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1/55 Mods - Let's list them all here...


Skull-1

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It's cool to see this thread resurrected from the ashes of the fire. It brought back some pleasant memories.

Anyone with money can buy a toy, but it takes inspiration, perspiration, and love to create a custom valkyrie.

Although I'm very fond of my Yamato 1/60 V2 collection, I would rather own a one-of-a-kind custom 1/55 valkyrie.

There's something to be said for the original that we grew up with. B))

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It's cool to see this thread resurrected from the ashes of the fire. It brought back some pleasant memories.

Anyone with money can buy a toy, but it takes inspiration, perspiration, and love to create a custom valkyrie.

Although I'm very fond of my Yamato 1/60 V2 collection, I would rather own a one-of-a-kind custom 1/55 valkyrie.

There's something to be said for the original that we grew up with. B))

I'm with you. And making a 1/55 more anime-like is quite a fun challenge.

While I will never approach the Jung/ChrisB/Rosario/KidKorrupt/Fulcy/etc. level, I still enjoy doing them.

With a tapered swing bar, swivel thighs, and modified intake blisters the toy takes on a whole new appearance. Then throw in all the other mods and wow.

Edited by Skull-1
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  • 1 month later...

Thinking of modding one of my old jetfires. Does anyone have pics of the mods such as the tapered swing bar, Notchless/Free Floating/Friction Tailfin, or the TRANSFORMABLE heatshield intact during all transformations or the how to's? Thanks

Edited by bravo5
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g3173,

Those are priceless.

Nice to see a working airbrake, amongst various other mods, on that 1/55 Roy.

I still have a bunch of 1/55 mod parts that will one day be used on a custom. :rolleyes:

You're damn busy! I know you also do a lot of 1:48 mods. Where do you find the time! Great work! Thanks for sharing!

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You're damn busy! I know you also do a lot of 1:48 mods. Where do you find the time! Great work! Thanks for sharing!

I can't take any credit for these amazing customs! Most of the customs I own were done by Jung and Kurt. I paid a pretty penny to ChrisB for the 1/55 Blue Rose and 1/55 Ultimate 1S Strike and I think the Max Milia set were done by Alpha1 (not sure though).

Those look fantastic! Are the nose cones and canopies modded?

I think those are Jung's nose cone and canopy. There were a couple of crazy modders back in the day making them so i'm not sure which one ended up on my customs. ;)

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This topic sure brings back old memories. I still remember having my old Power Computing Mac clone with a 28.8k US Robotics modem and a 100mb Zip drive. Times where the only sources of Macross data and toys on the net were Ebay, Kimono My House, Macross Compendium and Nam Ngo's Valkyrie Factory. By far the coolest Macross site on the web on that year (1998)! It was an excellent visual reference for any Macross collector.

I can humbly and proudly say that I was the first Macross fan that made a customization of a 1/55 toy. My intention was to replicate this famous VF-1S prototype from Takatoku:

takatokuvf.jpg

In 1998, I made this 1/55 custom using a Jetfire toy with a Joons nosecone. Nam Ngo added these pictures on his Valkyrie Factory website and caught the attention of many fans including Jung who asked me for advice.

To replicate the Takatoku protoype, I eliminated the metal swing leg bars, modified the head, used a lot of marks just like the proto and added the first custom pilot on a 1/55 Valkyrie.

gdvalk1.jpg

gdvalk2.jpg

Everybody liked the pilot on the 1/55. Most of the Takatoku toys from Orguss or Dorvack series came with pilots figures except the 1/55 Valkyrie.

Back in 2001, I decided to make the first custom nosecone from a Jetfire toy that included a pilot (haha, arms looked exactly like the Yamato pilots). This was the first prototype:

macmuestra.jpg

I was so enthusiastic with this project that I wanted an open canopy for my custom nosecone.

I spent some cash to make a mass produced clear canopy from a metal mold:

mold.jpg

nosebw.jpg

I improved the cockpit with more accurate detail as well as a better pilot rendition with the sticks on both hands.

I used Tenjin's artwork for reference, nice hee:

tenjincokpit.jpg

At last, my custom nosecone with pilot and clear canopy made its debut in November 2001:

max.jpg

Jung used my custom nosecone on his Max and Myria Valkyries signed by Kawamori:

maxmiria.jpg

Even though Macross toys got better with the 1/48 and 1/60 V.2 valks, the pilot figures still look horrible with lack of detail and out of proportion.

I used my old custom pilot on the 1/60 V.2 valk with great results:

cockpit.jpg

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Oh the memories, indeed, when the vintage Takatoku & Bandai 1/55's were king. I remember like it was yesterday seeing Nam Ngo's Valkyrie Factory website for the first time and spending hours drooling over all those beautiful toys. They were so expensive back then, but I promised myself that I would one day own each one...took me about 9 years, but I kept that promise. I can't believe I've been a member of Macrossworld since at least 1998, well over a decade.

I remember working with another customizer, Rosario Love from Washington state. He made an absolutely beautiful custom 1/55 VT-1 SuperOstrich. I wish I still had those pics I saved on my old computer from those days.

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@takatoys,

your pictures are drool worthy.

really old school DIY masterpiece.

im also fan of their work, this image that i got from the net five or more years ago was the awakening of my macross addiction.

13triodd5.jpg

14group1fn7.jpg

16group3gt4.jpg

thumbs up to them.

Edited by JET7
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@takatoys,

your pictures are drool worthy.

really old school DIY masterpiece.

im also fan of their work, this image that i got from the net five or more years ago was the awakening of my macross addiction.

13triodd5.jpg

14group1fn7.jpg

16group3gt4.jpg

thumbs up to them.

I remember spending a ton of time staring at these works of art

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Damn! When I see pics of Bandai's and Takatoku's valks I really, really feel bad. :(

Want one!

BanDai reissued THE ORIGIN OF VALKYRIE a few years back. Some pretty cool stuff, including a 1A Max with Super Parts (wish it had the strike cannon). There is something really special about that Chunky Monkey. It was just a damn good toy. It looks dated compared to some of the newer stuff...but it's a lot more fun!

I hope we see some more 1/55 reissues for Macross' 30th.

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BanDai reissued THE ORIGIN OF VALKYRIE a few years back. Some pretty cool stuff, including a 1A Max with Super Parts (wish it had the strike cannon). There is something really special about that Chunky Monkey. It was just a damn good toy. It looks dated compared to some of the newer stuff...but it's a lot more fun!

I hope we see some more 1/55 reissues for Macross' 30th.

It would be nice to see the Strike VF-1S, Elintseeker and Super Ostrich reissued

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Hey! Have you put your kit together yet? I'd love to see how it turned out.

No sadly not. I got as far as loose fitting it to the donor 1/55 but as with most of my life it is all packed up still due to my move space issues. It is on my priority list though.

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No sadly not. I got as far as loose fitting it to the donor 1/55 but as with most of my life it is all packed up still due to my move space issues. It is on my priority list though.

On the same boat! I use to have an entire office and a room for my toys....I've been downgraded to one shelf.

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