[MOC] 1:8 Corvette C7

[mihao]

Here is my recent MOC of the Corvette C7, and I'd like to share some details about it. It took me over three months to design, and here's the result. The model can be fully motorized by adding PF parts to the static version, making it easy to swap motors when needed elsewhere.

 

I've included a 4-speed gearbox in the MOC, which works with remote control. Initially, I thought the driving ring part wouldn't be strong enough for motorization, but it proved to be reliable. During testing, the driving ring part neither slipped nor was damaged. Interestingly, I started with two XL motors due to the MOC's weight, but they caused issues. The high torque twisted the axle combining the input from both motors. Switching to two L motors, despite their lower torque, resulted in better performance due to their quicker rotation speed. The differential 65414 effectively converts rotation speed to torque.

The paddle shifters are based on the idea from Rotating Paddles - LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling - Eurobricks Forums, with some modifications. The entire gearbox is at the rear of the car, requiring an upright axle for input. To achieve this, I had to use a blue sliding gear to change the output direction.

 

The following picture is for height adjustment, rotating the black 20T gear moves the two pins where the shock absorbers are attached. The front wheel mechanism is similar but more compact. I encountered issues when motorizing the height adjustment, as the medium motor didn't provide enough torque. Down-gearing increased torque but damaged the universal joints along the long axle connecting the front and back. To prevent parts from cracking, I added a 24T gear with a clutch (60c01) to both the front and back.

Since I wanted the roof to be removable, the windshield needed to stand independently without roof support. The trapezoidal shape of the windshield was designed with all four sides as integers to build it with beams as below. The top is 18, the bottom is 22, and both sides are 8. Locks on both bottom corners ensure stability when mounted on the car. I used the same geometry for the back trunk cover, extending the sides twice.

 

Here are some pictures of the MOC:

 

Here is a demonstration video:

 

Instructions are available at https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-188766/Lego__Bee/18-chevrolet-corvette-c7, and your comments are appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Jurss]

I see great challenges solved here. Looks also good, but from front more like some doge viper.

[Paul B Technic]

Great to see how much work and detail you put in to this. The way you have explained it is great.

[mihao]

On 7/15/2024 at 10:36 PM, Jurss said:

I see great challenges solved here. Looks also good, but from front more like some doge viper.

Seems to be a good start for Doge viper.C7 Vette should have lower front hood, but due to the chunky LEGO v8, can't really lower it any more. Thanks!

 

On 7/15/2024 at 11:23 PM, Paul B Technic said:

Great to see how much work and detail you put in to this. The way you have explained it is great.

 Thank you!

[mihao]

After some time with my Corvette C7 MOC, I decided to upgrade it based on feedback I received. The most significant change is the hood: in the original version, it was a bit "flat," so I redesigned it with curved panels to more closely resemble the real car. Unfortunately, this change meant sacrificing the hood vent, which was a tough trade-off.

 

With the new hood design, I also had to adjust the front lights. After testing different options, I realized the soft axle was the best way to replicate the daytime running lights (DRL). Although I’m not usually a fan of the soft axle, it really enhances the look here.

 

I added a black stripe across the entire body, making the design more stylish and conserving red pieces for future builds. To match the stripe, I also changed the roof to black, which turned out to look even better.

Another improvement was to the tail lights, which were somewhat understated in the original design. I pushed them out to make them more noticeable. I also updated the rear wheel arches to mirror the original, giving the car a sportier look, and smoothed out the decklid for a sleeker finish.

 

Finally, I added some custom decals—or, well, stickers. They’re simple but fun, and they add a touch of style that makes the finished model even more eye-catching.

 

[bruh]

Wow! Looks leagues better than the first version, even though the first version looked great too! I like the use of the hood!

[Lixander]

While the 1st version was also good with all it`s features, this one matches the level of the mechanical features with the looks.

Excellent job!, keep it up ;) 

[Sokolov Edward]

An excellent example of creating a car exterior in the Lego Technic style without plugging holes with "brickwork".

[mihao]

On 10/26/2024 at 5:09 PM, bruh said:

Wow! Looks leagues better than the first version, even though the first version looked great too! I like the use of the hood!

Thanks! LEGO parts are a bit too curvy for this, so I have to extend them with beams to make it a bit more flat.

 

On 10/26/2024 at 11:41 PM, Lixander said:

While the 1st version was also good with all it`s features, this one matches the level of the mechanical features with the looks.

Excellent job!, keep it up ;) 

Thank you!

 

On 10/27/2024 at 1:05 AM, Sokolov Edward said:

An excellent example of creating a car exterior in the Lego Technic style without plugging holes with "brickwork".

Thanks! I tried to use the least amount of non-technic bricks because they just don't look right when pairing with technic parts for some reason. Meanwhile, non-technic bricks are easier to fall, and it is risky when driving around the MOC with RC controller.

 

P.S. I just posted this new design at LEGO MOC 1:8 Chevrolet Corvette C7 V2 by Lego__Bee | Rebrickable - Build with LEGO in case you want to check out more pictures of it.

[arjan400016]

Amazing car and a great lego version off it.

But I have to say that although I like it a lot, I'm not going to build it. €26 is just to much for instructions, at least for me

[mihao]

3 hours ago, arjan400016 said:

Amazing car and a great lego version off it.

But I have to say that although I like it a lot, I'm not going to build it. €26 is just to much for instructions, at least for me

Thank you for your honest opinion. What do you think a fair price should be? 

[Sokolov Edward]

3 hours ago, mihao said:

What do you think a fair price should be? 

The adequacy of the price depends on the income level in the country - somewhere even 3 euros will be unacceptably expensive, and from Russia, even if I wanted to, I simply won’t be able to buy anything from you. Chinese Lego competes in price (with acceptable quality) not only with Lego, but also with MOC - for 10-15 euros you can get a beautiful box with 1000-1500 parts and printed instructions, and not just a poorly made PDF file.

[arjan400016]

For me the limit is around €15,- I really enjoy building mocs. Building experience is most of the time a bit more challenging and more fun than with original lego sets,  but with collecting the parts it's already a challenge to do it on a budget. 

[mihao]

3 hours ago, Sokolov Edward said:

The adequacy of the price depends on the income level in the country - somewhere even 3 euros will be unacceptably expensive, and from Russia, even if I wanted to, I simply won’t be able to buy anything from you. Chinese Lego competes in price (with acceptable quality) not only with Lego, but also with MOC - for 10-15 euros you can get a beautiful box with 1000-1500 parts and printed instructions, and not just a poorly made PDF file.

Agree that Chinese bricks are much cheaper, and it also have a lot of good designs there. But the biggest problem is the part quality. I have tried some sets and they were so hard to assemble.

1 hour ago, arjan400016 said:

For me the limit is around €15,- I really enjoy building mocs. Building experience is most of the time a bit more challenging and more fun than with original lego sets,  but with collecting the parts it's already a challenge to do it on a budget. 

Considering the effort I put into this MOC, I can't set the price to EUR 15 on RB, otherwise, people will think this one is inferior to other MOCs in the same category. But I don't mind creating a coupon ("11EUROFF") here for whoever wants to build it. Cheers.

Edited October 31, 2024 by mihao

[langko]

I always appreciate it when someone takes the time to make a V2 to make things better! The new model is a step up for sure, great improvements around the front end especially.
As for MOC pricing I think no less than EUR 20 is fair and average for these scale MOC's on rebrickable. I also respect how you made it so those that bought V1 get this version for free.

Also regarding your post at the start regarding the shifter: One of the things a really like about that rotating paddle design is that it's super easy to change the output direction. Just build the steering column in mirror image so that the  connecting the paddles to the small linear actuator is on the left instead of the right. No need for more gearing further down the line. I've done this on a current MOC that I'm trying to incorporate it into. 

On 7/16/2024 at 1:40 PM, mihao said:

To achieve this, I had to use a blue sliding gear to change the output direction.

[mihao]

7 hours ago, langko said:

I always appreciate it when someone takes the time to make a V2 to make things better! The new model is a step up for sure, great improvements around the front end especially.
As for MOC pricing I think no less than EUR 20 is fair and average for these scale MOC's on rebrickable. I also respect how you made it so those that bought V1 get this version for free.

Also regarding your post at the start regarding the shifter: One of the things a really like about that rotating paddle design is that it's super easy to change the output direction. Just build the steering column in mirror image so that the  connecting the paddles to the small linear actuator is on the left instead of the right. No need for more gearing further down the line. I've done this on a current MOC that I'm trying to incorporate it into. 

Thank you for the suggestion. I didn't make myself clear in the first place I guess. By "output" direction, I mean the output axle (the black axle on the most left in the picture above) rotating position when it is idle. In the original design, it is like "X" (diagonal), but I need it to be "+" (upright), that is why I add a blue sliding 20T gear between the 12T bevel and the black 12T.  I am currently trying to tune the stepping mechanism to see if I can avoid the sliding 20T here.

 

[langko]

6 hours ago, mihao said:

Thank you for the suggestion. I didn't make myself clear in the first place I guess. By "output" direction, I mean the output axle (the black axle on the most left in the picture above) rotating position when it is idle. In the original design, it is like "X" (diagonal), but I need it to be "+" (upright), that is why I add a blue sliding 20T gear between the 12T bevel and the black 12T.  I am currently trying to tune the stepping mechanism to see if I can avoid the sliding 20T here.

Ah now I understand! In that case that can easily be fixed by using the newer knob gear with the “x” in the shifting mechanism instead of the standard “+” one? That new part has been a game changer for me. 

[mihao]

1 hour ago, langko said:

Ah now I understand! In that case that can easily be fixed by using the newer knob gear with the “x” in the shifting mechanism instead of the standard “+” one? That new part has been a game changer for me. 

Nice! that's the game changer for me too!