Tag Archives: 6×6

Radar Love

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This fantastic creation is a ZIL 131, a Soviet V8-powered 6×6 off-road truck built from the 1960s right up to 2012, as used by all manner of dodgy dictatorships and communist regimes around the world. And Finland.

It’s also a vehicle that has appeared on this site several times over the years. This one however, is a little different from most…

Fitted to the bed of Samuel Nerpas’ Technic version is an enormous radar system, as was mounted on the real AMU variants of the ZIL 131. Powered by two separate gasoline engines, the P19 radar antenna would raise, unfurl, and rotate, allowing the Soviet Union to deploy radar in even its most inhospitable parts.

Samuel’s incredible recreation of the ZIL 131 AMU includes that P19 radar system, with four Power Functions motors raising and unfolding the antenna, powering a decoupling clutch, and rotating it 360°.

Four more motors drive all six fully-suspended wheels, whilst another powers the steering, and yet another a compressor to deploy the pneumatically-operated stabiliser legs.

There’s loads more to see of Samuel’s astonishing build at both his Flickr photostream and at the Eurobricks forum, where full build details, imagery of the amazing antenna deployed, and videos of the model in action can also be found. Click the links above to get on the radar.

Today’s (excellent) title song.

My Other Truck’s Also in Space

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LEGO’s new for 2024 Spacey Technic range is the mash-up we never thought we needed! It also features some superb new parts, which TLCB Master MOCer Nico71 has put to wonderful use though his brilliant 42180 B-Model.

Entitled ‘Space Garbage Truck’, Nico has redeployed the pieces from the official LEGO set to create a vehicle we hope mankind will have surpassed the need for when we’re inhabiting other planets… but seeing as our brightest minds are still creating such catastrophes as the disposable vape, perhaps that hope is misplaced.

Thus should space need clearing of mankind’s crap (It will. Ed.), Nico’s 42180 alternate has the answer. With a clever mechanically operated front-mounted grab, ingenious six-wheel steering, and a winch-based rear compactor mechanism, Nico’s ‘Space Garbage Truck’ is on hand to remove all the space-based detritus that will inevitably follow humanity wherever it goes in the cosmos.

Building instructions are available and there’s much more of Nico’s 42180 B-Model to see via his Brickshelf gallery. Click here to take a closer look, the second link above to check out Nico’s Master MOCer interview here at The Lego Car Blog, and finally you can watch his latest creation in action via the video below.

YouTube Video

Sci-Fi Sunday

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OK, we’re not always strictly a car blog here at The Lego… er, Car Blog, but today’s sci-fi creations do have wheels! Well, two of them do, and enough to average 4.67 wheels per model in today’s post, which is good enough for us!

First up is Capt. Dad‘s Neo-Classic Space ‘Mobile Research’, because there’s nothing the mini-figures of Classic Space (or indeed, Neo-Classic Space) like more than researching stuff. Much greebling, many opening compartments, and a brilliant interior all feature, and you join in the research via the link above.

Next up is a creation from Neo-M-Tron, a sub-theme which we’ve just invented. This is the ‘Gigatron Flux Inductor’, a giganormous 6×6 cross between the mole thingy from Thunderbirds, a steam train, and a petrol tanker. Created digitally in Bricklink Studio plus copious editing programmes, Ghalad‘s creation is apparently the latter, and you can fill up your stranded lunar rover via the link in the text above.

Today’s third and final sci-fi build features no wheels at all, but it does use two LEGO transparent ball pieces for, um… reasons. Sylvain Daunais‘ ‘Universe Explorer’ looks superb however, and there’s more to see of his excellent Neo-Classic Spaceship on Flickr. Click the link above to take a look, whilst we find some things that have definitely got wheels…

Urally Good

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We may mock President Putin as regularly as we can create a tenuous link to his dickwittery, but the country he dictates is an amazing one. Spanning from the Atlantic to the Pacific across eleven time zones, responsible for the first animal, satellite, and person in space, and with a history uniting fifteen separate countries into one bloc of… er, communist misery, Russia and the former Soviet Union are a major part of our current world.

They also make probably the best off-road trucks of anyone, which are needed to traverse a vast and wild landscape, with most having their roots in the Military. Founded in 1956, off-road truck-maker Ural shares this history, and still employs 4,000 people today building trucks like this, Vladimir Drozd‘s beautifully presented Ural crane truck.

With a working crane that rotates, elevates, extends, and winches, Vladimir’s Ural functions as good as it looks, and there’s loads more of his superb model to see at his ‘Ural Crane Truck’ album on Flickr. Take a look via the link above, or here for a tenuous link to Putin’s dickwittery.

Ural-4320 6×6 | Picture Special

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This magnificent model is a Ural-4320 6×6 truck, a Soviet-era general purpose military truck first built in 1977, and still in production today.

Powered by a naturally-aspirated V8 diesel or a V6 turbodiesel, the Ural-4320 is very slow, but able to carry a variety of loads, from troops to rocket launchers, over almost any terrain. Well, unless the Russian Army recruits behind the wheel abandon them and run.

Which is what has occurred in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with over six-hundred Ural-4320s destroyed or abandoned, and around fifty captured a repurposed by the Ukrainian military, according to Dutch open-source intelligence group Oryx. Which is marvellous.

This phenomenal fully remote controlled Model Team recreation of the Ural-4320 comes from Russian builder and previous bloggee Michael217, who has brilliantly captured not just the aesthetics of the real truck, but also much of the driveline too.

A LEGO Buggy motor powers all six wheels, each of which is suspended and fitted with a portal axle, there’s Servo steering (that turns the steering wheel too), a high/low gearbox, opening doors and hood, a detailed engine, and an open load area ready to be fitted with a variety of Russian (or Ukrainian…) equipment.

There’s much more of Michael’s amazing model to see at the Eurobricks discussion forum, you can find the full image gallery at Bricksafe here, and you can watch the truck in action via the video below.

YouTube Video

Terra-Tired Transporter

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This is a Foremost Delta, a 6×6, articulated, multi-terrain, terra-tired transport, and the best thing to come out of Canada since maple syrup and Elisha Cuthbert.

This incredible fully remote controlled Technic recreation of the amazing Canadian machine comes from TLCB master MOCer Nico71, who has replicated the Delta’s 6×6 drivetrain, articulated steering, and improbably suspension in Lego form.

A suite of Control+ components deliver power to the all-wheel-drive system and linear-actuator driven articulation, whilst the model also includes opening doors, a removable bed and cab, and can be equipped with front and rear winches.

Building instructions are available and there’s more to see of Nico’s superbly-engineered Foremost Delta on Brickshelf and via the excellent video below, plus you can read Nico’s Master MOCers interview here at TLCB by clicking these words. Take a look whilst this TLCB Writer returns to thinking about maple syrup and Elisha Cuthbert. Or somehow combining the two.

YouTube Video

Six in the Sand

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Much like sandwiches and body crevices, LEGO Technic gears do not like sand. Sand however, as per the aforementioned lucheon staple and your belly button, loves to get all up in there, first causing horrible noises, then a jamming drivetrain, and finally broken pieces. But not today, as this simple yet superbly engineered 6×6 trial truck can withstand not just sand, but snow, mud, and 8cm of water!

Built by Eurobricks’ keymaker there’s 6×6 drive via three Power Functions L Motors, Servo steering, all-wheel suspension, and – crucially – complete underbody protection thanks to some strategically placed curved Technic panels.

It’s such a simple solution we’re amazed it a) hasn’t been done before and b) expect it will soon be fitted to every remotely controlled off-road Lego creation, particularly as keymaker has published instructions for his creation that are available for free. We don’t normally link directly to instructions but if you release them free of charge we will!

There’s more to see of keymaker’s sand-proof truck at the Eurobricks forum, and you can take your truck trial to the beach via the link above.

YouTube Video

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.

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

Iveco Overland Adventure

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Social media is bursting with #van/truck/buslife content. Attractive couples bedecked in hot pants and topknots regale their audience with tales of adventure, ethically-sourced all-natural vegan cuisine, and a life lived off the beaten track, only returning to civilisation to connect to Starbucks’ wifi to upload their latest vlog.

Back in 1995 though, a team of Italian overlanding experts did things properly. Using four amazing Iveco 330.30 6×6 trucks, each outfitted for a different overlanding purpose by specialists Mussa & Graziano, the team travelled over 170,000kms through 91 countries during the five year expedition.

Better yet, there wasn’t a ‘Like & Subscribe!’ in sight, with the expedition supporting Unicef (one of TLCB’s own chosen charities) and staffed by doctors, an Italian parachute regiment, Iveco mechanics, and other people that – whilst they might not have a topknot – do know what they’re doing.

This phenomenal Technic creation captures one of the four incredible Iveco vehicles from the epic expedition, and comes from previous bloggee Lucio Switch of Flickr.

With remote control 6×6 drive, steering, locking differentials, all-wheel suspension, and a fully-accessible cab and living quarter, Lucio’s model replicates the Mussa & Graziano modified Iveco 330.30 6×6 overland truck spectacularly, and there’s a whole lot more to see at both his Flickr album and via the video below.

Click the links to start your expedition. Topknot not required.

YouTube Video

Expedition Escape

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We all need an escape sometimes. Particularly if your office includes a hoard of mythical creatures who got into the supply cupboard and have eaten all the glue sticks.

Thesuperkoala of Flickr has just the sort of vehicle that would enable this writer to escape the gluey mess that is TLCB Towers and hide out somewhere far away from Elves or Pritt Stick.

Powered by a third-party BuWizz bluetooth battery, Koala’s ‘6×6 Expedition’ includes a remote control six-wheel-drive system and steering, all-axle suspension, a detailed engine under a raising hood, plus opening doors and hatches.

It looks perfect for a remote expedition and there’s more to see at Koala’s Flickr album – make your escape with us via the link above.

Rise of the Phoenix

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We were going to title this post ‘Rise of the Phoenix’ until we realised that there was no suitable image of the tipper of Porsche96’s Tatra Phoenix 6×6 actually rising. But then we couldn’t think of any other titles…

No matter, because the tipper of Porsche96’s Tatra Phoenix 6×6 does rise, thanks to an L Motor driving a linear actuator, which is controlled remotely via BuWizz bluetooth brick.Two further L Motors power all six wheels, all of which are suspended, whilst an M Motor steers the fronts (along with the steering wheel too), and there’s an inline-6 engine under the tilting cab.

It’s a top quality Technic build and there’s more to see, including a video of it in action (tipper rising and everything) at the Eurobricks forum, with the complete gallery of images available on Bricksafe. Click the links above to see the Phoenix rise.

Snow Cone

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Today’s ice-based erection is brought to you by Markus19840420, whose hefty rocket is rising skywards ready for launch.

A 6×6 transport rover sits underneath the frosty phallus, whilst two mini-figures watch the action from the sidelines, and you can join them at Markus’ photostream via the link above.

Tan Parade

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In recent years most military vehicles – such as these these American ‘Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected’ (MRAP) light tactical vehicles – seem to be painted tan, what with all the oil being in the desert. Er, we mean the ‘complicated political nature of the Middle East’, or something.

Of course a certain minimally-endowed despot has changed the landscape somewhat, bringing war back to the greeny-brown lands of Europe, and we suspect many national militaries will be re-painting a proportion of their equipment accordingly, even if they have no intention of joining in.

However the ’90s-2010s will be remembered, in a military context at least, for desert-based conflicts, and the tan-coloured vehicles that operated in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and other sandy locales.

Cue Robson M (aka BrickDesigners), and these excellent Middle-East spec MRAPs, armoured trucks, and personnel carriers. Each captures its real-world equivalent brilliantly, helped by custom decals and weaponry, and there’s more to see of all of Robson’s desert warfare vehicles on Flickr via the link.

Big Green Boxes

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This is a Tatra PR3333 6×6 truck, outfitted with a hook-lift system and depicted in Dutch Army specification by Flickr’s Arian Janssens.

We’re not sure what’s in the big green box it’s carrying, nor the second one towed behind via the neat drawbar trailer, but as we assume it’s army stuff we probably wouldn’t understand anyway.

The truck, trailer, and boxes are all superbly built, and there’s more to see of all components at Arian’s photostream. Click the link to take a look.

*Points for us for not going down the ‘Dutch Hooker’ route with this post! Until now. Damn.