Thirdwigg

Thanks @Gray Gear, during the build process I came to this photo: To me, the bottom WIP version had the most correct proportions, but I could not get headlights into this version without lengthening the front which is what ended up happening. But I think you are right, the car is very wide for the length and wheelbase, so the front overhang really only matters in the side view. I agree, the 3 1x1 round headlights looked great, but it made for a chunky final look, and raised the hood too much. Maybe I'll revisit it...

The distance from the front axle to the front of the car.

Alright, the second offering from Thirdwigg Motors is a 2 seat sports car! Full instructions are posted on Flickr. Features: Independent front and rear suspension Flat 4 engine Rear wheel drive Four speed sequential transmission Steering with wheel and HOG Opening doors, hood, and truck Everything open. I'm pleased with how this turned out, though I would have liked a shorter front overhang, but oh well.

Technic Challange MOD 1. You bet you can join!

@johnnym Thanks for your feedback. The Sports Pickup has been a little dormant, but I'll pick it up again soon. I'll document the disassembly so you can see the build when the 110 is ready to be done. The LBG panels came from the Bugatti (Bricklink). I agree about the roll bar, but the truck looks plain without something else providing a little color.

Instructions are done. Everything else should be ready by tomorrow. Happy New Year!

@I_Igor Here you go. And... Sorry they are a little dark. It's getting a little busy in the center of the truck, but the sides are still pretty free. We'll see how that gets filled up. Yep. They were in the 437, and are in V2 of the chassis.

After another night of building some progress has been made. No time was spent on the cab as I was adding and fitting features to the chassis. Below you can now see the tipper mechanism has been turned around and the control input has been moved; it is now controlled by the 12z gear on the right rear bumper. The lifting ability of the tipper mech has been improved. The rear PTO remains as I couldn't give it up. It and the rear hitch has been lowered a stud. Note also a pneumatic pump behind the right fuel tank and a valve and PPTO (Pneumatic Power Take Off) has been added. It's a feature that can fit, but I'm not sure yet how it will be utilized. Below you can see some small changes to the front mounting plate. The vertical mounting points are very rigid due to four connection points to the frame. The horizontal mounting point is not quite as rigid, so I'll work on that as I finalize the Panhard solution for the front suspension. A front hitch is present. The front PTO is in, as is a placement for the front PPTO. Both PTOs are always on. In my tractors, I have made sure there is an on/off for each PTO. Adding this features in the U500 would be neat, but would complicate the frame/chassis. I like having a stiff chassis in my MOCs, and adding this feature would require the frame to go around the changeovers. Compromising the chassis in this way means the suspension works less as the frame twists more, which I would prefer not to allow. I'll try a couple of ideas and see if I can find a good option for this problem. The changeovers also take up a lot of room, so we'll see if I can do both them and the Pneumatic system (Can I add a winch too?). One note here: I currently have a I-4 engine, but switching to a I-6 mini engine (which I find silly looking, but is more correct for scale and the actual truck) might free up some space. We'll see... I'll do one (two?) more night of fitting technical aspects to the truck and determining spacing/fit. Then I'll switch gears and start a second draft of the chassis that incorporates and supports all the technical features. Hopefully the second set of tires will arrive by then.

Here you go @I_Igor And side by side.

This is my issue with it. It's a nice improvement, but it would be nice to have a deeper engagement. I get why they design it as such, but this little change would be nice.

Nope. Not planning to do a PF version for this one. Yep, the tires do look great. The axles are the same currently as they were on the 437.They may change as the chassis become closer to final. For instance, it would be great to add the trailing links to the front axle, but it's getting a little busy up front. We'll see if I can make that work. Cab needs some work, but it will be easy for me to add in the 5 x 11 panel at this point. I hope design a cab that works for multiple colors (red, orange, blue).

Agreed.

Finished 01.01.2021 A couple of years ago I started a modular Unimog project with the hopes of having a build that would be flexible enough to support a number of different versions and options. It certainly was. However, the Unimog 437 project was intended to provide a U500 cab option, but for a couple of reasons (namely those tires), it was not a great fit for the project. So in the back of my mind I figured I would do a proper U500 version at some point. The 437 was pretty popular, and it fits within my current design language; mid-sized, manual, truck/car, feature packed. Then when I saw the first reviews of the 76139 Batmobile set, and saw the new 68.7mm tires, and I knew it was time to resurrect the project. I would keep the scale at 1:17.6 as I did with the 437, and those tires would equate roughly to a 445//65/R22.5. Off to the races! I am partial to the 1st generation (2000-2013) U500, plus @I_Igor did a great 423 series already (Eurobricks). Also, I like the 500 more than the 300 or 400. The 300 looks tiny, and the 500 SWB gives me two extra studs on the wheelbase (24st) over the 400 (22st). I guess if I have enough space I'll switch to a 400, but I (generally) never need less space. I pulled a PDF for the scaling, and I started to set my build parameters. I build my MOCs by making a first draft with all the constraints: wheelbase, length, height, width, and general bodywork ideas. I try to keep the colors correct, but if the part is not in front of me, I move on to replace later. Then I start working in features, and rebuild as needed. The first draft came together pretty quickly. While I managed to buy the first tires available on Bricklink, I was not willing to wait for their arrival before I started building. At this point, I determined the features of the truck: Front and Rear Live Axle Suspension (sans portal axles) (With dual leading/trailing links and Panhard rods) Front Steering Fake Motor Tipper Bed Tipping Cab Front PTO Rear PTO Rear Bodywork PTO Front Mounting Plate Modular Rear Bed Attachment Points Realistic Bodywork The tires arrived in time for the second night of building, and they look perfect. By now, all the functions were in place. Loosely. Below you can see the general Front Mounting Plate, and the front PTO. Currently in front of the bed is a Gear that will power features on a mounted body (al la TC9 Entry) Below you can see the rear bed system. I have found this three way tipper option to work great on my 437 and the MAN TGS truck. The control input is currently on the left side, but it will need to move. The orientation of the lift is backwards, which does not allow for good tilting leverage. Turning the mechanism around will need to move the input to the rear. This compounds the issue with the rear PTO. It is currently in place just above the hitch, but will need to move when the tipper input is placed in the rear. Few U500s have a rear PTO, so I'll have to decide if this is a feature I want to retain. More to follow... Until the next post, hope you enjoy the next Thirdwigg Motors project.

@I_Igor I can post a picture in about 12 hours. But, I'll do it. @jorgeopesi You bet. I already took them off the tractor for another project. I really like the size and shape.

@Arioh Glad you have been converted. It's a fun little set with lots of MODability. @sirslayer I like to keep as much of the visual feel of 8081 as I can.

These new 68.7mm tires are pretty awesome.

Now the rear plow has a matching front plow. Enjoy.

Glad you like it. I don't plan to do a LDD, but I'll take some more photos of it as I take it apart. Should happen soon. Video is up.

Just finished another MOD! After all the Defender talk a couple of months ago I finished a V-8 4x4 version after the Defender 110 pickup. I tired to keep the styling as close to 8081 as I could. Maybe someday I'll venture out a little more creativly. Enjoy. Topic here.

Another MOD of the fantastic 8081 set is done! Styled after a LR Defender pickup, this MOD features the following: 4x4 drive. Steering Front and Rear live axle suspension with Panhard rods Opening doors and tailgate Seating for four V-8 fake engine Roll cage Fischertechnic 80mm tires. Full album is here. Driveline From the left Articulation I'm still working on the sport pickup, but this should be good for now.

Instructions for the 911RS are posted if you are interested. Find them here. .

Just bought 2. I get more excited about new parts then new sets, so it gives me a little flexibility on cost. Also, I'm sick of waiting for Bricks and Pieces just so I check them out. I'll know soon if it was worth it. Still less than getting all those Batmobile bricks. I'll buy more when the price comes done. Maybe bricklink + TLG might not be all bad. Maybe....

Welcome back. I look forward to seeing this project develop. A lack of ideas generates Unimogs for me. Helicopters are more interesting. Keep it up.

@Ludo Visser I am glad to know my MOCs are resonating with you. The Deere turned our great, so I hope you have a chance to build it, and I hope you enjoy the process. Design another implement for it, and let me see it. Don't worry, I'll try not to apply much pressure to do my builds quickly. Also my kids love the Volvo Refuse truck because it is super playable and easy to operate with tiny hands. It's a good one. I look forward to seeing your completed MOC first. @proran Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad you like this truck, and thanks for the feedback on the differential/rear axle solution. I felt a little like I was giving up, but it was the best solution for the application. I still believe there is a good solution out there for a diff in a 15 wide truck with dualies. More MOCs are coming soon....

@Ludo Visser I'm glad you like it. Which other MOCs of mine are still on your list? @I_Igor which solution?