He looks good on a shelf right next to Sunstreaker, I think.

 

Just got my copy yesterday...and I gotta say...he really is beautiful. I mean who knew that paint could make that much of a difference? And while he is out shined by his shiny new bro...he still hangs with him quite well. So I guess I need to thank all you guys for all the pics, cause if it wasn't for that...I was never going to get him.

 

Funny, this guy was never on my radar....

....then I came into a few extra bucks, then found him shipped through AmazonJP for $58, then hit click/buy....now I'm really excited about it and can't stop looking at photos of him.

Funny how things work.


In the end, Sunstreaker will be happy.

 

you will be happy. The new paint deco/face make a ton of difference.

 

Nice.

.....and considering the only Sideswipe I have is a KO one from a few years back.

 

I was hesitant in picking this up. I really liked the face upgrade and the new white paint but I really disliked the gray tires. I tried this simple mod with a KO mp-12 but now I think I actually prefer how mp-12 comes stock (at least in bot mode).

 

Looks much better with the black tyres and red rear panel to me.

 

I'm torn. I like the black tires but I like the elongated look of the legs more. I guess I could always paint the panels black on the KO if I get bored.

 

One thing I thought the could do was paint the sides of the tire black while keeping the bottom grey. It would make it so that the alt mode looked right and the bot mode was too accurate as well.

 

Do the tires just pop off?

edit: ah, a pin I see. Did you heat it up to remove them?

 

No, actually its much simpler than that.

There's a black screw you remove on the back of the leg. The entire piece that rotates and houses the wheel is sandwiched in between the leg.

Gently lift the red flap and remove the entire piece then replace.

 

Wow I was in the exact same spot. I was always looking for a legit copy but the price was never quite right. Until I saw this guy on amazon Japan at that awesome price. Just got him today and am very happy.

 

Does the color of anything else change when you replace that piece? I don't have mine in front of me so I can't tell.

I'd only want the wheel color different if i did this, nothing else.

 

I'd also like to echo the sentiment that was mentioned earlier in this thread:

Wow, amazing what a new paint job could do to this figure. Feels brand new indeed.

 

The entire red piece on the side of the leg changes (which includes the spoiler and rear panels).

 

I love this deco, and this mould, even years later. A little G1 homage for Sideswipe:

 

The Countach is a bit dated, but I still think it looks so awesome. I think there are a lot of cars of the 80s that look better than their current counterparts. Especially the General Motors cars nowadays. They are just bulky, but not sleek. Look at old Corvettes or Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. They are sleek. The new cars don't look bad, they also have nice curves, but somehow they lack something. But I like that they reference the even older cars from the 60s or 70s with their design. Maybe one day they'll design some modern sports cars that reference the look of sleek 80s sports cars but with modern engineering.

 

I approve of this message! I think it was @David Hingtgen who went on a thorough discourse of the special merits of the Countach ... the way TT actually improved upon the car profile w/MP Sunstreaker is unreal ... I have a strong feeling that the police repaint with Sunstreaker will look just as good next to Clampdown as MP-12+ now looks next to his lambro ...

 

I never realised that the side of the legs flipped around to give him more upper leg. This is after owning MP Red Alert from 2012 onwards too!

For what it's worth, I feel like MP12+ is an overall improvement, not just in paint match ~(though that and one red plastic instead of two certainly is a great unifier on the toy) I've found that my version is also an improvement on build quality as compared to me second run Takara Sideswipe too.

I thought I may regret the purchase being so close and the same character but it is that much of an improvement (despite some niggles like the black rear bumper)