MY PICTURES DO NOT REPRESENT THE ACTUAL SET! These pictures are my slightly modified version, and I need to make that clear up front, but I posted these pics to show just how cool this set is. Now, with that disclaimer noted...
I'm not one to buy Lego sets to just build as told and then set it on the shelf to collect dust until reselling on ebay...what I want is what this car delivers-a design that can be a base for mods and inspiration for MOC's (My Own Creation). This car will easily serve as an ongoing, interactive piece, talking to you from the coffee table, constantly asking 'what if we do...add...change...' This car is by far the best one Lego has done yet! It not only was a fun build but is also the coolest looking Lego car yet, in my opinion. I don't say this because I'm some crazed Mustang enthusiast or anything...I could care less about that. But, this has such a sleek look I've never seen out of Lego before. On top of that, it's a great-sturdy design. I liked the VW hippie van 10220 but found the fragility of it frustrating. Everytime I'd pick it up to look at it or study a technique, pieces would keep falling off and by the time I'd get it back together I'd forget what I was studying in the 1st place! This Mustang won't trouble you like that. It's a great model piece for MOC builders for reference, let alone modify. The doors (as mentioned in the YouTube video https://youtu.be/SquocJuoeyc) are a totally new, ingenious design for lego. This is something I will be studying for future MOC pieces for awhile as well as many other techniques hidden within this car.
It took roughly 12 hours for me but others have reported less, and is pretty easy to follow. I can't think of any confusing steps and it made for 2 evenings of zen-like building. After completion I couldn't help to make a few changes myself (pics posted). Don't take that as a negative. This is one of the reasons why I absolutely love it! It already has 2 different set ups for personal preference-the original 1967 manufacturer car rolling off the assembly line, or the souped up muscle car you've been working on in the garage for years-but even on top of that, one can pick and choose a combination from those details. I personally, immediately stuck with the low rider front bumper and originally went with the side pipe exhaust (though changed it by the time of these pictures, which will soon further my point) while finding the stock hood scoop much more stylish over the steroided out blower intake (but I have to admit and give credit, it's amazing how perfectly the open hood rolls over the complex blower design! Very well built!). The spoiler, though looked great, I went back to the smooth hatchback, but again, that's the glory of it...it was just my own personal choice! At this point I began my own personal mods not included in the set but with amazing simplicity with my own stash of loose legos.
Though the NOZ canister in the trunk was a nice touch, I decided a speaker box would be much cooler. I managed to easily build my own speaker box, (and as a side note-design idea to Lego-I would love to one day see a black 4x4 embossed screen mesh to cover the speakers with!) I added smooth tiles to represent floor mats inside, expanded the driver's dash, moved the seats up by one space (just because I'm not that tall) and then I scrapped the side pipes for running boards, but additionally redesigned the side pipes to straight pipes. Though I had to work with my own non-included pieces and couldn't use the colors I'd like to have, the fact that I could easily modify it, is an example of the freedom and flexibility this car delivers for personalization!
I didn't use all the stickers (I like to build it to completion once before adding decals, only so I can save any I decide I don't like properly for future owners) but the two decals I had to use were the back bumper GT emblem and the license plate. The emblem looks great while the set includes a choice of 5 different plates-the traditional 'GT 1967', 3 various European designs (one of which is German and refers to an early concept designer Adam Grobowski, as mentioned in the included booklet) but I chose to stick with the 'P51 AK2' which is designer Mike Psiaki's 2nd plate, (as explained in the YouTube video) out of respect for such a great design. (Thank you Mike, and I look forward to the '63 Stingray...hint, hint!)
The only complaint I can think of is the design of the rims, and this is minimal. The front wheels are connected to the steering wheel to turn left or right, which is friggin' cool, but the tires, when turned all the way hits the wheelwell. This is just a personal pet peeve of mine (take note Mike!). This is why, as seen in my pictures, I swapped out the front tires for a lower profile set of tires from another Creator set (any collector knows these tires from many various previous sets). I felt it looked much better, but, the other thing was the rims themselves. They are totally new rims to Lego and look amazing, but Lego Creator and Technic rims traditionally are double sided so one can pick from 2 different styles. These rims can still be flipped to create a deep dish look but weren't specifically designed for that. The back side of the spokes are hollowed out and I had to rework the axle stems (again, using personal stock of pieces, so don't expect to get this look from the box set) to fit them correctly. But, with that being said, it is a minimal gripe and in the end, they look great and are just another example of how this car gripped my interest long beyond original completion!
So, in conclusion, whether you're a traditional Lego collector or an aspiring MOC master builder, this set will fill that building itch! You won't be disappointed! It's a beautiful piece either way, packed full of ideas and inspiration.
KIDS ZONE
