Opened mine up and gave it an inspection. Every part visible in alt mode looks okay to me. Fortunately,
no cracks. Definitely going to give it a quick hairdryer warming before I attempt to transform it though.

THIS ALT MODE THOUGH. DAMN TT! WOW, JUST WOW.(This might be my favorite alt mode outside of the Datsuns)

 

Looks like it was intercepted by a football player.

 

Hope people get the reference.

 

It's under the contact us when on amazon. You can chat with them or send email. I did both, chatvwas the best. You'll need to use the chat late at night tho.

 

It's worth it from the customer service standpoint. When a customer in the US, for example, can order an MP from Amazon JP at a 30%+ discount and have it shipped in about 3 days (even delivered on a Sunday!) that creates customer satisfaction and repeat business.

For a company like Amazon that makes billions in profit, the cost of shipping is minuscule and getting packages to customers quickly is worth the expense. Plus, shipping companies offer tiered discounts to businesses that ship regularly. With the amount of shipping Amazon does, they probably have a huge discount and provide a solid chunk of DHL's business. Amazon doesn't pay anything close to what an average customer like you or I would to ship via DHL.

 

Minor completely unimportant update - I realized after looking more closely at some of the pics in this thread that my problem with the feet sticking out too far was because I hadn't rotated the calves correctly. I had just left them in the position they're in for vehicle mode, instead of rotating them so the calf hinges face each other. Now the feet look a lot more proportional, making me a lot happier.

I can't say I'm a fan of the cartoon accurate method of leaving the fenders in their vehicle mode position instead of raising them to be level with the top of the chest. They're clearly hinged to do that on purpose, and the box pictures show them that way. I dunno, it just looks better that way to me.

 

Seeing more and more arrive totally fine has me feeling slightly more hopeful that should AmiAmi offer a replacement, it'll turn out alright.

 

I was wondering, how does he compare in hand to earlier carbot molds like Wheeljack or Streak?

I mean those are fun to transform and don't need warming up with a frickin' hair drier.

 

I have all of three (and more), and they're all the same fun to transform to me.

Didn't need to use a hair dryer on any of them.

 

Vehicle inspection pass. But this part of the hinge was not visible until transformation: I’m thinking about returning him and hoping for better copy.
Other than this hairline crack, there were no other cracks that I could make out.

 

Upon a quick glance, no cracks so far. Also, the holes in Spike's feet connect to a peg in the floorboard to he doesn't fly out when you're playing Indiana Jones.

 

Thanks, that's interesting... but Hound is more than double the price and seems fraught with QC issues.

He looks great in both modes but the price is making me super hesitant.

I mean, it's not like he's going to be solid like FT-Koot.

 

Yeah. TT raised the pricing.

We're all not happy with the new expensive TT pricing.

I totally skipped MP-45 due to the rather obscene price-hike for such a small bot.

MP-47 will be my last MP until Jazz or Blaster is announced in MP-forms.

I still expect the future MP-Jazz to be priced expensively due to VW/Porsche licensing-fees.

 

What a sexy bot! I’ll enjoy him til his replacement arrives.

I ended up keeping him. Yes, he has more than a few hairline cracks (nothing serious like the ones documented in this thread) but I love the fella. I didn’t want to be without a Hound.

 

Yes. Yes, he does. It's like Pat Lee designed it.

I don't think that Takara-Tomy does that, really. They upgraded the Cheetus mold and subsequent issues had the fix. I can't think of others that were fixed...In fact, apparently it goes the other way: The MP-13 reissue this year got horrific marks for QC.

I would LOVE to have that issue.

You're tilting at windmills, friend. The Kool Aid is strong in these parts.

Not yet.
In 2022, T-T will put out a figure made of tin-plated dog excrement and charge the equivalent of $200 (Takara-Tomy Mall exclusive). She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Mentioned, in a gushing review, will declare it the figure of the year.

You're probably onto something. The figures have gotten massively more complex, intricate, and delicate. It might be a case of the designers' eyes being too big for the factory's stomach. Yes, they can be done in CAD programs, but cheaply (or in this case, expensively) making those a reality may not be possible at this time.

It's an odd contradiction that these things are made with less durable materials and more articulation, yet they've never been less of a toy...more like a collectible, to not be fiddled with.

This is what I mean. MP-10 - ~-40 were a good deal more sturdy and durable....toys you could convert often and not have an aneurysm. Does Hound look utterly amazing in both forms from certain angles? YES; Absolutely. Is it a good idea to handle him with a mentality other than "this is the egg of the last couple of this species"? No.

I really, really like the Spike figure included. Tons of articulation for the size, and a size that "scales" quite well with many of the official MP (and some 3P) cars. T-T isn't listening, but I would pay some stupid money for a pack of humans from the original series or original comics done in this size and style.

Unfortunately, no. It nearly certainly doesn't mean that.

Generations still isn't my jam, but I can identify with your sentiments on MP.

Preach!

Yeah. You're right, and you're smart. It's best to maybe just lurk on the official boards.

Hnnh. That's....a different take. Yes, schadenfreude can explain some of the violent tribalism here, but then you mention It. She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is not pleasant, not jovial, or welcoming.

[ -----------------------EDITED for congeniality -------------------------------]

Yeah, as soon as I pulled the contents out of the box and saw that, I said aloud, "This is NOT a good sign". But, I've learned to not use included instructions.

A bit surprised that so many people don't care for the face(s). I think it's very good.

Dunno (or care) about consensus, but, "Yes."

I'm sure the Loyalists will attack me, but, yes; the floating head is bothering me. It may be only 0.90mm, but I'd like to "fix" it. Has anyone mentioned a not-too-destructive/minimally invasive fix?

I like MP-47, but for all the talk about how much more 'toon-centric the line is now, I don't think anyone's mentioned how "off" the missile launcher is....The shape and proportions are less accurate than FT Willis' and maybe even Gundog (not too sure about that). I don't know if it would have been better to have a detachable launcher if it were more accurate to the media model or not.

 

I’m not sure why you brought up CAD FEA simulation? I’m not talking about stressing or bending the plastic. I’m saying the hinge is designed with a hard stop and it only allows it to turn a few degrees. In this case enough to release the legs. If you try to bend the hinge further than the hard stop it will then start to bend the part and that’s when the material properties come into play. If you only bend the hinge to the hard stop and not further it shouldn’t break. If you attempt to keep turning it beyond what the designer intended it will stress and then break.

What I’m saying is that I believe the Takara designers are trying to help us transform these figures by limiting hinge movement in certain directions and maybe they shouldn’t. Because a more difficult transformation is better than a broken figure in my opinion.  

 

Detachable launcher and attachable head would have been ideal.

gravity doesn’t count as a connection point in my book

 

TL/DR, I more or less corrected the fender misalignment, but, the pivot no longer has its detent function (not sure how necessary that is anyway).

1). Remove circled screw and pull entire arm out of socket



2). Note that the fender portion should be parallel to arm, i.e., straight up and down in this pic...it ain’t...



3). Place in vise and use soldering iron (set mine at 400F) to heat pin while prying gently with screwdriver until pin pulls out



4). Remove hexagonal plastic “washer” from pin...sorry did not get pic...washer is responsible for detent/ratcheting function and was not aligned correctly...plus it partially melted during pin removal and wasn’t worth a shit afterward anyway...LOL!!! Put pieces back together and reinstall pin (I used a small hammer and a drift pin to drive it in...did not use heat). Fender is now straight and works smoothly with zero slop.



5). Reinstall arm and enjoy with friends

 

It looks like it was literally intercepted after someone played football with it all day.

 

My man . Your a pro ! Nice job .