Hello all.

Welcome to my review of the Lego Hot Rod. As with my other reviews, I'll be less technical and more down to earth. So no dry data here, just plain old Lego building.

Lets start with the box- it's medium-sized:

On the back you will see the usual B model and also the iPad Lego App- we'll get to that later:

Open the box and out slide...:

Two instruction manuals, decals, building parts (curiously, the front tires were inside a plastic bag but the rear ones were packed bag-free) and also...:

... spare parts box! this is handy, why have't I seen this before?

Some images from the first booklet:

"Make sure to buy this!":

The second booklet starts with the App:

And ends with the parts' inventory:

Here's a couple of pictures of the iPad App- it's full of features (I explain all about it in the Video attached to this review):

You can turn the model to different views in order to get better sense of the parts and how they're attached together:

As said above, more in the video.

Naturally, I decided to build the Hot Rod with the App and not with the booklet- a new experience:

Halfway through the build:

Almost there...:

Done!

* Yes, I know, where are the stickers? I thought they looked awful- couldn't put them on.

Leftovers:

Well, obviously they go in the box:

And now for different angle-shots:

Further thought and conclusions are in this video:

* Just a correction regarding the video; I spoke about a "movie mode" in the App, which was of course nonsense- it's just a mode that shows you a layer of the finished model underneath the current building stage- rather cleaver!

Well, I hope you liked the review- bottom line is that this model is not for everyone, AFOLs will claim it's too simple and lacking enough features, but I like it because it's certainly different. C'mon, it's a Hot Rod! Made of Lego!

Edited April 19, 201410 yr by yohai71

Nice review. Sariel also did a video review and build of this model along with the other 1h2014 sets here:

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=89095&hl=42022

Oh, I never knew that the set comes with a spare parts box. Nice!

Thanks for the nice review

My favourite part of the set is the leftovers box!! ^^

Nice review. I like this set in such small scale :)

Thanks for the review.

I was very interested in the App, but I don't own an iPad. Using the link shown, I went to the web page on my PC, and see that there is a web-browser version of this available.

I tried it on my PC, and it seems to provide the same functionality as the iOS and Android apps.

I was fairly impressed, as the animations for each step work even when you zoom in or rotate the model.

I also noticed that once the model was open, I could disconnect from the Internet. This might be important for people that don't have a WiFi connection at home.

I agree that for this model, the app is not that helpful for most AFOLs as the model assembly is pretty obvious from the instructions. It will be interesting to see if they expand this for larger or more complex models in the future.

Thanks for your comments.

I like this set and the parts box was something new for me. The app it's nice, and I have notice the same app on the box of 42030!

My set did not come with that spare parts box, anyone else had this too this?

The Android App only works on Samsung Galaxy Tab and Nexus 7.

So i cant use it on my Sony Xperia Z Tablet.

Edited May 3, 201410 yr by Eigenbroetler

@tibivi, mine didn't have the spare parts box either (and sariel did not mention this in his review either, if I recall correctly), must be specific for some countries ... :(

That's the first pictures I have seen of the B model. Its changing my mind to want to buy this set. Thanks for the review!

I'm just building this set now and there is no spare parts box for me either :o(

I saw this set built a couple of weekends ago as the B model and I thought it looked fairly good, not really in my theme so not something I will buy for my self.

Hey Yohai471, you're a good reviewer. I'll definitely try the LEGO TECHNIC iPad app, and I'm impressed of this set, too :)

I'm a huge TECHNIC fan :)

Thanks again for all your comments.

As for the spare parts' box, I assume (like someone said above) you get it depending on the country you've bought the kit in. In my case, I got the Hot Rod on Ebay from this Korean seller. The price was right for me, and shipping was free.

This is a pretty good set! It looks good and I like the roof folding mechanism, it's simple but quite ingenious. The steering system also works well, I guess there was no room to fit in a regular rack-and-pinion solution. The steering angle is pretty bad though, but I guess it can't be helped. I also like the medium blue panels, it's a nice colour. Hopefully we get some more in future sets, so we can build supercars in medium blue

This set looks very nice and it is well shaped - but what I cannot understand why there is no diferential ? No space for it? Too expensive?

Hard to fit a differential in there and connect it to the fake engine. Not a lot of room available.

A good quick mod is to move smaller pannels (#3 and #4) at the back just stud or two to the front. Model gets better shape, especially with roof folded.

Thanks for showing us this set. It reminded me of the model in my avatar: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=80485

A good quick mod is to move smaller pannels (#3 and #4) at the back just stud or two to the front. Model gets better shape, especially with roof folded.

Then the roof won't be properly aligned with the 'windshield' when it's extended. Can be easily fixed though, by adding support for the bent medium blue liftarms onto the 9L LBG liftarm (say, bushes on axle pins on either side), so they won't drop down too far when the roof is extended. Normally the rear lights provide this support.

Edited May 14, 201410 yr by jantjeuh

always room for a diff, efferman did it on his slightly larger scale but similar hot rod

http://www.brickshel...y.cgi?i=5316315

The Ipad app and the inclusion of a 'parts box' seems to me TLG is going to be doing away with instruction booklets on perhaps for now the technic series....

this way they save loads of money, they will probably offer printed manuals free but on request only - that way they still save money

and to not feel like they are taking something away from you they are including the small parts box....

Edited May 15, 201410 yr by Rockbrick