Graphics For Speed Champions MOCs

[Carbohydrates]

I don't really mind stickers in sets too much. Obviously I prefer (and greatly value) prints instead, but stickers make sense to me, especially when introducing 20 new prints would make a Speed Champions set impossibly expensive. What I DON'T like is stickers being used to represent features that could, and should, be brick-built instead. I feel as if the early SC sets were particularly guilty of making headlights, taillights, exhaust pipes, vents, and all sorts of physical details out of stickers instead, and it's a real bummer. However, when stickers are only used to represent a livery or manufacturer branding or whatever, that's perfectly fine and even exciting to me.

So, having explained my personal thoughts about stickers in SC sets, I'd like to show off a few of my own MOCs that I have designed custom graphics for. In all of these cars, the graphics are PURELY for liveries and advertisements and such. All physical details are still brick-built and the cars work perfectly fine with no graphics at all. Also, I do in several cases use STAMPS (STickers Across Multiple PartS). I know this is contentious and I personally dislike it in official sets since it makes taking them apart extremely annoying, but I don't typically take apart my own MOCs when they're completed, so I don't mind using such a thing on my own builds. Again, just explaining my process and apologizing in advance if you dislike the idea.

 

First up is my Hoonicorn V1. You can see the complete, non-stickered version of my MOC here. This is a really popular model for Speed Champions MOCers because LEGO built their own version of this to give to Hoonigan Racing's Ken Block (driver of the real car) as a gift, so we all had the same inspiration and template to work from. As a result, many people make sticker sheets to make the LEGO model match the branding on the real car. I decided to do something different and design LEGO-centric in-universe branding to put on the car instead.

This thing is full of references to LEGO, which I will detail:

1. HOONIGAN replaced with HOONIKITTY.
2. FORD logo replaced with the classic 1950s LEGO logo, recolored
3. The skull on the roof is replaced with the classic LEGO skull. The crossed bones behind it are from the latest version of the Jolly Roger flag from 21322: Pirates of Barracuda Bay.
4. Monster Energy branding is replaced with Vita RUSH branding, which is LEGO's in-universe sport beverage company (and racing team sponsor).
5. Toyo Tires branding is replaced with Nutrax Tyres, a brand that was advertised on the red car in 8198: Ramp Crash.
6. Smooth Oil and Heavy Cargo are brand advertised on 42041: Race Truck.
7. Spark is advertised on the side of 75884: Ford Mustang Fastback.
8. ENgyne and TOOLS are advertised on the side of ]60218: Desert Rally Racer.
9. The pony badge in the grill is a LEGO horse in profile.

 

I had a lot of fun with that, so I decided to do another. I had built a gasser variant of my '64 Ford Fairlane last year, and it seemed like a natural choice to turn into even more of a show car. This one doesn't really have any special or unique references. I used the Smooth Oil brand again, and I added Octan Racing and "Spin Wear," another racing gear brand from the Racers Tiny Turbos theme.

 

Finally, I wanted to do another gasser to race against that one. The problem is, I hadn't actually BUILT another gasser yet! In fact, I still haven't, but I did finish designing one, at least. Consider this, then, a MOC reveal as well: I made a 1963 Chevy Nova gasser in dark azure, then I made some graphics for it. More simple, this time - less of a show car and more of a serious drag racing machine.

Like the Hoonicorn, I filled this one with LEGO references, too.

1. The car's number, 541, is a reference to 5541: Blue Fury.
2. The name "Well Played" is a reference to the origin of the name LEGO, "Leg Godt" = "Play Well."
3. Brick Street Custom is a speed shop from the Tiny Turbos line - 8154: Brick Street Customs
4. The axle company, Cross, is advertised on the legs of 71021-13: Race Car Guy, which itself is a reference: "Cross axle" is the shape of a Technic axle.
5. The other two part companies, "Cams - Red Bird" and "Pistons - Rally," are brands that I made up in reference to the first sets that the cam and piston pieces appeared in: 5591: Mach II Red Bird Rig and 8850: Rally Support Truck, respectively.

[caiman0637]

Looks good!