Random set of the day: Test Car
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 8865 Test Car, released in 1988. It's one of 5 Technic sets produced that year. It contains 900 pieces.
It's owned by 2928 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
Help me come to life! If you like the set I've chosen for you today, please pledge your support for me on LEGO Ideas so I have a chance of becoming an official LEGO set!
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13 comments on this article
At least the seats are supportive.
While it long predates me, I've gotten into old-school beam Technic a lot as of late, and quite enjoy it. The older instructions, and beam setup, as well as things like the V1 Pneumatic System, make it much more challenging.
Test Car, in my opinion, is what a Technic set should be. Not trying to replicate any car in particular, but represent all the functionality of modern automobiles. Today, you'd need Boost/Mindstorms, and even then, you'd not have half the "safety" features built into the software cars have.
My first big Technic set. Oh how I love it! Alt build jeep also amazing!
So much joy in this set and it’s alternative model.
@cody6268:
This is old school _bricks_. Beams are the liftarms that only have pin holes.
@LegoRobo said:
"This is all the car you can afford after the megatax comes and visits...
How are we not at 10k with Huwbot already? This week, 20,027 “loyal” Brickset users have logged in. Can’t they take a second to support? I mean, 8,979 members have logged in today! What is this madness! It only takes a second. I know not everyone is old enough to use Ideas, but surely enough afols & tfols should have logged in to get us to at least 5k. Right? Maybe we need a new marketing strategy outside of RSOTD, because many users just skip over these articles..."
Maybe the loyal Bricksetters do not like the Huwbot design? Maybe they do not want to do an Ideas account. You do not know. Do not bash people because they may not vote for an ideas set. I voted for it, but its comments like these that start to make me think otherwise. My guess is that the admins would much rather have people using links to purchase LEGO from retailers to help pay for the site administration.
I love this set. I bought it when I was ten or so. Damaged box, so at quite a discount. It was new year's eve at my grandmother's house. Spent all night building it.
Fond memories.
This is a genuinely good Technic set
@LegoRobo said:
" @madforLEGO said:
" @LegoRobo said:
"This is all the car you can afford after the megatax comes and visits...
How are we not at 10k with Huwbot already? This week, 20,027 “loyal” Brickset users have logged in. Can’t they take a second to support? I mean, 8,979 members have logged in today! What is this madness! It only takes a second. I know not everyone is old enough to use Ideas, but surely enough afols & tfols should have logged in to get us to at least 5k. Right? Maybe we need a new marketing strategy outside of RSOTD, because many users just skip over these articles..."
Maybe the loyal Bricksetters do not like the Huwbot design? Maybe they do not want to do an Ideas account. You do not know. Do not bash people because they may not vote for an ideas set. I voted for it, but its comments like these that start to make me think otherwise. My guess is that the admins would much rather have people using links to purchase LEGO from retailers to help pay for the site administration. "
My intention was not to bash people that had not supported the set. I was merely wondering why it seemed support was just inching along with how many people frequent and enjoy this site. My deepest apologies that it came off that way. I’m not always the “best” at expressing my thoughts digitally, and it’s hard to know for sure how it will come across. That’s something I have to work on. Next time, I’ll try more careful & clear with my wording :)"
I personally had thought very much the same as @legoRobo last week as it’s such a cute little design thats connected to a site so many of us love & use daily x I think it should be a pinned post or something cause if you missed the article and don’t look through all the ideas entries it is very easy to have missed it xx At the same time I noticed how slowly the Bikes to Billund fundraising was going also x Do all cyclists also have a personal sponsor sheet @huw ? Maybe after the year we’ve had there’s a general apathy compared to normal or as I felt all @legoRobo was trying to say was it had just been over looked, no people bashing imo x Peace & Love
Ah yes, the model I though was both awesome and cheating, after trying to make my own suspensions from the Technic parts available, the years before. (It used all new parts for the front suspension, and 1x5 plates in the back. )
Why call it a test car?
At the beginning of high school I was mainly interested in Technic sets, and after I saved up all of my pocket money for months, I was finally able to get the 8865 Technic Test Car. It had 4 wheel independent suspension, a differential linked to a gearbox and an engine, Ackerman steering, pop-up headlights, and was easily the biggest set that I had up until that point. I loved this set, and I still have it to this day, although it has 'yellowed' a bit with age. I have taken this set apart and reassembled it more times than I can remember.
I have to give this one credit for being the penultimate step of the evolving Technic "super car" line that finally peaked with 1994's 8880 Super Car. I love that set, and yet I understand its success and appeal rests on the shoulders of the giants that came before it.