Best advise I've ever received about pin punching - use some Sculpey modelling clay (Playdoh will also work in a pinch, though you want the extra firm stuff) to rest the part on when punching. The Sculpey is soft and malleable enough that it conforms to the shape of the part but firm enough to provide resistance against the downwards pressure without causing breaking or cracking of the plastic against a wooden desk or bench. The pin happily sinks into the Sculpey without gouging into wood or cardboard or getting stuck.
Plus Sculpey doesn't dry out or harden - it's a polymer clay that needs to be fired in order to solidify - so you can just chuck it in a zip-lock bag when you're done till next time you need it.

 

Gah, looking at Arie's post and didn't care before but now OCD is kicking in.....

 

Sixo's gallery sure tempt me to get this MP-40

 

This version has better QC than MP-28.

 

Anyone have issues with the tip of the spoiler breaking off? I have had two that had to go back for the exact same tip on both and at the exact same breaking point. It's weird. They were broken upon receipt.

 

Thanks, was going to ask if the pin was knurled, but I guess it is. Was playing with Firebolt this weekend and the shoulders were driving me nuts. Will try to do this tonight.

 

Mines finally in the mail via BBTS. Slowest wait E V E R

 

Anyone else's TM Hotrod doubletaped. Just got one from AE.

 

True that.

Love BBTS's customer service. The wait time for processing needs some work. Placed a ship order with BBTS last week...still processing. Placed a ship order with TF Source yesterday...the TF Source package is arriving at my doorstep tomorrow...

Regarding the arm fix for the Targetmaster...it's a neat idea. I would never risk cracking/stressing the toy to switch the arms, though. Your margin of error is tiny for such a tiny figure.

In fact, I put the Targetmaster back in the box...just seemed out of place in the display. Never thought of Hot Rod as a TM (even though I know he was at some point), and don't like displaying him with a giant cube of a gun.

 

I've had this for a few weeks and I'm starting to warm up to it. I don't like the car mode though. The clear windshield looks awful to me. If it had been blue it would have looked great.

At the moment I have him in robot mode and MP 28 in car mode, which still looks fantastic. I really do like the colors of 40 in robot mode. I just hate the windshield and the giant screwholes on the top of the wrists. I painted my MP 28's screws yellow but I don't wanna do it with the repaint cause I think the yellow is a different shade.

Man, that's a garish screwhole.

 

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, but if a company is going to re-release something like this, at least make it a little BETTER. The one-piece skirt/crotch flap is one thing they could have redone. The other is include a set of screw hole fillers for the forearms. I'm not asking a lot here. What would have made it even better is if they ditched the matrix cradle under the hood, and then giving us a slightly more curved hood (which would help with the robot mode chest). Instead, not only did we get essentially the same thing, but with different paint apps, a clear windshield that makes it look worse, and less accessories. But hey, looks at those lovely deep burgundy shins!

I hate to gripe on this thing since I do like the mold overall. I just see this as a missed opportunity since TT decided to go back to it again.

 

I'm not crazy about MP 28's accessories myself. I thought the sculpt on the two guns really sucked and looked nothing like the original toy's. I hate the bulbous ends of the barrels, and they don't have the "wings" over the handle which I consider the defining trait of Hot Rod's guns.

The fishing pole is dumb and I left it in the box, along with the over sized hand-saw. I never pose him with the guns cause he rarely, if ever, had the guns in the cartoon. He usually used his arm pipes to fire.

As bad as the guns are, getting it in the same color as his whole body is just awful. I know it's based on the lazy cartoon, but blech. Looks terrible. I left it in he box too. The Targetmaster is the only accessory I really like between both releases! And even that is fairly ridiculous looking as a gun!

 

Takara have never changed the moulds for any repaint. Can you imagine how much people who bought MP-28 would complain if this repaint (with a less popular colour scheme) had significant improvements? It's not going to happen.

 

Mine was as well, also from AE. Not just on the box but also on the plastic clamshell.
Personally I didn't mind too much in this case as I would have opened him anyway, and double-taping means it's had an extra quality control.

 

In the movie he didn't use his guns at all. But they did show up in his few TV series appearances.

 

One of Hot Rod's guns is most definitely in the movie.....too bad Arcee is the one using it though.

 

It's because they are based off the prototypes (which is what the show used). The toy's production guns have a bunch of reinforcement plastic around the gun barrels, etc.

 

Meh, it'd be the same amount of complaining EVERY TIME. Or it'd be about something else....and then they'd just wind up buying the thing anyway and the next one.

 

Nowhere in my post did I say they should have included the SAME accessories. I said they included LESS accessories. There's a difference. I agree, the fishing rod was a waste of plastic! I like the skinny saw. I don't mind the guns, but TT could have included a new set that is more accurate to original toy's. Just don't pick on the hand saw. One day you will get a pizza that hasn't been properly cut, and that little Hot Rod will be there to save the day!  

And it's a shame TT won't make any improvements on a reissue/paint variant. I'd be all over this if they had improved that front skirt and made it with dedicated flaps for each leg. I like the maroon color, too.. I'm torn because there are some fine things going for it, but if only TT went just a tiny bit further.

 

6200 yen on amiami right now, snatched one up. I've bought a ko of mp 28 a month ago, delivered just now decided I could go for the new one, since they fixed the chrome.

How's SAL unregistered shipping lately? I used to use it a lot in the past and never lost anything, but the last time I used it was over two years ago.

For now I put it on air small packet, but that's almost twice as expensive.

Cya
Raziel-chan