The much awaited upgrade parts for Ultra Magnus by fansproject is finally out and boy did they deliver!!!!!

Packaging:

The upgrade parts come in a blind box so pray that you get a good piece. (So far I dont have any complaints with the piece I got)

Inside you get…..

The trailer, manual/comic book and a sticker sheet. The trailer is made of hard plastic (Im not sure if its resin but the feel is hard plastic) with no die-cast parts.

Manual:

I first found the manual to be a bit since it depicted Prime against unknown robots led by Pharaohtron during the Egyptian times. But I guess it made sense since this is technically an unlicensed piece, they had to make some revisions. (Primus is refered to as Ra-mus while Prime is called Orion, reminiscent of Orion Pax in the series.)

The instructions were quite unique as it was incorporated into the comic book as part of the scene. (Strangely though, the color scheme and the base bot used in the manual is Prime so the Powered Convoy comparison pics posted MIGHT be a probability in the near future)

Trailer Mode:

Its not your typical car carrier. I think this set was more intended for Prime since the trailer looks more like a container trailer IMHO. Still it fits Magnus very well. You basically just pop it on Magnus and its all set to go.

Top view.

Side View.

Rear. Yeah the doors open but it CANT fit any classics toy inside. Theres no space inside for them.

Pre-transformation:

I thought the transformation for this would be complicated seeing a show its technically a garage kit. I was quite impressed on how easy it was to transform. Also it may look complicated at first glance but the comic style instruction guide was actualy quite accurate. It was actually more accurate and easy to follow compared to Takara or Hasbro manuals.

The parts fit well although Im a bit skeptical with the arm parts. Theres not much to fasten this area with so it can tend to slide off if not attached properly especially while holding the big-a$$ gun.

Armored Magnus!!!!

Attaching the armor pieces to Magnus is quite simple. Just folow the instructions and you cant go wrong. The only trouble parts I see here are the attachment of the leg parts as you have to put the leg in a certain angle. I was quite worried that outting too much force into the toy might break of a piece but the quality of the armor is quite good.

Ultra Magnus!!!

You can attach Ultra Magnus weapons for added bad-a$$ effect.

Fans-project thought of everything and they made sure evey part could be used for this set.

“Ultimate make-over indeed!!!!”

Ultra Magnus Equiped:

There are two ways to equip the gun. First is in the missle launcher mode as shown below and in riffle mode (pics to follow)

Launcher Mode:

This is the most stable way to hold the gun IMHO since the weight is equally distributed in the arm and it can prevent the joints of your Magnus from loosening.

Riffle Mode:

I dont recomend that you keep your Magnus displayed with the gun i this position. Its too heavy for Magnus arm and it can make the arm armor slide off if not displayed properly. Its good for a few photo shots but put it back in missle launcher mode if you’re displaying it.

Theres a way to make Magnus hold the gun in riffle mode without putting stress and thats by resting the gun on his knee as seen above.

Comparison Shots:

Prime looks so plain compared to Magnus. Unless Prime gets the similar treatment, expect Magnus to be the centerpiece of your Classics collection.

“I’m not worthy!!!!”

Kick Test:

Ok, I really dont want to copy this from Rohml but for the reviews sake…Armored Magnus fails due to the weight of the leg armor. My Classics Magnus was brought of the box only know and for this purpose so I believe the joints of my Magnus are still fresh yet it couldnt support the leg armor. Prime has to help Magnus pass this test.

Pros:

1. Excelent detail.
2. Very good plastic quality.
3. Fits perfectly with Ultra Magnus.
4. Excellent proportions.
5. Easy to follow manual
6. It increases classics Ultra Magnus look 100 times over!

Cons:

1. Price. For a “bootleg” kit its quite pricey but hey, its worth every peso.
2. The connection of the arm piece could use abbit of improvement.
3. the gun is too heavy and can cause UM’s arm joints to loosen.
4. Minor paint blotches but I think Im being a perfectionist.

All in all this upgrade kit really rocks! Fansproject really outdid themselves with this piece and if it they originally released Classics Magnus with this traielr its a candidate for toy of the year. This upgrade kit totally revamped a somewhat plain looking Classics mold and made it into a totally wicked new toy! If you have the money to spare get this! You will not be disapointed. The minor flaws can be overlooked and believe me, you wont be disappointed. Im really hoping they release the Powered Convoy color scheme for Prime cause really now, Classics Prime looks pale in comparisson to Magnus when he’s equiped with this bad boy.

This set gets a…

out of