ClassicTVMan1981X

If this has not been mentioned here before: the 6482 Rescue Helicopter kit was packaged with the white Space siren (4774c02) instead of the black Town siren (4774c01). ~Ben

I enjoyed the Technic 8000 series Universal Building Sets a lot, but I wonder if LEGO makes anything similar to this line of sets in question that were sold here (in the USA) from 1984-1995? Among the sets that enticed me: 8024 Universal Building Set * 8062 Universal Building Set with Briefcase 8815 Speedway Bandit * 8820 Mountain Rambler * (* these sets could be combined together to make a huge race car) Sets I never had: 8040 Pneumatic Universal Building Set 8044 Pneumatic Universal Building Set 8042 Pneumatic Universal Building Set 8055 Universal Building Set with Electric motor 8064 Universal Building Set with Electric motor 8074 Universal Building Set with Flex System 8720 Power Pack (supplementary) Even the BASIC 700 series had a few Technic elements included: 715 Universal Building Set 735 Universal Building Set with Electric motor ~Ben

I sort of lost touch with LEGO after they discontinued the TECHNIC (and BASIC) Universal Building Sets in 1994-95, when I was 13 years old. The last TECHNIC Universal line sets were: 8022 - starter set 8034 - deluxe set 8042 - Pneumatic set 8062 - deluxe with carrying case 8064 - electric set with 9V motor 8074 - with Flex System I did have the 8062 set as my 1994 Christmas present when it was brand new on the shelves. ~Ben

Yeah, for us it was. During the '90s, the TECHNIC Universal Building Sets also had two revolutionary sets in models 8074 with the Flex System and 8062 with the carrying case. LEGO retired the UBS line in 1995. ~Ben

It is kind of odd from our perspective that the Expert Machines set would pre-date the Simple Machines set by one year. And look how much they want for this 1034 set? That's right: $1,350! I told you unopened Dacta sets would fetch high dollars these days! http://www.ebay.com/...hsAAOxylpNTUxFi ~Ben

While many references list the DACTA 1031 card set as being released in 1983, and the two teachers' resource sets (1030 and 1032) as being released in 1985, somehow those dates may be wrong. I want to think the 1030 and 1032 sets were released in the USA in 1983 as well if the associated card sets were. The sets in question: 1030 Technic I: Simple Machines 1031 Building Cards (for the above) 1032 Technic II: Powered Machines 1033 Building Cards (for the above) Being of the DACTA (now LEGO Educational) series, these were not available for general retail sale. I've reason to think any unopened boxes might command high dollars today. The two building sets (1030 and 1032) seemed to be a precursor to the USA availability of the first three Universal Building Sets (8020, 8030 and 8050). ~Ben

Thank you very much. ~Ben

I remember when I'd bought at least one of these three LEGO TECHNIC sets, that I think there was some special model you could make using parts gathered from all three of these sets. They are: 8815 Speedway Bandit 8820 Mountain Rambler 8825 Night Chopper I just wish I remembered what it was. All three of these kits were released in 1991. ~Ben

I really love this history thread. ~Ben

Although LEGO used the Technic name for its line of expert building sets in Europe as early as 1982, I believe 1986 was the first year the Technic name was officially used for the same series here (in the U.S.), correct? That is according to all the U.S. LEGO catalogs I've checked on peeron.com: the 1984 and 1985 editions of those mid-sized full-line catalogs still list the Expert Builder line as such, but the '86 version does make mention of the Technic name both in the catalog and on the boxes. Therefore, even if a LEGO Technic 8020 Universal Building Set (as sold here) had a 1984 copyright date on the box, with the Technic label it would actually be a 1986 revision. That would also mean the 8040 Universal Building Set with the pneumatic system, which was released the year after the 8020, 8030 and 8050 sets, would be more short-lived under the 1977-style label. 1984 seems to be the first year the Universal Building Sets within the Expert Builder series were first sold here, starting with sets 8020, 8030 and 8050. The larger two of the three sets were first sold in Europe in 1982, along with 8090 (which we didn't get although our neighbors to the north did), and bearing the Technic label. In 1985, the 8040 Pneumatic set complimented the original three sets, while in 1986 the 8030 and 8050 sets were replaced by the 8035 and 8055 sets respectively. Then, in 1989, the entire Technic Universal Builder line was overhauled and four new sets appeared: 8024, 8034, 8044 and 8054 to replace sets 8020, 8035, 8040 and 8055 respectively. However, the 8054 set used the same 4.5V electric motor from the prior 8050 and 8055 sets until being replaced for 1991 by the 8064 kit with the new 9V motor. ~Ben

Thank you! ~Ben

Among the U.S. edition mid-size catalogs still missing from the Peeron.com website: 1981, 1983, 1988 and 1989 If anyone of my fellow American LEGO collectors has these in his/her stash, please contact me off-board at the following e-mails: (1) CIIIKirbyMan@comcast.net (2) benjamin.marioe1@gmail.com Thank you, Benjamin "Ben" Edge (ClassicTVMan1981X)

As my first post here as a new member, I want to ask you all this: between 1975 and 2006, what specific pieces of all LEGO sets were made here at the Enfield, CT plant? There were still some sets from that period which had all their pieces made in LEGO's native Denmark. ~Ben