Howdy, y'all.
I recently decided on a whim to finally produce my version of the Name Your Own "Create-a-Cobra". I first cooked up this idea after I first discovered the original in late 1998. I may still have a copy of his blueprints in WordPerfect 5.1 (DOS).
After having some initial difficulty with getting a head to sit still, I eventually came up with the pieces I needed and started painting.

My initial plans called for a purplish tint over Cobra blue, (or a marbleized look, like Viper v7). The closest I came was to use Apple Barrel's Royal Violet as a priming color. Then I used my recipe for Cobra Blue (found in the Customizing Guide) over the violet after it dried. The base coat for the padded stripes is the "yellowed" version of the Cobra Blue mixture. This is my figure after I reached a stopping point. (Notice that the waist, already in its one desired color, has been coated with Future Floor Finish.)

The reason I stopped here is that when I used a COIL Trooper (after being inspired by GITrekker's Ultra-Viper Commander), I noticed that if I left the grenades in their original shade of gray, the black, blue, and gray reminded me of the 1982-83 Cobra Officer.
Which brings me to the two questions I wanted to ask:

1. Should I paint the side stripes in sky blue (as I originally planned) or red (like the '86 Viper)?
2. Should I keep the grendades on the torso in gray, or paint them in a desert sand/tan color (as planned, back in 1998)?
3. Should I stop here, and finish clear coating?

Let me know what you think.
-- Cybertronian.

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I like him, much better then OG create a cobras bubblegum pink.

I think either color would look good for the pin stripe, I'd say try the sky blue first, it'll be easier to cover up with the red if you don't like it.

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I would lean towards the padding in the Light/Sky Blue. The Blue/Red viper palet only works in certain proportions and I think all the padding on that figure would be too much red...so I'd go with the lighter blue...almost similar to what the v1 Targat had.

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I already like him a lot like this. But I'm with danielb: try sky blue first, if not satisfied go red.
The grenades in grey look fine by me. Maybe one or two other highlights in grey too, so everything looks more cohesive.

Tim 121RVC

Apple Barrel Pool Blue has been added to the side of the legs with striking effect. He will carry a Accessory Pack #4 CG backpack and a Marauder Inc. modified rifle.

While working on this project, I have amassed a small army of Crimson Guard Immortals in a plan to eventually army-build my "Shadow-Viper" Create-a-Cobras. (more to come)

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very cool.

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While working on this project, I have amassed a small army of Crimson Guard Immortals in a plan to eventually army-build my "Shadow-Viper" Create-a-Cobras. So far I have 6 CGIs -- 2 crotchless, 4 with crotch. It turns out the only heads that will fit a TARGAT/Coil Trooper body (same goes for Rock-Viper and Crimson Sabotage heads) are those in such great condition, they have an extra piece of "parts tree branch"(?) hanging off the end of the neck ball. This "hanging chad" is the only thing keeping them from having "wobbly head syndrome". That being said, excessive layers of paint on the neck-ball and socket aren't a shabby remedy either.
In the end, only 2 to 3 CGI heads will be used, and I only planned to keep 2 CGIs whole. I have no plans for the remainder.

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