1/6 SSC ESB/ROTJ Darth Vader Modification Thread

[parrasmaniac]

I think my plan can succeed.

 

[parrasmaniac]

my plan is as follows:

- I have the Deluxe SSC, want to upgrade it and mod it. Don't want to sell it and wait for the Hot Toys ESB version, I'm too impatient for that.
- I am getting the ANH SSC at a good price.
- I plan to make 2 nice Vaders: one, ESB version, that I hope that is good enough, that I will keep, and one, ANH that I will sell at a low price.

The ESB Vader:

- Deluxe body (shorter), shortened a bit on the legs.
- Body arms made stronger for a better suit fit
- ANH underbody.
- ANH or Deluxe boot armor, together with new boots that will help to make him shorter.
- ANH or Deluxe cod piece (is the ANH better?)
- Deluxe gloves (I prefer these, for a ESB look)
- Deluxe robes and cape
- Deluxe belt and chestlight and chestplate (with lights, and ESB-like)
- Hot Toys ANH helmet (dome with polish! made brighter)
- neck join modified.
- Deluxe CCFL lightsaber
- ANH or Deluxe unlit lightsaber

The ANH (the one to sell):

- ANH body made stronger
- Deluxe underbody (the effect is not so bad in the ANH larger body)
- ANH helmet, robe, cape, belt, chestplate
- ANH hands/gloves (a must for this look)
- ANH saber lit and unlit

What do you think guys? any suggestions? (please don't tell me to wait for Hot Toys ESB, and I don't want the ANH Hot Toys vader either!)

 

[earthdog]

The SS ANH boots have much sharper detail around the armor bits. I'd definitely use those on your keeper.

How are you planning to shorten the body? There's been some great mods detailed in this thread but also some nice successes using a KP-02 body. I'm not sure if any mods are necessary to use this other than some body padding.

 

[parrasmaniac]

to be honest I was planning to:

- use the Deluxe body, since it is shorter than the ANH, and
- use the Sideshow Jedi Luke boots which I have currently unused.
- cover them with the ANH boot armor

I will loose any articulation on the ankle, but it's an easy way (no feet, no joint) to make Vader a bit shorter without modding any official parts. Just heating with the hairdrier to help the legs fit deep.

I don't want Vader as short as some mods, since I have a custom Jedi Luke on a DX07 body, which is a bit on the tall side for Luke.

 

[parrasmaniac]

I finally had time to give it a go.... happy to start trying!

I changed the boots.
I am using the Sideshow Jedi Luke boots, which are empty, with the ANH SSC boot armor in front. The armors were easy to remove from the SSC ANH boots.
I do this, since I want to be able to lower the heigth a bit without drastic modding. These boots also fix the too big feet issue.
Also, as earthdog said, SSC ANH boot armor is still glossy and more detailed than SSC Deluxe.
With some futzing and heat, I can lower him more than he is now.

I am using the ANH SSC bodysuit... geez, it is almost perfect. Much better than SSC Deluxe, and I think it is also better than ANH Hot Toys.

Also padded the body a bit, following some good advice posted before in this thread.
And added more padding to the top chest area, I believe David Prowse had a bigger chest.
Still need to pad a bit the legs.

All the rest is SSC Deluxe, futzed a bit.

I need to work more, but I think there is already an improvement here!

And of course, with Pixelpiper's saber & dimmer!

 

[earthdog]

Looking good! The ANH suit also fixes most of the oversized glove flare of the Deluxe version.

 

[parrasmaniac]

thank you!

I need to mess up with the legs more. He's still too tall, and the croch area can improve.
The chestpiece could be a bit lower too...

But yes, the ANH suit alone makes a huge improvement.
Hopefully the re-release SSC Vader 2.0 will use a similar suit and people can upgrade.

 

[parrasmaniac]

some more futzing... still more to come.



Yoda seems to like the red light

 

[parrasmaniac]

I attach a photo from farther distance in order to ask... do you think I have made Vader smaller?

he is now next to HT Stormtrooper, the tall one.

 

[sithgorilla]

I attach a photo from farther distance in order to ask... do you think I have made Vader smaller?

he is now next to HT Stormtrooper, the tall one.

View attachment 232528

If they are standing on the same level, then yeah it looks pretty right to me. Believe the top of the trooper should come up to roughly Vaders "nose".


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[parrasmaniac]

thanks for the feedback!

Better photos in order to compare that.

 

[cmiller99]

That's a good mod Parras.

 

[parrasmaniac]

thank you!

still want to make him a bit lower, I can do it with the same boots he is wearing now.

now if only I could get my hands in one TA Hot Toys head....

 

[generalgrevious]

I would like to get a ht vader sculpt for my self as well

 

[sithgorilla]

You guys don't think the Hot Toys ANH Vader helmet looks a bit off?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[parrasmaniac]

as far as shape goes, I think the helmet looks terrific. I think it captures the basic dimensions of Vader's helmet perfectly well for the first time.

That being said, the weathering and the not so shiny dome, the different colour tusks... those details are perfect for the ANH look but not for the ROTJ or ESB one.

Thus I have my doubts... but they are doubts I would like to check in person, with a helmet on hand.

Only if it is at a reasonable cost, of course...

 

[parrasmaniac]

I got the head, I got the head! I finally could get the Hot Toys head for my custom Vader kitbash.

Now I have to wait some time... but it's coming!

 

[generalgrevious]

I got the head, I got the head! I finally could get the Hot Toys head for my custom Vader kitbash.

Now I have to wait some time... but it's coming!

where as I would like to get my hands on one for my self

 

[parrasmaniac]

nothin new... I got it from Ebay. Pretty pricy, around 100 euros. Could not restrain myself.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Sorry for the bad picture. There was not enough light, so it's a bit blurry, but you can see how the Vader compares to a Stormtrooper helmet. These are accurately scaled pieces. I cannot say whether the HT Stormtrooper helmet compared to above is correctly scaled, though.