I’ve been working on a few custom Transformers recently.  I really am not quite sure on the naming conventions here.  For the most part I stick to just repainting existing molds, though I do occasionally modify minor aspects.  For example, my recent Deluxe Spychanger WARS is pretty much just a straight repaint of DotM Roadbuster, both being NASCARs.  However, I cut a few bits off of his head so it would be more helmet-like and less “Redneck Transformer”.

Anyway, I’ve started the second in what I hope to be a series of all six with Spychanger Ox.  I’m pretty much pushing the Japanese names for these, not so much for some lame reason like “The Japanese is the true pure names” but more because I already have Classics Ironhide and Mirage and I don’t need some lame “slap a familiar name on it” Spychanger version.  The idea is that these guys can fit in with the rest of my Classics stuff.

I’ve always liked the Spychanger but I hate that they are tiny and match boxed sized next to everyone else.  The plan for the rest is to use the following:

Wheeljack as X-Car/Crosswise – I’d probably settle for Tracks is I could get one cheap.  The robot mode doesn’t work as well but the vehicle is a pretty good match.  I have no way to replicate the translucent plastic of X-car unfortunately so he will probably just end up being lightish blue with silver accents.  I may experiment with some sort of mix of the two colors for sort of a swirly sheen or something.  I am not sure of the logistics really yet.

Sunstreaker as Eagle Killer/REV – This one will be pretty simple given that they are both Yellow Lamborghinis.  I’ll probably mostly just repaint the black parts of Sunstreaker red and add the body markings over the yellow.  Getting an extra Sunstreaker may be prohibitive in the short term.  i don’t need the engine block thing so it may be possible to get an incomplete one for much less.

Mirage as Counter Arrow/Mirage – Another with very similar color patterns to it’s original toy.  They are both White and Blue Indy cars.  A few touch ups on a few points and it’ll be a quick one, though like Sunstraker, an extra Mirage may be a bit tricky to come by for a cheap price.  The gun becomes the front fender too so skipping out on that for an incomplete version doesn’t work.

Jazz as Artfire/HotShot – Artfire was a Porche, it seems appropriate to use RTS Jazz as an update.  Getting a Jazz may be tricky but we already know he’s getting a new head mold so there is a strong potential that the mold will be put out again later this year in the new Generations line up.  Getting the base will be easy.  Repainting it may not be too bad either, though if they reuse the mold to give us Richochet that almost feels like cheating since Ricochet and Artfire share many colors and traits.

Anyway, I have not really toyed much with getting a good method of sealing these once I get done, so the paint tends to be a little fragile.  As such, my process, for now, is to paint up the vehicle mode pretty well the way I want it, then shoot photos of it. 

Then, Transform the toy into Robot mode and finish up painting the thing.  I mostly display my toys as robots anyway, so I have no need to convert it back.  Some molds are better all around for repainting.  WARS turned out to work out better than expected for avoiding part rubbing but I have a Motormaster repaint of Classics Ultra Magnus which gets his shoulder paint all shredded to bits during transformation due to the way it transforms.

I imagine there is some way to seal these, i just have not looked into it.

I also am working on doing updated photoshoots of my old Custom projects which I’ve been uploading to the local gallery, though there is not much there right now.