The brand new 10304 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 set is a fantastic addition to LEGO’s real-world vehicle line-up. But what if you prefer your Chevy’s a little more… trucky? Previous bloggee Tomáš Novák (aka PsychoWard666) has the answer, having converted his 10304 Camaro into this excellent mid-80s Chevrolet C10 pick-up, using only the parts from the official LEGO set.
Building instructions are available if you fancy having a go yourself, and there’s more to see of Tomáš’ classic Chevrolet B-Model at both his Flickr photostream and the Eurobricks forum. Click the links above to swap one Chevy for another.
The new LEGO Technic 42144 Material Handler is an impressive looking set. But it’s also really pricey, so – like anything expensive – it’s best to get maximum use out of it. At least, that’s the approach this writer takes with TLCB Executive Washroom & Sauna.
Cue M_longer, who has repurposed the pieces from the aforementioned set to create this neat cherry picker truck. A pneumatic hoist with a rotating turntable, working steering, and mechanical stabilisers feature, plus building instructions are available, so other owners of 42144 can both handle material and pick cherries too.
There’s more to see of M_longer’s 42144 alternate at Eurobricks and Bricksafe, and you can pick your way over via the links in the text above.
We love alternate builds here at The Lego Car Blog, as creating many things from one set is at the very heart of what LEGO is all about.
TLCB Master MOCer Firas Abu-Jaber demonstrates this perfectly today, having created this brilliant B-Model from the parts found within the excellent 10295 Porsche 911 Turbo set.
Following his incredible Ford GT40 10295 alternate comes another iconic American supercar, the Dodge Viper, complete with opening doors, a detailed engine under the raising hood, and working steering too.
We love B-Model building here at The Lego Car Blog. It’s LEGO in its purest form, as even a limited quantity of pieces can generate infinite creative possibilities. Cue Thirdwigg, who has repurposed the parts from the LEGO Technic 42136 John Deere 9620R Tractor set to create this articulated dump truck. Working steering and a tipping bucket provide the Technic functions, and there’s more to see of Thirdwigg’s alternate – including building instructions – on Flickr and at the Eurobricks forum.
America likes naming cars after animals. Thus this viper is borne of a horse, being constructed solely from the pieces found within the excellent Creator 10265 Ford Mustang set.
Besides a few mis-coloured clips you’d be hard pushed to tell that Marcin Majkowski’s Dodge Viper is a Mustang in disguise, plus the doors and hood open, there’s a detailed interior, and a lifelike V10 engine too.
Building instructions are available and there’s more to see of Marcin’s 10265 B-Model on Flickr – click the link above to swap one animal for another.
TLCB staff know to wear shoes in the office. No, the Elves don’t make that sort of mess, but their shenanigans do make barefoot walking of the halls hazardous. Today, this TLCB Writer forgot that rule.
A sensation of something both gloopy and slightly crunchy underfoot drew a sigh and a weary look down, upon which the Elf, smeared into the carpet, became apparent. Another sigh.
And another Elf too, as a second was in a similar predicament a few yards down the corridor.
Further again, and the strange sound of a motor whirring followed by repeated crunching could be faintly heard. A third sigh.
Rounding the corner and the source of the smushings revealed itself; a large unusual-looking tracked vehicle was stomping upon a flattened Elf with a stabilising foot, much to the glee of the Elf at the controls.
Said controls were quickly grabbed and we could determine the steps the Elf had taken to mete out violence on its colleagues.
Firstly, they were run over, thanks to the skid steer of the two suspended and motorised tracks, before – admittedly rather cleverly – the Elven psychopath at the controls compounded the misery of the victim by either stomping upon them with the vehicle’s stabilising legs or dropping a brick-built ‘diesel generator’ onto them via the fully motorised crane.
Which – Elven carnage aside – is seriously impressive. TLCB Master MOCer Nico71is the builder behind this curious (and stunningly engineered) creation, which is constructed only from the pieces found within the official LEGO Technic 42100 Liebherr R 9800 Excavator set.
All seven Powered-Up motors from the set have been redeployed to the purposes above; with remote control drive and steering, crane rotation and two-part elevation, four stabiliser legs, plus a motor spins a piston engine for added realism.
All of that can be controlled via the LEGO Powered-Up app, and if you’d like to convert your own 42100 Liebherr R 9800 set into an unusual Elf-smushing machine you can, as Nico has made building instructions available too.
There’s much more to see at Brickshelf, Nico’s excellent website or via the video below. Take a look whilst this TLCB Writer cleans the corridor carpet. And puts on some shoes.
Usually found on cars that are very much at the other end of the vehicular spectrum from the Stuttgart product they’re referencing, it’s certainly never a trade-up from the Porsche that wears the ‘My Other Car’s a Porsche’ bumper sticker. Except today that is.
Yes, this glorious Ford GT40 is constructed entirely from the pieces found within the LEGO 10295 Porsche 911 set, and whilst there aren’t many cars cooler than a ’70s Porsche 911 Turbo, the Ford GT40 is surely one of them.
Built by TLCB Master MOCer Firas Abu-Jaber, this wonderful 10295 alternate includes as many functions as its donor set, including opening doors, hood and engine cover, plus working steering and a detailed interior too.
Best of all, if you own the 10295 set and fancy trading up to a GT40, Firas has created building instructions too.
There’s much more of Firas’ superb 10295 B-Model to see at his ‘Ford GT40 Mk1’ album on Flickr, and you can find instructions to build it yourself (plus many more alternate models besides) at Firas’ ace website by clicking here.
This quirky classic cabriolet is a Panhard Dyna Junior, a car about which we know absolutely nothing besides that it’s French. And therefore probably weird.
Built by previous bloggee monstermatou, this lovely ’50s two-seat convertible is constructed from the parts found within the LEGO 10290 Creator Expert Pickup Truck set, and like its donor set includes working steering, opening doors, hood and trunk.
There’s more of monstermatou’s excellent alternate to see at his photostream on Flickr; click the link above to head to ’50s France.
Not many people can say that. One really. And we suspect if he knew anyone else was saying it he wouldn’t be happy.
However thanks to TLCB Master MOCer Nico71, you dear readers, can say ‘My Other Car’s the Batmobile’, as this deeply cool hot rod – instructions for which are available – is constructed only from the parts found within the new LEGO Technic 42127 Batmobile set.
There’s working steering, a V8 engine and… er, that’s it. Because to be fair it’s all the 42127 set is equipped with. Plus some unnecessary light-up bricks, but our thoughts on those being a Technic ‘feature’ mirror Batman’s feelings on impersonators.
You can convert your own 42127 Batmobile set into Nico’s hot rod alternate via his excellent website, where building instructions, further imagery and a video are available. Click the link above to take a look.
This is a big crane truck, and it’s built from… er, a different big crane truck. Still, it is about as different from the source big crane truck as it can get, whilst still being a big crane truck itself.
Previous bloggee damjan97PL (aka damianPLE) is the builder who has converted the official LEGO Technic 42128 Heavy Duty Tow Truck set into a European flatbed truck, complete with a rather excellent rear-mounted folding crane.
The aforementioned crane can rotate, elevate and extend thanks to three pneumatically-operated booms, whilst the truck itself features working outriggers, an inline 6-cylinder engine underneath a tilting cab, ‘HOG’ steering, and dropping flatbed sides.
It’s a top quality (and brilliantly presented) B-Model, and one that owners of the 42128 set can create for themselves as building instructions are available. Head to the Eurobricks discussion forum or Bricksafe to find out more, plus you can click here to see an alternative ‘alternative’ big crane truck built from LEGO’s big crane truck…
Builder mpj hasn’t used all 2,000 pieces though. In fact the donor set’s pneumatics have been foregone completely, but that doesn’t mean this appropriate-if-accidentally Ice Planet coloured alternate is short on functions, with working steering, a lifting third axle, a folding, rotating and extending crane, working stabilisers, and a tipping bed.
We say appropriate, as even with all of that functionality quite a few pieces remained, so mpj has utilised a few more of 42128’s parts to equip his Scania XT B-Model with a gritter (which spins by drive from the truck’s differential) and fully positionable snow plow.
Building instructions are available and there’s more of mpj’s airless icy alternative to see on Brickshelf and at the Eurobricks discussion forum – Click the links to plow your way there.
This is a UAZ 452-3303, one of many imaginatively named Soviet off-road van truck thingies designed during the Communist era.
The UAZ 452 was launched in 1965 with a 75bhp 2.45 litre petrol engine that could run on fuel as low as 72 octane (basically spicy water), and it’s still in production today, with nine different variants available.
This one, the 3303 dropside pick-up truck, is affectionally know as the ‘tadpole’, because it looks rather like one, and has been recreated beautifully in brick form by ArtemyZotov of Eurobricks.
It also continues our run of B-Models, being constructed entirely from the 10290 Creator Pickup Truck set. Opening doors, dropping bed sides, and a load of fruit and veg all feature, and there’s more to see – including a link to building instructions – at the Eurobricks forum via the link above.
LEGO’s excellent 10295 Creator Porsche 911 set has produced some wonderful alternates to date, and this might be our favourite so far.
The Chevrolet Corvette C3 was America’s answer to the Porsche 911 of the time, and is – at least in the eyes of this TLCB writer – still one of the best looking American cars ever made.
Capturing the C3 Corvette brilliantly, and using only the pieces from the 10295 Porsche 911 set to do so, is Lego-building legend and TLCB Master MOCer Firas Abu-Jaber.
Firas’ expertly presented creation recreates the iconic classic Corvette in T-bar form, with pop-up headlights, opening doors and hood, a superbly detailed engine bay and interior, and a removable targa roof.
It makes for one of the finest alternates from any set that we’ve seen yet, and best of all if you own the 10295 Porsche 911 set you can turn it into a Chevrolet Corvette C3 yourself, as Firas has produced building instructions too.
Fiat’s original 500 was really small. But back in the 1950s you could go even smaller.
Microcars, often dubbed ‘bubble cars’, were popular in post-war Europe, thanks to limited metal supplies, a need for cheap transportation, and a population that was still largely moving itself about by motorcycle. Or horse.
This is one of the most well known bubble cars, the BMW Isetta. Less well known is the fact it was actually an Italian design by ISO Rivolta that BMW produced under license, so it’s fitting therefore that this one is also built from the bits of an Italian car.
The work of previous bloggee Tomáš Novák (aka PsychoWard666), this beautifully presented BMW Isetta is constructed only from the parts found within the official 10271 Creator Fiat 500 set, although such is its accuracy you’d never know. Unless you see it alongside the 10271’s rather pointless easel of course…
Building instructions are available and there’s lots more of Tomáš’ BMW B-Model to see (including that give-away image) at both Eurobricks and Flickr – click the links above to take a look.
This is a Trabant 601 Combi, one of the great mobilisers of the people, and it comes from Eurobricks’ PsychoWard666 who has constructed it solely from the parts found within another historic people mover, the 10258 London Bus.
Both the Trabant and the AEC Routemaster bus are icons of their time and location, and – despite being rather different classes of vehicle – are more similar that you might think.
Each was designed to mobilise as many people as possible, and thus had a monopoly in its respective market, and both designs endured long beyond their intended lifespans, with the Trabant produced from 1960 right up until the fall of the Berlin Wall, whilst the Routemaster remained in service until 2005, outlasting far more modern bus designs.
Of course whilst this meant each became a symbol of the society they mobilised, they were also seen as polluting, noisy, uncomfortable, and dangerous by the end of their lives. And if you don’t think a Routemaster is dangerous you’ve never been on one at 2am. Although to be fair that applies to all of London’s buses.
Back to the model, and PsychoWard’s Trabant 601 captures the East German peoples’ car beautifully, particularly considering the parts limitation of the 10258 donor set. Building instructions are available too, so if you own the 10258 London Bus set and you’d like to turn one classic transportation icon into another you can find out how to do so at the Eurobricks forum – Click the link above to take a look.
