Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Fire And Ice Roundup

This challenge was based on duality...and equal balance of the very important elements of Fire and Ice. How did we do? Well, some of us nailed it...and others...um...was more like lukewarm fire and melted ice. Lets review!

J0n4th4n D3rk53n sets the trend that lots of others will follow by interpreting fire as red and ice as white with this sort of neat panel truck. There's some cool curves on here. Yep. Sure is an interesting tour so far. Anyone want to raid the candy machine in the lobby? No? Ok, lets move on then.

Panel Truck

Ooops, wait, we're still with J0n4th4n here! He says after 7 long hours the masterpiece is finally finished...and so early in the challenge too! Usually the heavy hitters come later in the challenge but what do I know? This is a three window coupe...mostly fiery red with a white blower and stripes representing ice. Looks like he got his thumb in the way of the picture in the lower left there.

3 Window Coupe Street Rod

I bet you're thinking this tour wouldn't be complete without a virtual entry from J0n4th4n, right? Well, your prayers have been answered! Its a...um...bus! Its almost tall enough to be one of them London double decker buses except the whole bottom deck is windowless...perfect for when you don't want your friends seeing you travel in one of these.

Greyhound Bus

But wait there's more! (Is it too soon to crack a Billy Mays joke? Yeah? Ok then.)For when you need to haul several tons of gasoline across the arctic tundra to Bjork's house, here is the Gasnowmobile! Say it with me now...gasnowmobile. With any luck at all, it just might explode once it gets there.

Gasnowmobile

Aaron Dayman heats up the challenge...and some chicken wings with this...um...Zamboni Barbecue! His interpretation of Fire and Ice is more clever than anything I can come up with so lets use his own words; "In my fave team the Detroit Red Wings colors. Red (fire) and White (ice). Built to celebrate the Wings (fire) impending victory over the Penguins (ice) to win yet another Stanley cup championship. After which this vehicle might come in handy seeing as its a Zamboni (ice) and a mobile BBQ (fire) to not only clean the ice(ice) but fire(fire) up some snacks for the celebration as well." Now that's smart thinking, Aaron!

Go Wings Go!

Let's say I'm skating on thin ice, trying to impress some girl with my slick moves and I break through and get my fool self submerged in the freezing cold water. Then I'm going to need Ricecracker's Ice Swift/Water Rescue Truck, pronto! It comes equipped with tread wheels for better traction on ice and a boat and net for water rescues. just the name of his vehicle makes me feel safe...but I'm pretty sure this means the girl is not impressed and the date is over. Oh well...hope you also have some hot chocolate on that thing!

Ice/Swift Water Rescue Truck

New guy Pitrek02 shows us a unique interpretation of Fire and Ice with this pair of quad ATV's...one fiery hot and the other icy cool! I'm seeing some pretty advanced build techniques here. I want to take them for a spin! I wonder if the minifig girls will be impressed if I can do donuts on the thin ice.

Red & Blue Quads

Pitrek02's next entry, I wanted sooooo much to be perfect! Here we see he obviously has some raw talent with this very nice interpretation of the Hummer H3. I mean, check out those reversed tires over Lego motorcycle rims...and he's pulled off details flawlessly that is so difficult in this small scale. But in a challenge that demands a perfect balance of Fire and Ice, I see the fire...but where's the ice? From such a clearly talented builder, I'm hoping this is just a temporary lapse in integrity. If the gray rocks were instead the same piece only in white...he would have nailed this challenge perfectly.

Hummer H3

Sometimes when you mix two awesome things together you get something else awesome...like chocolate and peanut butter. When you mix the greatest Japanese battleship ever constructed in both real life and Lego with the great city of Hiroshima you get...um...well the Yamato Hiroshima...a 4 wide sports car thingy with a spoiler and some kind of...um...snowplow/cattle prod looking thing up front. Sharpspeed said he built this to honor those who were bombed in Hiroshima in 1947. (Great, just what they wanted!) Oh and...um...Mr. Speed...the bombings took place in 1945...NOT '47.

LUGNuts entry: Yamato Hiroshima

Next Sharpspeed brings us a pair of what he calls his iconic Rogue Firepower GT, one in fiery red and black, the other in icy cool blue and white. In Sharpspeed speak that has to be followed by like 14 exclamation points but...I don't know, I'm just not feeling the excitement. At least he followed the rules of the challenge and didn't attempt to honor some historic event he barely understands. Anyone wanting to raid the candy machine in the lobby now? No? Ok, lets move on.

LUGNuts:Challenge 20: Iced Rogue

Dylan Denton interpreted Fire and Ice with this admittedly cool pair of Formula 1 racers, one in fiery red and the other with just enough red trim to somehow still call it ice. I like the use of shifter bases as helmets. Good call! Dylan tells us not to worry...that his next entry will be bigger and better and a little more clever than just a two toned vehicle. Sounds great!

Formula One Racecar



As promised, Dylan's second entry is bigger and...um...is a two toned vehicle. Not very clever, but its a good build anyway. Its a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. Anyone excited for that new Lambo Gallardo set? Meh, I think it looks exactly like a yellow version of all the Ferrari sets we've seen but it does have new rims and the steering wheel is black and not the usual gray. Looks like some great parts in it. You know why we have so many Ferrari sets? Its because the CEO of Lego and the CEO of Ferrari are friends. Too bad the CEO of Lego isn't friends with George Barris or Chip Foose!

Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder

Raphy thinks a little outside his normal box with this Hot Rodded ice cream truck called I Scream. Yeah, that was the name I gave my Ice Cream clown truck a few months back, but hey, ya got to dig the concept! It has a fiery paintjob and the other side has a window with three ice cream flavors...red, yellow and...um...gray. Yuck!



But for something a little more flavorful, Raphy tackles an unusual interpretation of Fire and Ice indeed. Here we see an icy blue firetruck! At first I thought blue firetrucks just don't exist but further research proved that they do. Still, they're a rare breed and this quite possibly be the first blue firetruck built in Lego. Way to go, Raphy!



On that note...sigh...Philip Ryman, what are we going to do with you? All month long, I bit my tongue on this one...I waited patiently...maybe at the last minute he would submit an icy car and all would be right with the world...or so I hoped. As its obvious my round up jokes at your expense in hopes to improve your integrity are going way above your head, let me word this so that you can easily understand. Philip Ryman...you failed this challenge! I see the fire but where's the ice? What part of Fire AND Ice, NO EXCEPTIONS did you not understand? Every challenge has one weird little rule that everyone must follow. Do I do this because I'm rule crazy? No...but without just one unique rule to follow all the challenges would be exactly the same. We never would have survived through 20 plus challenges if they weren't fun and unique. You insult me and everyone else when you can't even follow just one rule! Please take a break from LUGNuts until your reading comprehension and your ability to follow directions improves.



Ok...sorry everyone, but had to be said. Now we move on to someone that knows how to dazzle us time and time again. Firas Abu-Jaber ditches his modern super cars for this challenge and takes a cue for me and Ralph with this classic Volksrod. The lowered stance, fenderless design and flaming hot paintjob are spot on! And the icy cool interior...I'm digging the spinner-without-the-spinner technique to make sort of a white on blue snow flake effect. All around, this vehicle is so cool its HOT!

Volksrod

Nathan Proudlove and Lino Martins once again puts their collective huge noggins together for a buddy team up to construct these iconic 70's era losers straight from the list of the 50 worst cars ever made. First comes Nathan's icy cool white and blue '75 Pacer called Brain Freeze. With stylish rims, Lambo doors and a video game console in the back, this is one loser of a hatchback I'd be proud to own! Next, Lino heats up the dragstrip with his fiery hot '70 Pinto called Hot Flash. Why am I referring to myself in the 3rd person? Anyway, he...I spent most of my early childhood strapped into a babyseat in the back of a Pinto and little did I know I was traveling in the car dubbed..."the barbecue that seats four". The Pinto had a reputation to explode in a rear end collision as illustrated by this humorous reverse flames design. It also has a wheelie bar, icy cool seats and opens like a funny car...proving that even a stinker like the Pinto can be made totally hot!

brain freeze 02

1970 Ford Pinto!

Who says a Fire And Ice entry had to be red and/or white? Not Tim "rabidnovaracer" Inman. His all black entry still suits the rules for the challenge...its a '96 Chevy Impala SS that has been refurbished into a Zamboni by Jesse James and friends on that Show Monster Garage. Incidentally, that's the show that helped turn me into a car builder...albeit just a lego one. With his skill at fabricating, his unwavering coolness and bad attitude, I wanted to be just like Jesse James. Then he stopped caring about his own show then went and married Sandra Bullock...and I found other car builders to admire. Oh and check out the flaming zoomies! Nice one, Tim!

1996 Chevy Impala SS Zamboni

Kin.lego interprets Fire and ice with this sleek fiery red Honda NSX LN20. The Icy elements are the white interior and the blue engine. The C32B engine is modified by dropping in a turbo and an intercooler to boost the horsepower to a staggering 400hp. Why did he choose the Honda LN20? because kin.lego says its named after the challenge. Huh? Ooooh, I get it! LugNuts 20th challenge! great job!

Honda NSX LN20

Our resident Mad physicist, Ralph Savelsberg has had one hell of a month! First he gets a few of his fine quality aircraft indoctrinated into the UK's Museum of Science and Industry, then he gets voted by his fellow AFOLs into the top three nominees spot as Lego Ambassador for flickr. (Final results still to come!)THEN he goes and wins two top prizes over at the military group for MOCs he's entered there! We're proud of Ralph but he doesn't stop there. Somehow he finds the time to enter our build challenge with his interpretation of Fire and Ice with a red hot Fire Department Ambulance and an icy cool reefer truck. That means refrigeration, you stoners, so don't go thinking its supposed to deliver your stash! I don't know how Ralph found the time to enter this challenge with all the cool stuff happening to you but we're certainly glad you did!

Fire and Ice

Cole Blaq and Orion Pax tear a page from the good Nathan/Lino Buddy Build Challenge Rule Book to construct this very neat pair. I like the mix of old and new here...completely different car cultures...but together they make it work. Cole built the icy white Citroen GT with gull wing doors, blue interior and very neat trans light blue headlights. Orion goes more oldschool with this fiery Lowrider with highly unusual round skylights and...get this...working hydraulics! They even made the four hour trip necessary to photo the two vehicles together. Take notes, my friends...this is how to succeed in a buddy challenge. Great job, guys! Way to dedicate to the cause!





We could have ended the challenge with Cole and Orion's sweet pair and called it done. But Blood Red Dragon takes a misguided cue from Philip at the last minute and builds...sigh...an all blue and white Hailstorm RC car. The name is cold...the paintjob is chill...but where is the Fire? C'mon, man, do I really ask for that much? Why must the same people disappoint me over and over again? What am I to do, here? Anyway, kudos to everyone who did an awesome job. And for those who repeatedly just don't get it...I don't know. Maybe something needs to be done.

Hailstorm RC

This next challenge is Millennium Marvels where we try our hand at building only modern cars. If our inspiration was manufactured on or after January 1st, 2000 its good. That's pretty much our only rule for this one so we're hoping its going to be foolproof. But I seem to think that of every other challenge thus far and well... Lets see how this one goes.