Tag Archives: Review

Truck Economics

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In our recent review of the 42030 Technic Volvo loader set, a reader did make the very valid point that the newer, more elaborate flagship sets, while very nice, do cost rather more than they used to. Where was the equivalent of those ’80s supercar sets for a reasonable price ?

Thomas, this is for you.

42029-1

At £70 for 1063 pieces, it would seem that Lego has been listening with the recent 42029 Customized Pick-Up Truck set. With engine, steering, suspension, transmission (sort of..), a winch and a tipping truck bed this is at least as playable as, say, set 8860, the car chassis from 1980.

That fine old stager cost $59 for 668 pieces way back then, equivalent to $167 in today’s money according to the office abacus. 42029 is $100, or less than half the price of the Volvo.

Let’s see if it measures up in other ways…

First of all, the box is almost exactly the same size as 8860’s, and probably a good deal fuller. It’s simple and attractive in the modern Technic way, showing various different features of the Pick-up and the alternative plough / grabber crane B model.

Upon opening, you’ll find a selection of un-numbered bags, two crumpled instruction books and a creased sticker sheet. Arrgghh! I would have sprung an extra quid for some protection for these…

Moving on, it is a pity that 42030’s innovation of a single, large book isn’t continued here and, once again, there are no paper instructions for the B model.

I’ll stop complaining now. For a bit.

It’s a reasonably straightforward build, with some clever design and thoughtful touches to keep you entertained. There’s four of those excellent sliding Cardan joints here, as well as a quartet of the best springs for moccers – those yellow harder ones that are the same size as the old soft springs. And red panels. Lots of red panels. All good stuff, although I didn’t notice anything new here.

The result of your expenditure and labour is a bit smaller than the old supercars, but it looks good in it’s nicely styled red bodywork. It works alright too…

The engine’s a V6 (two pots short, surely ?) and looks nice under the opening bonnet with what appears to be a six pack of carburettors sitting atop the block. Or are they six turbochargers ? That’d be fun… It’s driven rather slowly by the rear axle. It’s good, but it would be better if you could hear it when the car’s being pushed along. For seventy quid I don’t expect to be making the ‘vroom’ noises myself…

Steering is by the usual hand-of-god gear behind the cab. It feels a little loose and the lock is just OK, but it works. The in-cab wheel is not connected, and it’s not angled, leaving it looking too low and not quite right. A note for moccers – if you make a fantastic looking car and bung the ‘wheel in dead straight and too low it RUINS it. Fact. For a reasonably priced set it’s forgivable however. Just.

Suspension is pretty impressive. Independent all round, with one hard spring per corner, it feels perfect in stiffness and travel; and a good deal better than what’s underneath most real vehicles of this type… The double wishbone design is very robust and capable. This passes the drop test! TLCB will not be liable for any breakages that occur when you chuck it down the stairs, however.

The transmission has nothing to do with changing engine speed relative to the wheels – instead the lever between the seats can toggle between drive from the gear on the side being sent to the winch or the tipper mechanism. There’s a secondary control just inside the door where it’s easier to reach, but I do love the fact that the ‘gearlever’ moves as well.

The tipping bed works via a single small linear actuator that you’d swear wouldn’t be man enough, but it is. A little wobbly, yes, and it does only go up about 45 degrees, but it can take some weight in the back. And hooray! for the fully lined bed; there are no holes left unplated and the tailgate will flop down. Very good.

Also good is the winch. It does what it says on the tin. The transmission that sends drive to it and the tipper is easy to motorize as well, although it’s a lot less necessary than it is on 42024, the Skip Lorry. The gearing for the manual control seems about right.

Styling is generally a success, although it does have a slightly unfortunate Hummer-esque aspect from head on. The front wing area is a little sketchy but this is nitpicking now. It’s a good looking model. The wide track seems to suit it’s (not cartoonishly) elevated stance. I’d leave the stickers off, though. The ‘roaring bear’ motif looks like he’s already broken his jaw, poor fella…

Inside, there’s not much to see. There’s the aforementioned vertical steering wheel, the gearlever and a pair of too-small seats. That’s pretty much it, although it’s good that the door mirrors are attached to the (opening) doors.

I really like the look of the B model. It’s an articulated plough / grabber truck thingy that looks like a fun build with a versatile result. I haven’t built it yet but the signs are good.

So. A Supercar replacement on a budget ? I’d say yes – it’s not better than 8860 but it is better value. 8/10. It should suit most Technic building petrolheads, including TLCB’s good friend Thomas.

8432 Red Hot Machine Review

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Lego technic 8432 Review

After a less than positive review of LEGO’s 8437 set last week we take TLCB time machine forward a year to 1998, when sadly things were not getting any better for Technic fans.

1998 brought a slew of new pieces and colours, many of which appeared on this set; the Technic 8432 Red Hot Machine. 8432 was a sleek looking two seat coupe, with rear wheel drive and a V6 engine up front – the perfect petrolhead’s car. It featured new wheels and tyres, two types of flex tubing, new turquoise pieces, and – in an effort to bring LEGO to a digital generation – a CD ROM game, something The LEGO Group developed for a number of different products during the late ’90s.

First the car: Back in 1998 it did look quite cool, suiting the period rather well, and taking inspiration from many of the concept cars gracing motorshows at the time. As is usual for a medium-sized Technic set 8432 featured several real-world functions, including steering (by both Hand-of-God and via the steering wheel), a working V6 engine, and rear suspension.

That suspension was a little strange though. It included three shock absorbers; one for each wheel (although the suspension wasn’t independent), and a third which could be used to change the ride height between two settings, because… um, to be honest we still haven’t figured that out.

8432’s steering was strong, but with a poor lock and stiff action*, and the aforementioned suspension didn’t work particularly well either. It seems as if LEGO threw these functions into the model because a Technic check-list needed to be ticked, when really all that mattered to LEGO was the way the model looked.

So… the CD ROM game: We tried to find a screen shot of this but to no avail, so you’ll have to do your best to imagine it: A bird’s eye view of a desert racetrack, populated by a little Red Hot Machine and another – very strange looking – vehicle in front of it. You are the hero driver of 8432 and for reasons unknown there are some baddies in vehicles built exclusively from the parts of 8432 (hence their strangeness) that require ramming off the road.

Using the arrow buttons you drive your Red Hot Machine (or its B-Model buggy counterpart if you so choose) around the track, chasing down the baddie up ahead and watching out for rocks and oil spills. A few good shunts from behind and your opponent’s vehicle is wrecked, and you can move on to the next challenge.

It was quite fun, and although a birds-eye view may sound rubbish these days, back then even Grand Theft Auto used the same set-up. However the 8432 CD ROM was no substitute for a proper computer game, being much too short and – despite some nice cut scenes – very repetitive.

So a pretty average game, and a pretty average model too. We can’t help but think that if LEGO had focussed on one or the other the result could have been so much better, and however dated the game would look now, the Red Hot Machine itself has faired no better – such is the danger of following short-lived trends too closely. Those new parts mentioned earlier were never seen again, which probably tells us everything we need to know about 8432 and its 1998 Technic companions.

5/10

The malaise affecting the Technic range in the late ’90s was to continue for a few years, however in 1999 there was finally a sign that things were going to get better…

*But your Mom liked it.

8437 Sahara Blaster Review

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Lego Technic 8437

It’s time for another TLCB set review! Today we take a trip back into one of the darkest corners of LEGO’s archives. The year is 1997, Bill Clinton has been elected for a second term, Hong Kong returns to Chinese rule, Toyota launch the Prius hybrid, and The LEGO Company kill off their best loved theme – Town.

LEGO were in trouble in the late ’90s. Not enough children were buying construction toys, and the perceived threat from computer games and electronics pushed the company down a very dark avenue. Their response was to drastically simplify the Town range through a series of easy-to-build almost pre-fabricated sets, and to lighten (read cheapen) Technic construction.

Whilst there was a notable highlight in the 1997 Technic range it was mostly about as appealing as Chrysler’s late ’90s car line-up – picking a favourite was like choosing the best of the venereal diseases. So here was our pick at the time, the somewhat odd-looking 8437 Sahara Blaster.

Lego Technic 8437 Sahara Blaster

8437 was a sort-of dune buggy, Paris-Dakar type thing, but so loose was its affiliation with the real world vehicles on which it was apparently based in some markets LEGO called it the ‘Future Car’ to hide its inaccuracies.

Ok, so first the good stuff. 8437 does actually contain some lovely Technic engineering. Rear suspension, a V4 engine, differential, and working steering all feature. The Sahara Blaster also came with the option of bundling in LEGO’s new 9V motor, which could be slotted into the rear in place of the piston engine in just a few seconds. This made the set a wonderfully playable thing, especially with its brilliant air-filled balloon tyres.

And now the bad stuff. Those huge tyres meant the steering was minimal, and it was further worsened by a very weak Hand Of God control mechanism, plus – for reasons we simply cannot fathom – the use of a flex-system for the steering arms. These components barely count as LEGO, being completely useless for any other application, and they’re also woefully inadequate for holding the steering together on what is supposed to be a tough off-road vehicle. If you crashed your Sahara Blaster into a sofa, the steering would break, and fixing it was like wiring a plug wearing oven gloves – immensely difficult and no fun at all.

Plus it looked like nothing in particular, the seats would fall out all the time, opening the doors would break the top of the roof, and we’re not even going to start reviewing the B-model…

And yet, somehow we still quite like 8437. Maybe it’s those tyres, maybe it’s because it’s blue, or maybe it’s because things were going to get even worse in 1998…

5/10

Incredible Lego Technic – Book Review

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Pawel Kmiec, better known as Sariel, has been busy…

Incredible Technic Book

Thumping onto the doormat at the TLCB Portakabin this week, has been a copy of his second Lego Technic book. It’s called Incredible Lego Technic and it’s clearly intended to show us just how incredible Lego Technic can be. 36 different builders, most of whom have graced these hallowed halls before, show you how. It showcases more than 70 of the very best Technic models out there and it’s designed to inspire.

It does. Running to 280 pages and printed on thick, glossy paper, it gives each model 2-4 pages of very high quality photographs, some accompanying text that gives details of the models’ various functions and a bit of background info about the prototypes. It’s a lot like flicking through the greatest hits of MOCpages, in a parallel universe where the photo resolution is high, and everyone presents their models faultlessly. And there’s no-one saying ‘come an chek out mi awsum tuner’…. although to be fair, that doesn’t seem to happen as much as it used to.

Incredible Technic Book

Anyhoo, this makes it the best kind of coffee table book; one you can dip into when the mood takes and probably refer back to many times when looking for inspiration. There are no instructions or building tips here (Sariel covered that in his previous book) but experienced builders will find the diagrams that highlight the motors and gears on a lot of the models quite helpful.

(Spoiler Alert!)

To whet your appetite, I’ve chosen two of my favourite models from the book:

Lego Technic Supercar

Nice, yes? It’s Francisco Hartley’s Lamborghini Aventador and, like many of the builds here, it’s quite recent. The author admits that this book may date quickly due to ever more brilliant models being produced, but there’s also a smattering of truly timeless classics, such as this gorgeous MAN truck built by Jennifer Clark in 2003:

Lego MAN Truck

Brilliance on this scale doesn’t date. It’s motorized as well, using old 9V motors to do everything the real thing does. Impressive stuff and all the better for showing da studs.

There’s a lot more than cars and trucks here, with Aircraft, Watercraft and Farm and Construction equipment represented also, as well as half a dozen real oddballs that show amazing ingenuity – buy it and find out what they are!

Incredible Lego Technic is published by No Starch Press, and will be available from Amazon in the next week or so as I write. It’s fairly expensive at $29.95 (US) but you are definitely getting what you pay for.

Recommended.

Get Out Of My Way

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There was a time you had to watch out for Volvo drivers; unpredictable, incompetent pilots who felt ‘safer’ in their tank while putting everyone else at greater risk… then two things happened. The unsure drivers migrated to even more tank-like SUVs and Volvo started making decent cars. Terrible drivers don’t like good cars so the ones who didn’t fancy a 4WD got themselves a Peugeot, who as luck would have it stopped making good cars at about the time Volvos got better. So now you know who to watch out for. You, of course, are a perfect driver…

For the ultimate get-out-of-my-way, bog-off-Range-Rover experience you’ll need one of these…

Lego Technic 42030 Volvo Review

Coming Soon To A Town Centre Near You..

Yes, TLCB has finally got around to reviewing the set that everyone’s talking about… last summer. It is of course the Technic 42030 Volvo L350F Loader.

The Technic range is always best topped off with something big and yellow and this is bigger and yellower than most. It’ll drive right over a Peugeot, and it rivals the 8110 Unimog for sheer size. So it should for 170 smackers….

At just over 1600 pieces, it doesn’t scream value at that price, but the 4 PF motors and remote control gubbins makes the outlay more palatable. And you do get a very big box for your money; not the fullest box in the world, exactly, but there’s plenty of good stuff in there.

One innovation I really like here is the single, thick instruction book. So much better than half a dozen thin ones… now how about another one for the B model? Anyone? Hello? Nevermind… let’s crack on and build the thing. What’s surprising here is how easy it is compared to other recent large sets. This is mostly down to each function having its own dedicated motor so there’s no complex gearbox arrangements to contend with. There’s not even that many gears… it’ll only take about 3-4 hours to assemble, but it still makes for an enjoyably lazy afternoon.

As for pieces, there’s little new here, apart from that huge bucket – the biggest Technic piece ever, apparently – although ‘Mog wheels in yellow are nice to have, and engine cylinders in green are a thoughtful and accurate detail. I did see some ‘5L axle with stop’ which fortunately are a different colour to the older ‘4L axle with stop’ but that’s about it for elemental innovation. Maybe Technic has enough connectors and brackets and beams and so on to be going on with. There certainly seems to be plenty of choice now.

Lego Technic 42030 Volvo

You might think 170 quid is a lot to pay for 3 hours of building, but consider the many hours of playing this fully remote controlled beast will give you… this model actually does do quite a lot:

Engine: An inline six, as per reality, and it’s 4 wheel drive. It’s green too, but I don’t mean environmentally friendly… It doesn’t turn terrifically quickly but it’s always a nice thing to have. It’s impressively accessible too; the grille on the back will hinge open, as will both side panels. You can even unlatch the rear mudguards to open another panel and walk right in! It’s driven, as are all four wheels, by the XL motor beneath it, at what seems to be an appropriate pace. Not too fast, not too slow. Just right.

Steering: This is articulated in the middle, just below the operator’s cab, and it’s actuated by a PF Servo Motor. These do make the steering easier to operate than a standard motor, but with the standard remote control it’s all or nothing. I think I’d still prefer an M or L, geared down to make it controllable unless I had the speed controller. This is minor quibbling really; the system works very well and PRAISE BE! The in-cab steering wheel is connected!! There’ll be dancing in the streets tonight! Or maybe just in my house…

Suspension: Yes, there is some. Sort of. The rear axle is pendular, albeit unsprung. It’s one of those features that doesn’t need to be there but I’m glad they made the effort.

Bucket Elevation: Controlled by two large linear actuators driven by an L motor, the bucket will move up to impressive height, and it’ll maintain the tilt angle through the upper two thirds of the travel. All very good. The box makes the proud boast that it’ll lift up to 1Kg, and this it will do. It absolutely will not lift 1.1Kg however. You can’t fault LEGO for honesty…

Bucket Tilting: A single linear actuator, controlling the bucket’s angle through a wide range of movement via some clever leverage, this works seamlessly and well. An M motor does the driving and it proves to be strong enough. If you feel the need to lift 1.1Kg, I’d swap it for an L at the same time as stuffing in an XL for the bucket elevation though. Having said that, it sounds like the limiting factor is the LAs’ internal clutches rather than the motor.

42030 feels like a belated successor to the sainted 8043 Excavator, in that it does all it sets out to do, and it looks pretty good doing it. It’s not quite as sophisticated as that model, and styling-wise, while it looks enough like the actual Volvo to wear it’s stickers with pride, the areas beneath the cab and under the bucket are a tad sketchy. This may be just because the back half is so thoroughly detailed, with all the railings and panels and so on that give this some real visual heft.

The B model looks good as well – it’s an articulated, tipping quarry truck, modelled after another actual Volvo, for which there’s a complete second set of stickers; presumably you just have to peel off the A model’s stickers first! It’s got the typical Technic tipper see-through bed however… I’d stick with the better, more sophisticated Loader.

Overall, I’m very grateful that a Technic designer has a mate who works for Volvo (true story – it’s why this exists) and it deserves it’s place at the top of the range. Like all good RC vehicles, it’s excellent for spooking the dog. 9 and a half / 10.

Skip That – Technic 42024 Alternative

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Lego Technic 42024 Alternative

LEGO’s 42024 Technic Container Truck set received a fairly average review from our experts earlier in the year. Plenty of scope for improvement then. One builder to give improving the model a go is TLCB debutant Henry Quarmby, who has repurposed the pieces found within the official set for his excellent truck and trailer combo.

Featuring working steering, a linear-actuator operated load bed, a working crane, plus a tilting cab with opening doors, Henry’s 42024 alternative has play value galore. The trailer doesn’t miss out either, with a folding jockey wheel and an opening cover.

All the photos of Henry’s 42024 ‘C-Model’ can be found on MOCpages, plus you can read the aforementioned review of the original Technic Container Truck (or Skip Lorry as decreed by our reviewer) set by clicking on the link above. Which model do you prefer?

Lego 42024 C-Model

Mini Mini

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10242-1

Welcome to our review of LEGO’s latest set for gearheads. If you’re from the UK and of a certain age, there’s a good chance your first car was one of these. Probably ten years old, falling apart with rust, smoking like the Flying Scotsman… maybe that was just mine, but how I loved it!

I am of course talking of the ‘UCS’ Mini, set no. 10242. This model depicts one of the later 1990s Coopers with much interior finery that my plastic-seated ’70s example may have lacked, but the appeal is the same. So long as it IS a classic Mini, not one of those BMW-sponsored supertankers that should probably be called Maxis, really…

Where were we? Ah yes, 10242, what’s it like?

Comparisons with the 10220 Camper Van (still available but probably not for long…) are inevitable, and 10242’s 1077 pieces for £75 looks slightly worse value than the Camper’s 1332 pieces for £80. Naturally, the model’s smaller as well… still, all those rare pieces in dark green make up some of the difference for MOCers.

The box looks to be the same size as the VW’s, and it looks good, with a tempting pic of the Mini on the front, and the rear showcasing all the opening features and interior detail. Appetite suitably whetted, it’s time to liberate the instructions and get to building.

It’s a fun build, with not too much repetition all things considered, and there’s some neat solutions, especially in the way they’ve designed-in the half-plate gap behind the doors that enable them to close smoothly whilst keeping the curve at the top of the side panel. There’s not quite as much surprise-and-delight in this as there was in the camper, but there is some; the spare wheel under the hinged boot floor may not be realistic, but it is a nice detail that leaves this Mini with probably more boot space than a real one…

After a not-too-taxing couple of hours, you’ll have a good looking model.

The front looks excellent. The lights, grille and bumper are all in proportion and the sloped bonnet opens to reveal the detailed engine. This isn’t quite as detailed as it could be, but what’s there is nice enough. In answer to many a MOCer’s prayer, the headlights are about two and a half studs across which makes them exactly the right size. Hurrah! for that. The silvered pin joiners used for the bumpers are very pleasing too.

Moving rearwards, and things are not quite so rosy; the lower parts of the bodysides are fine – excellent, in fact, with the printed stripe on the curved elements that form the top part of the side panels – but the pillar / window treatment lets the side down, literally… It’s those slope pieces for the ‘screen pillars, with stickers that attempt to black out the portion of slope brick that shouldn’t be there. To my eyes, this doesn’t work at all, and yes I did put the stickers on straight…

Those green wheelarch pieces are brilliant, though. Nice going for what’s really a windscreen piece! The wheels are nice too, doing a convincing impression of the ‘Minilite’ design that was always popular on these.

At the rear, another nice and shiny bumper, above which is an opening bootlid that’s almost but not quite exactly the right shape. It’s a good try, though. Maybe it’s the too-steep angle of the rear screen that does it, but it doesn’t look quite right from some angles at the back.

If the above sounds like nit-picking, blame the VW Camper for setting the bar so high. While this model IS a good representation of a Mini Cooper, there are several areas where it could be better. The one area where the Camper could have been better has at least been nailed on the Mini…

And another thing; when are LEGO going to stop using tiny minifig levers where something three times the size would be better? Answers on a postcard please… It’s the roof-mounted aerial this time and it looks ridiculous.

Inside, it gets better. The roof lifts off to reveal the beautifully detailed seats with their chequered trim, and a perfectly detailed dashboard with the sort of late – ’90s wood veneer that was almost definitely not plastic… The front seats tip forward to allow your imaginary figures into the cramped rear bench. This is a couple of studs too far forward, presumably to give enough boot space for that utterly delightful picnic basket, complete with fabric towel. And a piece of ‘cheese’ that’s actually a piece of cheese; gotta love that Danish humour!

The only criticism inside is the massive steering wheel.

One very nice detail is a choice of number plates according to your chosen European country. The English ‘R’ registration makes this a 1997 model. Also very English is the colour: British Racing Green, no less, and it looks great with the white bonnet stripes and roof.

Overall, it’s a good model. A nice thing to have if you’re a Mini fan. It doesn’t quite achieve the dizzy heights of quality of the Camper set, though.

It’s still a Mini and Minis make you smile. 8/10

Buy the LEGO Creator 42042 Mini Cooper set

42001 Mini Off-Roader Review

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Off Road Box

…or the Elves go Technic. Regular readers of this blog will remember that the Elves have “helped” us to build some of sets that we have reviewed, including some of the 3-in-1 Creator series. We decided that it was time to let them go solo with the smallest, cheapest Lego set that we have ever reviewed (we have to buy this stuff you know!).

After the usual explosive opening of the two bags of parts in this set, we helped the Elves to gather the pieces up into a pile and then realised that there were no tyres. These are packed loose in the box and had all rolled under The Lego Car Blog executive beer fridge and champagne chiller. Fortunately a skinny Elf fitted under the fridge. He was soon forced into the gap by his colleagues poking him with the axles from the kit. He reappeared a few seconds later with all four tyres and a Malteser that had rolled under there two months ago.

The Elves then set to work on book one of the two instruction books that come with the kit. “What?!?!” we hear you cry, “Two instruction books for a set with just 100 pieces?”. LEGO have come up with a new concept for this model. The first booklet builds a common chassis and then the second booklet has instructions for two alternative bodies to fit onto the chassis. A novel, fun concept, with lots of play and re-building potential.

The instructions are in the usual clear, LEGO format, with just a couple of parts per stage. This is slow for a Technic set but remember the starting age for this kit is just 7 years old. By stage 6, a 5-wide frame has taken shape, with swing arms for each wheel. The Elves had to resist the temptation to bash each part down hard and tight, so that the suspension would work on the finished buggy. The first Elf-fight broke out at stage 8, with the adding of the two elastic bands which make the “springs” of the suspension. The temptation to flick the bands at each other was too great to resist and order was only restored when both bands had vanished under the beer fridge. Annoyingly, for a set aimed at kids, LEGO provide the usual spares for some of the smaller, cheaper parts but don’t give you a spare elastic band. The skinny Elf was sent under the fridge again and this time returned with the elastic bands and something blue and furry: possibly left-over cheese nibble from the office Christmas party. The last stage of the instructions is to turn the chassis the right way up, though even the Elves didn’t really need a page of instructions for this.

Off Road 01

The first body quickly builds up in typical Technic style, with some 1×1 round trans plates for front and rear lights. Stages 3 & 4 have a bit where you have to do things in the right order or pieces won’t connect but that’s the trickiest part of the build. Stage 12 requires strong fingers to insert a 2 stud-long axle and we had to do this for the Elves. After 22 short stages the Elves were left with a nice-looking, orange and grey, short-wheelbase off-roader. It rolls across carpets and desks and its long-travel suspension bounces really well. There’s space inside for a few of the smaller Elves and they had great fun zooming around the office until two of them were car-sick into the jacuzzi (again!).

The seven stud long axle, which pins the body to the chassis makes a very handy tool for disassembling the body to build the second version. As this set is aimed at younger builders, the instructions could perhaps be improved by including some pictures showing tips and techniques for pulling the model apart. Continue reading →

Who You Gonna Call ?

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…Well, what else was I gonna call it …?

Image

Welcome to the TLCB review of the new Lego Ideas 21108 Ghostbusters Ecto-1 set.

I was in my early teens when this brilliant film was released, and I have fond memories of it. It was pleasing to find on seeing it recently that it’s aged quite well. Unlike some of it’s audience… and of course that 1959 Cadillac ambulance still looks effortlessly cool.

Turns out it looks cool in Lego as well.

This was always gonna be a day 1 purchase – I knew that as soon as I saw the preview pictures. Unlike the DeLorean model, Lego has stayed very close to the original designer’s idea, making it the most realistic minifig scale car I’ve seen from them by a long way.

You have to pay for this excellence. Forty five smackers is a lot for an 8-wide car, however you look at it, although as we’ll see, Lego have done their very best to make the outlay worth it.

First, the box. In common with other Cuusoo / Ideas sets this comes packaged in a sturdy, high quality Architecture set-style box that’s beautifully illustrated with an atmospheric shot of the car and the four main characters in Minifig form. On the back, we’re reminded that it’s the film’s 30th anniversary. Just in case anybody who saw it first time around doesn’t feel old already…

Instructions are a similarly high quality square-bound book with glossy pages, lots of interesting snippets about the film, the characters and the car, and the instructions themselves are interspersed with quotes from the movie to enjoy as you build. Take your time over it. It’s like doing an Architecture set, where you’re learning about the building as you, er.. build. The only thing that might annoy is the book’s inability to lie flat; but what are paperweights for ?

It’s quite rare for me to be remotely interested in a set’s Minifigs, so I’m no expert on such things… The four main characters do seem to be a pretty good representation of Venkman, Stantz, Spengler and Zeddemore. I have seen comments elsewhere about Venkman’s hair not being right but it looks fine to me. I told you I was no expert… I like the way his sardonic features do a passable impersonation of Bill Murray though. All of the heads are printed on both sides, to provide a scared face when the situation arises, which it will… The four all wear identical torsos with their initials printed thereon, which you’ll need a magnifying glass to read, but it’s a nice touch. They also have identical backpacks, well greebled with all their ghostbusting gear, and Zeddemore has his, er his…. ectomplasmic activity sensor thingy as well.  All in all, these are excellent. Probably.

The meat of the build is, of course, the car. A white ’59 Caddy ambulance fully equipped for any paranormal emergencies. Building it serves as an object lesson in how to form a perfectly shaped minifig scale car. Lesson one: you’ll need a lot of brackets. Lots and lots. Those new 2 stud long curved slope pieces will come in pretty handy as well… Anyone used to just building City style cars is in for a surprise: this is building at the very top level of moc quality, and it shows in the finished article. It’s scaled properly to the wheels, it’s stance and proportions are spot on, the level of detail is right for it’s size (the only thing really missing is door handles; but then I can’t think of anything that wouldn’t look clunky – that’s one of those things that’s better left out, I think), even the side windows have the correct ‘tumblehome’ and trimmed edges. All extremely impressive in a model this small, although that does mean that nothing opens.

Fortunately, the roof with all it’s… stuff comes off for playability. Three figs will fit inside (someone’s gonna have to walk, unless he wants to lie down in the back…). For such an intricate model, it’s surprisingly sturdy too.

One of the reasons it looks as good as it does is the use of silvered pieces for the bumpers, for that typically Cadillac chrometastic look. If they’d have stretched to silvered instead of grey pieces around the windows as well it would look fantastic. And be even more expensive… Another bonus is the fact that there are no stickers (Hallelujah!); everything that needs to be is printed, including four 2×2 curved slopes with the Ghostbusters logo and the ECTO-1 licence plates.

This is a model that screams quality. It probably wasn’t subject to the same cost constraints that may have hobbled the (cheaper, worse) DeLorean; and I’m glad that a lesson may have been learned. Collectors will pay for quality, and this is very much a display set; one to perch proudly on your mantelpiece and await the ‘wow’s from visitors. Or pose it atop your television and sit back to enjoy the film…It’s better value in the US ($50) but even in Europe, it’s worth the price of admission. 10/10.

Creator 10242 Mini Cooper Preview

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Lego 10242 Mini Cooper Review

Today is a Big News Day! After much secrecy we can reveal the newest addition to LEGO’s Expert Creator line; 10242 Mini Cooper!

Following on from the superb 10220 Volkswagen Camper, LEGO have turned their design expertise to one of the most loved, recognisable and famous cars ever produced, the wonderful original Mini. 10242 is based on a last-of-the-line 1998 Cooper in British Racing Green, complete with UK registration plates and a picnic in the boot! Over to LEGO’s press release for the full details:

Experience the iconic MINI Cooper first hand, with its classic lines, detailed interior and fun picnic theme.

Take the iconic MINI Cooper for a drive! This beautifully crafted LEGO® brick replica of the classic MINI Cooper Mk VII is full of authentic details, from the classic green and white color scheme with white wing mirrors and racing stripes, to the opening doors, hood and trunk, sporty fog lights, detailed engine and separate spare tire compartment. You can even remove the roof to access a tan colored interior with patterned seats, veneer-style dashboard, turning steering wheel, and moving gearshift and handbrake. And of course, no MINI Cooper would be complete without a picnic basket and blanket, the perfect accessories for a cozy day in the countryside!

• Features opening doors, hood and trunk, spare wheel in separate compartment, detailed engine and 2 fog lights.
• Accessories include a picnic basket, bottle and blanket for nostalgic picnic theme.
• Authentic replica of the MINI Cooper Mk VII.
• Classic green and white color theme with white wing mirrors and racing stripes.
• Lift the hood to reveal the detailed engine.
• Remove the roof and access the detailed interior.
• Go on a countryside picnic with this iconic classic!
• MINI Cooper measures over 4” (11cm) high, 9” (25cm) long and 5” (14cm) wide.

US $99.99 – CA $119.99 – AU $149.99 – DE 89.99€ – UK £74.99 – DK 799.00 DKK  *Euro pricing varies by country.

10242 will reach stores over the summer (or the next few months for those of you around the world), aimed at experienced builders and featuring over 1000 LEGO pieces. Hopefully we’ll see a few British Racing Green creations appearing shortly after release!

Lego 10242 Review

The Ultimate Supercar

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… Is one that goes into space…

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Until 1996, the top-of-the-range Technic set was always a car. Then Lego had another idea. Welcome to TLCB’s review of set 8480, the Technic Space Shuttle.

With only a handful of pieces more than the 8880 supercar, but the addition of some 9V electrics, this retailed for $30 or so more. Since I was recently privileged to put one together, I thought I’d tell you, our esteemed reader, all about it.

First of all, the box is huge. Ma-hoo-sive, as I’m told some people say… rather more than is necessary; although having a plastic tray to sort the pieces into is a boon. Unlike new sets of this size, there is just the one – thickish – instruction book, which covers both the shuttle and the submarine B-model. This naturally means that every build step involves quite a lot more than it would now… the assembly of this large and complex model is broken down into just 40 build steps.

You know that warm feeling of accomplishment you get when you complete a model? Well, you get a similar frisson for completing EVERY PAGE of this. You do need to concentrate, partly because of the relatively large amount of pieces added at each step, but also because there will be ONE piece added somewhere, at the other end of the model from most of the rest, that you will miss. It’s like  40 pages of ‘Where’s Waldo’… If this sounds like complaining, it isn’t; this was a properly challenging and very enjoyable build.

I do have a couple of TLCB Top Tips: At an early stage, you attach two 2×6 black plates with holes to the underside. Leave these off until much later, as you’ll only knock them off many times until they are attached at more than one end. It’ll spare your sanity, I promise… Another thing – make sure you test these near-20 year old electrics; especially the two long wires that are carefully routed along the length of the fuselage from an early stage of the build. If you discover one of these doesn’t work later on, it’s major surgery to remove it. This leads to swearing…

After many hours of careful assembly, you will have a Technic model of unusual handsomeness, and a (for the time) quite staggering technical density. Time to see what it does. Continue reading →

Rate My Set

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Lego Set Reviews

With Elves going hungry this weekend we’ve dipped into Archives to remind you that The Lego Car Blog features an extensive Review Library of over forty official LEGO, Technic and Model Team sets. We don’t just write about LEGO, we build it too. Hand-picked by the office anoraks the reviews include official sets from the latest Technic line as well as classic flagships from decades past that now change hands for mega-bucks on eBay.

So before you buy a set, see how it’s rated by the experts; simply visit the Set Review Library and click on your chosen set!

Fork-Off

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Not just an excuse for a slightly rude title, but a comparison of Technic fork lift trucks….

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We’ll start with set 850, just as Technic itself did, way back when the summers were warm and everybody was on strike. In 1977, this was the very first ‘Expert Builder’ set. In common with the other early sets, there were instructions for 3 models and a wealth of further ideas on the box. The model itself is very cute, if somewhat basic. A quick build, it uses the limited palette of pieces then available to good effect. The first technic model is still the one with the best steering system, for instance. Exceptionally smooth in operation, sensibly geared and with a generous lock; a system that simply hasn’t been bettered since. Ally that to the very short wheelbase and you have an amazingly manoevreable model.

Moving frontwards, things are less happy. The forks are too long and too close together, they don’t rise very far and the system to move them is very basic. Tilting them is but the fevered dream of a madman… as for loading them – you’ll need to put something heavy under the seat first. So, 850 the model is probably a 5/10. 850 the set is more like a 9. There’s a perfect mix of bricks and the new technic parts here to make all kinds of yellow building site stuff. The perfect starter kit.

Moving on to 1984, and a demonstration that original style pneumatics can actually work, in the form of the slightly unhappy looking 8843. Maybe it should just be red or yellow, rather than both… This time at least, the forks will tilt, and there’s even an additional hand-of-god steering control to supplement the one in the cab, which (praise be!) is still connected. It’s rather a pity, therefore, that the steering feels very stiff, because the system incorporates 8 bevel gears (4 of which are in the roof!) and these are the older, flat 14 tooth gears which seem to have more friction than the newer design. It doesn’t help that the cab’s wheel rubs against some of the pneumatic tubing as it turns.

Whilst it does feel somewhat churlish to criticize a feature that I’m always begging to see brought back, this would actually be better without it. Don’t think for a moment that this will stop me nagging to see its return on new models…. capricious, moi?

At the front, things are better. The pneumatic installation is quite neat, there’s an extra long piston (not as illustrated; the one pictured is assembled from my collection, with period pneumatics from 8040) to facilitate a good range of movement, and the forks are linked to it via short lengths of chain. Operate the pump and they whizz up and down very happily, and will do so with a reasonable load, as well. To achieve this, millimetre perfect lining up of the chain is necessary – it uses tread link pieces wedged in holes and some of the clearances are very tight – but do that and it’ll work fine.

8843 is a good effort; in some ways a useful improvement on 850, but it’s lost that model’s best features – the B model here is a sketchy looking tow truck and the varied colour palette means there’s not enough pieces of one colour in this small set to make convincing alternatives. 6/10.

Fast forward to 1989; it’s goodbye Berlin Wall and, somewhat less momentously, hello 8835. Much better looking than its predecessor, it also benefits from a lifting mechanism that closely mirrors the solution on real forklifts. Smoother steering too, although wouldn’t it be nice if there was a wheel in the cab….? (yes, yes, I know…)

The only demerit with this model concerns the jerky movement of the forks. The brick-built carrier that wraps around the spars is too tight-fitting to move smoothly, as if the designers had forgotten the far more elegant solution to this problem found on 8843. At least they hadn’t forgotten about the tilt function.

Although 8835 is just as multi-coloured as its predecessor, the colours are much more harmonious and this is a handsome model. The B model suffers in the same way as 8843’s, though. It’s a less-than-convincing tractor. Stick to the forklift though and this is a good set, with only one major flaw. 8/10

Still with me? You’re doing well, don’t give up now… Continue reading →

The LEGO Movie Review

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The Lego Movie Review

The Lego Car Blog Elves are spectacularly sulky today. The office went to the cinema to see The LEGO Movie and, sadly, we couldn’t take them.

Don’t feel sorry for the Elves though as it’s entirely of their own making. We’ve been banned from several cinemas and possibly still have an outstanding lawsuit from a particularly disastrous previous cinematic trip, so they’ll just have to wait for the DVD. However, you dear Readers, can go to see The LEGO Movie at the cinema. But should you? Read on to find out!

Synopsis:

The LEGO Movie was previewed here last June, and has been in development by Warner Brothers for the past six years. Set in a bustling and beautifully animated LEGO metropolis where ‘Everything is Awesome!’, The LEGO Movie is the tale of one mini-figure’s quest to save the world as he knows it. Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt of ‘The O.C’ and ‘Parks and Recreation’ fame)  is an ordinary construction worker following the instructions available for every aspect of life in the city in the vain hope of becoming a ‘somebody’. Success and popularity eludes him until, one day, his life changes forever.

Unbeknownst to Emmet, the World is under threat from the evil Lord Business (voiced by a wonderfully on-form Will Ferrell), whilst a secret society of Master Builders attempts to stop him. Emmet accidentally stumbles across the long-lost ‘Piece of Resistance’, fulfilling the Master Builders’ prophesy of a saviour, and is thrust into the apocalyptic struggle between good and evil.

Mentored by the beautiful Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and wise Master Builder Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), Emmet must defeat Lord Business’ plans to create his ‘perfect’ world at the expense of everyone that lives within it. Adults will find the plot faintly Orwellian and actually quite dark, but it’s punctuated with such humour and so many pop-culture references that you may not realise until the end the intelligence that lies within.

The stellar lead cast is backed up by an impressive roster of supporting voice-actors, including a brilliant Liam Neeson as ‘Good Cop/Bad Cop’, Channing Tatum as ‘Superman’, Will Arnett as ‘Batman’ and the delightful Alison Brie as ‘Uni-Kitty’.

The LEGO Movie Review

TLCB Verdict:

The LEGO Movie looks like a stop-motion animation, though it’s really computer animated, and it is at times quite busy. However it’s created in a beautifully bright way that only LEGO as a subject matter could inspire. It’s also available in 3D, but to be honest the movie doesn’t really need it and we suspect it will be just as enjoyable in only two dimensions.

A sort of Toy Story meets The Matrix, The LEGO Movie is a superbly animated film that both children and – more surprisingly – adults will enjoy. It’s also a children’s film that is quite rare in today’s cinema, in that the key message isn’t just aimed at the children viewing it, but perhaps more at their parents in attendance. We certainly hope it’ll give a few LEGO collectors within the online community something worth thinking about. The live-action finale is undoubtedly one of the sweetest movie moments of 2014, especially when you realise who is really the author of the enthralling story just witnessed.

So is ‘Everything Awesome’?

We’d have to say yes. The LEGO Movie might just be the animated movie of the year, and thus gets a TLCB rating of 4 Stars.

The LEGO Movie is in cinemas worldwide now, and success at the Box Office also means we can look out for a sequel following sometime in 2017. We can’t wait!

★★★★

 

Technic 42029 Customised Pick-Up Preview

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Lego Technic 42029 Review

Following the Elves’ successful spying at the end of 2013 we selected several ‘volunteers’ to get back into the office sling-shot to take the trip over the walls of the heavily guarded LEGO Group HQ. After several days, and with only a few Elves lost to the guard dogs, the first of the new Technic sets for the second half of 2014 is safely back at TLCB Towers. And here it is; no. 42029, the Customised Pick-Up Truck.

Aimed towards the top end of Technic’s range 42029 is pitched at the 10+ age group and features a whole host of mechanical features, and for once we have a large Technic set with no Power Function motors (although these can be retro-fitted).

Amongst the mechanical toys are; all-round suspension (which is actually too sophisticated for a truck like this), working steering, a piston engine, a front-mounted winch, and a tipping load-bed. It’s all nicely robust, playable, and will teach younger builders about the mechanics of a real vehicle in a way that Power Functions motors can’t really do.

Sadly though, to our eyes Technic 42029 fell out of the ugly tree quite hard. However, it does feature lots of lovely red panels (complete with roaring bear decals) that we’ll definitely see cropping up on MOCs before long, and the subject matter on which 42029 is based is often not aesthetically pleasing either, so it could even be called realistic. Either way, looks are subjective and it’s the mechanics of a set like this that are more important, something LEGO seems to be re-focussing on in the second half of 2014.

42029 will appear in stores around half-way through the year priced in the upper-middle of the range. This of course leaves space above it for a new flagship set to fill. A flagship that’s very big, and very yellow…