Like, Totally 80's...Roundup

Ah, who could forget the 80's? It was a strange and tumultuous time for Rubik's Cubes, Pac-man, and much to the delight and confusion of a certain teenage LUGNuts founder, every last actress on cable TV worked out to Olivia Newton John, then peeled off their leg warmers and thonged neon leotards, and took sensuous, slow-motion showers at the gas station bathroom while horny coke-fueled captains of industry watched through peepholes. Later they meet face-to-face, get married, have  coke-fueled, yet somehow slow-motion sex, then have beautiful coke-fueled kids and live happily ever after and all that. Why doesn't any of that stuff happen any more? Hopefully this month's roundup called Like Totally, 80's, will bring back just a little sliver of some of that shallow 80's coke-fueled life. So slip on those friendship bracelets and roll up those Members Only jacket sleeves and enjoy this coke-fueled 80's era roundup. Like, Oh my god, totally!

Loek1990 is first on the slab and brings parachute pants and half-shirts back with this render of a 1986 Volvo 480. Its alright...I guess.



Then he comes back shortly after with this  alright, I guess E30 M3 from 1989. Doesn't it totally encompass the 80's? No? Yes? OK, lets move on, then.



But wait, there's more! Order the Ronco Smokeless Ashtray now and you get this 1988 BMW M5 E34 (Touring).  Like New Coke, released in 1985, these renders are sure to be a hit!



A hit only to be pulled from the shelves months later and then incinerated in hopes the public would never remember this huge boner. And by "huge boner" I mean huge mistake...and not the other thing. Enjoying a bit more shelf time is this Ferrari 288 GTO built by Senator Chinchilla.



Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. With me it usually means the other definition, but this time I meant the original definition. Glad I cleared that up. We wouldn't want any confusion when I lay out humor like this. And speaking of huge boners, Tom Netherton builds a Toyota AE86.



Then he comes back later with this render of a 80's Ford Econoline conversion van, which, like Betamax, had good intentions but lost popularity when the minivan came out...or in the case of Betamax when VHS came out.



Actually who am I kidding, Betamax was never popular. It was pretty much doomed from day one. Ralph Savelsberg  fires up The Quattro, which apparently is a star of the BBC TV series, Ashes to Ashes. I wouldn't know. Too many movies in the 80's featuring thonged leotards and slow-motion shower scenes made me wholly unaware of what BBC was doing.



Are we there already? Seems we are. Sigh...OK, make yourselves comfortable. Pour yourselves three fingers of vodka and fetch your reading slippers, this is going to be a long ride. Peter Blackert starts his string of 80's cars with this BMW 850i coupe.



Some kids are into Star Wars, others are into Ninja Turtles. When Peter was a lad, he though that this Mercedes-Benz C126 380/500 SEC was pretty special. And by "special" he must mean like the kids who rode the little yellow bus to school. Again, when using humor clarity is key.



1980 saw the advent of the Renault Fuego. I bet Peter also thought that was neat. Odd metric tires were amongst the French 'distinctiveness' that you either loved or hated. My vote: hated. In fact, it made the world so mad that Mount St. Helens blew its top in 1980. True story, bro.



Sometimes I don't need a humorous quip that thinly veils what I feel about a MOC. Occasionally the builder will do it himself. And I quote..."As I said in the 'discussion' thread. My own list of 1980s vehicles is a bit boring. This can be seen in the highly competent, but rather unexciting W126 S-Class Mercedes-Benz W126 500 SE Saloon (1985)."



Turning the excitement knob up to a conservative 3 is this Jaguar XJ6. Peter tells us that unfortunately, much of the new technology in this Jag was unreliable and led to significant quality issues. Much like Hair-in-a-Can.



 If you like your excitement knob cranked up a little bit more but still dignified somehow, you may go ape poopy for this 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe as featured on the silver screen with James Bond in "The Living Daylights".



And if you prefer to spend your 80's era hard-earned drug-dealer money on something red and Italian, you could blow it all on the 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS Targa. Its coveted by 80's era strip club owners and 80's era hair metal bass guitarists alike.



Turns out strip club owners and hair metal bassists were not much into the 1989 Citroen XM. Even Renfair flutists and Uncle Al thinks its a little too stodgy for them. Uncle Al doesn't own a strip club or anything. He just fancies himself as a guy who can get women to take off their clothes. Mostly unattractive old ladies. And only two so far. But that's something.



The 1984 Pontiac Fiero Coupe made it onto the list of the worst cars made in the 80's, mostly for engine fires...and the fact that Uncle Al owned one. Even says so in all the books. And I quote..."this is a total crap car cuz Lino's uncle Al owned one. He likes it when old ladies strip for him but he's only had like two do it...and one was on TV so that totally didn't count."



You know what gets Aussie women's knickers in a twist? This 1980 Holden VC Commodore HDT, apparently. Peter says in Australia this is the equivalent to getting ladies in the mood with a spa day, deep tissue massage, and a Whitman's sampler. Just sayin'...your secret to success boys, right here.



Women also dig the '86 Mazda RX-7 too...but it's a special kind of gal that likes them. No...wait...holy crap! I was gonna crack some uninformed joke about the girls who would be attracted to these and a quick google search proves they're all pretty damned hot! I stand corrected. The secret to success, boys...a Mazda RX-7!



Before I went off all half-cocked and uninformed (its how I go through life, really)  I had to keyword "EA26 Ford Falcon" and "girls" to make sure there wasn't some secret sexy girl's club I had no idea existed. Turns out there isn't. Peter should start one.



Or better yet he should hire some sexy model to pose astride a crappy 1987 Toyota Camry SV20 Wagon. Actually, I'll send a signed Lino STUDS card to the first person to photoshop that and post it on the internet. Seriously, yo!



The 1989 Honda CRX V-TEC technology allowed Asian kids with spikey hair to produce good torque and drivability at low engine speeds while also enabling the engine to rev its nuts off at 8000 rpm. True fact. Says so in the bible. Somewhere in the back, probably.



The Mercedes-Benz W201 190E 2.3-16, according to Peter, marked the first of the hotrod 190E models and is available in smoky silver and black. The 2.3-16 is fast, but also discreet and would make a cool retro 80's ride, even today.



The 1987 Magna Wagon is Japanese...or Australian...or something. I don't know, really. I'm pretty much just dialing it in here.



The 1981 Ford Laser Ghia is also Australian and/or Japanese. Its like Duane "The Rock" Johnson. Is that guy black or some kind of Spanish? Maybe there's some Hawaiian in there? Or perhaps Middle Eastern? And for that matter, what about Jessica Alba?



Next on the Peter slab is the FIAT Uno. If you were Italian and of limited means in the 80's you'd get yourself one of these. Boy, were the 80's really this uninspired or did Peter just insist upon loading us with a bunch of humdrum rides?



Apparently all the excitement in the 80's were for people who dealt in drugs and dirty money, as evidenced by this Ferrari Testarossa. The drug dealer connection was reinforced in the use of a white Testarossa in the TV show 'Miami Vice'. Now that's a spicy meat-a ball!



Is that all of them? Holy crap, it is! Tim Inman picks up the pace of this roundup with this Minolta Toyota 88C-V. He tells us because: racecar. That's all the reason you need, really. Any 8 year old boy would love to have this as a bedframe! Turns out not many kids are buying the Fiat Uno bedframe. Maybe Peter did when he was little.



New guy Everblack somehow doesn't live up to his name with this red Ferrari Testarossa but he does further propagate the aforementioned joke that the 80's era Testarosa was for drug lords who wear ostrich skin loafers and white Z. Cavaricci pants. Hah! I had a pair of Cavariccis. They were so baggy I could smuggle both Hall and Oates inside them.



And speaking of haulin' oats just because I built it, doesn't mean I love it. Just like more than a few of Peter's entries, Lino Martins illustrates everything that was wrong with the 80's...pink shirts, mullets, jackets with the sleeves pushed up...and this '82 S-10 custom minitruck in god awful 80's colors.



Its been awhile since Ricecracker graced us with his creations. Just like a sizzling fajita platter, he comes back big, loud, and fiery with this 80's era Dennis Fire appliance. He says it feels good to be building again. It does indeed.



Like Pac-Man, Rubik's Cubes and A Flock of Seagulls, Chrisbuilds tells us that the 1985 Pontiac Fiero left a real impression on him back in the 80's. His neighbor had one. He tells us the photo is shot in black and white to even out his old grey pieces and the factory rims...cardboard and double-sided tape. Clever.



 Sam Sir Manperson tells us the MK1 Golf GTI was not really developed in the 80's but it was the third best car of the 80's, so that's a thing. Right? Sure it is, Sirman. I'm certain that's what Gary Numan was singing about in his 80's one-hit anthem about Cars...which, incidentally was the best thing out of the 80's. That and Phoebe Cates.



Raphy submits this entry with an important public service announcement. "LUGNuts goes SPUDNuts with this twin-turbo'd Polish FSO Polonez with an '80s paintjob! Support Slavic farmers by buying Ukrainian potatoes. Stick it in the eye of Putin!" You hear that, Putin? Here at LUGNuts we are just not that into your potatoes!



And on that fiery bombshell we conclude our roundup. What did we learn this time? We learned that you weren't anyone in the 80's unless you were hopped up on cocaine, we learned the difference between having a huge boner and being a huge boner, and Aussie women go ape poopy for the 1980 Holden VC Commodore HDT while the rest of the women of the world tend to favor the Mazda RX-7. We learned you can smuggle nearly anything in a pair of Z. Cavariccis (tried and proven by yours truly) and there's even room enough in my Cavariccis for Phoebe Cates...if she ever returns my god damned calls. Oh and Putin can stick his potatoes where the sun don't shine. That just about sums it up. What does the future hold for this little blog of ours? Well, it turns out we're going retro-future. Like Steampunk retro-future. Join us next month for a challenge we call Steampunk Autoworks...all about cars, bikes, and trucks catering to that theme. Top hats, goggles, airships, and blunderbusses are all the rage in this wildly popular Steampunk genre. Being into Steampunk will get you laid. That's the secret to success, boys...Steampunk...and maybe the Mazda RX-7. Just ask silent LUGNuts member and all around steamy load, Guy Himber, who recently wrote the book on Steampunk LEGO. He gets more ass than a gas station toilet seat...and slightly better quality, too. Unlike my Uncle Al who is fictitious to begin with. Sorry I lied to all y'all about that. Can you find it in your hearts to forgive me?

LUGNuts Turns 7...Or 49 In Dog Years...Roundup

Fine! Fine! We'll do it live! We'll flippin' do it live! We'll do it live! Flippity Flip! Huh? What? Oh hello. Don't mind me, I was just doing my Bill O'Reilly meltdown impersonation. Entertaining stuff. You should probably youtube it or something. But not while at work or while sitting in the middle of a Christian kindergarten class room. Cuz the internet is chock full of scary, scary things no one in their right mind should ever witness. Why you could innocently keyword "pussycat" and find images you'll have to repress from your mind until you're a pensioner...or save onto your desktop, depending on your point of view. This roundup just might be one of those scary internet things. You innocently google LEGO cars only to find some short megalomaniacal malcontent running his mouth off like a son of a bitch! It's not my fault I wasn't hugged enough! Or too much. I don't know, I always get the two mixed up. Anyway, welcome to our birthday roundup called LUGNuts Turns 7...Or 49 In Dog Years. Yes, its the ever popular birthday challenge where Peter Blackert builds every car in the history of the world ever and a few other people join in also. As a running gag, since we turned 7 this month...or 49 in dog years, I'll humorously appeal to both 7 year olds and 49 year olds. Enjoy.

Cripes, here we go with Peter's entries already! Get yourself some cookies, a sippy-cup of milk, and three fingers of scotch, this is going to be long. Peter Blackert has the ability to see into the future as he overhauls  the set #75908 Ferrari 458 GT2 Berlinetta before it even comes out.



Peter is not a fan of stickers, which is why he overhauled another future set #75912 "Porsche GT Finish Line". He just learned how to write in cursive and yearly prostate exams are also becoming increasingly important at his age.



Seven year old Ralphie Swanson and 49 year old Millie McGraw both woke up this morning in a puddle of their own vomit...but for entirely different reasons. Also Peter still insists to his mum that the Skoda Yeti was the car she should have bought instead of the Mazda.



Incidentally, Peter also woke up in a puddle of his own vomit this morning but then realized the vomit wasn't his own after all. Bummer, dude! The entire second grade class and everyone at the board meeting are laughing at him now.  Once he got himself cleaned up, he rendered a 2008 MkII Tacoma X-Runner.



Jumping right back to nearly the start of LUGNuts - to Challenge #5 - "Heroes and Villains" is this Peter-built Aston Martin DB5 GT as featured in the original James Bond films by author Ian Fleming. Also Peter is amidst litigation for calling his neighbor a "fatty fatty boombaladdy."



One time this kid Peter laughed so hard in the lunch room that he blew milk out his nose. That made him and this other kid hurl and then the janitor had to clean it up with that sawdust stuff. He had to get sent home early where he then enjoyed relations with his secretary, then built an Enzo Ferrari.



 Peter must be going through a mid-life crisis as he shows some Mad Motor Skills for this Ferrari 458 Speciale A. He then ate a can of Spaghetti-O's, a Kit-Kat bar and crashed out in front of the TV watching Teletubbies.



Moving on to "Autos aus Deutschland", Peter renders this quirky blue 1989 BMW Z1 roadster with doors that dropped down into the sills. He also recently got promoted to the advanced reading group in his class and noticed that his own kid has a receded hairline now.



 Peter's version of "slowing things down now" means taking a brief potty break before rendering four dozen more entries. Here is a 1959 Cadillac Series 75 (6700) Miller-Meteor Hearse Conversion. He also enjoys "ding-dong ditching" the neighbor kid, then celebrating with a good cigar.



Like a vintage scotch, Peter's '71 Caddy Eldorado should be enjoyed in moderation lest you're liable to hurl in Mrs. Denker's class and that could mean a trip to the principal's office. One time this kid Billy got sent home early for hurling too much and he was never seen again.



 1971 launched the 246 Dino GTS, a targa roofed version of the delectable Ferrari sub-brand Dino. Peter also enjoys playing in the dirt, Justin Bieber, and the touch of a woman, but not necessarily all at once.



Gum in the hair, sore back, mean, ugly teachers, alcoholism, tattle tales, infidelity, wedgies, high cholesterol, pulled pigtails, lawsuits, purple-nurples...these are the problems of 7 and 49 year olds alike. This has nothing to do with Peter's Audi TT, they just sounded funny together.



One time a 7 year old Peter got in trouble for showing classmate, Katy Sterling his wiener. Time doesn't change much as he is currently doing jail time for showing a now 49 year old prosecuting attorney Katherine Sterling his wiener. Oh, and this LaSalle 1937 Coupe-Convertible.



When it comes to farting, Peter lives by one simple rule: Those who smelt it, dealt it. But then he also knows that those who denied it, supplied it. This school yard paradox puzzled children for generations to come. He also built a trio of Italian Alfa Romeo hatchbacks. One in red, brown, and white.







But he also understands how escrow works, which is puzzling to most adults. He also explains this "Plain Jane" Mercedes-Benz 190E would have commonly been seen dressed in beige paint and waiting for you at the airport, should you find yourself visiting West Germany in the 1980s.



Peter wants to be just like me as evidenced by this copy of my '61 Dodge Polara called Aztec Gold. This is fitting, since I was an influential 7 year old. I once convinced a kid to eat a bug as he would be imbued with super-bug powers but then he tattled and I got in trouble.



Pretty much the same thing happened when I tried to claim chicken fighting as a business on my taxes. I told the auditor "it is too a business, you poo-poo head!" Nifty Fifties, Daddy-O produced plenty of LUGNuts action from the golden era of US motoring. This 1953 Buick Skylark Convertible is no exception.



Peter teams up with fellow schoolyard kid, Sam Sir Manperson for this nearly identical pair of black Mercedes-Benz W201 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II's. Peter's is this smaller scale render.



While the aforementioned Sam Sir Manperson pounds out a slightly wilder larger scale version, thus together (with their wonder twin powers!) satisfying both the "Size Matters" and "From Mild To Wild" challenges. Both dudes celebrated by playing Hungry, Hungry Hippos and hiring a prostitute.



Sam Sir Manperson comes back much later in the challenge to overhaul set # 7236, which doesn't seat a mini fig but, hey, at least it looks cool. 7 year old Amanda Newmar lost a tooth and was thrilled to get a dollar from the tooth fairy. meanwhile 49 year old Chuck Armell lost a tooth in a bar fight and got nothing for it.



You'd think with the little Sir Manperson break we've seen the end of Peter this challenge, but noooooo! We have like 40 more to go! Somebody get that kid some Ritalin or something. Anyway, he shows his age with this 1972 FIAT X1/9 in green.



When the Beach Boys were singing about "my 409", turns out they weren't going on about spray oven cleaner, but rather an early 1960's Chevrolet Impala with a 409 CID V8...as rendered here. Peter enjoys his Batman Under-Roos and also appreciates a good bowel movement.



Does being an engineer for Ford mean you get to have a new car every month? WTF! Seems to be so as Peter's ride this month is a Ford CD345 EcoBoost Mondeo in a color that can only be described as dentist waiting room chair. Peter just learned his multiplication tables up to 6 and should also watch his salt intake.



Swedish kids and adults alike love hot cocoa, saunas, fondue, ABBA, and the SAAB 99 EMS 3-Door Combi-Coupe of 1978, which is the perfect conveyance for gettin' about if you are ever 'Snowed In'  in Sweden listening to ABBA.



According to Peter, this Lincoln MKX mid-size Crossover is a Millennium Marvel. Take it from a Ford engineer, the biggest, most exciting thing in the 21st century automotive industry is...not the hybrid, but the crossover. Peter also enjoys story time in his Spiderman jammies and blowing 40 large in Blackjack.



Turns out, if you're Australian, you may have tooled about at some point in a Holden FJ Taxi, making this model perfect for Challenge 49, - "On the Job" for vehicles that have a working purpose. Most adults have jobs. You should dress for the job you want, not the job you have...which explains why Peter spent most of yesterday in the HR office dressed as Batman.



The Peter-built 986 Boxster model shown here fits challenge 42, - "Autos aus Deutschland". Peter's co-worker at Ford cut him in line in the cafeteria in spite of the usually steadfast grade school decree of  "no cuts, no buts, no coconuts."



 Also fitting "Autos aus Deutschland" is this Mercedes-Benz W210 E320 Sedan, which was apparently a lapse in quality for the German automaker. Peter looks forward to Saturday morning cartoons and also to a month without hemorrhoids.



"Redo and Redemption" was a challenge aimed at re-righting the wrongs of models long past, maybe back in the old 'kitchen table' blurred photography, chewed pieces days. Peter, however takes it as an opportunity to re-do this Audi TT from earlier this challenge. He'll play with his Superman action figures right after paying off the mortgage.



What is an FGX XR8? Well, once again Peter spouts off about stuff no one understands outside of Australia, but if you follow the Mad Max genre, the FGX XR8 is truly the last of the V8 Interceptors, and its even supercharged. He enjoys building sand castles but is scared and confused by Spongebob Square Pants.



This 2004 Maserati MC12 won a whole boatload of championships and was built for the "At The Races" challenge. Even though Peter didn't want to give his friend a "wet willie", he was double dog dared by his attorney to do it so…you pretty much can't back out of that one.



Peter wanted to go to his classmate's birthday party but regrets to inform him that he can't make it cuz this morning he farted and threw his back out. Also he built some weird Red Bull X2010 thingy that was in PlayStation Grand Turismo 5 (GT5) and 6 (GT6).



He shows some Mad Motor Skills for this Alfa Romeo Brera (939) 3.2 JTS V6 Coupe. And speaking of motors, Peter's favorite book as a child was "The Little Engine That Could". But if someone were to write a book on some 49 year olds it would be called "The Little Engine That Occasionally Couldn't."



OK, even I have to admit that was clever and funny! The 1956 FE Holden marks an Aussie interpretation of Challenge 59, - "Nifty Fifties, Daddy-O". Attempts to return an ill-fitting pair of slacks to the store was thwarted the other day when Peter was alerted to their strict "no take-backsies" policy.



In a dispute with his neighbor over property values, the neighbor said "you're gay!" Then Peter said "no you're gay!" "No, you are!", retorted the neighbor. This went back and for a bit until finally the neighbor said "I may be gay for a day, but you're queer for a year!" And that pretty much ended that argument. Oh, and here's a Cord 810 Phaeton Beverly Sedan. 



"Pink Bellies", DUI, scary dogs, tax evasion, the boogie man, a loveless marriage…these are the problems that plague 7 year olds and 49 year olds around the world. And also this Ford Ranger Baja Racer in Octan Racing colors.



The 1969 Mercedes-Benz C111 Rotary-powered concept/prototype car is presented here in a shade of orange that has its own special name - weissherbst. Peter would be the most popular kid in his second grade class if it weren't for the fact that he has one hell of a comb-over.



Still orange, but much less high-brow is the Heide Performance Products (HPP) Superbird conversion of the current iteration of the Dodge Challenger Coupe. Peter was his schoolyard recess champion thanks to fast-acting Geritol!



Looking now like a big brown turd, this 1971 Pontiac LeMans made cinematic history as the chase vehicle in the 1971 film, 'The French Connection', also starring that old turd Gene Hackmann. I didn't write any 7/49 year old jokes for that one. Peter's copy/pasted quip was funny enough.



And speaking of that, I just had an old man moment today that I haven't done since I was a kid so it qualifies. I'll tell ya next car, but first this 1968 Peugeot 504 Berline was legendary in Africa where its robust design stood up well to the challenges of the North African road (or non road) conditions.



The Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 took the production Quattro chassis, cut 12 inches from the wheelbase, and wound up the turbocharger all the way to crazy-town. The car went on to blitz the WRC and also held the Pikes Peak climb record. You see, dear readers, I have not been very regular this past month…



Launched in 1962, and also French (of Italian descent) the Simca 1000 Coupe Bertone cut a fine looking, if somewhat slow-ish line through French streets and laneways in the 1960s.
…So then I figured I'd do something about it and took some laxatives. I know, I know, old man problems and very embarrassing…



Challenge 32, - "God Save the Queen", was a challenge to build cars from the UK. What better then, than a 1960 Rolls-Royce Phantom V 'Canberra' Limousine, one of three specially commissioned vehicles to be official state cars to HM Queen Elizabeth II. …Sorry, Queen Mum, you just happen to be around for my embarrassing personal story. Please forgive me. So anyway day one nothing. Day 2 nothing. Day 3 and 4, nothing…



Built the the 30th Challenge theme, - "Lemons or LeMans", is this 1958 Edsel Ranger Sedan. …So then I had 4 days of record-breaking regularity! I mean this stuff was worthy to write home about! Then, like 4 hours ago I was having a nice productive day at work and suddenly became so regular I had to go home early…



Revisiting last month's 83rd Build Challenge, - "Only in America", is this 1937 Cadillac Series 70 Coupe.  All Cadillac models in this immediate period found limited sales, due to the Great Depression. So here I sit, freshly showered, doing laundry and getting the roundup done. I texted my boss, let her know the mishap and why I went home early and now I'm telling the story to you all. I'd like to see Brothers Brick do that!



Plus it filled like six jokes and in a roundup this long, I'll take whatever inspiration I can get. The 2012 Toyota 86 Sportscar was sold out globally almost instantly. Scary clowns, enlarged prostate, monster under the bed, tax audits, the schoolyard bully…these are the fears of 7 and 49 year olds everywhere.



This '67 Camaro coupe dressed up as 'Bumblebee' satisfies a few sub-themes of a challenge called "A Baker's Dozen, including, Any vehicle for or inspired by any superhero or villain, Any vehicle from childhood cartoons...MASK, G.I. Joe, etc. and any contender for the 2014 SEMA car show. Santa Claus, side boob, freeze tag, Jack Daniel's…you get the drift.



In spite of all my foibles and accidents, Peter still finds the time to suck up to the boss with this replica of my Jedi Starliner featuring "Lino-Wan Kenobi", hopefully in clean Jedi robes. What? Laughing at myself is good medicine. That's how I can continue to poke fun at all of you with impunity and a clear conscious. Laxatives, on the other hand, are only good in moderation.



Here's something I haven't seen seemingly since childhood. And no...shut up…I didn't mean that! I'm talking about a brick built creation from Peter. Its been years, maybe. Here is a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Volvo C30 DRIVe Hatchback.



Here is some more brick built goodness for challenge 55, - "Rubber side down, Shiny side up", - was a challenge all about motorcycle-type vehicles. 7 year old Tommy McMillen was scarred and confused as he tried to reason why he suddenly had a boner while riding the school bus.



Meanwhile 49 year old Al Rizzo can't remember the last time he sprung a boner on a bus or anywhere for that matter. Challenge 81, - "Generation Gap", - was all about vehicle built over more than one generation. The model here is the very latest 2013 Ford B299MCA Fiesta Sport.



"Space is the Place", - was the title for LUGNuts' 62nd Build Challenge, all about Space themed vehicle builds. Shown here is the first NASCAR champion Oldsmobile Rocket 88. The engine was named 'Rocket', and there was plenty of reference to the name in the advertising. Insert your own "pocket rocket" joke here.



In 1936 Mercedes-Benz launched the W136-Series 170V. You know what I haven't done in awhile? Told our namesake minor league baseball team to go screw themselves. Screw you, Lansing Lugnuts! Nanna-na-boo-boo, stick your head in doo-doo!



There, that feels better. Back to my old childish self! Peter had requested a "By Random Appointment", and I laid on this doozie for him to build, this 'Cherry Bomb' a 1970's show rod by Tom Daniel. Like long division to most 7 year olds, this took Peter way out of his comfort zones. I approve.



Packard's last independently developed car, the 1956 Patrician sedan is showcased here in grey, white, and like prosthetic leg tan. Peter's ongoing dispute over property values went nowhere when his neighbor declared him to be a liar, liar, pants on fire.



And finally adding some much needed Claas to this joint (I know, I use that joke every time) is this Claas XERION 5000 4x4 high-horsepower tractor. Is that the last of Peter's? Holy crap, it is! Finally! Sweet baby Jeebus!



OK, now onto somebody else. I hope I haven't run out of 7/49 jokes. FORD4LYF, who is probably Peter in disguise, built this good old '64 Ford F-100 Texas truck. According to military drill sergeants everywhere there are only steers and queers in Texas. Funny cuz I was at the airport in Dallas and saw neither…just a bunch of dudes in cowboy boots.



OK, Lino, think 7/49 jokes. Think, damn it, think! Here goes: The Lamborghini Countach, built by Senator Chinchilla (both a very childish and adult name) was enjoyed by 7 year olds and 49 year olds alike. 7 year olds had posters of them while 49 year olds drove them during their midlife crisis.



Yeah, that wasn't the best joke. What else do we have? Loek1990 renders a Volvo Octan racing truck, complete with a rally racer. He'll also play a spirited game of dodgeball right after he divorces his second wife.



Hey, dodgeball causes more divorces than you'd think. Portuguese builder Biczzz can't imagine a hot rod like his "Gold Dust" outside of the US, so he built it for the challenge "Only in America." Canada has more than a few. Maybe Mexico. Yeah, I guess he's right. Not much hot rodding outside the US.



Tom Netherton tells us that the US purchases more pickup trucks with Texas alone buying up more pickups than most other countries. He drives a pickup so its only fitting that he posts two, the first a 1969 Chevy C10 Long Bed. Candyland and early onset menopause.



 And the second being a 1974 Ford F-100 Super Cab. What other jokes do I have? Um…arthritic knees and…um…freeze tag. Boy, I'm running out of steam here.



Pasaruka76 submits what he calls his humble attempt at a Vespa for "Viva Italia" challenge. The bane of 7 year old Davey Lipton's existence was "Fat Joe" Capozzi, the schoolyard bully who stole his lunch money..



Meanwhile the bane of 49 year old Dave Lipton's existence is "Fat Joe" Capozzi, the hired goon who collects gambling debts from deadbeats. Some things never change. Later in the challenge Pascal comes back with this Akira bike for the "Shiny Side Up, Rubber Side Down" challenge.



7 year old Joshua is just learning to tie his shoes. Meanwhile, 49 year old Edward just bought a pair of slip on wingtips cuz bending down to tie his shoes is just too much of a hassle.  Chrisbuilds lives up to his name with this spooky tricked-out '32 Ford. Happy Halloween! 



Speaking of boner inducing school bus rides (like 30 entries ago), Nathan Proudlove presents this school bus for the "LUGNuts In Real Life" challenge. At the age of 7, no one calls you at all, but at the age of 49 people call at 9pm and ask "did I wake you?"



The great pyramids, the moon landing, and Nathan's Poison Pinto are among my short list of mankind's best achievements. This was my all time fave Hotwheels car from childhood. I had it on my own to-do list but it kicked my ass, I challenged Nathan to do it like a year ago and it kicked his ass then. Now, finally he has done it for the Super 70's Sensation challenge thereby satisfying 7 and 49 year olds alike.



One advantage to being 49 is kidnappers are no longer interested in you. Not that Tim Inman would know anything about that. He teams up with yours truly for a pair of high and low '59 Impalas. His being this high stance gasser called Alti-tude.



While Lino Martins chimes in with this low and slow custom counterpart called Low-Life. The two dudes celebrate their team-up by playing a spirited game of rock 'em sock 'em robots and paying for strange.



Satisfying a whole slew of challenges is this rendition of the classic Munster Koach by Ralph Savelsberg. 7 year old Susie noticed that her dad has some grey hair. Meanwhile 49 year old Jim noticed a first grey hair…on his kid.



Next Ralph demonstrates that like the fanny pack and the abacus, the Wagon Estate is a thing of the past. This type of car was killed by minivans and SUVs. Sometimes its all in the name: call them pants and you're young and cool, but call them slacks and you old and hopelessly uncool indeed.



Vinny Turbo chimes in with the Bugster for the "Only In America" Challenge. Red Rover, Red Rover, send grandpa right over…ah to hell with it, I need a nap! You kids get the hell off my lawn!

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Prozac, hide-n-seek, a good boob job, circus peanuts, some god damned peace and quiet for once; these are the joys of 7 year olds and 49 year olds the world over. Also Vinny Turbo shows some love for a custom car called Piston Ivy.

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Is that all of them? Holy crap, I think it is! Wow, I do believe that was a participation record. Kudos to all y'all then. And what did we achieve this time? I crapped my pants, mortified the Queen of England, goaded Brothers Brick, told the Lansing Lugnuts to go screw themselves and made a slew of off-color jokes about childhood and aging. So how is that different from every other roundup? It isn't, come to think of it. But boy, oh boy am I glad its over with! Now we can move on to a little challenge we like to call Like, Totally 80's…all about 80's era cars, bikes and trucks. Will there be Yugos or that strange abomination called Le Car? God, I hope not! But to know for sure, you're just going to have to wait and see. Tune in next month, same bat time, same…ah, you get the idea! Thanks for making LUGnuts the best LEGO group in the history of the world ever. Now get outta here, youse guys! Go build something, damn it!