Classic Space Restoration Project

[DPrime]

To be honest, I hadn't considered that as a way of differentiating the older parts, but I certainly will in future. It's only really applicable to the plain bricks; there are ways to tell apart many of the other pieces. I've used period parts as replacements wherever possible, but occasionally the odd contemporary piece sneaks in - usually because newer ones look better (the colour matches better, or, in the case of the trans-green and trans-red parts, old ones always look old and tired). If you're restoring, then it depends on time and budget - the more you have of both, the more you can worry about getting period replacements. I look at it as a bit like restoring a classic car: a good restoration will use new replacements for some parts without shame.

Oh, I agree with that. Still, the parts are out there... as you say, as long as one is patient, it can be done.

Regarding the molding pip... I have noticed that most of the 1x2 blue CS logo bricks seem to have the pip on the stud, not the side (most, but not all... and it may only be "most" in my own collection, after all). ALL of my 918, 924 and 928 printed 1x4 bricks have the pip on the stud, not the side, though. Obviously the late '70s and early '80s was a transition period... still, when I got my old mixed Lego pieces from my parents last year, nearly all my bricks had the molding pip on the side, so this is the way I'm restoring old sets... at least up until '86 or so.

Speaking of which, I recently obtained a 928 Galaxy Explorer in stunningly beautiful condition... only thing is all the large grey engine cones have the axle hole. Bricklink lists this as "alternate" pieces; does that mean certain sets (presumably ones produced later on) had them originally as well?

It would be great if we had some general spans of time in which sets and pieces remained in production and/or circulation... If only Lego Historian was more of a Classic Space/'80s fan!

Well darn, between the LEGO Movie, picking up a 6847 Space Dozer in a charity shop and remembering and (re)reading this thread, I fear I might get nostalgic for sets decades before my time. Maybe it's time for another Bricklink adventure...

They do have a real charm to them, eh?

[mrfuture]

Good job to restore those ships from the Classic Space period. I had both 918 and 928 in my childhood. Unfortonally now part of a big spaceship.

Eary this year I had my own restoration of 928, Built for a local LUG event and I bought a 918 from bricklink.

[Dan73]

Stickered Red Dude came with 889 Radar Truck, which I can only assume was an early-release promotional set before the printed figures were finalised, but I'm sure someone with more knowledge can enlighten us.

I know this thread is a zombie, but thought I'd throw my tuppence in. I had the Galaxy Explorer as a kid and both the 2 red and 2 white minifigs had stickers for their torso. I only parted with it 3 or 4 years ago, so it's still fresh in my memory. And yes, I now regret having sold off all my classic space.

[Lind Whisperer]

I know this thread is a zombie, but thought I'd throw my tuppence in. I had the Galaxy Explorer as a kid and both the 2 red and 2 white minifigs had stickers for their torso. I only parted with it 3 or 4 years ago, so it's still fresh in my memory. And yes, I now regret having sold off all my classic space.

What country was the set from?

Thanks to the wonderful work from Gary Istok, we know that in the early days, LEGO branches in certain countries operated somewhat independently of the main corporation. Maybe this was a case where a country didn't have the equipment to print on the torsos, so they used stickers?

[Dan73]

It would have been bought in the UK, I'm sure...I don't think my folks would have sourced it from overseas. I don't know which toy store it would have been from, though.

[Krikkit]

I need some d00dz... I still love this.

[DelQuinn]

I just came across this thread. Amazing work, I am currently working on restoring my old space sets.  I have most of them fully restored or mostly restored at this point, not that I had a large collection as a kid. I'm now starting to expand and see which of the sets I didn't have that I can start acquiring parts to build them up.

 

The 918 is my oldest set and definitely most worn out.  For the restored version, I do have new wing plates and other parts without bite marks but I wanted to keep as much of the original pieces as I could

 

[danth]

Well that's certainly an improvement! Nice!

This reminds me of when I was a kid and my well-used parts were so grubby, if I had a MOC I particularly liked, I'd bust out an old toothbrush and clean the whole thing with soap and water. Then the parts would look so new! No more scratches filled in with dirt. No idea if the toothbrush was putting micro-scratches all over the parts...but I felt so proud of my newly cleaned MOCs.