Back To The Future Transforming DeLorean

Dubcustomz

Hello everyone, im new here and just thought id show you something im working on.
I got inspired to join up after seeing tek2graphics' awesome BTTF DeLorean build thread, so heres what im working on:
Im big into modeling and im also a huge Transformers nut, recently i had a dream (rather randomly so as well) that i bought a DeLorean (one of my fave cars) and that got me thinking....what if i could turn a DeLorean into a Transformer? Or, even cooler, the BTTF DeLorean time machine into a Transformer?
So i did some brainstorming, bought a BTTF part 3 1/24 scale time machine kit, a 1/24 scale BTTF part 1 die cast metal kit and pulled out an old junk Transformer from my junk bin to use as a base.
The process is quite a tricky one and is known in the Transformer customizing community (yes, there is one, its quite huge in fact) as a "re-shell".
Basically you take a Transformer that turns into a car, cut off all the old car parts (in this case a 2011 Camaro) and place your replacement car shell over the remaining body parts (usually just a robotic skeleton at this point) and then cut the new car shell to fit and glue the pieces on.
Yeah..its quite complicated so i'll shut up now and just show you the pics.
I'll update as a go along. Im hoping to make this as detailed as possible (like tek2graphics's build) with working LED's to boot.

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Mike J.

This is gonna be interesting

tek2graphics

Yes, very interesting!
I've seen this done MANY years ago.. He showed step-by-step on how he built it. But so far I've only found this pic:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uXWv-Cc0Bx..._Raggletag.jpg
Here's a video" http://youtu.be/rYucuo0-tO0
But it might not be the same guy.(?) Still, I'm interested in seeing your progress!

Fluxcapacitor

Yeah, it's been done. John Spangler made the first, STEELSKIN is it's name. He even made a really kick ass commercial for it.

PROJECT: STEELSKIN

Check that out.

Progrocker

Very awesome! I'd buy one

JMChladek

I can see it now....

"You put a time machine... in an Autobot?!?!"

And think of how much manure Biff could get stuck in if it were a Delorean Autobot (with a time machine) that stuffed him in it.

Steelskin looks pretty straight foreward, but doing a Delorean on a movie Bumblebee is going to be a bit of a challenge in spots (not impossible mind you, just not easy either). Good luck!

colin1972

hi dude
glad to see you on these boards, if anybody can pull this of,it will be you. looking forward to following this one mate
all the best
colin

Dubcustomz

Cool, good to see I'm not the only to have had this awesome idea although mine is considerably more complex since I'm using a modern day Transformer as the base which in themselves are about 100x more complicated then the sort of toy he used to make his, as well as 5x the size.
Here's what my original toy looked like in robot mode before i started cutting him up:


Thats such a cool commercial.

Hehe, when he's done i might sell him on ebay so keep an eye out

Yeah, not to trivialize the steelskin project or make it sound rubbish or anything, cos its not, but in comparison the toy im using as a base makes it look utterly simplistic...i couldnt have picked a more complicated Transformer to use as a base....im a glutton for punishment, and ive only ever done one of these projects before
Still...so far so good so fingers crossed i dont make an utter dogs dinner out of it lol.

Yo my man! Ladies and gentlemen this guy right here is the modeling master! He built a 6foot tall Optimus Prime from scratch!
Nice to see you here bud!
Thanks for the compliments but really Ive never done something this complex or this size before, and Ive only ever done 1 other re-shell before so I'm far from the ideal guy for the job but that said i do have a lot of passion for the project and I'm having a blast so that's a good start at least.

I'll have a new update tonight.

Dubcustomz

Hey guys, here's a couple of new updates.

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Mike J.

This is so cool to watch

High five!


-M

Miker

Very cool build! Had no idea there was a community for making transformers but it's awesome!

On a separate note I think you should also do a box like steel skin...that was mighty impressive, and I laughed out loud where he says his photoshop file was huge...ergo 29 mb...ahhh 2000...seems so long ago ;p

Will be watching your excellent build!

jimbo7

This is very awesome

JMChladek

Hmmm, I have an idea. Ever considered doing the head up to look like Marty or Doc Brown? The reasoning is that Hasbro is currently doing Star Wars vehicle Transformers and they are making the heads of robot mode look like SW characters (Han, Chewie, Obi Wan, Clone trooper, etc...). Having a time machine Delorean looking like Marty or Doc might be a clever tie in. Just a thought anyway (and I don't know how to replicate Christopher Lloyd's white hairdo in a robot head in any event).

autoprops713

I think this is a great idea! But what if the main robot was a transformed Delorean but the BTTF time machine parts were all repositioned? Meaning the time machine parts could become a backpack, or maybe even a time-warp gun? Flux capacitor could be centered on his chest? The light-up neon could maybe run down his sides or down his arms?

Haha.. Mr Fusion could be part of his head??

Just throw'n out ideas....its a great concept whichever way you go.

Dubcustomz

I was planning on making him resemble Doc, the head im using has a pull down visor which im gonna paint with chrome paint to resemble Doc's visor in BTTF PT2, and i was thinking of giving him some fiber-optic crazy hair too, but i haven't figured out how to do that yet.
He's gonna come with a small Marty figure as well with a hand made orange puffer jacket and jeans.
That would be cool but i have no clue how it would work, as all the pieces have to remain attached to something otherwise you get whats called a "parts former" and those arent very sexy, and are especially frowned upon in the Transformer community, i have a reputation to keep lol.

Thanks for all the comments everyone!

JMChladek

Ohhh, I LIKE that idea. Converting a figure of the appropriate size should be easy as 2 part epoxy putty can be sculpted to look like his puffer jacket easily enough.

Or you could put him in the Radiation suit and call him Darth Vader from planet Vulcan (complete with hair dryer and walkman).

Dubcustomz

Nah i was just gonna get the wife to make one from felt and stitch it together for me, shes handy with those sorts of things hehe.

Gotta make em earn their keep somehow! lol

Wes R

Reshelling modern transformers is a huge project for sure. I'd have gone with a Generations or Classics line personally to be way easier. This is going to be pretty cool though.

Darth Crucius

Dying to see how this turns out!

Landstalker

It'll be an improvement on the new TFs anyway, thay aren't as good as the old ones. I want to see how this turns out.