After seeing johnbonhamatron's nightbeat chest upgrade, I was content in just painting gen. nightbeat's chest yellow no longer. I used the MTMTE chest design. It's not painted yet. I just put some quick yellow on it to get an idea of what it would look like. I wanted the best nightbeat I could get, so to that end I have also done nonnef's bumblebee fix and Essex Alpha's door mod. I also cut some of his car bumper and biceps so I could turn his shoulders a bit more like nightbeat's shoulders should be. Lastly, a tip to those with bumblebees/goldfire/nightbeats with floppy knees and/or shoulders: glue something thin to the joint connected to the thighs and back of chest so it comes in contact with the shoulder joint respectively. Out of the factory the knees on mine just did not make enough contact to generate the friction needed to stay stable and like wise the hole that connects to the shoulder was just not snug enough (and for good reason apparently as mine cracked after it got caught on the bump of plastic next to the shoulders behind the chest).
I used milliput to make the chest flat then used plastic from sprues of a model kit I had around to make his right boob thing. The left pec is mostly just hollowed out. Really you can use any plastic. I often use keys from a broken keyboard. I find stacking thin sheets of plastic with super glue is the most manageable sculpting material.
hmmm I'll see what I can do once I get home. Though, what I do isn't really a science that can easily be done in a step by step process. It would be less a how to upgrade your nightbeat and more a general tips on modifying toys.
Ooh, that looks gorgeous! I've been looking for pics of that figure with the doors mounted on the arms, I reckon I shall have to do that when I get round to finishing up my version of Siren. Awesome work!
That would be amazing if you could do that! I would love to know what kinds of paint, glue, etc. you guys use to do this stuff as I'm very interested in doing some of this work for myself!! Great job on nightbeat!
Thanks man, means a lot coming from the big ol' nightbeat fan and yes, shoulders down+door mod+some paint would make an excellent siren in fact, I can see hasbro doing a repaint with instructions to 'mistransform' him leaving the doors flapping next to his arms.
Dude, you have no idea how much it means to me that I helped to inspire this! That fact kinda blows my mind. That was my thinking; it'll help differentiate them on my shelf for Nightbeat to have his headlights on his shoulders (for peering into all those dark spaces, since they're no longer on his forearms), and Siren to have the front fenders folded back with the doors on the arms. S'why I've also got Nightbeat with the rear wheel-wells pushed in, but left them in alt mode position on what will be Siren. 'Tis a subtle difference, but it all helps to set them apart.
