It's actually extremely easy, if you have a soldering iron. All you have to do is heat the head of the pin holding the two pieces and the wheel, while pushing out on the wheel. Once the pin is hot enough, it all slides apart easily. I didn't even need to pry on the side tabs. The entire process only took about 3 minutes, unless you include the time it took to get the soldering iron hot. In that case, it took about 5 minutes. The guy who used a saw may have accomplished the same goal, but I'm not a fan of the way he did it. You can buy a cheap soldering iron at most stores for around $4 or $5. I don't see why you would saw through something when you can easily remove a pin and reinsert it without any damage to the figure. Not to mention his was the Legends version, which I would love to have, but can't afford.

 

Oh oh oh...I have a soldering iron....and I'm getting Legends Kup in the next week or so.....would you mind going into further detail on what I'll need to do?

Much appreciated!

 

It's actually as easy as I explained, but here's a more in depth set of instructions.

First, plug in your soldering iron and let it start warming up.
From robot mode, unfold Kup's lower legs, as if you were going vehicle mode. Now, one the back side of the rear fenders, you should see the pin that holds the wheel and the cover on.. All I did, was touch the tip pf the soldering iron to the head of the metal pin for a few seconds, while pushing outward on the wheel. When it's warm enough, you will feel the wheel move outward. As soon as this happens, put down the soldering iron. On mine, the fender covers and wheels popped right off, without having to push on the two little locking tabs on the back side. If that isn't the case with your's, just use a small screwdriver to press on them. Either way, the wheel and the fender cover should come right off. It's the same procedure that painters and modders use to remove pins from figures all the time. Once the wheels and covers are off, just put the wheels back on and then snap the covers onto the correct sides. The pins should push back in rather easily, but if they don't, just use the soldering iron to lightly heat them again until they press back in. If they are a little loose, you can always add a drop of glue to the pin before putting it back in. Mine went back in fine, without glue. Just be sure not to hit the plastic on your figure with the soldering iron. That's really it. If anyone is interested in having this done, but doesn't feel comfortable doing it, I guess I would be willing to do it for free, if you pay shipping both ways.

 

I have the Takara version, having skipped the Hasbro release, and as others have said the transformation is superb. Really inventive use of panels and space to get a kibble-free bot mode, he's a master-class in toy engineering, from a line with stiff competition for ingenuity.

I think I made the right choice for my own tastes, colour-wise, but as a fiddle-bot you can't go wrong with either.

 

Awesome. Seems like something within my pay grade.

I don't have the figure yet ...so I can't comment on anything at the moment ...however, are these rivet type pins you're referring to, or pins where you can use an automatic pin punch?

If you're recommending a soldering iron then I'm assuming it's a rivet.

 

The best way I can describe it is it's a pin, with a flat head. I'm guessing some people might call it a rivet. Normally, pins in most TFs go through a hole, with both ends exposed, so they can be pushed out from one side or the other. This hole ends inside the fender cover, so there's no way to push it out from that side. I just figure it's a pin, with a flat head.   When I think of rivets, I think of the bottom of a Hot Wheels car, or the elbow or knee joint of an old G.I. Joe. It doesn't matter what we call it, it still only comes out with a soldering iron. 

 

Thanks for the tips! I just fixed mine and it was as simple and straightforward as you described.

 

Just going through this thread now and I wanted to give a thumbs-up for this review in particular. Well written and informative...nice pictures too. I don't know about you guys but posts like this on are the reason that I come to this portion of the forum.

 

As for my own .02 on this figure, I don't have too much to add to the insights and opinions shared here...but after spending some months with this figure in my collection, I'm starting to see it as the most underappreciated TF of the current era.

Yes, Kup has gotten some praise and some valid criticism but this design (IMO) has it all and will age very well as we look back on this toy line in years to come. It's a very well rounded figure and while there are some aspects where the designers may have missed the mark a bit, the package as a whole seems to be just amazing, probably best in class for the current regime of TF designs.

Kup has an interesting, compact vehicle mode. Yes, it's somewhat amorphous but this is not unlike the original Floro Dery design in that regard. The cockpit is big, has a nice clear windscreen for Flintlock to peer out of, making it a prime example of the TR line-theme. The foot mounting point in the cockpit is a neat idea but at least on my copy, it's too tight and I couldn't get the TM feet to peg in without partially un-transforming it. The use of the pickup bed as a gun platform is not only a nice reference to the Targetmaster of 1987 but a fun way to interact with the TM gimmick.

The Transformation is pure joy. IMO, it's nearly flawless in execution. Lots of clever folds, sleek panels and tabs a few cool surprises along the way but absolutely nothing frustrating or unintuitive. This transformation hits the right balance on all counts. The effect is wonderful too...the mass shifting is convincing; the bulky but compact truck turns into a clean, tall, well proportioned bot. When I pick up a TF, this is exactly the experience that I want. It's just enough to keep your mind busy and to give you the experience of two very different looking forms. Only Triggerhappy from this line may have a more enjoyable transformation.

The robot mode is just about perfection too, IMO. It's a clean, solidly articulated, well proportioned bot that represents the original model brilliantly. Most importantly, it's a totally cheat-free design with the actual windscreen on his chest that cleverly is filled in with other components rather than having a gaping cavern in his torso. Wonderfully, this is one of those TFs where you can look at the robot form and not instantly know how it transforms.

The shape of the shoulders is somewhat off-model but this was done for the sake of the truck mode and the sacrifice is understandable. The Legends version obviously offers a different take on this...it's a tossup for me. I hear what some of you guys are saying about the face sculpt. Personally, I think it's great looking and has a nice resemblance to the original design without forcing one interpretation of the character onto the fans. This would be the opposite end of the spectrum from the 3P head for the Generations figure with the cy-gar hanging out of his mouth. I prefer the approach that the TR design takes.

The color scheme is another point of debate and I can see why some folks would think it missed the mark but I find the mix of teal-greens and greys to be really appealing and attractive. This figure is a nice compliment to the other vividly colored R figures on the shelf and it looks particularly striking next to Hotrod's deep reds and yellows.

My only major complaint: materials. As seen with other figures from this series (and CW), the plastics seem a bit brittle. On my copy in particular, stress marks have begun to show around the pin in the shoulder. This won't deter me from handling the figure but it's hard to say if these toys will eventually crumble.

So...materials aside, TR Kup is pretty much an A+ for me. It's as close to a perfect Deluxe Class figure as I could ever hope for. It will go down in my permanent collection with the likes of Transmetal Tarantulas, HFTD Terradive, Classics Mirage, etc. as figures that I can pick up any time and enjoy.

My only regret....is that I have...boneitis

 

I'll be honest I've never been that sold on Kup for toys/character. He's a decent enough character, certainly not the worst, but he never quite resonated with me so I never bothered with his toys. The only one I had before this was the Prime one and that was a bit shit.

However I picked this up on a whim and honestly? While not one of my own top five figures of the line He'd definitely be #6 and I can see why others would put him that high. Great transformation and look. Mine was a little loose on a hip but nail hardener sorted that. Looks good with my Wreckers too.

 

Yeah, his reviews have always been amazing. I've enjoyed them going way way back

 

That's exactly how I feel about his character. I think for me, he was tainted by his entrance in Transformers: The Movie as a cynical replacement for Ironhide. I never really took the movie bots to heart like I did the originals or later non-movie characters. Clearly my inner-child is still scarred and bitter  

Prior to this the only Kup I owned was the Generations toy with the upgraded head, but even he sits in a drawer these days.

This toy though, this is clever. Having an awesome targetmaster companion hasn't hurt his Japanese release either.

 

So I performed the leg fix on my TR Kup. I had a couple of mishaps which helped me to realized that I WILL NOT be performing this fix on my Takara Legends Kup when he gets here.

1) The left leg didn't go as smoothly as it should have. Once heated, somehow the pin slipped through the hole even though the hole was alot smaller than the head of the pin. This caused difficulty in getting the pin back through the hole once the leg pieces were switched. I heated the pin, trimmed the hole larger and no matter what, I couldn't get the pin to sit as flush as it should be. The wheel and the leg panel are fine but, the pin isn't seated correctly.

2) This part was completely my fault. While doing the fix, I accidentally touched my soldering iron to the corner of the back panel on Kup's right leg that forms the tail lights in pickup truck mode. I was able to cut and sand the melted corner back into a smooth and shiny surface again but, unfortunately it's still malformed now. This shows that mishaps like this can happen during these types of fixes and mods and the risk vs reward needs to be assessed.

Due to the above, as I said before I will not be performing this fix on my Takara Legends Kup. The risk outweighs the reward. The switched leg panels from the factory aren't very noticeable anyway.

 

Huh, just checked my Kup's legs and turns out he has one correct panel and one incorrect one. Awkward old coot.  

Doesn't matter though, still my favourite Deluxe of Titans Return.

 

I just did this mod today at work, and it was way easier than I thought it would be. Maybe ten minutes, and my Kup is perfect in the end. Thanks for the tip!

 

Got myself one as a birthday present to myself. Not sure if it's common or if I got a buggy copy, but his head doesn't really like to stay in. There are times where it holds in but is still wobbly and others where it will just fly out. The oddity here was that it was a very tight fit out of the package but started being problematic after the first transformation.

Speaking of the transformation, I enjoy it quite a bit. We end up with a clean vehicle mode and a robot mode without a back pack, something that really makes me want the remold in that two pack. On the other hand, there's something kind of off about it being without backpack kibble. Like, it's such a staple of Transformers that when one has absolutely nothing back there it is just weird and almost feels like he can't transform/is too humanoid. Also, I can't keep the front and the back of the vehicle mode pegged without stressing the plastic. Thanks to my personal goof and this design flaw, I'm going to have to worry about the toy breaking. Hopefully the recolor doesn't have these issues.

There are things I most certainly like such as the colors, weapons, and as I said the transformation and bot mode, but there are factors dragging down an otherwise outstanding toy.

 

This figure is another pure win. Maybe it's not the PERFECT version of Kup, but damn close. I do have to say the Takara one is sexy, but my budget no longer allows such things. Especially at $40 a pop!

Having said that, the transformation is PURE WIN. Love voodoo magic in my transformers. What set it over the top is the gerwalk mode, some one here did it like ED-309, but I also see him as a mech in Avatar. Still, the play options on him are awesome. Plus he is a great update of Kup.

If people don't like the head, they can always use the iGear head. Not hard to use it. All you would need to do is unscrew the head master, and use his ball joint and your all done.

 

My only complain with this figure is that mine has a QC problem with one leg that doesn't fit correctly over the ball joint on the hip and pops out too easily.
Barring that, I love the engineering of this guy. After CW I am overjoyed every time I see a figure with a clever and original transformation. With Topspin and Triggerhappy Lip is definitely one of my favourite TR deluxes.

 

Step closer to g1 toy  

 

Did you paint the windshield? I plan to do something similar, but make a printed insert that I can take out for alt mode. looks real nice though!