Diaclone

Post by **Time Traveller** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 3:50 pm

Lately, i have been doing a little research on Diaclone toys between homework, and shoveling snow. I've found some really fascinating stuff. I've also found that during diaclone, takara, like me, loved lamborghinis...they even did a diaclone of the one-of-a-kind-but-no-longer-in-existence lamborghini cheetah. ( www.lambocars.com for more info) cool! anyway, bagales gave me this site, which has been my research base: www.pretf.com , and i am looking for eslewhere to conduct my studies. does anyone have any info? diaclone.com is a medicince company....
if anyone wants to discuss diaclone toys, here, too, that would be awesome!

Post by **trance** » Thu Feb 19, 2004 12:22 am

I know a little bit about them

You know about the Microman Microchange series, right? I was kinda let down when I first found out about these lines. Because I always thought the toys from the early years were the best, then it just went downhill after the movie. It turned out that all the ones I thought were cool weren't even original Transformer incarnations, but just borrowed from other lines.

I think they are starting to redeem themselves what with the 20th anniversary prime and the alternators. Unicron was pretty spot-on too I might add

Post by **Time Traveller** » Thu Feb 19, 2004 5:06 pm

yes, the best way to describe the diaclone transformers would be in one word: artistic. yes, i've done a little looking into the mircoman line, which i'm not quite as fascinated by (however i think the .44 magnum would have made a cool megatron-brother or something) and, i suppose, being a car fan, diaclone has me rather enchanted. lately, i've been hunting online for pictures of actual vehicles that early transformers were made from. with my dad's help (who else would've known that grapple is a mitsubishi fuso crane?) i've rounded up quite a bit, including some of the EXACT cars. i.e. Alitalia #539 lancia stratos turbo, martini #4 porsche 935, and ligier/gitanes #26 JS-11. i find it interesting how team names were altered by one letter on the toy. translations:
martinii-martini
alitalla-alitalia
citanes-gitanes
(diaclone) marlboor-marlboro
quite odd. i wonder how they got licensing to paint schemes, and some names (elf, ligier, lancia) but not to others. odd.

Jose · Post by **Jose** » Fri Feb 20, 2004 12:31 am

Well, those distorted sponsors may have two reasons: Payment of royalties comes first. The original Smokescreen had a "83" number (I mean, the real car), and as you showed me in your pictures, the real Tyrell used to create Dragstrip was a dark blue one.

But second, I think that Martini, Marlboro and Gitanes aren't appropiate to a toy. You don't want the kids smoking or drinking, don't you?

Post by **Time Traveller** » Fri Feb 20, 2004 9:05 am

yes, those are obvious ones. but i still wonder why they could get the liscensing to use the car design, the color schemes (which often have trademarks of their own, i understand) but have to change the team name by one letter. an only some names, but not lancia, ligier, or others. i'm stumped. oh well. i think i'll go drink a martinii now.

oh, here is the link to the folder of pictures i mentioned above. http://home.ripway.com/2004-2/73852/Tra ... s%20Among/

Jose · Post by **Jose** » Fri Feb 20, 2004 3:06 pm

I bet that the Smokescreen case switched the racing number because the team is private and not from Datsun. As for Ligier and Porsche, I think it's more for the image to the kids, in fact Mirage has "Elf" on its decals.

Post by **Time Traveller** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 9:11 pm

as i was reasearching for my picture collection "transformers among us", i was looking up the stunticons, and particularly drag strip, a tyrell p34. this is the only real-life race car so far that has intentionally false colors. he is mostly yellow, with some dark maroon. teh only p34 was actually the same elf team color theme that mirage had. if they had elf rights at one point, why'd they micolor this unique, braggable tyrell?

Jose · Post by **Jose** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 9:09 am

Mirage is a Ligier in the first place. Dragstrip is a Tyrell, two different raceing teams.

Besides, the license could have expired. Dragstrip is an original mold from Hasbro, which was not into the Diaclone line; it is way newer than Mirage.

Maybe to 1986, Hasbro decided to cut off with paying licenses to make real vehicles. Remember that also in that year the diecast metal starts to be removed from the figures, which fits with a policy of reducing costs.

Post by **Time Traveller** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 9:19 am

also recall that over 50 new original figures were created that year. they must've been making SOME money. and besides, drag strip himself had a diecast backplate.
eh, maybe they were just getting cheap on us. corporate arses.
you know, i have a repaired spare dragstrip, i think i'll call on some o my dad's modeling advice, and help, and get it some accurate coloring.

Jose · Post by **Jose** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 9:26 am

You will have to show us the results. I put Ferrari decals on my Overdrive and a Porsche crest on my Jazz, along with "Martini" decals and they improved a lot. I don't have pictures of them right now, sadly.

Post by **Time Traveller** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 4:55 pm

sounds cool, if you can get ahold of a digital camera, i'd like to see your work. the only other TF modding i did was a g1 bonecrusher (extra) that i started detail painting. the flat green all the time was bothering me.

Jose · Post by **Jose** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 8:57 pm

What do you have in mind? Caterpillar decals? It also could use some rubber treads.

Post by **Time Traveller** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 12:12 am

well, in order to be transformable. the track mod wouldn't work. actually i started by flat black on the smokestacks, and some black and metallic detailing on the wheels inside the tracks. the tracks would stay green, as they are often the same color as the dozer. cat decals wouldn't look right on the greenish color, and besides, my grandpa got me john deere magazines when i was like 2, and i got hooked on construction machinery, particularly deere. my mother never understood why i watched a promotional video for the 310-C (a backhoe) till i almost wore it out.
God bless his soul.