Test of Time: Power Rangers: Light Speed Rescue - Max Solar ZordBandai America/Japan
1999
Then price: $29.99 USD [approximate price at time of release]
Now price: Anywhere from $25 or + (depending on condition)
Availability: not exactly rare, but you won't find this in stores anymore.
Continuing with a Power Rangers' theme of Light Speed Rescue the sixth ranger's vehicle/fighting machine appears. This particular character is always someone mysterious or someone that the rangers have a connection to and usually is more powerful than a couple of rangers combined. Though sometimes the sixth ranger is powerful enough to be its own army. One of the common themes is that the sixth ranger's vehicle usually combines with the other rangers' vehicles bolstering the offensive and defensive capabilities. Usually this sixth vehicle is one piece that is slightly larger or smaller to the other five primary vehicles as well...
In the case of this series vehicle is modeled after a train shuttle hybrid decked out with solar panels. Why a train hybrid? Accuracy purposes of the show the vehicles all launched from a submerged base in the ocean. When it was time to go a launch bay rose up from the water and connected to a series of rails. The original five rangers' vehicles traveled in a massive train. While the Max Solar Zord traveled on its own rails or blasted off.
The gimmick and features:
Details in the form of stickers, painted chrome and gold accents.
Transformation capacity from vehicle to humanoid mode (Megazord), and can combine with the Light Speed Megazord.
Very little articulation
Transformation:
This is fairly straight forward. Take the forward plastic under ram scoop off take off the front nose section of the Zord, then unfold the arms. Pull down flap and lock it in place against the lower base legs. Pull off the upper torso and pull down a connecting piece, flip up the head platform and rotate 180 degrees, replace the other connecting piece. Join the two halves and attach the nose section to the pegs on the back. Finally take the ram scoop and flip out the guns, then plug it onto the molded fist of either hand.
In this mode the aesthetics is pleasing, the glitter stickers make for a toy that draws its audience in to play with it. But it's limited only by the fact like most of all the toys in this line there's very little articulation. Which given the fact the detailing and transformation capability is there makes up for the limited movement.
If you managed to get the Light Speed Megazord you are ready to combine them together to make the powered up version of the Solar zord, the Light Speed Solar Zord.
Combination Prep.:
In Zord mode, disassemble Zord into its component pieces.
Take the Light Speed Megazord and separate it at the waist, from there assembly can begin.
First take the bottom of the Solar Zord and release the plastic flap that stored the black and gold upper thighs. Now grip each side of the base and pull apart expanding the base. Lock the flap back onto the base and take the lower half of the Light Speed Megazord and flip the feet down, then insert into widen bay - successful connection will result in a snapping sound.
Step two: take the upper half of the Solar Zord and return the head piece into storage for vehicle mode. Flip this entire piece upside down and take that front connector piece and snap it ontop of the Light Speed Zord torso. Move the Solar Zord's folded cannons and wrap them around the thighs of the Light Speed Zord. Really at this point insert dirty innuendo...I even provided pics for your inspiration.
Now take the upper torso of the Light Speed Zord and attach it to the plastic connector from the torso of the Solar Zord.
Extend the Light Speed Zord's hands out until the grey part of the arms are extended. Then push the black ladder portion back into the grey, but leave the grey portion exposed...they should stay locked in place. Take the upper thigh pieces of the Solar Zord and slide them over the forearms of the Light Speed Zord (preferably silver sticker side up). The nose cone can be split and half, where the dark grey pieces can pushed away from the nose cone to form a narrow gap that slides over the shoulders of the Light Speed Megazord.
The ram scoop shield gets a little tweak where the lower gray cannons are flipped into the shield, they act as mounting pieces for the shield to sit in front of the chest of the Light Speed Megazord.
Finally flip down the plastic gold guns of the Light Speed Zord's head and slide the helmet onto the face.
Combination to form the Light Speed Mega Zord is complete! Really forming armor and dressing up a gigantic vehicle, ha.
The only real feature (which is available without having to do the transformation) is the flip out cannons built into the molded pieces of the hands for the Max Solar Zord. Articulation is still very limited, but if you wanted to you could flip out the arms so the cannons have an extended barrel, and throw in the sword for to show off the toy's ready for play time.
The Test of Time:
From 1999 to now a couple years shy of 20 years, color and attractiveness still remain. Limited articulation feels nostalgic to the time of these toys (and still does) that movement isn't everything but the mere fact to recreate the gigantic power of these characters is more than enough to please any kid. If concern for something that is a collectible more of an importance this is probably not one of the best toys to have.
Sure the toy has some great aesthetics value, but it really isn't a collectible as the asking price from Ebay for a used version of this figure isn't going to break the bank.
But this doesn't mean this should be passed on either! This toy is probably one of the first figures from Bandai America to be in the smaller scale (less plastic) with some excellent detailing and attention to details. It's probably about as close as you can get to the Japanese counterpart without paying double to triple the cost of import.
Durability wise, there is nothing on this toy that says its old. The only issues, aside from me misapplying some stickers all those years ago on the thighs, is there is a little sticker wear. Notice on the forearm one of the red stickers is missing. Given the age of this toy it's a miracle so many stickers still remain attached and not curled.
This toy definitely passed and would make a great vintage piece to reclaim some lost childhood.
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