Background:
For the people that have no idea what the fuck I am talking about...
For the people that have no idea what the fuck I am talking about...
So back in the late 70's early 80's a Japanese toy company named Takara came up with a couple toy lines. One was cars that turned into robots, then another toy line where different things (not cars) turned into robots. They sold the toys around the world in relatively low production numbers.
Then the US toy company Hasbro noticed them and bought the rights to sell them in the US and other companies. They named them Transformers. The car robots were the Autobots, the others
Decepticons. They made a comic book by Marvel and a cartoon written by Marvel. They sold a shit ton of toys, made some movies, etc.
There are people like me that grew up on these things and are still into them. Hasbro and Takara still sell Transformers. Unfortunately Hasbro is still transfixed on making crap toys for kids while Takara is more collector friendly.
That is where the Masterpiece toy line comes in. It has realistic licensed cars decorated just like the original cartoon figures. Old people like me love them, and best of all many of the cars are based on real racecars from the late 70's and 80's.
MP Exhaust:
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| What we were supposed to get. |
Takara makes mold for a toy and then recolors it to sell even more of the same exact toy...but the look different... and we still love them... Yes... We actually know this and fall for it anyway.
Exhaust is a recolor of Mp 20 Masterpiece Wheel Jack. Good old Wheel jack was a Lancia Stratos race car sponsored by Alitalia. Back in the day the first Wheel Jack (Takara's original line before Hasbro got involved) was a red car based off of A Lancia Stratos sponsored by Marlboro cigarettes. To avoid getting sewed they changed the lettering to Marlboor.
Exhaust is a recolor of Mp 20 Masterpiece Wheel Jack. Good old Wheel jack was a Lancia Stratos race car sponsored by Alitalia. Back in the day the first Wheel Jack (Takara's original line before Hasbro got involved) was a red car based off of A Lancia Stratos sponsored by Marlboro cigarettes. To avoid getting sewed they changed the lettering to Marlboor.
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| What we actually got. |
30 years later making a toy (even if it is meant for adults) that has a cigarette logo is frowned upon in this establishment. So Takara decided to just paint the car the right colors and leave the rest up to owners. Philip Morris parent company to Marlboro is under a federal agreement to not promote smoking to kids on toys among other things, so they flipeed out and told Takara they could not sell the toy. Takara said "Up yours" and changed the paint slightly and put it out anyway. Phillip Morris then sent cease and desist orders to all US based websites that had listed the toy for sell. No one wants a lawsuit, so the only way to get this guy is if you know the right people.
MINE!:
Luckily I did, So I got him. Being a car guy I could not stand aside and allow this awesome toy to sit on my shelf not looking correct. Normally there is a company that sales sticker sets to update and improve the toys but they wont touch cigarette brands in general and are scared shitless of this one.
MINE!:
Luckily I did, So I got him. Being a car guy I could not stand aside and allow this awesome toy to sit on my shelf not looking correct. Normally there is a company that sales sticker sets to update and improve the toys but they wont touch cigarette brands in general and are scared shitless of this one.
Fucking Canadians.
So what's a guy to do?
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| Sticker that shit up yo! |
Since this is the same mold as MP Wheel jack who they did a set of stickers for, many of those stickers will actually transfer over. These are the headlights, grill sticker, and a few assorted contigency sponsor stickers. That's not much.
But luckily there is a Chinese sticker company named Ocean Designs that makes stickers for many of the masterpiece figures. They made a set for Wheel Jack that also included many stickers for Exhaust.This set is a giant pain in the ass. The stickers are all on one sheet so they have to be cut out. The back ground is clear but the background of the sheet back is white so if is a giant pain to transfer many of the decals. Plus to do it right you have to remove several paint applications and then apply the stickers.
But luckily there is a Chinese sticker company named Ocean Designs that makes stickers for many of the masterpiece figures. They made a set for Wheel Jack that also included many stickers for Exhaust.This set is a giant pain in the ass. The stickers are all on one sheet so they have to be cut out. The back ground is clear but the background of the sheet back is white so if is a giant pain to transfer many of the decals. Plus to do it right you have to remove several paint applications and then apply the stickers.
The Ocean (and reprolabels) set gets you a long way. But not all of the way. You are still stuck with Lancia written on the rear fenders, from the factory over the red paint so there is no way to remove the paint app with out removing the red paint too. Also there is a few other minor decals to add to.
I had looked at buying a model car waterslide set to finish it off but it would not have worked ecause of the paint app over paint on the fender. What's a boy to do?
Enter the brand spanking new sticker set from AshlinMarie photography. She is a photographer from Canada (fucking Canadians) that loves Transformers and had an early interest in this figure like me. She has designed a sticker set that includes most of the proper sponsor decals and then some. These decals also require you to cut them out but are printed with cut lines to make it easier. I have actually JUST ordered a set from her and will be updating soon when I am finished with it.
Details:
Blah blah blah... I'll get to it!
Photobomb!
Here's some photos of my progress:
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