The Energon Pub

Sat Jun 04, 2011 8:56 pm

I apologize in advance if I'm posting this to the wrong place as I am new here.... but I need help identifying a transformer I just purchased. It is definitely either Alternators Silverstreak or Binaltech BT-03 Streak. The fact that it is almost entirely plastic obviously leads me to believe it to be an alternator.... BUT... the steering wheel is on the right, which seems to be more indicative of a binaltech. If I am posting this in the wrong spot I apologize and will post it elsewhere.... If anyone has any ideas on how to tell the difference.... I have exhausted my youtube/seibertron/other transformer website searches and don't know what else to do. Any information would be helpful.... Thank You, Gary

News Credits: 5749 · Sat Jun 04, 2011 9:56 pm

You have posted in the correct forum, but unfortunately I don't know the answer to you question. If it has an all plastic body that would also lead me to believe it's some variation of Alternator. Now that I think about it I don't think this is the first time I've seen this question regarding the steering wheel placement. I'm sure someone on here will know the answer. There are a lot of very knowledgeable members here.

Sat Jun 04, 2011 10:15 pm

Thank you for letting me know I posted in the right place, and I look forward to any responses as I am thoroughly confused...

News Credits: 1235 · Sat Jun 04, 2011 10:16 pm

From Wikipedia but can't vouch for how accurate it is

The Binaltech (Takara) version has the steering wheel on the right. The Alternators (Hasbro) version was initially sold in right hand drive form, but a running change switched this to the left hand drive more familiar to US collectors

Sat Jun 04, 2011 10:58 pm

Thank you Lost Cybertronian -- I've referenced wikipedia before but for whatever reason didn't think of it in this case - if that's true about it being a right hand drive alternator I wonder if it's fairly rare. I recently bought it at HeroesCon in Charlotte NC -- I also thought of looking up information from the box it came in, but it's definitely not new so there's no way to verify that the box it came in is its original box.

News Credits: 14 · Sun Jun 05, 2011 12:05 pm

According to TFU.info, the earlier releases of Alternators Silverstreak had a right hand side steering like their Japanese counterparts.

Tfu.info/Silverstreak

CollectionDX's own JoshB also mentions this in his review of Silverstreak.

CollectionDX/Silverstreak

News Credits: 4 · Mon Jun 06, 2011 12:58 am

My Alternator Silverstreak has the steering wheel on the right side. I bought it in the US (Target if I recall correctly). As stated before it was an early variant that was eventually changed to left side steering.

Mon Jun 06, 2011 5:35 am

Thank you everyone.... I also looked on ebay and found out there are "right hand variant" alternators for sale on ebay.... so thank you very much for helping me figure this out as it appears that this is actually a fairly well known oddity; I just had never heard of it before mainly because this is only my second alternator. So thank you everyone for helping me out!! Gary