Inspired by Rodimus VTS, I've taken on another project in between TFA Grimlock's chest-plate and my various other customs: Classics Wheeljack!

 

I'm using the same mold Rodimus did (Classics Sunstreaker), but I've implanted a new neck post so I can use Energon Downshift's head, and I've modified his legs so he transforms differently from both Sunstreaker and the upcoming Sideswipe.

 

I would've preferred to use a Cybertron Downshift head, but my extra (from my Cybertron Shockwave project) was used in the creation of a custom Optimus Prime head. If anyone has an extra C-Downshift junker (or just the head) they want to get rid of, let me know.

 

Here's the current progress:

 

 

 

I cut off the old neck post, drilled a hole and glued in a ball post from an old Xevoz (I think). The ball had to be sanded down to fit Downshift's head. To transform, the head turns backward; I had to sand down the clip at the back, as well as a little off his chin.

 

For the legs, I just swapped thighs--in alt-mode, the front of his crotch faces out from the car body now. With the legs swapped, it's now possible to face the car's hatch halves forward. Now I either have to modify his feet, or the bottoms of his legs, 'cause his feet don't fold out flat. I can cut into the yellow part that rests against the tops of his feet, since they don't show in alt-mode, or I can cut the ends of the yellow parts off (where they notch into the back of the roof) and glue them into the space in the roof.

 

 

 

 

And he still transforms just fine.

 

 

Looking good DLP. If I had a Cyb Downshift I probably would have used his head too. I'm actually a bit surprised it fits so well. Good luck on his racing stripes. I did mine all by hand and they were kind of a pain.

Looking good DLP. If I had a Cyb Downshift I probably would have used his head too. I'm actually a bit surprised it fits so well. Good luck on his racing stripes. I did mine all by hand and they were kind of a pain.

i've been trying to o that with mine but it never comes out nicely, I am going to use repro labels on mine as they look quite good on him.

 

btw, the alternative leg transformation can be stable, just don't deploy the feet.

 

Nice! Could you say which page your latest mods are on though please? The date itself doesnt really help us locate them after other people comment on whatever it you have done recently. Cheers!

Nice! Could you say which page your latest mods are on though please? The date itself doesnt really help us locate them after other people comment on whatever it you have done recently. Cheers!

 

Well, I could, but I just noticed that I'm up to post #35, and it's still a single page for me. :tfhuh

 

That being the case, I've modified the topic to say which post the update was in.

Update!

 

I was gonna paint the yellow parts white tonight, but halfway through taking him apart, I realized I needed to make the new bumper I had in mind first, so..

 

 

Using the two pieces of the underside of the nose as templates, I drew on and cut up more of the drive bay covers from the Grimlock project, taking the front and side of the bay cover, then I cut extra strips off the sides of the bay cover.

 

After gluing the new undercarriage pieces to the originals, I made holes to put the screws through, then mounted them back on the car's nose, and glued extra strips to the new pieces. Using my heat gun on LOW, I softened the strips till I could mold them to the shap of the fenders, then glued those into place and sanded them down to a single contoured surface.

 

Next, I cut a 2.2 centimeter L-shaped strip from the bay cover and glued it to the bottom edge of the grille (the piece that folds against the hood so the front of the car can fold down and clip onto his back), and modified the holes where it used to clip so it can clip slightly higher up, 'cause the new grille doesn't fip open all the way and I had to make adjustments to get it out of the way of his waist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I might sand the top edges of the new bumper so it angles into the body of the car tomorrow; or do you guys think I should leave it as it is?

Small update today; I remolded the new bumper to make it "flow" into the car better, and I have WIP pics of his big-ass shoulder cannons. :D

 

 

First, the bumper. I made them taller and sanded the top edges to angle toward the car body, and added thickness to the middle section.

 

 

 

 

 

The cannons are made from two oversized ink pens I found at Wal-Mart for 94 or 96 cents each ("The Exec," by a company called Inc.), along with a couple pieces that used to be the upper arms (I think) of a Xevoz figure. The mount came from the same set.

 

Also, as Wheeljack is currently in pieces, Sunstreaker has been kind enough to model the cannons for us. And doesn't he just look sexy, sporting his snazzy red "G1-look" shoulders? :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think next up for WJ himself is just painting and detailing, and the cannons need some more detail pieces added, then I can paint them.

 

Also, Wheeljack's weaponry is likely to make poor Cliffjumper suffer from projectile-envy, so I have a couple ideas in mind for a BFG of his own. :D

Primary painting is done, and most of my customized decals are applied. Now, I have to work on detail paint apps and decide on some decals to break up all the white on the sides; I'm thinking modified versions of the Lancia's green stripes down the front fenders will work nicely. Oh, and you'll probably notice I've decided to forgo the racing, and adapt the Alitalia graphics for the street.

 

Onward, to teh UPDATE PICS! :D

 

This is just the shell, snapped together for photos and to see how it all looks together so far.

 

 

The last couple days, it had occurred to me that I'd made the new bumper without thinking about the rest of the car, so I was suddenly afraid I'd have to make some "ground effects" to make the rest of the car level with the bottom of the new bumper.

 

Tonight, I realized that adding the new bumper had actually made the front of the car level with the rest. :tflaugh

 

 

 

Check out that sexy new wraparound windshield! And I basically reversed the Lancia's hood and hatch decals, so WJ's legs should end up looking close to G1's, as far as color layout.

 

 

 

 

The windshield was done by using my rotary-tool with a cutting disc at a 90-degree angle to the windshield struts, carefully shaving them down, then sanding it smooth. Then it was just a matter of painting it gloss black.

 

You can't really see it, but I filled in the grooves on the roof with Testors contour putty, then sanded it smooth and painted it white.

 

Next up, spraying the shell with gloss clear-coat to protect the decals and give it a showroom shine, then the detail paint.

:tfemo that's.... just so damn pretty... a real work of art!

 

Thanks for the WIP pics! Great descriptions too.

:tfemo that's.... just so damn pretty... a real work of art!

 

Thanks for the WIP pics! Great descriptions too.

 

Awwww, thanks. :bounce