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Tinkering with the LEGO Ghostbusters set

by Thita (admin) on June 30, 2014

The #21108 LEGO Ghostbusters Ecto-1 is really one of the best sets that came out of the LEGO Ideas (formerly LEGO CUUSOO) platform. The Ecto-1 was designed by Brent Waller, an Australian LEGO fan and life-long enthusiast of the Ghostbusters. We have talked about the set before (see: LEGO Ghostbusters Set Video-Review & More), however today I would like to discuss the phenomena the LEGO Ghostbusters set started; LEGO fans tinkering with and modifying the official set to bring it to perfection, as well as creating extras for it to expand on the LEGO Ghostbusters theme. 🙂

If you participate in LEGO forums you probably know already how popular the #21108 LEGO Ghostbusters Ecto-1 is with LEGO fans of all ages. It is a great set right out of the box and a joy to build. Having said that, with LEGO there is always room for adjustments and improvements – that’s a big part of the fun! For example I have been in touch with a LEGO/Ghostbusters fan on Reddit who goes by the username segamegadrive, and we have been going back and forth on giving each other suggestions on how to make our Ecto-1 better. Below is a picture of the PerfEcto-1 (clever naming!) with all the bells and whistles. See more pictures in segamegadrive’s gallery.

LEGO Ghostbusters PerfEcto by segamegadrive

Some of the changes made to the Ecto-1 are: adding 1×1 white tiles at the sides where there used to be exposed studs, adding an antenna at the back, adding a rare-view mirror on the left, raising and modifying the police-lights on top, smoothing down the roof with tiles, using official LEGO rubber bands to keep the hoses together, replacing the brown bar on top with a red one (that was really an eye-sore), and a few more little things here and there. I actually have done almost the same modifications on mine – unfortunately I don’t have the red bar yet (need to order it from BrickLink), so I haven’t taken pictures as of yet. But as you can see a little modification can make the Ecto-1 even more awesome.

Brent Waller himself has been working on other LEGO Ghostbusters creations for the 30th anniversary of the film. In the video above he shows you the Temple of Gozer, Ghostbusters logo mosaic, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Firehouse Headquarters, and several version of the Ecto-1 including; the original 1959 Cadillac which later got turned into the Ecto-1, the Ghostbusters II version, and one with flashing lights.

As far as the Ghostbusters headquarters Brent provides step-by-step instructions for building your own. You can download the instructions from this thread at Eurobricks. Brent also mentions two other versions of the Firehouse, one created by OrionPax and posted on LEGO Ideas, and the other by Sergio512 also on LEGO Ideas – both with full interiors. You can support these projects by voting for them on their LEGO Ideas pages (just follow the links), and you can download the instructions for Sergio512’s version from his website.

As you can see, the LEGO Ghostbusters Ecto-1 is a fun set not just for displaying but for modifying and expanding. There are many-many modified versions of the Ecto-1 that you can search for at LEGO forums and picture-sharing sites. If you don’t have the set yet, I highly recommend that you check it out at the Online LEGO Shop.

Also, I should mention that Sony Pictures Entertainment will commemorate the 30th anniversary of Ghostbusters with special events and home entertainment releases including; a theatrical re-release of the restored and re-mastered version of the original 1984 film beginning August 29th in both the USA and Canada, and on September 16 the Ghostbusters 30th anniversary edition as well as the Ghostbusters II 25th anniversary edition will be available on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray versions of both films will include conversations with director Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd, as well as never-before-seen deleted scenes from Ghostbusters II.

So what do you think? Have you gotten the LEGO Ghostbusters Ecto-1 yet? Did you modify it? If you did, what did you change? Or did you add to it to create a whole LEGO Ghostbusters scene? Feel free to share in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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LEGO Juniors – no stickers, pretty prints!

by Thita (admin) on June 29, 2014

in Other LEGO Sets & Themes

Today I would like to talk a bit about the new LEGO theme released this year called LEGO Juniors. LEGO Juniors is designed for younger children in mind who may find it difficult to build regular LEGO sets, or are just transitioning over from DUPLO to standard size LEGO. So why are we talking about this on a teen and adult LEGO fan-site? One reason only; LEGO Juniors comes with some really sweet pieces, that are printed! That’s right, no stickers in LEGO Juniors! 🙂

A lot of LEGO fans really despise stickers on LEGO sets. They are difficult to apply nicely and cleanly, they tear, discolor and peel off with age, and they also leave a sticky residue on LEGO elements when you remove them. Stickers that are meant to cover multiple elements are the absolute worse. As soon as you take apart the assembly the sticker becomes useless. So you end up with this awkward collection of stickered parts over several elements that you can’t really use for anything else, but you don’t want to remove the stickers because they will be ruined. Then there are the clear stickers, they actually do look nice because they blend in well with the element – if (and that’s a very big “if”) you can apply them correctly the first time, and not ever touching them with your fingers. As soon as you try to reposition them the sticker is ruined. Or if you touch the sticky side with your finger even just a little bit you will end up with ugly fingerprint marks.

LEGO fans have been asking the company for years to replace stickers with printed parts, use better quality stickers, removable or re-apply-able stickers, or at least include a second sticker-sheet with the sets. However non of this have happened – LEGO citing the increased cost of printed parts as the reason. This sounds more like an excuse though because it seems like they can manage just fine with LEGO Juniors where all elements are printed. And what nice printings they are! And that’s what I wanted to bring to your attention; the LEGO Juniors line is a great resource for some really nicely made printed LEGO elements that you can incorporate in your LEGO creation even as a teen or adult LEGO fan.

For example, take a look at the #10676 LEGO Juniors Knights’ Castle (pictured above). Aren’t those ivy-covered walls really sweet? And there is 4 of them included in the set! And what about the arch? Isn’t it nice? And it is not just printed on the front, but also at the back! These pieces are perfect for LEGO Castle fans!

The printed big arch also comes in the #10672 LEGO Juniors Batman and the #10675 LEGO Juniors Police set, with other really nicely printed designs. Also, look at the printed walls in these sets – very nice and useful designs. And what about the ramps and other printed elements in the #10669 LEGO Juniors Turtle Lair? Yep, all printed too!

How about these lovely window printings from the #10668 LEGO Juniors Princess Castle and the #10674 LEGO Juniors Pony Farm sets? LEGO obviously doesn’t have problems with printing parts when they really want to! And these are not even licensed sets! 🙄

And there is more! You can check out all the LEGO Juniors sets at the Online LEGO Shop to see what printed designs they come with. Again, all elements that you see with graphics are printed in the LEGO Juniors sets. There are zero stickers. If you find some designs that you really like you may consider buying the set, or if you need more than what’s in the box, you can get individual pieces from sellers at BrickLink.

So look out for LEGO Juniors sets; both the current releases and in the future! They are marketed for little kids and you may have otherwise overlooked them, but they have this little-known, but highly valuable feature of printed elements. You may find inspiration from their wonderful details and nicely designs.

So what do you think? Are you planning to incorporate any of the LEGO Juniors printed elements in your own LEGO creations? Which ones do you like the most? Do you think LEGO should include printed elements in other LEGO sets as well? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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Tinkering with the LEGO Ghostbusters set

LEGO Juniors – no stickers, pretty prints!

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