HotDogSandwiches
CADA AE86 - Heavily Modified
I\'m not posting this to the usual LEGO groups because this is largely not made of LEGO bricks.
Time for something a bit outside my wheelhouse! This is my heavily modified version of a Toyota AE86 designed by a LEGO knockoff brand called CADA. I bought it because I liked the idea of having another Speed Champions-style car on my shelf that had additional functionality like the LEGO Ford Mustang does. It has functional steering like the Mustang, and it also has suspension on the rear axle. It\'s also fully geared (and has a differential) for motorization. Plus, unlike many (most?) clone brands, this design wasn\'t stolen from LEGO or a MOC. It\'s original to CADA.
To see what it looked like before my modifications, you can check out some great images by František Hajdekr over here. Basically, I think they missed the mark aesthetically in a few ways. They gave it too round of a roof (because they copied the Mustang), an uneven belt line (because they copied the Mustang), and no C pillars or really any form to the bodywork at all by the rear side windows. I also didn\'t like its reliance on stickers for details like door handles and the radiator grill. It had some small mechanical issues too, like steering that would ratcheted because the 40-tooth gear got caught on some internal supports, and some poorly reinforced elements such as the hood hinges and the rearmost suspension linkage.
I fixed all of that and added some personal touches, too: black wheels and a white hood and lights for a more factory aesthetic, a dark red interior with black floors and proper Toyota seats, a largely redesigned engine with spark plug wires, an air filter, a radiator hose, new headers, and a battery; and various other changes and bugfixes including eliminating illegal techniques and filling small gaps.
This thing is now at least 1/3 official LEGO pieces as a result of my meddling. The cost of my tweaks (about $60) was massively more than I paid for the set (under $20) to begin with!
CADA AE86 - Heavily Modified
I\'m not posting this to the usual LEGO groups because this is largely not made of LEGO bricks.
Time for something a bit outside my wheelhouse! This is my heavily modified version of a Toyota AE86 designed by a LEGO knockoff brand called CADA. I bought it because I liked the idea of having another Speed Champions-style car on my shelf that had additional functionality like the LEGO Ford Mustang does. It has functional steering like the Mustang, and it also has suspension on the rear axle. It\'s also fully geared (and has a differential) for motorization. Plus, unlike many (most?) clone brands, this design wasn\'t stolen from LEGO or a MOC. It\'s original to CADA.
To see what it looked like before my modifications, you can check out some great images by František Hajdekr over here. Basically, I think they missed the mark aesthetically in a few ways. They gave it too round of a roof (because they copied the Mustang), an uneven belt line (because they copied the Mustang), and no C pillars or really any form to the bodywork at all by the rear side windows. I also didn\'t like its reliance on stickers for details like door handles and the radiator grill. It had some small mechanical issues too, like steering that would ratcheted because the 40-tooth gear got caught on some internal supports, and some poorly reinforced elements such as the hood hinges and the rearmost suspension linkage.
I fixed all of that and added some personal touches, too: black wheels and a white hood and lights for a more factory aesthetic, a dark red interior with black floors and proper Toyota seats, a largely redesigned engine with spark plug wires, an air filter, a radiator hose, new headers, and a battery; and various other changes and bugfixes including eliminating illegal techniques and filling small gaps.
This thing is now at least 1/3 official LEGO pieces as a result of my meddling. The cost of my tweaks (about $60) was massively more than I paid for the set (under $20) to begin with!