Action Masters Starscream Turbo Jet toyhack

The Transformer's Action Masters toy-line arrived at the tail end of the original Transformers run from the 80s. I suspect they were more well known in Europe than in the States as the series ran a year longer in that market. It's fairly easy to come across an incomplete Starscream Turbo Jet. I liked the design. It reminded me of the Micronauts' Photon Sled. I wanted the modifications to be simple.

Who's the dude with the whip? It's GI Joe's Croc Master, and he's looking for some action.

Disassembled.

There is a what looks like a 2.5mm peg on top where the steering unit should go. I had a random part that looked steering unit-ish.

I drilled a 2.5mm hole through the top and with a little fiddling got it to fit.

I drilled a 5mm hole in the back. There were small pegs that protruded from the grills that got in the way. So I filed them down.

This is a Multimac part. More Multimacs toyhacks here.

I sawed off the back end and removed the propeller top. The lower end had a 5mm peg on it's end. Where the propeller was I drilled another 5mm hole. The blue tail fin is from a Micronauts Mobile Explorer Laboratory. The 5mm peg is most likely Zoids Blox.

I cut down a 5mm tube so it would match up to the rear of the jet.

Engine assembly added. The infant chair requires safety belts.

The existing hole between the screws is slightly widened.

A 5mm pegged wheel is added. This one I think belongs to a blockman vehicle, but any small wheel will work.

Ride Croc Master Ride!

Previous: Gigasaurus — Ampzilla toyhack

The Giant Acroyear Acro-Cannon kitbash

The Giant Acroyear Acro-Cannon kitbash

Originally I had two bikes I was playing with, the Acro-Cannon and a Pentabot bike.

With the original and the upgraded version side by side you can see what how I swapped out parts out. The Earth Jetter clear purple missile replaces the original red one. The Escargot clear blue nose section replaces the Acroyear flying pack.

Previously I had hacked a Transformers Energon Barricade and didn't do anything with it. The legs were structurally similar to the Acroyear legs. They were easy to replace.

I had some Multimac parts. I noticed the more realistic mech style matched the Barricade legs. I drilled additional holes into the Multimac part to move the cannon forward from it's original position and to add the nose cone.

I had also hacked a Transformers Energon Landmine, I found this part that made a very cool chair.

The vehicle disassembled.

If I wanted to be obsessive I would find a replacement cannon.

The driver is a 2005 Military Force Lava Planet body with a 2005 Biomachine guy head.

Needs a targeting scanner.

Previous: Giant Acroyear SixWing kitbash

Microtron Scitex kitbash

I had picked up some Tomy Scitex parts. I wonder why Tomy Scitex never conquered America. They are Lego and Micronaut compatible. There are innumerable types of connection points. Color wise however, not very stylish, drab gray and green. I decided off the bat to make a Microtron type robot with his curiously placed drill.

Scitex or Tomics were a little known TOMY toyline in the US during the 80s. They may have been pre-Zoids. Like Zoids they were walking or crawling toys. The parts I picked up had curious cables and a central motorized body.

I picked up these toys 'cause I wanted to see what I could build out of it and to see if they were 5mm compatible. They are. The biggest draw back with this building system are the innumerable amount of squarish connectors. Free-form building is compromised as the parts often fit only one way. It became a game of connecting pipes. It is quite complex, the square ends can be capped off with a part that has a 5mm port on it.

The Scitex line also appears to be the basis for the shockingly colored Multimac KO toys (the gold drill is a Multimac part. They lack the range of cool pieces the orginals had. Multimac and Scitex toys are a fun addition to Micronauts/Microman 5mm toy action.

Previous: Superion Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad Jet Tank

Superion Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad Jet Tank

I hacked apart one Transformers Energon Superion. Hoping it would be as interesting as Steam Hammer, alas no. In addition my drill battery died. I am eagerly awaiting a replacement battery and proper metric drill bits. 

Red and white seems to be a fave space jet color scheme for Takara.

I remember seeing a photo of a Microman Punch Jet. Here's a link of how it looks like. I often am inspired by toys I will never own.

Parts include Transformers Energon Superion, Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad Synchro, Multimac tank parts, Zoid Blox, Micronaut connectors.

Previous: Blackout/Giant Acroyear kitbash

Multimac kitbash

I don't remember ever seeing these Zoid knockoffs in the NYC area. I've seen them on eBay in the UK, the Philippines, Canada. Several years back I was in a toy store in North Vancouver (BC) and I saw a few boxes of these things. They were boxed and fairly pricey. Since I knew nothing about them and I wasn't gonna plop down the dough. I recently scored a bunch of Multimac parts and marveled at the number of curiously placed 5mm ports. The bronze arms are Zoids NeoBlox (2006).

Previous: Steamhammer kitbash

Steamhammer kitbash

A few years ago I saw a Transformers Energon Steamhammer on sale and thought I could turn it somehow into a Microtron sort of thing with the tank treads and all those 5mm ports. Never got around to it and put it away. It was in the "sell on eBay" box when I was seized with a strong desire to take it apart and see if I can make anything useful with it. These are my results.

I was surprised how many interesting parts came out of this thing. I basically unscrewed whatever I could unscrew with a tiny screwdriver, the one from eye glasses repair kits. And unsubtly yanked out the rest. The lower clips on the legs got trashed so I just clipped them with a pair of clippers. Aside from that most everything came apart fairly cleanly. The blue attachment points are a pain to remove.

The center body part that folds out is exceedingly cool.

Some initial play.

I made this thing with Multimac and Zoid Blox parts. Voila! A shooty dog thing.

This pix shows how the pieces fit together more clearly.
Previous: Statement of intent