Random set of the day: Universal Set
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 8024 Universal Set, released during 1989. It's one of 7 Technic sets produced that year. It contains 113 pieces.
It's owned by 3,057 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at Brick Owl, BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $73.90, or eBay.
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20 comments on this article
Not sure how only 113 pieces, mostly Technic, can build a universe, but what do I know. LEGO instructions were less detailed back then.
Back when Technic sets didn't have 50 new moulds in one set to solve a building problem.
Gone are the days when some Technic sets had more than two builds.
Let's see, you can build a helicopter. And...is that a go-kart made out of your father's lawnmower? And...what the heck is that thing, an aerodynamic box on wheels?
Not the best example but I love some of the other sets that came out the same year. 8862 Backhoe Grader was epic.
@JGW3000 said:
"Not sure how only 113 pieces, mostly Technic, can build a universe, but what do I know. LEGO instructions were less detailed back then."
Hmm, it’s says universal not universe, and it is technically in the universe so statement checks out
Doesn't even have a universal joint though!
Love these universal sets. The logical entry into Technic, with all the pieces to make a variety of builds to learn the basics of building with Technic. That said, this one has that simplified steering mechanism, had one myself (from 8832), but rarely ever used it.
@Dlrohrer2003 said:
"Gone are the days when some Technic sets had more than two builds."
Gone are the days when some Technic sets had more than one build.
Interesting fact: this 8024 set can be combined with 8815 and 8820 to build a gorgeous Technic Racer (Idea Book Item No: 120270 at Bricklink).
I had all three in my childhood, and a couple of years ago I restored it - now I have it on my shelf ??
@PurpleDave said:
"Let's see, you can build a helicopter. And...is that a go-kart made out of your father's lawnmower? And...what the heck is that thing, an aerodynamic box on wheels?"
Don't be ridiculous! That thing's not aerodynamic at all.
I'm gonna guess that the outlying vehicle that isn't totally clear is a commuter car. Like, it's just a tiny little death trap that gets you from Point A to Point B. No storage space; just a seat, a steering wheel, and a prayer.
Universal building sets were technic's version of a Basic set (a.k.a. Freestyle a.k.a. creator a.k.a. Designer a.k.a. Creator). Just a bunch of parts, some instructions and a whole lot more ideas.
Current-day technic is not suitable for such a thing, sadly. When the whole thing is a technicolor 3D puzzle creative revbuilding won't be as easy. I do wonder if it would be possible, or even feasible, to get a line out again like Microtechnic, or something like the recent Dreamzzz 20-in-1s with a 10 euro set.
It also doesn't help that the majority of technic is just fast cars. What're you going to build? Another fast car? For all of them?
those are some interesting wheel pieces
@pumpkinwashingmachine said:
"those are some interesting wheel pieces"
Are they? This is what small Technic wheels looked like for decades....
Unfortunately seems like not all stood the test of time, I do have a number that have cracked.
@pilot63 said:
"Interesting fact: this 8024 set can be combined with 8815 and 8820 to build a gorgeous Technic Racer (Idea Book Item No: 120270 at Bricklink).
I had all three in my childhood, and a couple of years ago I restored it - now I have it on my shelf ??"
Gorgeous? only if you're into it...
although I would call the combination of 42046 and 42047 gorgeous, so to each their own?
https://www.lego.com/cdn/product-assets/product.bi.additional.extra.pdf/42047_X_Extreme%20Police%20Racer.pdf
@pilot63 said:
"Interesting fact: this 8024 set can be combined with 8815 and 8820 to build a gorgeous Technic Racer (Idea Book Item No: 120270 at Bricklink)."
Yes! I came here to post the same thing. When I was a kid, I received one of these sets as a gift. It came with the instructions for the racer, so I had to get the other two sets too.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"Let's see, you can build a helicopter. And...is that a go-kart made out of your father's lawnmower? And...what the heck is that thing, an aerodynamic box on wheels?"
Don't be ridiculous! That thing's not aerodynamic at all."
It's twice as aerodynamic as a Borg Cube.
@MCLegoboy said:
"I'm gonna guess that the outlying vehicle that isn't totally clear is a commuter car. Like, it's just a tiny little death trap that gets you from Point A to Point B. No storage space; just a seat, a steering wheel, and a prayer."
Don't be ridiculous! There's not enough room inside for a prayer.
@Binnekamp said:
"It also doesn't help that the majority of technic is just fast cars. What're you going to build? Another fast car? For all of them?"
Slow car?
@StudMuffin24 said:
" @pilot63 said:
"Interesting fact: this 8024 set can be combined with 8815 and 8820 to build a gorgeous Technic Racer (Idea Book Item No: 120270 at Bricklink).
I had all three in my childhood, and a couple of years ago I restored it - now I have it on my shelf ??"
Gorgeous? only if you're into it...
although I would call the combination of 42046 and 42047 gorgeous, so to each their own?
https://www.lego.com/cdn/product-assets/product.bi.additional.extra.pdf/42047_X_Extreme%20Police%20Racer.pdf "
Yeah, for a 7-year-old boy in Russia in the early ’90s, it really was like that. And you’re just a buzzkill :-P
@pilot63 said:
" @StudMuffin24 said:
" @pilot63 said:
"Interesting fact: this 8024 set can be combined with 8815 and 8820 to build a gorgeous Technic Racer (Idea Book Item No: 120270 at Bricklink).
I had all three in my childhood, and a couple of years ago I restored it - now I have it on my shelf ??"
Gorgeous? only if you're into it...
although I would call the combination of 42046 and 42047 gorgeous, so to each their own?
https://www.lego.com/cdn/product-assets/product.bi.additional.extra.pdf/42047_X_Extreme%20Police%20Racer.pdf "
Yeah, for a 7-year-old boy in Russia in the early ’90s, it really was like that. And you’re just a buzzkill :-P"
I meant no rudeness...although I'm honored to be called a
https://brickset.com/minifigs/dis003
https://brickset.com/minifigs/njo0402
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"Let's see, you can build a helicopter. And...is that a go-kart made out of your father's lawnmower? And...what the heck is that thing, an aerodynamic box on wheels?"
Don't be ridiculous! That thing's not aerodynamic at all."
It's twice as aerodynamic as a Borg Cube."
"Aerodynamics are irrelevant."