Transformers Fans Toys FT-31D Smokey (Masterpiece Dragstrip)
Fanstoys items usually come with an outer plastic baggie to protect the box.
Position the feet joints right.
Flip out the horns on the head.
Fold up the knee pads.
Since this is a Third Party, non-official item, it doesn’t come with a faction symbol. It’s best to get some stickers from Reprolabels/Toyhax.com to make this guy more “toon-accurate”. Alternately, you can also use “water slide decals” to make them look even more flawless (you won’t see the edges, unlike with stickers) but I’ve never really had the proper skills, or time (usually needs to be individually cut first) to work with those.
For water slide decals, most folks recommend the one from Ocean Studio. Here:
http://www.unclebillyshop.com/decals-poster/ocean-logo-decals.html
To apply stickers, I find the best way to stick the stickers on is to use the tip of a blade, or a flat, small-tipped object, this way you have more control over the application, as compared to using one’s stubby fingers. You can also use the blade to help gently peel off a corner of the sticker in case you didn’t center it right and need to re-apply.
Smokey stands 8.25 inches tall and weighs 331 Grams.
Diecast parts include:
– Sections of the torso
– Sections of the waist
– Sections of the forearms
– Main joints
– Sections of the lower legs
– Feet joints
– Feet
– Exhaust pipes
Rubber tires and chromed mags. Nice.
Figure only has single elbow joints though. Too bad..
While there is a waist joint, we don’t get an ab crunch joint with this figure.
Ankle rocker joint – check.
Alternate “smirking” face.
Cocky and full of himself, Dragstrip is the probably the most obnoxious Stunticon in the group. Loves to gloat, hates to lose. Supposedly, based on his bio, he’s so obnoxious and annoying, Megatron would sooner melt him into scrap than talk to him.
Smokey comes with two “Gravito-guns”
When transforming him into vehicle mode, make sure everything for his arms are aligned properly. There’s no real force needed to close down on the forearm cover. If there’s resistance, then that means you haven’t aligned the elbow joints flush. Best to keep this in mind to prevent damaging anything.
lol… I eventually opted to remove the QC sticker and place it on the clear sheet of the styro packaging. It just sticks out too much in vehicle mode.
Optional half-a-driver included.
You also have the option to plug in the guns into these posts for the vehicle mode. I couldn’t get them to plug in properly and I was worried about chipping the paint (the posts are painted diecast) so I stopped. I wished they made the connection easier to do.
Overall, a pretty good release. The quality is there and the transformation isn’t too hard and it comes together with some level of intuition that’s fun. The diecast is very generous and spread around all over the figure. The only real negative I think would be seeing the backside peppered with so many visible screws, but I guess it is what it is. I hope the screws won’t be too visible in the combined mode though.
Personal peeve: seeing this shiny joint on just one knee and not both. I guess that’s for the combined mode?
I didn’t have time to break out the rest of the crew for this one, I’ll do the group shots once we have FT Bandit/ Dead End which would complete the team.
Gold
