Ultra Magnus Cab Restore

[16364279]

hi fellow members,

i have an old ultra magnus cab and i was planning on using it as my first restore project. Ive googled and searched on it and would like to know what u guys in your oppinion think is the best method.

ive also posted teh pics of the trailor because i recon it needs abit of TLC

[TheDirtyDigger]

You have to tell us what's wrong with it first.

[1AZRAEL1]

Depends on what is wrong with him.

Post any pics of him maybe?

[16364279]

ill take some pics

how embarrassing lol i forgot the most important thing

[1AZRAEL1]

Haha dont worry bout it, I often forget to do things like that sometimes.

[TheDirtyDigger]

That looks like a cool project. I'd really enjoy restoring him myself. :)

Anyway...

1. Order reprolabels first. They might take a while so get your order underway.
Here they are...http://www.reprolabels.com/Autobots/ultramagnus.asp
$9usd + $2 usd postage.

2. Remove the old stickers. This I would do with my nails first to get the bulk off. Once you've got as much off as you reasonably can off then I'd use some rubbing alcohol (cheap in hardware store) to get the residue off BUT PLEASE NOTE: It's ok to use on coloured plastic and even on painted metal but it will take the paint off painted plastic after a few vigourous rubs so be careful.

3. Find a good white model paint. Skull White from Games Workshop is not bad. Now the paint wont apply as thickly as the factory paint so let the first coat dry then repeat the process as many times as you deem necessary. Also I would only paint the chipped parts in, not the whole bot.

4. When your stickers come use instructions to make sure they are placed on the right parts and apply them with tweezers for precision.


That's about it...it's all very simple and straightforward. If I think of anything else I'll post it.

EDIT: 5. If you can remove the chrome parts (fuel tanks and smoke stacks) easily then do it then spray them lightly with some Super Chrome automotive paint from Big W ($11). Just not that this is not model paint and on different surfaces it will take varying times to dry. On that plastic though it should be reasonably fast.
If you can't remove the parts then spray the paint into the cap and use a good model brush to paint the parts or mask the entire toy out and use the spray.

[liegeprime]

Just additional to what digger has said

1. When Painting the surfaces using spray on paint - if you cant remove any parts that isn't supposed to be painted in that colour (e.g. windows, smokestacks), best cover it well with masking tape then while the paint is almost dry remove it carefully.

2. Of course get the missing parts for the cab and trailer. Good thing UM parts are easier to find on ebay these days than say pretender parts - based on the picture you just need well - UM head, waist plate/cab connector, chest plate, big and small fists, foot plates/ramp and his gun.

3. Make sure before you spray paint of brush paint that the surface is cleaned up from grease and residue - use babywipes as this is gentle enough not to cause damage but give it a good ol elbow grease if quite dirty.

4. Patience is a virtue, drying your coats before the next paint apps is a must. Otherwise you get a sloppy work turnout. :)

5. Make sure to wear proper protective gear for your eyes, mask and do your spraying /painting in a well ventilated area. Also proper lighting helps.

[GoktimusPrime]

kudos on finding a G1 Ultra Magnus cab with rubber tyres and painted face with unbroken smokestacks!! :)

[kup]

That Magnus is in better condition than mine when I first bought him :)

Diggers instructions are pretty good but I will add this:

All you need is white and silver paint. Clean up the toy as much as you can and only paint the spots where the paint has chipped - Don't paint over existing factory paint. You'd be surprised how much just a few paint chips take away from the look of the toy and covering them up with a paint pen would be enough to bring it back to a decent condition. Your toy is not as chipped as it looks, its a quick paint job to fix.

If the white plastic has yellowed bathe it in Hydarogen peroxide for a few days but you need to disassemble the figure for this as Peroxide is corrosive to metal.

http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=2998&highlight=peroxide

Do the same with the silver paint, don't paint all over do only the bits were it has worn. Only paint it all if you can get that magical chrome paint everyone is talking about.

The next step is to hit ebay for accessories and reprolabels as Digger mentioned

[16364279]

you guys are champions.

in regards to the chrome parts, because i will be spray painting them will it be okay to spray the whole part even though the paint isnt fully chipped?

what would be the best way to clean the trailor apart from baby wipes to bring out some of the colour ?

so skull white paint + super chrome automotive paint is the best stuff for him ?

[gamblor916]

...so skull white paint + super chrome automotive paint is the best stuff for him ?

Tamiya fine white primer is a really good though you'll also need gloss white on top.

[turtle boy]

Pulling a prime cab apart is't a hard task, it's really quite easy, all chrome parts come out when you take all the screws out and split the plastic. They are all on little pegs. When you take him apart, you can even tighten up some of, if any loose joints by realigning them.

This is the first Prime I have re done.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff1/turtleboy411/100_1900.jpg

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff1/turtleboy411/100_1912.jpg

It wasn't completed then, but it is now, you can get an idea from that though :)

[TheDirtyDigger]

in regards to the chrome parts, because i will be spray painting them will it be okay to spray the whole part even though the paint isnt fully chipped?


That's fine. The chrome isn't really chipped like the white paint but worn so spray will still go over smooth.



what would be the best way to clean the trailor apart from baby wipes to bring out some of the colour ?


Wait until you've given the trailer a thorough clean with baby wipes first. If it is truly discoloured then nothing will bring it back to an original or near original colour except a good bath of hydrogen peroxide and some sunny sunshine. Now the trailer is a big thing. You'd want to dismantle it as much as humanly possible without breaking it, unless you want to spend a fortune on H2O2.

[kup]

The trailer parts are way too large too for a H2O2 bath so he would need to spend a fortune on it anyway and also a good large glass container that can fit the part in and be sealed.

Since the gray on Prime's trailer is pretty generic, it may be worth painting over but be prepared for a less than out of the box look even if he ends up looking kinda good due to the glossy paint.

[16364279]

ill go the baby wipes on the trailor first, i was also thinking about using a tiny bit of Gif to get the hand marks out.

In regards to the the cab i bought the skull white today and the automotive chromer. When taking off the smoke stacks and the radiator grill do i just clip them out or will they break ?

seeing kups fort maximus motivated me to try with my magnus but seeing turtle boys prime has made me reconsider perhaps because it was still unfinished at that stage.

should the skull white only be used for the metal parts where the paint chips are ?

[TheDirtyDigger]

should the skull white only be used for the metal parts where the paint chips are ?

Yes. Don't use it on the white plastic or the factory paint.

[liegeprime]

In regards to the the cab i bought the skull white today and the automotive chromer. When taking off the smoke stacks and the radiator grill do i just clip them out or will they break ?



The smokestacks dont just clip on, it has a tab that secures it in place so youd have to disassemble the upper arms at the back, be careful when you do so as there are small metal bits inside that's easy to loose make sure your in a clutter free area when doing this so even if it does pop out accidentally you'd easily see where it is. The front grill is a pain to remove coz it is screwed at the back. So unless you can figure it out and have enough patience well be my guest. It would be easier for you to just put masking tape on it to spare it from getting smeared with the paint. then doing the reverse when your chrome painting it.

[16364279]

okay ive touched up the white paint chips on the metal with the skull white paint also ive touched up on the chrome bits that obviously needed a touch up and ive put magnus back together. I still need to give him another good clean up aswell as get stickers and missing accessories.

All in all it was a good learning experience never realised how many mechanisms made up his inner arms and how many screws he had.

[kup]

okay ive touched up the white paint chips on the metal with the skull white paint also ive touched up on the chrome bits that obviously needed a touch up and ive put magnus back together. I still need to give him another good clean up aswell as get stickers and missing accessories.

All in all it was a good learning experience never realised how many mechanisms made up his inner arms and how many screws he had.

Congratulations, he is looking pretty good. The reprolabels will certainly finish the job very nicely.

[16364279]

here is the completed version (apart from his gun missing) for this thread

[kup]

here is the completed version (apart from his gun missing) for this thread

Very nice!

Paint his face silver as that will really improve his look.

[16364279]

i was thinking about that, i might jsut be greedy and buy another head but no rush

[loophole]

looking good!!