I'll take the silence as a 'no'. Since I don't think Kapow Toys is going to get back to me about the headlight, so if I can't get a replacement and the second run isn't going to have better QC I may as well get a new Challenger while stocks last.

 

Can’t tell you what I don’t know. I’d say that the longer you wait, the better your chances will be, but then you might end up waiting forever and missing out on one of the awesomest transformers I’ve ever owned.

 

Well, I already have one, it's just that one of his headlights fell off and I know that'll bug me to high hell and back. I'm peeved enough about two tiny paint chips on DX9 Carry's face to consider repurchasing him, that's the kind of guy I am.  

 

Anyone else having trouble getting him to stand? His "toe" joint is so weak I have to make sure he's leaning backward on his heels or else he topples forward.

 

He's got a precarious lean that makes balancing an issue, and those feet don't help much either in helping him from falling. So you'll have to work with arching/tilting his back or putting him into a pose that reduces of eliminates the need for the feet to play a role in balancing him. Also, those "toe" joints don't yield much resistance, which would have helped immensely in this matter had it more resistance like the lower smoke stacks in his back, or if it had been ratcheted.

 

UT don't use too many ratchets in their designs unfortunately...

 

I'm eventually gonna try and future that joint to make it stronger but I'm afraid right now cause I've only used floor polish on ball joints before.

 

Not a serious issue for me.. it's just that when he holds his shield, his balance get thrown off

 

The problem is the toe joint doesn't tab in anywhere and it's only a pinned joint. It is a bit of pain when posing.. Gotta always keep the center line of gravity behind the toe joint and keep the solid half of the feet planted on the whatever surface he's on.

 

Future could help tighten those feet joints in keeping it balanced, but judging from the look of it I think it won't be easy to do and may not yield much success. Still, you won't know if you don't try. Alternatively, either use a stand for 1/12 figures if you've got one, or fiddle around until he's in a good enough pose to be able to stand on his own. I sort of have him in a lunge position to make it work all the same with the other leg outstretched a bit.

Yea, that's the part that is kind of lame about UT. Somehow they got their Peru Killer to be fine, but this just wants to flop forward if those feet aren't properly placed or angled. Still worth the hassle though to have this beauty.

 

I've used it a lot on pins and mushroom pegs. I've used it on the little black flaps on the sides on MPM Bee's feet and Nitrogen Ares biceps and thighs.
The only mishap I remember is on deluxe Roadbuster from DotM. I put some on his legs and some got in a pin joint for swiveling his legs. I broke one when I tried moving it with too much force. So be careful!

 

That's why I don’t like friction joints at places where a good ratchet is better for the job!

 

You might not have to wait very long for a chance to get a replacement part. Peru kill came out around this time last year right? The KO of Peru kill is getting ready to come out. If that company continues then there might be a KO of Challenger by this time next year.

 

Yeah, now I'm wondering if I should wait for a Challenger KO....

 

Received mine today from TFsource. I don’t have time to transform him tonight but I’ve confirmed that all four rear tires are there, preorder extras were in the shipping box, and I’ve turned the smoke stacks up to about 90 degrees before they want to stop. I think I need to transform him to really know whether they are going to be a problem.

 

U'll have to open the chest compartment, and look thru the small gap in the smoke stacks. There, u'll be able to see the annoying, big ass sprue that stands in your way. U'll need a flat head screw driver to chisel it away. If possible, drop some oil or lube into the gap to loosen it. Mine has been self remedied, and has no issues now. Good luck, and fiel Erfolg!

 

I've had my copy of Challenger since Monday and have had some time to transform it a few times to massage out the kinks.

Smokestacks are incredibly tight, can't start moving them without some kind of tool to pry them out of his back, might finally invest in shock oil but otherwise seem fine. Paint job, especially the red, is a bit sloppy. Missing the bottom flame in truck mode like many others. The shield peg is incredibly tight, I only wiggle it in just enough to have the friction to not fall off, might sand it down today.

One thing I don't recall being mentioned is plastic warping; The top right door doesn't close all the way and the top left bit of the sleeper sticks up a touch to much. I'm not 100% certain it's plastic warping, every time I transform Challenger things seem to go more smoothly, but my Peru Kill also has minor warping so... yeah.

I think that's all my thoughts. I really like the figure, but a bunch of little things have knocked the wind out of my sails a little bit. Like, the neck is super tight but the plate the head is on is much looser so when I try to pose the plate moves first... The fists are strange and unconvincing as fists... The toes should have locked in... Little details like that. Like the figure though. Transformation is fun... Not to mention the blue stripe not on the grille, but why are the ends of the bumper not chrome/metal/whatever? So weird.

 

Actually TT is the one that does most of the engineering for TFs. The only thing holding 'em back from going all out is...Hasbro.

There was a recent 3-part interview with one of TT's lead designer for Bayformer toys, he mentioned of Hasbro cost-cutting measures, obsession with gimmicks, compliance to safety standards, adherence to restricted parts count for the various toylines/class size & other interference that prevents them from going all out with the movie toys.

 

And this attitude shows in the products. TT has better paint jobs, and better QC overall. Much to be desired from the official line, is all I can say

 

In other words: Everything good about Transformers figures comes from Takara. Everything bad... comes from Hasbro.