In some kind of TLCB nightmare, Flickr’s Jens Ådne J. Rydland has managed a gloriously successful mashup of two sci-fi themes about which we know nothing. So here’s one of those walking things from Star Wars merged with LEGO’s own Blacktron and Ice Planet themes, for a reference so nerdy it’s probably got adenoids. Join the sci-fi convention via the link above, whilst this TLCB Staffer tries to counterbalance writing this by drinking a beer and giving a wedgie to one of the Elves or something.
This is a Dino 246, the late-’60s to mid-’70s Ferrari-that-wasn’t-a-Ferrari.
The Dino 206 and 246 compared favourably with the Porsche 911 and other sports cars of the time, but the 2.0 and 2.4 litre V6 Fiat engines fitted were considered too entry-level for the main Ferrari brand, despite Ferrari upping the horsepower figure by 20bhp.
By ‘upping the horsepower figure’ we do mean that literally; Ferrari’s number may have been 20bhp higher than Fiat’s, but the engine was identical. It’s the ’60s motoring equivalent of adding a few inches to your height on Tinder…
Despite the outright lies we do rather like the Dino, and time has been kind to it, with a quick search revealing the Dinos for sale today are all listed as ‘Ferraris’. And they probably have an extra 20bhp in the performance figures too.
This lovely Speed Champions recreation of the not-quite-a-Ferrari comes from Flickr’s Thomas Gion, who has captured the Dino 246 GT beautifully. There’s more to see at Thomas’ ‘1969 “Ferrari” Dino 246 GT’ album‘ on Flickr – take a look via the link above whilst this TLCB Writer makes a minor amendment his Tinder profile.
The recently launched Speed Champions 76094 Dodge Charger R/T set continues LEGO’s welcome foray into real-world classic cars. Taking the purple Challenger from that set and upsizing it is Flickr’s Joey Klusnick, who has replicated the iconic 1970’s muscle car in ‘Miniland’ scale, making his model perfect for the streets of a Legoland theme park. It’d sure be a quality street** with Joey’s Challenger parked on it. Click the link above to rummage through the box for a taste.***
*Non UK readers; you’ll have no idea what we’re on about.
**As above.
***That’s enough now (Ed.)
The brave classic spacemen and spacewomen of, um… Classic Space, have been exploring the galaxy for four decades now. Forming the backbone of their exploratory equipment is the LL-928 Galaxy Explorer, recently updated some forty years after it first flew, and captured here in a maintenance hangar in a rarely-seen ‘off-duty’ image courtesy of Rob.
With the engines removed from the spacecraft for maintenance it would be rude not to climb aboard one for some static ‘testing’. Classic spaceman Shawn looks like he’s having a splendid time atop the disconnected propulsion system, but we suspect his colleagues are most unamused at the prospect of recalibrating the whole thing thanks to his bucking-bronco moment.
Rob’s wonderfully immersive images are a lovely homage to one of LEGO’s most fondly remembered themes, and you can join the mini-figures of Classic Space and the 10497 Galaxy Explorer set in the maintenance hangar at his photostream via the link above.
Suggested by a reader, these two Porsche 911 Turbos come from Petey Bird of Flickr, who has captured the 1990s incarnation of Porsche’s iconic sports car beautifully in Speed Champions form. Curve bricks are used in abundance to replicate the famous shape, with some rather clever side-windows too, and there’s more of Petey’s Porsches to see at his photostream via the link above.
Speaking of ‘coolest vehicles on the planet‘ following today’s other post, here’s another. The Suzuki Jimny is one of the hottest vehicles to own right now, helped no doubt by the EU’s ‘CAFE’ CO2 regulations taking it off sale after just two years, during which time it had a sizeable waiting list. But buying a hateful G63 AMG is fine… go figure.
Anyway, these two polar bears have managed to get themselves a Suzuki Jimny (whose survival was surely the point of that non-sensical, counter-productive EU legislation), applying a few well-chosen mods to equip them with everything they need for a weekend camping.
There’s a folding table, cooler, camping stove, and much more besides to ensure a successful polar-bear-father-son camping trip.
Flickr’s LEGO 7 is the builder behind this wonderfully whimsical, delightfully detailed, and beautifully built creation, and there’s more to see of his superbly presented bear-based camping scene at his ‘Camping Time’ album. Click the link above to join the fun.
The Meyers Manx beach buggy, named after the tail-less breed of cat to match its truncated rear end, is surely one of the coolest vehicles on the planet. Being based on the Volkswagen Beetle made the Manx cheap, easy to work on, and surprisingly good off road. But it was also based on the Volkswagen Beetle.
Rejoice then, that the rebooted Meyers company has developed a new Manx beach buggy that does away with the noisy Beetle underpinnings, instead ushering in a new era of electric propulsion. And there is probably no vehicle better suited to being an EV than a beach buggy. Provided it can wet of course…
Anyway, this is the noisy, rattly, polluting, slow, and deeply cool Beetle-based original, as built by regular bloggee Jonathan Elliott. Head to the beach via the link above, whilst we dream of owning the electric version…
Regular bloggee 1saac W. returns to TLCB with something rather more wooden than we’re used to seeing in automotive circles. Inspired by a real hot rod, 1saac’s wood-panelled rat rod includes Winnie the Pooh stickers, white-wall tyres, and the jauntiest front axle we’ve seen in some time. Head to Flickr to take a look.
This is an FSC Zuk, a Polish one-ton truck based on an FSO based on a GAZ from the ’50s. And we love it. Because it’s crap.
Like pretty much everything from behind the Iron Curtain, the Zuk was cheap, simple, and produced for far longer than it should have been. It’s TLCB of trucks.
This lovely Model Team recreation of the FSC Zuk in curtain-sided flatbed form comes from Soviet specialist Legostalgie of Flickr, who has captured the Polish workhorse beautifully. Expert detailing and some rather clever building techniques make this one of our favourite vehicles of the year so far, and there’s lots more of it to see at Legostalgie’s photostream – Click the link to make the jump.
We thought this was that famous spaceship from Star Trek, but – as with almost anything we think we know about sci-fi – we were wrong. No matter, because the ‘USS Goldsmith’ (which might still be from Start Trek, we’re not sure…) by Flickr’s Tim Goddard is an excellent build, with the overlapping plates forming the, er… round bit, as confusing to us as the whole Star Trek franchise. Beautiful presentation matches the build quality and there’s more to see of The-Maybe-Star-Trek-USS-Goldsmith at Tim’s photostream. Click the link to Boldly Go. Probably.
This is a Kaman SH-2 Seasprite, a U.S Navy ship-based anti-submarine and search & rescue helicopter. Introduced in 1963, the Seasprite saw service in the Vietnam and Gulf Wars, and flew until 1993 with the U.S Navy, as well as being operated in small numbers by a several other nations.
This excellent (and rather wonderfully liveried) SH-2 Seasprite is the work of Robson M (aka BrickDesigners), who has captured both it and the rather exciting looking weaponry slung underneath beautifully.
Top quality building techniques and presentation abound, and there’s more to see of the SH-2, including its folding landing gear, opening doors, and cartoonesque missiles, at Robson’s photostream. Click the link above to get airborne.
It’s been a while since we featured a small scale car, but proof that we do like creations with less than a billion pieces – when they’re constructed and presented as beautifully as this – comes from previous bloggee RGB900, who returns to TLCB with this superb ‘6-wide black sports car.’ Not the catchiest title, but it is a brilliant build, and shows how good a creation can be even when it’s small. See more at RGB900’s photostream via the link.
*Today’s title song. Obviously.
It’s Neo-Classic Space time here at The Lego Car Blog, and we know what you’re thinking; “Uh oh, here comes another failed attempt by TLCB to understand a sci-fi theme…”.
And you’d be right. We suck at sci-fi. Many other things too, but especially sci-fi.
Still, some builders absolutely do not, and Flickr’s OA KD is one of them. OA KD’s impressive back-catalogue includes enormous space bases, 6×6 rovers, lunar sheep, and whatever this is, all rendered beautifully in Neo-Classic Space style.
His latest is this Neo-Classic Space transport, a sort of spacey Sikorsky Skycrane, complete with three chunky swappable space containers. Yes we are just adding the word ‘space’ in front of things to cover our sci-fi ineptitude.
No matter, because you can check out all of OA KD’s space-based builds at his photostream, where sci-fi competence is immeasurably higher than it is here – click the link above to make the jump to Neo-Classic Space brilliance, whilst we get back to cars and stop embarrassing ourselves…
‘Skytrain’ might be a slightly ambitious title, but nothing moved as many troops about during the Second World War as the Douglas DC-3 / C-47. In fact so reliable is the DC-3 that many are still in use today, some eighty years on from when the plane first saw service, ferrying people and objects to and from the world’s most inhospitable places.
This lovely recreation of the iconic aircraft comes from SirLuftwaffles of Flickr, and – full disclosure – it’s digital. But you can’t tell, as SirLuftwaffles has used only readily available pieces, real-world construction methods, and produced a render that is really very good indeed.
There’s more to see including full build and digital design software details at SirLuftwaffles’ photostream – take to the skies with 27 other troops via the link in the text above.
This funky looking device is a ‘Matterphase Neutrino Skimmer’ which – according to Flickr’s Rubblemaker – is “an experimental craft that can harness the power of neutrinos to pass through solid matter.” And just like adverts for shampoo, who are we to argue with infallible science like that!
A Neo-Classic Space aesthetic, which deploys some rather cunning usage of Bionicle pieces, surely helps with the aforementioned physics, and there’s more to see of Rubblemaker’s build on Flickr. Click the link above to harass the flower of albinos to gas through a squalid platter. Or something.
