My Bumblebees left leg won't turn when transforming to robot mode. You can see in the photos there is a piece that blocks it from turning. It makes the leg crooked too.


This piece is not on the right leg which turns freely.
I've tried forcing it but it will break with more pressure.

Anyone else have this issue? Going to be a pain to send back to Nippon-Yasan but I don't see any way to fix it since it's held together by pins.

 

Wow well done! You’re a braver man than I!

 

Thanks! After I started I definitely had some fear that it wasn’t going to work, or that I’d slip up and destroy the feet, but I had to keep going.

Luckily, it turned out pretty well and not too bad for my first time using a rotary tool. Throughout the process, I kept thinking “so this must be kind of what it’s like being a dentist”.  

 

If you have handled mp44 and mp47 then you'll get what I'm saying cause they are in hinges and not a ball joint.

 

The flap has been bent and needs to be bent back 90 degrees. Here's a quick photoshop of what you need to do. A heat gun would help to heal the stressed plastic after bending back. Hope that helps!

 

Many thanks for that advice, I can see that now. I'm out now so can't post a photo but the problem I have is removing the pin underneath the leg which holds all that together. Any idea how to get that out and then put back in please?

 

Bwahahaha!

 

This is the pin I am talking about.

There is a track it slides across that I have tried to use a thin screwdriver in to remove the pin but it won't budge. If I have start using a soldering iron that's beyond my skill set. Guess I'll have to send it back to Japan.

I don't understand how that piece of plastic was bent in the first place and why the assembler tried to ram it all in? Oh and the box was double taped so the QC checks didn't even pick it up.

 

For all the negativity around this figure and people saying it's a disaster, backpack, feet kibble, etc etc. It's interesting to see that Facebook groups and eBay are flooded with MP-21s, often with the Spike figure "missing".

i.e. They want to keep the Spike but upgrade the old Bee for the new one. Clearly Takara are doing something right to appeal to so many people despite Takaras extortionate pricing, lazy engineering and (admittedly) haphazard QC standards.

 

I received second MP Bumblebee as a birthday gift. I already have him so I’m looking to sell him on. He’s sealed. I’m asking $115 plus shipping.

 

I do have 44, and my 47 should arrive on Monday. The head for 44 is on a ball joint, but it's opposite of 45 (ball plugs into head on 44, into body on 45). Bumblebee can tilt his head from side to side in pretty much the same way 44 can, and enough to be expressive. Apologies if I'm still missing your point.  

 

I've seen worse actually, sorry yours was misassembled that way.

 

Ah-- unfortunately I don't think that is a real sliding track; it's strange why it was designed that way. I believe the only way would be to remove the pin at this point. It can be done using the soldering iron method (to heat the pin for a few seconds and then to pull it loose). The pin may or may not be reusable after that; at which you may simply use a screw in its place. Keep in mind that the head of the screw will also need to be trimmed flat (with a dremel, etc).

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In other news, I'm just adding a few pics of the alt-mode of this mod next to MP-21 and the modded Bumblebee computer mouse I built sometime ago.

 

Oh my, that Bumblebee mouse looks fantastic!

 

I find that the recent official MP releases "growing on you" is a thing.

Was moving house recently so only opened and transformed Bee couple of times before putting him into storage. First impressions weren't so great. Now I've settled in and half unpacked, I took him out and messed with him a bit more and I love this little dude! The car fits together a lot better as you get more familiar with how every part moves (accidentally broke off one of the tabs on the rear wheel well that holds the door in place last night when I was slightly drunk but didn't mind it as the car still holds together really well). The slightly loose hip is still a bit annoying but other than that he's grown so much on me. TT is still undeniably the maestro of recreating 2D designs in 3D form.

 

I’m not sure if this has been posted already or not. I received the Generations 2020 book recently and as usual it has sketches and grey prototypes for the recent MPs. It also has a large fold out two-sided poster with artwork from MP-22 to MP-46.

What I found interesting is the sketch at the bottom of the page. That looks very different from the final figure. Also that little removable engine cover part to make the rear more realistic.

 

Man that's so clean and compact and would've been straight MP momentum if the car could turn into a bot that compact and sleek, straight up magical.

 

I guess it is crazy how short on accessories he is for a "new" release especially with MP 46 and 47 after him. I wonder if Volkswagen asked for more money for the license this time, either for it to be chibi or perhaps seeing what they were willing to work out with Porshe.

Lio doesn't come with much extras but I think that's on purpose to drive a repaint they can release as a General release. It'll be interesting to see with the next G1 minibots that's unlicensed or a toyota perhaps come crammed with accessories.

 

Can you show the text below this sketch?