Vintage Blue Thunder Toy Restoration - Toy Polloi

[@LB-oz9hv]

I had this in the early 1980's, loved the toy and the tv series.

[@geekstrong1]

I can't believe you made a pattern for the rear wing 💪🤩 I know you have made patterns before, but I didn't expect this. you ROCK my friend 🤜🤛.

[@toypolloi]

You’re welcome 😊

[@chrismayer3919]

Dave has been repairing toys since forever; he’s an old hand at adaptation and modifying. I knew he’d save that toy somehow. ✌️🙂

[@gilbertcastro5279]

I used to have one . I loved that thing. It eventually wore out and broke. It became a battlefield casualty in the Warzone called my back yard. Good times.

[@jackteacher1853]

I liked the TV show as a kid and didn't discover the movie until a bit later. I never even know this toy existed but would definitely have wanted one if I had. Great work, as always.

[@paulwalsh2344]

LOL For me it was the exact opposite how I was introduced to Blue Thunder. But regardless, I never even knew this toy existed but it is a really really cool piece and very interesting to watch Dave's fantastic repair skills in action yet again !

[@ZombieFBody]

Never saw the show, Airwolf was my jam, but the movie was a constant VHS rental for me as a kid. Really would love a modern, affordable Blue Thunder to add to my collection now.

[@ranwolf76]

you and me both. I've looked for the model kit on and off for years and they sometimes go into the triple digits in price

[@TheKnightsShield]

Another fine job, Dave. Always a pleasure seeing these old toys coming back to life again. Catch you later. 😎👉

[@toypolloi]

Thanks 👍

[@ras79r]

The fins were my favourite part they were really quite perfect and I love how quickly the plastic weld secured them in place. Dave did that so professionally!

[@toypolloi]

Thanks!

[@SamSnoekBrown]

This takes me back! I never had the toy, but I loved the movie when I was a kid. That's one of my favorite things about your channel, how it tickles my nostalgia! Thanks for another great video.

[@toypolloi]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@paulwalsh2344]

I never even knew this toy existed but it is a really really cool piece and yes, Dave's videos are really fantastic and inventive !

[@jasonjackman9076]

I had this toy as a kid. Wish I still had it now.

[@djkremer]

Same here!!

[@MrAvenger1975]

I still have mine. Complete with box. Only thing wrong with it is that one of the barrel tips broke off the gun. Other than that looks great.

[@thetworoos]

Really nicely done. The finished chopper is incredible! Looking forward to seeing the box transformation. 🙂

[@toypolloi]

Thanks 👍

[@michaelrlomax1977]

Great work there on the Blue Thunder toy. I never even knew the toy existed until I saw a Facebook post back in 2020. So look forward to the next video. 😊

[@toypolloi]

Thanks for watching!

[@jozefgoos1735]

Great restoration Dave. 👌👌👌👌

[@toypolloi]

Thanks 👍

[@MrAndyBearJr]

Dipping the clear canopy in a liquid acrylic floor wax, and then letting it dry under a cover to prevent dust from sticking to it would revitalize the look of the plastic.

[@IntergalacticDustBunny]

I had this toy as a kid, I used it as a stand in for the G.I. Joe Dragonfly Copter (which I never had)

[@cujoedaman]

We all used vehicles as GI Joe vehicles as long as the figures fit :D

[@paulwalsh2344]

I'm surprised you don't have an airbrush Dave. That tiny amount of paint would have been just about perfect for the paint cups on airbrushes I've seen. Again, your videos are remarkable. Informative. Entertaining. Relaxing. But also inspiring that you take such loving care to bring back toys to their former glory. I kinda get emotionally invested in your repairs, when it's something that I've had some attachment to from my childhood. I never had nor really even remember this Blue Thunder toy so I didn't think this piece would spark my interests as much as it did though so... Thank you for raising my awareness. Often your enthusiasm is infectious !

[@toypolloi]

Thanks. It's a great toy and fun to work on. I do have an airbrush, I just don't use it as I like to show what is possible with minimal tools. I have a video covering that very subject on TP2 you may like. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmKVZ3-dqbB3rbc&pp=ygUcdG95IHBvbGxvaSB0d28gd2h5IGRvbid0IHlvdQ%3D%3D

[@SuperKingZak_YT]

What a cool toy! The repair was very exciting to watch, well done Dave! Here in Europe (Switzerland) Blue Thunder was apparently not known, or at least not to me. It's always interesting to get to know something new.

[@MiKeMiDNiTe-77]

Wow very nice looking BT

[@azzreal72]

Great job! I did the same but went further into redoing the entire cockpit minus the figures. Turned out nice. I would show you what it looks like but I cannot post pictures in the comments.

[@kiwibonsai2355]

I remember as a kid anything over 30 years old was in black and white. ✌️❤️🇳🇿 P. S decanting paint from cans and using in an airbrush is handy. hint : cut a straw and place over nossle then spray into container.

[@Captain-Palsy]

Fantastic as always Dave ! Cheers

[@toypolloi]

Thanks 🖖

[@TheGryxter]

There were actually 2 different versions of this toy sold in the U.S.. It took me many years to find each version in good/complete condition. The tail fins are almost always missing or one of the rotor blades. Your helicopter is about as good as you can usually get. The version you have came with the pilot wearing blue coveralls and a white helmet, and the helicopter itself is the nice blue color. The other version came with a pilot wearing blue coveralls and a blue helmet with a white visor, dark gloves & boots, and an orange vest. The helicopter itself was a darker blue almost slate color. It has a few noticeable different features, (tail rotor, side guns, nose gun) but looked almost identical. I have mine in the basement boxed up or I'd include a picture or two. You did an amazing job bringing it back to like new condition. The stickers came out great. This is the first time I've seen one of your videos, so I just subscribed and hope to see more relics brought back to life. CHEERS

[@sdavifcom]

Again, great job. Thanks.

[@toypolloi]

Our pleasure!

[@toddcastaldi6536]

Man I wanted one of these so bad as a kid!

[@geekstrong1]

💪😎 I managed to pick up a second Blue thunder and I should be able to make 1 good one between the parts and your tips. 💪😎 I'll definitely print out your decals.

[@baetones]

Awesome Restoration! Congrats!

[@toypolloi]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Vibethis2008]

I had this toy as a kid and loved it. Thank you for bringing back a huge warm nostalgia moment for me!!

[@toypolloi]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Exar_Kun]

Incredible job as always my friend!!

[@toypolloi]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@MrAvenger1975]

I still have mine. It's in storage at the moment in its original box.

[@eltenda]

Great job!

[@mikebull1972]

A lovely end result on what is a cracking toy! I remember the series (pants!) but still love the original film.

[@Spencer1984]

Turned out great, nicely done! I have one of these to get to some day as well, my plan is to try to turn it into a more detailed scale model.

[@piero_75]

Looking superb!! I suppose you wouldn't consider investing in an airbrush (so you could have sprayed that blue paint on, for example) as it's a bit specialist and not the sort of item most people would be able to utilize in their own repairs?

[@MaggieKeizai]

Looks awesome! If you wanna fix that cockpit glass up even more, aluminum polish and a q-tip will take a ton of the scratches out.

[@toypolloi]

Thanks for the tip!

[@MaggieKeizai]

@@toypolloiI learned it from Marty's Matchbox Makeovers.

[@MichaelHeffner-ky6pc]

Dave, once again FANTASTIC results!!! Cheers!

[@toypolloi]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Echo121.the.spacelord]

Awesome job 👏 👍

[@toypolloi]

Thanks 👍

[@stephenlozano2816]

I loved this toy as a kid. I had one when it first came out and re purchased one about 9 years ago and fully restored it to look as much like the movie prop as possible. It’s one of my favorites in my collection.

[@XBOXTimeDevil]

Wow! Enjoyed that alot

[@toypolloi]

Awesome, thank you!

[@TheNightBadger]

Ah... brings back memories of the old playground arguments from when we kids would have to fix the woes of the world by discussing what _really_ mattered... Blue Thunder or Airwolf? Knight Rider or Street Hawk? Shame we never got a 4 inch scale toy for the much more popular Airwolf TV show.

[@paulwalsh2344]

Airwolf SEEMED cooler... but Blue Thunder is actually inspired and reminiscent of the AH-64 Apache so genuinely military hardware which makes it even cooler in the end.

[@irish3335]

Great restoration, always appreciate that you share your talent and the plans for others to enjoy fixing their collection pieces as well! Fun one thanks for sharing!

[@raccabird8889]

Awesome

[@Savoy1984]

Always loved Blue Thunder and it was the first film I came in from the pub and watched drunk so it’s the icing on the cake for me, can still remember the southern comfort and coke feeling also helicopters rule.

[@impossiblepie]

Nice restoration.

[@toypolloi]

Thanks!

[@85Stang331]

I had that and still have the figure.

[@Straight0uttaCrofton]

there was a brief period in the early 80s when America was obsessed with helicopters - this was part of it if not the origin

[@toypolloi]

I'm not sure which came first, Blue Thunder or airwolf. My memory says Blue Thunder but I could be totally wrong.

[@Straight0uttaCrofton]

@@toypolloi I think it went in this order: 1. Blue Thunder (movie) 2. Blue Thunder (television) (very close) 3. Airwolf (television) (distant) 4. that stupid Fire Birds (movie) -but lest not forget all of the 80s shows like Riptide, Magnum PI, Automan, Simon & Simon, etc. ALL had iconic helicopters

[@zarnistastudios]

Such a cool toy!! And thank you for helping me with my restoration not too long ago. Your repairs and approaches always surprise me. The canopy repair was amazing you really can’t see it unless you knew to look. Thank you for the shout out. I appreciate that. And for hosting the decals. It’s nice to finally help others.

[@toypolloi]

Any time! The stickers worked out great and saved me a lot of time. It's a great toy to work on. Lots of interesting issues to be fixed.

[@TheRetroTinker]

Another masterful fix Dave! You never fail to amaze!!

[@toypolloi]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@ShawnMeira]

Lego destruction is my favorite! 😂

[@toypolloi]

Always!

[@jenkinsjara8467]

another Toyrrific restoration there Dave, remember watching the series when I was still a kid.

[@juglearl]

Beautiful Job on the restoration of your Blue Thunder, I have just restored mine back to it's former glory too, I had the same issue with the front Vulcan gun being floppy which I remedied in a similar way. I also bought the replacement stickers which made it look brand new & luckily I have near zero wear & damage from when I got it as present as a child over 40 years ago. The only issue I have is that I have lost the pilot & would love to know where I could find a replacement as it would complete my Blue Thunder. So Happy to see this Video pop up on my KZbin feed, great job!

[@benflay6038]

Never new about this love the movie had ertl airwolf I need to fix

[@paulwalsh2344]

OH that ERTL Airwolf was INCREDIBLE !... My little brother got that and I was so envious. I was just too old for Dinkys by then... I had the Diecast Playmates USS Enterprise 1701-D but he inherited all my toys and then it went missing . I'd have loved to come across that after college and built my collection around that. As it was I ordered one off e-Bay at quite an expense and was ripped off... never arrived after the money order cleared and wasn't knowledgable about feedback so didn't notice the seller had no seller rating, so lost out and never did get my Enterprise. It would be cool to come across that old Airwolf too, but... nope...

[@benflay6038]

@@paulwalsh2344 just keep looking around ask around I see them on e bay and airwolf model

[@gieselats]

So cool to see blue thunder fresh and beautiful restored. I have to pull out my blue thunder DVD. „I see you“. Ich sehe Sie.keep up the good work. 😊

[@KennyWhitty]

Another great fix video Dave and Blue Thunder what a amazing toy 👍🏻

[@toypolloi]

Thanks 👍

[@cjhproductions5677]

I had this when it came out. Badass. I hate to admit I liked my GI Joe chopper better. The propeller had a thumb button to work, and BT didn’t. Still, it was beautiful.

[@joshuabekel9700]

I had the plastic model kit as a young kid. I bought another vintage kit a couple years ago. Not sure if i should build it or not.

[@tadeuferreira4059]

Now this os a toy that one could use to play Thunder Blade by Sega, the model is almost the same!

[@VernRants]

You do some fantastic work. I’m defiantly fixing my tail fin now! My windshield has a piece broken out and I need to figure a fix for that. Thanks for your videos, makes old toys new again!

[@toypolloi]

Thanks. The tails fins are a pretty easy fix. As for the windshield, it would be simple enough to replace single pane of glass as any joins are hidden by the support bars on the outside.

[@VernRants]

i imagine i would end up changing the whole window as the one i have has some yellowing.@@toypolloi

[@namolokaman2393]

Really nice. I wish there were a way to restore the cockpit glass clarity, though.

[@niklas2378]

for the "prongs" i think i would use cut off syringe tips, i would drill holes and secure them with CA

[@emilflognoid1532]

Never knew there was a toy! Wish i hac that in the 80s! I built one out of lego

[@MrAvenger1975]

I wish I'd had enough pieces back then to have built a Lego version! I once built a passible Gunstar out of Lego, though. However, I did/do have this toy.

[@markshellard5894]

Looks a billion times better than before 👌🏻

[@toypolloi]

Thanks

[@allysmithmonkey31]

Amazing 🔵🚁🔥

[@toypolloi]

Thanks 🔥

[@Tim-57]

Hey Dave Awesome fixes and great video. Really like that shade of blue. Take care 😊

[@toypolloi]

Thanks 👍

[@IM-xs3uv]

She ain't no Airwolf.

[@paulwalsh2344]

True... but the Airwolf ain't no Airwolf either. At least Blue Thunder was loosely based on the AH-64 Apache which narrowly gives it the win for me. (Although when it comes to the music the reverse is the case cause the Airwolf intro was FIRE !... narrowly beating the Blue Thunder theme.)

[@galenkelly4859]

LEGO DESTRUCTION....... love it. I buy so much lego at thrift store just for these purposes. Also I need to have rocks and stones thrown at me because I always thought Airwolf and Blue Thunder was the same thing..........

[@benjaminkitaura498]

Oh yeah I’ve wanted one of those helicopters since the 1980s!

[@darahdoyle3176]

Ah the old 'floppy cannon' syndrome, sure don't we all have that as the years more on?!!!

[@wayneclayton5426]

I wonder if you can get a Roy Scheider DSV Sea Quest figure to make it the film version of the crew?

[@toypolloi]

The cockpit is quite roomy so it may fit in. The figure that comes with it is shorter than a 3/34 inch figure. Not quite as small as a M.A.S.K. figure.

[@cujoedaman]

I'm still sad that it didn't come with a Timex watch to help me test my sanity as a kid

[@CGRREDACTED]

It's a wonderful toy blue Thunder was such a good movie. What was the reason why you chose not to spray paint the entire body other than it being sparkly was there some other reason? Also a little nail Polish on the front piece that you said was glued down after 15 minutes would have easily dissolve the glue and you could have removed that piece also also you didn't do any attempt to remove the yellowing from the cockpit and it was very scratched up if you use a high enough grit sandpaper I believe in the 2500 range you could have polished that clean of all those scratches and it will look brand new and the yellowing I've seen can be fixed by hydrogen peroxide bath and sunshine or UV light. you could try that next time maybe. it does look good it's not perfect but you did a good job for a personal collection so enjoy.👍😊

[@Ruckus-q6t]

For the Nubs above the cockpit have you thought about pins like you know drill it out for Warhammer and then put some snipped pieces of paper clip in there so they're metal glued into place

[@toypolloi]

That was my first thought, but they are so tiny that they will only get damaged again. So i'm just going to leave them off. It really makes very little difference to the toy.

[@MyllerSWE]

Dont you have an airbrush? Nice restoration even without! :) Those two tiny prongs could be made from tiny carbon fiber rods, will be difficult to break!

[@gussygoro2469]

I owned this.

[@mr.joshua204]

...youre a grown adult who fixes toys..... so am i!!!❤

[@alpha2turbo]

I still have mine in near mint condition from when I was a kid. Nothing broken, only wear on the stickers.

[@goforitpainting]

WOW 🚁

[@destinycaptain247]

It almost looks like there are supposed to be some kind of weapons pods on the sides where the struts are. It looks like here is a track for it to slide into place… Wish I’d seen these back in the early 80’s. I would have picked up one.

[@eclipsehorse8693]

in the original movie and TV show, this a about where the sensor pods would have gone slung off the sides of the helicopter. I know they had navigation lights on the as well- The bits that Dave was hesitant to repair right now above the canopy would have been for the two shotgun boom microphones

[@leebush4053]

One of your best pieces of work. I hope you've upset enough people who get annoyed when you save broken toys. Will you source the figures?

[@toypolloi]

Thanks. This only came with the one figure which I have. Seems odd it only came with one.

[@garym6315]

Was Blue Thunder shown in the UK in the 80's? I first came across it on Sky-1 in the early 2000's and had absolutely no memory of it ever being shown back in the day. Maybe it was shown on some ITV regions but not others?

[@toypolloi]

Yeah, it was shown here. I remember watching it as a child.

[@nickolaswilcox425]

gps really doesnt seem to affect colors beyond gold, brown and variations of those, it happens sure but its really not typical, somehow even silver is largely unaffected, something in the gold/bronze chemistry specifically got mangled badly but if this were a toy that suffered it those fracture points wouldnt be frosted, it would be glossy and flakey, so blue thunder is most likely safe from that particular plague

[@billklee2320]

That color blue looks very similar to g1 thundercracker blue. Destron designs has paint mixing formulas that should be checked out.

[@toypolloi]

Thanks for the info.

[@Habu12]

I had it and used GI Joe pilots instead of the included one. I always thought the Gazelle's fenestron tail rotor was cool. And still do to this day. Sadly, it is long gone today.

[@Mr.Sinister84]

You know what is crazy. I was just thinking of selling mine as I have no connection to it. It's in like new condition however I don't have the pilot though

[@nickademuss42]

I had one of these! It got side lined when I got the GIjoe heli....

[@delgriffith4143]

Great video and techniques as always. I don't know where I go wrong with Plastic Weld, it always seems to fail. I even bought the exact same bottle as you because you work miracles with it but so far my fixes on a TMNT Bike, Action Force Havok and Police Academy car have all failed under fairly light pressure. Obviously I just don't have the touch.😂

[@toypolloi]

Thanks. Plastic weld only works on certain plastics, so it sounds like that is the issue. It's not a glue. It works be dissolving the plastic and forming a new bond. Cheers

[@ChefPatrickChase]

i had this toy

[@geekstrong1]

I need to glue one propeller on, fingers crossed it holds.💪🤞

[@CaptainHavfun-lp4ok]

Was this a show like Airwolf? I never saw the movie. The movie "Fighter" comes out on Netflix tonight. It's about fighter jets/pilots. If you're also into aviation. Like me. Thanks for the video. The copter looks cool. I always learn how to fix things better from your content. You rock!

[@toypolloi]

They were fairly similar shows.

[@paulclow3398]

As a kid in the 80's i well remember the heated debates we had in the playground, which was best, blue thunder or airwolf 🤔

[@toypolloi]

I know I built Airwolf out of Lego. Fun times.

[@paulwalsh2344]

If you want to debate it, I mentioned it earlier that Airwolf SEEMED cooler... but Blue Thunder is actually inspired and reminiscent of the AH-64 Apache so genuinely military hardware which makes it even cooler in the end. But in the end BOTH were freakin awesome !

[@genevievewoodward4347]

Another stunning fix. How long can you manipulate the plastic welded fin before it is set too hard?

[@toypolloi]

A few minutes. Enough to get everything lined up. Cheers

[@r.davidhill7639]

I'm not familiar with this toy at all but Bravo for being able to restore it.

[@robertobuenrostro2781]

Where's Roy Schider and is that Daniel Stern in the cockpit? 🚁

[@MrAvenger1975]

This toy was based on the TV version and not the film version. Essentially the same helicopter, but the box has the TV crew on it and not "Frank Murphy." I noticed that bit when I got it from ToysRUs circa 1985.

[@maverick7291]

This could be a nice vehicle in GI Joe

[@GermanNightmare1976]

After drilling a hole like you did, do you use the resulting plastic shavings to test which glue works best for said plastic?

[@toypolloi]

I didn't, but it would be a good way to test.

[@pacmancdi]

I didn't realize the Blue Thunder TV series even got any merchandise. Airwolf is 1000x better and it's a crime against humanity that it didn't get a toyline back in the day.

[@ras79r]

Lol when Dave says it’s not perfect I worry that he is a Replicant because no other human could do better especially on his self imposed frugal budget (which I totally respect)

[@toypolloi]

🤣 Not a replicant as far as I know. But often what I show could be done way better. The main thing is I have had fun working on the toy no matter the results.

[@ras79r]

@@toypolloi well it looks perfect to me, that was a nice fix and it came out really well. Nice job mate. I’m cc’ing Deckard just in case!

[@brianartillery]

A very impressive toy. I take that this was a TV show tie-in - the original movie was definitely not childrens' material. Not that that small fact has stopped toymakers creating items for children from properties not intended for them; I have always found that rather odd.

[@garybugden8810]

Great work as always, did you get the side guns as well ?

[@toypolloi]

Thanks. As far as I am aware this is complete.

[@franciscorodriguez3582]

Hello toy polloi if you tape off wings and spray a clean coat the brush line disappear

[@feelthereaper1757]

I bought this toy with my birthday money in the 80s, and then later on, I wanted the airwolf helicopter, but my mom got me another bluethunder helicopter.

[@chrismayer3919]

Airwolf vs. Blue Thunder… I wonder which combat copter would come out on top; Airwolf or Blue Thunder? 🚁

[@paulwalsh2344]

Airwolf SEEMED cooler... but Blue Thunder is actually inspired and reminiscent of the AH-64 Apache so genuinely military hardware which makes it even cooler in the end. As for which would win in battle ? I never watched the Blue Thunder series, but the Blue Thunder in the movie didn't have the air to air missiles so Airwolf would have to edge out Blue Thunder. BUTTTT... in the capable hands of a really great pilot even Blue Thunder could take down a supersonic F-16 fighter jet so...