voltio

It reminds me of the "Goodyear Grabber" Oldsmobile and other custom offroad vehicles of the 1970s. I like it!

I would be willing to pay $20-$25 for a set of quality digital instructions, provided that the MOC was sufficiently impressive. The Skyliner and Crowkillers models fall into this category; however, smaller MOCs should have commensurately less expensive instructions. As an added feature, I would also like a BrickStore file to be included with any instructions so that I could create a Bricklink wanted list more quickly.

At this price, I am satisfied with a well-styled body, working suspension, steering, and movable pistons. Out of curiosity, what other functions were people hoping for in a midsize SUV model? I might have liked to see a winch or larger tires, but that is about it.

I own the original 5541, but I wasn't aware of the changes Lego made when they re-released the set. Neat! My favorite technical detail is definitely the compact steering system, a feature sadly lacking on modern Lego vehicles of this scale. Sets like the Lamborghini Gallardo Polizia 8214 may have more pieces, but they don't have the playability and realism that the old Model Team line used to provide.

Yeah, we can dream! I too am looking for those pesky yellow connectors to finish my personal copy of your Murcielago design. But there's no way that I would pay $9 for a part that costs 1/100 of that in most other colors. Yes, the supply is limited, but that does not make $9 a price I'm willing to pay. I plan to paint some gray #4 connectors using yellow Krylon Fusion spray paint, unless anybody has a better customization solution.

I originally felt the same way; however, it might be simpler to replace the existing battery box with the new AAA box (set 88000). This new box provides a built-in way to switch polarity, which is required in this application. More importantly, its smaller dimensions (8 x 4 x 4 studs in size, not counting any attached PF wires) should allow it to be dropped right into the space occupied by the current box and hidden behind a red plate or panel. A few "plate, modified 2 x 2 with hole" should help connect the AAA box to the studless parts in the supercar. Do any current owners of the set agree? I'd try this out myself, but I have not yet bought the 88000 or 8070.

Thanks for the link! These are the most detailed QAR pics I have seen yet, as the main Caribbean thread is getting too long to browse easily. Actually, I am pleasantly surprised at how easily the skulls/bones/white accent pieces can be removed without compromising the underlying design. With a $5 Bricklink order for new flags and some pearl gold elements, this vessel can become a very attractive Spanish treasure galleon carrack. EDIT: Just ordered the parts now. The total was under $5 for 20 pearl gold cones, 10 pearl gold 1x1 round plates, 12 black 1x4 arch bricks, and 8 1x6 black tiles. The skeleton figurehead may be difficult to replace, however.

I was expecting $140-$150 given how expensive 8043 was. At a price of $120, 8070 is a must-buy. The 8297 Off-Roader cost $120 and provided a comparable number (and more importantly, assortment) of parts. Plus, if TRU is stocking 8070, we might eventually be able to buy it at a 20-30% discount.

For powering LED lights and M-motors, I still prefer the good old 4760c01 battery boxes, the ones that accepted 9V batteries. The 4760c01 is slightly shorter in height than the AAA box, and it is certainly less expensive. On the other hand, the new AAA box won't need an adapter cable to work with PF elements, and AAA batteries are easier to come by than 9-volts.

You're quite right about the surprising importance of color. I happen to like the sleek, sinister look of the black Countach, but I still do appreciate the eye-popping orange version. Were Lego to ever give us an official Technic Lamborghini, I hope that they spend a little extra and offer it in orange, yellow, or lime. I mean, if the Nitro Menace and Nitro Muscle sets deserved lime, orange, and yellow elements, then a major Technic model certainly does. I recently built a metallic silver/pearl light gray 8448 Super Street Sensation after being inspired by the rendering below (not mine--I found it on Tumblr). I will take some photos when I return home in March, if there is interest. Or even if there is not.

Sorry to bump this old topic, but I just put in a very successful order with "Lego Direct." How to Order: In the US, at least, you are supposed to ask for the Replacement Parts department when you call. As others have mentioned, Lego needs to know the Lego (not Bricklink) part number of the parts you're ordering. Lego also requests that you tell them from which sets the parts originally came. This stipulation is not very important, as they processed my order even though I did not have this information. The rep I talked to was very friendly and knowledgeable. What You Pay: Lego did not volunteer a per-part cost breakdown, but my total was $52. Even with zero shipping charges, the 6-month Bricklink average cost is more like $90: part number desc. qty 4142622 yellow shock absorber 2 4227853 steering gear w/4 ball joint 4 4268659 CV joint 4 4525904 universal joint (new style) 7 4525184 differential (new) style 2 4523398 steering arm 5.5 x 2 8 4538007 axle and pin perpendicular triple 8 4539112 yellow panel 1x5x11 4 4552349 liftarm 3x3 T-shape 6 4552349 liftarm 3x3 T-shape 2 4540797 Technic Liftarm 5x11 frame 3 How Long You Wait: I was told that my parts would arrive in 2-3 weeks. Bottom Line: Buying through Lego's replacement part service is a great deal for rare parts from recent sets, such as the example above. However, if you need 200 1x5 Technic Axles and 300 Technic pins, Bricklink will likely be cheaper and faster. Order well!

However we AFOLs and TFOLs feel about modern Technic instructions, I feel that younger children and others new to the Technic theme have benefited from this change. A couple of years ago, I helped supervise a Lego building event at my local library. Part of the event was a speed build in which teams of 3 children were given a sealed 8261 Rally Truck and tasked with building (a. the model on the box or (b. MOCing up some sort of vehicle. Whichever team came closest to finishing their creation in 45 minutes would be declared the winner. Now, I had my doubts about whether the contest was a good idea: only one or two of the children present had prior Technic experience, and 40 minutes is an awfully short time for seven and eight year olds to master unfamiliar building techniques. I needn't have worried, though, since all of the teams that followed the instruction manual either finished within the allotted time or were quite close to doing so. If modern instructions were as complicated as they were in the '80s and '90s, would things have gone so smoothly? Or would some of the young builders have found their first Technic experience frustrating and become discouraged?

If your $226 estimate is for all the parts in the model, then that sounds fairly affordable. Unless, of course, you did not include the replacement cost of your own spare parts used in the project. However, at an average shipping cost of, say, $8 per order (maybe less for US sellers, maybe more for international orders), the price could get out of hand quickly. I'm impressed that you managed to find the parts you needed at so few BL stores. When I built a pearl light gray recolor of the 8448, I ended up overshooting my original budget by $70 because the necessary parts were spread out over so many different stores. Also, bravo for being willing to part out a Power Puller to obtain two #4 connectors. If I do build the model, I'll probably just wait for that part to become available on BL and use a replacement in black until I can buy the correct color. The BL price guide says that the part sold 11 times over the past 6 months, so I will have to be patient.

Beautiful collection, Blakbird! The Little Devil has always been a favorite of mine because of its playability, but Crowkillers' Murcielago design is probably the most dramatic out there. Crowkillers captured the Murcielago's complex bonnet and greenhouse perfectly, all while keeping the part count reasonable at around 1700 pieces. But unlike the official Lego Ferrari sets, the Murcielago contains a working suspension. Unfortunately, the Murcielago is even more difficult to construct than the average supercar MOC, given that many of the yellow parts used are extremely rare. I would estimate that this set contains $400-$500 in parts if built in yellow, correct? And that does not even account for the cost of chroming the wheels. Thanks again for posting this and for making several useful renders of the design so that others can at least attempt to build Crowkillers' masterpiece! http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=436037

Sorry about that! The deal I posted expired and I cannot seem to delete this post. :(