Category Archives: Model Team

Chinese Six

We’re not sure why trucks with two axles at the front and one at the back are known as ‘Chinese Sixes’. Probably something to do with casual racism. We won’t delve any further then, but we will highlight this splendid example by prolific DAF-builder Arian Janssens.

A DAF FAB 2500 DHS, Arian’s beautifully detailed model captures the classic truck in its unusual ‘Chinese Six’ configuration brilliantly, and includes a folded crane behind the cab and a drawbar trailer in tow too.

Excellent presentation compliments the model’s stunning realism and there’s lots more of the build to see at Arian’s ‘DAF FAB 2500 DHS (Chinese Six)’ album. Take a closer look via the link.

Unnecessary Tinkering

For every motorcycle on the road there seems to be another two in a garage somewhere being fixed. Which means they’re kinda like Range Rovers. We suspect it’s more of an unnecessary tinkering situation with bikes though, rather than a catastrophic electronics failure.

Whatever the reason, TLCB newcomer DePin0 has constructed a medley of motorcycles in their natural habitat, with an array of tools and removable bits so they can be tinkered with unnecessarily. There’s more to see at DePin0’s photostream and you can tweak the timing / adjust the outer sprocket / fine-tune the mixture / decombobulate the flux-capacitor via the link above.

Origins

The BMW M3 is now in its eighth generation. Powered by a 470bhp turbocharged inline-6, weighing 1.7 tons, and fitted with the largest nostrils in the automotive industry. Which means it interests us not one bit.

But rewind nearly forty years and the M3 interests us very much indeed. Launched in 1986 the ‘E30’ generation M3 was built for German Touring Car Championship (DTM) homologation, featured a multitude of bodywork and chassis adaptations, plus BMW’s new S14 2.3 litre 4-cylinder engine making around 200bhp.

That might not sound a lot today but it was a serious figure for the 1980s, particularly as it used no forced induction, and it only had 1,200kgs to move – a full half-a-ton less than the latest M3.

The result was (and remains) one of the finest drivers’ cars ever produced, and this brilliant homage to the original M3 was constructed as a commission for (we presume) one very lucky owner of the real deal.

Flickr’s Leo 1 is its maker, who has captured the definitive ’80s sports sedan perfectly in Lego form. Ingenious construction techniques replicate both the E30’s famous shape and interior, and you can recreate them for yourself as Leo has made building instructions for his M3 available.

Head to Leo’s photostream to take a look at all of the stunning imagery, and to find the aforementioned instructional link so you can create BMW’s best M3 for yourself.

Custom Camping

This unusual looking vehicle is a classic Chevrolet C30 pick-up, outfitted with a camper top, a dually rear axle (with LEGO’s weirdest wheels), suicide rear doors, and dropped to a completely impractical height. There’s also complete cabin and camper interior, an inline-6 Cummins engine, and an enormous amount of openings, including cabin doors, camper rear door, hood, and even fridge. Flickr’s Tim Inman owns the mind behind it and you can head to Camp Custom via the link above.

Bring a Trailer

Oh… you already did. Well if there’s a car worth bringing a trailer for, the monstrous Metro 6R4 is it.

Loosely based on the oft-derided but actually phenomenally successful Austin/Rover/MG Metro, the all-wheel-drive, mid-engined 6R4 was developed by Williams Grand Prix Engineering for Group B rallying in the mid-1980s.

The result was… wild, so wild that the engine later went into the Jaguar XJ220, the fastest production car in the world at the time, with the 6R4 becoming an icon in rallycross after the demise of Group B rallying in 1986.

This fantastic homage to the 6R4 was found by one of our Elves on Eurobricks and comes from midlife crisis, making their TLCB debut. A highly detailed engine and interior plus a superb period-correct livery and sponsorship feature, and you can take a closer look at the maddest Rover ever made at the Eurobricks forum via the link above.

French Fighter

Despite this site’s home nation mocking the French military for some eighty years, it is in fact one of the most formidable in the world. This is one of the reasons why, the Dassault Rafale fighter.

In operation since the turn of the millennium, the Rafale remains one of the most advanced fighters in the world, capable of air supremacy, ground strike, ship strike, and carrying France’s nuclear deterrent.

Entirely engineered and constructed in France, around three-hundred Rafales have been produced to date, operating across nine air forces. This one comes from previous bloggee John C. Lamarck, and as well as being superbly detailed includes an opening cockpit, adjustable canards, accurate landing gear, and an array of armaments.

There’s more of the model to see at John’s ‘Rafale’ album on Flickr, and you can fly there via the link above.

Towing Package Optional

Arriving in the mid-’00s, the sixth generation Dodge Charger was a boring four-door sedan with an anaemic 2.7 V6, a four-speed automatic, and Chrysler-corporation interior plastics. Yay.

However, the Charger was also available with a much more interesting 5.7 litre ‘Hemi’ V8, and could be optioned up to 6.1 litres in SRT8 trim, with a further Road/Track package adding ten more horsepower, a sunroof, satellite navigation, a 322-watt stereo, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, and a heavy-duty cage for pulling a bank vault. That last one may not have been on the official options list.

This incredible replica of the Dodge Charger SRT8 is the work of Michael217 / Michael Kulakov, who has equipped his remarkably detailed model with working steering and suspension, a V8 engine, plus four opening doors, hood, and trunk.

Better still, Michael has also fitted his creation with a suite of third-party remote control electronics including RCBric management, Geekservo steering and Buggy Motor drive, which we’re currently using to pretend we’re a giant bald-headed baby horrifically murdering Rio police officers with a bank vault on a cable. Well, we’re whacking TLCB Elves with a shoe-box on a string, but we’re still having fun.

Anyway, whilst we reenact the chase scene from ‘Fast Five’ in the corridors of TLCB office you can check out more of Michael’s fantastic build at both Eurobricks and Flickr. Click the links to take a closer look!

The Antidote

TLCB Towers is surrounded by brand new Land Rover Defenders. Which is a good thing for the viability of JLR, if not the likability of Land Rover. Because every single one is vanity-plated black-on-black with extra black driven by a sleeve-tattooed-holiday-in-Dubai-park-on-yellow-lines-whist-getting-a-weekly-skin-fade-douchebag. And we hate them.

We need a new Defender antidote, and it comes in the form of… the old Defender. Everything the new one isn’t, we’ve never yet seen a spotless original Defender parked illegally outside the Turkish barbers, because they’re still driving around the countryside, often with a sheep in the back. And we love them.

This splendid brick-built Land Rover Defender 90 captures the original 4×4 beautifully in classic Model Team form, and there’s more to see courtesy of brittle.lime.joint / CaptainSirMig on Flickr and Eurobricks respectively. Join us taking the antidote to the modern Defender via the links above.

The Hook

We like a good hook here at TLCB, and they don’t come much gooder or hookier than this huge DAF FAD 95.400 ATI 8×4 hook-lift truck by Flickr’s Arian Janssens.

Able to hoist an enormous container onto itself, as well as tow another behind on a draw-bar trailer, Arian’s DAF is a testament to large scale model-making, and there’s loads more to see at his ‘DAF FAD 95.400 ATI 8×4’ album. Take a look via the link above if it’s got you hooked…

*Today’s (wonderful) title song. Of course.

The Other F1

As we type this, twenty cars are currently in a one-and-a-half-hour traffic jam in the streets of Monaco. Which is really boring. So here’s a more interesting F1; the first Ford F-Series pick-up, a vehicle that would became one of the most successful models in history.

Built by previous bloggee Jakub Marcisz, this lovely recreation of the 1948 Ford F1 includes working steering, opening doors, double-hinged hood and tailgate, plus a detailed engine and interior.

Building instructions are available and you can see more at Jakub’s ‘Ford F1 1948’ Flickr album and at the Eurobricks forum, where there’s not an over-priced ticket nor procession masquerading as a motor race in sight.

Superliner

Another day, another Elf returns to TLCB Towers in the hope of a meal token and a Smartie. Which it has definitely earned, as we are rather partial to a classic American truck.

This one is a mid-‘80s Mack Superliner, and not only does it look excellent, it’s got a working V8, functioning steering and fifth wheel, and opening doors and hood.


Constructed by previous bloggee DamianPLE there’s more to see, including building instructions, at both Eurobricks and Bricksafe, and you can take a look via the links.

Electric Dreams

The future is electric. And crossover shaped. Sigh.

Here’s one such vehicle, Audi’s Q6 e-tron electric crossover, and it’s about as interesting as a Brothers Brick Annual General Meeting.

Well, in car form anyway. But in Lego form it’s a very interesting indeed, courtesy of this utterly brilliant Model Team replica by Flickr’s LEGO 7.

7’s Audi Q6 e-tron captures the electric crossover in spellbinding detail, with opening doors, LED lights, replicated badging, and one of the most lifelike interiors we’ve ever seen.

There’s much more to see at 7’s ‘Audi Q6 e-tron’ album, where twenty fantastic images are available to view. Dream electric via the link above.

Virtual Adventure

These days most adventuring is viewed digitally. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube… there are millions of videos purporting to show adventure, available to watch from the comfort and safety of wherever people consume such content on their phones. Which is everywhere. And so ironic it hurts.

Thus today we too are virtually adventuring, courtesy of newcomer CelestialCapture and this tremendous overland-equipped Toyota Land Cruiser 70-Series. Replicating the legendary off-roader brilliantly, Celestial has also fitted an exciting array of adventure items, including a snorkel, spot lights, bull-bar, and roof-rack, whilst some excellent bespoke ‘decals’ add to the adventure-based vibe.

There’s more to see of Celestial’s digital Land Cruiser 70-Series on Flickr, and you can head on your own virtual adventure via the link above. Once you’ve done that though, perhaps put your phone in your pocket and head outside. Real adventure is often just around the corner.

Plus Twenty-Four

You own LEGO’s excellent 10295 Porsche 911 set, but what if you want something… racier? Firas Abu-Jaber has the answer.

Constructed only from the parts of the official LEGO 911 set, Firas has recreated one of Porsche’s wildest 911-based racers, the Le Mans, Sebring, Daytona and 1000km of Nurburgring winning 935.

With opening doors, hood and engine cover, working steering, a detailed engine and interior, and enough parts left over for a very appropriate trophy cabinet, Firas’ 935 is an excellent way to recycle your 10295 pieces, with building instructions available to assist.

There’s much more to see at Firas’ ‘Porsche 935’ album on Flickr, and you can add twenty-four to your 911 via the link above.

Grab & Go

It’s a sunny day here at TLCB Towers and the Elves are off hunting for the best Lego vehicles that the web has to offer. All except one, who we found dangling alone from the grab of a hefty remote control excavator left abandoned in the corridor. We may have laughed. A lot.

Said creation is based on an ET-25 excavator, and comes from deltamc of Eurobricks who has recreated both its visuals and operation beautifully. Constructed from around 2,000 pieces, delta’s model can drive, steer, slew, and position the two-stage boom (equipped with either a bucket or grab) via remote control, thanks to a suite of six Power Functions motors and four linear actuators.

It’s an impressive piece of Technic engineering, and one you can watch in action via the video below and create for yourself, as delta has made free building instructions available. Find out more at the Eurobricks forum via the link above.

YouTube Video