G.I. Joe Defiant Space Vehicle Restoration: Part 3 - The Gantry & Crawler

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Michael takes the final challenge in one of the biggest restorations ever tackled, the Gantry-Crawler of the G.I. Joe Defiant!
#RetroBlasting
#GIJoeDefiant
#toyrestoration
#GIJoe

[@PlainKen]

My biggest WOW moment was the heat gun making the stress mark disappear. I hated getting those marks all the time. Even now I have my Slave 1 that has stress marks on the guns so I'm definitely gonna use this trick. Thanks Michael!

[@retroblasting]

Just remember. Low heat, six inches away at least, keep it moving, stay PATIENT.

[@PlainKen]

@@retroblasting When it comes to toy restoration I'm listening to you 100%

[@mattperson7293]

That factory error at the 23 mins is called a short-shot. Where the injection moulding process failed to fill the mould with enough plastic.

[@simonpaquet7161]

If my 10 years old self had known that in my forties, on weekend mornings, I'd still be watching GI Joe related stuff... I would have think it's amazing.

[@J-T-A]

"The toughest challenges bring the greatest rewards" ~ Guy who never had to fix a Defiant launch gantry

[@GarciaGungFuJKD]

I love how vintage toys, used highly detailed sculpting. You would never see that nowadays in a children's toy. Hasbro to their credit really paid attention to details. The engine room and control rooms are two examples. They didn't really need to do that and the toy would still work but wow.

[@cerethpainting6606]

The complexity of this thing is mind boggling. My neighbor had one of these growing up. I never played with it. Wish I had. His mom worked at k-mart and he always had the big stuff for instance, he also had fortress Maximus.

[@AL-ws5yi]

That’s a lot of work. You’re amazingly patient and meticulous. I would never be able to do that. Cheers to you.

[@carsonwalker8109]

Hearing that 30+ year old plastic pop and creak during reassembly is frightening.

[@Beer-can_full_of_toes]

My jaw just kept tightening waiting for that fatal pop which of course sounds no different from the normal pops of a gi joe arah vehicle.

[@slycooze150]

Wow, nail biting suspense when you where putting the parts back on. Favourite quote “grossly unengineered and hasbro should be ashamed” or something like that lol. Excellent job and can’t wait for the review!

[@MisaelCastilloBrenes]

Patience is the key, and patience... is half the battle 😅 I love the Defiant! thanks for restoring this gem from the past.

[@kieronball8962]

All I can say is... " You're a braver man than I am, Michael French. " It takes a great deal of love, skill, dedication and determination to achieve such an impressive toy restoration and you should be extremely proud of what you have achieved.

[@BobbyLCollins]

i remember drooling over this playset in the catalog brochures, along with the huge mobile command center. Nice resto.

[@JaygeSattler]

I just love that at one here point we’re almost literally watching paint dry, yet it’s somehow a riveting experience.

[@Gappasaurus]

Kudos to you Michael for all the patience & effort that went into this project, it paid off in the end 😁 As a bonus side effect, this & the Flagg series have successfully neutralized any foolish notions i had about wanting to obtain either of these, so Thank You for that, sincerely 😄

[@kristopherpreston419]

Holy Crap! Took me two days to watch the restoration and my anxiety was threw the roof! You are amazing and the Defiant looks amazing! I'm speechless. Hasbro did a number, but you did it man! What a beautiful peace of art. Great work 👏👏👏

[@greensrat]

Great restoration Michael! Kudos to the Retroblasting team for another great video. I'm curious if a 3D printer could make a crank holder backstop/ gear brace part that combines a crack holder with the gear braces. One piece held with 2 screws instead of 2 separate pieces.

[@dougjames4972]

I'm exhausted just watching you guys bring this behemoth back to life! So yes....REVELS!!

[@NESADDICT]

Seems like the most therapeutic thing to do ever. I use to take apart and fix old Nintendo’s and I loved it.

[@YourUncleBenis]

Hasbro's design philosophy for old G.I. Joe seemed to be "Let's make this thing as breakable as possible." All those plastic tabs, Yeesh! Kind of reminds me of the guys making that tank toy in the Santa Clause.

[@richardlongfellow6010]

It doesn't help when people are constantly removing parts that aren't meant to be removed.

[@thunderrobots1980s]

what about a block of wood cut to fit in the space behind the spiral of the crank?, also why not wrap those plastic pieces that the springs loop around in metal too? , you know the crawl space may have actually preserved the plastic and kept it from becoming dry and brittle do to the moisture in crawl spaces

[@g3ar3dup]

I just acquired a complete Defiant this past weekend. I will be restoring some parts of it, but mainly just cleaning it up and putting new repro decals on it. Your videos have been a huge help!

[@retroblasting]

Good luck!

[@jasonknight8581]

No disrespect intended to the subject matter, but who else paused at around 4:19 just to check out the displays around Michael? Pure 80's bliss.

[@denzense]

Amazing Michael... I've been watching your restauration videos non stop. Love them, you are a genius

[@GarciaGungFuJKD]

What an impressive toy. It's crazy to think there was a time when these things were on toy shelves.

[@badape3620]

I remember seeing this toy being at my local toys r us for years. It was very expensive and many people weren't interested

[@GarciaGungFuJKD]

@@badape3620 I'd imagine it was a combination of both price and size. Where would most kids put this thing? The same could be said of the U.S.S. Flagg

[@larrychilders6599]

Now they are on the shelves of collectors

[@B3tanTyronne]

That truly is a labour of love.

[@michaelbassett2056]

As a lifelong fan of G. I. JOE, I applaud you on this harrowing restoration. You Sir are truly magnificent in how you present all of your videos. I watch all your videos for educational purposes, entertainment, and most of all the nostalgia of 1980's toys.

[@Gappasaurus]

Hasbro certainly didn’t have long-term survival in mind for these vehicles, especially the giant ones. Got me thinking: imagine if they had gone with Adventure People-levels of plastic durability! They would still be so affordable & plentiful that we’d ALL be able to have Flaggs & Defiants today, thanks to being nearly indestructible 😄

[@ssj1jason]

imagine the gold mine of $$$ Hasbro isn't capitalizing on now.... I would easily pay "Has Lab" $$$$ for a re issued USS FLAGG or Defiant

[@samuelruggieri2117]

They certainly weren't going for Lego quality, that's for sure. I was surprised the Defiant after so many years was that brittle.

[@chrisworsley8836]

Wow. That whole thing was a nail biter... Great work, and I do mean WORK! Love the restoration video. Really makes me appreciate what a pain all those playsets I pined for as a kid but never got were! Keep up the awesome work!

[@313cardcollections6]

Amazing ! Congrats on your rebuild! I am so looking forward to the final review. Its a pretty impressive toy that needs to be archived and displayed with pride. Hasbro R and D were constantly up against corporate managers to cut corners and cost for these engineering masterpieces. Its a shame that where they cut corners were areas that needed reinforced parts and sturdy components to keep them working in thier original intent. Many times we see the failures of the Hasbro builders by no fault of thier own. The designers should get all the credit for these awesome toys. It again shows a declining line in teamwork within a corporate structure. But, the design did make it to the shelves regardless. Now it is left to others and yourself to see the problems and fix them in hindsight. Thank you for showing it can be done. Congrats!

[@Vincent-396]

Thank you for all the information. It will definitely come in handy when I restore my Defiant.

[@sxhbk]

Michael look at you...... Retroblasting Engineer ... another solid video brother..

[@user-bx4nf5xl6c]

Michael, thank you so much for doing these videos! I find them informative, fun to watch, and motivational. After spinning my wheels on restoring my own Defiant, I finally have complete both the shuttle and booster and that’s in part because of this series of restorations. After watching part 2 on the booster for the third time, I finally tackled my booster while my children were taking a nap, and I’ve never had a more stressful yet rewarding experience. Right now, my Gantry is sitting in the garage but after watching this, I have found a “sooner then later” mentality in restoring it. Thank you again for all you and everyone at Retroblasting do, you are appreciated!

[@henrytoledo4103]

I'd like to see what a really good miniature/landscape painter could do with one of these if told just to paint it entirely in a realistic color palette. Don't worry about a perceived loss of value just make it look the best possible

[@ytrefugee113]

Amazing restoration! Thats definitely a centerpiece, hope one day you open a toy museum. If Hasbro made these today it would be a "crowdfund", probably $1500-$2000, and theyd hold your money for 2 years before actually shipping them. These companies have become so greedy!

[@byteme6620]

Your Biggest Ballz of em all, toy restoration is way bigger than most. Great Job on this massive undertaking. May have to go Metal reinforced on both hook points, to prevent further deterioration.

[@dr.coffinnails]

Fascinating! You have a LOT more patience than I do, Michael. Great video.

[@DougPalumbo]

Holey Moley! Great restoration, successes and set backs. I’m sure with this community, someone will be able to come up with a solution for the lift mechanism.

[@NICKSTOYBARN]

Great video.. Thx for sharing.. 👍😎👍

[@georgelea4297]

Thanks Michael, another awesome repair and video

[@TheSillySils]

These are like Bob Ross videos. Super calming. I dont even collect Joes.

[@bioniccop40]

I don't collect G.I. Joe (80's*) myself but I'm a G.I. Joe Adventure Team Era Only Collector (1976-1978). But I love watching these videos of the Big Items from the 80's Joes.

[@Vincent-396]

Great advice, as always. Apologize for nothing you do. Keep up the great job.

[@minitower]

Damn man, you have balls restoring this giant play set back to its former glory. It’s clear that you love what you doing.

[@JSteplyk]

Does Michael, with his restoration skills, remind anyone of Geri the toy repairman in Toy Story 2?

[@jamespero6803]

This is why i bought mine complete and in working order.. I dont know how u have the patience for these restorations

[@Deviax28]

was thinking of restoring one of these for fun. But this seems to be more frustrating than what its worth. But great job with what you did to restore yours.

[@jeremyobryant5264]

This is the style of videos that I enjoy most from retroblasting.

[@nategreen8093]

Great job once again!!! Thank you For letting us watch you bring it back to life .

[@stevenoyos4537]

Excellent Vid, I was able to acquire a almost complete defiant 2 years ago for $275 in good condition it was missing the ladder,center fin and the umbilical cord all which I obtained over time and now it's complete the seller wanted $750 at first but after months just wanted to get rid of it and lowered the price he originally offered it to my buddy but since he passed I bought it and that's when everyone wanted it

[@Steven_Andreyechen]

Looks fantastic! Glad to see it finished.

[@samanthaadams619]

Well done, and much respect! The Defiant looks like a dream.

[@soras7183]

I don’t like asking when the reviews coming out but I’m curious and very excited for it

[@Bather12]

bloody brilliant! Well done team. Entertaining, nerve wracking and incredibly satisfying. Kudos x

[@Brian_is_Not_Sus]

I love the creaking sounds of the plastic as your restoring it.

[@ericlewis217]

@ 14:10 I keep my gantry on a wood board to take the stress off the wheels, like the idea of using my yearbooks. IMO the greatest playset ever created

[@scorpiostwo]

Great job at putting this monstrosity back together. I had a friend who had this and I always found it to be a mess of a toy. I stopped collecting Joes in part because I found other interests and because I found that Joe had moved away from it being military and I wasn't interested in all this space stuff.

[@zarnistastudios]

Fantastic tribute at the end and amazing journey on this one.

[@craigdixon6496]

After that fast rant about Hasbro (28:06), I had to pause the video to laugh a little, awesome Mike!

[@jeremylemings]

I think you had the right idea with the metal piece for the crank shaft at 11:50. Maybe a thicker piece of metal and something secured to the structure in the trough on either side of the bar butting up against the metal to keep it from moving when the gear turns? I'd glue acrylic rods/bars to the sides of the trough running from the metal to that first plastic V rod guide, but that's me. I hope you find a solution that works for you in the future.

[@henrytoledo4103]

Don't worry about the haters. You're doing a great job. No matter what the hobby there will always be "know-it-alls", they're just an unfortunate side effect/mutation present in any fandom

[@tootyuk]

Enjoyed watching all 4 of them mate, amazing work well done

[@retroblasting]

Thanks!

[@TheMsLourdes]

If you have a vernier caliper, can you get us the width of the channel, the length of the gaps between and the width of those little vanes all through the channel as well as the depth of the channel itself? Also, height of the rod from the bottom of the channel to the bottom of the rod and the thickness of the rod.

[@sootyhough]

I epoxy glued a metal nut onto the end of the crank rod to stop it backing out as i had the same issue. It worked perfectly and is still working. Hit me up if you would like photos trust me it works.

[@VerdunWW1]

Glad to see its finally done :)

[@pdtraill]

Impressive work, well done for doing this.

[@Shockwave-ob2tx]

Wow, now that's what I call dedication. Or obsession, one or the other...;). Good job Michael, looking forward to the review

[@b-retrogamer2324]

What a sight to behold

[@RetroMono]

Great restoration!

[@defaultdaniel]

Hi Retroblasting, at 10:45 you show us the broken valley walls that allow the crank rod to back out when turning. I found an easily solution for this (and I saw you used Lego for other fixes) - a basic 2x4 flat plate. It can be studded, and it can be a technic one w the 3x holes in it (if it is, you don't have to drill!) Otherwise simply drill a hole right in the middle of the flat 4x2 and shave approximately 3mm off each long edge (to make it a pinch less long). At that point I put the crank shaft through the hole, put some crazy glue around the perimeter of the brick, and slid it right into place. The old remnants of the broken wall holds it into place perfectly.

[@vagtav310]

I could watch the video even if it was a day long!Dope!

[@jeffschuman9658]

Fantastic video series, Michael. I know this one was a long long time in coming together, and from this end, it was well worth the wait. I stopped collecting ARAH in '86 after series 5, so the Defiant (say that in Avery Brooks' voice lol) never really was of interest. Then you started this restoration. Then I watched GI Joeburg's review (which is a great review btw). And NOW...well now I'm obsessed lol. Really interesting info on all of the engineering issues associated with the design and use of the Defiant; gave me a whole new appreciating for what happens behind the scenes before we ever even see a toy on the shelf. Great job, sir!

[@witchywoods267]

Holy cow! I didn’t even know this existed

[@lancers7]

man how did any gijoe toys survive? this thing looks like its made of balsa wood. Fun watch though

[@larrychilders6599]

A lot of luck, all of my joe's I bought are with missing bits or have broken bits

[@batangbatugan]

Weak plastic and under-engineered parts aside, I would still give props to Hasbro for the Defiant's amazing amount of detail. Even the detail piece at 21:37 could have just been left off and that area would just be an empty cavity. Instead, they found a way to make it a look like the main junction box for the launchpad section's coolant and hydraulics. In my opinion, the entire Defiant Space Shuttle complex is a mini-city probably even more detailed than the Mobile Command Center. The heat gun trick and the tape dispenser fix would make MacGyver proud. Congratulatons on another successful restoration, Michael!

[@CyrusB1]

"I apologize for nothing" Hoosiers

[@riderbuzz2606]

great job rb,you are the best at toy restros

[@impossiblepie]

Congrats on the restoration Michael!! Awesome video! If there was ever a fix for the crankshaft, would you attempt to take apart the gantry to fix it? Also thanks for letting us all know the real purpose of highschool year books!!! I think if I ever had the opportunity to buy the defiant I'd be happy with just the space shuttle section.

[@Gappasaurus]

Apparently Hasbro came to the same realization about the shuttle, which i guess is why they re-released it by itself two years later as the “Crusader” 😅

[@retroblasting]

Yes I will happily go back and fix the crankshaft when a fix materializes

[@impossiblepie]

@@retroblasting awesome, I hope in the future a fix is possible!

[@Zen_walker]

Great video! I will be re-watching as I go over my Defiant.... also anyone want to buy a Defiant :)

[@fud1238]

40:28 I echoed your "ooh!"

[@matthewroe4838]

Amazing.

[@EricOSullivan]

Gratitude 🙏🏻

[@TheGreatSteve]

22:50 I don't think they pushed enough plastic into the mould, or some air got trapped.

[@scottknudsen6611]

Best. Disclaimer. EVER! :)

[@dionwellon2192]

could you use a small block of wood between the honey come with a v notch .dremell out the plastic piece the washer would go up against the block ,epoxy in the wooden block ?

[@retroblasting]

Not a bad idea!

[@dionwellon2192]

@@retroblasting i have the same problem with mine that is my idea of fixing it my problem i have no springs for mine

[@retroblasting]

Just remember, the springs were there to alleviate the weight off the gear system. If you attempt to lift it via the crank under full load without the springs, the gears could crack up.

[@Gappasaurus]

That’s what I was thinking too, and if not a V-notch, maybe just cut a narrow U-channel into the block, just enough to fit around the rod, to give maximum surface area for the washer to push against 🤔

[@tydiriumhanger1320]

All of your videos are excellent but your Star Wars restorations brought me to your channel. I really love your tear down and rebuilds of these vintage vehicles. I would love to know what all the costs were involved with these especially with the huge 2020 vintage price hikes. Thanks for the great content!

[@retroblasting]

The cost in parts alone for this restoration was around $1000. Keep in mind that was only worth it because the other $1000 in parts was still there and 98% of the clips and wings and hatches were unbroken.

[@artkingofwholefoods74]

Jesus. I NEVER knew about that stress mark removal method! Thanks Retro! Milliput for the spiral piece???

[@Beer-can_full_of_toes]

To me the rarest part of the defiant crawler are the three cannon control turrets with unbroken ears. I only have one for mine somehow and I’m pretty sure they were all broken before it was put into storage years ago. I’m currently working on figuring out a repair/replacement for those ears.

[@spideysweb7484]

I still have this vehicle from my childhood. I do not know if i missed it when u put it together. But there is a part that goes in the drivers cabinthat plugs into the black cannon and hangs down inside the cabin

[@erik352]

Wow! great job as always Michael! How did you glue the metal parts to the broken pieces? I really love your restoration videos! I dont collect gi joes, but its always a treat watching you do the repairs!

[@retroblasting]

JB Weld

[@christopherdeleon2095]

12:40 for now you could get a block of wood in the proportions of that hole, drill a hole level to the metal rod, then saw some material off the top so that the central rod has clearance for installation. Here are some bad drawing to help explain what I mean: imgur.com/a/kFI8LgK

[@LukeWarm05]

Just picked up a Defiant! Fresh from 30 years in an attic and complete down to Hardtop's mic! It has just a few broken spots but all the broken off parts are still with it and nothing that can't be repaired. But it's FILTHY and in need of a tear down/cleaning. And I am dreading dealing with the crawler!

[@user-bd5md5cm2j]

Take a metal washer and slide it down to the Brocken section on the rod. Hot glue it to the main body

[@andrebarbosa224]

A small piece of 1/16" thick steel cut in a horseshoe shape that fits into the channel behind the crank should do it, just has to fit snug against the inside so it can catch against the bottom of the broken backstop. run a thin bead of jb weld up the sides and you should be good. In extreme cases you could cut a niche into the plastic wall of the trench for the jb weld to have an additional anchor point to grab a hold of.

[@ToonamiT0M]

For the issue with the lifter screw needing a brace, my first thought was not for a thin wall but a thick cube of plastic with a groove in it. It would go in before the poll and would extend the length of the gap and possibly provide multiple points of connection to distribute the force across the frame.

[@retroblasting]

That was my idea in essence also. I just don't have the skills to fabricate it.

[@ToonamiT0M]

@@retroblasting This is where wandering the aisles of a hardware store would be handy. Knowing what you want but not being sure how to make it, then just happening upon that exact thing you never thought about and is perfect. Unfortunately, wandering a store isn't something we can do right now.

[@javierboughton5386]

Michael. Great video as always. You say a lot that lt was in a crawl space, but can’t find in the 4 videos you made if you bought it or if it was donated or are you just repairing it for someone.

[@javierboughton5386]

Hadn’t finished the video and you said it was gifted. Thanks

[@peterdunlap7126]

wow its so massive how did little kids pick this thing up. amazing work ! Were the ships and the gantry sold separately or together?

[@peterparker6584]

was 2 ships the alll wight 1 came with this sat.the black and wight 1 was sold on it oun

[@DegeneragentX]

gonna snag a few more Hardtops (without mics of course) as maintenance crew? (Like how the Joe catalogs had the Flagg swarming with Shipwrecks)

[@pkeel7576]

I’ve given you some crap in the past but this was a very very well done resto

[@Transfixed]

For the crank backstop, what if you sliced the adjacent walls and inserted a metal band spanning across the channel?

[@quicksilva125]

What type of glue did you use to bond the inverse gun tab?