My Other Car is a Giant Mobile Crane

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LEGO’s huge 42082 Rough Terrain Crane is one the largest Technic sets the company has ever created, with over four thousand pieces. That’s a whole, lot of bricks that can be, in the very best traditions of Lego-building, repurposed.

And that is exactly was previous Master MOCer Nico71 has done with this incredible 4×4 Crane Truck, constructed only from the parts found within the 42082 set. Nico’s B-Model (in fact for Nico this is an ‘E-Model’, as he’s constructed several alternate vehicles (and all of this) from the Rough Terrain Crane set already) deploys the set’s single motor to perform a scarcely believable six separate functions, thanks to a pair of gearboxes that multiply the motor’s outputs.

Before we get onto those though, there are a host of mechanical functions too, including leaf-spring suspension, a V8 engine driven by all four wheels, opening doors, functioning steering, and the boom’s final extension.

The single motor delivers just as much on its own, thanks to those two gearboxes, powering the crane’s two-fold unfurling and rotation, the outriggers, and the truck’s tipper, which can tip both to rear and side of the vehicle depending upon which gear is selected.

It’s a brilliant feat of engineering and one that you can explore for yourself if you own a Technic 42082 Rough Terrain Crane set, as Nico has made instructions for this unbelievable B-Model available via his excellent website. Click this link to head over and take a look at the complete build description, the full gallery of images, and to find a link to the building instructions so you can build this amazing model for yourself.

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Little Lamborghini

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The current Eurobricks ‘small car’ competition is delivering our Elves some brilliant Technic creations. This is one of their favourites, because… well, it’s an orange Lamborghini with a racing stripe down the middle of it.

More for our benefit, it’s also got some neat working features squeezed inside it, including a miniature V10 engine driven by the rear wheels, functioning steering via a ‘Hand of God’ mechanism, plus opening doors and engine cover.

Nico Lego (aka Levihathan) is the Lamborghini’s maker and you can see more of his contest entry at both Flickr and at the Eurobricks discussion forum.

Honey, I shrunk the 8258 (and added a trailer)

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We receive a lot of requests to promote LEGO Ideas entries (the platform whereby fan designs can become real LEGO sets) here at TLCB, which we must decline every time (so please don’t send us them!). However occasionally our Elves find a creation that’s so well engineered it could be an official LEGO set. This is one of those times, and even though this model is not on LEGO Ideas, if someone told us this was a set due out later this year, we wouldn’t question it.

Built by Krall of Eurobricks and Flickr, this top-quality crane truck looks every inch a Technic set (it fact it’s inspired by the official and much larger 8258 Crane Truck), adopting LEGO’s newer more detailed style and packing it with superb functionality.

Power Functions motors give Krall’s truck remote control drive and four-wheel steering, there’s a tilting cab, and then our favourite feature; a gearbox that enables one hand-operated cog to control three separate functions; the truck’s four outriggers, the crane’s rotation, and the first of its three boom extensions.

A flatbed trailer with working support legs is thrown in too and you can see more of Krall’s superbly store-worthy creation at both Eurobricks and Flickr via the links above.

A Perfect 379

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This phenomenal Peterbilt 379 was discovered by one of our Elves on Flickr today, and it comes from Vladimir Drozd making his TLCB debut. Vladimir’s model features some spectacular attention to detail, including a superbly replicated engine under the tilting hood, an accurate interior behind opening doors, and even air lines for the trailer hook-up.

It’s a properly good demonstration of how to build and photograph a Model Team creation and there’s lots more to see, including a pair of trailers with some equally well-detailed loads, at Vladimir’s ‘Peterbilt 379’ album. Click the link above to make the jump to Flickr for the complete image gallery.

Build-a-Van

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What to do when you’re stuck at home thanks to Coronavirus-induced social distancing? Well you could build a (rather awesome) classic van courtesy of TLCB regular and Master MOCer Andrea Lattanzio (aka Norton74).

Andrea’s 6-wide classic Chevy-ish van has featured in a few of his builds that have appeared here, and he’s now produced pictorial building instructions so that you can create your own at home.

The complete parts list can be found below, and you can see more of Andrea’s excellent classic van on Flickr at his ‘Build your own Classic Van’ album – take a look via the link above and bust out those bricks!

Model Model Team

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Is there anything more Model Teamy than a big red and black truck? LEGO have made several over the years, and continue to now that Model Team has morphed into the Creator line.

Flickr’s Martin Nespor adds another to the list with his excellent truck and trailer in Model Team’s quintessential style and most favoured colour scheme. Head to Martin’s photostream via the link above for all the imagery.

Dark Knight Distancing

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Batman’s job has got a lot easier lately. Gone are the days of people holding up banks (they’re closed), robbing stores (closed), even walking out of a restaurant without paying (closed). Instead the Dark Knight is enforcing social distancing rules and breaking up groups of teens in the park. Still, at least he’s still got the Tumbler, which means he remains unbelievably cool. This brilliant Lego version comes from Riskjockey, there are instructions available, and you can see more on Flickr. Click the link above to order that old lady to stop hoarding toilet paper.

Bike on Track

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This is a Fritz Riemerschmid Gleiskettenkrad (which we can assure you that we pronounced flawlessly in TLCB Office so you can too as you’re reading this), a 1930s BMW R12-based tracked motorcycle that was designed to drive on snow. In straight lines only presumably.

Built by previous bloggee Nikolaus Lowe, who seems to have a penchant for odd vintage machinery, this marvellous Model Team recreation includes a sidecar, a working two-cylinder engine with functioning gearbox, and something purporting to be steering.

There’s much more to see at Nikolaus’ ‘Fritz Riemerschmid Gleiskettenkrad’ album – click the link above to head over. In a straight line.

Green Space

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Volkswagen’s T1 ‘Transporter’ has been many things. Hippy camper, fire engine, pick-up, and covered van, the versatile VW has been used for all manner of tasks, however not – to our knowledge at least – as a medium duty dropside truck.

Thank the miserable 1200cc-1600cc air-cooled engine for that. Still, if you’re going to turn a T1 into a truck, you’re going to need to move the rear-mounted engine anyway, so upgrading it is going to be the least of your problems.

Flickr’s Tony Bovkoon has done just that though, with his lime green wooden drop-sided T1 hot rod truck, complete with a mid-mounted engine that is presumably somewhat beefier than the tiny flat four that originally hung out the back.

We’re not sure what to make of Tony’s VW T1 hot rod truck arrangement but you join us in pondering its existence at his Flickr album by clicking here.

Tiny Technic Supercar II

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Following yesterday‘s superb small supercar, here’s another, also built for the ongoing Eurobricks contest. Built by osterum / Matthew Terentev, this one is a beautifully clean sports car complete with working steering (by the wheel and ‘Hand of God’), opening doors (revealing an interior of almost Model Team levels of detail), and a working miniature 6-cylinder engine under the opening engine cover. There’s more of Matthew’s creation to see at the Eurobricks forum and on Flickr, where a link to building instructions can also be found – click the links to make the jump!

Tiny Technic Supercar

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Lego Technic Supercars need several things to qualify. Whilst they don’t actually need to be a supercar (as this brilliant FSO Polonez ‘Supercar’ that featured here a few years back proves), they do need a fully working drivetrain, steering, and suspension. This tends to make them rather large and often out of reach for more brick-strapped builders. Cue the current Eurobricks ‘Small Car’ contest, where builders are cramming a myriad of Technic functions into creations that must fit within strict dimensions to qualify.

This is one of our favourites so far, apachaiapachai‘s brilliant Ferrari F355. Capturing the look of the real car beautifully, apachai has also squeezed in a working miniature V8 engine driven by the rear wheels, pop-up headlights, and working steering too. It’s a gearbox and suspension short of being a bona-fide Technic Supercar, but it’s a stupendous build nonetheless. Head to Eurobricks to see more, where we think apachai’s creation will do very well in the contest indeed (and it would make a cracking official LEGO set).

VAG BUG

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Today’s creation might sound like something you picked up on that trip to Thailand, but it is in fact the dubious name given to this marvellous Technic Volkswagen Beetle buggy by its maker, februar88. Stupendous in its appearance, februar88’s creation includes four drive motors – with one L Motor powering each wheel, plus Servo steering, a V8 engine (turned by a Medium Motor), mega suspension, opening and locking doors, LED lights, and SBrick programmable bluetooth control. There’s lots more to see – including a video of the bug in action – at the Eurobricks discussion forum. Take your penicillin and learn a valuable lesson about using protection via the link above.

1,000mph

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That might sound like a number from the spec sheet of any number of supercar start-ups that flare into existence only to burn out before they’ve made anything, but a 1,000mph car really might happen soon.

The Bloodhound LSR (Land Speed Record) car is due to continue high speed testing this year, after going into administration* in 2018, despite having some high profile sponsors including Jaguar. Now under new ownership, the Bloodhound will run again, and we can’t wait, particularly after it all looked to be over just a year ago.

Minh-Kha N. thinks so too, having created this neat Lego model of the Bloodhound LSR that was suggested to us by a reader. You can see more of Minh’s model at his photostream via the link above, where we’ll be crossing our fingers that the LSR hits the magic 1,000mph mark someday soon.

*Like all supercar start-ups that flare into existence only to burn out…

Purple Porka

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Some things don’t look good in lavender. Dogs for example. Anything modified by Mansory. Although that’s probably down to being modified by Mansory more than the colour. They could take a lesson from SP_LINEUP of Flickr, who has not only managed to tastefully modify a Porsche 911, it’s rockin’ a purple paint-job that looks, well… awesome. Head to SP’s photostream via the link for more purple perfection.

Super-8

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LEGO’s Speed Champions range has stepped up its scale to 8-wide for 2020, bringing increased realism to the line-up. Lego builders are taking advantage of this too, building creations in a matching scale with more detail than could be squeezed into a 6-wide build. dazzz99 has done just that, and is here making his TLCB debut with this excellent 8-wide hot rod. See more on Flickr via the link.