[REVIEW] 8461 - Williams F1 Team Racer

[Freekysch]

REVIEW 8461 - Williams F1 Team Racer

INTRODUCTION

Hello fellow Lego Technic enthusiasts ! A few days ago i managed to buy a copy of the 8461 - Williams F1 Racer and i thought I will make a review about it. From the beginning I must apologize for the quality of the pictures, I am not a pro at making photos and my DSLR camera is not with me at the moment. The models itself is not categorized under the Technic category, but we can find it at Racers. This is a thing that I do not understand because it is literally the same as the 8458 Silver Champion. This set does not have a B models, but as I already stated you can build the B model of its brother 8458. So, without any more chit-chat, lets get started !

SET INFORMATION

Number: 8461

Title: Williams F1 Team Racer

Theme: Racers

Released: 2002

Part Count: 1484

Links: Brickset

THE BOX and INSTRUCTIONS

As I do not own the box or the instruction manual, will put some pictures that I found on Google. The instructions were pretty much clear all the way, but there were a few steps where i was a little puzzled. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure to view a different kind of instructions then the ones we find on today models, there are more pieces per step and that makes the build a little more intriguing.

CONTENT OF THE BOX

The box contains:

- 1 instruction manual

- 1 sticker sheet

- 4 tires

The only BIG problem that this set has, are the stickers. It is a known problem that back then the stickers were ... lets just say bad (bad being a nice word for their quality). When I got the set, almost all stickers were peeling off and they looked very bad. The previous owner tried to peel some of the off, and that resulted in some sticky panels that needed washing. I tried to salvage the rest of the stickers and didn't take them off, even tho they look bad. On the other hand, I have a new off market sticker sheet but the quality is not so good, so I am going to keep my model on display without them.

THE PARTS

This set contains over 1400 parts, and all of them were in very good condition. For a set almost 13 years old I did not find any cracks or bends nor in the beams or the pieces. This set contains a lot of studded beams and pieces, the chassis being all studded. The good thing about this set is that it has some special or rare pieces which I will talk about later. Here you can see all the pieces on the table - without the panels (I was washing them when I took the picture).

As you can see the main colors are black, blue and white. I just LOVE the color scheme of this set. It is a immediate eye catcher. There are a lot of blue and grey tubing that makes the contour of the car, making it very very beautiful.

Now lets talk about the rare/special parts. First of all I must admit I am not a Lego expert so maybe the pieces that I think are rare, are not so rare after all. But lets begin !

There are two types of panels in this set. In the left you can see the metallic grey panels which were on the 8458 Silver Champion too. The newer type is shown on the right, they come in blue and white in this set. I never seen this pieces in ant other set but then again I may be wrong. You can see the poor quality of the stickers, what you can see are some leftovers ... that I didn't take off.

Once again, here are the shock absorbers for the suspension system and the main body of the set. I love the light blue color of those. Another nice thing is the motor cylinders. They are BLUE ! It is my first set that has this parts in blue and I must say that they look great with the translucent motor body. I was beginning to be bored with the same old yellow-gray motors.

Another very nice parts are the 19L White Flex-Axels, but they are not so rare because they appeared this year on the 42039 - 24 Hours Racer.

THE BUILD

This is where things get interesting. As i said before all the chassis is made from studded beams and bricks. This is very nice, because I was used to studless nowadays. The build is straight foreword, you begin with the rear suspension and drivetrain.

As you can see, there is a rear differential which drives the motor. This is a simple build, nothing to fancy here.

Here you can see the finished rear suspension and the drivetrain all together. Also you can see the exhausts pipes.

In this step you are in the half of the instruction manual, you can see the steering wheel - which is made from pieces not an actual steering wheel. The seat is blue with black. The nice thing is that the steering wheel actually works, so you can steer the car as in a normal F1 car. In the back you can see the engine place. The flex pipes are in the same number as the engine cylinders (not like the 42000).

Here you can see some nice detains on the steering and the motor place. Also, you can see the front and rear suspension system.

Of, the beauty and the joy ! You can see how nice this model is. The blue and white pieces really make this models outstanding. Never thought flex pipes would make the looks of a LEGO Technic model. Here the body is almost done.

This beauty is the motor, very detailed and those little pipes are a very nice touch (I am not a mechanic so I have no idea what they are, but they are cool).

This is the front part of the car, I have no idea how it is actually called. The problem is again the stickers. As you see, very very bad quality. I have a ton of models on display for a few years and the stickers are in tip top shape, so i think back then there was a problem with their quality overall.

Sooo, this is the finished model - with some of the stickers. The model looks outstanding and I never the sheer size is overwhelming (over 60 cm long). The color scheme is fantastic, the only bad part are the stickers. Another thing that i didn't mention are the wheels and the tires. The hubs are metallic silver and the tires are big and they have painted on the the Michelin brand. Those look much better that the wheels on 42000 which were too small for the model.

CONCLUSION

After 7 hours of build time and a lot of frustration with the online pdf instructions, I find myself looking at a OUTSTANDING model. Truly I can't find anything wrong with this models. The body is beautiful, the colors are a joy to look at, the tires are nice. Again, if I had the brand new sticker sheet I would have been super glad - because on this model the sticker make it pop !

Should you buy it ? Hell yes, if you can get it at a decent price (got it for 100 euro), go for it. You will not regret it for sure. Again, this is truly a magnificent set.

If I were to give it a grade, it would be 9.5 just because of the poor sticker quality, otherwise it would be a full 10.

Hope you liked my review and thanks for reading it !

Edited February 18, 2015 by Freekysch

[dougstar]

nice review the pics were good. thanx for that!

[jantjeuh]

Yep, this is an awesome set. I also bought a second-hand copy, thankfully the stickers were in a better shape.

[Richard Dower]

I plan to buy this set second hand myself...but i will swap out as many of the parts for new ones as possible. So i can have a near 95% brand new set, I have been slowly collecting all the parts in brand new condition over the last several months. But i still need to buy one complete set second hand as the really rare/unique parts can only be obtained by buying a second hand set.

^ the B model is awesome!...you should deffo build that and post a review of it!

[Freekysch]

Thanks everybody for the feedback !

I hope i get the time to build the B models as well, but form now with work and other stuff I will keep it assembled.

[braker23]

Now that's a great review, if I ever saw one. The Williams F1 car is an amazing set that any Technic fan will definitely enjoy. Thanks for your hard work :)

[Rishab N]

Nice review. This is one of my favorite sets, wish I had one

[ComMix]

Hi, just bought me a copy 2 weeks ago and have the same Sticker issue.

As i don't like it in this way so much, any proposal on how to get rid of that broken Stickers easy?

[dougstar]

i just bought 8458 silver champ. the stickers were the same. soaked the panels in soapy warm water which only helped a little but after 45 mins got them all off.

now it looks great

[Freekysch]

Well, I just washed the pieces with the stickers on them (warm water and little soap).

[ComMix]

Thank's guys. Will try that later that evening.

[Richard Dower]

Yeah....the stickers are in such poor condition it is pointless having them stay on, best just to soak all the parts in warm soapy water for a few hours....they stickers come off very easy with no glue residue left over.

Done it recently with my second hand 8649...good thing about stickers being in place is that the panel is protected from scratches/wear/tear and time...so the panels are as new.

If i were the OP i would swap out as many of those second hand parts for new ones.....nothing beats the look of fresh parts!

:-)

Well, I just washed the pieces with the stickers on them (warm water and little soap).

Now that you done that it is a good time to build that B model...... :-)

[Freekysch]

Now that you done that it is a good time to build that B model...... :-)

I washed some of the pieces before the build, not all of them. I got the instruction from the Silver Champion B model and someday I will build the truck.

And yes, under the stickers the panels were in perfect condition.

[Corvette3]

I love those blue cylinders, i wish i had gone for the one i saw cheap on eBay a few weeks ago.

By the way, what kind of replacement stickers are you looking for? i saw some restored ones on eBay too.

[Freekysch]

At the moment I am not looking for stickers, I already have a aftermarket sticker sheet which doesn't match with the original one because of the blue color deviation (it is way darker that the original blue). So, for now I will leave the model without stickers.

But, if you have any idea of some good quality stickers I will surely buy them.

[DrJB]

Nice, and very tempting to open mine. I've had it sitting for several years, still sealed box. But, with 3 other similar cars (2 Ferraris and the recent white/red) assembled/displayed, it's hard to add a similar one, just with a different color.

[Corvette3]

At the moment I am not looking for stickers, I already have a aftermarket sticker sheet which doesn't match with the original one because of the blue color deviation (it is way darker that the original blue). So, for now I will leave the model without stickers.

But, if you have any idea of some good quality stickers I will surely buy them.

They seemed correct but i think they were aftermarket(the seller had lots) ill try and find them but they probably aren't much better than yours, i once saw a mint sheet for $50! it seems people like their stickers.

[mostlytechnic]

Thanks for the review - looks like a great set I might have to pick up... thanks for making me spend money :)

[wumsi]

I own a Silver Champion, and it's 99% identical, i think that's quite sad to see. Nice review anyway!

[Lakop]

A great review. I remember when this set came out (wish i'd bought it). As an F1 fan i was glad to read this review as i'd always thought it was made with studless.

I would love to get the wheels.

H

[Freekysch]

Thanks for the review - looks like a great set I might have to pick up... thanks for making me spend money :)

Thank you for your feedback, and yes,it is a great set that deserves the monet spent on it.

I am so happy you enjoy reading my review, thank you very much guys.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Freekysch

[Kumbbl]

Nice review for a really good model. But if you like this model then i strongly recommend you buying and building the 8674 Ferrari F1 racer - a quite similar model in the dimensions but with a quite different building experience - and IMHO and much better building experience - IMO the front suspension of the ferrari works much better and also the steering is way smoother... overall the Ferrari 8674 is by far my favorite F! model TLG has released...

[SheepEater]

I washed some of the pieces before the build, not all of them. I got the instruction from the Silver Champion B model and someday I will build the truck.

I have done that relatively recently ( I own both sets). You need a few parts from 8458 not in 8461. Thankfully for you I have compiled such an inventory. ;)

My eurobricks topic from december 2012

====== 8458 parts absent from 8461======

Only those with @@@@@ are actually needed to build the racing truck.

+2 78c05 Flat Silver Hose, Ribbed 7mm D. 5L

+6 78c11 Flat Silver Hose, Ribbed 7mm D. 11L @@@@@ 1 silver from spares, 1 silver from 8466

+2 2412b Black Tile, Modified 1 x 2 Grille with Bottom Groove / Lip

1 2741 Black Technic, Steering Wheel Large @@@@@ 1 from spares

+9 2780 Black Technic, Pin with Friction Ridges Lengthwise WITH Center Slots

+2 3647 Light Gray Technic, Gear 8 Tooth @@@@@ 2 from 8415

+1 3648 Light Gray Technic, Gear 24 Tooth (New Style with Single Axle Hole) @@@@@ 1 from 8415

+2 3705 Black Technic, Axle 4

+3 6558 Black Technic, Pin Long with Friction Ridges Lengthwise @@@@@ 2 from spares

+2 6629 Black Technic, Liftarm 1 x 9 Bent (6 - 4) Thick @@@@@ 2 blue from 8415

+4 32000 Black Technic, Brick 1 x 2 with Holes @@@@@ 4 from 8408

+7 32188 (Black&Silver) Technic, Panel Fairing # 3 Large Long, Large Holes, Side A

+7 32189 (Black&Silver) Technic, Panel Fairing # 4 Large Long, Large Holes, Side B

4 32190 Metallic Silver Technic, Panel Fairing # 1 Large Short, Large Holes, Side A

4 32191 Metallic Silver Technic, Panel Fairing # 2 Large Short, Large Holes, Side B

+2 32291 Black Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular Double (two spots, symmetrical, use 1 black and 1 light gray)

+1 75535 Black Technic, Pin Connector Round (Pin Joiner Round) @@@@@ 1 from 8437

Edited March 6, 2015 by SheepEater

[DutchTreat]

Great review!

You can alway buy a new stickerset from Bricklink. It's "only" 95 Euro....

[jantjeuh]

Nice review for a really good model. But if you like this model then i strongly recommend you buying and building the 8674 Ferrari F1 racer - a quite similar model in the dimensions but with a quite different building experience - and IMHO and much better building experience - IMO the front suspension of the ferrari works much better and also the steering is way smoother... overall the Ferrari 8674 is by far my favorite F! model TLG has released...

Agreed, 8674 is even better in terms of building experience. Another Nathanael Kuipers masterpiece!