
Other Transformers Models
Robots In Disguise X-Brawn
Robots In Disguise Side Burn
G1 Tracks
G1 Wheeljack
G1 Sideswipe
Robots In Disguise WARS
Energon Ironhide
Transformers Jazz
G1 Bluestreak (Anime)
Revenge of the Fallen Bumblebee
G1 Hoist
G1 Red Alert
G1 Jazz
Robots In Disguise Prowl
The Last Knight Crosshairs (Review)
G2 Sideswipe
Robots In Disguise Drift
Transformers Barricade
G2 Firecracker
I always liked the idea of "smaller" Transformers that could work with and augment the powers of their larger counterparts (with the exception of Headmasters; no character should be rendered incomplete because their partner didn't show up for work that day). So when they were announced, the concept of Mini-Cons sounded good to me. I will continue to add to this list as I fill in my 1/24 scale collection:
High Wire - Not only one of the first Mini-Cons in the toy line & cartoon, High Wire was the first Mini-Con I completed. I started by carving the bike's body from heavy sheet styrene, then added the pedal housing, rear suspension, seat, and fork tube using various bits of plastic & wire. The handlebar/front fork is a highly modified unit taken from a 1/32 dirt bike toy, and the wheels are a combination of hubs from the same dirt bike and tires from an Evel Knievel toy. The pedals are about the only non-modified component here, and came from the 1/24 Schwinn that was included in AMT's '66 Buick Riviera kit. Finally, the headlight was made by taking a LEGO antenna base and cutting a headlight to fit the opening.
Grindor - This rather unlikely Transformer was a pretty quick scratchbuild. The board itself is a simple piece of sheet styrene cut and shaped to represent a street longboard, with a set of trucks taken from a small skateboard toy. Grindor's markings, seams, and connector are simulated on the topside of the board with a custom made decal, while underneath there is a scan of the cover from the first mini-comic.
Downshift - Downshift presented my first Mini-Con dilemma. I wanted him to be the same size as the other Mini-Cons, but I didn't want him to just be a "shrunken" automobile. I decided that for figures like this, I would make them look like their prototypes as much as possible, but I would modify them enough to give them realistic Earth-based alt modes. My answer was to make Downshift a Go-Kart, modified from a Hot Wheels Riley & Scott MK III. After disassembling the car, I enlarged the driver's compartment and added a seat & padded steering wheel appropriate for a 1/24 scale Go-Kart. The new wheels & tires came from a 1/64 Indy car, and Downshift was finished using a set of custom made decals.
Drill Bit - This was another figure where I had to do some interpretation to combine the Mini-Con's size with a practical Earth form. Drill bit is now a single operator mining/drilling machine; what was window glass is now access hatches, and the robot's head is now a fuel cap. The split tread on the prototype has now become a set of casters set behind a set of treads. Starting with a Matchbox radar truck, the drill assembly was completely scratch built from various parts box pieces, and topped with a drill from some dollar-store toy. I also weathered it a bit to make it look more like the prototype. Although the "truck" look is still there, I still like the way this one came out. Fortunately, the effect is lessened when Drill bit is put next to other 1/24 scale models.
Send me an e-mail with your thoughts!