View Poll Results: Worth buying?

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  • Yes

    29 76.32%
  • Only if cheap

    5 13.16%
  • Only if something else (please specify)

    0 0%
  • No

    1 2.63%
  • Not even interested

    3 7.89%
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Thread: Toy Review - Hot Rod (Studio Series 1986)

  1. #11
    Join Date
    27th Dec 2007
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    Sydney NSW
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    Quote Originally Posted by klystron View Post
    Personally I'm not a huge fan of Hot Rod, so I'll be skipping. I'll stick with my PotP Hot Rod / Rodimus, which is the extent of my love for this character.
    Best to skip this toy if you don't love Hot Rod, cos he comes with the Matrix which in TFTM he only uses twice... once when he caught it from Optimus Prime's dying hand before passing it onto its rightful heir, Ultra Magnus... and again when he opens the Matrix and becomes Rodimus Prime. Yyeeeeaaahhh... rubbing salt deep into that wound!

  2. #12
    Join Date
    11th Mar 2009
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    Melbourne
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    I want to get this out of the way right off the bat: this is the best G1-inspired Hot Rod we've ever gotten imho, including the two previous MP attempts. The 'bot mode wins hands down and the vehicle mode is quite respectable all things considered.

    VEHICLE MODE:
    Beautiful looking car mode. Much better than I'd anticipated given how cartoon accurate the 'bot mode is within a retail budget. The back of the car is the only thing that isn't toon accurate. I don't mind the yellow and grey hinges here as they are the PVC/nylon type of plastic and had to be cast in the same mold as other parts; yellow to go with the the spoiler piece, grey with the fists and neck.

    The effect parts fit on two of the three exhaust pipes and they look awesome here.

    On my copy, there's small fitment issues on one of the exhaust pipes (which seems to be a common issue), and on one of the head pieces, but overall a very respectable vehicle mode.













    TRANSFORMATION:
    Designer Yuya Onishi also designed MP-28 Hot Rod. I assume MP-28 having the MP status had many more "marks to tick off" - such as no fake chest, back of car mode also needs to be toon accurate, and accurate backpack in 'bot mode etc. - than this SS86 figure which is ultimately still a retail figure; I can look at the compromises made on MP-28 more objectively, such as the less-than ideal proportions, and the backpack.
    You can tell the designer really went to town here on SS86 Hot Rod, without having to tick certain marks off,
    and the result shows. It's not that he got much better at designing, it's just that he's working with less limiting parameters this time around.

    I do love how he managed to incorporate the arm and lower body twists in the transformation, just like the Look out mountain scene.



    'BOT MODE:
    I have zero complaints here. There are a few inaccuracies of course, but what's important to me is the designer nailed the proportions here which neither of the MP figures quite got right.

    The articulation is fantastic. Butterfly joints, double-jointed knees, front to back toe hinge (that's not fail like Siege Springer's), the works. This thing is an ab crunch away from a modern-era MP level articulation.

    The accessories are all real nice too. The flip down visor blew my mind. This being executed on a Deluxe-sized figure alone already made me feel Hot Rod is worth the Voyager price point.





















    OVERALL:
    A great start to the SS86 line. I'd be eagerly waiting for that rumored Rodimus Prime to drop
    Last edited by doublespy; 12th January 2021 at 08:42 PM.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    28th May 2009
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    Ipswich
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    125

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    Oh boy, where to start. I absolutely love this figure. This is basically a deluxe sized figure with a voyager level transformation and a variety of accessories. You've got to be careful around the shoulder of the figure as i found them to be a bit still and hard to move making me afraid it may break. When i compaired it to my CHUG Hotrod the SS86 hotrod is just slightly taller. But when i transformed them i was surprised at how small the SS86 version is compared to its earlier CHUG counterpart. There is a lot of bot packed into that alt mode. It a bit like comparing first edition Prime bulkhead and Animated Bulkhead.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    26th Apr 2009
    Location
    Paasu
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    1,256

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    Love this figure. Best of the bunch by far. Scourge is larger but hot rod is the better figure.
    Only gripe is the weird way the arms work (hard to pose naturally without a lot of fiddling) and the yellow part of the hood in car mode.

    I reckon there will be the eventual target master double dip. If they go that route, hope they go the masterpiece route with a different deco (more magenta).

  5. #15
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    7th Jan 2008
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    Perth
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    This really is a mini-Masterpiece.


  6. #16
    Join Date
    30th Dec 2007
    Location
    Japanicus Minimus
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    7,673

  7. #17
    Join Date
    21st Nov 2008
    Location
    Canberra
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    1,158

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    Just got this guy today..... i very much approve....yes i do.

  8. #18
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    22nd Sep 2019
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    Perth
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    I had a lot of trouble with the lower leg red ensemble staying clipped into the front part of the lower leg. Then I made a discovery. If the foot is tilted out too much (to the little toe side), the grey plastic piece that connects the foot rubs against the curved red panel that tucks inside the leg cavity. As the foot tilts and the grey piece rotates upwards, that piece pushes more against the curving out surface. This springs the red ensemble out and stops it from clipping.




    Tilting the foot inwards (towards the big toe) solved my problem.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    30th Dec 2007
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    Japanicus Minimus
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    He came out on Saturday here in the land of the aged sun. I bought one. Off the shelf no less, a definite rare occasion for me.
    I must say say he looks pretty small in his voyager box, but pretty nice. I think quality wise he definitely is built better than a deluxe, but the accessories alone don't push him ito the voyager type feel for me. More of a deluxe and a half in a way. Like CJ and bumblee are scouts and a half I guess. It's weird. Having said all that though, I got him for a satisfactory price and am pretty happy about that. I think had I payed taktoms rrp of 5000 yennies, I'd feel a bit less well disposed towards him, but as it is I didn't and I am happy with him.

    Great articulation, especially in the legs, the shoulders feel a little tight and a tad restricted due to the way they are connected to the main body. I really dig the inclusion of the Visor. Used how many times? Once? But it needs to be there.
    The accessories are nice and fun. I really like the way the saw blade was sculpted with circular motion um, motions on it. The guns are not duplicates of each other either. Of this I approve! Finally the Matrix. A great little accessory and the light burst is a very nice addition. you can even hold it up to the lights for some bling bling action! The blast effects are.. ok. Better off for the car mode I think. Despite me previously complaining about his small size as a voyager, the smaller size fit Hot Rod. A voyager would be too big for the young guy.

    Vehicle mode, is... wide. I very much prefer the MP version for vehicle mode, something just looks a bit off with this one. Maybe too cartoony looking? Too flat? Too wide? To stubby? I dunno, I can't quite put my finger on it. Also, that damn piece of yellow hinge. WHY? Why isn't it red? It would fit in better.

    So overall, worth it. I like him, he's fun and good looking and scratches most of the itches that need scratching.


    Must buy? Yes, but not at full price.

    Oh a slight side note it would seem that Takara are still making their own boxes (well the back) for the studio series. Kingdom/Siege/Earthrise have just had th e hasbro packaging with a big sticker slapped over them. Studio Series seems to have a Japanese Printing especially done for them. (although the Studio Series have consistently had JP printings.)

  10. #20
    Join Date
    4th Jan 2009
    Location
    Melbourne
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    859

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy View Post
    Vehicle mode, is... wide. I very much prefer the MP version for vehicle mode, something just looks a bit off with this one. Maybe too cartoony looking? Too flat? Too wide? To stubby? I dunno, I can't quite put my finger on it.
    For me, SS86 Hot Rod's alt mode is ugly because, from the side view, the thickest part of the car is its centre. MP-28's alt mode was perfect, with the thickest / tallest section around 3/4 to the back of the car, making it sleek, like a retro 70s supercar. MP-9 alt mode isn't too bad either.

    Really unfortunate since SS86 Hot Rod in bot mode is a better overall representation of the animation model than MP-9 and MP-28.

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