WesternOutlaw

Beach Cruisers Set #: 6445 Theme: Island Xtreme Stunts Year Released: 2002 Piece Count: 97 Minifigs: 2 List Price: $7 (USD) During a trip to Legoland California in 2002, their Big Store had a neat little display of some new sets and themes including Island Xtreme Stunts. The new theme offered great colors including orange, tan, and light blue; which immediately caught my eye. The theme focussed on island fun with some adventure, and included some great figs like the Brickster. I had to buy at least one set choosing Truck & Stunts Trike (review coming soon) at the time. The theme was short lived and many of the sets were on sale at discount toy stores not too long after their initial release. I picked up this set, 6445 Beach Cruisers for $3.33 (USD), which will be my first of three Island Xtreme Stunt reviews. Starting with the box, a race between the Street Surfer and Skate Boarder: The back shows some alternate models including a sail boat and jet ski: Same image on the instructions as the box: But the backside shows the Island Xtreme Stunts video game for different platforms: The set includes a small decal sheet for the skateboard: I love the two figs included within this set. One is a "hippie-type" with shades and leafed muscle short, and the other "Pizza Boy" skateboarder. Check out the "Pizza Boy" on his skateboard: Two green brackets are included for attaching each fig to the long grey bar. Using this piece, one can make the skateboarder do tricks and flips. The "street surfer" vehicle is pretty nice to: The sail is placed on a black bar and lance, then attached to the vehicle: Here's a picture of the vehicle. To me, it has that old "soap box derby" look to it - like something kids would create to race down a hill: The vehicle doesn't have a steering wheel, but rather two levers which I think work well in the cockpit: Here's the underside: The set has three neon orange wheels that attach to technic axle pins to attach to the vehicle: Lastly, the entire set with a few extra pieces: Final Thoughts While Island Xtreme Stunts is not the best City/Town sub-theme, esp. for the traditional Lego Classic Town fan, it does have some fun sets like this little beach cruiser. Good figs, a skateboard, and a very "rollable" (fun word equivalent to "swooshable" but for vehicles with wheels), vehicle. You can even blow on the sail to get it to roll across the floor. This set is a lot of FUN!

Any of you who knows the solution can go ahead and share it on this message.

PRESERVING YOUR LEGO How To Keep Your Sets Looking New For Years To Come After reviewing numerous Classic Town and Space sets, some of which are greater than 30 years old, some Lego enthusiasts have asked me, "How have I managed to keep my sets looking new for so many years"? The first thought that comes to mind is, "what did I do, build them once and put them back in the box"? Actually, the answer is quite the opposite. As a kid, my friends and I played with Classic Lego Town sets for days and weeks at a time. In fact, I even broke a few sets over the years by throwing spaceships across the room in order to create a "crash landing", or smashing custom hotrods against one another to see which would stay intact. Playing with Lego is a MUST, esp. for children or parents who buy Lego for their children. How can one simply build a set, display it for a few days, and then take it apart? The real answer came accidently after buying and collecting Lego since the late 70s. Balancing PLAY with PRESERVATION is important. While I am not advocating that you display all of your Lego for short periods of time before boxing them up for storage, doing a few simple things may keep them looking great for years to come. I'm sure that you are not thinking of doing a Lego review of that Coast Guard set you just bought, 30 years from now on Eurobricks or other favorite Lego community web site; but at the same time, why not? Are you interested in keeping those favorite sets for years to come? Perhaps not, but if you are interested in doing so (for whatever the reason), incorporating a few of these practices may help you in your efforts. #1: Keep Your Pieces Together While this is probably the most difficult recommendation to follow, the more you you keep your pieces together (meaning: do not mix them up), the better the chances of finding that "special one-of-a -kind brick" within your huge collection of Lego. I did not do a very good job of this as a kid, as most of the MOCers; I'm sure, would say the same. If you must mix your pieces, store similar themes together (see also #8: Storing Your Bricks). By doing so, when you pull out a theme that's a few years old, all your like-theme pieces will be together for easy set re-creation. The more you mix, the more difficult this becomes. #2: Save Your Instructions The best thing I ever did was save my instructions from old sets. Obtaining instructions on the web is not that difficult anymore, but at the same time, finding them, downloading them, and printing them on a printer that shows variations in greys and blacks, and slight lines between pieces is sometimes difficult. I discovered this problem when trying to print out a few set instructions that I lost over the years. Although I never did so, I would strongly recommend creating a book with plastic page covers to insert your set instructions; especially if you do not store your sets in their original boxes. You can place the set instructions in order of theme and set number to easily find them later. A three-ring binder would work well so that pages can be added and taken out when needed. I plan to do this with my older sets. #3: Avoid Using Decals I know this is a tough one, esp. for sets with lots of decals. Let me explain why. First, paper wears much quicker than printed pieces. Stickers are also more likely to peel off after a few years. Temperatures like extreme heat will dry out glue causing the sticker to fall off. Humidity and moisture cause stickers to peel and/or also loose their stick. Add playing with your Lego and touching the pieces with the oils on your skin will also cause the edges of the stickers to wear and scratch. In addition, the worst thing Lego does is create stickers that attach to multiple pieces. The first time you want to take the pieces apart, your sticker must come off or separate. Also, if you peel off a sticker and do not get all the glue off the piece, the glue will cause dirt and grime to build up on the piece. This becomes worn on and is sometimes hard to get off years later without scratching the piece. TIP: "What if I want to use my stickers"? you ask. I have a solution. Create a scan or copy of your sticker sheet and print it on photo-paper or sticker paper. You just need to cut the stickers carefully. I've done this before, and it's worked quite well. You do need a good quality photo printer and scanner to do this. Not only do you preserve your original sticker sheet, you can always reprint a set if you decide to remove the stickers later. #4: Wash Your Hands Before Building It may sound a little strange, but a good idea before any build is to wash your hands. Hands are naturally oily, esp. if eating anything before or while you build. Washing your hands removes oil and other dirt from your hands which does get on your Lego; you just don't see it. I sometimes wash my hands a few times during a long build to avoid finger printing. The way I discovered this was during a photo-review. My pictures showed the finger print(s). I actually had to wipe the bricks off to eliminate the prints, and re-take the photo. Black seems to always show finger prints more. #5: Handle Your Printed Pieces with Special Care Have you had those designs on printed pieces wear off? I have. You need to handle any printed piece with extra care. Avoid touching printed pieces directly, meaning push them by other sides of the brick. Oil from your fingers will wear off printed pieces over time, some much worse than others (see also #4: Wash Your Hands Before Building). #6: Care for Your Minifigs Minifigs always have an extra chance of getting lost. The reason why is that many people store their minifigs separate from their sets and bricks. If you save your sets in their original boxes, keep the figs with the set (or like themed-sets if you combine themes). In addition, apply the same care as mentioned in #5 above. Avoid creating clones of your minifigs. Many Lego "collectors" buy sets of the same theme. Lego has a tendancy to offer the same fig in multiple sets. I'll use Indiana Jones as an example. How many Indies do you need? Assemble one Indy and put the other Indies away. This preserves at least one or more of the same fig and you still have one to swoosh/play with. In addition, many have told me that hands can safely be taken off minifigs. I have tried this and when I do, I find that the hands become loose and/or very removable when removing any tool from the minifigs hand. I don't think I'll be removing hands from a fig again. I think what happens is the very small plastic around the minifig's wrist becomes worn when removing it from the socket. When placed back on, the fit is much more loose. I think if Lego meant for hands to come off, they would sell them separately. TIP: Don't lend your minifigs to your friends or make them part of school projects. You may never see them again. #7: Don't Take Your Lego Outside As tempted as you may be, do not under any circumstance play with Lego in the dirt or outside of your house. Dirt does scratch pieces and ruins their naturally high-gloss shine. In addition, you also run the risk of loosing small pieces when taking sets outside, esp. in dirt and grass. Sun can also yellow your bricks. Avoid placing lego in swimming pools and other bodies of water with chemicals. #8: Choose a Good Storage Method That Works For You I hate to even mention this because so many of you have different methods to store your Lego; some by color, some by piece type, some by set. If you have the storage space and want to keep your sets together, I would HIGHLY recommend storing sets in their original box with instructions, stickers, and minifigs. I place pieces in ziplock and/or sandwich bags inside the box. At the same time, this is probably the least fun method for the avid builder/MOCer. A quasi-storage method is to store like-themed sets in one box. I use this method for all my small Johnny Thunder sets, storing them in an old wooden chest. This also makes taking them out extra fun. Other good storage methods include using large plastic tubs for bulk bricks, and smaller shelf-like plastic shelf boxes for smaller pieces. Plastic shelf boxes can be purchased in any hardware store or hardware section in a department store. They are usually sold nearby screws, bolts, and nails as they are used to store these types of things. Whatever storage method you choose, choose one that works for you and enables you to find the piece you need when building from instructions. #9: Store Translucent Pieces Separately If mixing your pieces together in boxes or bags, separate windshields, windows, and other tranlucent pieces from colored bricks. The reason why is that translucent bricks show scratches much easier and seem to be easier to scratch. I always place them in bags of their own. #10: Keep Dust to a Minimum Dust can be blown off Lego if the dust has not been on the set for a long time. After time, dust will build up and not be as easy to remove. I find a good way to eliminate dust is to keep your constructed sets in a room free of bedding (sheets, blankets, and pillows). In addition, you may also want to keep doors and windows to your Lego room closed to eliminate dust carried through wind or breezes. I also find that air purifiers work well to remove dust in the air. I own an Ionic Breeze that is excellent for removing dust. I'm sure other air purifiers would do the same. If dust has built up on your sets, a wash may be needed. A soft rince in mild soap water generally does the trick. Avoid scrubbing and excessive rubbing on your bricks (esp. printed pieces). #11: Avoid Smashing and Throwing Lego plastic is very "dentable". Always avoid smashing pieces together or throwing Lego on the floor to create crash landings. Dented pieces may not stick together well, and you may run the risk of breaking a delicate piece. #12: Respect Your Lego Lego, just like any other material object, is something to appreciate and enjoy. You can continue to build for years, but treat your pieces well. Know the limitations of ABS brick. Pieces are breakable, scratchable, and loosable. By taking a little extra care, you will certainly preserve your Lego and have them for years of enjoyment in the future. But always remember, Lego is still a toy and is meant to be played with. Don't loose site of the "fun factor" through Lego preservation. This is my recently restored Lego Tabletown from the late 70s/early 80s: July 2008 All of the pictured sets have been reviewed in the EB Town & Train Forum I hope you find this article useful for preserving your Lego.

This test was given to a number of serial killers, all of whom got the answer correct. It is also known as the Psychopath Test. Those that actually figure out the answer have a different way of thinking. People who read a lot of mysteries are also sometimes able to solve it. Upon first reading it, I failed. - but I would worry about those that mentioned that they know the answer.

I thought it would be interesting to share a little mystery that I found on the web recently: A woman, while at the funeral of her own mother, met a guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing. She believed him to be her dream guy so much, that she fell in love with him right there, but never asked for his number and could not find him. A few days later she killed her sister. Question: What is her motive for killing her sister? The answer may surprise you...

Excellent! I love the store room and the King's Bed. The hall is also very nice. Overall, all the builds look great. You really did a good job designing these D.

How about all those great YouTube links? I'm wait'n for it... Wait for it...

Thanks for pointing that out. The Friar must rest now...

Not everyone can host a mystery!

Excellent show Dragonator. Having hosted a few mysteries on EB, they take a lot of work and motivation to keep them going as interest sometimes fades. You've done a terrific job and your pictures were superb. I'd like to see some of the good/humorous lines from the mystery. Perhaps someone might put a few together, or start sharing some. I enjoyed it while participating. Great job everyone! A final vision from the Friar for all to enjoy: EDIT: I found one of my more memorable lines: In response to Day 8 after Damien took his Leap of Faith: Rest assured that I'm sure the angels in heaven lifted Daminen's soul by his heavy wings as his body fell to the ground like a Cigar Store Indian. Although I was never fond of his savage taste in clothing and his medicines from the West, I pray for his soul and for my leg. May Damien be granted a quick and enjoyable flight to the pearly gates (and that doesn't mean the Mile High Club). No one even commented!

I think I'll sit this one out Bob. In fact, I don't even think Mystery Castle is over yet.

I didn't see this info posted elsewhere, so thought I would share. If it is old news, please disregard. Lego SAH (US) now has set 10200 Customs Garage factory set available at $69.99. Lego's set description: Customize these classic hot-rod racers! These custom hot rods are tuned-up, turbo-charged, and ready to burn up the road! Designed by some of the most talented LEGO fans around, they’ve got classic racing details, innovative parts and building techniques, and modular engines that you can swap from car to car, plus a racing garage with a working auto lift and removable roof to let you customize them even more! Includes 3 cars and drivers, mechanic with tools, High Speed Customs garage, 6 different hot rod engines, and a LEGO Digital Designer CD! Create your own custom models and order them online at LEGO Factory! Here's a link to the set: 10200 Customs Garage And a few pictures:

Yes, that would be pretty slick. Playmobil also released this smaller Pirate Dinghy (#4444): It's a great set for the price.

007: I love your building style. This is really another one of your outstanding MOCs. I love the combination of a lighthouse and a soldier fortress. I just got done posting a few pictures of Playmobil's Soldier Fortress. I esp. like the small ship and how you added the colored flags. The sails are very nice as well. Great job!

One of the things that I've always wanted to see in a Lego Pirate theme is a combination of a lighthouse and some sort of Spanish fortress. Playmobil provides such a set with their new Soldier Fortress (#4294): Box Here's the actual set with an additional Pirate ship that really floats: Display Complete with a battery powered lighthouse flame, I think a set like this in Lego would be awesome. Share your thoughts.

I was thinking that someone was leaving EB for a minute. I think you guys really brought an original and creative concept to EB with these interviews (although it took you nearly a year to interview the best Outlaw around these parts ). In your 2nd year, it would be neat to see something different. I don't have anything in mind, just something different. In addition, I'm still waiting for those hard critical questions that make people think hard, and even cry...

What the hay... Vote: ImperialShadows / Rotrigous.

This is Polar-1, OVER... It's day 5 at Arctic Research Base 76. We are experiencing radio difficulties since discovering a number of strange radioactive arctic life forms which seem to be effecting our signal, OVER. We have encountered a large polar bear which by all account appears to be friendly and playful. Our food supply; however, has diminished quickly, and we have to venture North from the base to a frozen lake in search of fish. Our cordinates are currently 46°45â²4â³N, 741°21â²7â³W. We do plan to take the snowmobile to the lake after we get our provisions in order. This is Polar-1, OUT. Polar Explorer Bonus Pack Set #: 6569 Theme: Arctic Year Released: 2000 Piece Count: 76 Minifigs: 2 List Price: $10 (USD) In 2000, Lego introduced a new theme called Arctic. It was something completely new and different for Lego as no mini-fig scale sets and/or adventurers had ever ventured to the Arctic. The set offered new orange pieces and combined elements of blue and white pieces to provide a number of sleds, vehicles, a mobile outpost (6520), and even a large polar base (6575). The theme was unfortunately short lived and did not see 2001. This particular set is a "value pack" that combines sets 6578 (Polar Explorer) and 6586 (Polar Scout) at a reasonable price of $10 (USD). I may have even paid a few dollars less at a discount toy store back in the early 2000s. A picture of the "Bonus Pack" with the two sets combined within the box: The backside features an advertisement for the Lego Club and pictures of other Arctic sets: Starting with the smaller set, The Polar Explorer (just a tip of the iceberg ): Instructions Front of Box Back of Box Both sets include the same minifig, an Arctic fig with glasses and a thick arctic coat: Here's a shot of the fig with his hood on. I always thought the hood is a nice piece that would work well for Hoth Rebel snow scenes. The set includes a few nice accessories: The set actually creates a small ice/snow formation that can even be placed on water to represent an iceberg: Here's a close-up with the blue ice spider: The complete set: Next, the Polar Scout: Front of Box Back of Box The Polar Scout instructions picture the same image as the box: But I really like the real arctic imagery on the backside: The set includes a small sheet of decals: Included are some great arctic accessories: And some interesting arctic creatures, like this neon orange scorpion in a ball of ice: I love the polar bear, a great addition to snow scenes: But the best part of this set is the orange and black sled: The back sled attachment (U-Haul) has some tools and a removable storage cover: The top comes off easy to store tools and equipment: Here's the arctic fig with a great metal detector (or other snow research device): And the sled itself: Lastly, a picture of the complete Polar Scout: Final Thoughts: I'm a little disappointed that Arctic was a short-lived theme. At the time, I wasn't too interested in the Arctic, but I still regret not buying the large Polar Research Base after seeing it at a discounted price. I was able to pick up this set and the Mobile Outpost that I never opened. I'd be interesting in reading your thoughts in regard to this set and the Arctic Theme.

Thanks Cardinal Brick. After reviewing your terrific review of the London Bus, I was motivated to snap a few more pictures and update this review. I woould also love to see a few more vintage set reviews. Thanks Brick n Brick. I appreciate your comments and appreciation of this set. As I said before, it's one of my oldest sets. This makes it even more special.

What an outstanding review of a great set. I esp. like your intro. I have this set, but have not opened it yet. It looks like a fun little beach set. The new Coast Guard theme is very nice! EDIT: This set could almost pass for Classic Town, except for the use of orange and the lack of opening doors on the car. 5 stars!

CardinalBrick: This is truly an amazing review. I don't think too many people remember this classic set; although I remember seeing it in in one of my local department stores in the late 70s. How terrific! - and you even have the box in very nice condition. Do you have the instructions as well? I always wanted this little London Bus, but never got it as a Christmas or Birthday gift. I admire the fact that you have one of these vintage sets. My oldest intact set is 730 Steam Shovel w/Carrier. Excellent Review! I DEFINATELY give this set a 5! EDIT: Some decals would really be awesome.

What Ever Happened to the Single Train Car: Rolling Stock Reluctance - a Lego Trains & Town Article by TheBrickster During the "hayday" of classic trains, Lego produced a number of very nice "stand-alone" train cars (aka as rolling stock). These began during the 4.5/12 V era and continued to the 90s during the 9V era. 7818 Passenger Wagon - released 1980 In the early 2000s, Lego turned their train focus on the "My Own Train" collection and offered a few nicely designed stand-alone cars including the Open Freight Wagon (10013), Red Caboose (10014), Green Passenger Wagon (10015), Tanker (10016), and Hopper (10017). These sets sold between $15 - $25 (USD), a nice reasonable price for a single train car. 10015 Green Passenger Wagon - released 2001 We did not see another stand-alone train car until 2005 with the TTX Intermodal Double-Stack Car (10170); not counting cars like the Santa Fe Passenger sets that were add-ons to the Super Chief. The High-Speed Train cares were another example of cars sold separately but part of a set. Since then, Lego has not really offered a single train car. 10170 Intermodal Double-Stack Car Understanding that Lego is changing their train platform/system, why has Lego been reluctant to offer more stand-alone freight and passenger cars in recent years? Lego Factory/Hobby Trains have given us a way to buy fan-created models, but what happened to the Lego designers? Has Lego lost interest in creating reasonably priced single train car sets for its train fans. Are they simply waiting for the new Train System? Or does the Lego train market represent a more national "real-life" trend that is replacing rail travel with semi-trucks and airplanes? I don't believe that Lego has to create elaborate designed train cars that take a year to design and sell for $40 (USD) to appease train fans. They could always go back to the Classics. 4543 Railroad Tractor Flatbed - 1991

One should do what they enjoy.

I'm in the same boat as Highlandcattle. I was really irritated when I started to buy newer track and discover the bley. While I don't really mind either color, I just want it all the same. The new bley looks newer and more shiny. I think I prefer the old stuff. Personally, unless you have a lot of 9V track already, I'd probably just wait to see what the new train system is like. They may replace the track all together rendering all of it useless for new sets. I suppose in your case, I would just try to get the most of what you already have.

Excellent review White Fang! - and a great set to commemorate the establishment of Classic Town.net. I almost ordered this set back when it was re-released by Lego, but passed on it. I'm so mad at myself! This has all the terrific qualities that Classic Town sets exemplify. I love the delivery truck and the pizza oven. A great review from one of the "Master EB Reviewers" - outstanding!