Sporty scientist.

Actually, now that I think about it, Wheeljack has always been a sports car. In this case he’s no longer a Lancia Stratos Turbo, he’s a Ford Mustang GT.

Of all the Alternators that came out, the Wheeljack/Grimlock mold was the one that got the most backlash. Let’s see if he was worth getting that angry over.

Vehicle mode

The Alternators were all seriously impressive in their car modes and Wheeljack is no exception. Even though it’s kinda weird that Wheeljack turns into a Mustang and it’s kinda sad that he doesn’t have Wheeljack colours, the car mode here is still just perfect. Seriously, all the molded detail and paint here is nuts.

For playability, you get much more of it here than what you’d normally expect from a car mode. I’m covering all of it in the gimmick section though.

Transformation

This mold was infamous for it’s complex transformation. But that was back in what, 2005? After dealing with stuff like the ROTF Leader Optimus, Wheeljack’s manageable.

It is still pretty complex and tedious to go through though. Key word here is tedious; transforming Wheeljack is a bit of a chore.

Robot mode

Wheeljack doesn’t really look like Wheeljack but he does look very nice in robot mode. Apart from one problem.

That huge butt flap. It’s big, obnoxious and gets in the way. It can swivel up and down to get out of the way but it still always looks out of place.

Wheeljack has a lot more molded detail than I thought he’d have and is painted really well. Also, unlike most Transformers from this point in time, his proportions aren’t wonky or weird.

Posability on Wheeljack is a mixed bag. He’s got almost every joint you’d need but he’s sorely missing a thigh swivel. Wheeljack has a ball-jointed head. His arms rotate as well as go in and out at the shoulders. His elbows are ball-jointed. He’s got a waist swivel. His hips are ball-jointed and he bends at the knees. His feet can pivot at the ankle as well as move forward and back.

Gimmicks

The Alternators main gimmick was that they were model quality cars that could transform into robots but that doesn’t mean Wheeljack doesn’t have some tricks. I said I’d cover playability in car mode here right? Oh boy, there’s a lot.

In car mode, there’s a working steering mechanism; the front wheels are connected so that if you turn one, the other moves as well. The doors, hood and boot all can open. The interior has a molded interior and the engine bay has an engine.

Oh right, since this an Alternators Transformer, Wheeljack has rubber tyres but doesn’t have any diecast metal. Shame about the metal but Wheeljack rolls really well.

In robot mode, Wheeljack is armed with a gun that’s transformed from the car mode engine as well as a sword that stores underneath the car mode. Some of the Alternators had really sad and small weapons but Wheeljack’s ones are decently sized. His sword is more of a dagger though.

Toy or collectible?

Collectible.

Alternators and Binaltechs are getting rarer by the day so giving them to kids is a waste. They cost like RM120 ($30) used and RM250 ($63) new; Wheeljack is no exception. Also, if you were going to give an Alternators/Binaltech to a kid, it shouldn’t be Wheeljack (or Grimlock).

Closing

Man, even though some things didn’t age well, Wheeljack is still an impressive Transformer with an amazing vehicle mode. The fact that Wheeljack is considered a low point in the Alternators line is something that Hasbro should be proud of.

You probably might not want to start your Alternators collection with Wheeljack but you should pick him up and give him a shot at some point.