The Energon Pub

by **timshinn73** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:19 pm

Here's something I've been messing around with for awhile. It's a figure based on the TF movie video game Swindle/Decepticon drone. Made from a 1:24 scale 2004 Pontiac GTO model kit and Legos. Trying to stay as close to the game and toy transformation as possible as well as the overall movie look with a little Alternators flavor thrown in for good measure.

It does not transform, but it is very articulated (20= points) and poseable. Think of it as a highly detailed Action Master. Or an articulated maquette.

Having fun with this guy. I still have a long way to go. I want to use all the car parts I can and hide most of the lego sketeton. So far I've avoided any newly fabricated parts from styrene. Just lots of planning and cutting of the existing model kit.

I'm basically working on all the parts that are not made from the car shell first. The "chest" is not connected yet and only there to give you an idea of what the shell would look like.

Thanks for taking a look and for any comments you might have.

by **Sonray** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:48 am

Looks promising.

by **Kalon** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 8:31 pm

I'd like to see it once its further along, unsure right now, but I have hope that it will become something good :-?

by **timshinn73** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:27 pm

Kalon wrote:I'd like to see it once its further along, unsure right now, but I have hope that it will become something good

Yep, I'll post more progress pics as I go.

I'm hoping he will turn out somewhat like my Powerglide Kitbash, only with a bit more of the movie and Alternator aesthetic. Powerglide can be found here:
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=108799

by **timshinn73** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:39 pm

UPDATE:

I'm almost finished with the interior covering of the skeleton. Just a few more things and this part can be painted and detailed. Most of this part of the bot (minus the chest) will be metals and grays. Then it's onto painting and placement of the red "shell".

by **Sonray** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:42 pm

superb work, now all ya gotta do is figure out hwo to make it transform.

by **timshinn73** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:51 pm

Sonray wrote:superb work, now all ya gotta do is figure out hwo to make it transform.

Think of it as a 1:24 scale Movie Robot Replica figure. I have tried to keep all the car parts in the right area of the bot's body so visualizing the transformation isn't that hard to see. Plus he is based on the movie Swindle toy and video game character's transformation.

News Credits: 8 · by **Jin Saotome** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 4:08 pm

Oh way cool!!! I'd buy a line of those even if they didn't transform. As long as they looked like it. Way better than the robot replicas.

by **timshinn73** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:37 pm

Jin Saotome wrote:Oh way cool!!! I'd buy a line of those even if they didn't transform. As long as they looked like it. Way better than the robot replicas.

Thanks! Most kind. I dig your work too. In fact, you've inspired me to take a crack at a few deluxe class repaints.

News Credits: 3 · by **Barricade** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 8:19 pm

you r stuff is always the best i cant wait to see this one's...... you should try using alt shockwave ot energon shockblast's head

News Credits: 1 · by **Asphalt22** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 8:40 pm

now when you finish that you need to make the cement mixer. Man I want a voyager of that character.

by **timshinn73** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:24 pm

Barricade wrote:you r stuff is always the best i cant wait to see this one's...... you should try using alt shockwave ot energon shockblast's head

I'm actually building the head from the engine block of the GTO model kit.

by **timshinn73** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:25 pm

Asphalt22 wrote:now when you finish that you need to make the cement mixer. Man I want a voyager of that character.

I may try a version of Barricade next.

by **timshinn73** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:27 pm

Finally an updated pic:

Only have a few details to add and this guys done. Need to finish the plates and some touch-ups and details to the joints and apply some of the little decals.

I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. Although it doesn't transform, I wanted it to look like it could. I was hoping to retain a lot of the Swindle toys visual cues while preserving the overall movie robot look with a little boxiness thrown in for old times sake. The over 20 points of articulation make him very poseable too. My goal was to use every piece of the car model kit and I came as close as possible, I think. Only a tiny bit of scraps were left over.

A little bonus is in his head. Literally. There is a small white button on the top of his head. Pushing the button activates his glowing red eye. I hope I can get a good pic of that later.

by **Sonray** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:35 pm

Thats lovely!

So this is just a lego thingy with a plastic car kit glued on top of it?

Very convincing. Wish i had more time and money id make one of my own.

by **timshinn73** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:41 pm

Sonray wrote:Thats lovely!

So this is just a lego thingy with a plastic car kit glued on top of it?

Very convincing. Wish i had more time and money id make one of my own.

Thanks.

It's a little more complicated than that, but, yes, it's a lego skeleton with a 1:24 scale GTO model kit for the "shell".

This was a pretty cheap project, believe it or not. Maybe $20 on clearance lego kits, $8 for paint, $5 model kit. That's really about it. If you throw in the cost of tools, glues and paints I already owned, I guess the price would go up, but you get the idea.

by **Sonray** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:44 pm

wow $5 for a car kit? sheesh i wish they was that cheap here.

by **timshinn73** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:52 pm

Sonray wrote:wow $5 for a car kit? sheesh i wish they was that cheap here.

Yep. Nice find at Big Lots.

by **Cycrolus** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:01 pm

Man I wish it had an alt mode. :-?

by **timshinn73** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:17 pm

Cycrolus wrote:Man I wish it had an alt mode.

It does:

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/amt/amt38481.htm

Just use your imagination.

by **timshinn73** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 5:25 pm

Here's one more set of pics from Stage 3.

I should have pics up of the finished figure soon. Thanks again for your comments, everyone!

by **Sonray** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:43 pm

whats his melon made from?

by **timshinn73** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:47 pm

Sonray wrote:whats his melon made from?

The GTO's engine, a chrome hubcap and a lego piece for the eye. The light up mechanism is a lego from the Exo-Force set. The neck is made from a modified Bionicle ball joint.

by **Sonray** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:51 pm

oooh yeah i see it now...it never struck me as being his engine block before you told me, thats cool. Did that come with the model kit as well?

by **timshinn73** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:55 pm

Sonray wrote:oooh yeah i see it now...it never struck me as being his engine block before you told me, thats cool. Did that come with the model kit as well?

Yes. All the white pieces in the earlier pics are the GTO model kit.