1980SomethingSpaceGuy

Thanks for your message! You're absolutely right, the boom definitely is too small now. But I decided to use it in this project, so I won't just replace it. The first attempt was correct in this matter, but then the vehicle itself was too small for the features to be satisfying. I've been thinking about using the boom as an actuator for another, bigger boom. But my mock ups so far are way too large. I ended liking it the way it is: it has a cartoonish style and in that perspective, the discrepancy in size with the boom kinda works. I still have some time before the end line, maybe I'll figure out a better solution.

Thanks! I think you'll like the new version even better. At least I do. I seized the opportunity offered by that big amount of space under the cab to also connect the steering wheel: it now has both working steering wheel and HOG. I managed to shape the cab to give it a bit more of that 8854 touch, and a bit less of that cute/clumsy feel. Dimensions now are 15 x 24 x 27 = 9720 This time I feel happy with the result. All functions work flawlessly (equal or better than official sets). It has been quite a burden to restart 3 times, but definitely worth the effort. Thanks for watching! Thanks! And now that it's finished?

I scrapped the whole thing again yesterday. I went for a narrower and shorter chassis, simpler crane part (so I dropped the idea of additional telescopic complexity in favor of sturdiness) and reworked the outriggers module. I'm finally coming up to something I'm really satisfied with.

Thanks for your message and the suggestion! I was thinking of using some scissor style structure, but 3 stage is also an option indeed.

Thanks for your message! I totally agree. My Idea was to mock up 8854 on that: crane right on top of the rear axle. I added the outriggers module after I had those built. And it ended being too long in the back. Yeah, not only the hood could be improved, the whole cabin is coarse. Even more: the crane part needs better thinking; I have this boom to use since that's the plan, and the only actuators I have are the very small one of the first iteration, which is too weak to use in a crane (it clicks and stops moving when overloaded) and the bigger one of the second version, which is almost as big as the boom itself. I started with the actuator nice and vertical as the pneumatics in 8854, but this lead to a much too tall crane part. I then gave it an angle to win a couple studs, but the result is a bad tradeoff. I want a good solution instead. Thanks! Reminds me of what I say to my kids when they show me their work and it's a bit clumsy but at least they tried.. And I totally agree with that :)

I decided to reboot the micro crane. The small turntable and actuator simply were not strong enough, even for the scale. Moreover, the transmission was a bit sketchy and the wheels too small. So, with an upgraded turntable and actuator, I also upgraded the hook for the metal one from 8854 and the wheels. I tried to stick to the round and cute style of the first iteration. I'm not completely satisfied with the looks, but the features now work much better. The doors open, it has a classic fake piston engine, Ackermann steering and with 15x22x30=9900, it's just within bounds. The model is quite simple, but everything works and is strong enough to be played without too much care. It survives a table fall with grace. Thanks for watching!

Thanks a lot! Thank you! Indeed, I was feeling the interior deserved some more attention: I raised the HOG one full stud, this allowed the universal joints to work smoother and made room for the second seat. I also tweaked the round tiles to stick out a bit less, and changed the way the lower liftarm is attached. The inverted 2x2 plate blends in nicely with the rest of the dashboard and holds it well enough. Other than that, I put a touch of yellow in the wheels as well as a few color swaps here and there, and managed to reduce friction in the transmission. Which is quite exotic, but about the only way to connect the rear axle to the engine. Of course the HOG barely deserves its name here: it is quite obvious. But we all love this double universal joint setup, don't we? Dimensions are (WxHxL) 11x17x24, which make for 4488 cubic studs. This means two of them would still fit in the allowed volume, yay! Thanks for watching!

So true! I would have loved to use bigger tires too. But alas, I have none between those and the 43.2, which are obviously too big for this scale. On the other hand, those wheel arches simply wouldn't have worked with bigger tires.. Using those tiny ones pushed the design towards the "cute" side and away from 8854 a bit, but I tried to keep details like the color scheme, the HOG, downward pointing headlights, etc. true to the original so that the reference remains to be noticed. Glad if it works! Thanks for your comment!

Ok, thanks. I wasn't aware of that. It's routed below on 8854: Thanks for the insight!

Thank you! I went for the simplest solution with that. At that scale, it's just too bulky to have guides and pulleys all the way, so I figured rubbing against rounded surfaces was acceptable considering the mechanical constraints. Do you think I could improve this aspect? What would be the standard way?

A couple of months ago, I modded my 42098, removing the trailer and moving the ramp to the truck itself. Which left me with those: For some reason, they reminded me of my 8854 set, back in the day. I figured I could build a crane that size, at some point. Now with TC22, the time has come! So I've started working on a little crane truck, with the above as the boom. The size is pretty small, but I wanted a least as many features as the original. I managed to pack that in and eventually also added a working fake engine. It's a lot less impressive than 8854 was in my memories, but all features work so I'm happy with that. Thanks for watching!

Very nice! Well done!

Thanks a lot! Hopefully, you'll be able to build one for yourself soon. We're working on the instructions. We kept the lime version as shown above, along with this orange: as final variants. Of course, everyone is free to pick any colour, but these two are both nice looking and not too expensive.

There was this Gravedigger lying around... Too much? Well maybe. But I got my ride pimped and I think it's fun.

I got some lime! This allowed to get rid of LBG/DBG placeholders, now I finally have a nice consistant colour scheme. Last modification before starting with the instructions, the area behind the seats got smoothed and improved to also add rigidity. Oh, and there are pedals now too. Thanks for watching!

Great job! These trucks really look nice! I especially like the 42112 mod.

Orange? Cute! Getting rid of the black rims indeed helps with the looks, imo. I ordered parts for the lime version.

Lime looks nice, and panels in that color aren't overly expensive.

I was sure they did. I just checked. And you're perfectly right. Thanks for picking this up! Alas! Red remains my favorite so far, then.

I built it in dark azure with black rims because these are the tones of the blue car in 42098, but I'm not sure it's the best pick...

Thanks! We're working on the instructions and something in my mind was not at ease. The steering worked, had very few play, but also design flaws and a lack of realism that I just couldn't live with. So I updated it to a classic rack and pinion. (left to right, items to remove to take the face apart) It's a bit less exotic this way, but I think it fits the rest of the build a lot better.

This may be the last design update. I'll freeze the design now to focus on updating the 3D model, then the instructions. I was not fully happy with the splitters: they did protrude a bit too much. I managed to pull them back half a stud, which is way better. Moreover, the way they are attached is less bulky and allowed me to complete the exhaust line. Thanks for watching!

Aren't we all? But seriously, it allows me to share stuff with relatives.. And anyone who's interested. For example, someone here on EB told me he was so interested in building this MOC that he agrees to work on the instructions. Which is absolutely awesome! Cheers from la Suisse !

Hi @fosamax ! Thank you very much for your kind words. Much appreciated. My inspiration was more the likes of Toyota Corolla like this: But I didn't want to be limited in my design and panel usage, so I opted for a free build. That said, I love the little Simca 1200s, which indeed bears some common genes with this glorious époque of rallye racing. :) Thanks for dropping a comment here!

Nope, they still want to pop out! After 2 years, there's less than half a millimetre delta with a new one at the tip. I don't cut, modify or reshape parts: I'm just using a wider range of their mechanical properties: these panels remain perfectly usable! Anyway, I don't think I'll ever dismantle this MOC: as I said, it's my favourite ever, so I don't really care if these in particular are not pristine anymore. I know illegal building is a no go for some. I tend to stick to legal techniques, but I'm an engineer; I know a little stress may be acceptable, especially with Technic contraptions: legal builds will also flex under load or have play. This panel snugging is illegal. The maths for the A-pillars are not perfect. I fitted a 2L system plate inside the holes of a Technic liftarm. For the reinforcement bars, I went as far as assuming that 81 was a good enough approximation for 80. That's bad. Blame me, but the model feels a lot better with these bars: the play created by the stacking of small bricks in the transmission far exceeds 1.25%... On the other hand, mixing system brick bottoms and Technic panels is not illegal, but it's a no go for me. I find that using motors is fun, but a whole lot less elegant: performance is disappointing for race cars and batteries are consumables, which, in my mind, is philosophically opposed to the Lego experience. I prefer building small and detailed than impressively huge. I know that this does not match the dominant mindset here, but I think there's room for everyone: you'll find no other MOC of the same size on EB with that many features. I'd rather build something that is to my taste than try to please people I don't know.