Omnibot Downshift

This guy was a long, long time coming.  My search for Downshift has taken me quite a while because finding one that that wasn't yellowed or still bagged.  A bagged specimen would've been fine, but the prices I saw were almost too high to justify since he was going to be opened anyway.  After a bit, I finally found the Downshift for me.

My particular specimen of Downshift isn't perfectly white, but he's pretty close.  His wheels aren't cracked, and overall, he's in great shape.  His stickers are a little haphazardly applied, but that's a quick fix with some Reprolabels.  Well, it would be, but...

I evidently purchased one of the earlier versions of Downshift with the "Celica" license plate decal.  The repro set that I got comes with the blank license plate.  Since I take the opportunity to completely scrub (professionally clean?) my figures when I replace the decals, I think I'll just stick with the decals as they are.

Like all of the Omnibots, Downshift features a third mode.  Downshift's happens to be flying car, like Overdrive.  It's not a very convincing flying mode, but it's a third mode. 

Of all the Omnibots, Downshift is my favorite.  His robot mode his highly reminiscent of Wheeljack, in my opinion.  Their transformation schemes are similar and they share the same basic shape.  He's pretty short, however.  Then again, all of the Omnibots are short.  I always wondered why the Omnibots were never released at retail, and now I have my answer: oh so short.

Here's a shot that I've wanted to take for ages.  Looking at this picture, that I took over a month ago, I can't help but be amused by how short Downshift is.  He might as well be a Minibot.  One more subgroup and 1985 figure down.  So close to finishing off the year...