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BrickMonkeyMOCs

Eurobricks Knights
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Everything posted by BrickMonkeyMOCs

  1. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Well, I've just built mine and I was definitely getting the tail wobble even with the clips fully pushed in, so I'm curious as to what is causing the difference. The cheese slope fix worked though, and other than swapping out the 1x2 cheese on the dashboard for a printed part, and filling in some gaps on the underside, its a near perfect build. The front end in particular was very satisfying to put together. Great model.
  2. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Okay, thanks. The local Warehouse has had only the Ferrari set from the new wave. Maybe I just need to be patient and wait for Toyco to restock.
  3. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Is the McLaren double pack currently available in the US/Europe/Australia? It's still not in stores here in NZ, and is listed as "temporarily out of stock" on S@H.
  4. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Thanks. This was also the least appealing set in the wave for me, but also the only one I've found on shelves so far. It turned out to be better than I expected, even prior to modification. As you can see, the windscreen is attached to a pair of 1x2 jumper plates at the front. At the rear, the central yellow section is not offset, while the two red wedge bricks are mounted on 1x3 jumper plates for a half-stud forwards offset. The two yellow grille slopes are sitting on a modified 1x2 plate w/ rail (#32028). The two black 1x1 cheese slopes on 1x1 up-brackets at the rear lock the spoiler in place. The exhaust parts are also attached via 1x1 snot bricks (#87087) instead of the original headlight bricks with 1x1 round plates, for a better fit. Thanks. I never apply stickers, so it was annoying to have a racing stripe that was half built with stickers and half printed, hence this modification. If you want the Ferrari nose badge applied then it should still be easy to cut it out of the larger nose sticker and apply it to the front.
  5. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    The only new SC I've been able to pick up so far is the Ferrari 812. I liked it more than I expected to, but couldn't resist customizing it a little. Stickers are gone, with a brick-built alternative for the yellow stripe. Other than adding custom side-skirts, I also moved the whole windscreen/greenhouse section forwards by half a stud, which I found improved the overall proportions quite a bit, especially from a side view. Oh, and there's an engine block added, visible when the windscreen section is removed.
  6. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    There's a video here (not mine):
  7. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Are we perhaps getting a recoloured version of this set? I've just noticed that Promobricks is listing "42162 Bugatti Bolide Agile Blue" as an August release.
  8. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    I liked the Bolide too much to take it apart, so I ended up ordering a second copy of the set. Definitely worth the extra purchase, as this is one of the best B-models I've built. Solid techniques all the way through, and only a couple of points of asymmetry during the build to remind you that this is a B-model. There's a bit of loose play in the steering, though the mechanism itself is clever and satisfying to build. The V6 engine is great and nicely avoids the brown axles of the Bolide pistons. I did give mine a different Halo design (using rigid hose and with the front connection moved forward a stud in front of the steering wheel mount), but I couldn't have done better than the base design using only the parts in the set. The shaping and colour scheme come together really well for a sleek and realistic look. The Renault RS17 had a shark fin but no Halo, while the RS18 had the Halo but no shark fin, so I guess this model would represent the 2017 Renault car testing the new Halo for the following season? Though due to the printed parts, my copy still wants to be a Bugatti with printed logos on the steering wheel and rear wing :) Anyway, thank you M_longer for a very enjoyable build. Here's how it looks with custom Halo and without the shark fin:
  9. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    I grew frustrated with that too, and eventually modified the attachment by instead using part #63869 behind the yellow part to attach the intake to the roof.
  10. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Finally got my hands on this excellent set. It's the most fun and value I've had from a Technic set since the Ducati motorcycle. It looks great even without stickers, though benefits visually from swapping out the red pins at the front. Steering and engine functions are good. The doors are a weak point however, both functionally and aesthetically. Moving their pivot point outwards by one stud will prevent them from rubbing against the A-pillar flex axles, and lowering the yellow portions of each door (by swapping the thick 1x5 black liftarms for thin ones) greatly improves the side profile of the window area (as suggested by JangBricks' review). I also repositioned the steering wheel (so that it's not right up in the driver's face), and reworked the rear diffuser and exhaust.
  11. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Looks like I might not be old enough to build the Ferrari :( From the CADA website:
  12. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Excellent B Model. It would be nice if the front of the HALO had a bit more slope to it, but the overall shaping looks great (and better than last year's bigger McLaren F1). I also like the remote steering through the T-Bar. Will definitely try building this when the set eventually gets released in NZ.
  13. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    I passed on last year's Daytona SP3 but this is so much more appealing in both appearance and functions. Seriously impressive work. I'll look forward to picking up the set when it comes out.
  14. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    A fair point with respect to ride height, though my concern was more about the actual size of the wheels. Adjustable ride height would have been a great feature, and perhaps a better one here than suspension.
  15. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    I would take the first option. For models of performance sports cars, I'd like to see the effort made to replicate stiffer suspension with reduced travel. I know that's not easy, and of course the smaller the model, the harder it gets, with play in the parts producing more movement than the desired suspension travel. And maybe with the smaller scale of the GT it would have been better not to include suspension. I mean the function is nice, but not at the expense of tiny wheels and exaggerated travel. The 2005 Technic Enzo was a great Technic model even without suspension, and made up for it with a clever dampened door mechanism. But even with existing parts, better solutions are possible than what we keep getting. I ended up modifying my Porsche RSR with upper and lower suspension limiters, and I know many found solutions for lowering the ride height of the more recent Technic Ferrari. Agreed, but imagine if they really tried to make these Technic cars showcases for the real-world engineering solutions in areas of suspension, drivetrains, and steering geometry. Imagine if they were to approach this challenge with the same mindset as the Speed Champions designers, listening to feedback and constantly introducing new parts and building solutions - instead of reusing the same basic parts and functions that have been around for decades. I see Lego pushing themselves with the small-scale SC range, and also at the other end with complex gearboxes and new wheels on the flagship supercar sets. But at this intermediate scale it seems that "only the best is good enough" has been replaced with "good enough will have to do".
  16. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    I agree 100%. You know Technic have a problem when the Speed Champions 8-wide Ford GT is instantly recognizable, while the 1500pc Technic model of the same vehicle is not. From Racing Bricks' SC designer interviews you really see a passion for the source material, a willingness to listen to fan feedback, and the introduction of new parts to meet the demand for improved accuracy and function. I don't really see any of that from Technic, despite them following a similar path with an increased focus on licensed performance cars. Lots of new panels for sure! But as you say, they've reached a point now where the functional elements are now more of a limiting factor than the panel/beam part system. But then I'm not sure that they've done the best possible on the Ford GT model even with existing parts.
  17. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Yes, you make legitimate points. But the end result here is still a car model that is very poorly scaled to its wheels. Lego have chosen to focus on licensed sports cars, where appearance takes priority over new or improved functionality, so I think their failure to capture the proportions and shaping are fairly open to criticism. With the 2019 Creator Mustang, Lego realized that they needed hollow wheels for realistic steering, and the larger Technic cars have all had new wheels, yet years later Technic are still stuck with the same old mid-size wheel rims. The 2019 Technic Porsche RSR was criticized for having small wheels and the 2021 Technic Ferrari was criticized for its ride height, yet we're still seeing both problems repeated in 2023. If Lego are going to keep pumping out Technic sports cars with the same basic functions, and especially with licensed products based on real-world vehicles, then they really need to work out how to implement better steering and suspension in a manner that doesn't force such severe compromises in appearance. I agree though that the color is very nice. I'm sure we'll see some great B-models from the set.
  18. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Looks like a nice set in its own right, but not as a Ford GT. The front is too low, and the back end too short. The biggest flaw in terms of proportions though, is that the wheels are far too small. I get that they need to leave space for suspension travel and steering, but the number 1 rule for Lego car design is to scale everything to match your chosen wheels, and this is just way off.
  19. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Rebranding the botanical theme?
  20. BrickMonkeyMOCs
  21. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    I was looking forward to the Samson and AMP suit, but neither set appeals. Both are undersized and overpriced, plus Sand Green is an odd color choice for the AMP suit, so an easy pass from me. Will have to wait and see if anything better comes from the following wave.
  22. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    That Kuill head has to be a joke, right? Right?
  23. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    I'm astounded that the JWST didn't make it through. That should have been a slam dunk at the moment. The SR-71 and Soyuz would also have had broad appeal. I think LEGO really need to look at raising the bar for making it to review, as a rejection rate of 97% even after getting the requisite votes seems like it will lead to far more disappointment and frustration than joy for both fans and fan designers alike.
  24. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    Hmm. Custom fender parts. Interesting.
  25. BrickMonkeyMOCs
    I thought the Charger looked alright until I saw the lifestyle photo from a low side angle. The car is raked forward with mostly high ground clearance, except for the big blocky plate/brick connectors (65635?) at each axle which nearly touch the ground and look awful. Why not use modified plate 2x2 with pinhole (2444/10247) instead?
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