Ever wonder what would happen if the Transformers came to Earth before the 1980's? No, not Beast Wars. Too far back. I meant more 19th century, folks. That's what griffith76 envisioned, taking the face of Transformers, Optimus Prime, and designed him based off a locomotive engine. The Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime garage kit is certainly an impressive original idea. I love how the design still screams every bit of Optimus Prime from the layout of locomotive to the robot mode. It's also genius how griffith76 was able to incorporate Prime's trailer into the kit as well.

You know what else is impressive? The custom paint job by Michael "Frenzy Rumble" Accardi. I didn't realize who this person was until I visited their web site and remembered all the other astonishing work he has done. The way Michael painted Prime and laid out the color scheme is extraordinary. Just seeing the completed kit and the skills of Michael makes me wish I was able to get one and commission his expertise.

You can see the paint job in the gallery and find more photos on Michael's Flickr account along with all the other great customs he has done.

[via ToyCutter]