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FTC KISS figure head transplant?

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  • CKMBDavis
    Member
    • Nov 21, 2013
    • 59

    FTC KISS figure head transplant?

    Apologies in advance if I come across as a total noob here because, well, I am.

    I've been an avid collector and customizer of wrestling figures for several years now, but have only recently been bitten by the "Mego bug", having owned several as a kid (still do, in fact) and am looking forward to rebuilding and adding to my collection. I'm also a huge KISS fan, hence the following question:

    Is it possible to "transplant" the FTC KISS figure heads and/or outfits to a more standard sized Mego-like body? I've recently picked up the first series of FTC KISS figures but was slightly disappointed in how "small" they looked compared to Mego figures I've owned in the past. I also encountered issues with the bodies being twisted just enough to prevent them from standing up properly. I've seen articles about how to restring certain body types, but I'm not sure if that would solve the problem or not. Any info or assistance is most appreciated -thanks to all!
  • boss
    Talkative Member
    • Jun 18, 2003
    • 7204

    #2
    The outfit switch should be easy. The only difficulty you may run into is that the FTC bodies are slightly smaller than "regular" mego bodies. The outfits may be a little more snug, but they should still work.

    You should also be able to transplant the heads. In most instances I would recommend heating up some water and dipping the head in to soften the vinyl. The problem with the KISS heads is the rooted hair. If you get that wet with hot water, you may have a mess on your hands. Instead, I'd recommend carefully twisting the head and pulling to get it out. If it starts to tear at the neck plug, you're probably stuck. On the other hand, if you don't mind ruining the FTC body you can always bust it open to get the head out. I would then recommend dipping the neck plug in hot water to soften the vinyl before trying to push it into your new body. Just be careful not to get the hair wet.
    Fresh, not from concentrate.

    Comment

    • EMCE Hammer
      Moderation Engineer
      • Aug 14, 2003
      • 25679

      #3
      You can also try warming with a hair dryer to soften heads. Just be careful not to melt the hair.

      Comment

      • CrimsonGhost
        Often invisible
        • Jul 18, 2002
        • 3568

        #4
        The KISS heads swap out pretty easy without heating, because the neck plugs are on the small side. Consequently, the KISS heads are loose in an original Mego torso. They would probably fit better in a Doc Mego body as the neck hole is smaller, but I haven't tried it. A little tape around the neck plug should help.
        Expectation is the death of discovery.

        Comment

        • CKMBDavis
          Member
          • Nov 21, 2013
          • 59

          #5
          Awesome -thanks to all of you. I've customized a ton of wrestling figures in the past, so I'm no stranger to the "heat & pop" procedure - this certainly sounds like something I can handle.

          If I may ask, what's the difference between a Doc Mego body, the Mego-like bodies sold on CTVT, or even the Type S Retro bodies? (Besides the smaller neck hole that CrimsonGhost already mentioned).

          Comment

          • MegoMoe
            Member
            • Feb 13, 2014
            • 95

            #6
            Please post pics when you are finished!

            Comment

            • jds1911a1
              Alan Scott is the best GL
              • Aug 8, 2007
              • 3556

              #7
              Originally posted by CKMBDavis
              Awesome -thanks to all of you. I've customized a ton of wrestling figures in the past, so I'm no stranger to the "heat & pop" procedure - this certainly sounds like something I can handle.

              If I may ask, what's the difference between a Doc Mego body, the Mego-like bodies sold on CTVT, or even the Type S Retro bodies? (Besides the smaller neck hole that CrimsonGhost already mentioned).
              I have seen some variations in neck hole size even among vintage mego t2 chests

              The Mego, Doc and figures bodies all use the same styleing but the doc's are a heavier grade plastic and ctvt's early bodies are a thinner grade plastic than vintage mego (and tend to be vrittle at joints). The more recent Figures toy bodies seem to be closer in thickness to vintage mego so I havedn;t had any break yet. the figures/ctvt body is a bit smaller (almost like the mold was taken from a vintage part and it shrunk a little in the process)

              Type S is an evolution of the classic mego design for more posability and no elastic in the construction form Cast a way


              BBP made a "more Muscular" body for Flash gordon with Bicep swivels like vintage LJN had

              these photos help show the differences (I love acessorrty check)



              Comment

              • GUYx1
                FORMER MEGO COLLECTOR
                • Apr 20, 2005
                • 549

                #8
                Just a note for body swapping. The first several series of Kiss figures have heads perfectly in scale with Mego Flash Gordon figures.
                (I tried it - they look amazing on 10" bodies.)
                By Series 5, the Kiss figures had 'smaller' heads that are better scaled for 8" mego bodies.
                When I say smaller, this is in no means tiny, but they look very nice.
                The Hands of the Kiss Figures are still pretty small.
                Cheers,
                Guyx1

                Comment

                • firestarcomics
                  Museum Patron
                  • Jun 19, 2014
                  • 139

                  #9
                  I hope you have resolved the issue. I have both the 8 and 12 inch Mego KISS reissues and the 8in have very tightly strung bodies...I was re stringing all of the 8in and broke Gene's head so, I had to fix it and it's ok now. Its hard to remove the heads and once I broke Gene's head I tried another way. I pulled their legs and cut the elastic and re strung each one that way instead without messing with the heads. I really disliked Paul as a figure since he has a weird head,odd makeup application and messed up hair.

                  Comment

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