How are CTVT bodies for the DC retro figures?

[JimCem99]

I'm debating switching bodies for my Superman and possibly Green Lantern. Which body is the best? Are CTVT bodies "okay" for this? I'm just going to have them on display and won't be played with. Or should I go with DM or CAW (when they're in stock)? And if I do GL, how do I switch the hands out? Is that hard to do? Thanks!

Jim

[Spyweb007]

It's a gamble, sometimes they are fine, other times they're crumbling before you touch them. They are cheap enough, but you never know what your getting. When I use them for customs I order the entire figure that comes with the piece I need for $5 instead of ordering separate pieces, then I have plenty of extra bodies and pieces so if some are broken it's not too big a deal.

[JimCem99]

Thanks. I know they sell the 5 figures for $23 shipped. At the time, I need just one for Supes and maybe GL and BM when he comes out. And for those that crumble, do they have any return policy?

[CaptainTrenchcoat]

I did the switch on my GL to the Castaway body with little to no problems. I had one extra so I didn't have to wait. I didn't care about the Mattel body so I just destroyed it to get the head off. Popped the foreams of and switched them to CAT. Looks great now.

[apes3978]

I only own one CTVT body, but it has to be one of the "good" ones people refer to as it's solid and has held up for a few years now... I think you'd be alright with CTVT...

And as far as their "return policy", I don't know that specifically, but I do know one guy who buys a lot of stuff from them and rarely had any problems... The couple times something arrived broken, they quickly replaced it...

And for those that crumble, do they have any return policy?

[LovethoseMegos]

CAW are decent. I'd wait for them to come back in stock. I switched the hands and head using a hair sryer to heat it up first.

[Remco Monster]

CTVT are scary crappy. Go Castaway or Dr. Mego.

[JimCem99]

Well I bought 4 reg. caucasian bodies from Merlyn1976 in the Marketplace. I saw them for sale and figured to give them a shot and take them off his hands. These are the older type and he's going to restring them for me. If they don't work out, then I'll get from CAW which they should be in stock soon.

[D!n0-M@n]

I've found that in the case of CTVT bodies that "restringing" them in Mego "type 1" fashion isn't all that necessary. Granted, this is by and large a fairly simple solution. However, if you're like me and you prefer the "type 2-style" bodies, I've come up with a solution that I prefer and it works pretty well. I feel that this process is worth the effort which really doesn't require all that much. I've narrowed down the root causes to the horrid stances that these figures suffer from if unaltered and my solution was relatively painless and renders the figure "close" to a Mego standard.

I discovered that the four main flaws are the hip pins, the hip sockets in the pelvis, the waist socket in the pelvis and the hooks that hold the shoulders of the arms.

First, what I did to fix these flaws was to tap out the hip pin holes with the good old' Dremel and a cutting bit similar to a drill bit. Tap just enough to make the hole less snug for the hip pin and to insure that the hole is relatively round inside and out.

Then I made the hip pin round on the head end by sanding it slightly so that it can rotate completely when reinserted into the hip pin hole. Be sure to not make the head smaller than the hole diameter. Why the heads are oval rather than round is a good question. It defeats the entire purpose of a separate pin! If you look at a Mego and observe how the hips and the relative parts function and rotate when the legs are rotated then compare that to the way the CTVT's are stuck together you can see what I mean.

I then used the Dremel again, this time with a barrel sander head to widen the entire hip sockets on the pelvis. I suggest going all the way around a few times, test the fit and repeat if necessary. Compare the fit with a Mego's. I've always felt that the hip-balls on the legs of the CTVTs are too large for the hip sockets and by widening the sockets slightly the balls sit more snuggly into the sockets. I also found that scuffing the hip ball a bit seems to assist slightly in holding poses a bit better. Think Mego "type 1's" here and their bumpy hips.

I then performed the same type of widening operation to the waist socket of the pelvis. I suggest comparing the socket and its relative shape and size to that of a Mego just to get the proper dimension in mind and how the waist should fit into the waist socket and how it operates when in motion. Again, I found that the waist ball of the torso is too large for the socket in the pelvis and it sits too high out of the socket. Widening it slightly makes for a more proper fit. I again suggest a little sanding at a time with test fits in between. I also scuffed up the waist ball slightly for friction purposes as well.

And lastly, the hooks are nearly always bent in a way that restricts or negates their ability to rotate or swivel properly which is their function. Compare to a Mego by pulling the arm out slightly to get a look at how the hooks attached to the shoulder and elastic should rotate when the arm is rotated on the Mego. Bending and repositioning of the hooks is the most difficult part of the entire operation. Pliers, a flat-head screwdriver and a strong grip worked for me, but some may find that a means of better leverage may be required.

Then I just restrung the figure back together like that of a "type 2" Mego using the same elastics that came with the CTVT. A hook made from a strong wire coat-hanger worked great for assisting in the restringing process.
I know pictures are always a great tool for instructional purposes, but the process above is not too complicated and I hope that my descriptions are adequate.

I have performed these operation numerous times and have had pretty good success.

I hope it helps those beginners and those looking for an alternative to "type 1" elastic cord restrings.
Cheers!
Donovan

[jasonmego1277]

Agreed if switching the bodies on the retro action heroes, I'd say go with DM/EMCE bodies or Castway.....Stay away from CTVT bodies. I have not had one CTVT body that has not broken or cracked in some way shape or form.

[Fuzzysnail]

I'm debating switching bodies for my Superman and possibly Green Lantern. Which body is the best? Are CTVT bodies "okay" for this? I'm just going to have them on display and won't be played with. Or should I go with DM or CAW (when they're in stock)? And if I do GL, how do I switch the hands out? Is that hard to do? Thanks!

Jim

Jim, Im a big fan of Castaway bodies, because of the posibility factor, and the quality. PM me an address and I will ship you an extra I have for free, lmk what you think.

[JimCem99]

Jim, Im a big fan of Castaway bodies, because of the posibility factor, and the quality. PM me an address and I will ship you an extra I have for free, lmk what you think.

pm sent, thanks!

[Fuzzysnail]

No problem, happy to help.

[Fuzzysnail]

Just picked up my first Zica body...might just have to change my mind about my favorite.