Classic LEGO sets: Technical Sets, part 2
Posted by Huw,
Just in case we haven't published enough articles on Technic lately, here's part two of TechnicNick's look back at early sets from the 1970s:
After the first year, the ‘Expert Builder’ tag was quietly dropped. Despite (slightly) easier to read instructions, you still needed to be on your toes...
Having covered the initial 1977 releases, here are my picks of the subsequent three years. Once again, it’s all of them...
For ’78 and ’79, LEGO sought to complete the range of models, and we got four different model types that, like the initial four sets, gave a pretty good indication of what models Technic would still be giving us many years later.
854 Go-Kart
First, at 206-pieces, the smallest of these early sets – the 854 (948 US) Go-Kart. This was a smash hit and if you’ve ever built one you’ll soon see why. The main model is a simple, elegantly designed, robust bundle of fun. The engine, with its old square piston leaping up and down behind the seat, sounds great as you (over)steer it across the kitchen floor. Happy days....
The set itself retains the box style of the older kits, including plenty of good ideas, but the instructions were all books rather than blueprints for these later kits. As a set, it’s less versatile than set 850, but it makes up for that with its fun factor and blueness. As a fun model, it hasn’t been bettered since.
You’ll find one used in good condition for around £20 (they must have sold millions!). That will be the best £20 you can spend on LEGO.
855 Mobile Crane
Also new for 1978 was 42009’s great-grandad, set 855 (955), the mobile crane. Here’s one model type that newer kits really have improved upon, but despite its relative lack of sophistication, there’s lots of vintage charm here. At 512-pieces it was second only to the 853 car chassis in size. A solution could be found to the model’s apparent shortcomings in the ideas pages of the instruction book – combine it with an 850 to make it the model it should probably have always been.
The best thing about this set is, once again, the ideas on the box. Every type of crane imaginable can be made with the excellent mix of parts in this, and for that it deserves its place in your collection. You’ll pay around £70 used.
1979 was a vintage year for LEGO. New-fangled minifigures in three new themes were the big news, and the early town, castle and space sets are all classics. In the middle of all this, someone remembered to pop out two new Technical Sets.
856 Bulldozer
856 (951) was a very yellow and rather impressive bulldozer. The first tracked model, it used racks and gears for functions that these days would have linear actuators, but it was still an effective model. Once again, those tracks found many different uses on the box illustrations. It made a great mid-range complement to the existing sets.
While these sets still had the outer ideas pages on their instruction books, those pages never featured sets other than the 1977 and 1978 releases.
A 856 now would cost around £60 used. As with all of these, it’s well worth paying extra for the box.
857 Motorcycle and Sidecar
Replacing the 852 Helicopter, here’s the equally short-lived and rare 857 motorcycle with sidecar. Boasting 409-pieces and being the third set to feature those large 24x43 rubber tyres, this is probably the only motorcycle that could ever be considered a ‘big’ set. It’s a chunky, vintage thing that shares with 851 a distinctly Model Team look to its styling. Later ‘bikes are admittedly better, although the classic styling of this still appeals. Minus the clunky and rather plain sidecar...
You’ll find a used one for around £70, or how about a choice of two sealed ones on Bricklink at an average price of £380 ?
A reader did comment after Part 1 that it would be a sin to open such a thing now.... I can’t agree; it’s a sin that it hasn’t been opened and enjoyed, surely? I didn’t pay nearly as much for a sealed 8862 but still greatly enjoyed building that model with nice, clean, brand new 25-year-old LEGO! It had been sitting in my Bricklink store at £200 for ages (a lowish average price) but there were no takers. This is what leads me to suspect that the very high prices for sealed sets of this age are largely illusory. Sure, there are very few of them, but there are even fewer buyers at that level for a set that has no use unless you’re prepared to decimate it’s value.
I’m digressing; we’re in 1979, ten years away from awesome Technic backhoes...
1979 also brought a useful expansion to the repertoire of Technical pieces with new gear sizes and beam lengths, as well as chain links (new in 857). These were also sold in very handy ‘supplementary sets’ that proved very useful if you wanted to 'moc' a more complex model. For pocket money prices, you could get yourself a set of beams and gears, or steering parts, to tide you over until the next birthday. LEGO also operated a useful spare parts service at this time, and all the sets had an order form for this included. Somebody had clearly thought about the needs of 'mocers'.
8860 Car Chassis
In 1980 in the UK, we only got one new Technic (as it was newly branded) set... but what a set that was! Responsible for inspiring more engineers than any other toy, I give you set 8860, the second car chassis, and a direct replacement for 853.
It was more sophisticated, much stronger, and importantly to ten year old boys, sportier. Crucially, it was better engineered than its forebear and the various functions worked very well, except possibly the swing-axle rear suspension, but then that never worked brilliantly in real life (ask a VW Beetle owner, after you’ve dragged him out of the hedge...)
Here was a kit that gave the budding engineer a chance to see how a differential or a gearbox worked, to really understand what he or she was assembling. Technic came of age with this kit and started to realize its potential, bringing a new level of sophistication to the genre.
It might be the first of a new wave, but it’s also the last of the old. It’s the last set to feature illustrations on the box for extra models with no explicit instructions, most of which were better than the dragster that was the official B-model... There was definitely a shift to a greater percentage of Technical pieces here, but this still ranks as probably the most versatile set I own.
The car looked cool as well. The fact that the chassis was an accurate black helps, and the use of colour to highlight various features was masterfully done. For an example of how not to use the same colours, take a look at it’s replacement...
8860 was good enough to sit at the top of the range for eight years, and is still one of the best sets of any kind. If you only ever get one Technic set, make it this one. An £80 (used) bargain.
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18 comments on this article
What is your bricklink store called?
Darn. Not the first to comment.
In any case, great article! And keep old Technic reviews/articles coming, please! How much would 20 pounds be in US dollars? I would sure love one of those Go-Karts.
^^ Vintage Technic UK and ^ around $30-$40. Thanks guys.
The Expert Builder name remained for US releases through 1985.
This is real technic Lego, not like the modern sets that hold no interest for me. The go-kart was one of my favourite sets as a kid, I could even build the whole thing from memory without instructions. I must have wasted hours of my early years dreaming of owning the car chassis, but never did get it as a kid. Did finally get one about 6 years ago along with 3 other technic sets and 8 classic space sets in an ebay bundle all for £32. Bargain.
Loving the retro reviews. Cheers.
Ah yes, I purchased my 8860 new in the early 1980's. Happy days. As you say, it was available for a number of years and later versions had one-piece shock absorbers/springs for the rear suspension in place of the spring, cross axle and bush construction. I suspect that was because if you pushed down on the rear end of earlier models the suspension exploded. More old Technic reviews please!
Great review. My 855 and 857 sets received in 1980 transformed my Lego experience for life.
I have recently received an excellent condition 854 and agree on the zippy comments.
These original Technic sets were clearly identifiable as Lego while today's designs are stronger and full of functions but less linked to the studded Lego system.
I am really enjoying all the recent Technic reviews.
I was rather too old for Lego when these sets came out (too busy with college, and starting a career) but for the first time I wish I could have been a child when they came out. I had the Samsonite gears and an early motor/wheels set, but couldn't find much in them to inspire me. These sets would have been much more fun, and much more stimulating!
Please keep reviews like this coming--they're not only fun reading, but often suggest models to add to my collection that I wouldn't have thought of before. Thank you so much, TechnicNick--and Huw!
I remember getting the helicopter 852 for Christmas in 1977 only because the two local toy shops had sold out of the 853 car chassis. I had to wait until my birthday in February to finally get it.
To me, these were the best technic sets lego produced.
Brilliant reviews, I look forward to the next instalment.
@woony2
You must be my long lost brother! :-)
Although I still haven't bought the sets retrospectively. I will one day.
I reckon I could still rebuild most of 854 from memory.
@TechNick: 855 shortcomings in the ideas pages of the instruction book – combine it with an 850 to make it the model it should probably have always been.
I was surprised to find the combination of 855 and 850 was in the book for 854 which I only discovered this year when I purchased 854. My 855 or 857 books did not have this combination suggestion. It's a good suggestion but odd that it was not included in the parent set.
Was this the first time Lego recommended combining two or more sets. It is common these days but I am not aware of this technique before the Technic sets.
Imho, the bulldozer 856 is THE early technic masterpiece. it looks pretty good, it works perfect, and the features are implemented neatly. And except parts 3145 and 3873, it is very easy to re-build from nearly any studded technic collection. If I had to choose only one pre-1980 technic set, 856 would be the one.
8860 was an improvement compared to 853, but it still lacks in a weak chassis right behind the front axle. We had to wait for 8865 until this issue had been solved.
I had the 8860 as a kid, then lost a lot of the parts.
Found it on eBay, purchased, and got out of the dark ages :)
I was AMAZING to see it in the vault, as part of the Inside Tour this year as well.
The 8860 was also the first Technic set that showed pictures of springs on the box, but actually introduced the shock absorber... I think the springs were given the axe late in the set's release due to safety issues... At least that was what I had heard back in the 80's...
^ Correct, I think. I never have seen one without the shock absorber piece, despite the illustration.
OK, so I succumbed to temptation and bought a boxed 854 on eBay.
My wife is offically starting to worry that we need a bigger house :-)
I am really enjoying these retro looks at the classic sets.
I remember that the 8860 was aimed at the older child, but my Dad still got it for me for Xmas when I was about 6 ( I think) - I did find it tricky to build, so much so that I ruined the diff cogs at the rear as the gearbox and engine did not marry properly.......so the diff did not want to turn, yet I forced it do to so.......diff cogs inside were a state.
I think I still have most of the parts within my Lego spares from yesteryear - I have got the maps somewhere on how to build it again - which I might very well do one day.
I even remember adding headrests to the seats made from roof slopes!
A great set - but then you played with the Lego rather than think what it would be like preserved in this day and age. I wish I had kept all the elements (box, etc), but the debate goes on - what is the use of a MIB Lego set? Diecast I get as MIB, but Lego? Open it up, build away!
^ This. Well said!