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Restoring older LEGO sets is a wonderful hobby many adult LEGO fans enjoy. Perhaps you find a bulk lot on eBay or at a garage sale that is just too good to pass up, or you may rediscover your own childhood sets that have been stored away in the attic. If you don’t have the original instructions, you can find them online, and restore older sets to their full glory.

An interesting twist on restoring older sets is to use modern parts and building techniques. You may want to do this when older parts have been retired and hard to find, or when you simply want to refresh and update an older model.

The LEGO company themselves regularly refreshes some of their most popular sets. Think of all the LEGO City police and fire stations, LEGO Star Wars sets, LEGO trains, LEGO ships, etc. Some of these re-releases are complete makeovers, while others are very similar to the original design with only slight updates.

An excellent redesign I have recently run across on Facebook is by LEGO fan Jean-Marie Bellion. This is a completely reimagined and upgraded version #6364 LEGO Town Paramedic Unit from 1980. This modern take on an old set is a fitting tribute to all the world’s health workers battling the Coronavirus pandemic.

It’s interesting to compare the parts and techniques used forty years ago to those that are used today. Of course all the basic parts and techniques are going to be the same, but there are also some modern parts and techniques that were not available in the past. Overall, older sets look more blocky, while modern designs have more curvers. You can clearly see these differences in the old vs. new paramedic unit.

If you’re familiar with the #6364 LEGO Town Paramedic Unit set, and you would like to build the modern version of it, or you just want to add a small hospital to your LEGO city, Jean-Marie freely shares instructions and parts-list at the following link: LEGO Paramedic Unit Revisited Instructions.

Jean-Marie also has a reimagined LEGO Classic Castle project on LEGO Ideas that you may want to check out and support with your vote. You can find it here: Princess June’s Castle on LEGO Ideas

And if you are looking for currently available LEGO hospitals, ambulances, fire stations, and more, visit the LEGO City section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? Do you ever rebuild older sets? Do you prefer to build them as they were originally intended, or do you upgrade them with modern parts and techniques? And how do you like the updated version of the LEGO Paramedic Unit? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!

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LEGO Technic Fast & Furious Dodge Charger

Muscle car lovers and Fast & Furious fans are getting set for the ultimate thrill. Today, the LEGO Group and Universal Brand Development revealed the first LEGO set inspired by the high-octane, global blockbuster franchise; the awesome #42111 LEGO Technic Dom’s Dodge Charger. The 1,077-piece replica of fearless street racer Dominic Toretto’s legendary 1970 Dodge Charger R/T will provide an exciting new building challenge as fans gear up for the latest installment in the Fast saga – F9, which hits theatres around the world beginning in April 2021.

Over the course of nine films that have successively stoked passion in an ever-expanding audience and earned nearly $6 billion at the worldwide box office, Universal Pictures’ record-smashing homegrown franchise, Fast & Furious, has become the studio’s most-profitable and longest-running one. Across social media platforms, fan following for the movies and cast has grown into the biggest of any active franchise. On the heels of The Fate of the Furious, which debuted in theaters as the biggest global opening of all time, the blockbuster franchise has expanded to a multitude of offerings – from toys and video games, to an all-new animated series and successfully launched spin-off franchise.

The authentic replica of Dom’s all-time favorite car is packed with the same realistic details seen in the films. Just like the full-size version, the hood of the #42111 LEGO Technic Dom’s Dodge Charger pops open to reveal the iconic V8 engine. Fans can feel like they’re in the garage with Dom fixing up his latest project as they build moving pistons, double wishbone suspension, a wheelie bar to show off the car’s best moves and (of course) put the nitro bottles in the trunk. If things get too hot, there’s a fire extinguisher in the cockpit too.

But the fun doesn’t stop once the checkered flag comes down. Once the build is complete, fans can try out Dom’s cool stunts and recreate the daring high-speed chases from the Fast & Furious movies with the model. And when the streets need a rest, the model can be proudly displayed in its famous wheel-stand position.

Samuel Tacchi, designer of LEGO Technic Dom’s Dodge Charger, said: “The high-octane action of the Fast & Furious franchise has captured the hearts and imaginations of petrol-heads the world over. We want to inspire people of all ages to explore their creativity through building whatever their passion is, and we know fans of LEGO Technic and the blockbuster franchise love cool cars and adrenaline-fuelled fun. Brought together by that same passion, we worked really closely with the Universal team to bring Dom’s Dodge Charger to life in the most minute detail to inspire Fast & Furious fans and LEGO Technic builders around the world.”

Inspired by the action-packed scenes from the Fast saga, the 1:13 scale #42111 LEGO Technic Dom’s Dodge Charger is designed for builders aged 10+. The set is available for pre-order starting today, March 30th, with global release on April 27th. The price is €99,99 / $ 99.99. Visit the LEGO Technic section of the Online LEGO Shop.

It’s interesting to note that this is the second franchised LEGO Technic car this year that is based on a film, after the #42109 LEGO Technic App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car, and it looks like we may be getting even more. You can find all the currently available sets at the LEGO Technic section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? how do you like the new LEGO Fast & Furious set? Are you planning to add it to your collection? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below!

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