[MOD] [NOOB] Modded 8030 Jeep

[neepheid]

Hi there

Painful baby steps alert.  I have this nagging feeling that I'm wasting everyone's time with this.  I have been hesitant to post this when I see some of the amazing creations that people are putting together, but I guess one has to start somewhere.  I don't have much Lego yet, only got sets 8860 and 8845 to play with and old school studded Technic is what I'm used to so I decided to try a simple mod of an existing model.  In this case, a super simple/boring model - the Jeep from the 8030 Universal set (a set I used to own).  (Picture from Technicopedia - hope that's OK)

Because I don't have the right bits, I had to widen the track of the vehicle by 2 studs.  I built everything else as per the instructions (except for the rear bit where the steering control pops out - didn't have a 2x4 plate with holes so had to improvise a bit).  Perhaps because of the increase in width, the model just wouldn't steer - it went pretty much straight on and skidded the wheels.  Not much I can do about the steering so I decided to add a diff to the rear wheels.  Yes, I could have simply split the axle as it's not being driven by anything, but what challenge would that be?  So I modified the chassis to make space for the diff and fitted it.  Immediate improvement - the car could steer properly!  I'm enjoying my first differential gear ever, having never got that advanced when I was a kid.

After that, I decided to try and make it look better so I had a go at forming a body around it.  Tried to go for a Series One Land Rover type of feel at the front, then went a bit mad with spot lights and bull bars :)  Anyway, here it is now:

 

 

I could carry on but I don't have enough parts never mind the right colours (like those annoying black bits in my otherwise grey bull bars and ran out of axle pins so the roof spots are attached with 4 axles and bushes) so I think I'll stop there.  It's pretty lame compared to all the amazing stuff I see posted up here, but I thought I'd share and hopefully the next thing you see from me will be a bit more interesting.  Onwards and upwards.

[trekman]

Nice work.  We all have to start somewhere, and some of us are old enough to have been brought up on studded lego.  if you can master this, then you will appreciate the versatility that the studless parts bring. 

[offroadcreations]

6 hours ago, neepheid said:

I have this nagging feeling that I'm wasting everyone's time with this. 

Not mine. I like it, for one reason because it is studless. It's really good, especially for a first MOC. We all start somewhere, so don't be worried if you don't create the greatest, most amazing creation ever on the first attempt. Anyway, I like what you did with the limited parts. I would add doors, but that's just my opinion. Good job!

[Brick_Sticker]

Looks good, I like the bull bar on the front especially.

 

[aeh5040]

Nothing wrong with this MOC at all!    Thanks for sharing, and keep on building!

[BusterHaus]

Good start! Looks like your wheel rims have held up quite well - the crack rather easily. 

[neepheid]

Thanks for all the kind words people, I was quite nervous about putting something so rudimentary up but you've put my mind at ease and it looks like this forum is a good place to be.  I do have some studless Technic (buying a 42065 RC Tracked Racer at Christmas is what kickstarted my return to Lego because I'd never seen RC Lego before and it sounded very cool :) ) but it was a bit of a culture shock/paradigm shift.  I think with studless beams you have to be very preoccupied with how they are going to join together, as opposed studded bricks which often inherently join together without you having to think about it.  Consequently, early on in builds it's quite nitty gritty and in minute detail as you pin together parts that in the old world one would have simply pushed into each other and on to the next thing.  I'll get the hang of it though ;)

[Sylvian]

well thats a trip down memorylane!