Tag Archives: alternate

Al-tow-native

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With over four-thousand pieces, the LEGO Technic 42082 Rough Terrain Crane is one of the largest sets ever released. Which means there are plenty of parts with which to create something new. Cue TLCB Master MOCer Nico71, who has constructed a number of alternates from the vast set, with his latest being this; a fantastic Mercedes-Benz Unimog tow-truck.

Utilising around 3,500 of 42082’s pieces, Nico’s phenomenal B-Model features no less than five motorised functions, plus four-wheel-drive, an inline-6 piston engine under a tilting cab, working steering and suspension, and opening doors, toolboxes and compartments.

Like the donor set, a single motor provides motion to a huge array of functions via a sophisticated gearbox, with Nico’s B-Model cleverly including reverse switches so the battery box can be switched on and left.

Working stabiliser legs, an articulated towing-platform, an elevating and extending crane boom, and a winch (which is ingenuously synchronised with the boom to maintain its hook level) are all operable through a series of levers, allowing Nico’s Unimog to function exactly like the real thing.

It’s an astonishing alternate and perhaps the very best B-Model build that this site has ever published, with full details, engineering diagrams, and a link to building instructions available at the Eurobricks forum. Find all of the above and convert your own 42082 Rough Terrain Crane set into this amazing alternate via the link, plus you can watch the model in action via the video below.

YouTube Video

My Other Truck’s Garbage

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Do you own the LEGO Technic 42175 Volvo FMX & EC230 Electric Excavator set, but wish it was a little more… garbage? Then we have the perfect alternative!

Constructed only from the parts found within 42175, previous bloggee paave’s garbage truck B-Model features a tilting cab, functioning steering, a  working piston engine, an operational discharge plate, an openable and locking tailgate, plus a pneumatically operable side-arm lift that can seemingly lift a bin from the other side of the street.

There’s more to see – including a link to building instructions – at the Eurobricks forum, plus you watch all those features in action below.

YouTube Video

My Other Piece of Agricultural Equipment is a Unimog

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The new and rather excellent looking LEGO Technic 42242 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 5023 set brings a whole lot of lime to the Technic line-up.

Which means a famously-lime agricultural brand is within B-Model reach. And reach Eurobricks’ Ngoc Nguyen has done, because he’s created this tremendous Claas Torion 530 front loader solely from the parts found within the aforementioned Unimog.

42242’s pneumatics have been redeployed to create a twin-cylinder boom lift and tilt, at the end of which is a mechanically-operated removable grapple, whilst there’s articulated steering via both ‘HOG’ and the steering wheel.

Building instructions are available and you can find further details of Ngoc’s excellent 42242 alternate at the Eurobricks forum. Swap your ‘Mog for a Claas via the link above.

I Used to Bullseye Womp Rats…

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It’s Star Wars Day, that one day of the year when nerds feel socially acceptable, and when websites that normally couldn’t care less about the George Lucas saga jump on the bandwagon for clicks.

Um, so here’s a Star Wars post… But it is an interesting one, we promise! This brilliantly clever T-65 X-Wing fighter, mounted atop a fully controllable Stewart Platform, is the work of vascolp of Eurobricks, and it’s built entirely from parts found within the enormous LEGO Technic 42100 Liebherr R 9800 Excavator.

The huge quantity of electronics from the donor set allows vascolp’s X-Wing to pitch, bank and twist beautifully, as well as position the opening wings. A custom Pybricks Python programme controls the magic and you watch this incredible alternate in action via the video above and read more about the build at the Eurobricks forum here.

String Theory

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Unifying quantum mechanics and general relativity, String Theory proposes that the universe is composed of vibrating one-dimensional strings instead of points, incorporating all particles and forces into a single framework. Alternatively it’s adding some string to a LEGO set to make a new one. We’re doing the latter today…

This is paave’s Technic mobile crane, and it’s built only from the parts of the 42175 LEGO Technic Volvo FMX Truck & EC230 Electric Excavator set. Plus a piece of string.

Featuring working steering, outriggers, boom elevation and extension, superstructure rotation, and an inline-6 engine, paave’s alternate is an excellent reconstitution of the 42175 donor, and one you can build for yourself as instructions are available. As long as you have some string. Find a link to them and further build details on Eurobricks via the link above.

YouTube Video

Turbo Twin

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The early years of turbocharging – characterised by  chronic lag and spiky handling – were dominated by a few companies; BMW, Porsche, and – more weirdly – Renault.

Weirdly, because Renault didn’t have a sports sedan or sports car to put a turbo into, so they put one into their dinky 5 supermini. And it was mega.

Mid-rear engined, rear-wheel-drive, and powered by a turbocharged 1.4 litre making 160bhp, the R5 Turbo was a smash hit, and now you can create one for yourself if you own another ‘80s turbocharged icon, LEGO’s excellent 10295 Porsche 911 set.

Featuring working steering, a detailed interior and engine, plus opening doors and hood, Firas Abu-Jaber’s Renault 5 Turbo alternate is the perfect turbocharged twin to the 10295 donor.

Building instructions are available and you can find a link to them, plus all of the superb imagery, at Firas’ photostream. Click the link above to boost on over, or here to learn more about how Firas does it.

Skiddadle

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It’s an alternative day here at TLCB, as we’re back B-Modelling. This excellent skid-steer loader is our alternate of choice, being constructed only from the parts found within the Technic 42082 Rough Terrain Crane and retaining the donor set’s focus on motorised functionality.

A gearbox enables power to go to the boom elevation, bucket tilt, or drive, although not all at once. Which means you can chase a TLCB Elf down the office corridor but not simultaneously scoop it up. Not that we’ve tried…

Anyway, building instructions are available and you can see more of this neat 42082 B-Model courtesy of paave at the Eurobricks forum.

Horse Handler

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Ford Bronco owners like to think that by driving their boxy SUV people will think they’re outdoorsy farming types, rather than Jeff from Marketing. But they’re fooling no-one. However Flickr’s M_longer can help! Because this splendid telehandler – complete with working arm elevation and extension, deployable stabilisers, spring operated forks, all-wheel steering, and an inline piston engine – is constructed solely from the parts of the official 42213 Technic Ford Bronco set. No-one’s gonna think you work in marketing driving this! Switch up your Bronco for a real farm machine courtesy of M_longer via the link above, where building instructions for this brilliant Bronco B-Model can also be found.

My Other Car’s Still a Bronco

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Wait, haven’t we featured a Bronco-based Suzuki before? Well, yes… but this one’s just as good, and we really like the Suzuki Samurai.

Built by previous bloggee gyenesvi, this neat Technic recreation of the diminutive Japanese 4×4 is constructed only from the pieces found within the official LEGO Technic 42213 Ford Bronco set, which is inspiring a plethora of alternates.

A working piston engine, all-wheel suspension, HOG steering, plus opening doors and hood all feature, and with building instructions available you can swap your own Bronco for a Samurai too.

There’s more to see of gyenesvi’s Bronco B-Model at both the Eurobricks forum and Bricksafe, where an extensive gallery of imagery is available, and you can take a closer look at this alternative off-roader via the links above.

My Other Car’s a Bronco

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Is your new Ford Bronco too big to get to the really cool off-road places? Then you need to switch it for an ATV, thanks to TLCB Master MOCer thirdwigg!

Constructed only from the parts of the official LEGO Technic 42213 Ford Bronco set, thirdwigg’s ATV (or ‘quad bike’ in TLCB’s home nation) alternate features working steering, pendular suspension front and rear, plus a W6 piston engine, and with building instructions available you can create it for yourself too.

There’s more to see including that link to instructions at thirdwigg’s ‘42213 ATV’ album, and you can jump to a trail somewhere cool via the link above, or alternatively click here if you want to downsize your Bronco, but not quite this much…

My Other Car’s a Bronco

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By American standards Ford’s new Bronco isn’t particularly large. But as this writer is not American, it still looks pretty massive. Which means this is much more to his liking, Suzuki’s diminutive Samurai.

Constructed only from the parts found within the LEGO Technic 42213 Ford Bronco set, damjan97PL / damianPLE shrinks the fat Ford into a rather smaller off-road alternative, complete with opening doors and hood, working steering and suspension, and a three-cylinder engine.

There’s more to see at both Eurobricks and Bricksafe, and you can put your Bronco on a B-Model diet via the links above.

My Other Car’s Also a Ferrari

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It’s been two decades since the Ferrari Enzo, and two since an official LEGO set depicting it. Cue nopingrid of Eurobricks, who has recreated Ferrari’s iconic early-’00s hypercar from the parts of one of their newest, the Technic 42212 Ferrari FXX K. Using 85% of the FXX K’s 900 pieces, nopingrid’s Enzo includes working steering, a V12 engine, plus opening butterfly doors, and we think it looks rather better than the donor set. Building instructions are available and you can find out more at the Eurobricks forum via the link above.

Ford + Volvo =

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Back in the ’00s the answer to that question would probably have been a Jaguar, but Ford’s ‘Premier Automotive Group’ is long since dead, with the brands held within it now mercifully free from its yolk.

So whilst a Ford crossed with a Volvo did often equal a Jaguar, today we have something far more unique.

Constructed from the parts found within both the 42213 Ford Bronco and 42209 Volvo Electric Wheel-Loader sets, this terrific Technic tractor deploys two sets’ worth of pieces to pack in the functionality.

There’s a working engine, functional steering, opening doors and hood, a self-levelling front-loader, a two-speed power-take-off with neutral, and a three-point elevating rear hitch.

It’s all the work of mirrorbricks, who will release building instructions for this B-Model shortly, and there’s more of this excellent alternate to see at the Eurobricks forum in the meantime. Merge your Bronco with a Volvo via the link in the text above.

YouTube Video

Tractors in Space

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LEGO surprised us all in 2024 with the shock arrival of the Technic Space line, becoming the mash-up we never knew we needed. Flickr’s Tung Pham has taken his terrestrial Technic into space too, converting the 42136 and 42157 John Deere sets into vehicles rather more other-worldly. Tung’s speeder, floating front-loader, and maintenance mech alternates each requisition the pieces from their donor sets and include both mechanical and pneumatic functions. There’s more to see – including a link to building instructions – on Flickr, and you can click here to take your tractors into space.

Dump Your Horse

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Revealed here earlier in the year, LEGO’s 42213 Technic Ford Bronco brings the blue oval’s newest, but retro-est, 4×4 to bedroom floors everywhere. It also provides just under a thousand pieces for B-Model building, with previous bloggee damianPLE doing just that, by turning his Bronco into this excellent Technic off-road dump truck.

Like the set on which it’s based, Damian’s alternate includes working suspension, ‘HOG’ steering, and a V6 engine under an opening hood, whilst adding a manually operable tipper too. Building instructions are available and you can find all the images, plus that instructional link, at Bricksafe and Eurobricks respectively. Dump your horse via the links above!