Tag Archives: firas abu-jaber

My Other Car’s a Porsche

Leave a reply

No, really. Because this amazing looking Lamborghini Murcielago is constructed only from the parts found within the excellent 10295 Creator Expert Porsche 911 set.

Built by Lego-building legend Firas Abu-Jaber, who must be some sort of wizard, the pieces from the resolutely curvy Porsche have somehow been re-purposed to recreate the almost entirely trapezoid mid-’00s Lamborghini.

Opening scissor doors, accurate pop-up air-vents, a removable roof panel, and an opening engine cover and front trunk all feature, and this incredible 10295 alternate is available to build yourself thanks to the building instructions released alongside the model.

The complete suite of top-quality imagery can be viewed at Firas’ ‘10295 Lamborghini Murcielago’ album on Flickr, where a link to building instructions can also be found (or click here to jump straight to Firas’ own excellent website store), plus you can read his interview as part of our Master MOCers Series to learn how he builds astonishing models like this one via the second link in the text above.

My Other Car is a Camaro

Leave a reply

Ford and Chevy people seem – as is so often the way – so be very separate communities. Which is a shame, because without the unnecessary tribalism, both products can be appreciated together.

Cue TLCB Master MOCer Firas Abu-Jaber, who has constructed this excellent Ford Mustang Shleby GT500 from only the parts found within the official LEGO 10304 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 set. Plus a set of more appropriate wheels in the image above.

Converting a Camaro into a Mustang may be considered sacrilege by certain quarters of the Chevrolet community, but fear not, Firas turned the 10265 Ford Mustang set into a Dodge Charger in the past too. See, there’s no bias here!

There’s more to see of Firas’ Camaro-based-Mustang B-Model at his ‘10304 Shelby GT500’ album on Flickr, and you can check out his previously-blogged Mustang-turned-Charger via the link in the text above if you’d rather see a Mustang taken apart than put together.

Snakey B

1 Reply

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.

All the parts to create it can be found within the 10295 set, the complete image gallery can be found here, and you can find building instructions to turn your own 10295 Porsche 911 Turbo set into a Dodge Viper at Firas’ website by clicking here.

My Other Car’s a Porsche

1 Reply

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.

Lego 10295 Ford GT40 B-Model

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.

My Other Car’s a Porsche

1 Reply

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.

Head over to Firas’ ‘Corvette C3’ album on Flickr for the complete gallery, you can find the building instructions at his website here, and you can click here to read Firas’ interview in the Master MOCers series if you want to find out more about how he creates his amazing models such as this one.

My Other Car’s a Porsche

1 Reply

No really, it is. Because this amazing Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole is built entirely from the pieces found within the official LEGO 10295 Porsche 911 set.

How Firas Abu-Jaber has managed to turn a vehicle renowned for its curves into one famous for its straight lines has broken every brain here at TLCB Towers, but suffice to say, Firas has absolutely smashed it.

Working steering, an opening front trunk, engine cover and scissor doors, plus a detailed interior all feature, and there are more superbly presented images of Firas’s incredible 10295 alternate to see at his ‘Lamborghini Countach’ album here.

You can also find further details and building instructions at Firas’s excellent website Bricks Garage, plus you can check out his interview here at TLCB to learn how he builds models like this one by clicking these words.

Trade it in for a Newer Model

1 Reply

This is not the best Lego Porsche 911 model ever made. In fact, it’s not even the best Porsche 911 model made by this builder. However, what it is, is the best Porsche 911 model built from another Porsche 911 model. By miles.

LEGO’s ace official 10295 Porsche 911 set is a wonderful addition to the line-up, particularly as it features a classic version of Porsche’s iconic sports car. However what if you like your 911s a little newer?

TLCB Master MOCer Firas Abu-Jaber has the answer, constructing this 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S only from the parts found within the official LEGO 10295 classic 911 set.

Now the usual 911 joke here would be ‘well, all 911s look the same anyway’, but the proportions of the modern iteration (and any new car) are actually drastically different to those from 40 yers ago.

Firas’s B-Model somehow manages to convey these superbly, even if the outcome is a little squashed, and best of all he’s made building instructions available via his excellent Bricks Garage website so that you can swap your classic 911 for the latest model too.

There’s more to see of Firas’ 10295 911-alternate-911 by clicking these words, plus you can see an ex-LEGO set designer’s take on a 10295 B-Model by clicking here.

It’s as Easy as AC B

1 Reply

We love receiving comments here at TLCB. It means people actually read this stuff. Well, when we say we love receiving them, it does depend a little upon what we receive.

Automated spam for various exciting sounding drugs, offers of ‘help’ to ‘grow our audience’ and ‘give me instruktions’ comments arrive in their hundreds, but in-between all of that nonsense we do get some gems. Such as this one.

Suggested by a reader this is Firas Abu-Jaber’s AC Cobra, built solely from the parts found in the official 10271 Fiat 500 set. So excellent does it look that we wouldn’t have guessed that it has been constructed from the pieces of a single LEGO set, with opening doors, hood and trunk, a detailed interior, and even a realistic engine bay.

There’s loads more to see of Firas’s fantastic 10271 AC Cobra B-Model at his Flickr album by clicking these words, and if you’d like to suggest a creation or leave feedback about anything else (preferably not exciting sounding drugs or offers to ‘help’ to ‘grow our audience’ though), you can get in touch via the Contact page here.

My Other Bird is a Horse

Leave a reply

Nothing says ‘America’ like voter fraud apparently*. A close second however, is the Ford F-150 pick-up, especially in Raptor specification and with stars-and-stripes FORD lettering across the front.

This fantastic recreation of America’s favourite uprated off-road pick-up comes from Master MOCer and vehicle-building legend Firas Abu-Jaber, who has created it entirely from the parts found within the official 10265 Ford Mustang set.

Despite the limitations of its parts-base, Firas’ F-150 Raptor not only looks superb, it features working steering, opening doors, a functioning sunroof, a dropping tailgate, and a detailed engine underneath the opening hood.

There’s much more to see of Firas’ 10265 B-Model at his ‘Ford F150 Raptor’ album on Flickr, where around twenty stunning images are available to view.

You can also find building instructions for the Raptor available at Firas’ excellent new website Bricks Garage, where instructions for over a dozen of Firas’ builds are available for download, including a range of set alternates. Find out more here!

*Yes we are taking the piss.

Website of the Month | Bricks Garage

3 Replies

OK, we can’t even remember the last time we featured a Lego website, and we’re not going into TLCB Archives to check, what with there being a band of feral Elves in there somewhere. But no matter, because even if this should more accurately be titled ‘Website of the Year’, ‘Bricks Garage‘ would still qualify. Because, thanks to Bricks Garage, you can now build the very best Lego car designs anywhere in the world for yourself!

Yes, TLCB Master MOCer – and probably the best known vehicle builder of them all – Firas Abu-Jaber, has released the instructions for his incredible creations for download, so that you can recreate his astonishing Lego cars at home.

Fifteen of Firas’ models are available via the new Bricks Garage site, each with downloadable PDF building instructions, a BSX parts list (allowing an import directly into Bricklink), and a CSV file for Rebrickable.

Models include the legendary Nissan Skyline R34, iconic Ferrari Testarossa, wild Pagani Zonda, and – perhaps our favourite – Firas’ beautiful Ford GT (above), a model that featured on the world famous Top Gear website.

Some of Firas’ newer creations are available too, including his brilliant alternates for sets such as the 10265 Creator Ford Mustang, with instructions for three superb B-Models in one bundle, with a current sale price of $25.

Many of the instructions for Firas’ models are currently on sale as part of Bricks Garage’s launch, with further savings available for multiple purchases.

If you’d like to add some truly world-class creations to your collection (and perhaps learn a few tips on how to design models like these for yourself), take a look at the Bricks Garage Shop via the link below, choose from the list of amazing creations on offer, and bring one of the most iconic real-world vehicles to life in Lego form at home!

Click here to visit the Bricks Garage Shop

Pontiac Firebird Trans Am | Picture Special

15 Replies

This might just be the most American thing we’ve ever seen. Apart from Police brutality of course. This is the late ’70s-early ’80s second generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, GM’s sister car to the Camero, and the Mustang’s fiercest rival.

Powered by an expansive choice of enormous V8 engines ranging from 4.3 to 7.5 litres, plus some marginally less enormous six-cylinder motors, all of which produced about as much horsepower as a European or Japanese engine half the size, the Trans Am completely erased the words ‘oil crisis’ and replaced them with a giant flaming bird motif. Because America.

The iconic slant nose arrived in 1977, bringing with it huge sales numbers, with this iteration of the Firebird selling between 150,000 and 210,000 units annually until emissions regulations finally caught up with it in 1980. The Trans Am’s starring role in Burt Reynolds’ 1977 movie ‘Smokie and the Bandit’ can’t have hurt its popularity either, a film basically about little more than trucking, car chases, and beer*. Because America.

Recreating this icon of American automobiles is TLCB Master MOCer, regular bloggee, and all-round excellent human being Firas Abu-Jaber, who has captured the ’77 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am in astonishing detail. Firas’ model replicates the Firebird’s famous exterior beautifully, with opening doors, trunk, and hood (complete with giant flaming bird motif), plus an amazingly accurate interior, and with presentation as stunning as the model itself.

Over a dozen spectacular images are available to view at Firas’ Pontiac Firebird Trans Am album on Flickr, where a build commentary can also be found. Click the link above to take a closer look, and the first link in the text to read Firas Abu-Jaber’s Master MOCers interview here at TLCB to learn how he creates incredible creations like this one.

*Well, Coors, which is nearly beer.

My Other (Muscle) Car’s a Mustang

1 Reply

LEGO’s awesome 10265 Ford Mustang set is generating an array of equally awesome B-Model machinery. Hot on the heels of his Mustang GT500, TLCB favourite Firas Abu-Jaber has constructed another alternative from the parts found within the Creator set, and this time it isn’t a Ford. It is another classic muscle car though, and the Mustang’s arch rival; the Dodge Charger R/T.

It’s a superb looking creation too, every bit as playable as the set that donated its parts and you’d never know it was constrained by virtue of being a B-Model. Plus, just like the original 10265 Creator set, Firas’ Dodge Charger can also be built in modified form too, with the option of a huge supercharger protruding from the hood to satisfy your inner seven year old / Elf, as shown below.

You might notice that two of the three images here show Firas’ design constructed from black parts not available in the 10265 Ford Mustang set, but fear not – it can be built in blue as a genuine B-Model. Black is the colour the Charger is most famous for though, so it’d be rude not to publish these images alongside the 10265 alternate version.

There’s much more to see of Firas’ incredible ’68 Dodge Charger R/T B-Model at his Flickr album, you can read his interview here at The Lego Car Blog as part of the Master MOCers Series by clicking these words, and you see the other alternative models built from the pieces found within the 10265 Ford Mustang set via the search box that can be found on every page.

Bugatti Centodieci | Picture Special

Leave a reply

This is the Bugatti Centodieci, a nine million dollar hypercar based on the Chiron, with a planned production of just ten units. Bet those Chiron owners aren’t feeling quite as special anymore…

No matter, because car-building legend Firas Abu-Jaber has done his bit to make the Centodieci a little bit less exclusive by upping their number by 10%; this is his astonishingly accurate Model Team recreation of Bugatti’s rarest (and most expensive) modern car.

Built in 1:16 scale Firas’ Bugatti Centodieci includes a beautifully detailed interior behind some gloriously clever hinged doors (although as the public haven’t yet seen how the real car’s doors open they are admittedly a bit of a guess), and a replica of the quad-turbo W16 engine below the opening engine cover.

There are plenty more images of Firas’ incredible creation to see at his Bugatti Centodieci album on Flickr, and you can read his interview here at TLCB as part of the Master MOCers series by clicking here.

Nissan Skyline R34 GTR | Picture Special

1 Reply

Is there a car more over-hyped by annoying children than the Toyota Supra? No. But this comes close. It is of course the Nissan Skyline GTR R34, a car made more famous than it already was by a certain once-quite-good-but-now-fudging-terrible movie franchise.

The R34 Skyline launched in 1998, lasting just a few short years into the early 2000s before the GT-R evolved to became a standalone model and Skylines went back to being fairly boring sedans. Power came from a twin-turbo straight-6 making ‘276’ bhp, which was sent to all four wheels via an immensely clever all-wheel-drive system, allowing the GT-R to slay far more expensive machinery at the track and turning average drivers into good ones overnight.

This spectacular Model Team replica of the late-’90s legend comes from TLCB Master MOCer and all-round car building genius Firas Abu-Jaber, who has not only recreated the GT-R R34 perfectly in its stock form but has also added the prerequisite tuning accessories that seem to accompany it, from big wings and bigger turbos to bodykits and NO2 canisters (if you think that should say ‘NOS’ go back to school).

There’s a whole lot more of Firas’s incredible Nissan Skyline GT-R to see at his Flickr album by clicking here, where a link to yes, instructions, can also be found, and a certain blue version from a once-quite-good-but-now-fudging-terrible movie franchise is also due to appear…

Ferrari Testrossa | Picture Special

1 Reply

We’re rounding out the weekend with something rather special. This bewitchingly beautiful Ferrari Testarossa is the work of car-building legend Firas Abu-Jaber, and it is – as you can see here – astonishingly good.

Firas’ spectacularly presented creation is 100% LEGO (those excellent rims are genuine LEGO pieces that have been custom chromed) and includes a superbly detailed engine and interior inside the opening engine cover and doors.

There’s much more of Firas’ Ferrari to see at his Testarossa Flickr album by clicking here, and you can read our interview with the man behind the model by clicking here.