So about a month ago, my buddy at work (who collects toys 'n stuff) hands me a toy catalog, and says "Hey Fiero-boy, they're making a Fiero Autobot!". I'm like "yeah , yeah, yeah..." thinking it was either a re-release of "sparky" the gobot (which I have) or that punch-counter-punch guy (which is an old transformer). Then he showed me the grainy pic. This guy was NOT one of those! Looked like a maroon notchback. It is a Japanese Transformer called "Nutchback II" (how original ) Heck, I never knew there was a "Nutchback I" (probably wasn't) and what the hell is a "Nutchback?" (maybe done for legal reasons, or bad traslation? Probably due to legal reasons...)
Anyway, they don't call it a Fiero (They call it a "sportscar") (yea! )
So I pre-ordered it. It came today at work, right before I left. I'll post some pics of it and tell ya what I think of it in a few... I'm kinda torn. I WANT to like it, but it has a few annoying things about it. Most that can be fixed...
(And no, this isn't an April fool's hoax. )
-FieroRumor
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[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 03-31-2005).]
Ok, Where to start…? Well, for a “limited edition” thing, this looks like a “knock-off”. The Box was in black-and-white…I opened it up, and it was just kinda thrown in there. It is badly painted (there are BRIGHT red parts, and maroon pieces.)
It DOES have some good detail on places (like the “dash” shoulder parts) But then is lacking in others (There is no vent in the quarterpanel, the seats aren’t painted, etc). Some of the plastic is flimsy, and a few pieces have those “stress cracks” in them. Also, there is no friggin HEAD.
Note the “barely attached”chest piece with “Falling off” action” (It’s glued on with 2 cents of glue)
I know that some early transformers , like Ironhide:
didn’t have a head, but this one is just kinda silly. COME on! A SPOILER for a head?
Something HAD to be done. So, I took the head from Ultra Magnus and plopped it on. It fit “ok”:
If it is reshaped and repainted, it might work. As for Actually “transforming” the thing…ugh. It is NOT something for the squeamish.
One of the wings popped off (cheap glue) and it just doesn’t look right. Looks a bit stretched.
Speaking of Stretched, the legs just look too darn long. I think it looks better like THIS:
(a fine example of my MSPAINT skillz)
And WTF is up with its hands? 4 fingers? *sigh* And they should have made the rear bumper split like the dash, and cover the hips or something, it looks a bit odd the way it is...
edit: Ohhh, two of the wheels pop off, and they attach onto the sides of the hip. (Looks kinda dumb though...)
It was SUPPOSED to come with a shield (that looked like a nose badge) that said “Nutchback II” , but they didn’t include it. Also, no other type of weapon, or even an instruction sheet. It came with a photocopied half-sheet of paper with 502/5,000 written on it, and a horribly broken English explanation of how to convert it from car to robot and back again. I left that at work on the Xerox machine (hafta get it tomorrow morning)
“Nutchback II” is a limited edition Transformer - 5,000 were made… I have a feeling they won’t sell out. For 40 bucks, I’d rather buy a few Yat-Mings. Maybe I’ll save it and sell it on Ebay. Or give it away in a contest.
Nah, It DOES kinda look cool next to my Voltron, but I DO hafta do something about that lack-of-head business. And b1tch to them about the shield. A minor thing, but I’m a little ticked off. Oh well, it IS a Fiero…
Must sleep.
-FieroRumor
[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 03-31-2005).]
Update: I received an email from a PFFer wondering more about this guy...
It is "new" and I'm not sure they will be selling them. I sent an email to both to Hasbro and the reseller, and things got kind of weird. Hasbro replied within 15 minutes. Then, We went back and forth with some pretty weird email exchanges...
First they denied even making it.
I replied saying that I HAD one, and Attached a few pics.
Then, they replied back, asking me if I was from Pontiac.
(Dang, 90 bucks for THAT?!? oh, sorry, it is only 20+ bucks...it's just overpriced on that one website) , etc) and this one was more of a pet project. They only made 23 of them (not sure how I ended up with number 505/5000 if they only made 23... ) . They weren't meant to go into production, and weren't even really "finished". They are basically quickly painted protypes (hence, the paintjob and crappy gluejob). The webpage off the transformer site that featured the "Hutchback II" is no longer working, not sure what happened, but I find it hard to believe Pontiac would care about this THAT much (then again, they DID pester a few people on here for selling stuff with the pegasus logo on it). That is annoying, because they had a 3D rendered movie that went from Robot to car, and that seems to be gone as well.
Bahhhh. Oh well. They offered a refund(I think they just wanted it back) but I declined. Even without the shield, it should be worth SOMETHING someday. ( Not that I would sell it)
I haven't heard back from the reseller yet, but looking at a few of their other items, it appears they DO sell prototypes, molds, unpainted figures, and other non-production stuff. I may try ordering another one from them, just to see what happens... Heh, this is kinda like that Boba Fett figure that had the firing missile, that never saw the light of day...because people were scared kids would shoot their eye out...
Maybe they didn't finish him, there seems to be a place to attach a head, it has a hole there in the middle of the decklid...one of the pics on here http://www.robot-japan.com/images/NB-84/ (page missing this morning? *sighs*) looked like it had a gun and the car had an an indy scoop, (possibly would have been his head in robot mode?) The one I bought didn't mention the scoop, or gun, only the shield...
Oh, The friggin instruction sheet is not in the Xerox machine..grrrr Hafta see if I can find that. I have a copy of it at least...
[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 03-31-2005).]
Glad to see you were wise enough to put unicron away from the others...he might munch on them.
Do you have any Quintisons? (did they ever make them?) I think my favorite one is that new optimus prime. I got one off Ebay, They said it was the japanese version, but it was the American one. Short stacks. Oh well.
Not that I actually PLAY with 'em.
[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 03-31-2005).]
It looks like it was made from Revell's 85 GT kit, is it about 1:24 scale?
It sounds like a cheap knock-off of something else. Back when Gundam models were popular, there were knock-off kits made by a company called Bendi (as opposed to Bandai) ande they came packaged similar to what you described (and the 'quality' of the product). Even though you got MOST of him, I'm suprised they didn't take the money and run.
Hi, i thought the only real transformer fiero was punch/counterpunch a small low detail robot. But you could make a cool looking fiero robot out of that one, its pretty detailed.
How much was it? I think I want one, cheap quality or not.
It was 40 bucks. (= about 20 bucks for shipping - I HATE buryng overseas...ouch. pain in the wallett!!!!) According to the place I got mine, they said they are all sold out. I somehow doubt that.
quote
Hi, i thought the only real transformer fiero was punch/counterpunch a small low detail robot. But you could make a cool looking fiero robot out of that one, its pretty detailed.
Yeah, The GoBot is "Sparky", The old Transformer is the one you displayed...
This "Nutchback" one ends up looking like that "four seater" Fiero that was at the 20th anniversary thing. From the front, it's not too bad though.
IP: Logged
03:21 PM
black Fiero SE Member
Posts: 341 From: New Hampshire Registered: May 2004
I see only 2 tires. Where are the other two tires? Could you also post a picture of what it looks like in car form?
The other two tires come off. After I snapped those pics, I realized that they attach on the side of the hips. My wife needed to borrow the camera for her class, I'll snap a few pics of the robot with the tires on it and in its car form.
Even if that is an April Fools joke, I still really want to get one of those. I think that think looks so cool!
Well, The Cooper Mini one is about 20 bucks...and you can use the Fiero parts off a model, or a yatming, or a new Bright...
I'm actually gonna fix it up so it looks better, and finish it with some type of head. I was taking a few pics of it a few days ago, when I though of creating this thread. Sorry if I got a few of you drooling over a joke, but maybe you can build yer own now!
) Heck, I never knew there was a "Nutchback I" (probably wasn't) and what the hell is a "Nutchback?" 
(maybe done for legal reasons, or bad traslation? Probably due to legal reasons...)
)
Nice find, and looks like it will be fun to mod.
subaru, 
