This good old-fashioned Technic telehandler was discovered by the Elves on Flickr. Bobofrutx has included 4-wheel steering and of course a telescopic bucket arm for all that telehandling. See more at the link. Just don’t let the Elves follow you – we’re not rescuing any more from the bucket.
Technic Man is our kind of builder; his MOCpage is full of properly engineered Technic vehicles. His latest prompted several of you to contact us via The Lego Car Blog Feedback page to ask if it could be featured here, so here it is!
This MAN TGX truck is a good model in its own right, but is even more impressive when you discover it’s built solely from the parts of LEGO’s 2013 41999 Rock Crawler. And for that, we like Technic Man even more, as many of LEGO’s 41999 sets will stay unopened in the basements of speculators and collectors, never to see the light of day or feel the hands they were designed for.
You can read our review of 41999 here, and if you own one, take a leaf out of Technic Man’s book, and have some fun with it!
This massive earthmover is described as a “Super Dozer” on its manufacturers website. The real-life version has a giant, 90 cubic yard blade, enough to carry all of the TLCB Elves and a few of their friends. Jorge Garcia’s Lego version is no less impressive. This yellow Technic monster contains 5 motors, a linear actuator and a plethora of pneumatics to make its functions work. All of this is covered with a realistic version of the D575′s bodywork and travels on some brilliant custom-built tracks, based on a design by mahjqa. You can dig it by clicking this link to the D575′s MOCpages listing.
The Elves are fiercely competitive creatures. They have to be, otherwise they won’t win any food tokens from TLCB staff. Whilst this occasionally leads to fights/riots, it can also lead to a bumper haul of similar creations. Today is one such event, so here’s our Mid-Week Motorcycle Special!
First up is BricksonWheels’ magnificent Harley Davidson, available to view on Flickr and MOCpages. This black ‘n chrome ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Street Glide continues BricksonWheels’ recent run of motorcycles, and you can check out its predecessors by using the Search function at the foot of this page.
The second creation in today’s special swaps chrome for Technic and was discovered by a lucky Elf on MOCpages. Bernhard Mollema‘s motorcycle, nicknamed ‘Fat Pig’*, puts the awesome wheels from the 8448 Supercar set to a great new use. Check it out at the link above.
The final creation in this Hump Day Special was suggested to us by one of our readers via the Feedback page. This mean looking Hard Tail, nicknamed ‘Widowmaker’ (it seems you can’t build a motorbike without giving it a name!) is the work of Jonsson on the Eurobricks forum. See the pictures and join in the discussion at the link, and if you’d like to suggest a creation take a look at our Submission Guidelines here.
*Your Mom.
Brickshelf’s Nico71, a veteran of The Lego Car Blog, is back with a model a little more unusual than the Ferraris, and Lamborghinis that regularly grace these pages. His superb Citroen 2CV is a fully functioning Technic ‘Supercar’, featuring working suspension, engine, gearbox, steering, and much more besides. You can see the full gallery showing all the technical details on Brickshelf at the link above. Cheap and slow can be just as impressive!
It’s a supercar double today here at The Lego Car Blog. And this one is really super. Built by Technic legend Sheepo, this Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 is the pinnacle of what can be achieved from LEGO bricks technically. The well-known Lego blogs are often not interested in the technical realism of Lego models. Here though, whilst we may not feature an expertly landscaped castle, we do love to see what Lego can be used to do technically. With Sheepo’s talent and engineering prowess it can be used to do a lot.
This astonishing Shelby Mustang GT500 features the usual Technic supercar requirements (steering, suspension, engine and gearbox) and adds remote control drive via LEGO’s versatile Power Functions system. But Sheepo doesn’t stop there. Not only does his Mustang drive and steer remotely, it features a remotely operated sequential 5+R gearbox with an automatically triggered clutch, and remotely operated disc brakes that can also be engaged from a working pedal in the cabin. If it was any more realistic this car would be for sale in a Ford dealership.
See all of the photos and join in the discussion on Eurobricks, and you can check out the full technical specifications and builder commentary of the GT500 on Sheepo’s website here.
YouTube Video:
Suggested by a TLCB reader, this Technic Dodge Challenger by Flickr newcomer Dustyen055 includes Power Functions remote control, working lights, and one very cool stripe. The star of the 1971 road movie Vanishing Point, the Challenger goes out with a bang. We’d quite like to recreate the final scene with Dustyen055′s model and a pair of Lego’s own remote control 8275 Bulldozers.
One of our Brickshelf-based Elves returned to the office today. It was pretty hungry as it hadn’t found anything on the site for ages, but it’s now eaten for the first time in weeks and we’ve sent it back out the door again. We’re nice like that. Anyhow, it’s find is this; a fantastic Eurocopter X3 helicopter by arththra08. Arththra’s version of the famous tri-rotor aircraft features functional landing-gear, working rotors, and it utilises the latest smooth studless pieces to recreate a model that wouldn’t look out of place in an official LEGO box. You can see all the photos of the X3 on Brickshelf at the link above.
This mean-looking remote control Trophy Truck is the work of Brickshelf’s pipasseyoyo, and it looks an absolute riot to drive. Powered by LEGO’s mighty Buggy Motor, with a Servo Motor controlling steering and two Power Functions IR Receivers managing the signal it’s as quick as its Monster bodywork suggests. Check out the full gallery, including detailed photos of the chassis, on Brickshelf via the link above, and/or enjoy pipasseyoyo’s excellent accompanying video below.
YouTube Video:
This mean looking VeeDub Volksrod was suggested to us via the Feedback and Submission Suggestions page. Built by MOCpager sm 01 it features Power Functions remote control, opening doors, and the most important feature of all – an opening glovebox. See all the photos and a video of it in action at the link above.
The Elves are feeling a bit peculiar this weekend, and thus they’ve found some pretty weird creations today. Not all were suitable for public viewing, but these two definitely are. First up (above) is the latest creation by TLCB favourite VolumeX, who has expanded on the Star Wars ship naming rules and designed a ‘D-Wing’ fighter. You can see all the details at VolumeX’s photostream above.
Today’s second spacey MOC comes from Technic builder Vimal Patel, better known as vmln8r, who also builds something that bears a close resemblance to George Lucas’ finest work. Vimal’s Technic droid features remote control, including a handy grabbing arm that looks great for fetching sweets and the TV remote. See it in action below, or on Vimal’s photostream via the link above.
This mean looking Technic supercar found it’s way to TLCB Towers via the Feedback and Submission Suggestions page, having generated a very positive response over on MOCpages. Relative newcomer Ryan Evens‘ ‘Road Warrior’ features all of the usual Technic supercar toys, including a working engine, gearbox, steering and Power Functions remote control, and also a few extras you wouldn’t normally expect to find. We’ll let you head over to his MOCpage to uncover what they are. The nosiest of our Elves got a surprise when they snuck out to investigate…
Another day, another Elf returns to the office, another meal token is distributed, and another creation is featured. The system works! This find comes from Eurobricks, where Piterx has built a very cool looking Technic Trophy Truck, complete with Power Functions RC and some beautifully bouncy suspension. See all the photos and a video of it in action here.
Following yesterday‘s RNLI Land Rover, previous TLCB bloggee pitrex contacted us with his own Technic life guard build. Featuring a host of Technic functions, piterx’s quad and jet-ski combo includes; Power Functions RC drive, working steering and suspension (quad), controllable impeller (jet-ski), and a working winch on the trailer. About as good as an official LEGO Technic set then! Join the discussion on Eurobricks via the link above.
As the icy finger of winter draws ever nearer to The Lego Car Blog Towers we’re beginning to post a little less often. Whilst the Elves, being elves, are used to Christmas working, most of the staff here will be drunk on a variety of festive beverages for the next few weeks and thus quality (never our strongpoint) is likely to take a turn for the worse.
It seems appropriate then to round off the last full week of (mostly) sobriety with a wintery model; something red, something good at ploughing through the snow, and something that’s able to carry a lot of presents in the back. No, not Santa’s sleigh, but a monster 8-wheel-drive Tatra T813 Kolos trial truck.
Built by gkurkowski, the T813 Kolos features all the usual Technic Truck Trial toys, and there’s a whole gallery to peruse on Brickshelf. Check it out at the link above.
The Elves are still hard at work, despite the miserable weather outside The Lego Car Blog Towers. Today’s find, by an Elf who’s now pegged up by the ears near a radiator to dry out, is an unusual model in Lego form.
We’re not really sure why Ford’s Model-T is overlooked by the Lego-building community, what with it being one of the most numerous (and famous) cars ever produced. Brickshelf’s solic helps to give the vintage vehicle some plastic recognition with his superb Technic Model-T truck. It comes compete with authentic leaf sprung suspension, Power Functions control and a working piston engine. See all the photos on Brickshelf at the link above.
Over to Eurobricks now, where TLCB favourite Piterx has built a most excellent winter toy. Fully remote control by way of LEGO’s Power Functions system, Piterx’s snowmobile is as capable on the white stuff as the real thing. There’s a video of it in action on YouTube, and you can join the discussion on Eurobricks here.
The Lego Car Blog staff seem to be a bit portlier than they were before Christmas. Blame this on decadence of the TLCB Christmas party food and the fact that, well, someone had to eat the Smarties usually designated to the Elves whilst they were incarcerated.
With normal service resumed here at TLCB Towers it seems fitting that one of the creations uploaded over the Christmas break is a machine that enabled our mass sugar consumption, Eric Trax’ incredible Holmer Terra Dos T3 sugar beet harvester.
Powered by no less than eleven LEGO Power Functions motors and containing over 6,000 pieces, Eric’s harvester is a fiendishly complicated piece of kit. Watch the video below to get a flavour, and you can see all Eric’s photos on either Flickr or Brickshelf.
YouTube Video:
The LEGO Technic Mercedes-Benz Unimog (8110) might be the best model The LEGO Group has ever made. At 2000 pieces and including both Power Functions and Pneumatic systems, as well as a huge array of mechanical functions, 8110 is one of the most sought-after sets the company has produced to date. However, unlike most other Technic sets, it didn’t really come with instructions for an alternate – or ‘B’ – model.
Eurobricks member djshiver has rectified this with his creation built solely from the parts found within the 8110 Unimog set. His Jeep features the Unimog’s superb 4×4 drive system and couples it to a two-speed gearbox whilst utilising the original model’s compressor motor to power a front-mounted winch. The Jeep also includes an inline 4-cylinder engine up front, superb all-round suspension, working steering, and full Power Functions remote control compatibility. Everything LEGO could’ve included had they designed a ‘B’ model themselves!
You can see all the photos, design details and discussion for the Unimog alternate model at the Eurobricks forum via the link above.
With the red and green, it looks like it could belong to a jolly fat man… welcome to TLCB’s review of the Lego Technic 42008 Service Truck.
Not quite the latest in a long line of mid-range truck models that always seem to be the meat of the Technic range, this one with its 1276 pieces and £100 price is definitely edging upwards from mid-range, despite its still-modest size.
It’s got most of the sophistication of a much larger model too, as we shall see.
First impressions: Well, you’ll either get on with the green or you won’t… Personally, I think a grey or black (not red) chassis would have helped. Nevertheless, it is good to see Lego broadening the Technic colour palette once again – long may that continue! You get an entirely typical box, well stuffed with goodies and three instruction books. And a sticker sheet, natch. You’ll need that…
Building it is a reasonably familiar experience for anyone who’s had any other mid-range truck set in recent years, apart from the pneumatics, possibly. This may be unique in combining pneumatics, linear actuators and a PF motor in the same model – I can’t think of any others that have all three – and it’s this fact that makes the price seem pretty reasonable. It’s a fairly intricate and densely packed thing, with little wasted space, but the instructions are typically clear and simple to follow.
After a leisurely afternoon’s building, you’ll have a pretty impressive model with many functions:
Steering: A very well engineered progressive-rate system that operates on the first two axles via the usual gear on the roof. It works very smoothly, there’s a reasonable amount of lock and nothing for me to complain about. Technic steering systems would seem to be improving, at last.
Rear Stabilizers: Operated via the left hand gearbox and motorized, like all the following functions, these raise and lower via a pair of small linear actuators and are of limited use, frankly. They don’t lock in place and they’re not strong enough to lift the rear of the model. Next!
Hook: Anyone expecting this to take an age to raise and lower, like every other motorized crane, is in for a surprise. The thing fairly rips along, assuming you’ve lifted the stop-lever if you’re extending it…. which item won’t stay up on it’s own so you need three hands to do so. Grrr! It has the strength to pull a similar size model onto the ramp, so it does it’s job.
Boom Lifting: Done by a single large linear actuator and operated via the right hand gearbox, this works smoothly and well. It goes a lot further up than it needs to for a service truck, but I’m not complaining. Much.
The pneumatic compressor is actuated via the right hand gearbox and this powers the boom extension and the ramp lowering mechanisms. Each of these items uses a small pneumatic piston to actuate it, which works fine – if rather suddenly, as is the way with airtank-less pneumatics – without a load, but the small pistons don’t have enough grunt to do much actual work. The standard, larger, pistons would have been better.
That’s an impressive array of working functions for what is still a relatively small model; the more so because there’s a motor and battery box packed in as well. Most of them work alright, after a fashion, and it does make this an extremely playable set. The only major gripe concerns operating the motor via the switch on the battery box; you’ve got to be delicate to avoid switching it to the other direction when you want it off. Adding a PF switch would make this a much more manageable thing to use.
You can use it well enough, though…
Model Team trucks are pretty but they break down a lot…
42008 will never be called pretty, exactly, but it looks… purposeful. There’s a fairly minimal amount of detail around the cab, but there’s enough. The doors open to reveal the usual pair of angled-liftarm seats and a rudimentary dashboard and (unconnected) steering wheel. As for the colour, it’s certainly striking… I don’t usually apply stickers to my sets, but with this it’s very necessary; and they do successfully break up what is a big slab of green without them.
Overall, I like it. It ain’t perfect, it ain’t pretty, but it’s packed with features and you get a sense that the designers were being ambitious with it. Perhaps a little over-ambitious, but there’s a lot to admire here. 7/10
