[ENTRY] Shark Cart

[TomSkippy]

As a young child, I remember turning the lego shark upside-down and seeing the stud connections. Try as I might, I could never effectively employ the shark. Almost 30 years later, I may have reached the pinnacle of my abilities. 

I present (what I hope to be) the 90s equivalent of the Bathtub Stunt Bike 60333-1, my 2023 MINI BUILD ENTRY: The Shark Cart.

The bar clip doubles as a kickstand

Ironhook is the only option for characters: he needs some damage (presumably from the shark), and Redbeard is too "buttoned up" for a shark chariot.

Play features: kickstand, shark, and the 2x2 round bottom tiles make it slide very smoothly. Beyond that, I'm considering what a Broadside or Kahuka cart might entail.

Flickr Link

Edited August 24, 2023 by TomSkippy

[Lyichir]

Now THIS is sharkracing!

Anyway, not much to critique here. It's very silly but that's what it's trying to be. The gray arches are a little bulky for my liking (they give the impression of concrete or something rather than something cobbled together with wood or similar seaworthy materials), but their simplicity is appropriate for the era of sets it's emulating.

[durazno33]

That's hilarious! Made me smile when I saw it. Is there room for a fishing rod to dangle a fish in front of the shark?

[Mister Phes]

It does indeed look like we're off to the races here!

I have added it to the Content Entries Index for ye.

[TomSkippy]

4 hours ago, durazno33 said:

That's hilarious! Made me smile when I saw it. Is there room for a fishing rod to dangle a fish in front of the shark?

Brilliant!

 

[Yperio_Bricks]

Haha nice one! Buy a shark cart now and get a free fish. The shark cart reduces travel time between Port Royal and Tortuga by 274%

[Mazin]

Yoy must be joking right?? This would never work in real life! Why do You want to waste my time on fantasy like this? Ironhook would never be able to HOLD THAT CHALICE with a hook! 

Other than that, it's perfectly fine, tried it myself, tho obiously without an a hook, an eyepatch and a wooden leg, as i'm just more skilled than him ;) Maybe that's how he lost them all he? Training for this race?

But anyway, as funny as it is, i woulnd't mind seeing more of those actually. A whole line, each per faction, with different animas - we had a croc, octopus, sawfish i believe, hammershark (?), so it could offer nice variety of themes and pieces :)

Marvel got it's "What if?" line and had or has all sorts of selfinduced parodies, so why not Lego? ;) And POTC had this sort of scene in it's last movie.

Tho we're also crossing into the fantasy territory here a bit, and not sure how it processed by rule keepers ;)

But about the build. Not sure if that shark is connected properly to the crows nest tho, and no idea what could be done here, i' not familiar enough with parts, besides, can't find any other way he could be attached to anything. I thik that a fishing rod might be too much, it's a logical thought to use it as it's own carrot device, but it complicates the simplicity of Your initial design. Less is more sometimes. First one was lovely, stupid yet brilliant, because it's not trying to be taken seriously, and new version just started to do things seriously. So i'd suggest to take that rod away and perhaps use it for a different set of the same fun line :)   

[TomSkippy]

5 hours ago, Mazin said:

Yoy must be joking right?? This would never work in real life! Why do You want to waste my time on fantasy like this? Ironhook would never be able to HOLD THAT CHALICE with a hook! 

Other than that, it's perfectly fine, tried it myself, tho obiously without an a hook, an eyepatch and a wooden leg, as i'm just more skilled than him ;) Maybe that's how he lost them all he? Training for this race?

But anyway, as funny as it is, i woulnd't mind seeing more of those actually. A whole line, each per faction, with different animas - we had a croc, octopus, sawfish i believe, hammershark (?), so it could offer nice variety of themes and pieces :)

Marvel got it's "What if?" line and had or has all sorts of selfinduced parodies, so why not Lego? ;) And POTC had this sort of scene in it's last movie.

Tho we're also crossing into the fantasy territory here a bit, and not sure how it processed by rule keepers ;)

But about the build. Not sure if that shark is connected properly to the crows nest tho, and no idea what could be done here, i' not familiar enough with parts, besides, can't find any other way he could be attached to anything. I thik that a fishing rod might be too much, it's a logical thought to use it as it's own carrot device, but it complicates the simplicity of Your initial design. Less is more sometimes. First one was lovely, stupid yet brilliant, because it's not trying to be taken seriously, and new version just started to do things seriously. So i'd suggest to take that rod away and perhaps use it for a different set of the same fun line :)   

Loved the response. The shark is properly attached! There is room for a 1x2 stud connection underneath. I have two 1x2 jumper plates attached to the shark with the harness/round tile under. It’s shockingly simple and solid.

Funny thing about the fishing line: it adds 4 parts: fishing pole, plate with clip, fish sticker tile, and string. Easily removed. I agree, not sure if it’s better or not.

Edited August 25, 2023 by TomSkippy

[durazno33]

Haha, this makes me laugh every time. Who needs a motor with lots of horsepower when you have motivation plus sharkpower at your disposal.

[MstrOfPppts]

Well all I can add here is that this entry is so funky it borders to the level of genius!

[bingowaldorf]

This is fantastic!

[Rogue Redcoat]

On 8/24/2023 at 7:03 PM, TomSkippy said:

Almost 30 years later, I may have reached the pinnacle of my abilities. 

Lol, it's perfect just swap that red flag for a pirate one, and you're off to the races but how is that flag attached to the tub anyway? 

[JeffBuilds]

This is brilliant! All he needs is someone or some THING to race against!

[Fraunces]

Shark-tastic!

Really original and I would say something LEGO designers build this kind of stuff all the time in their sparetime 

[iragm]

22 hours ago, TomSkippy said:

Funny thing about the fishing line: it adds 4 parts: fishing pole, plate with clip, fish sticker tile, and string. Easily removed. I agree, not sure if it’s better or not.

It's an essential part of the build, it's like the drumstick in 7038 Troll Assault Wagon -- so stupid you can't help but laugh.  The concept is some 10/10 genius stuff.

Unfortunately, the execution looks weak.  Not weak as in poorly done, it's actually very nice looking, but weak as in it couldn't survive the inevitable rough play that would ensue with such a set.  The harness traces brick only appears attached by the bottom studs of the arches, and would be very fragile.  I'd replace it with either a string or a brick-built harness, and save the brick you've used here for the Islander version where it can attach to the top of a crocodile.

But still, this is so just fun that I can't help but love it.  Well done!

[Elephant Knight]

We need more of these.

EKnight

[Aanchir]

Haha, I'm thrilled to see such a whimsical entry come in so close to the deadline!  Even with rules in the contest against "crossovers" with other themes/genres (e.g. no sci-fi, modern day, or steampunk entries), you managed to come up with a wildly unconventional idea that's belongs purely and unambiguously to the world of LEGO Pirates, while still evoking a childlike sense of wacky, unrestrained creativity! It's the sort of model I could definitely imagine seeing instructions for on one of the "Cool Creations/You Can Build This" pages from the LEGO Mania Magazines of my childhood.

The color changes to the arches and the "lure" for the shark also make the model even more charming than your initial design! And I naturally have to give a shout-out to the dynamic images you've created, particularly the main image of the model "drifting" around the coast and the hilarious image of the shark pursuing Ironhook, both of which feel very in line with the spirit of 90s box art and other promotional images.

I do worry a little bit about the stability, given that the shark racing harness is only attached to the washtub "cockpit" from above, and only by two studs on either side. In this respect, it feels a little less like a "main model" than a back-of-the-box alternate model (which were not often held to the same quality/stability standards). Perhaps it would be possible to attach part 6087 (one of the sturdier 90s bracket pieces) to the bottom of the washtub as a sort of "keel" which serves to lock the harness in place from below? But alas, a part that big and blocky on such a small vessel might result in a less "seaworthy" appearance.

In any case, we're probably getting too close to the deadline now for extensive revisions, and in any case, you've done such a remarkable job presenting a wildly unique concept in the style of 90s sets that I think a few practical drawbacks can be forgiven. Best of luck in the voting!

[HAL-9001]

Arr, in the piratical Caribbean, the shark jumps you!  LEGO Racers was a favorite game of mine, and if it had the ability, I'd have picked this cart in a heartbeat!

Count me on 'team yes fishing pole', I think it adds to the whimsy -- because how else are you going to direct the shark?  I wouldn't put my trust in a bridle, that's for sure...