Transformers with GPS, BP, and any fragile parts

[griffin]

A reference topic for collectors to be careful with future purchases, or current toys in their collections.

GPS - Gold Plastic Syndrome, is when (usually gold) colouring isn't mixed well enough into the plastic before injecting into the mould-tree, creating weaker bonds along the colour lines/waves in the plastic.

BP - Brittle Plastic, can either be caused by using a harder, less flexible plastic, or an incompatible colouring that makes the plastic more brittle.

Fragile parts - any part that isn't able to take the strain of normal transformation, or breakage/stress marks from moving/inserting of parts.

(try to post breakages/flaws that are likely to occur to others as a general flaw in that particular toy, not just because it broke while playing with it)

[griffin]

After having my 10th Anniversary Dinobot break from Brittle Plastic today, I decided that we need a reference guide of toys to be careful of.

The obvious ones...

Gen2 Slingshot (1994) - majority is gold plastic, and is prone to breaking.

Pretender Skyhammer (1989) - gold plastic on outer shell can break easily when opening and closing.

Mirage (1984) - mid-section is prone to breaking.

Euro Spark/Pyro (1993) - mid-section gold plastic breaks easily with transformation.

Euro Turbomaster weapons (1992) - gold plastic posts break off easily.

Beast Wars Transmetal Megatron (1997) - brown chest plastic is brittle.

RiD Optimus Prime (2001) rubber tyres split easily.

RiD Ultra Magnus (2001) rubber tyres split easily.

10th Anniversary Dinobot (2006) - brown plastic on robot legs is brittle, when plugging them onto the posts to form Dino mode... post holes can split and break.

TF2 Voyager Bludgeon (2009) - gap in hand is too narrow for large sword, so is known to break fingers/thumb.

Animated Arcee (2010) - gap in hand is too narrow for swords, so causes stress marks.

JP Masterpiece Starscream (green) (2006) - used softer 'model' plastic which isn't able to take as much force/strain when transforming the parts.

JP Masterpiece Megatron (2007) - shoulder joints were known to break with too much force.

[griffin]

From the TFWiki link in the first post...

JP Black Zarak (1988) - the gold feet and shield.

Pretender Bristleback (1989) - gold parts can break when inserting Monstructor's fist.

Pretender Slog (1989) - gold parts can break when inserting Birdbrain in combined mode.

Pretender Roadblock (1989) - gold robot parts where the post-holes are, can break when inserting weapons.

Euro Skyquake (1992) - light-bronze plastic, rear-mounted sight is prone to breaking.

Gen2 Electro (1994) - gold plastic limb joints, like the knees, can break when transforming toy.

Beast Wars Grimlock (1997) - post-holes inside robot legs and hip ball-socket joints can both break.

JP Beast Wars Randy (1999) - spring-loaded gimmick could strain the brittle plastic enough to break it.

Beast Wars Magnaboss Silverbolt (1997) - gold tail section can break.

[GoktimusPrime]

Torca (1998) - tail section can break.

[kup]

Torca (1998) - tail section can break.

Technically so can the sides of the body but the tail joint is the part that gets all the pressure as the tail relies on friction to stay in place. One has to be careful with the whole toy really.

[5FDP]

There's also rust problems with MP-05. This is a very real problem and it happened to mine and other members here

[kup]

There's also rust problems with MP-05. This is a very real problem and it happened to mine and other members here

I used White knight car polish on Megatron's feet and it worked really well.

Since we are in the topic of toy fragility, MP-05's waist plates have a little hook which breaks really easy as it's supposed to keep the whole leg assembly aligned in gun mode and a lot of force is placed upon it.

I wish a 3rd party would release metal versions of those parts like they did with the lower leg plates for the gun extensions.

[valkyrie_76]

Mirage (1984) - mid-section is prone to breaking.

Oh I know that *sigh*

[GoktimusPrime]

I always took pride in never breaking the mid section of my Mirage. As a child I was one of only 2 people I knew of who never broke their Mirage. Then in 1988 I lent Mirage to my next door neighbour... who broke it at the mid-section.

[SharkyMcShark]

To be more specific the main problem with the MP Starscream mold is the double hinge that the wings use to flip during transformation. If you do it all as one motion there's a large change of causing stressing/breakage in the plastic around the pin.

The best way to avoid is to very carefully do each hinge individually (two careful 90 degree movements as opposed to a single 180 movement).