I just used a nail an hammer to gently get the pin out.

 

Mine just arrived. Nice figure. Nice tight joints everywhere, transformation is similar to TE-01 in that there’s quite a lot going on, but pretty easy to figure out. Mine didn’t have instructions, and it was easy to figure out without them.
Looks like the hips on mine are ok? Nothing that seems to affect the transformation, anyway - let me know if I’ve missed something!
Only slight downside is the paint on one of the leg side panels is a bit messed up. Is there anywhere easy to get that set of water slides for it?
Here’s some pics (I missed folding out the front in alt mode):

 

My go to is Uncle Billy Shop.

 

I was expecting green ankles and messed up hips, but mine arrived yesterday and it's absolutely fine. It's a damn good figure for $50.

 

Mine should arrive tomorrow. Crossing fingers for good hips and blue ankles!

 

Mine is taking its time. Just hit "port of departure" today after shipping eight days ago. That's ok, though. I'm excited to get him but this is an upgrade from another version of the character (sphinx) so I'm not champing at the bit like I would be for a character I don't own yet.

 

Glad to hear the reissues are arriving without any hideous deformities, since I didn't have the willpower to pass up that $50 price.

I'm expecting mine to take its time getting to Canada... but should be here in time for Christmas at the very least!

 

Has anyone who did buy the $50 reissue from ShowZ have either the green ankles or bad hips? Mine should arrive today and the gamble I made buying it has me excited/curious/amped-up for it to get here and find out.

 

My copy from ShowZ just came today. Blue ankles. I guess I won't be 100% certain until I try to transform him, but I think the hips are ok. It looks like his hip skirts are almost touching the tops of his thighs, and I think that the faulty hips lower the entire leg so there's more of a gap.

 

Mine just arrived and looks to have proper hips and blue ankles too! Whew!

One thing that I found was weird, The head/face on the figure is the stoic look, I have a second, smiling face, but then also separately a second, identical head with the stoic face. Anyone know why you’d need a second head with the same stoic face? Should this have been a different face? And if you can replace the face, why a second head?

 

If you look carefully there are some subtle differences on the second stoic head. It also doesn't have the screw in the back. I'm not sure what the thinking is there.

 

Pretty sure I saw on a video somewhere that, the eyes are different.. Think they are bit bigger on the spare head

 

Regardless of it's flaws, its still a damn fine figure and the best representation of Mirage out there!!

 

I agree, I really, really like him. He’s solid in-hand, poses great, looks great, has nice articulation, and for $50? Wow. I haven’t transformed him yet because he’s been so fun to pose and integrate in with my other bots, but will try to do so this week. After a few hours with him he’s definitely not a placeholder for me, this will be my Mirage going forward.

 

Bot mode's definitely cleaner and more cartoony. Can't see a reason why anyone'd want to spend Primus knows how much on FT's for a bot-mode display, not seeing a major difference based on FT's renders.

Haven't had a chance to transform him yet, but from what I've seen the proportions are off on TE's car mode, though. I'm pretty sure you can get a used Invisible or Sphinx, put it in car mode, keep Speed Star in bot mode, and then have good-looking toys for both modes and still spend less than you would buying FT's.

 

Thanks guys! if this thread didnt pop back up with the ShowZ stock arriving, I would have missed this my preorder payment balance window.

 

Has anyone gotten this waterslide sticker set:





Any thoughts on this sticker set, and where do you put your faction logo?

I'm thinking of getting this, but the "26" and the "elf" logo's take up a lot of space at the front of the car, where I would also like my faction placement to be.

Looking at some customer photos, one has placed the faction at the top, but the space seems too little and the faction too small for me:





Another placed it at the bottom, which seems to have more space, and a bigger faction, but I think that would sit too low in bot mode for me, where it would be the stomach area:





And lastly, one guy tried to be semi-toy accurate, and stuck it on the crotch plate, which is just awkward for me:




I'm not getting the Toyhax version, and I don't care about toy accuracy.
I generally don't buy stickers, but I just thought the alt mode looks a bit plain.

But at the same time, I do want the faction logo to be big and in the center.

Anyone managed to squeeze a larger faction above the "26"?

 

I won't get it unless it becomes available through a retailer - I don't do toabao. If I were to get it, though, I'd move the 26 up a little, the elf down a little, and I'd leave out the red underline below the 26 and the Goodyear. That would make enough room for the faction logo. I'd probably skip the gitanes on the front airfoil as well - makes bot mode look too busy.

 

Lensple on AliEx has it: 4.76US $ 42% OFF|In Stock Transformation TE03 Mirage TE 03 Cartoon Version Water Transfer Decorating Sticker Action Figure Stickers|Action Figures| - AliExpress

Hopefully someone has photos examples of larger faction placements in the center.

 

Why not? All you need to do are these 93 individual steps and you’ll be able to save tens of dollars! Tens!

Seriously though, props to those who have gotten it to work and saved money, it just seems like too much of a headache for me.

As regards Speed Star, I like this look for his chest, good mix of toon and toy I feel…

but do not know of a sticker set that has just the 26 without the elf.