I've mentioned how 1986 was really my "big year" when it came to getting into GIJOE and COBRA. In 1986, you may already know that the Dreadnok Thunder Machine was new that year. It came with Dreadnok driver, Thrasher.
Along with the Dreadnoks vehicle of destruction, I also had Zandar, Zarana, and the Swampfire in my early collection back in the day. That is how my Dreadnoks were shaping up at the start of things. That's kind of an interesting mix of characters now that I think about it, Zarana, Zandar, and Thrasher.
I can't recall off hand if this was a birthday or a Christmas present back in the day. And, I don't know if this is THE very Thunder Machine from back in my day, either. I know I had two Thunder Machines at one point, and I think I picked the better one to keep in my big vehicle draw downs in the past few years. Not knowing that sort of bugs me, more since it's a memory thing, but it also bugs me in that I had been accumulating so much and not really getting much enjoyment out of it.
But it has a tow hook. And front steering wheels . And real rubber wheels. And a JET ENGINE. And a rear view mirror. And removeable armor plate. And foot pegs for eight! And a big twin barrel machine gun with ammo.It's a lot of detail. Headlights, tail lights, roof-top lights, emergency lights, and whatever that thing is with the yellow dot.
It's a lot of that very detail that was a decision in me keeping this vehicle when I was making cuts in my motor pool. Everybody, every faction took a cut. The Dreadnoks lost a Swampfire (my 2nd one), two Air Skiffs, and two Cycles.The Thunder Machine is really pretty awesome, and thinking back, this was kind of my main Cobra "Jeep" back in the day. I had a STUN at about the same time, but when it came to just normal "army guys" style action I think I used the Thunder Machine more often that not. (versus a Tiger Cat, ha!) I did have a Cobra Stinger join in the mix at a later point, though.
Thrasher was really one of THE big characters, I mean big as in tough, He came with a stick and spiked ball (that's how I thought of it). As much as I would have rather have had a gun instead, I at least was able to find a spot to store it on the Thunder Machine. Hard to say if that is what that open spot behind the seats was left for, but it works!Of course, I've lost the antenna. I don't really remember the antenna at all. And I'm trying to remember it, but was it just left on the parts tree? I dunno... (if anyone has an extra, wink, wink....)
I don't think I ever "elevated" the gun barrels when I was playing with the Thunder Machine back in the day, I was one of those guys for the most part that felt like, I don't know, non-destructive to my stuff. I wasn't gonna chance breaking something. Looking at it now, it is a nice simple thing, and really, how many toys nowadays have just big chunky blocks with cylinders sticking out of it. The detail is there, and that's good design in my book. Seriously, what toy in recent general retail-o-sphere has a front "cage" brush guard this thin? It could have just been left without that little feature from the get-go.
The interior is pretty accessible, the whole top comes off without me feeling like something is going to snap or some tab is going to wear down. And it's got seat and floor details, as well as dashboard gauges and controls. Man, if this is 25 some years old, that's 25 five years worth of toy design that should have been evolving into things we have today!
And you know, since archive pictures and other reviews don't show the bottom sometimes, I thought I would. Just for the heck of it.
I guess as I write, I should say I'm considering chopping more vehicles off the shelves. But for the size and basic nice design of this vehicle, I'm thinking this one is a keeper.What do you think of the Thunder Machine? Have you never had one? Did you only have the Beast Blaster? (that's one S.F. vehicle I never had, although I did see it in the stores back in the day)
I have never seen this T.A.C. page, either, until this write up.
Evilface has a nice custom here. Look at how tough this looks with the new detail!
Here's an older picture I took with the Dreadnoks hanging out by the Thunder Machine:
The Thunder Machine has played an important part in helping Cobra stay dangerous.
