00:00This is the only fan-built replica that's out there. There's only two other trucks like it, and those are
00:06the trucks that are owned by Paramount.
00:07My name is Joe Fiducia. I am the owner of the world's first fan-built replica of Optimus Prime from
00:13Transformers Age of Extinction.
00:24This is 36-year-old Father Joe. He's built a full-size replica of Optimus Prime, one of the most
00:31renowned vehicles from the Transformers movies.
00:34Taking more than $4 billion at the box office, Transformers has fast become one of the biggest franchises in the
00:40world.
00:40In the 80s, he was the leader of the Autobots. He still is the leader of the Autobots. He is
00:46that character that has the strong morals, the strong ethics.
00:48He's always looking after the little guy, always making sure that everybody else is taken care of.
00:53But that wasn't the main reason why Joe decided to build the giant replica.
00:57The inspiration behind this truck was for my son. Just go to the back.
01:01Ryan loves the Transformers just as much as I do. He's probably got hundreds of characters in his room stocked
01:06away.
01:07And to be able to build something like this for him, I mean, he was the main reason I did
01:12this.
01:15I love Optimus Prime. It's just so cool having it in your yard.
01:23With the help of close friends and external parties, Joe worked tirelessly day and night to complete the job and
01:30own the world's first fan-built replica.
01:34In total, there was probably about 25 people, including myself, that were involved with this build.
01:39One of the first things I had to do or actually chose to do was get legal permission from Hasbro
01:44to build it.
01:45And we had our legal team contact them. And about a month later, we got a letter in the mail
01:50from Hasbro saying that they approved.
01:52Weighing around 21,000 pounds, the spectacular truck is 30 foot long and just under 12 feet wide.
01:59And that means another tough job for Joe.
02:03Unfortunately, there's no car wash big enough to take Optimus Prime through.
02:08Washing Optimus Prime is a full-time job in itself, especially during the wintertime when all the salts on the
02:13roads kick up.
02:14We're just a little drive around town and all of a sudden, I've got five hours of cleaning ahead of
02:20me.
02:28We actually ended up lowering it by about two inches because the original Optimus truck was much higher.
02:33But that creates a hazard for us when we're driving.
02:42The truck alone has a Detroit DD15 motor in it. It's a standard Detroit motor. No fabrication or modifications have
02:49been done to the motor.
02:51Optimus is maxed out at 65 miles an hour. He can't go any faster than that.
02:58The paint scheme on this thing is quite intense. He's got the red and blue warrior colors on him.
03:03But he also has a bunch of Autobot logos all over him. Between the front and the back, there's over
03:0816 logos.
03:10Obviously, one of the big things that you'll notice right off the bat is the big Autobot logo here on
03:14the front of the truck.
03:15This was actually a solid block of aluminum that was custom cut to fit the contours of the hood here.
03:21And that was one of the most complicated pieces we had to make.
03:27Joe admits, now the truck is complete, he gets attention wherever he goes.
03:35Everybody's got their cameras out. Everybody's pointing.
03:46It's larger than life. I am a huge fan. When I first drove up, I thought it was a real
03:53thing.
03:56I'm really proud for my dad making this. It took him a lot of time, a lot of effort. It
04:03was worth it in the end.
04:07I could not have built Optimus Prime without the support of my family.
04:11It makes a big difference when you go up to somebody and you tell them, no matter what's going on
04:16in your life, no matter how impossible something seems, whether you're a kid or a grown adult, don't ever be
04:21afraid to try.
04:22Don't ever be afraid to pursue what seems impossible because you never know one day you could be in the
04:27driver's seat of Optimus Prime.
04:28Don't ever be afraid to pursue.
04:28Don't ever be afraid to pursue.
04:29Don't ever be afraid to pursue.
04:30Don't ever be afraid to pursue.
04:30Don't ever be afraid to pursue.
Comments