Back in the days of G1, they had a way of drawing characters who were repaints so different, they didn't look like the same robot with a different color scheme. For example, look at Sideswipe and Red Alert. Same toys, just different colors. Yet, you'd never know by looking at the character models.



However, it's not really possible to replicate that on your shelf. You can't make them look that different. At least not with G1 toys. Newer toys have more points of articulation/transformation and can sometimes have parts positioned differently to change up the look a bit. Besides toys with two different transformations built in ( classics Sideswipe/Sunstreaker ), what toys that are just repaints do you transform slightly different? ( Pics would be a useful illustration. )

My first example is my TCC Sideburn. I removed his spoiler to help him look different from Hot Rod. I also let Sideburn use the gun, but not Rodimus. Rodimus always just used the blasters on his wrist anyway.

 

I do the same thing. Sometimes I'll mistransform it slightly to differentiate it, other times when that's not feasable a simple gun in the other hand will do  

An example, since Insane Galvatron helped make it fresh in my mind, is TFC Sideburn...I was going to remove the spolier too until I remembered it helped to keep the car mode together...in stead of removing it I just don't flip it up for robot ode.

 

The one I used for a while for Classics Cliffjumper was to mount the jetski on his arm in a claw/shield mode. For Gen Skullgrin and Straxus I have one holding the crossbow in front of him in both hands, the other has it slung over his shoulder.

 

I do this all the time. For instance:

Various movie Sideswipes: I position the wing kibble differently
Blackout/Grindor/Whirl: I position the missiles above the head differently
ROTF Sideways/Dead End: I exaggerate the chicken legs on Dead End and also keep the wings down.
Breakaway/Thrust: I rotate the wings differently, and I keep Thrust's nosecose undeformed
Depthcharge/Sonar: Sonar's always in Battle Mode, Depthcharge never is.

and so forth. I also reassembled the legs on Universe Sunstreaker to further differentiate him from Sideswipe, but that causes some posing problems, so I might change it back to how it was.

 

My Botcon '11 Sideswipe and Breakdown had their spoilers removed, as IMO they were the most "Rodimussy" part of the toy.

 

nice thread. i'd like see more pics.

classics junkions- modified the heads. modified the alt modes.
classics sunstreaker and sideswipe- arm pads are turned differently.
alternator sunstreaker and sideswipe- seen mods where the sideswipe has the back end as the chest.

 

Sdcc nemisis prime peg the gun into his shoulder for a shoulder cannon

Henkei prime just put both guns in hand

 

RoTF Skywarp: Put the tailfins in his body, under the chest piece, while Movie Thundercracker's are sticking up. Ramjet, I just put them halfway.

 

...Crossbow?

 

I position the shoulder wheels and arm panels on Hftd Payload(Or as I call him,Overhaul)differently than on Long Haul

 

Beast Wars Dinobot and Beast Wars Neo Hardhead. I kept the tail spread out on Hardhead's backor with the sword inside sticking up to differentiate the two. Only one I can recall.

 

I was going to take a picture but it's so minor I decided it wasn't worth the effort.

On Tracks I have the wheels on his arms moved all the way forward, as intended. On Wheeljack I have them on the sides with the wheels facing sideways. Combined with the mold differences and weapon mount differences it works surprisingly well to differentiate the two.

 

I don't have TFCC Sideburn, but I had been considering doing just what you did back when I was thinking about joining the club and getting him. I do this kind of thing with some other figures I have, as well. I transform Red Alert how the instructions say to, and if/when I have Sideswipe, I'll do him the same way, but I'll put Sideswipe's gun on his shoulder, whereas I have Red Alert hold his gun, and his gun has his engine mounted on it. Neither of them would have the exposed engines in vehicle mode. For Sunstreaker, I have the roof on his chest, his gun in his hand, and his engine on his back. I also switched his legs, so that the top of the rear part of the car is on his legs, rather than the sides. I also thought about transforming Generations Blurr so that his shoulders were pointing up (sort of like Animated Blurr's shoulders), but I didn't like how they looked as well.

 

Straxus - intended transformation. With the exception that I pulled the tread and rear-of-vehicle kibble off his back. (to accomadate him sitting on a throne on ym shelf),.
Where as Skullgrin is all kinds of pimped out. I gave him a rifle. The shoulder flaps that fold out and up are where they are for alt mode. The backkibble is off with the exception of one, where as the other is attached to his arm as a blast shield. The pickaxe is attached to his back, and the pick parts were pulled off.

Cyclonus - Has Nighstick.
His Armada - No Nightstick.

Scourge - Armada's Nightstick.
Sweep one - Has both his own and Scourges pistols in hand. His wings are splayed differently, the head is not fully extended,
Sweep two - Wings splayed differently, waist intentionally mistransformed so the butt flap is now a crotch flap. Has his pistol seperated into it's two parts. (Sometimes I interchange one sweep or the other in and out of alt mode.

Wreck-Gar - Robot mode.
Junkion - Alt mode with Wreck Gar riding him. Simple.
Junkion two - Robot mode. The wheel on his left arm is taken off and is in hand where as the buzzsaw/muffler thingy is attached to his back.

Tracks - Flying car mode on a stand.
Wheeljack - Robot mode holding blueprints and with tools in front of him.

 

ROTF Aerialbots with their wings and tail fins.

 

Very cool thread, this is.  


As for my stuff though, I think the only "same mold" ones I have are my G1 & G2 Bonecrusher, and I pretty much pose em the same way. However, since the G1 guy is my only green one, he stands out from my other Constructicons as it is, so that works in my books.

 

I really like this mold as Sideburn!

 

I usually just rearrange their weapons, like my Alpha Bravo is left-handed while my Vortex is right-handed, and my Dead End uses the pipe weapon in its gun figuration while my Wildrider uses it as a club. I need more creativity...

 

Old thread so old figures  

I rotate in the shoulders and legs on Blackarachnia to appear "more feminine" and "different" from Tarantulas, as well as the spider leg positioning


And just display Cheetor's cat head down and display them with different weapons