Lost_In_Noise

Should I post the review in this topic, or make a new one?

Thanks:)

I'm making use of the gear ratio calculator from your book in my latest review. Is it okay to add that as a reference?

Got it on November 7 in the mail. My dad hand-delivered it to me. It's great so far, with lots of references and information.

Excellent review and very good pics. Its short and efficient, just as a good review should be. I'm looking forward to gettin this set myself:D

That's never an issue on my part. I've got all the time in the world. But for the NON -AFOL target audience I can understand why. They could always do a Car Chassis with those attributes, with less than 1000 parts.

This is the first time I see dual shock absorber used this way. Nice work. Although most of the aesthetics are non-functional, I can't help but applauding the diversity in elements used. I see you used a lot of flex axles for curves and windshield. How rigid is the model?

Excellent working model. It looks very big. Did you se LEGO chains to lift the container, or some kind of rubber. It's hard to tell from the video. I can't wait for the pics^^

December 19 for me, but I've been wrong before... No worries, I know I won't be disappointed

Congrats Grohl! I'm looking forward to your first sets. Are you allowed to discuss building techniques or approaches to problems, or is that limited by your employer?

Thanks guys ( and maybe girls...). It's nothing too serious, but I gotta stay and recover for a while. Too bad I can't bring the parts to my hospital:S

Looks like this one has to be postponed, as I am at the hospital for another week or so. The process has been started, so it WILL be finished, I'm just not sure about when.

My setup: All the big parts goes here, along with any panels depending on set. All the liftarms. Pins, bushes ..and connectors on top of eachother. I've found the the time spent searching is nearly zero when building a set.

hmm, looks like a monofork on the rear. Also extensive use of body panels.

to be continued tomorrow and saturday

Thanks, I couldn't remember what it was called. The 8265 is looking about the same.

I'm doing a review of this, but I can't find the proper term for the alternate model. Does anyone here know what it's called? A telehandler of some sort?

Thanks for the show! It's really nice seeing the model come together. Also, I think your studless decision was the right one. The nature pics are really good, it looks like the real thing

Auto engines was released in 1980, contained 242 pieces, and featured a wide range of parts, and instructions to build 4 different engines. It was only availible in the USA, making it difficult to find nowadays. So, I decided not to pay the asked price for the set, and rather part it out myself. 200$ is just too much for a set with such few parts, even though it is a limited release. I ended up paying a total of USD 75 for the pieces, where the chrome faucet pieces alone total $24. The lowest price @ BrickLink for this edition is 200$ at the moment. The instructions I had to find a scan of. They haven't been sold anywhere for a long time. This set can be put together as 4 different engine setups, which can be mounted on the 853 Auto Chassis. I'm going to show you all of them. But first the parts: This was the first Technic model to feature a Pulley wheel. The Black rubber belt in this particular dimension was only used in the 8050Building Set With Motor from 1982, then discontinued. This part was the second hardest one to come by. The "Blue Tap 1 x 2 Base with Chrome SilverSpout" was seen only in this and the 8860 Car Chassis, making it fetch an average Bricklink price of $1.50 each WHEN you can find them. Of course, you need 6 of them for this set. The third rare part was the Classic 4mm hose in 12L. Although this was used in a couple of other sets ranging from 1977-1986, I had to order the six required from 3 different sellers. Okay, on with the build... First model: Straight 3 cylinder engine. This engine starts with the crankshaft made of 4 axles and 24t gears. The piston heads are placed at the third step. Next is the axle which will actuate the engine valves; the camshaft. (thanks EdmanZA !) The foundation is made of bricks and plates. The two axles is joined with two technic bricks. And placed atop the foundation. A 40T gear is connected to the crankshaft. Some decorative slopes, and a frictionless pin for turning the 40T gear. The distributor is placed on the side of the crankshaft. It uses a technique not often seen with a bush fitted to a plate to prevent the axle from turning. Only one side of the bush fits, so you'll have to pay attention to the instructions. Here it is placed on the engine block. The cylinders: The top is made as a separate element, a yellow frame surrounds the cooling plates. Lastly, pistons are inserted into the cylinders, and a rubber belt is placed between the crankshaft and a frictionless pin with a bush. This will drive the engine fan. Another rubber belt is placed between the distributor and the camshaft. Finally the axle with spark plugs is made. The fan is made the same way as 8860 and 8865. Here they are, placed on the top of the engine. You can see how the pushrods will hit the rockers. The last to be placed on this engine are the power lines for the spark plugs. They run from the rare taps to the distributor. (thanks again EdmanZA) A full cycle shown here. None of the parts on the other side moves. Second model: V6 engine The V6 has a different crankshaft, with two pistons per crankshaft center axle. The red pieces here are used as the base of the cylinders. The foundation ties all the loose pieces together. The cylinders are brick-made, and has some taps for the fuel lines. They are placed on each side of the crankshaft. Another rubber band is attached to a pulley wheel. A fan is made before assembling the block. Here you can see it driven by the axle with bush. The cylinders are locked at a fixed angle by a 12L axle with a bush on each end. Finally, the distributor finishes the model. Full cycle: Third model: 6-cylinder boxer This build also starts with the fundation. The cylinders are next. Notice anything out of place? The instructions tell you to align the cylinders so the crankshaft will fit. Speaking of crankshaft, here it is. Constructed the same way as the v6 engine. The whole crankshaft with bricks is placed atop the foundation, and a 40T gear is added as a crank. The fan base (see what I did there) is constructed as a separate element. When placed on the frame, a 6 axle with a bush is passed through it to hold the rubber belt. This was rather tedious to get right, because the belt would fall in between the bricks, and get tangled between the wall and the lower pulley wheel. I ended up bending the axle in place. The fan itself is made the same way as the other alternatives. Next cooling vents and a base for the distributor. The distributor itself finishes this model. A full cycle: Fourth model: 2-cycle engine The last model of this set is the smallest one, with only one cylinder. This model starts with the crankshaft. The rubber band and the bush provides a good gear ratio. Both the rubber bands are used in this single function. A simple fundation is made of bricks. Same goes for the cylinder. The faucet pieces are used for spark plugs here as well. Although the instructions doesn't show the fuel lines connected to something, I'm going to assume they fit between the plates of the radiator. The cylinder is placed on atop the crankshaft, finishing this model. Turning the crank moves the piston. Conclusion This is an amazing set, considering the part count. I can easily see the learning aspect of it, and why it is so sough-after by collectors. All the different setups looks great, and the chromed parts is a nice touch. If you can get it as a reasonable price, why are you still reading? Go buy it! As always, bit pics are availible here.

Can anyone tell me why I always jump to the end of the page when pasting something in edit mode? Is it an error with the new forums?

8462 Tow Truck was released in 1998, contains 774 pieces, and features a pneumatic tow fork and rotating tow crane with a winch to pull heavy loads. Brickset reports a retail price of $122 for this set, I paid $80 for mine. The parts The interesting parts include several pneumatic elements such as three cylinders, a pump, a switch and of course the two air tanks which allow a more steady airflow. This link is only seen in this and 8450 The Mission set. The black edition from 8450 fetches an average of 2$ on BrickLink. The tires are 6 of 70x28s, which sits on silver rims. This combination is seen in two other sets; 8417/8430 Mag Wheel Master and 8428/8432 Turbo Command/Concept Car. The last rare part is the "Liftarm 1 x 9 Offset Crossover", which only exists in black. It was included in the 8417 and 8432 as well. All the special parts have sequenced numbers, suggesting they were all introduced with this set. There are only 10 gears included in this set, so pneumatics are the main feature. The build The build starts with the chassis frame, as most studded Technic sets, before a pneumatic cylinder is placed on a free axle. The rear wheels spin freely, as there is no engine in this truck. The first cylinder for lifting the fork is placed, before the left side of the chassis is mounted. The rest of the wheelbases are next. Rear first, then front. The front steering is made of Steering arm with pins and Perpendicular Axle Connectors. Rear lights in place. This set uses the same decals as 8479 Barcode Multi-Set The steering rack is made from axle connectors. A 8T gear with a 12T DB gear provides input to it. The second axle for the HOG is added, along with some hoses for the cylinder. Some more hoses, and air tanks. The hoses links the two air tanks together, so that the total volume is doubled. The top of the chassis is mostly made of bricks. This pneumatic switch controls the airflow to the cylinder. Hoses run from both of the air tanks. The third switch completes the circuit, now we can move on to the front grille. Next is the gears to turn the The "Wheel Full Rubber Balloon with Axle hole" is used for a knob, the same as 8446. This is not the only thing these sets have in common, I'll show you later on. Thin liftarms keeps the structure together. The starting point for all the action of this set: The pneumatic pump. A 8T gear will control the turntable. The turntable is placed, and a 12L axle locks it in place. Rear end of the cabin complete. Seats and steering wheel.The dashboard has some air vents. The roof completes the cabin. Some flex axles and tubes improves the exterior look. The wheels are placed before the rear attachment is made. First off it's the towing fork. The 1 x 11 links provides structural support. Placed on the back of the truck. Now the crane. The crane is hinged with thin liftarms, making it very small when retracted. FInished! Now let's see it work. It's very fast when the air tanks are filled. Even though it appears the fork is supposed to tilt, it only happens because of the way it is attached to the tow arm. When towing a vehicle, it will act as a articulated joint. This way the vehicle in tow won't skid when the tow truck is turning. I read somewhere that the Turbo Command would fit this tow truck nicely, but as I don't have it, the 8081 will have to do. It's also able to lift last years 9395. Comparison 8846 8285 8436 8435 The Verdict This is a fun set to have, the air tanks really make the set. A big plus is that it's blue, a color not too often used in the Technic line. Its functions and odd color choice remind me of 8446. The build is fairly straightforward, but with some elegant solutions such as the folding crane. This is maybe the coolest looking tow truck. I wouldn't buy it at the original retail price, but at $80 it's okay for nearly 800 pieces and the two air tanks. Thanks for reading/watching pics. Any questions or comments, don't be shy. As always, big pics @ BrickShelf.

Can you find my 858 review titled Pictorial Review: 858 Auto Engines from the Technic, Mindstorms... forum?

Nice work. Very effective and simple. I'm looking forward to your video. Good idea to use the motorcycle wheels, as they are cheap to buy. On a side note, it looks like your steering setup has a lot of play in it, due to the various pin/axle connectors between the hub and the gear rack. I may be mistaking though.

What an excellent use of parts. It's hard to tell how it really works until you open the lid.

It looks amazing, Nathanaël. Keep up the good work EDIT:oops