Rufus

Classic Space Restoration Project

Recommended Posts

Good luck on your restoration. Personally, I think you should just go with a mild detergent cleaning and leave it at that.

I had this set as a child also. Actually I still have it scattered amongst my collection but I haven't assembled it for more than thirty years. It wasn't my first set (that was the Coast Guard Station) but as I was an absolute nut for Star Wars at the time (and still am) my parents bought me this set. It set a precedence for my building style that I have a hard time breaking from. Here is a model I built a few weeks ago before I knew of this thread, clearly inspired by the Classic Space:

EDIT: I didn't pay attention until I was reviewing my post that my ceramic ET was in frame, LOL. Talk about 80's.

Classic_Space_Inspired_Fighter02.jpg

Classic_Space_Inspired_Fighter01.jpg

I even remember building this variant:

GalaxyExplorerboxbackspot.jpg

Edited by kboleen

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well all that I can say about your dedication is that you have opened some possibilities for us collectors is that:

: We can organize a group in each country that rejuvenate many sets

: We can organize kids that they need them to be careful even though they are plastic bricks

: and many others this opens up to so many possibilities

This may be a project for yourself but look to others

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Rufus, just wanted to say that I to have recently raided my parents loft to recover my old space! I never really owned any of the BIGGGGG Classic sets-but have found 6929,6950 the former with box...Hazzzzar! and approx 12 smaller vehicles/ships (which made me smile all day) but on futher investigation-I came across the Amazing 375 Yellow Castle!!!! (which i thought had been lost) googled it-and found your incredibly awsome restoration project-(which bought tears to my eyes!) I have most of the critical pieces to build, however, not one DECAL! is it possible to aquire your fantastic designs please, I will be happy to purchase printed copies-however it comes-I am soooo looking forward to restoring this classic piece -kind regards Martin

I shall be following your latest project with interest! good luck

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

For me, this is LEGO's supreme era, growing up with LEGO Space was defining for me and I'm a huge fan. The purity and scope for adventure to the stars was then and still remains *quality..!*

I'm slowly trying to re-establish my collection coupled with sourcing sets I didn't have some *ahem* good few years ago but as I'm sure you know it is expensive and hard work but the rewards are immense...!

Taking deltarex101's point further if there are folks in the UK/South West England in particular who would like to get together to 'compare notes' maybe we should sort it!

Good luck Rufus, I'm certain this is going to look spectacular..!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Some 487 sets were sold with grey windows, and some of the red mini figs had black arms if I recall correctly. I got part of the 497 set off the marketplace. and the red minifigs I cant remember when I got but it was with a set but I was very young then.

I also got the UFO theme sets but only the small wing fighters from that time, they used to come free with the newspapers.

Ill post pics later on.

Edited by SNIPE

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This thread seems like a very good place to drop my first post, so I'll jump in here...

I too grew up with Classic Space, and have spent a lot of time recently restoring old sets. Some of these sets were the remnants of what I originally had back in the late 70s/early 80s, collected from various boxes, outbuildings, and garage floors at my parents' house (I handed my well-kept sets down to my kid brothers when I moved out for college, and sentenced a lot of bricks to their doom that day!).

The main point I wanted to emphasize is the feeling that comes with having your own original childhood bricks. Even if you have to replace some or most of the parts to rebuild a set, there's just nothing quite like knowing that at least part of the set you have before you is the same one you had back in the day. When I got what was left of my original sets back (a few small plastic baggies with a handful of pieces from sets including the holy trinity of the Yellow Castle, Galaxy Explorer, and Main Street), I kept them separate from the rest of the bricks I obtained, just so I could say to myself, "these are my ORIGINAL bricks!" It might be a sad, meager remnant, but I count myself lucky to have any of my original LEGO at all. Some people don't have even a single piece left.

At some point, I had collected enough Classic Space spare parts that I felt I might be able to rebuild the first CS set I ever had: my old Alpha-1 Rocket Base. It was a tough decision, though, because it meant I had to combine my original childhood Alpha-1 parts with these other parts gathered from who knows where...and once they were mixed together, knew I could never go back and separate them out again. But the thought of having my original set, or at least part of it, present and assembled again was incentive enough to do it. So I did. And soon I had Alpha-1 before me once again. The feeling of nostalgia was so much stronger knowing that I played with many of those same bricks back when I was 8 or 9...especially because it was on my original crater plate, which had managed to survive pretty intact through the years. I replaced the missing basic bricks with the nicest or newest ones I could find, while trying to stay era-correct as much as possible on the specialty parts. In the end, I felt like I'd managed to reach into the past and pull my old set back, and it gives me no end of joy thinking of it. Now, it's true I could probably buy a complete set in better condition with box & instructions, and have what is essentially the same thing. But it wouldn't be the same. The one I have now is steeped in my own history, my own memories, and nothing can match that.

I've since done the same with the original Rocket Launcher, Police Headquarters, and Engine Co. No. 9 sets that I used to have, and have been very happy to see those sets come to life again. Sadly, there just aren't enough parts for the 3 big holy trinity sets to be rebuilt, so I have had to replace them. I was lucky enough to score a Yellow Castle in near-perfect condition with many of the stickers still on the sheet, and a Main Street that looks great apart from an unfortunate number of tooth marks. Still seeking the Galaxy Explorer, but one day soon it will complete the circle.

As far as advice on restoring sets goes, here's some things I've found:

- Even just scrubbing between the studs on baseplates and the larger of the regular plates really works wonders for making the set look new again.

- It's great to be able to replace a worn element from one of your childhood sets with a newer/nicer one, but you always have to weigh out whether or not keeping the original intact is better for nostalgia's sake.

- You can use a product like Novus or Brasso to shine up scratched window elements, which is particularly good if you want to preserve your original childhood parts.

I've really enjoyed reading this thread, Rufus...thanks for this and for the one on the Yellow Castle from earlier!

--SKot

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I never had any of the classic space sets but I always admired the simplicity and the fact there was no conflict, just happy exploring. Good luck with the project!

Edited by Legoboy1999

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi

i recently dismanteled, presorted (smaller and printed parts), washed, dried and sorted the Classic lego collection i got from a friend.

You can find a list of all containing sets here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=74946

I follow this topc here with high interests and i hope it will continue.

Here is my progress so far:

Classic%20Space%20Lego.jpg

There is beside the huge amount of white plates also a tray full of transparent parts, wedges, nice window pieces and jet parts.

Over all everything a classic space fan is dreaming about.

Dino

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

8731883114_2f2652c70e_c.jpg

CSRP is back! Weeeeeell, it's only been six months. :blush:

I took these pictures ages ago, but I wasn't quite happy with them, then I got kinda sidetracked with other projects; real life got in the way; a giant lizard went on a rampage through the city, I ran out of excuses, yada yada.

But I got there in the end. Profound apologies to anyone who was following this thread. :blush:

So here's the restored classic 928/497 Galaxy Explorer! First, an overview:

8235931690_779647b3bb_c.jpg

Seen in this view, it's a fairly basic set: a ship, a landing platform, a modest base station and four dudes: two red, two white. But oh, that ship.... the Galaxy Explorer is 35 years old, but still manages to look awesome, and even fresh: she'd be just at home in modern Sci-Fi today as she was in her 'Space Race' heyday. This is such an iconic set: it was responsible for the love of LEGO of many of today's AFOLs, and without a doubt holds a place high in the top LEGO sets ever.

But you know all that. :laugh: We're here to see how my restoration attempt has held up. Let's look at the base first:

8234872535_29cf920ddc_c.jpg

The simple little base station has shaped up nicely, helped greatly by condition of the oddly anachronistic TV aerial. I ended up having to replace all four of the blue 4x6 plates in the set, fortunately with 80s parts; two are used in the station. The Classic Space logo brick on this side is a little faded, though you wouldn't tell from this picture ...

... until you compare to the one on the other side:

8729861386_968ee989a4_c.jpg

There's a degree of colour variability which doesn't show too well in the pictures; the blue tail pieces used as stanchions have a slight brownish tint. They also don't retain their shape too well, as a result of which the station sits a little higher than it should; this is why there appears to be a slight gap under the lower 4x6 plate.

I had some real trouble with the trans-yellow parts, which were quite badly scratched. I managed to acquire some (marginally) better ones: on the right in the picture below, which unfortunately doesn't show the difference too well.

8058886435_9989bf4bb2_c.jpg

It does however highlight the faded colour of some of the blue pieces, particularly the right-hand computer slope under the window here. I've also replaced the left-hand computer for the same reason.

Now to the centrepiece: :excited:

8235944480_a076932fe4_c.jpg

I'm pretty pleased with how this has turned out. :wub: One of the amazing features of this set was its opening rear doors; to this day I have a love of displaying spaceships in 'landed' mode, with activity around them, which can be traced back directly to this set. It's partly why I love to have landing gear on LEGO spacehips and aeroplanes.

It was important for me to ensure that the upper surfaces and sides of the ship look as good as possible; I hunted around a long time to get reasonable quality Classic Space logo bricks; equally important are the two 1x8 blue plates either side of the trans-yellow canopy: they are very noticeable if chewed.

8729882456_dbc093a0fb_c.jpg

You might notice that the upper trans-yellow slope is quite scratched; that's an original piece. It's really hard to find these parts in good condition: expect to pay quite a lot, and even then it's no guarantee.

I ended up replacing the other two:

8058884065_d76659e2e9_c.jpg

These two were the only decent ones of an order of about 10 that were advertised as top quality. :cry_sad:

Perhaps most important was the front Classic Space badge:

8097972409_bbfcd284b7_c.jpg

Again, it's tough to get these in good condition; this one has a lovely logo but there are a couple of nicks on the brick itself. Don't trust Ebay - they will rarely arrive as advertised - use Bricklink. Those windows do look great. :wub:

The other printed bricks - the 1x4 grille brick, and the 1x2 'down arrow'; even the 'LL928' - are easier to acquire, but my originals suffice.

8234883739_486afa64bb_c.jpg

If you look closely at the open nearside door, you can see more evidence of colour variation in the blues: the inverted slopes are a little faded, while the 2x2-2x2 bracket has a darker brownish tinge; I can live with this. I've replaced the grey 2x2 cones and 2x2 round bricks on the side engines, which look fantastic. :thumbup:

While we're at the back, let's have a look inside:

8097980885_594fc3152a_c.jpg

It's fairly roomy in there! You can see some scratches on the blue bricks on the inside of the door; I deliberately placed the better side facing out. :wink:

Here's how it looks with the vehicle inside:

8731708426_3528de0b5c_c.jpg

What an awesome play feature. :wub:

Some Comparison Pictures

I've taken some pictures from angles similar to the 'before' pics to allow for direct comparison. You can click the smaller pictures to bring up the full-size version; larger versions of the restored set are included.

8235954184_e0cfd31762_c.jpg

8010434096_a055c2cc4b_n.jpg 8235954184_e0cfd31762_n.jpg

Mostly, this shot shows how much better the badge looks with its gold texture intact. :wub: Hopefully you can also see how nicely the wedge plates have cleaned up, and there's no colour mismatch of the grey now I've replaced a few parts. Check out the clean blaseplate too - though it's a little yellower than the crater plate, unfortunately. :sad:

The side engines are mostly replacement parts, but they look fantastic:

8235941160_d6365f62e2_c.jpg

8010424407_b99e9f7a79_n.jpg 8235941160_d6365f62e2_n.jpg

The 'LL928' brick's printing isn't perfect; I kept both originals as somehow replacing them felt inappropriate. I broke my own rules somewhat by replacing all the transparent red and green parts with new pieces, but they look soooo much better even than good condition 80s parts. You can see how scratched the uppermost trans-yellow slope is; there isn't much I can do about that, sadly. :sadnew:

The port engine also looks pretty nice:

8235935328_c9a5db99f0_c.jpg

8010433469_965790f055_n.jpg 8235935328_c9a5db99f0_n.jpg

The trans-yellow 4x10 plate which forms the canopy - and is a vital part of the ship's look - has cleaned up beautifully. That's the original part. :thumbup:

I've replaced the 'emergency' blue door, and swapped out many chewed and ill-fitting pieces:

8235928800_4355e8829f_c.jpg

8010437242_03be549d06_n.jpg 8235928800_4355e8829f_n.jpg

You can't see it very well in the 'before' picture, but some of the blue hinge-bricks were badly chewed, and one completely broken. I managed to salvage two and replaced the others. They're quite hard to come by. :look:

There's still some visible grey variation on the underside:

8097962241_9ddae72d1f_c.jpg

8010435049_1ce6c1ce5c_n.jpg 8097962241_9ddae72d1f_n.jpg

Notice that the 'correct' two 6x12 plates are in place, rather than the 6x24 I had been using. (If you're interested, the 6x24 plate came from this set, which also contains an antenna piece, though in milky-white rather than grey.)

The one part I really struggled with was the 2x4-2x4 hinge plate.

8097945880_b7aecb2717_c.jpg

I couldn't get an 80's replacement in good quality. This one is an earlier version with a black pivot rather than red, and is a slightly different shade of grey.

Whilst rebuilding the set, I noticed a little oddity about the 2x2x2 supports: they have numbers on them.

8097991410_3b1e1dd790_c.jpg

I just had to find a number 4 to complete the set. :grin:

The little space buggy has been tidied up:

8731709158_e531a95a5d_c.jpg

I managed to get most of the rust off the axles; I had to pull one of the wheels of each part. The grey slope at the rear hasn't cleaned up quite as well as I'd have liked.

Finally, lets see the spacedudes:

8730587113_e9310aca9a_c.jpg

These guys were the best of the bunch I could find in my original collection. It's nigh-on impossible to get hold of red and white spacemen in pristine condition, unless you use the reissues; yellow, blue and even black are much easier to come by.

Conclusion


8728660803_1897b0e712_c.jpg

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the result of this restoration. I've had to use far more replacement parts for 928 that I needed for 375, which is mainly because 928 was played with far more vigorously; its rarer printed and transparent parts also made tracking them down much more tricky. I have a feeling I may keep tweaking this one if I come across better sources of parts; in particular, that third trans-yellow slope is still too scratched for my liking.

Still, I have I think succeed in transforming one of the finest LEGO sets of all time from an incomplete, chewed and dirty wreck back into the masterpiece it truly is. :wub:

Thanks for reading! I have more Classic Space sets in various stages of restoration, so will be back with more. Eventually. :laugh:

8097978357_94a0460240_c.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wow. Great job. I don't see why you think the bricks seem badly scratched; you can hardly see the scratches at all.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Rufus, don't feel too bad about dropping this project off for 6 months.... It's been about 5 months since I was last active on EB myself (mainly due to issues with getting settled into a new house and playing lots of Minecraft, well mostly minecraft), and was happy to see this finished when I came back.

You did an excellent job, and I just had a flash of insight/idea: You kept mentioning all the parts you had to replace because they were chewed on, and I had a lot of chewed on parts from some of my old Classic Pirate sets that survived my first dark age... The main reason my parts were chewed was because that was practically the only way to get some of the longer plates separated, and even as an adult with greater hand strength, I've also slightly nicked plates with my fingernails trying to separate them.

Now one thing I've noticed, starting in the second half of 2012 was that LEGO started including the new orange Brick Separators in every set that was about $50 or more (i.e. larger sets), and I'm wondering if feedback from parents/AFOLs regarding tendencies of kids to separate plates with their teeth was behind this new policy. If so, then kudos to LEGO, and hopefully 20 years from now when some kid is trying to restore their "classic" Lord of the Rings set, they won't have the heartache of chewed up parts to deal with.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great to see some news in this topic. It was actually one of the first topics I read on here, even before I registered my account.

Really good job on the 928, looks magnificient.

I hope I'll be able to restore my own 928 aswell. It misses couple of pieces, and others are badly worn, especially some of the printed parts...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Rufus, you made my day. In my opinion, this Classic Space line holds up against any other Lego line- licensed or otherwise. Maybe it's simpler. No back printing or two sided heads. No fancy molds. But, it's simply amazing. You did a fantastic job, and I think I speak for all of the kids who grew up in the late 70's early 80's when I say THANK YOU! :wub:, :excited:, :drool: and :wub_drool:!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great job on the restoration, Rufus! I should get mine out and see what needs touched up. Aside from a little dust from display, I believe it is in pretty good shape. It is an older version- the 1x1 round bricks all have solid studs, and the large inverted dish has a round center, not square. Classic Space is second only to Classic Town, IMO. Right now I'm working on a diorama for Brickworld- Four weeks to go!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi

i missunderstood you in some way, i thought you where restoring the original bricks instead of buying many "new" (other) bricks which are in better condition than yours.

But you restored the model itself, not only the bricks.

Nevertheless the result is quite amazing. I apprecitate how much love you put into that model, how you much effort you put into it with this detailed "review".

Dino

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Truly a LEGO Masterpiece. At some point, I need to dig out my old LEGO from my childhood, and start re-assembling some of the classics like this. Your Galaxy Explorer looks amazing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great restoration, thanks for sharing. This makes me want to get out all of my classic space sets too. I'm hoping they don't need as much cleanup as this, they've been stored in my parent's basement in covered plastic bins for the last few decades.

The Galaxy Explorer was a little before my time, as I started playing with Lego in the mid-80's, but I do remember it as some of my friends had it in their collections. I always loved that trans yellow, gray, and blue color scheme.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone for replying! :sweet: There are some interesting points made before my 'hiatus' which I will respond to eventually. :cry_happy:

Rufus, don't feel too bad about dropping this project off for 6 months.... It's been about 5 months since I was last active on EB myself (mainly due to issues with getting settled into a new house and playing lots of Minecraft, well mostly minecraft), and was happy to see this finished when I came back.

Thanks! I don't like leaving things unfinished, but sometimes other responsibilities get in the way, and a project like this requires momentum to keep it going. There's lots still to do!

You did an excellent job, and I just had a flash of insight/idea: You kept mentioning all the parts you had to replace because they were chewed on, and I had a lot of chewed on parts from some of my old Classic Pirate sets that survived my first dark age... The main reason my parts were chewed was because that was practically the only way to get some of the longer plates separated, and even as an adult with greater hand strength, I've also slightly nicked plates with my fingernails trying to separate them.

[...] LEGO started including the new orange Brick Separators in every set [...] hopefully 20 years from now when some kid is trying to restore their "classic" Lord of the Rings set, they won't have the heartache of chewed up parts to deal with.

I hope that's true, though I have a nasty feeling it won't entirely prevent the chewing: I do seem to remember I had a horrible habit of putting already separated bricks into my mouth where they likely got an extra munching! :blush:

Rufus, you made my day. In my opinion, this Classic Space line holds up against any other Lego line- licensed or otherwise. Maybe it's simpler. No back printing or two sided heads. No fancy molds. But, it's simply amazing. You did a fantastic job, and I think I speak for all of the kids who grew up in the late 70's early 80's when I say THANK YOU! :wub:, :excited:, :drool: and :wub_drool:!

You're welcome! :sweet: Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I do believe there's a real magic about these early sets: no (other) factions, just happy-go-lucky space explorers; though I usually managed to work in battles and 'spies' into the play!

Great job on the restoration, Rufus! I should get mine out and see what needs touched up. Aside from a little dust from display, I believe it is in pretty good shape. It is an older version- the 1x1 round bricks all have solid studs, and the large inverted dish has a round center, not square. Classic Space is second only to Classic Town, IMO. Right now I'm working on a diorama for Brickworld- Four weeks to go!

Unfortuately, I won't be at Brickworld this year to see it. :cry_sad: Make sure you post some pictures here on EB! I'd be interested to see your 'early' version of the set with its differing parts: feel free to post in this thread if you want to!

i missunderstood you in some way, i thought you where restoring the original bricks instead of buying many "new" (other) bricks which are in better condition than yours.

I did clean up most of the bricks where possible, but some were broken or damaged beyond repair so I knew I'd have to get some fresh parts in better condition.

Great restoration, thanks for sharing. This makes me want to get out all of my classic space sets too. I'm hoping they don't need as much cleanup as this, they've been stored in my parent's basement in covered plastic bins for the last few decades.

The Galaxy Explorer was a little before my time, as I started playing with Lego in the mid-80's, but I do remember it as some of my friends had it in their collections. I always loved that trans yellow, gray, and blue color scheme.

Mine had been left 'on display' in an attic for years, where it had a acquired a patina of grime, then stuffed in a box (built) for even longer - and still in an attic. I'm impressed the extremes of temperature haven't caused any bricks to crack! I hope yours has indeed faired a little better.

The colour scheme is something special, I agree. While it may not fit with many people's ideas of Space Age ships, it fitted in really well with the the major influence of the time - Star Wars - with its 'used' look. The LEGO ships are suitably functional, while retaining a certain style. In my opinion! :laugh:

Next installment - 924/487 - coming soon!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You're welcome! :sweet: Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I do believe there's a real magic about these early sets: no (other) factions, just happy-go-lucky space explorers; though I usually managed to work in battles and 'spies' into the play!

I like the early sets too. They have that classic sci fi feel to them, and I liked the mix of parts. Plenty of basic bricks, and the specialized pieces like wing plates, radar dishes, etc were all extremely useful for MOCing. The closest thing to space in the current lineup is Galaxy Squad, which is based around nothing but conflict with aliens. I'm not a big fan of sets like that, I like the peaceful explorers :classic: (why is there no spaceman smiley? that needs to be included for this forum!)

The colour scheme is something special, I agree. While it may not fit with many people's ideas of Space Age ships, it fitted in really well with the the major influence of the time - Star Wars - with its 'used' look. The LEGO ships are suitably functional, while retaining a certain style. In my opinion! :laugh:

I agree, I think these sets really did fit in with the sci fi that was coming out at that time with Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. I also liked the sets that included the trans green canopies and pieces, but for some reason I never had any of those in my collection.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Superb Rufus, wow how well have you done?! This looks great and your pictures are so evocative of a bygone age of awesomeness in Classic Space! I'm glad 'I was there' to experience it...

From all angles it looks magnificent, I particularly love the Spacedudes pic and the first one under your "Conclusion" header - I'm glad the box purchase worked out well too. Sometimes you've just got to go for it!

Absolutley superb, I can't stop looking at the pictures..! Great result, well done...!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

8731883114_2f2652c70e_n.jpg 924/487 Space Cruiser/Space Transporter

8064308902_e68567e809_c.jpg

Ok, first of all, a slight confession: I never actually owned this set as a kid. :blush: However, thanks in no small part to the amazing 6000 Ideas Book, I always wanted it, so I decided to track one down during my restoration, fully aware that unless I was very lucky I'd have to do some work on whatever arrived.

A note on buying secondhand sets: Like with some of the rarer parts, it can be tricky to get quality sets on the secondhand market. If you want to take a punt on ebay, be prepared to receive anything from worthless overpriced junk (with some MegaBloks thrown in) to an amazing bargain - but you have no idea what you're going to get until it arrives. Be especially careful of 'recurring' sales or sellers offering more than one copy: typically you won't get the one in the photo. :hmpf_bad:

Bricklink is a little better, as sellers depend on feedback for their reputation far more than the fickle ebay market, but even there you can find that sets aren't 'complete' as advertised, or aren't in nearly the 'mint' condition stated; expect to pay a premium either way.

I got this set from ebay for a reasonable £60, and was really rather lucky - particularly as it came with a box. :look:

8064305996_dfa13bd83e_c.jpg

It fell apart quite quickly, but the box printing is in good condition for its age. It'll need a little ingenuity to restore it, though.

I was delighted to find that this set was in fantastic condition:

8064325112_614c368e8a_c.jpg

The printed Classic Space slope and bricks look near-new, and the trans-yellow slopes are virtually scratch-free! :wub:

The rest of the set is rather variable:

8064320942_541a46690a_c.jpg

Note the nicked and chewed 1x8 blue plate at the top, and the dirty and battered wedge plate in the centre.

I suspect the set was reassembled for sale from several sources. Further variability is found at the rear:

8064313619_7dae430bda_c.jpg

Someone has stuck a sticker on one of the 2x2 tiles; the blue plates vary form mint condition to chewed wrecks. Fortunately, the rare parts (large cones, tails, 2x2-2x2 brackets) are perfectly serviceable.

The blue hinges and the 'down arrow' bricks are good as new ...

8064314106_44ed33cb9a_c.jpg

... but they are surrounded by some less good quality parts. The 1x6 blue plate with the aerial attached is fine, but needs a good clean.

The simple little fork lift truck that comes with the set is complete, and the lift works!

8064310438_24a9ce7c99_c.jpg

I'll need to replace the 2x4 plate between the wheels, though.

The set arrived with two dudes, as expected. Whitey is in reasonable condition ...

8064317922_f6b6dfc589_c.jpg

... but the red one has a stickered torso. :look: Rather than an attempt to 'complete' the set by reconfiguring a Town minifig, this is a real, original Classic Space figure ... but it doesn't belong in this set. Stickered Red Dude came with 889 Radar Truck, which I can only assume was an early-release promotional set before the printed figures were finalised, but I'm sure someone with more knowledge can enlighten us.

It's a shame the sticker is worn; this fellow might be worth something. :excited:

I checked: he isn't. :sad: I'll replace him with a printed fig.

There isn't much needed to restore this set: I acquired a number of spares in doing 928, so just a little cleaning needed. Back soon with the results!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have trouble with the hinges on the lid. The clear yellow plate always wants to come off rather than open like it should. I'd love to find a box....! I do have my original instructions though. This is my favorite set! Now, THIS will be fun to watch!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.