ThunderCats Classics by Mattel

[jedijim3002]

Hope to see an update on the main character.

 

[Booshman]

Hope to see an update on the main character.

As much as I would like it I can't see them doing it.

I repainted my Mumm-Ra and extended his neck peg.

 

[jedijim3002]

As much as I would like it I can't see them doing it.

I repainted my Mumm-Ra and extended his neck peg.

That looks great!

I reached out to SUPER7 to see if they would be forthcoming about any plans to reissue Lion-O but they were less than ambiguous about their response. So most likely you are correct but I hope someday they will.

 

[Booshman]

As much as I would like it I can't see them doing it.

That looks great!

I reached out to SUPER7 to see if they would be forthcoming about any plans to reissue Lion-O but they were less than ambiguous about their response. So most likely you are correct but I hope someday they will.

Thanks, I'm much happier with him now.

Super 7 is always so vague in their responses. Took me a coule of weeks to get confirmation they will replace my Tygra, I still don't have a date that it will be sent.

 

[jedijim3002]

I’ve been trying to contemplate how I can make Lion-O taller. I decided to use my Mattel version to customize since I have a SUPER7 version on the way.

I noticed that the pelvis and the torso of Tigra is taller than L-O so I’m assuming any of the tall figures, like Tigra and Pumm-Ra, are using this new taller buck body and the shorter ones like Lynx-o are using the older shorter parts.

First I peeled off the rubber shorts and severed the chest from the waist. I knew I had to raise the height of his pelvis so it would sit higher and decided to build up both the pelvis and mid section. I cut the pelvis just under T cross section and used JB Weld plastic putty to build both of them up.

Guided by the shape of the body and articulated parts I made them larger and taller but this presented a problem. The waist section now had a huge gap so I needed to remold the waist to meet the ribs. Again using the putty I shaped the mid section and dremeled the excess for articulation. I repainted those sections but the paint doesn’t match well enough yet so I’ll be going back to paint match and coat with mod podge.

His torso is a bit too long but I may have a solution for that. If I can get another pair of taller shorts I can move the belt up higher to cover a bit more of the waist section. It’s not great but at least he’s a bit taller now.

I also gave him some better wrist pegs so the hands could be articulated enough to hold the sword aloft.

Edit: I also used the putty to fill in the exposed joint pin holes. Sanded and repainted them as well.

 

[jedijim3002]

Here’s a comparison shot for reference.
And another if I can move the belt up.

 

[Booshman]

Nice, it's funny, we're both working on trying to sort this guy out at the same time. I'll post some images when I can. i have made the legs longer by adding a few mm to where they attach at the torso, the shorts sit higher so more of the leg is visible, it looks closer to the render now than the production version. I have switched out the ab section for one off another toy and I have adjusted the belt slighty. I made some alterations to the face and hair too. My favourite alteration so far is that the claw now holds on with magnets.

 

[jedijim3002]

That sounds awesome. I am eager to see some pics of your progress. Thanks.

 

[Booshman]

That sounds awesome. I am eager to see some pics of your progress. Thanks.

The sculpting is just in rough for now, needs some refinement. I am going to widen the waist a bit too, he has such a tiny waist. The last pic you can see the claw held in place with magnets.

 

[jedijim3002]

Wow! That looks really good. The magnet idea for the claw shield is impressive. I wish I could figure out a way to attach magnets to the hands and wrists instead of pegging them in for articulation. What magnets did you use?

 

[Booshman]

Wow! That looks really good. The magnet idea for the claw shield is impressive. I wish I could figure out a way to attach magnets to the hands and wrists instead of pegging them in for articulation. What magnets did you use?

Thanks man, I'll update when he's done. Some refinement to the sculpt today, he's coming along.

The magnets I use are neodymium. This took 2 3x1mm to get it to hold up.

 

[jedijim3002]

Cool. Thank you for the tip. I decided to go with an almost complete body swap. I’ve been eyeing the Pumm-Ra figure for a while now and finally but the bullet and picked one up. My suspicions were confirmed when I compared his body to Lion-O’s. First, pumm-ra’s arms and torso are longer but his legs are shorter than LO. The colors are close enough for the arms and legs to I figured it was worth a shot.

 

[jedijim3002]

Here are a few shots as a mock up of what I plan to do. I tried the original LO pants but they don’t quite look right so I’m painting PR’s pants and then I’ll add the belt later. Not sure which one I’ll use but I may go with the Bandai 8” Lion-o belt. Not sure yet.

 

[jedijim3002]

I had to swap the legs out completely put the pegs that connect them on the pelvis are smaller. So I ended up popping open the pelvis and swapping out those pegs with LO’s. He stands much taller now and he looks more physically intimidating. I’m going to start painting it and see where it leads. I may swap out the neck post for a magnetic ball joint because it seems to flip around too much and doesn’t articulate well.

 

[jedijim3002]

Showing the height and body difference.

 

[jedijim3002]

Furniture cap on the neck and a rare earth magnet in the head.

 

[jedijim3002]

Still doing some paint touch ups then sealing again with a matte finish this time. This is the gloss finish and it’s way too shiny. Hoping the matte will be better.

 

[jedijim3002]

Not sure how I want to do the hand articulation. Looking into alternatives to the peg system.

 

[Booshman]

Looking good, my go to is always satin finish to seal. Just wondering, could you use the original arms from the bicep down?

 

[jedijim3002]

Unfortunately the pegs don’t match up properly. The pegs on PR are not long enough to attach to the LO biceps. Also the joints around the elbows don’t match up if you use PR biceps. There’s a big gap if you try using the original LO forearms. Plus the height difference really deserves longer arms and PR arms are about a 1/4 inch longer than LO’s.