XTN's garage

[XTN]

Also my van was updated.

It started as mod of the 42098 B-model years ago and was sitting on my shelf untouched for a long time.
The idea was to create an adjustable rear axle to be able to change the chassis angle from a civilian look to a custom car look that matches the giant V8 inside.
Therefore I've changed almost everything inside except for the V8.
The height of the rear axle can be adjustet by two small LAs. These are operated by a small axle that is used for the HOG steering too. just remove the small axle from the steering position (midlle of the roof), place it in the hole (back of the car) for rear axle adjustment, then place it back to the roof position for steering.
To make the van look more civilian, the spoiler can be removed and hidden inside the van.

Now it features:

• HOG steering
• openable roof in the back + rear "window"
• fake V8 engine
• adjustable rear axle height

Here are the pics.

Civilian look (low + no spoiler)

Custom look (high + spoiler)

Open roof, spoiler and axle for steerin/adjustment

Spoiler stored inside

 

Another small update, more like an upgrade.

42128 got a bumper guard.
To still be able to open the hood, the bumper guard can be folded down.

 

 

[Paul B Technic]

They are both very cool.

[XTN]

18 hours ago, Paul B Technic said:

They are both very cool.

Thanks mate, that means a lot to me. 

[XTN]

After all the mod, here's another addition to my garage: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

Of course it fits onto my car transporter trailer or inside its belly.

It features:

• HOG steering
• openable hood, tube doors, trunk door
• fake V6 engine driven by differential from rear axle
• foldable trailer hitch; for folding it in or out, the the boot floor can be folded up.

I wish it didn't have to be orange, but those are the parts in my inventory. 

In my eyes the front bumper looks awesome, maybe I will add a fake winch, like just a hook with an inch of rope. By now I didn't find enought space to add a real winch with a knob without destroying the overall look of the nose.
I guess I will leave it like that for a while, I'm open for ideas. 

Folding in the trailer hitch...

The girl is getting ready for a trip to the beach.

 

[Paul B Technic]

That is a very cool build.

[XTN]

Finally my LEGO PaB order arrived yesterday - after five weeks of waiting.
I'm sooo hyped now! 

Time to update the rear axles of some of my trucks from super singles to dual tires...

This is how (simple change of few parts, no change in frame structure needed, old (left) vs new (right)):

And this is how it looks (old (left) vs new (right)):

While modern trucks as the Anthem look okay with super singles, they look weird on classic trucks.
So the first one to get this treatment was my K100.

Here the creepy version as it has been for years now:

And here the version with dual tires:

The difference is enormous, like between a toy and a model.

I didn't touch the front axle yet, that's another chapter.

[XTN]

Just before the end of the year, here is an update on my garage. There have been a few revisions and new additions in the last few months.

1. Bortnick's Buggy: I created my own version of it, based on the parts I had in my inventory 
   LEGO MOC Buggy by Bortnick | Rebrickable - Build with LEGO
   
    
2. Rebuild the Hot Rod from scratch.
   It features HOG steering with working steering wheel, V8 fake engine, openable trunk.
   It is not wider than 13 studs, even though it has the fat tires in the rear, so it fits on the car transporter trailer.
   Using big panels and only few liftarms, it looks really clean in the end.
   A highlight are the wheels, the usual rims in combination with a black disc create a super classic look.
   
   
   
    
3. Roadster Kit Car
   Inspired by cars like Caterham 7, Panoz Roadster and small kit cars
   It features HOG steering with working steering wheel, openable trunk, openable doors.
   It is not wider than 13 studs, so it fits on the car transporter trailer.
   The tricky part was creating the front wheel arches that move with steering as they hav to allow a decent steering angle and must not collide with the nose.
   
   
   
   
    

With #1 and #2 I finally own enough small cars to fulfill one wish I had for a long time: Fit seven cars (excluding pullbacks) on my car transporter trailer and have the center part of the upper ramp in the lowest position.

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2024 by XTN

[XTN]

Peterbilt 281 "Needlenose" semi truck with 28 ft reefer trailer

Another passion project was this semi truck with trailer, based on the yellow TC27 truck from @efgen86 as shown here: [TC27] Lime dump truck - LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling - Eurobricks Forums
Here's my version, it takes hood, grille and doorsteps from efgen's truck.

The truck features:

• HOG steering
• openable hood and openable doors
• inline six-cylinder fake engine

Thetrailer features:

• pendular twin axle
• openable rear doors similar to the MACK container
• retractable landing gear, operated by spinning the small tanks under the frame
• compatible to all MACK-ish saddle plates

Here are some impressions from this real-life beauty:

Here's the gallery: Pete 281 Reefer Trailer - Bricksafe

 

[1gor]

Wow, this one is gorgeous.

[efgen86]

You have a great Peterbilt 281 with a great trailer. Unfortunately I have problems with free time, but I will definitely finish my version.

[XTN]

20 hours ago, 1gor said:

Wow, this one is gorgeous.

 

8 hours ago, efgen86 said:

You have a great Peterbilt 281 with a great trailer. Unfortunately I have problems with free time, but I will definitely finish my version.

 Thank you both 

 

 

[XTN]

As the year is about to end, most of my projects are finished and found their way to their folder on bricksafe, it's time to rest, to enjoy, to cheer, to chill and to publish the updated vehicle list. 
Here it is:

HEAVY VEHICLES, HEAVY TRUCKS AND BUSES
Heavy vehicles, heavy trucks and buses - Bricksafe

• Mack Anthem [42078 sub model tractor unit] with car transporter trailer [MOC]
• Kenworth K100 [MOC] with 40ft split axle / spread axle / tandem axle flatbed trailer [MOC, alt of 42078 sub model trailer]
• Mack Granite [mod of alt of 42078 Mack Granite snow plow by M-longer (eb/rb)] with log trailer [MOC]
• Peterbilt 281 "Needlenose" [MOC, inspired by the yellow truck by efgen86(eb)] with 28ft reefer trailer [MOC]
• Kenworth W900 Rotator Tow Truck [mod of 42128]
• Peterbilt 379 Heavy Duty Tow Truck [MOC]
• Mack Cruiseliner Holmes Tow Truck [MOC]
• International 4900 Rollback Tow Truck [MOC]
• Mack LR Garbage Truck [42078 B model]
• Mack R Series Dump Truck [MOC]
• Concrete Mixer Truck [mod of 42112]
• US School Bus [MOC]
• Forklift [42079]

LIGHT VEHICLES, LIGHT TRUCKS AND PASSENGER CARS
Light vehicles, light trucks and passenger cars - Bricksafe

• Light Duty Tow Truck [mod of 42075]
• Pickup Truck inspired by 1977 Ford F150 Stepside [MOC]
• Pickup Truck inspired by 2008 Ford F250 Crew Cab [MOC] with boat trailer [MOC] and rigid inflatable boat (RIB) "POLICE" [MOC]
• Hummer H1 [mod of Hummer H1 by efferman(eb/rb)]
• Jeep Wrangler Unlimited [MOC]
• Muscle Car (orange) [MOC]
• Muscle Car (white) [MOC]
• Sports Car (red) [MOC]
• Kit Car [MOC]
• Bortnick's Buggy [mod of Buggy by Bortnick(rb)] x 2
• Offroad Buggy [mod of 42164]
• Hot Rod [MOC]
• Custom Van inspired by 1970 Dodge Tradesman [mod of 42098 B]
• Go-kart [MOC] x 2
• Quad [mod of quad bike by _.lego._.technic._(rb)]
• Chopper [mod of mini chopper by efgen86(eb)] x 2
• Dirt Bike [mod of mini cross motorcycle by efgen86(eb)]

OTHER

• Ultralight helicopter [42057]
• Car Lift [mod of car lift by fuwlz(rb)]

PULLBACKS

• Red Shark roadster [pullback, MOC]
• Escape buggy [pullback, MOC]
• Police buggy [pullback, MOC]
• Killer Bee buggy [pullback, MOC]

 

Happy New Year to all of you! 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2024 by XTN

[XTN]

On 2/19/2024 at 6:07 PM, Thirdwigg said:

I'm a little behind, but I love that boat. Any more progress on that?

The boat is finished... finally .

Rigid inflatable boat (RIB) "POLICE"

2008 Ford F250 Crew Cab - Bricksafe

The steering was tricky.
I wanted to steer both the wheels and the engines via HOG.
I tried a few variations with gears, but every possible solution ended up with an offset of one tooth or with reversed steering direction.
The final solution has two levers, one for the steering parallelogram and one for the engines.

The engines can be folded in for transport.

The propellors can be operated manually by spinning the red connector.
I did not connect them to the wheels, bc every solution for that was way too bulky, and when playing on the floor or any other hard surface, the engine gondolas are too low to aloow the propellors to spin.

The sunroof can be easily removed.

 

[2GodBDGlory]

That's a very nice model! Nothing too crazy, but nice simple looks and functions, put together well

[jorgeopesi]

Good use of the panels and nice MOC.

[XTN]

On 1/26/2025 at 12:46 AM, 2GodBDGlory said:

That's a very nice model! Nothing too crazy, but nice simple looks and functions, put together well

 

On 1/26/2025 at 12:53 AM, jorgeopesi said:

Good use of the panels and nice MOC.

Thank you :)
Especially the use of the panels was the result of trying to build something of the few parts I had at this time. 

 

Here's my first model of 2025:

Articulated Wheel Loader

Wheel Loader - Bricksafe

The idea of a brick-built loader bucket crossed my mind again and again, and after I finished it and liked the shape, I created a wheel loader for it.
In this case, form follows pretty much the availability of parts, so i chose the blocky design of wheel loaders from the 1970s or 1980s, maybe with some inspiration of the CAT 918.
The loader and its bucket are 15 studs wide and match the scale of the rest of my garage.

The loader features:

• articulated steering via HOG with working steering wheel
• openable engine bay
• fake engine (not finished yet since this is a WIP, the engine bay is still empty right now)
• pendular rear axle
• liftarm operated via small LAs
• tiltable bucket
• removable bucket

All the potential action is marked yellow (liftarm and bucket movement as well as the cross axles for removing the bucket).
For the steering, the new 9L flipflop beams from the bush plane came in handy, so i could transfer the rotation from the HOG knob over the steering wheel to the articulated steering and add a rotation reduction.

 

 

Edited February 23 by XTN

[XTN]

Finally the wheel loader got its fake engine.

Okaaaaay, I know, the chain should connect the crankshaft with the camshaft, not the drive shaft with the crankshaft, which is technically total nonsense.
But firstly there is no camshaft in my loader and secondly watching the gears (thank you, bush plane), the chain and the pulley spin is so fun for the kids and really satisfying for me. 

And i added a shovel holder with a shovel.

[XTN]

A recent change in my collection concerns my muscle cars.

Muscle Cars - Bricksafe

 

White Muscle Car

[MOC], generic design, inspired by muscle cars of the 1970s.
This one remained unchanged except for minor cosmetic changes.

 

Red Muscle Car

[MOC], front end inspired by the 1965 Pontiac GTO.
It adds parts of the greenhouse area of the former orange muscle car to a new chassis with a new front end, resembling the 1965 Pontiac GTO.

It features:

• HOG steering with removable knob
• fake V6 engine driven by rear axle via differential
• openable hood and trunk

The black Porsche rims allow using pulleys to visualize brake discs and drum brakes:

 

Orange UTE

[MOC], inspired by the 1968 Chevrolet El Camino.
The front end of the former orange muscle car received a new rear end and was converted into a UTE, heavily inspired by the 1968 Chevrolet El Camino.

It features:

• HOG steering with removable knob
• openable hood and tailgate

 

Here some pictures of the whole family:

 

I hope you enjoy watching as much as I enjoyed building. :)

[mpj]

I like your muscle cars very much!

[XTN]

22 hours ago, mpj said:

I like your muscle cars very much!

Thank you. 

Of course they all fit on my car transporter trailer.
Unfortunately, I can't call them "car transporter gang" because this term is already taken.  

 

 

[XTN]

Western Star 49X with log trailer

WS 49X Log Trailer - Bricksafe

 

Just in time for the end of the holidays, I was able to complete another project close to my heart. This is the complete overhaul of my logging truck.

For a long time, the tractor unit was a conversion of @M_longer's Mack Granite with the same tail as my K100, and the semi-trailer was just a collection of spare parts from the Mack era...
I got inspiration for the headlights from LEGO MOC Western Star 49X by Ronald_Rumf | Rebrickable - Build with LEGO and this has hit me that hard, that I knew this was the model I need to build in Mack scale.

Now I present to you my all-new Western Star 49X tri-axle daycab with log trailer.
It features:

• HOG steering with reduction
• fake inline-six engine driven by axle 3 and 4 via differentials
• a lift axle
• openable hood and doors... the hood opens in 49X style with the grille remaining upright
• a cool liftarm-built Western Star logo at the tip of the truck's nose 

 

Her comes the picture-heavy part...

The truck:

When opening the hood, the grille remains static.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to connect the headlights to the hood like in the real truck without corrupting proportions. In my model they are connected to the bumper.

For the lift axle I challenged myself.
For playability when steering, the use of only one solid axle for both wheels was not an option, it had to be one small axle for the left and one small axle for the right side. 
But with twin tires, if the axles tilt too much, it looks weird. So I wanted at least two bearing points for each side, those being as far as possible from each other.
Here's my solution:

The brown cross axle with stop is the pivot point for the lift axle.
The blue pin is where the small LA is connected.

 

The trailer:

The protection grille can be removed easily

Thank you for watching.

 

If you made it this far, here's a small reward: A family photo of my long-nosed trucks:

 

 

[Paul B Technic]

This is very impressive.

[XTN]

On 8/13/2025 at 1:12 AM, Paul B Technic said:

This is very impressive.

Thank you very much.

Maybe you also like my latest addition to the garage:

1970 American LaFrance 900 Series "Pumper" Fire Engine [MOC]

More details here:

 

[bruh]

Wow! How do you have so many legos?! Great additions btw

[XTN]

On 9/2/2025 at 1:44 AM, bruh said:

Wow! How do you have so many legos?! Great additions btw

Thank you very much. 

Well, I dunno if it is that "many". Tbh, I'm always short on parts. Then I spend a lot of time finding compromises for building solutions or swapping parts from my existing vehicles, if e. g. I need a part in a certain colour.
You remember my car transporter trailer? In the beginning it wasn't supposed to be blue, but at that time when I needed 10 3x11 panels of the same colour, blue was the only way to go.

For refilling my parts stock, I choose carefully which sets I buy. Some of them even more than once, if they are good parts packs, like the 42078 Mack, the 42098 Car Transporter, the 42108 Crane, the 42128 Rotator and recently the 42213 Bronco.
In individual cases I have also ordered from PaB, for example the narrow truck tires or recently a handful of rounded panels for the fire engine. 

The good thing is that this way you always have an answer to the question of what you want for your birthday.