I know, it's stupid isn't it, especially since if they took off the money for painting the spoiler and the eyes and windows maybe we'd have gotten a clear windscreen.

 

I'm pretty sure the goal of this set is to be as cartoon-accurate as possible. Hence the yellow spoiler. It (presumably) had to be painted because of the way the parts are sprued. If it was yellow plastic, the thigh and hip pieces would've needed to be painted, and that would've meant more apps.

 

Same color as the classics?

 

I'd like to know this as my henkei rodimus took a tumble and his spoiler broke. I've ordered the battle in space set for the spoiler, I'll be extra happy if I know it's classics orange underneath that yellow

 

Presumably it's the same color as his legs, which I believe are a smidge yellowier than the Classics version.

 

wonder if the middle piece is as well, id think thats probably red..

 

With my Hot Rod I've been getting some stress marks on spots where he has pin joints, mainly his upper right leg and more concerningly the joint for folding his chest down. I tried the hairdryer trick but didn't really work since the stress marks are tight spots, maybe I just didn't do it long enough. Anybody else having this problem? Could it be mold degredation?

 

Just noticed this a bit ago when putting him in the Protector armor. It's like the plastic is "too tight" for the pins. It's on the ball joints that connect the arms to the torso as well as the elbow joints.

 

What are the main difference in these to toys compared to their Henkei counterparts? (Other than the obvious reveal the sheild insignia thingy.)

Is Cyclonus the same in both?

 

They're not even close. Hasbro's are far more cartoon accurate.

The Henkei ones are obviously cartoon inspired, but not quite there. Still the dark red on Rodimus, and black hands and orange head crest, and such. Just a lighter translucent blue than his Classics counterpart, with an orange-painted chest/hood, and yellow chromed headlights and spoiler.

RTS Rodimus goes for a more obviously 'toon-based look, with a lighter red, with darker red in places, grey-painted hands, grey boots, painted-over windows, and a much simplified flame deco on his hood.

RTS Cyclonus is far more show accurate than Takara's offering, nailing his grey-violet colour palette perfectly. Henkei's was this incredibly effeminate bright lavender colour, with purple chromed wings.

 

Honestly I think the Henkei version of Hot Rod (that's what he is to me) looks better than either Hasbro version because it has the most show accurate chest and flames look. Although I could do with out the fender flames. Not so show accurate there. But as far as colors Hasbro looks like they just painted the whole chest yellow and was done with it. That's not show accurate. In the movie he had a bright dark orange (near red) chest with bright yellow flames. Same with the hood, because his chest was his hood.

Cyclonus makes the whole pack worth it though. I passed on him the first time around because of the ugly green coloration in his legs and had intended on getting the Henkei version so I'm glad I got this pack when I saw it. Cyclonus, Nightstick, and the matrix make it all worth it. With Hot Rod I'm going to have to do something about that chest/hood. It's aweful. I wish reprolabels weren't so outragous for 1 little sticker or I'd get some from them.

 

I like the fender flames. Those and the clear windows are the only things I wish the BIS version had. For some reason, the grey hands and face on the BIS version really sell me

 

yea i like the colors on BIS 'Rod in robot mode, it may be the windows, but the alt mode colors look strange to me.

I just am upset at the QC on this set. As i've mentioned before, my cyclonus has horrible stress marks on his left leg. Really, very bad. A few people that i have talked with have other QC issues as well.

 

Contrast could have been better, but the intent is there.

 

They painted the spoiler because the spoiler is supposed to be yellow. Out of all the decos, this one is the first one that got that right.

No, the paint budget had nothing to do with painted windows. Look at the area the window paint takes up. More than enough to cover the non-window area of that piece instead. They wanted that piece painted, not clear. It was a deco choice, not a budget choice.

I love it. The yellow spoiler is one major thing that screams "I'm Hot Rod" to me. I cannot stand the orange or gold chrome spoilers on the others. I love just about every single part of this thing's deco. The shade of red, the gray used on the face and hands, the different shades of red on the helmet, the gray lower legs, the orange parts on his wrist (that even have extra yellow detailing) and yes, even the painted windows.

I do wish the contrast between the orange and yellow on the chest were higher, but other than that, for me this is the real Hot Rod in my classics collection. The original version is now in a box, where it will likely never see the light of day again.

I don't get why people don't like this guy. I see people saying he has fewer paint apps. I don't see that. I'm pretty sure he has more. He's got that three piece painted spoiler, painted hands and saw, painted wrist pieces (two colors), forehead, crest, ears, eyes, all three waist pieces are painted... yeah. This isn't even counting most of the same painted areas the two share. Pretty sure there's a hell of a lot more paint on this guy.

 

I wish his hands and saw were cast in the gray plastic used for his shins instead of painted, I can see that paint chipping really fast from holding guns..

 

The shins are painted gray, not molded. One more case of this guy having more paint than the original. They're so thoroughly covered in paint that you can mistake them for being molded that color.

EDIT: My Rodimus' rub symbol just fell off and refuses to go back on. there's no stick.

 

Maybe try using a hair dryer to heat up the adhesive and make it sticky again for re-application.

 

Tried it. Nothing. Not sticking. Thanks for trying to help though.

Time for reprolabels!

 

Grabbed one of these today from target because this Cyclonus is too geewunderbar to miss imo. My roddy has a nice yellow paint scrape on his roof and both his elbow joints show stress marks around the pins on the outside. Other than his poorly defined chest I think he looks better in person than in pics. Cyclonus is immaculate, no stress marks or errant paint. I did have to heat and straighten his nose antenna thing, but that took 10 seconds so no biggie.