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LEGO Technic 40th anniversary model

by on April 7, 2017
in LEGO Technic

As we discussed already in previous 2017 LEGO Technic reviews (see links at the end of this post), 2017 celebrates the 40th anniversary of the LEGO Technic line. To commemorate the event, all 2017 LEGO Technic sets come with a special 40th anniversary printed LEGO Technic beam that’s incorporated into each model. In addition, LEGO also released instructions for a 40th anniversary combo-model, which is an updated version of the #8860 LEGO Technic Car Chassis from 1980. 🙂

While the #8860 LEGO Technic Car Chassis may look crude by today’s standards, in its time it was a revolutionary model, displaying the capabilities of LEGO Technic, with a 4-cylynder reciprocating engine, 3-speed transmission, working rear differential, working rear suspension, functioning steering, and sophisticated reclining seats. It was a vast improvement over the earlier #853 LEGO Technic Auto Chassis from 1977 (see both sets below).

The updated version for the 40th anniversary combines pieces from three recent LEGO Technic sets; the #42057 LEGO Technic Ultralight Helicopter, the #42061 LEGO Technic Telehandler, and the #42063 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure motorcycle. If you have all three of those sets, you are fully equipped to build the anniversary model. If you don’t have all three sets, but you do have a decent collection of LEGO Technic pieces, you will need to look through the instructions step-by-step to see if you can build the model. Unfortunately, there is no parts-list published with the instructions, but I’m sure eventually enthusiastic LEGO Technic fans will put it together.

While the 40th anniversary set is not a boxed model, it’s nice to see that for the instructions LEGO included the familiar yellow and black striped border, which appeared on all LEGO Technic sets from the 1980s. A sweet touch, which those who grew up in the ’80s can appreciate.

Looking at the original and updated models of the car chassis, it is very interesting to see how building with LEGO Technic evolved through the years. You can see that the original model still uses mostly studded regular LEGO elements and only relies on specialized LEGO Technic pieces for the mechanical functions. The new model, on the other hand, is all LEGO Technic pieces, which gives it a smoother and rounder look.

Although the anniversary addition is completely different as far as parts-usage and building-techniques, LEGO stayed with the original color-scheme as much as possible. It would have been nice if the seats are all red, but since this is a combo-model from three different sets, it didn’t work out. However, I really like that they recreated the gray box from the front of the original vehicle, even though the pieces used are much different. (In the original model, the gray box served as a counter-weight for the engine.)

The 40th anniversary version of the LEGO Technic Car Chassis is smaller and more compact than the original model, however I don’t think this is a negative. It’s simply another feature that highlights the differences between classic and modern LEGO Technic sets.

While I’m not so much a fan of just displaying LEGO sets (I prefer the more interactive approach of building and playing), I think it would be worth displaying the #8860 LEGO Technic Car Chassis and the anniversary edition next to each other in a display-case. The pair is such a wonderful visual representation of the LEGO building system rooted in the past, yet constantly evolving to meet the needs of the present and the future.

If you would like to build the 40th anniversary LEGO Technic set, you can go the LEGO building instructions download page, and type in the set number of any of the three sets the combo-model is made of: #42057 LEGO Technic Ultralight Helicopter, #42061 LEGO Technic Telehandler, or #42063 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure. The instructions for the combo-model will be included as one of the downloadable PDF files for any of those sets. And if you don’t have the 2017 LEGO Technic sets yet, you can find them under the LEGO Technic section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? How do you like the 40th anniversary LEGO Technic set? Do you think it’s a good representation of the original model? Are you planning to build it? Or have you build it already? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below! 😉

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

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LEGO watches for play & timekeeping

by on April 6, 2017
in Other LEGO Sets & Themes

If you would like a little something different in your LEGO collection, or you are looking for a gift for a LEGO fan who already has it all (is that even possible?), it’s worth checking out some of the novelty items related to the hobby. This includes such items as T-shirts, mugs, notebooks, pens, keychains, watches, plushies, costumes, and more. While these products carry the LEGO logo, most of them are not made directly by LEGO, but by other companies under license from the LEGO Group. We have talked about a number of these items previously (see links at the end of this post), and today we will focus on LEGO timepieces made by ClicTime – manufacturer and licensee of LEGO watches and clocks. 🙂

ClicTime is a company based in the UK and they have been around since 1999. Their products are a mixture of their own brands and licensed products. They are the licensee for Star Wars watches and clocks and are an exclusive global licensee for LEGO watches and clocks (they have been working together with LEGO for 12 years now). You have probably seen their products at stores like Toys’R’Us, Target, Wal-Mart, JCPenney, and online stores like Amazon.com. And of course their products are also available at official LEGO stores, and the Online LEGO Shop.

ClicTime makes high quality LEGO timepieces for both kids and adults. Some of them come with classic LEGO colors and minifig designs, while others are themed watches and clocks related to popular themes like LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Super Heroes, LEGO Ninjago, LEGO Friends, The LEGO Movie – and most recently – The LEGO Batman Movie.

The LEGO wristwatches for kids (and playful adults) include multicolored interchangeable links, so you can easily create your own strap design, and add/remove links for a perfect fit. They also include a very cute sculpted, non-posable minifigure (about 2/3rd the size of a regular minifig), which you can incorporate into the wrist-strap. The watches are analog, with quartz movement, scratch-resistant lens, and hour, minute and second hands. And they are water resistant up to 164′ (50m). Under The LEGO Batman Movie license they have watches with Batman, Robin, The Joker, and Batgirl. They (along with some of the previous releases) are available at the Apparel & Accessories section of the Online LEGO Shop, and you can find them on Amazon as well.

While I like the watches, my most favorite items by ClicTime are the LEGO minifigure clocks. They are basically giant minifigures (over 9” or 22cm tall), with the same articulation as regular minifigs (head, arms, hands and legs all rotate). They even have capes for characters like Batman, Robin and Batgirl. You can use these clocks as supersized heroes and villains in your LEGO adventures. Isn’t that fun? 😀

Oh, yes, and these giant figures also work as regular alarm clocks. The digital clock is integrated into the chest, with controls at the back of the figures. You can press down the head to activate the snooze and backlight functions. I like the attention to detail. For example, Batman has a yellow backlight, while Nya (the water ninja) comes with blue light, and Kai (the fire ninja) with red light. I should also mention that the quality of these clocks is just what you would expect from anything under the LEGO brand; they are excellent with shiny plastic, beautiful printing, and well-fitting joints.

Under The LEGO Batman Movie collection the alarm clocks include five characters; Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Harley Quinn and The Joker. These are also available at the Apparel & Accessories section of the Online LEGO Shop, as well as on Amazon.

The LEGO Ninjago Hands of Time collection will include Jay, Kai and Nya in both watch and clock form, but unfortunately only Nya is going to be available in the US, starting in May of this year (Jay and Kai will be sold in the UK). However, more LEGO Ninjago characters from previous seasons of the TV show are available in the US as well. There is also going to be a range of products related to The Ninjago Movie coming later this year, but there is no detailed information about them yet.

What do you think? How do you like the LEGO watches and clocks? Do you have any of them already? Which one do you like the most? And what other characters would you like to see in the future? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below! 😉

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

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