Quote Originally Posted by primatives
With G1 i know there are repaints but they are from a cartoon so it looks the same.
Not quite true; on the whole, G1 toys were created before the cartoon. For example Microman (Micro Change)'s MC03 Microcassette Robo Red Condor and Orange Condor became Laserbeak and Buzzsaw respectively. Hence they both appeared in canon (cartoon and comics) being drawn with the same model but different colours. The same goes for the Seekers and Rumble and Frenzy, although we all know about how Sunbow swapped the colours for Rumble and Frenzy around creating the FIRRIB phenomenon (I'm not starting a debate about it, just stating facts!).

So if these repaints never existed as toys, they probably wouldn't have existed in the cartoon either.

Quote Originally Posted by primatives
I do believe some characters have the same vehicle mode but have a different face which I like and think is good.
You're right, a lot of early G1 toys were really retools and not straight repaints like we see nowadays.
e.g.:
+ Prowl / Bluestreak: Prowl has a strobe rack, Bluestreak doesn't
+ Runabout / Runamuck: different vehicle modes; Runabout is a Lotus Turbo Esprit whereas Runamuck is a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
+ Bumblebee / Cliffjumper: despite what Hasbro seems to think, they're NOT repaints of each other. Aside from different heads, Bumblebee is a VW Beetle whereas Cliffjumper is a Porsche 924 Turbo. Hubcap is also another retool - being a Porsche 924 Turbo like Cliffjumper, but has a different head and a reduced spoiler.
...etc.

Quote Originally Posted by primatives
My main grudge is against the current universe line with jeftire repaint, and onslaught, silverboat. They are expensive for a repaint.
I agree, which is why I skipped them all even when they were heavily discounted.