[HELP] Getting Started with Car MOCs

[anghelescu]

Hi guys,

I'm an AFOL who just got into Lego Technic. I have been a Lego fan since I was a kid but I never really had any Technic sets but recently I gave in and bought the 42037 Formula Off-Roader and really enjoyed it and a couple of weeks ago my girlfriend surprised me and bought me the 42042 Crawler Crane. I am set on creating my own MOCs and I dare mention Sariel, Sheepo, RM8 and Njasno as inspirations although I realize that hard-work only gets you so far... . Regardless, my vision is to create accurate models of cars with accurate suspension, Ackerman steering geometry, realistic wheel turning pivot, etc. I have to say that I have been spoiled by the creations of some of the very talented Lego builders.

At the moment I have two issues:

1. I don't really have the know-how to create my own MOCs! Either I use too many parts, or the model is not sturdy, or I just can't figure out how to build the chassis around two axles. I'm not even sure whether to use studfull or studless although I must say that as a beginner, the studfull design makes it much more easier to build more rigidly but I do see the advantages of studless. I have already bought Sariel's book, The Unofficial Lego Technic Builder's Guide, which has helped me a ton but I don't know for example how to use any of Sariel's axles in my own MOC. I think I need to buy a couple of Lego Technic sets which will introduce me to some basic designs. Which sets can you recommend? Or are there any other books out there that explain basic engineering concepts that are being applied to Lego Technic?

2. Now for my second issue. I need parts and I have seen that while Bricklink is excellent if you want to buy specific parts that you really need it can get pricey really fast. I remember paying 70 euro for only a handful of parts, although among them were four 8448 Super Street Sensation wheels. (because of their realistic positive offset). Are there any sets in particular which have very good parts to price ratios? Or an abundance of useful parts? I was thinking about buying the 42025 Cargo Plane because of the amount of white panels it has as I want to avoid the Lego Technic yellow as much as possible.

So can you guys give me some advice? I know what I want, but I don't know how to get there.

Thanks in advance!

Daniel

[Imanol BB]

Hi Daniel, im not one of the greatest lego builders but i have some experience on it, now, the pieces and the technics depends on what kind of moc you want to design (cars, trucks, aircrafts, off roaders...), for example:

If you want to create a big scale off roading capable truck (something like the 8110 set), you might need to get some transmission parts (like differentials, portal hubs, universal joints, torqueballs...), and maybe shock absorbers in case you want to make a fully working suspension (you can also make your own ones), also you should try to make the most efficient transmission, enough fast so it wont be boring and enough slow to avoid damage to some parts.

In case you want to create a car, sometimes suspension isnt needed but some builders use it for a more realistic model or to improve the performance, in this case, at least the cars is to heavy, you wont need almost any reduction if you want speed; however these are just some tips that have worked to me.

in my case for pieces/price, i own the 8110 unimog some time ago, and for me, it was a set full of usefull parts (aesthetics and functionals), but depending of what you want to create there are models that have a lot of aesthetic parts and models with functional parts.

You can also search for some models here on Eurobricks, here are lots of useful topics of almost everything you want, and people who will help you, also if you have any idea of what you would want to create you can share it so we can give you more specific tips, and also welcome to Eurobricks.

[aminnich]

In my option, if your looking for a large number of parts; 42009 is the way to go. If you looking for a large amount of PF;then 42030 is the way to go

[anghelescu]

Hi Daniel, im not one of the greatest lego builders but i have some experience on it, now, the pieces and the technics depends on what kind of moc you want to design (cars, trucks, aircrafts, off roaders...), for example:

If you want to create a big scale off roading capable truck (something like the 8110 set), you might need to get some transmission parts (like differentials, portal hubs, universal joints, torqueballs...), and maybe shock absorbers in case you want to make a fully working suspension (you can also make your own ones), also you should try to make the most efficient transmission, enough fast so it wont be boring and enough slow to avoid damage to some parts.

In case you want to create a car, sometimes suspension isnt needed but some builders use it for a more realistic model or to improve the performance, in this case, at least the cars is to heavy, you wont need almost any reduction if you want speed; however these are just some tips that have worked to me.

in my case for pieces/price, i own the 8110 unimog some time ago, and for me, it was a set full of usefull parts (aesthetics and functionals), but depending of what you want to create there are models that have a lot of aesthetic parts and models with functional parts.

You can also search for some models here on Eurobricks, here are lots of useful topics of almost everything you want, and people who will help you, also if you have any idea of what you would want to create you can share it so we can give you more specific tips, and also welcome to Eurobricks.

Hi ImanolBB,

Thanks for the warm welcome! I will surely scour the forums for ideas :)

In my option, if your looking for a large number of parts; 42009 is the way to go. If you looking for a large amount of PF;then 42030 is the way to go

Hi Aminnich,

The only problem I have with both of them is that they are yellow :) But I might make an exception for the 42030 considering it has so many motors included!

[aminnich]

Before I got 42030, I calculated it out. If u would buy just the PF stuff it would be a little more than half the cost of the set, so it is worth getting the set over just the PF

[Kelkschiz]

To learn some of the building techniques i'd recommend getting some building instructions from one of your favorite builders. You will probably see that the best builders, build models that are a bit more interesting than the sets TLG makes.

About sets, i'd look at getting sets that resemble the MOCs that you would like to build because those sets are likely to have a lot of useful parts for you.

Personally I get most of my parts via Bricklink. When looking at the prices, some part are indeed expensive. A lot depends on the supply and demand. Colour can be a deciding factor in the price of a part. So you may want to look at that before commiting to a colour.

Edited October 15, 2015 by Kelkschiz

[Andy D]

You might also consider the 42039, 24 Hours Race Car as a fun build, good inspiration, parts doner in other colors, and maybe a learning experience for suspension axel and some gear use.

I just started this model for the above reasons myself.

Andy D

[Jay Psi]

I was thinking about buying the 42025 Cargo Plane because of the amount of white panels it has as I want to avoid the Lego Technic yellow as much as possible.

Resistance is futile. You will give in to the yellow side

It looks like you're planning on building cars. In that case, you will want a good compliment of wheels, suspension and powertrain parts. Luckily most of these can be found in various supercars, and doubly so because they aren't yellow! Sets like 42000 and 42039 should be easily available and have lots of the parts that are used in the MOCs you describe. They are available in older sets (8070, 8448, the legendary 8880) as well, but these sets can fetch a high price because they aren't produced and contain parts that haven't been used in a long time. As you have mentioned, it would be useful to be able to compare and contrast the techniques used in these sets to the way experienced builders do. Of particular note are red pieces - because red is a very popular colour for supercar MOCs, red bodywork pieces (especially connectors and flex axles) are not cheap. If you're not too picky about what not-yellow colour you want then you can get more for your money, so to speak.

I wouldn't be too fussed about motorizing your MOCs just yet - in my opinion it would be better to get a handle on the fundamentals of car construction rather than rushing to make it RC. However 42030 would still get a yes from me because it gives you a full complement of PF pieces (one of each type of motor, two remotes and two receivers) and other nifty pieces like portal axles and green cylinder blocks.

If I were to make one recommendation MOC-wise, it would be Nathaniel Kuiper's Predator. As well as being a great example of advanced building techniques, IIRC Nathaniel designed it to use pieces that are readily available and in good supply (apart from the wheel covers, but the I think the instructions offer alternatives), so it isn't expensive to Bricklink the pieces.

Edited October 15, 2015 by Jay Psi

[Kman860]

In my option, if your looking for a large number of parts; 42009 is the way to go. If you looking for a large amount of PF;then 42030 is the way to go

Another good one is 42043, it would teach you about pneumatics, which a lot of people use in suspension, I know you're getting started, but it would be wise just to hang on to that for the future while it's cheap and still being produced. It is however pretty expensive.

[Jim]

Hi,

Welcome to EB!

I have changed the title of your topic, to be a bit more specific.

Like Jay Psi said, you can build Nathanael Kuiper's Predator, but I recommend building Nathanael's Concept Car first. It's probably one of the best (modular) car builds you can find. I'm not a big fan of the exterior, but the build is outstanding, and you will learn a lot about building cars, in a modular fashion. Highly recommended!

Since you don't have all the parts, you can skip the bodywork if you like. Maybe use the chassis and build your own body. At least get the instructions, for educational purposes.

If you like to know which sets to buy in general, this might be a nice topic for you to read:

Which Technic Set should I buy?

My second recommendation is to buy the 42039 - 24 Hour Race Car. It's a great build with a lot of useful Car parts.

You can read my review to find out why I love this set so much.

Bear in mind that the Concept Car and 42039 use different Tire sizes. Additionally, you can buy the 42000 Grand Prix Racer, which uses the same Tires as the Concept Car and also has a lot of Car parts. So getting the 42039 AND the 42000 will provide you with lots of parts and options.

1. Buy and Build the 42039

2. Buy and Build the 42000

3. Get Nathanael's Concept Car Instructions

4. Check which parts you are missing to build the Concept Car chassis

5. Put the missing parts on a Bricklink wanted list and locate the best shops, or get one or two sets which will cover the majority of the missing parts

6. Build the Concept Car chassis

7. Evaluate and plan your own MOC

You can use Rebrickable to help you find the missing parts. I think getting both the 42039 and 42000 will get you a long way.

[Vectormatic]

I second the suggestions to get 42000 and 42039, both are some of the technically most complex cars lego has done, and just building them should provide some insights. Personally i started modding my 42039, which has been an interesting experience, trying to make the rear axle lower is easy, and playing around with the suspension arms and shock absorbers in different configurations really makes you appreciate the complexity

[Rishab N]

I suggest getting an 8070. I bought 2 and they are great part packs for cars. If you're patient(unlike me ) you can find one on Ebay for 80-90 dollars

[SevenStuds]

Hi Daniel,

You're already headed in the right direction since you know what you need: parts and know-how. Personally, I acquired my parts by buying other peoples' collections. In most cases, each purchase was a few kilos with about 10th pieces, and I never paid more than 60-150 bucks, which was way cheaper than buying the individual sets. I only buy specific parts from BL, buy if you look out for new stores sometimes they have very low prices.

For learning, I found it quite tricky to understand individual modules from building entire sets because of the way in which everything is so integrated. The book you mentioned is great because understanding the modular components is easier in that format. I find it helps to study real life examples of what you want to build, and then to see how similar sets have interpreted it using specific parts for the purpose.