As long-time Transformers fans, we know all the original G1 characters came from unrelated Japanese toy lines.
Every pre-movie character from the comics, cartoon or toys -- at least a hundred, in fact -- was simply appropriated from something else, rebranded with a new name, personality, and faction, and instantly became a Transformer.

So why shouldn't we continue this grand tradition?  



First is this retro-futuristic '80s race car I've rebranded as an IDW-style G1 Clocker:







Gotta love that alt. mode!  





As a fairly large Voyager, the vehicle mode scales best with similar-sized Transformers (Binaltech/Alternators and the like)...





Next is what looks to me like a Decepticon from the early years of the War for Cybertron:











He strikes me as a fiercely-loyal thug of Megatron's from Kaon, and his build is reminiscent of Lugnut... especially given that faceless head tucked between big turbines on either shoulder.





Some of you have seen my Roadbuster custom, a CM's Mugen Calibur I rebranded just as Hasbro rebranded the original Takatoku toy. Many fans have similarly appropriated Yamato Toys' "Hikaru" VF-1S Valkyrie as a Masterpiece Jetfire, and there are numerous other transformable toys that could easily fit into a neo-G1 display... which is why the third-party market is so uniquely dominated by Transformer homages.

So what else is out there? What unrelated toys have you rebranded as Transformers?

 

When I was in my teens every macross valkery I owned had a transformers sticker on it.

 

Those are awesome! What toyline is the car from originally?

 

That's the "Variable Action Hi-Spec" Galvion Circus-1 from MegaHouse.

It even features a very modern Transformers touch -- a "battle mask" configuration!  

 

Very interesting idea, as a purist myself, I've always wondered why don't people just make new transformers to join the original regurgitated G1 stuff/characters that have been done to death.

By doing so, introducing brand new characters with brand new names, origins and alt-modes you'll avoid stuff like having a definitive character in one franchise that has almost always turned into a canon, in most of his iterations, turn into something so out of character and context and so unrecognisable like a truck, and still being called that definitive character's name in another incarnation, the nerd rage won't be all time highs (I'm looking at you Michael Bay)!

But I guess the problem is that the G1 world is so huge and rich at the moment. Out side the Sunbow universe there is so much untapped material there isn't that much if a need, I guess, to incorporate stuff from other franchises.

 

I slapped some Autobot symbols on my SoC Dancouga, I always envisioned him as the Bots answer to Predaking. I'll contribute some pics when I get home.

 

that galvion actually finally got released? i had in on preorder forever ago at amiami and cancelled it because i got bored waiting for it. how is it?

 

I used all the GioGiagar Bots as bots and Cons and all my Macross stuff had Autobot symbols slapped on them just so Jetfire had His Seeker Crew to fight Starcream and his. I've kept most of those over the years.

I've got that SOC Layzner II on order and that may be suitable for a 'Bot label come the time. I thought about getting Galvion but the strange lack of articulation in crucial places (who the heck makes a Bot without knees these days?!) has put me off. A shame as that alt looks beautiful.

 

As third-party transforming toys go, it's about middle-of-the-road... Not the fragile disaster that KFC figures are, nor the glorious pinnacle of engineering that The Warden represents. Virtually every surface is painted, which looks great but you gotta be careful with. The delicate bits of plastic feel a little soft (which is probably for the best), and the die-cast is restricted to the metal skeleton in the legs, so balance and stability are pretty good despite the small feet. Virtually every joint contracts and expands, which leads to a wide variety of articulation you might not be aware of at first...

No knees? Whatever gave you that idea?

 

Cool thread! I'd love to see some more. Some of the KO's on Sirtoys would probably be a pretty decent fit within TF lore.

 

thanks for the info..i havne't even seen one good review of that thing. it stll available on amiami...trying to decide if i should pick it up...its pricey and i'm wary of megahouse....decisions decisions.

 

Ok I'll bite, who's the big purple guy? Quite fancy one...

 

That's the unmanned drone-type Dark Legioss from Mospeada. They get, like, eight seconds of screen time in the last episode.  

He makes a good WFC Lugnut, I think.  

 

I had no Prime... and until I got Rodimus, a cool, blue robot toy with antenna on the head, wings and that turned into a vaguely truck-like thing filled in as a new character named Tyrannus Prime in my collection.

As a teenager with access to the internet, I found out what Xabungle was.  

 

I got the mouser 7 pack from TMNT. They look awesome with some vehicons. I might pick up another pack or two to get more black ones.

 

I should have my Galvion tomorrow! Great to see some pics.

 

no. just...no.

 

Any chance you might do a review of the Galvion Circus l? Been thinking about getting one.

 

The circus dude is pretty cool... but NOT $200 cool. Not sure what the original pricetag was... but the quality and engineering doesn't look comparable to 3P TF's of the same size. Looks like a fun $70 figure perhaps... and that's a stretch I think.

 

Mine was around $115 before shipping (~$130 after) and I thought it was a fair price for such a cool looking transformable figure but now that I have it in hand, I've changed my mind. Scary to transform, not well thought, wobbly, most parts don't even lock into place, partsforming and mine also came with paint defects. Not even worth $70 shipped honestly. This is my last Variable Action Hi-Spec for sure.