surface with slightly thicker polystyrene, so can paint better...


Join the parts with a screw... and now, my KO Classics Sunstorm has elbows!!!!

Next to do should be the KO yellow Perceptor which I got almost a year ago!!!!

Experiment - (1/2 - KO) Henkei-Universe Threadbolt Prime

Finally got some time to try out these 2 pieces, to see if the effect is good or not... bot modes... Threadbolt seems to be the beefier of the two...


Threadbolt Prime!!!!!


Again, like the Skyfire Prime, its very stressful to Nemesis Prime's knees, and very very back heavy with the back-pack laser guns... overall still nice....

Mods - KO Nightmare (Stealth Valkyrie)

If I am not wrong, this is a quite a major remould of a very much later series Macross Valkyrie with lots of simplification. Bought this piece in Genting, I believe... can't really remember.. very expensive, but... can't find it in S'pore anymore... anyway, try to mod back some of the features... A bit back-heavy though...


Remove the oversized head and replace by a smaller one.. very ugly, I know. Will find another head and replace in the future, if I can find one... cut off the cover from the head (which is 1 piece in the first place), and make it swivel down... Below picture is not updated, as I added another swivel joint at the other end later... nevermind...

Cut the wings off and mod it to be like the old Valkyrie style... Not too difficult, but has to think a lot in the process...

Finally done!!! Stealth jet mode... There is a shield and gun attached on the bottom of the jet...

I call it Nightmare, but can't really remember where I get the reference from...

Holding his quite big rifle and shield... quite impressive...

Will stop for a while before resuming any mods... should resume by CNY... I hope...