NOTE: The following is an attempt at a big cooperation project shared between TFArchive, TFW2005 and the Allspark. All three sites' staff have agreed to participate and share the results. But we want YOU, the users, to help us do the work.

So, what's this all about?

Over the years, there have been numerous attempts at listing the real-life vehicles the G1 Transformers toys are based on, but all these lists are copied from each other and thereby still incorrect and incomplete even though a lot of the "vague"/incorrect alt modes have already been correctly identified numerous times.

So I was thinking whether we should try to assemble a COMPLETE database with images of the real-life vehicles the G1 toys are based on?

It's supposed to work the following:
1) We start with one sub-group.
2) We will list all toys that belong to that sub-group.
3) We will identify the alt mode for each toy.
4) We will track down images of the alt mode. If you found the image on a website, please provide a link so we know where you found it!
5) Then we will contact the owner of the website where we found the image and request permission to use the image.
6) Someone who owns the toy in good condition will take a photo of the toy in the same pose as the photo of the real-life vehicle, so we will have a direct comparison.
7) The images will be added to the WIP database hosted at TF Archive.
8) Information about the real-life vehicle ("one-of-a-kind race car driven by Jimbob McWheeler") and the toy ("Diaclone version only available in pink, the neon green color used for the Transformers version was Hasbro's idea“) will be added where available.
9) Everyone who contributed to a database entry will be credited.
10) Once all the entries for a specific sub-group have been completed, they will be mirrored at TFW2005 and the Allspark.
11) We move on to the next sub-group.

Just so you know what this is going to look like:
http://tfarchive.com/toys/altmodes/?year=1984

NOTE: These images are just placeholder images and taken from the internet. We will either request permission to use them for the finished version or replace them with better images or those we got permission to use for.

What's important is that while we're working on one sub-group, we should stick to that sub-group. In other words: When we're still working on the Minibots, images for Nightbeat's alternate mode are not really helpful. You can still save the images and/or the link and keep them for later, but for my own mental health's sake, please let's do it systematically.

Also, if you have any corrections and suggestions to make (alt mode is not right, alt mode is not the exact model, photo does not depict the exact model etc.), please post them in the respective thread.  

Priorities for real-life images are:
Exact model > color

--------------------------------------

Part 1: Autobot Cars

 

this is amazing. I had been planning on doing this myself for a long time. not the year 1-2 diaclone molds, because they're pretty obvious, but the ones later that aren't so detailed, like runabout and runamuck, micromasters, etc.

 

One guy really worth contacting on this one is JesterJJZ (sp?) who did a series of fantastic photoshops of actual, real cars in Transformers paint schemes. Whether this would be an "and there's this picture, too" add-on to the gallery or not is y'all's call. Still, I saved a bunch of his stuff to my computer...but I don't feel it'd be right to share it unless you got it from the horse's mouth.

I know he posts both here and on the Murphy boards.

EDIT:

Here's his stuff: Jester's TF photoshops

 

Mathew of Cobra Island Toys has a thread here

The first few pages are mainly Diaclone based, but later pages have ones such as Deftwing, and some cars that the Stormtroopers seem to be based on.

 

OMG WOW!  

 

That jesters link is amazing, Looking at all the possible soundwave alt mode cracks me up  

 

I think that's how some characters should look in the upcoming movie.  

 

I was wondering if anyone had or would try something like this; glad to see sites are working together.

I'd suggest expanding it beyond G1 to include later/current lines. We know the alt. modes in Cybertron can't be EXACT copies of real world stuff, but in some cases it's pretty obvious where the "inspiration" came from (i.e. Deluxe Red Alert).

-XCN-

 

good idea, i'll start on beast wars... i have the LA zoo in my backyard  

 

i'm assuming that everybody has seen this page a long time ago..
http://www.geocities.com/kidk0rrupt/

p.s. click on the "Real-life Cars that inspired Diaclone" link on the left menu column.

 

just check the names on the diaclone toys to get what cars they are based on, thats the easy part, some of the cars are tougher to find pics of. heres what i was able to come up with, also there is a ton of info there.
http://www.tfans.com/talk/index.php?showtopic=7413&hl=real%20transformers&st=20

some of the links no longer work i see, bummer. anyways, also remember all the diaclones are based on ACTUAL cars, at one point and time, somewhere on earth, there was an exact copy of each diaclone car.

 

Folks:

For what it's worth, the Constructicons appear to be based on real machinery.
Unfortunately, the best pictures I have yet found are of Tomica diecast toys.

These two I am quite sure of:

Long Haul - Hitachi DH321 mining dump truck
Hook - UD Unic truck crane

Bonecrusher is tough. Only one dozer I know of had an engine compartment
wider than it was high - the Terex 8280 / Euclid TC12. Oddly enough, the
split down the middle and dual stacks are accurate for this dozer, which had
twin engines and separate drives to each track. BC is somewhat more squared
off than any version of the 8280 I have seen, however.

Scrapper and Scavenger I have so far been unable to find matches for.
Scavenger resembles a Hitachi excavator somewhat, but his cab is very different.

 

That's some nice photoshop skills. They really resemble real life vehicles and the alternate modes as well.  

 

http://www.uniquecanes.com/UncleProduction1a.jpg

 

whatever happened to him? i havent seen him post in AGES

 

It's a real shame that I didn't have my camera at the time, but at a local construction sight I saw a bright green dumptruck. Yep, blew me away when I saw it. Looked for it again, but no such luck.

 

Nevermore, did you ever decide on a 100% specific model of Kenworth for Optimus?

 

The original Optimus Prime (and Powermaster) was a Freightliner not a Kenworth. Motormaster was a Kenworth.

 

Alphie:

Chances are it was a Terex or Euclid (Terex' predecessor company). Euclid's standard color was Constructicon green for years, and when Terex took over they continued using that color. I guess they wanted to distinguish their equipment from Caterpillar's orange-yellow machines.

Euclid's dump trucks were so prevalent in mining use that 'Euc', pronounced 'Yuke', is a slang term for an off-road dump truck in some areas. I heard this used in a little diner where a couple of miners were chatting over breakfast. I think it was in Lisbon, OH.

 

This sounds like a great idea. Though whichever poor bastard gets stuck searching for Soundwave, well, GOOD luck on that. I spent days at a time trying to search for his real life counterpart and couldn't find anything that resembled it. For those who are interested, I'm almost positive that he is a pre-1970s portable micro-casette recorder that is symmetric within 90-95% accuracy. He is NOT a walkman and his casettes are NOT standard audio/music casettes. Those are Blaster's pals, not Soundwave's.