Review: 924 Space Cruiser
Posted by Huw,
Here's an article from our Ambasassdor DrDaveWatford that was first published on his blog GimmeLEGO in 2018. Dave publishes a lot of excellent material there and I encourage you to take a look.
We will be republishing a few of his articles here to give you a taster. This one recalls the acquisition of a set he missed out on in childhood, the classic space set 924 Space Cruiser.
Lapsed LEGO fans can emerge from their Dark Ages and re-enter the hobby via any number of different routes, but one of the most common motivations seems to be a desire to rediscover the beloved sets of their youth. That was certainly a major factor for me; while the initial trigger was the arrival of 10188 Death Star as a Christmas present, the next stage was a protracted trawl through my childhood LEGO collection and the painstaking restoration of my childhood sets.
The desire to replace missing parts lead to the discovery of Bricklink, while building instructions were secured from the likes of Brickset and Peeron; the realisation that boxed examples of my childhood favourites could be secured, at a price, from the likes of eBay and Bricklink lead to ever more expensive competition with fellow AFOLs, and thus was my descent into obsessive LEGO fandom confirmed....
I think the first set that I scraped together from my childhood collection and then subsequently purchased a boxed example of was probably 928 Galaxy Explorer (above). Over time I gradually tracked down boxed examples of other childhood Classic Space favourites via eBay and Bricklink, after which I started to home in on sets that I'd never owned as a child in order to try and expand my collection.
A number of Classic Space sets have remained stubbornly elusive over the years, however, with reasonably priced boxed examples being hard to come by, but I did recently manage to track down one of them, 924 Space Cruiser, so I thought I'd share it with you here.
According to Brickset the name of the set is Space Transporter, while Bricklink calls it Space Cruiser. I'd normally side with Brickset, out of loyalty to my favourite LEGO site if nothing else, but in this case I consulted the excellent LEGO Collector's Guide, Second Edition which calls it Space Cruiser so I went with that. [It's since been changed in our database -- Huw]
The front of the box (above) consists of a flap which lifts up to reveal the set contents. The flap is printed with a slightly over-exposed image of the LL 924 Space Cruiser spacecraft in flight over the surface of a barren planetoid. A blurry forklift, the set's small ancillary build, is pictured in the background along with one of the set's two minifigures.
Unfortunately, my copy of the set features the unwelcome 'bonus' of an unsightly mark caused by ancient adhesive tape running across the front of the box; normally such an addition would discourage me from parting with my cash, but when boxed examples of a set are in such short supply you sometimes just have to bite the bullet. The back of the box (below) showcases a number of alternative builds which can be assembled from the set contents.
The A4-sized instruction booklet arrived folded in half in order to fit into the box but has been unfolded here so I could photograph it. The front cover (below) features an upper panel which reproduces the artwork from the front of the box, while the lower panel contains assembly instructions for the set's two minifigures together with a small cargo container.
The back of the instruction booklet (below) showcases a number of Classic Space sets from 1978 and 1979, a sight sure to bring joy to the hearts of nostalgic AFOLs worldwide!
The box also contains a folded promotional leaflet which advertises offerings from a myriad of different LEGO themes from Duplo to Castle, Technic and beyond. You can see the panels promoting a selection of Classic Space sets below, and I've also scanned a few of the other panels which you can see on the Gimme LEGO Flickr stream here.
As mentioned above the set contains two minifigures. I've waxed lyrical about these guys in previous reviews, for instance here and here, but I make no apology for reiterating how much affection I still have for them almost 40 years after my first encounter. The iconic Classic Space torso print, which has launched a thousand t-shirts, has predictably faded somewhat on the red figure but looks surprisingly fresh and sharp on the white figure even if the torso has yellowed a little over the years.
Most notable from the rear are the air tanks, the design of which is the same now as it was back in 1979. There's no backprinting on the torsos or the classic smiley heads.
With the minifigures assembled it's time to start on the build proper. First to be constructed is a small cargo container. This consists of white left and right 1 x 3 x 1 doors and little else, although at least the doors can be opened to provide access to the cargo, a trans-green 1 x 1 round brick.
A simple forklift is provided to move the cargo around; while only consisting of seven elements, the vehicle features an impressive light grey spring-loaded fork assembly at the front which only ever appeared in this set, its U.S. doppelganger (487) and a rare Service Pack which I wasn't even aware existed until I wrote this article.
The ship itself is built on a light grey 16 x 6 plate, upon which various other light grey plates are progressively stacked in order to form the distinctive Classic Space silhouette. As in the likes of 918 and 928 light grey left and right 8 x 4 wedge plates play a key role in defining the outline of the ship, while even early on in the build further nods to other Classic Space offerings are provided by way of the yellow and black detailing on the wings and the trans-green and trans-red 1 x 1 plates.
The ship is supported underneath by four 2 x 2 x 2 stands, and a couple of 2 x 2 round bricks are also attached to the underside, presumably representing vertical thrusters.
I'm not sure there's such a thing as a 'beloved LEGO element' but if there was then the blue 33 degree 3 x 6 slope printed with the Classic Space Logo at the front of the ship would surely qualify. Both sides of the fuselage incorporate a blue 1 x 4 brick printed with the ship's 'LL 924' identifier; these printed elements are predictably unique to this set and its U.S. equivalent.
The cockpit contains a couple of light grey 45 degree printed 2 x 2 slopes (this one and this one) which make up an instrument panel, and there's more than enough room for both minifigures despite the presence of a steering wheel. The cockpit is enclosed by a number of delicious trans-yellow elements including a pair of uncommon 33 degree 3 x 6 slopes which form the windscreen, 1 x 2 and 1 x 4 bricks, and a rare 4 x 10 plate.
The fuselage walls also incorporate a pair of blue 1 x 2 bricks printed with the Classic Space logo.
From behind the view is dominated by a pair of light grey 4 x 4 x 2 cones which serve as the main engines. These have only ever appeared in a total of seven sets in this colour. They're mounted on the back of the brick-built cargo bay doors which swing open on swivel hinge bricks to reveal a compact cargo bay. The cargo bay doors incorporate a pair of blue 1 x 2 bricks printed with a down arrow. The blue 1 x 2 tile on top of the tail prevents the cargo doors from swinging open unintentionally.
The completed LL 924 build together with the forklift, cargo and minifigures can be seen in the picture below. The cockpit roof is attached via a pair of hinges which enable it to be tilted, thus providing cockpit access. The cargo bay can just about accommodate the cargo, but is nowhere near big enough for the forklift to fit into.
Having now built LL 924 and had the opportunity to compare it with its baby brother (918) and big brother (928) I reckon that in terms of its overall proportions it arguably looks the best of the bunch. For all its obvious splendour and deserved iconic status, LL 928 is maybe just a fraction too big and bulky to be considered sleek, while LL 918 is a bit of an ugly duckling.
I think LL 924 hits the sweet spot in terms of size, however, and aside from the awkward transition from the light grey wedge plates to the modified 1 x 2 plate with handles at the front of the ship, and the row of exposed, open studs on top of the 4 x 2 x 2 tails on either side, I reckon it looks damn-near perfect.
Given the obvious merits of LL 924, it's interesting that boxed examples of the set seem to be so much harder to come by compared with 918 or 928, the implication being that the set didn't sell well. Maybe that's because it lacks the grandeur and playability of 928, with its landing pad, crater baseplate, moon base and moon buggy which fits inside the cargo hold, while simultaneously lacking the affordability of 918. Regardless of the reason, it's still well worth picking up if you can find it at a reasonable price.
Set 924 Space Cruiser was released in 1979 and contains 170 pieces. I purchased my copy from eBay for around £90, having waited a long time for an affordable boxed example to be listed there. If however you're not willing to wait, various sellers have the set listed for sale on Bricklink, with prices for a boxed example starting at £125 plus shipping.
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34 comments on this article
Nice review and really nice set as well
I bought all three (918,924,928) over time via ebay, although non-boxed and used. I was lucky to get an almost as new 928 with instructions but without box in the early days of ebay for a very good price, but I had to buy two examples of 924 and even three of 918 to build one of each that could be considered presentable. Especially the famous 3x6 printed slope is often in terrible condition.
My goodness. Such an old set but there is much more imagionation in it than nowadays sets.
I had this set as kid and absolutely loved it. Spent many an hour building, taking it apart and rebuilding it.
Brilliant review and thank you for sharing :)
when are you gonna review Sonar Transmitting Cruiser?
"...while LL 918 is a bit of an ugly duckling."
HOW DARE YOU!!!!!
It's funny how opinions differ! For me, 918 is almost perfect. Its proportions, to me, look better that 924 , whose nose just looks a bit awkward, much as I love the set as well. The forklift is great! 928 is, overall, the most impressive, of course.
I make no apology in reiterating, probably for the millionth time, that the epitome (for me) of Classic Space is 6970 Beta I Command Base. Cool moonbase, spaceship, buggy, 2 baseplates, plenty of communication arrays, the flag, the viewscreen of 920 *and* a monorail, short as it may be! ;-)
Many thanks for posting this article! I do already read Dr. Dave's blog from time to time, but this is an excellent reminder to do so more often. :-))
The recent creator ideas exosuit was a brilliant set and would go well with this.
I suspect it's hard to come by because it was replaced so soon by the updated white transporter.
This was my first own LEGO set back in 1979. It's still my favourite. Thanks for this very excellent review!
I had most of the early Classic Space sets including 918 and 928, but not 924. Have to disagree with Dr Dave’s assessment of those ships. 918 was fast and nimble and 928 transported large volumes while 924 was neither fish nor fowl. Still, a highly enjoyable article. Thank you for that!
If LEGO ever did a Classic Space UCS redux with all the early sets pictured above in one mega set, I reckon that it would have just one problem: demand would outstrip LEGO’s ability to meet it.
A real classic and one of my favourites as a kid I recently did my own version of this set but colour in white and blue to match in with 6980 Galaxy Commander, also did my own versions of 928 and 918 in the same scheme aswell changing the canopy pieces to match 6980 also.
I have 924. I didn't know 918 existed until I found Brickset about five years ago- I thought it was just something they made to put in that picture on the back of the instructions! The 918 isn't in any of the brochures I have from back then. In hindsight, the printed "918" brick should have clued me in!
Great review! That forklift element is remarkably similar to the more modern one (found in 60052 Cargo Train and maybe a few other sets).
So even though it was new the red figure's torso was already faded??? That's not something I would have expected!
@Trikkyr said:
"A real classic and one of my favourites as a kid I recently did my own version of this set but colour in white and blue to match in with 6980 Galaxy Commander, also did my own versions of 928 and 918 in the same scheme aswell changing the canopy pieces to match 6980 also."
I like a good recolour, I do. Gave Satellite Service Mission (60224) a recolour/mod to make it look like an early-to-mid ‘80s Classic Space set. Someone had a similar idea and gave the same set a ‘70s CS makeover; there was a picture in Blocks Magazine. Do you have pictures of your recolours? Linkety link please!
Nice review; I'll have to check out your blog! And that really is a great looking spaceship.
This has brought back so many good memories. Thank you Dave.
I too never had 924 as a child. The closest I ever got was going to the toy shop in the city right after Christmas with money in my pocket ... only to find that no one anywhere had any stock and the only "space transporter" available was the new 6929 (the 1979 UK catalogue used this name for 924, so until the age of the internet this was its only name for me). A school friend on my street had one so I often went round to his house and tried hard to memorise the instrucions so I could build my own copy from the pieces I had. I can still remember the steps so to see your review showing the building really was a blast from the past. Fast forward 30 years and like you this smiling 7 year old managed to find a good copy, which stands built and dusty, never to be dismantled. I'm so grateful you included pictures of the back of the box; the alternative models of that era were a delight and images of them are really hard to find these days. This is an iconic set, made famous of course by the adventures of Captain Indigo and Polka Dot in the 6000 ideas book. But for me it represents so much that was fun being creative with LEGO growing up. Thanks again Dave, and Huw for choosing to feature this set today!
Ugh, another Classic space set I collected, and got one in a box, but sold off all of my Classic space to open up more storage space for my Town stuff. My only salvation is another lot of LEGO I have yet to crack open from the late 70's early 80s that I think has many of these sets in it still.
The buildings intructions constisted of eight (8!) pages, with the first and the last of them being shown above. So the pure instructions were just 6 pages! I was 10 years old by then and had no problems putting it all together. These were the days...
@Holodoc said:
"The buildings intructions constisted of eight (8!) pages, with the first and the last of them being shown above. So the pure instructions were just 6 pages! I was 10 years old by then and had no problems putting it all together. These were the days..."
This is why I find modern instructions so insulting. It's fostering stupidity in children by dumbing down everything to the max. Even though modern sets employ more advanced building techniques there is nothing that necessitates instructions as simplified as what we get nowadays.
The one thing I noticed going back to old instructions was how easy it was to overlook things added in the step. I wish there was some nice in-between. The older style, more complicated steps, but with the listing of parts used in the step as they show in modern instructions.
Aw, your mention of it reminds me that I miss those old boxes where you could lift the forward flap to see the pieces inside, without actually opening the box. I get why they don't do it now, saving on packaging materials; but I absolutely loved that feature when I was a kid, spending ages in the toyshop getting to look at the set's contents, imagining how it would come together, all without committing to buying it!
Didn't know they used to depict the instructions with front-on views of the minifigures for assembling them... that looks so weird to me, being used to the relatively more modern angle that's been in use since, since... well, before my time, at least! And minifig heads with solid studs... I had a couple of them that I gained second-hand but WOW it's weird to see them looking so fresh and new xD
Never seen one of these really Classic-classic sets come together like this before; the photography here is so crisp and clean, it makes the elegant simplicity of the ship really apparent. I low-key love this, and can totally see now - in a way I hadn't really appreciated from just the official images - where so much of the appeal of Classic Space comes from.
Thanks for sharing! :D
I had this set as a kid. Sooooo many good memories!
For whatever reason, set 924 was not available for purchase back then in my area although I have the rest of the 1st series of Classic Space sets. It has been a set which I missed dearly when I was young. Seeing this article, I am inspired to hunt the set and complete the series.
No matter how much I love Classic sets, Lego should not re-release these sets because it wouldn't be the same. Some parts are in different molds already. However, they can design new sets that resembles the classic era. A good example is Benny's Squad. How can anyone resist buying only one box? I'm quite fine with it's 2x4 printed blue slope or new jet engine without flippers, or overly reinforced helmets. Just don't mess with history. Thanks by the way, for reminding me the good old days.
@eMouse said:
"The one thing I noticed going back to old instructions was how easy it was to overlook things added in the step. I wish there was some nice in-between. The older style, more complicated steps, but with the listing of parts used in the step as they show in modern instructions."
That would indeed be a good mix. A little challenging, but not too much.
I so wanted 928 as a kid but had to settle for 918. Which I still loved.
I don’t have much recollection of this one though. Funny
924 was always the flagship of my Space LEGO fleet. I think I was about 5 or 6 when I got it and it was the most complex set I had even doe at that point. Only about 70% of it survived the ages, but recently I’ve been on Brinklink filling in the missing pieces. Thankfully the LL924 printed brick survived.
I'm a fan of classic base plates and extra structures. So for me the 928 would be the winner. But I have to agree that this is a wonderful set as well!
I have all the Classic Lego Space sets and they're on display in a specially built showcase at home. :-D
I am lucky enough to own both 928 Galaxy Commander & 6970 Beta I Command Base!
From my youth, and in pretty good condition / completeness, with instructions!
I’d either forgotten about this set 924 or never knew about it in the first place.
Thanks for an awesome, well-written article, with great pics!
This one always did feel like the black sheep of the family. I think 918 is perfect in form--924, as you called out, looks a little awkward with that nose transition.
Ah yes, from back in the day when Lego just made buildable/playable/rebuildable stuff rather than pushing the latest overpriced movie tie-in stuff...!
Never had any space sets as a child (no, that's not true, I had the little 886 Space Buggy "free" with 24 Persil tokens & £2.99 P&P or something) but there were some nice ones around!
So, true story: I had this set when I was six or seven. Somehow, I managed to spill Pepsi all over it. However, being six, I didn't clean it properly, so the wings remained sticky. I have a distinct memory of the yellow and black tiles on one of the wings being permanently covered with dog hair. Apparently, washing the pieces with warm water and soap never occurred to me.