** very small update ** Slightly retooled transformation, with new Classics Sunstreaker arms instead of Movie Bumblebee arms. These ones feel a bit more substantial and meaty, but they still fit easily into the transformation. Of course Sideswipe arms already have red shoulders which means less painting, but I didn't have any available. These do fit right on to the existing ball joints which is cool. Also, although it looks almost the same, the new transformation of the chest fills up some of the "emptiness" of his torso from the first configuration. Still need to figure out the best way to stow his head for alt-mode. Should there be a hatch on his roof, or should the head be on a little arm? Hmmmm.... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just a little something I had to try once I got the red Cannonforce Ironhide figure. It was my first time messing around with this mold, but I wanted to see if I could get a more traditional (but still movie-style in terms of the mechanical aesthetic) Ironhide out of it. So far, this can totally work with the existing transformation mechanics without too much heavy-duty modification. A few light snips and some gluing here and there will be necessary. I absolutely HATE the wonky, barely-poseable arms on this mold... I'm amazed that Hasbro designed it that way, so that was the first thing to go. I kind of like the way the legs look this way (though they can be reversed to the normal configuration easily). All I have to do is cut a bit off the kneepad, and he'll have a regular knee-bend. The only thing I haven't quite figured out is where the head is going to store and how it's going to swing into place for robot mode... maybe on a hinged armature? Still fuzzy on that. It's true that his body is sort of hollow... I may try to remedy that once I get some of the other stuff worked out... but also, since movie-style bots have a lot of exposed machinery and fragmented vehicle structures, I think it's not too bad. This figure is much smaller than many Bayformer voyagers, but he scales nicely with the cars, and looks good next to the first TFTM Voyager Prime in bot mode. With a bit of work, I'm planning on trying to get a mostly full 1984 Autobot line-up as "movie-G1 hybrids". We'll see how that goes. zmog
Wow I like it I have done hybrids like that too and i think they look nice, great job, cant wait to see the rest .
I think you are on the right track. Where'd you get the head? I personally would bulk up the arms a bit more tho. But if you can't then you can't. I'm also thinking that the mid section needs... something. Dunno what... but something. Hope to see more.
^^^ I love this idea. Ironhide looks great! Not sure if the BB arms work as well though, seems scrawny whereas IH is brawny ... but your idea for the head on a hinged armature is probably gonna be great for this. I'm always trying new configurations and mistransformations with the movie line to see if I can get a different aesthetic. For example, here's HA Leadfoot, I absolutely hate the factory bot mode. But I got it to look a little more "World's Strongest Man" instead of "Beer & Nachos redneck". With the fins down, I get a bit of an Ironhide / Bulkhead feel, what do you think?
The head's pretty much straight from Generations Ironhide (or classics, whatever), though I added silver over the blue face, and yellow for his eyes since his light piping wasn't so great anyway. Ideally, I'd like to bulk the arms too... I'm kind of working with what I have lying around (and what will fit into the alt mode). Generations Red Alert arms had a bit more meat, the right length, and a double elbow, but the style was less "movie" and I think I may need them for another custom anyway. Can anyone think of any Bayformer figures with good humanoid-style arms without too much kibble? Wow, that looks a LOT better than before... nice job! I'm always trying to find alternate transformations that work for my Bayformers. Sometimes it works, other times, there's just no saving a mold (*glares at ROTF Sideways*). I wonder who that Leadfoot could be G1-wise... that is, if you even cared to go the G1 direction. There aren't many macho powerhouse Autobot cars. Sideswipe, Wheeljack maybe... In this same family of (mostly unfinished) G1-Movie hybrids are my old Sunstreaker/Sideswipe from TFTM Bumblebee pair, a Prowl from Barricade (which has been since redesigned slightly, and a Landmine-Hound. Maybe a couple of others... I'm hoping some figures, like the upcoming (potentially exclusive) Trilogy Wheeljack (Que repaint wth G1 style head) might be ready-made out of the box. TFTM Hoist and TFTM Gears probably fit there too. zmog
spectacular, seen so many attempts at a red crossover style ironhide, but this is easily the best, manages to convey the best of both aesthetics, not an easy job.
You may want to take a look at both Skids and Mudflap; they each might have a bulky arm to leand. I don't know if they match good enough tho. I stopped by the store and saw this mold: you have absolutely worked wonders with the legs. Nailed it!!!
Thanks. That's a really good idea... I have a Skids and Mudflap on my sale list that have been gathering dust, and it's worth trying it out (though I suspect the arms might be a bit short and inflated to work out). Forgot to mention earlier... yeah, there's a lot of empty space in that torso to fill. Maybe if I can add some bits or panels to the armatures for the original elbows (which are still there), those can "bloom" outward in bot mode to cover up some of the gaps? It should help, though of course his windshield will still jut out from the chest. Not much to be done about that. Thanks for the comments guys! zmog
It's crazy how much better some of these guys look with a proper head, somethings off though. You gotta fill in the abdomen somehow. I'd like to see him next to Prime, or ratchet if you have one
So many people insisted that G1-style heads and styling couldn't work with Bayformers style, but I never believed it. I'll try to snap a pic with Prime soon, but I won't even bother with Ratchet. He's just too huge... Ratchet's probably the largest Voyager figure in the entire movie trilogy, and this Ironhide feels more like a tall deluxe. They just wouldn't work well together... I'd use one of the Deluxe Ratchets, but I'd be concerned that the vehicle mode scale would be too jarring. But then, I'm not sure if I can think of another figure that could serve as a "movie-style" G1 Ratchet. It's not so much the abdomen that bugs me as his upper chest and back which are really hollow. But I've got a few ideas... zmog
I dig the way you did the shoulders. The head looks great on there too, and the windshield doesn't really feel out of place. The arms are a bit tiny though, and the legs look awkward. I think you'd be better off leaving those as is, but flipping the feet around so that the heel-pieces are in the front. Like you can see here:
I actually had the legs in that configuration originally, but for some reason, I just like this configuration more. There's something about the wheel on the shin that makes it more appealing than the usual "twisted metal" aesthetic of Bayformers legs. It gives his legs a distinctive vehicle feature to draw the eye, I guess. And yeah, the arms... I'm on a quest now to find better arms (or at least bulk these ones up a bit). They're actually about the right length for his body, but they look too skinny to match the character. zmog