MOD: 6743 (Street Speeder)

[tulatin]

Hello there everybody! For my birthday, I ended up getting the 6743 (Street Speeder) set from my Girlfriend. But after designing some cars on my own beforehand the build left me feeling like Lego had left some things lacking. So I decided to do some work on it of my own. Let's start off with the version that's closer to the original:

I haven't really done much that you can see here, apart from change the colors (I needed to make the doors 3 long, and green doesn't have 1x3 Tiles), and extending the overall length about two studs. I've also cleaned up the front end a little bit, and I think it's a lot more aesthetically pleasing.

My main point of contention with the original model was the big plates everywhere, and the fact that a lot of things were attached with flimsy points (1 x 2 plates). So what I sought to do was really reinforce the frame to make sure it'd be more rugged.

Here you can see a few subtle tweaks to the rear end - I tend to like a smoother light bar.

A decent shot of the cockpit. I've tried to make it more minifig-friendly, so that it'd have a place in the city. So you've got a standard steering wheel, a nice big shifter, and a handbrake.

Just a better view of the front

Naturally, I had to put something under the hood. It's intended to be a V12.

Now, we move onto the second version. It uses larger tyres and generally has a larger profile. It's more to the Highway Transport scale.

Recognize that engine from somewhere? You should. It's heavily inspired by another member's MOC - the Liebherr LTM 1030-2.1 by Kit Fisto. I really liked the engine, and I had been trying to build a car around it. Imagine my surprise when the street speeder's modified frame would take it without much of a fight.

That's the engine pulled from the vehicle. Now, a parting comparison shot!

Questions, comments, scathing hatred? Let me know. I'm rather fond of them both I'd say. I'll probably build one when I get some money.

[Illerejug]

On the first version, does the minifig sit directly on the bottom-most gray plates? If so, how does that sort of bottom plate arrangement respond to direct downward pressure, such as when putting the minifig into the car?

Also, I haven't noticed a problem with the structural integrity of the original model. Despite the use of lots of 1 x 2 plates, the model doesn't seem flimsy to me. Can you elaborate on what you experienced as flimsy due to 1 x 2 plates?

[tulatin]

On the first version, does the minifig sit directly on the bottom-most gray plates? If so, how does that sort of bottom plate arrangement respond to direct downward pressure, such as when putting the minifig into the car?

Also, I haven't noticed a problem with the structural integrity of the original model. Despite the use of lots of 1 x 2 plates, the model doesn't seem flimsy to me. Can you elaborate on what you experienced as flimsy due to 1 x 2 plates?

In the shallower model, the minifig is directly on the gray plates. In the larger one, there's a vague bit of an interior it sits on. While the initial model may not have had distinctive structural problems per se, it began to develop them fast when you extended it a little.

[XimenaPaulina]

Pretty neat design 'tulatin'. I particularly like the build of the engine, very realistic. Though I'm not si sure about the yellow 1 x 2 tile in front, it doesn't look right when not centered.