Retrobricker is rebuilding vintage Lego sets.

[Retrobricker]

Hi all,

Welcome to this new topic.

My name is Andre, 54 years young and playing with Lego again (after 40 years ).

I've started to rebuild some of our old sets, that was great fun.

We only owned  a dozen of sets, it was quite expansive those days.

A few months ago we bought some kilos of used Lego parts, sorted them out and now we have a nice stock of old parts.

 

The first rebuild was this Renault, i think it was the last Lego present Santa bought me (Christmas 1975).

I hope to build many more vintage sets from 1958 to 1976 by using original building instructions and share the results with you all.

There's also a Youtube channel (search for Retrobricker) where the models are presented with building instructions like this lovely Fire Engine from 1964.

It is a really funny model, gotta love the ladder on the roof.

More to follow soon,

Andre

 

[JopieK]

Very nice sets! The good old days!

[Retrobricker]

Thanks,

Here's another finished truck, set 317 from 1963.

Even i wasn't born yet .

I really love the design of this truck, it's made from basic bricks and plates and still looks rather smart.

 

[carebear]

Love those old sets

Greetings ( Groetjes )

[Xon67]

You have to appreciate these classic sets.  They are great to see.  It must be fun and satisfying to put these together.

Edited July 17, 2018 by Xon67

[Retrobricker]

Hi,

It's great fun indeed to build these models, keeps me busy for a while .

Managed to piece together some nice models from 1955/1958.

The following info i found on internet, please do correct me if i'm wrong.

These sets are one of the first houses LEGO sold i think.

The round 1x1 bricks can be blue or red depending on age.

Sometimes one of these sets are for sale on Ebay at absurd prices, do people really pay that much for "original" sets? 

 

Andre

 

 

Edited July 22, 2018 by Retrobricker

[jan kusters]

Nice builds Retrobricker, and you are in the same mood as me; I am building old sets and designs from old leaflets as well! I build the Renault earlier this year, and it looks great! Uhm, from the Netherlands? Oops...Things are getting crowded here!

 

Edited July 30, 2018 by jan kusters

[Retrobricker]

Hi Jan,

Nice U-boat you have there.

Thanks for the thumbs up and the very first reply on the Retrobricker Youtube Channel.

Just uploaded the next set i pieced together.

Set number 320, a nice airplane from 1965.

Fun to build, many parts.

 

Andre

Edited July 30, 2018 by Retrobricker

[jan kusters]

The funny thing is I am only now finding out that builds like this plane and the truck you build were sets.

When I was a kid, I had the small Idea Books and the leaflets that came with the brick packs, and I always thought the pictures of these were just 'suggestions' on what and how to build stuff. The first 'real' set I got as a kid was a motorised train (set 115), and that was not really a set but more a motor with some 'special' parts needed to build a train, and I thought of it like a large parts set. Back then, I never build any of these exactly like they were supposed to, and it is great to see them now as they should be.

On the other hand, I now still have the tendency to first build it as it should be, and then look for things to make it 'better'. Building, rebuilding and improving is my biggest joy right now!

Edited July 30, 2018 by jan kusters

[Retrobricker]

Hi,

Back again with some new rebuilds.

This is set 303 from 1964.

Managed to build this by using some not to clear building instructions i found.

This airplane is very basic but i can imaging one could be very happy with it back in 1964.

 

Another finished set is this dump truck (nr 331 from 1967)

These 6 stud wide trucks with steering are my favourite.

Used to own the fire engine 374 back then, loved it as a kid and still do.

 

Andre

 

 

Edited August 4, 2018 by Retrobricker

[Aine]

Nice work,I like the sets. They are simple yet elegant!
Especially the airplane is lovely!

[Retrobricker]

Hi there,

Apologies for the slow respons.

We were on a short holiday with a rather bad wifi connection.

 

Aine,

Thanks, it's great fun rebuilding these old sets.

Many more to come i hope.

 

Jan,

Found some old LEGO idea books online with some of the models like you said.

Looks like some of the ideas were good enough to release them as a set, smart guys .

 

Posted another airplane on the Retrobricker channel.

 

 

[InvisibleTimmy]

Cool. I prefer classic sets from  the minifig era, so around the 80s, but I can’t deny that the older stuff is cool too

[Retrobricker]

Hi,

Back again with a "new" vintage LEGO model.

Finally finished the old church from 1958 (set 309).

Took a while to gather all the white windows.

Some are not the correct type (short/long sill) but it looks good enough to me.

Next sets are on their way like the locomotive with coach (323 - 1964) and the London Bus (313 - 1966).

Hope to show them here this weekend.

 

Edited September 1, 2018 by Retrobricker

[Retrobricker]

The train was a bit delayed but finally it arrived .

It's the funny toy train (323) from 1964.

The London Bus is still on it's way.

 

Edited September 3, 2018 by Retrobricker

[Retrobricker]

Hi again,

For those who doesn't like to travel by train, the London Bus from 1966 has arrived.

 

 

 

There are now 37 videos online and many more to follow.

 

 

Edited September 9, 2018 by Retrobricker

[cadre]

I am enjoying seeing all these older sets. I might have to track down some of these older pieces and rebuild some of the sets. There is something elegant about their simpler designs.

[Retrobricker]

Hi Cadre,

I also love the fact that all these vintage models can be build with basic bricks.

Finished rebuilding another old LEGO set.

It's the 4 car auto transporter nr 157 (1970), sold in the USA by Samsonite.

We have to do it without the four 1/87 scale cars.

https://brickset.com/sets/157-3/4-Car-Auto-Transport.

This set is very easy to build but the design is a bit flimsy, it easily falls apart when using it as a toy.

 

 

 

Andre

Edited September 15, 2018 by Retrobricker

[jan kusters]

Yes, back in those days Lego was more about the building process than about displaying it or playing with it. I remember a Lego rocket (also Samsonite, though I saw pictures of it here in Europe) that was impossible to pick up once build. 

[Retrobricker]

Hi Jan,

Do you mean this space rocket?

Samsonite Modelmaker Set number 801 (1964).

https://brickset.com/sets/801-3/Space-Rocket

This one is on my To-Do list, i don't have enough of the white macaroni bricks.

The rocket would be half the size and will look a bit odd .

 

[jan kusters]

Yep, that's the one...

I remember having mixed feelings about the macaroni bricks as a kid; anything you build with them was prone to break up, but at the same time they made things possible that could not be done any other way.

You are still doing very well with those old sets, love looking at them.

Edited September 23, 2018 by jan kusters

[Marishka]

There's really something intresting in this old minimalistic style! It's aestethics look fresh to me, I did't see lot of builds like this before.

[Retrobricker]

Hi,

Pieced together a few more models like this car with caravan and camper van.

This set (002-10) was a promotional set made by Samsonite in the USA for Kraft Velveeta.

https://brickset.com/sets/2-10/Mini-Wheel-Model-Maker-No-2

 

The white coupler at the rear of the car looks a bit odd, why didn't they use a red one instead?

Or am i nitpicking?

 

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by Retrobricker

[Retrobricker]

Hi all,

Back again with some "new" vintage models.

Bought a small lot of old LEGO pieces the other day.

In this lot i saw 2 old containers/display windows which can be used to build set 307 (VW auto showroom - 1958).

They are a bit warped/shrunken so i had to attack one of them with a dremel  to make it fit properly.

Here's the result,

The design still looks good after 60 years

Edited October 7, 2018 by Retrobricker

[jan kusters]

Fine little build again, and a nice video!

I am always impressed with how those old 'simple' builds work out better than expected. In this case the open wall to the back ads a lot of interest and functionality to the building; all of a sudden it is not just a 'little showroom' where you can put a car in, it is a fully functional garage; sales and display to the front, workshop around the back. And the blue base works nice too.

Edited October 14, 2018 by jan kusters