Custom Alternator

[cube]

finished my custom tf alternator a few weeks ago, so i figured id post some pics here...i used the first alternator smokescreen with the rally decals as the base, gave it a new front end (swapped the 2004 impreza front to the 2002), tires, and paint job, and added a few decals to spruce it up.

the custom is based off my actual car (2002 subaru impreza).

enjoy

don't feel like transforming it into car mode right now, but if i did, it would look like this (my car), but with gold rims:

[JKeats]

Nice car and nice custom. Very clean. Do you mean to say that you gave the Alternator gold rims? Why?

[cube]

Nice car and nice custom.  Very clean.  Do you mean to say that you gave the Alternator gold rims?  Why?

359208[/snapback]

naw, the rally one it started as had gold rims...i just gave it different tires (bridgestone potenzas, like the actual subarus come with)...i was going to paint the rims gunmetal and silver like my real rims, but got lazy

it looked like this at the start:

oh yea, i changed the spoiler too and sanded the camera mount off the roof

Edited January 11, 2006 by cube

[Solscud007]

Nice car and nice custom.  Very clean.  Do you mean to say that you gave the Alternator gold rims?  Why?

359208[/snapback]

naw, the rally one it started as had gold rims...i just gave it different tires (bridgestone potenzas, like the actual subarus come with)...i was going to paint the rims gunmetal and silver like my real rims, but got lazy

it looked like this at the start:

oh yea, i changed the spoiler too and sanded the camera mount off the roof

359210[/snapback]

please tell me you took build up pics? how did you attach the front end? can you transform him still?

[cube]

please tell me you took build up pics? how did you attach the front end? can you transform him still?

unfortunately, no build pics, but it was actually a pretty easy job.

Started with the alternator and a 1/24 tamiya 2002 subaru sti model...i think it was about $10 off ebay. I cut the front of the alternator off straight up from the front of the wheel well (this maintains the original attachment point/joint for the arm), then cut the same part off of the model, leaving the entire hood intact.

Next, I cut the notch out of the hood for the hoodscoop/head hole, and then bondoed the new front on to the existing body...sand sand sand, and it's nice and smooth. The lines are very similar between the 02 and 04 impreza fenders, so they match up pretty well.

Added a couple finishing touches like swapping the spoiler and removing the camera mount, painted er up and reassembled.

For the tires, the ones that came with the model were too wide for the rear wheel wells, so i had to trim off 1/4 of the inside (luckily it was right along a seam, so it came off easily).

I made a few mistakes that are easy to fix if i ever do another one (messed up the hood scoop arms a bit, and painted some of the joint tube joints, so they are a bit tight in the holes making them hard to rotate). I'd also sand off the decals on the windows and future floor polish em so they were clear. Plus, i got lazy with some of my sanding on the fenders, so id smooth that out too.

I'm also planning on attaching one of the 1/60 yamato missile pods to each shoulder to give it a bit of firepower...I really cant stand the intercooler gun it came with, so i dont use it.

and yes, it is still fully transformable.

Here are some poorly lit, crappy pics i took of it in car mode when i first finished it.

[Solscud007]

ok i thought that is how you woudl do it.

[emajnthis]

that's neat... do you plan on replacing the tail lights, technically they're slightly different.

[OverTechJunkie]

Great Customization. Your car looks sweet. I too have a WRX. It's so stock.

[cube]

that's neat... do you plan on replacing the tail lights, technically they're slightly different.

I was going to do it. The model has the 02 tail lights, so it wouldn't be too hard of a swap. I may end up putting 04 tail lights on my actual car though, so i left it the way it is for now.

[cube]

ok i thought that is how you woudl do it.

yea, in the one pic, you can still see the line where i joined them...like i said, i got lazy with the sanding and bondoing

you really can't tell in real life though, unless you get it under some bright light and really look for it.

[promethuem5]

That's really nice looking. have you considered adding a glossy coat to the blue to match the real thing?

[cube]

That's really nice looking.  have you considered adding a glossy coat to the blue to match the real thing?

yea, i definitely considered that...after i painted it though, the color almost perfectly matched my car (it's glossier than it looks in the pictures)...it's actually so close of a match that i used the same paint to paint a set of mesh fog light covers for the car. You can't even tell the color's different and i only use em in the winter anyways, sothe car's generally dirty (or at least unwaxed).