Please help a stupid girl~!

[Sakura Shinguji]

I have always wanted a YF-19 ever since I saw Macross Plus many years ago. I remembering seeing the huge price tag for the Studio Halfeye version and weeped~ I got the horrific VF-19S by Bandai and really weeped~~ I did not bother to import the other kits afterwards because I was convinced by Bandai that no one could make a really nice looking YF-19. That is, until I recently saw the Yamato 1/60 YF-19 at Hobbylink Japan. Naturally, I was totally blow away by the beauty and huge price tag. I really tried to ignore the YF-19 for a couple of months because I thought that paying $250 - $300 U.S. dollars total was a bit too high for a transformable mecha.

I recently found a place that sells the YF-19 for $150 total with free shipping. (1/60 Yamato YF-19 at Mugentoys) I was sooo thrilled that I immediately ordered it! All of this sounds really nice and dandy, but for some reason, I have a bad habit of doing checks after I have fully committed to an action. (out of topic example: I run virus and spyware checks only after I am done shopping X_X) This is how I found myself at this forum reading the thread entitled "Yamato 1/60 scale YF-19 problem thread., Please let's not use this as a thread to rant in."

Feeling very stupid for buying the YF-19 after reading the thread, I REALLY MUST KNOW what are my chances of having quality control issues. I am definitively not a modeller, so I cannot do any repairs on the model kit even if I wanted to . I also wanted to know that since I waited until near end of March, could there be any possible miracle that Yamato may have sneaked in fixes since last year. For an example, when you buy a product like the Sony Playstation, you may have gotten an updated revision of the system without knowing. Then again, how much better could the YF-19 + Fold booster + Armor pieces be compared to the currently released YF-19? Please someone, calm my heart from a possible traumatic experience~~

[Lonewolf]

Welcome aboard Sakura!

I Pre-ordered the YF-19 as soon as it was listed on BBTS and up to now all I can really complain about is the crooked gunpod which I fixed and the stress mark on 1 of the tabs under the cockpit.

Overall I'm really satified with and buying the Fast Pack afterwards doesn't bother me too much. The YF-19+Fast Pack combo will have an updated version of the YF-19 with some fixes, but I really don't mind having a 1st run edition of the toy.

As for your chances of having QC issues it's a wild bet. I'm sure you've read stories on this forum. IMHO if you don't transform it all the time it should hold up together pretty well.

I hope that helps calm you heart a bit.

[malcos]

I s'pose you could also argue that the more you handle it, the higher the chance of anything going awry.

I've had my 19 since about January, and it's been transformed once, and has sat on the shelf in Battroid mode for a good while now.

[do not disturb]

don't read too much into the "Yamato 1/60 scale YF-19 problem thread". if you actually look through the entire thing, its just a handful of same small issues(really just the crooked gunpod). most of it is just people repeating their dissatisfaction due to mishandling or people just being too particular and demanding perfection. i've transformed mine over 40 times by now and i haven't had a single problem with it.

it truly is an awesome toy, enjoy!

[jenius]

LOL, that's some fretful reading. Relax, you got a good deal and you're going to be thrilled in all likelihood. Even if you're not thrilled, at that price you'll be able to sell it off to someone, even as parts if you manage to somehow completely destroy it, and recoup most of your money. So, sit back and enjoy the waiting game.

[xsjado]

the gunpod and the tabs under the cockpit are the only areas of concern. both have very easy fixes (even for a non-modeler, myself included). i transform mine 2 -3 times a day and have had no issues. i'll post pics in a few minutes. it has become my favorite yamato toy. the fighter mode is very solid and the battroid mode has so many posing possibilities, it never gets old. i've had mine for about a month now with no issues. i recommend getting a flexi-display (www.laftoys.com) if you really want to have fun with poses.

Remember to be gentle and move slow and you will have no problems

[attachmentid=41521]

when you open the panel below the cockpit, unscrew the two scews holding in the grey plastic pieces and remove them both (pieces & screws)

[attachmentid=41522]

file down the two tan tabs at an angle. i cut quite a bit off mine with a pocket knife. just a little bit at a time. use the step below before re-attaching the grey pieces until it does not feel too pressured

[attachmentid=41523]

any time you unhook the cockpit, squeeze the grey pieces with your thumb to give it added support. always pull up, then pull toward you to unhook the tab on the top of the neck. my #2 arrow is pointing wrong (sorry)

[attachmentid=41524]

[attachmentid=41525]

remember to give it support when putting it back too!

hope that helps

Edited March 29, 2007 by xsjado

[Roy's Blues]

The gunpod is an easy fix

Use this thread

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=21130

[Sakura Shinguji]

Thanks everyone for your comments~! I am curious about the tab that was underneath the cockpit... Since I suck at reading and I do not have the YF-19 yet, from what I understand, there are two options to solve the that problem; one is covering it in glue or filing it in a way that its aligned to some sort of column (?) I will be more knowledgeable about when I do get it, but its seems to be a very important heads up to know.

The YF-19+Fast Pack combo will have an updated version of the YF-19 with some fixes, but I really don't mind having a 1st run edition of the toy.

Argh~! >_< I kept on seeing it and seeing it, but I was stupidly attracted to the cheaper $150 price and free shipping. Oh the downfalls of being froogle~!

I really love transformable mecha because I basically grew up around that golden era of Robotech, Transformers, Go-Bots, and M.A.S.K. Even now, I am still attracted to them. The only reason why I was really worried with quality control issues is because I was recently burned with Xebec's Virtual On Oratario Tangram's RVR-42 Cypher. It literally fell apart every time I touched it. Something about the plastic made it very delicate. In memories of it, I decided to make a 3d model of it~ Attached picture is Cypher in jet mode.

Thank you everyone again and I hope to post a bit more in the future~!

Edited March 29, 2007 by Sakura Shinguji

[Ginrai]

Yeah, unfortunately those Virtual On toys are total crap.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

Meh my real only gripe is the crooked gunpod, and even now because i know how to squeeze it in the right way (without mod) it's almost always straight. lol

[Sakura Shinguji]

To xsjado: Major thanks on the instructions~ I assume that there will be many others who need the instructions as well. Your pictures are very informative and the mod does not seem that hard to apply.

I don't know about everyone, but all of the sudden, learning how to customize seems kinda fun~! It feels like a lot of people are not FULLY happy with the Yamato version and are taking matters into their hands by customizing to extreme levels... The customizations that I have read on this forum are just unbelievable~! In a way, I am kinda excited; it feels like I ordered a model and not a toy.

Edited March 29, 2007 by Sakura Shinguji

[Valkyrie addict]

crooked gunpod has the easiest fix of all, just don't display it in fighter mode, hahaha, kidding, it really an easy fix

I don't think you really need to go all pro-modeler to fix the tab issue unless it breaks and as far as I know, it has only happened to one unfortunate owner, just make sure to transformed it a couple of times to get the right amount of force to get the piece loose and transform so you won't be afraid of 'breaking it', çç

and there's also the wheels weird position thing, you just have to push them to get them into place, no insane-macho drilling required

but it really is one of the best Macross toys ever made, it's beautiful even with it's defects, once you get the package and open it, you will have no regrets for you have bought the toy of your childhood dreams, don't let the us OCD people here scare you, cheers!

[Dangard Ace]

Welcome to Macrossworld.

There's an entire thread dedicated to "fixing" the YF-19 with step by step instructions.

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=21130

Here's Soze's fix of the dreaded grey tabs.

Ok, I haven't seen anyone post this type of fix for the obnoxiously overly-tight canopy neck yet. Most of the fixes I've seen involved sanding down those 2 notches that lock onto the hinge. This fix doesn't require modifying those 2 notches at all.

Basically take out the 2 gray hinges and snip the notch to make it bigger. After modifying hinges... lightly glue and screw back into place (WITH THE LEVER BAR... or else you won't be able to put it in later.)

Here are my pictures for the fix as well as the highlight of the problem.

[Scream Man]

I liked mine. the crooked pod was easy fixed. and mines fine otherwise.

welcome to mw

[Friedric P]

The RVR-42 Cypher from Kaiyodo/Xebec is maybe the most fragile action figure ever built during the history of mankind; even the Fei-Yens from the same line, which are 3 times thinner, are more sturdy. Comparing Kaiyodo's Cypher to Yamato's YF-19 is like, hum, starting a fight between Kate Moss and Mike Tyson .

So you shouldn't have many concerns .

[David Hingtgen]

Cypher overall is the most fragile (stiffer plastic), but Fei-Yen's "skirt" (the two large pieces in the rear) I've had to glue probably a half-dozen times--they're far too large and heavy to be supported by a small pin at the extreme end, at an angle.

But yeah, "intact" VO:OT figs are rare, no matter how cool they look. (I own all 5 variants of Fei-Yen----3 are intact only because two of them have NEVER been posed/moved---they remain in their "as packaged" poses to this day--and the Tiger version has no skirt) My RNA one is currently in pieces...

Still disappointed they never made Angelan, or Cypher RNA colors.

[Sakura Shinguji]

Yeah! I would really like a Cypher in RNA colors and have it transformable too!

[MangledMess]

Hey Sakura!

Don't let that part of the YF-19-Fixing thread scare you. The demands and over-hype for the 1/60 YF-19 to be extremely perfect is too ridiculously high. I just got mine(was lucky that my sis was going to Japan for work, muahaha), and oh, man... do I love doing extreme battle poses with it. Guess I don't need to buy those super-poseble VF-1 battroid-only figures to do those things.

Just adding to the easing of your fears. I was a bit scared too, but as what everyone has already mentioned, the crooked gunpod and the tab thing isn't too big of an issue. Granted, unlocking the neck part of the fighter is tight due to the tab, but not irritatingly tight. The trick is to know where to push, pull, and a correct amount of pressure. It isn't too hard, though.

I love that thing to bits, and almost thought of bringing that thing to bed like a teddy bear, but alas, my rationale side prevented me from doing so. Damn, I need a cabinet for the YF-19 and Koto's Armored Core's 1/72 Oracle (001-Mirage).

And speaking of Virtual On's transformable Cypher... there's a toy that ACTUALLY exist!?!?

Edited April 4, 2007 by MangledMess

[David Hingtgen]

There's a Cypher figure, but it doesn't transform. Nor stay intact for long--look at it funny and it shatters--much of Kaiyodo's VO:OT line is that way.

[MangledMess]

There's a Cypher figure, but it doesn't transform. Nor stay intact for long--look at it funny and it shatters--much of Kaiyodo's VO:OT line is that way.

...Oh, man. That sucks hard. Which means I was lucky not to get a Temjin from that line, then?

[Friedric P]

...Oh, man. That sucks hard. Which means I was lucky not to get a Temjin from that line, then?

I had no problem with my temjins . Just take care of the shoulders, mines never broke, but they still seem fragile.

The Cypher breaks without touching it, the fei-yens have problems at the ankles (often already broken in the package) and to the skirts (... I realised that I had no problem with my 4 because I always use the smaller skirts, which never broke... for mines, at least ), the specineff is okay, the apharmds are good (even sometimes very hard to pose, some pieces, especially the shoulders pads, are very hard to remove/clip). Of course it's just about durability, as they all look cool .

[Sakura Shinguji]

To David Hingtgen and Friedric P: Atleast I now know that it was not just a "me" thing only. VO:OT is a nice game with a lot of nice designs.

To MangledMess: I think that I have seen a custom made Cypher on the web, but other than that, David is right.

To everyone: Simply amazing is what I can say! The YF-19 met my expectations. Before fully transforming the valkyrie, I did file the tabs a bit like soze recommended. Things that I did notice are:

• the grey tabs came out of the box with stress marks
• the right shoulder tab kept on falling off
• it is hard to put the notch in the wing back into the leg when transforming back to fighter mode
• the plastic feels very thin (the YF-19 do seem like it can handle transformations on a daily basis however)

Other than that, the YF-19 is just way too awesome for me. I have already posted on the fix/modification thread and got a solution for the shoulder tabs so I will try that out. Initially, I wondered why would anyone buy more than one of the same valkyrie, but I guess that I can finally see why; its too beautiful. Now, I am just dreaming of somehow getting the YF-19 armor pieces and the Ghost instead of the fold booster~ Edited April 4, 2007 by Sakura Shinguji

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Hey guys is Soze's fix the best so far? Just wondering, I too am tempted to pick up the YF-19 later this year.

[do not disturb]

Hey guys is Soze's fix the best so far? Just wondering, I too am tempted to pick up the YF-19 later this year.

i haven't had to do it with mine but from his pictures and other options mentioned on the baords, his seems to make the most sense requiring a minimal amount of effort.

[Sakura Shinguji]

To Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0: I am trying to not sound like some sort of advertisement, but if you live in the United States, you may want to consider MugenToys.com's YF-19 link. Not only they are selling the YF-19 for $154.99, any items over $50 gets free shipping. The final price of 154.99 really wins since it is the lowest that I have seen. Also, I find soze's method to be really easy and requires the least amount of know-how to perform. Edited April 4, 2007 by Sakura Shinguji

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

To Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0: I am trying to not sound like some sort of advertisement, but if you live in the United States, you may want to consider MugenToys.com's YF-19 link. Not only they are selling the YF-19 for $154.99, any items over $50 gets free shipping. The final price of 154.99 really wins since it is the lowest that I have seen. Also, I find soze's method to be really easy and requires the least amount of know-how to perform.

Thanks for the suggestion! I KNEW the name sounded familiar, those are the guys I usually see at nekocon with good deals!(bought a bandai VF-1A hikaru from them 5 years ago for $45)

[KingNor]

Thanks for the suggestion! I KNEW the name sounded familiar, those are the guys I usually see at nekocon with good deals!(bought a bandai VF-1A hikaru from them 5 years ago for $45)

VF-1A? 1/48?? what??

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

VF-1A? 1/48?? what??

bandai=1/55

The 1/48 wouldn't be out till later that year

[TheLoneWolf]

To Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0: I am trying to not sound like some sort of advertisement, but if you live in the United States, you may want to consider MugenToys.com's YF-19 link. Not only they are selling the YF-19 for $154.99, any items over $50 gets free shipping. The final price of 154.99 really wins since it is the lowest that I have seen. Also, I find soze's method to be really easy and requires the least amount of know-how to perform.

$155 shipped for the YF-19 is a bargain! I don't think any other store can compete with the kind of price. Now I know where I'll be buying the YF-19 & Fast Pack when it comes out. Thanks!