PetrolBlogPetrolBlogPetrolBlogPetrolBlog
  • Home
  • 70s cars
  • 80s cars
  • 90s cars
  • 00s cars
  • Manufacturers
    • CITROËN
    • PEUGEOT
    • RENAULT
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Audi
    • Dacia
    • Daihatsu
    • Fiat
    • Ford
    • Honda
    • Hyundai
    • Lancia
    • Matra
    • Mazda
    • Mercedes-Benz
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
    • Opel
    • Proton
    • Saab
    • Seat
    • Skoda
    • Suzuki
    • Talbot
    • Toyota
    • Vauxhall
    • Volkswagen
    • Volvo
  • Features
    • 10 of the best
    • CarTunes
    • General Bunk
    • It’s time to appreciate
    • Major Waffle
    • New cars
    • Regrets
    • Reviews
    • Save Our Scrap
    • Shatchbacks
    • Shednesday
    • The Barn
    • Whatever happened to?
  • Garage
  • Shop
0

Bricking it: PetrolBlog builds a LEGO Caterham 620R

Published by Gavin Big-Surname at 22nd February 2017
Bricking it: PetrolBlog builds a LEGO Caterham 620R

I haven’t worked out how to monetise PetrolBlog, but LEGO is almost certainly an acceptable form of payment. So when Caterham asked if they could send a LEGO Caterham 620R to PBHQ, I could hardly say no.

Shock horror: I wasn’t much of a LEGO fan when I was young. Back then, I preferred the ‘realism’ of a Matchbox or Corgi model car, building endless traffic jams running along the length of the hallway and into the living room. I also found Subbuteo more enjoyable, even if I was regularly beaten by my perfect cousin.

Truth is, I’ve discovered the joys of LEGO through my children. My house is filled with creations of all shapes and sizes: some finished, some in a state of disrepair. I share the anticipation of opening a LEGO box for the first time. The excitement is building, as an ad man once said.

There are only a few occasions when I wish Ole Kirk Christiansen hadn’t stumbled across one of the world’s greatest toys. And that’s when I stumble across an errant brick as I make my way – shoeless – across the living room carpet. The pain is up there with the cramp you only seem to get at three in the morning.

The other times: when I can’t for the life of me find a missing piece during a build project, or when I glance at the price of one my children’s most-wanted sets. LEGO can be an expensive hobby.

Not that the Caterham 620R is particularly expensive. At £74.99, it’s significantly cheaper than the £259.99 LEGO is asking for the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Admittedly, the Porka is a more complex LEGO Technic set, but when complete it looks like something that might appear on the ‘Wrecked Exotics’ website.

The Caterham 620R, on the other hand, looks superb. It’s as though the original Lotus Seven was designed with a Danish plastic brick company in mind. LEGO should consider creating a set paying tribute to The Prisoner, complete with miniature Patrick McGoohan and floating white balls.

LEGO Caterham 620R

I set aside a couple of hours to build the LEGO Caterham. This was my first mistake. Time to yourself is a rare commodity when you’re a father of young children, but I found myself with a bit of ‘me time’ just before Christmas. Optimistically, I reckoned I could complete the build in no time at all.

Two hours to myself. Enough time to build a Caterham? pic.twitter.com/lDpVYETWbd

— Gavin Big-Surname (@MajorGav) December 23, 2016

As it turned out, the project ran across four consecutive evenings. But what’s the hurry? Building a LEGO set, following the instructions, and watching it piece together is proper escapism.

My second mistake was building it on the floor. I’m pretty sure LEGO recommends building its sets on a table, no doubt in an attempt to avoid mislaid pieces and to make the build a little easier. But at my age, getting up from the floor is a painful business. Cue lots of groaning and aching limbs.

I could mention something about this LEGO Caterham being the most fun I’ve had on a carpet since… well, I won’t go there.

Seriously, it’s a terrific set, and I’m not just saying this because I received the gift as a kind of early Christmas present. I’ve seen more than enough LEGO sets to be able to sort the good ones from the bad, and this is definitely one of the better ones.

Compare and contrast with that suspect Porsche 911 GT3 RS and the weird looking Ferrari F40. The DeLorean is also a bit weak, but I have a lot of time for the Ghostbusters Ecto-1.

LEGO Caterham 620R cabin

The Caterham is built using 770 pieces, including a replica 620R engine and gear stick. Highlights, for me at least, include the three pedals, removable engine cover, petrol filler cap, the superb front wheel-arches and the headlights.

It’s not perfect. The removable nose cone feels a bit flimsy, the dashboard and door mirror section is a bit loose and it would have been nice for it to include a few moving parts. If the steering was attached to the wheels, for example. But I guess that’s the balance between keeping something affordable and retaining a level of authenticity.

I’d also say that the steering wheel is fitted too close to the dashboard, which only serves to obscure the three dials positioned behind. Oh, and it’s a shame that all the decals were pre-applied. It is nice to fit stickers as the finishing touch.

But really, this is nitpicking. Once complete, the LEGO Caterham is something you’d happily position alongside more traditional car models. Indeed, it has been sat on my office desk for two months. It’s that good. LEGO even includes a set of axle stands, so you can remove the wheels like a mechanic. Behind, you’ll find a set of ventilated brake discs.

An hour and 20 mins later… I love the attention to detail. Note the gearstick and pedals. #Caterham #LEGO pic.twitter.com/z609cJHVBp

— Gavin Big-Surname (@MajorGav) December 23, 2016

Hats off to LEGO, and in particular to designer Henrik Andersen, who took an idea submitted via the LEGO Ideas platform and created a masterpiece. It was Carl Greatrix who came up with the original idea, before Andersen worked on five or six versions before the model was complete. Gents, I wish I had a similar talent.

Thanks to Caterham and LEGO for sending a set to PetrolBlog for review. I can now say that I’ve built a Caterham, and I didn’t have to resort to spanners and swear words.

Share
0


Related Waffle


Citroen 2CV resting on the back of a truck

PetrolBlog: the chump is coming back

May 13, 2022
Fahnome Knight Rider build your own KITT

Sponsored: K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider is now available as a kit

Nov 17, 2021
Lesser Spotted Classics

You’ll love this book on Lesser Spotted Classics

Jun 28, 2021
Not a Robin Reliant

Britain, stop getting the Reliant Robin wrong

Jun 26, 2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest PetrolBlog Videos:

https://youtu.be/fXRLAHLNX7M
https://youtu.be/0vnsNaXh7KM

PetrolBlog in print!

Classic.Retro.Modern

Support PetrolBlog – Buy Stickers

  • Too good to scrap bumper sticker TOO GOOD TO SCRAP bumper sticker/plaster £3.00
  • French Tat bumper sticker #FrenchTat bumper sticker £3.50
  • My car is the goat bumper sticker My car is the G.O.A.T bumper sticker £3.00
  • Tollfoolery sticker Tollfoolery car bumper sticker £3.50
  • French Tat window sticker #FrenchTat window sticker £4.00
  • GOAT My car is the G.O.A.T window sticker £3.00
  • PetrolBlog sticker PetrolBlog car sticker £4.00
  • PETROLBLOG laptop sticker PetrolBlog laptop sticker £3.00 £2.50
  • Tollfoolery sticker Tollfoolery car window sticker £4.00
  • Waffle & Bunk laptop sticker Waffle & Bunk laptop sticker £3.00 £2.50

What you’re saying

  • 18th December 2022

    davidgrayson commented on Would you look good getting out of a Toyota Sera?

  • 12th December 2022

    Lorraine commented on Your reminder that the Lancia Ypsilon is still alive

  • 15th November 2022

    J. Darion DuBois commented on Save it from the ‘Banger Boys’: Peugeot 604

  • 7th November 2022

    Mahmood Razak Bahman commented on Whatever happened to the Proton Coupe?

  • 21st October 2022

    Joey Deacon commented on Whatever happened to the Invacar?

Fresh waffle

  • Citroen 2CV resting on the back of a truck1
    PetrolBlog: the chump is coming back
    13th May 2022
  • 2022 Dacia Jogger in Terracotta1
    The Dacia Jogger is a practical remix of the Matra Rancho
    14th December 2021
  • Toyota Land Cruiser No Time To Die2
    No Time To Die in a Toyota Land Cruiser
    13th December 2021
  • Fahnome Knight Rider build your own KITT0
    Sponsored: K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider is now available as a kit
    17th November 2021
  • Hyundai Heritage Series Grandeur rear light7
    The Hyundai Heritage Series Grandeur is the future we want
    12th November 2021
  • Club PetrolBlog most beautiful1
    Club PetrolBlog members at their most beautiful
    20th August 2021
  • Renault Avantime in Geneva0
    You won’t believe these facts about French cars
    19th August 2021
  • 2008 Citroen C51
    Berlin or bust: the Unmistakeably German ad campaign
    12th August 2021
  • Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres1
    PetrolBlog looks at Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres
    11th August 2021
  • Toyota Camry V6 and Porsche 9243
    An unexceptional day out in the Toyota Camry V6
    2nd August 2021

Newsletters

PetrolBlog
ABOUT | ADVERTISING / SPONSORSHIP | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS | CONTACT US

The world’s least influential car blog since 2010.

Copyright © PetrolBlog.

0
We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience and analyse site traffic. We also share information about how you browse our site with our advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you have provided to them or that they have collected for your use of their services.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT