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...

Overdrive

Picture from TFWiki.net

I've put off doing this post for a bit now.  When I originally planned on posting this, Heroic Decepticon posted his awesome Japanese Mail Away Omnibots.  There was no way I was going to post my common and modest Omnibots.  Since enough time has passed, I suppose this is a good time to post Overdrive.

My goal for this year has been to complete my collection of 1985 figures, and it's been challenging, more so with the remaining Omnibots.  Overdrive in particular was difficult to find a specimen that didn't feature a lot chrome damage on the legs.  Just about every instance that I found for sale had anywhere from minor to major chrome damage.  And I looked for an Overdrive for the vast majority of this year.  Price-wise, Overdrive was high on my list to get because he's pretty inexpensive.  After an exhaustive search, luck dropped one in my watch list.  And at a great price!  The only problem appeared to be some stickers that were put on incorrectly, but that's an easy fix.

Like the rest of the Omnibots, Overdrive features an attack mode for his vehicle form.  Overdrive's Ferrari Boxer has wings that flip up from under the body and guns that come from under the hood.  It's not unlike Track's attack mode.

Look!  I wasn't lying!  No chrome damage on the legs!  Overdrive comes with three handguns, but he can only hold two, so I went with the two that I liked best.  Overdrive's head is really small in proportion to the rest of his body.  I really hadn't anticipated that from photos I had seen online.  Articulation is restricted to the elbows and shoulders, which is par the course for most G1 figures, so I have no complaints there.  Those misplaced stickers on the door are still bothering me, but I do have in my possession a sticker sheet for all of the Omnibots that I got from the great people at Reprolabels.  I don't want to use them yet since I don't have a Downshift...yet.

I'm From Another Universe, You Don't Know Me

I've gotten really indecisive over what to buy.  I really want to get the rest of the Dinobots, but I'm so freaking worried that I'm going to get a knockoff.  One day, one day.  Anyway, while looking for my latest purchase, I just said to hell with it, and bought Camshaft.