Monthly Archives: December 2022

Yuletide ‘Mog

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What’s more Christmassy than a Mercedes-Benz Unimog? Ok, pretty much anything that’s not a Mercedes-Benz Unimog. But then the title wouldn’t work.

This excellent 1:20 scale Mercedes-Benz Unimog U423 comes from TLCB favourite Thirdwigg, who has recreated the off-road tractor/truck rather brilliantly in the style of recent Technic sets, blending Model Team aesthetics with Technic functionality.

That functionality includes mechanical steering and drive to a piston engine, rear suspension with portal axles, front and rear power-take-offs, and a tilting cab with opening doors.

A variety of attachments can also be fitted, including a three-way (snigger) tipping bed, a crane and winch, or a snow plow and gritter. See, it was Christmassy after all! There’s more to see at Thirdwigg’s ‘Unimog U423’ album on Flickr, where a link to building instructions can also be found – click the link above for a Merry Christmog!

Model Team Miura

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Launched in 1966, the Lamborghini Miura is probably the the world’s first supercar, and was designed by Lamborghini’s engineering team in their spare time, against the wishes of their founder. He changed his mind when he saw their work however, and gave them free reign to complete the car, with styling direction from the great Mercello Gandini.

Powered by Lamborghini’s 3.9 litre V12, transversely mounted behind the cabin, the Miura produced around 345bhp, with later versions upping the figure to almost 400bhp.

Now worth a gagillion dollars, Miuras are one of the most sought-after cars in the world, so the closest any of us here at TLCB will get to one is in Lego form. Fortunately today we can do just that, courtesy of Pingubrick’s beautiful 1,200-piece Model Team recreation of the iconic ’60s Lamborghini.

Opening doors, front and rear clamshells, and a detailed interior and engine bay feature, and there’s more to see at the Eurobricks discussion forum. Click the link above to take a look at Pingu’s recreation of Lamborghini’s finest work.

Monsters of Rock

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Rock Raiders, the most phallically-symbolled of all LEGO’s themes, probably wasn’t one of their all-time greats. Something to do with finding energy crystals, as per about six other themes from the time, LEGO’s 1999 effort featured a rock monster, a turquoise-and-brown colour scheme, and a Playstation video game, before it quietly died a year later to be forgotten by everyone.

Except, that is, for Ghalad of Flickr, who has digitally reimagined an almost unfeasibly big Rock Raiders machine from over 13,000 virtual bricks.

Ghalad’s 6×6 mining behemoth features a huge rotating rock-cutting laser, gun turrets to ward off rock monsters, two enormous arm-mounted drills for munching through rock, and a towing crane for, er… something else that’s probably rock related.

It also takes the Thundercougarfalconbird approach to naming, being titled after two underground animals, and there’s more to see of Ghalad’s titanic Rock Raiders ‘Badger Mole’ at his photostream. Click the link above to rock out.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Squeee!

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LEGO’s ‘Classic Space Plush‘ is one of their more unusual – and adorable – ‘pieces’. However a real Classic Spaceman, no matter its cuteness, needs a vehicle with which to conduct Classic Spacey things. Cue Daniel Church, and his ‘Awwwstronauts’!

Built to Plushie scale, Daniel has created a fully RC lunar rover and segway to allow his Classic Space Plushies to go about their delightful cuddly space business. Both contain Powered-Up Motors hidden inside and there’s more to see at his ‘Awwwstronauts’ album on Flickr.

Cutely go where no spaceman has gone before via the link!

My Other (Muscle) Car is a Camaro

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What’s better than a ’69? Two ’69s obviously. Cue Brian Michal, who has taken LEGO’s excellent 10304 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 set and created another ’69 icon, the Ford Mustang Mach 1.

A performance package available on the first generation Mustang, Mach 1s were powered by V8s engines of 5.8, 6.4, or 7.0 litres, were fitted with upgraded suspension (although – we suspect – not nearly upgraded enough), and a 3-speed automatic or 4-speed manual gearbox.

A host of other options were available too, including Ram-Air, a Drag Pack, a ‘Traction Lok’ rear axle, and – as pictured here – a ‘Shaker’ hood. All of which sound marvellous.

Brian’s 10304 alternate captures the ’69 Ford Mustang Mach 1 superbly, with more to see at his Flickr album, where a link to building instructions can also be found should you wish to switch your own ’69 muscle car for another.

And if a ’69 isn’t really your thing, here are a few bonus links to a rather more modern Mustang, a Porsche 911, and a Chevrolet C10 pick-up, also built solely from the 10304 Camaro Z28 set.

Now With Less Asbestos!

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Old-timey British car advertisments are hilarious. From the Triumph Herald “That almost never needs greasing!’ to the Sunbeam Alpine with eight consecutive exclamation marks in its strap-line, everything was tremendously exciting in 1959.

Cue Chris Elliott‘s ‘1959 British Family Saloon’, a homage to the cars (and car marketers) of 65 years ago. With echoes of Riley, Ford Anglia, and Sunbeam Rapier amongst many others, Chris’ creation could only be more late-’50s British if its description included the phrase “Keep your daily commutes punctual and stylish!”. Wait, it does? Well that’s a dandy way to describe the feeling that only motoring in the newest 1959 design can give!

Don your Motorway safety felt cap, check your Bowmonk dynometer, and fire up your Eltron ‘Car Kettle and Carfri‘* at Chris Elliot’s photostream via the link above!

*Yes that last link really was a device for boiling water and cooking bacon whilst driving to work. Golly the ’50s were terrific!

Communist’s Choice

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Communism wasn’t renowned for giving its citizens choice. However today we have no less than four communistical vehicles to choose from, each built by PelLego of Flickr as apart of a wider collaborative build.

From left to right are a Kamaz 55102, a nondescript green tractor, a GAZ 66 covered truck, and a (somewhat later) GAZ Tigr, and there’s more to see of each, plus the collaboration in which they appear, at Pel’s photostream via the link above.

And – because we haven’t been threatened in a while – here’s a bonus link to the last time a GAZ Tigr appeared on this site…

Smokin’

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This is a Baureihe 57 / Prussian G10, a German steam locomotive built in the 1910s-’20s for heavy goods transport. Around 2,600 Prussian G10s were produced, with an extra one – pictured here – arriving courtesy of Pieter Post, who has recreated the steam train in beautiful detail. Powered by a hidden Power Functions L Motor and BuWizz bluetooth battery, Pieter’s Prussian G10 is depicted navigating a wonderfully constructed forest track, complete with a transformer building and the best pine trees we’ve ever seen. Top of the billing however, is the smoke – which looks as real as anything made from plastic bricks could possibly be. Click the link above to smoke your way through a German forest in the 1920s.

Porsche Carrera GT | Picture Special

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Built for just two years in the mid-’00s, Porsche’s Carrera GT has become one of the most sought-after supercars of recent times. A 600bhp V10 – designed in secret for Porsche by the Footwork Formula 1 team in the early-’90s but never used – a six speed manual gearbox, and no driver aids make for one of the last truly analogue supercars, and one of the greatest vehicular sounds of all time.

This magnificent Technic tribute to the Carrera GT is the work of TLCB Master MOCer Lachlan Cameron, who has constructed it, its V10 engine, working suspension, an eight speed gearbox (two more than the real car), and deployable rear wing brilliantly in brick-form. Custom chrome pieces and superb outdoor photography add to the appeal, and there’s more to see of Lachlan’s incredible Carrera GT here, plus you can find out how he builds amazing creations like this one at his Master MOcers page by clicking here.

In Space, No One Can Hear Your Bewilderment

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Uh oh, sci-fi. Long standing readers of this decrepit back-alley of the internet will know that TLCB staff ‘could do better’ when it comes to appreciating, writing about, or even comprehending science-fiction creations. Well today is… er, no different actually – but the creations are cool, so on to them!

The first (pictured above) is Nick Trotta‘s exceptional ‘Astraea’ spacecraft, which combines more colours and craft building techniques into one build than should reasonably be allowed. The result is spectacular though, and there’s more to see of Nick’s superbly presented spacecraft at his ‘Astraea’ album above.

Today’s second sci-fi creation (pictured below) comes from previous bloggee Slick Brick, and takes the minimalistic monochrome approach to spacing, to great effect. Stunning presentation and clever construction can be found at Slick’s photostream – click the link above to make the jump to hyperspace, or something else that sounds spacey.

We’ll go find a car…

Off-Road Krazy

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We have a happy bunch of Elves today, thanks to keymaker and his incredible KrAZ 255 6×6 truck. Built for off-roading, keymaker’s creation is too slow for the Elves to use it to run one another over, but great fun to ride around in the back of.

Powered by LEGO’s new Control+ motors, all six wheels are driven and suspended, and include locking differentials too, via a switch in the cabin.

Interestingly, keymaker’s chassis uses two driveshafts front-to-rear, allowing a separate motor to power each side, with the two wheels on each axle linked together via a differential.

A remote control winch, locking trailer hitch, opening doors, storage boxes and bed sides, LED lights, and a working V8 engine add to the technical realism, whilst the exterior is enhanced by a variety of off-road modifications from the video game ‘Snowrunner’.

It’s a fantastically well-engineered creation and one that’s well worth a closer look. Do just that via the Eurobricks discussion forum where full build details are available, keymaker’s ‘KrAZ 255’ Bricksafe album, where there are over forty images and technical renders, or via the excellent video of the truck in action below.

YouTube Video

White Elephant

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It’s a trucky day here at The Lego ‘Car’ Blog, but we’re OK with that – we like trucks. Because we’re 8. This one is a Scania T143, and it comes from Vladimir Drozd (aka LegoV94) who has constructed the ’90s long-nose heavy-duty truck beautifully in brick-form.

A wonderfully accurate exterior conceals a complete remote control drivetrain, plus there’s an enormous three-axle bulk-carrier trailer in tow, which cleverly mixes Technic lift-arms with a Model Team aesthetic to great effect.

Top quality presentation matches the standard of the build, and there’s more of both the truck and trailer to see at Vladimir’s ‘Scania T143 m’ album on Flickr via the link in the text above.

Built Like an Outhouse

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This time the phrase is more than metaphorical! Built by previous bloggee Andrea Lattanzio, this is the ‘Outhouse’, a Ford V8-powered toilet-in-a-shed based on a 1924 Ford truck, as constructed by hot rodder Bob Reisner during the bizarre novelty hot rod scene. Wooden handling and the aerodynamics of, well… an outhouse aside, this TLCB Writer is rather enamoured by the practicalities of Bob’s creation – you’d never need to use a highway services restroom again! Take a dump on the interstate via the link above!

Full Tilt

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Every supercar needs a party-piece. Wild doors, mad styling, the most power, the highest top speed, crystals in the headlights, the most power again…

It’s got to be tough for supercar manufacturers to come up with a new headline every few years, but Zenvo recently found an untapped niche; weird moving rear wings.

Not air-brakes or adjustable downforce – no, we’ve seen those loads of times – but a rear wing fitted to the track-focussed TSR-S that can tilt with two degrees of freedom. Because, er… reasons.

It’s a unique addition to the spec sheet not matched by any other supercar makers, which is probably reason enough, and both it and the car it’s attached to have been recreated superbly by Pingubricks.

Nearly 1,500 pieces, 3D-printed wheels, opening doors, a removable engine cover, and – of course – a rear wing that can tilt via ‘cables’ make for a stunning brick-built supercar, and you can head full tilt to Eurobricks to find out more via the link above.

Insert Out-of-Fuel DeLorean Here

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This steam locomotive might look familiar to you… Built by Rogers Locomotive and Machine works in the 1890s, locomotive ‘No.3’ was a coal and later oil-fired steam locomotive used for various steam locomotive things; hauling freight, transporting passengers, and constructing various railroads across California during the early 20th century.

After three decades of service Locomotive No.3’s owners, the Sierra Railway Company, went bankrupt during the Great Depression, and it was laid up for fifteen years in a siding. The locomotive somehow dodged being melted down for the war effort, and after the Second World War ended it was acquired for film use, whereupon ‘No.3’ began a career that saw it star in around forty movies and TV shows, including ‘High Noon’, TLCB favourite ‘The Great Race’, and – perhaps most famously – ‘Back to the Future, Part III‘.

Restored in the 2010s, Locomotive No.3 is still running today, and thus may yet add even more stardust to an already incredible legacy. This wonderful recreation by firefabric of Eurobricks captures probably the world’s most seen steam train beautifully, and it includes a LEGO Powered-Up motor and LED lights hidden inside.

There’s much to more of the model to see, including full build details, at the Eurobricks discussion forum, and you can step into one of almost forty movie sets via the link in the text above.