After getting the Transformers: Prime Kup and Arms Micron Ironhide, I decided to try some operations. It's parts-forming, but I think it looks a lot better now:








Things you'll need:

- X-Acto knife
- modeling saw
- sand paper
- masking tape
- plastic cement (like Tamiya extra thin) and super glue
- a piece of Lego brick (see below)
- patience


First, transform the truck by lifting its hood and cab:




Now, pop the center piece of the hood like this:




Next, turn the truck over and you'll see the pin that's holding the remainder of the hood. This is where you'll use X-Acto knife or other cutting device of choice, and carefully cut out the middle piece, same deal if you've done the smokescreen arm kibble mod. The following picture shows when it is done:






Now you can fold the hood down and take it out. We have created a "C-joint" that later will be used to latch the hood to the chest of the robot figure:






Now, moving to the center piece of the hood, use your saw to cut down the bumper, along the line where it meets the grill. Lightly sand the cutting surface:




Then use your saw, cut the bumper right down the middle. If you are concerned about leaving a big gap there, what I did is use the saw to cut from the back, and when I am almost through, use the X-Acto knife to cut them apart:




Again, lightly sand the cutting surface. If you sand off too much plastic the gap will get bigger! Now use a piece of tape to put the two pieces back together:




….and fit it back to where it should be on the truck. Adjust the two pieces so that both ends will sit securely with the trunk, and the gap is not disturbing to your eyes. Once you feel comfortable, glue the bumper back to the figure. I used Tamiya cement here so they can flow into the contact surface:



Keep going, and now you can glue the center piece and the rest of the hood together. Again I used Tamiya cement for this task, very easy, just make sure to align the grill carefully:






You may not want to do this when the glue is not dry, but this is how the hood get back onto the trunk body when transforming. Simply hook the new "C-joint" back on the metal pin and then lift until the hood clicks into place:






Now [comes] the fun part - to create something the hood can latch onto on the front of the robot body. What I found to have the right thickness and resiliency is this Lego piece (I've already cut off a piece for Kup, otherwise it is "L" shaped and sometimes used as bench in cars):




Cut of a stripe about 1/8" wide:




Since the fake glass on the figure's chest is curved, you'll need to create a curved edge on the plastic stripe as well. This is where you use patience. I wrapped a piece of sandpaper on the handle of a hammer and sand the middle of one edge. Test fit frequently until you get the right fit. Takes about 5 minutes:




You also need to cut out some small rectangles on the side to fit flush on top with the fake glass. See the following pictures:






Now you can glue this stripe to the fake glass. I used super glue this time to bond the two pieces as they don't fit perfectly:




Shall we say we’re done? For indeed we are!

Patiently wait for the glue to dry, then you can transform. Take off the hood by turning it downward and remove from the front, then transform the figure.

Once you get to this step, simply latch the "C-joint" at the top of the new hood to the plastic stripe we just added:










"....if I have a thumb this is when I use it, Prime."


The only visual cue that you've done this mod is the vertical cut line in the bumper (silver paint needs touch up, fine):




If you want, what I did on Kup is that I cut two pieces of styrene and completed the two shoulder armors, and this will also make sure the glue-on bumper does not come off. However, then you'll have to repaint the whole piece: