My first Technic set as a kid! It was a great set in its day.

Amazing set for its day

One of the Original Technical Sets! Have it, love it. Best part for me is the look of those tires.

@matrox2001 said:
"On of my first technical sets. I had a few faults. The gears never quite worked properly and lack of a diff was an issue, but I loved it everytime I built it! Still have it."

Yes. Big grippy tires, no diff, working gearbox that increased the speed through to the high friction engine. Way too much torque for those thin technic axels forming the drive train. Wrecking technic angles was never more fun.

The Granddaddy of them all!

Not without a few flaws and clearly showing the limitations of what's possible with Lego, but still so very impressive. After this one, things kept improving with new parts and new functionality in the 8860 and 8865, reaching the pinnacle of Technic cars with the 8880.

This one's special. I'd argue that this might be the single most classic Technic set there is.

And it was a car.
But yeah, this was from back when it was less about 'supercar looks fast' and more about how it worked. It also invited the builder to make their own body, which is fun and probably looking better than anything lego could come up with.

@cm5878 said:
" @Lego_lord said:
"In it's 50 year anniversary Lego should release a modernized version of it. It will be both meaningful and affordable."

That's a great idea. With today's palette of more compact parts, all the functions could probably be condensed into a model that's half the size. "

Wasn't there such a model for the 40th aniversary, built from a select few models?

EDIT: no wait, that was for 8860
https://brickset.com/article/27326/technic-40th-anniversary-model-building-instructions-now-available

That jack model on the bottom left is fantastic. Shows the great (often unexploited) potential for interesting Technic non-vehicle machines.

The 24-tooth gears in these had four holes around the axle that aligned with a 2x2 stud just like design 3648. But they also had 2 cross-axle holes set 1M away from either side of the center axle hole that were used in this model for the crankshaft offsets. The weird thing was, the two holes were designed to take axles rotated 45 degrees from a radius alignment, like this:

x
+
x

but also take axles straight up-and-down, like this:

+
+
+

and the instructions for this set called for the latter orientation. The problem I ran into was that in the straight configuration, the axles didn't *quite* go in straight so there was always a crankshaft alignment problem that increased friction. I never understood why they did that.

Those huge wheels were great for spaceships. You could use the extra holes to make angled wings and fins at any multiple of 30 degrees, while incorporating what were clearly massive engines into any spaceship-spaceship-spaceship.

On the flip side, if you mounted one such wheel and tire directly to the fast 4.5V technic motor from that era, the resulting centrifugal force would make the tire "float" right off of the wheel.

@Binnekamp said:
"It also invited the builder to make their own body, which is fun and probably looking better than anything lego could come up with."
Or at least the builder thought looked better, which is still very important. I'm reminded of my third nephew, who will turn ten in September, saying Lego should hire him as a designer. I didn't say anything, but I was thinking, "You're pretty good for a kid your age, but official Lego designers are on a whole 'nother level." Although I will admit the Dock Ock he improvised was pretty clever. Even if it wasn't really suitable for playing with (because the arms would break off), it still looked good.

The Holy Grail of Technic sets.

@TeraMedia said:
"The 24-tooth gears in these had four holes around the axle that aligned with a 2x2 stud just like design 3648. But they also had 2 cross-axle holes set 1M away from either side of the center axle hole that were used in this model for the crankshaft offsets. The weird thing was, the two holes were designed to take axles rotated 45 degrees from a radius alignment, like this:

x
+
x

but also take axles straight up-and-down, like this:

+
+
+

and the instructions for this set called for the latter orientation. The problem I ran into was that in the straight configuration, the axles didn't *quite* go in straight so there was always a crankshaft alignment problem that increased friction. I never understood why they did that."

I always used the X variant, an I am pretty sure I learned that from the instructions of 854. I've just looked at the instuctions of 853 on PICL, I am pretty sure they also show to use X. Maybe old copies are different?

@Lego_lord said:
"In it's 50 year anniversary Lego should release a modernized version of it. It will be both meaningful and affordable."

Well, knowing LEGO it would be 'meaningful' at least.. not sure about 'affordable'

In the US, this was set 956. Although the cars offered today are more about style (IMHO), this one was more about function - showing anyone who built and played with it how the car functioned by seeing the exposed gears, steering, etc. Parts may have been limited in design, but with a little creativity, making your own designs was pretty easy. My inserts are discolored after 45 years, but this set still resides in my collection in its original box with the price - $34.99. This was a birthday present when I was 7. It was my first technic (expert builder) set I ever received. Yes, the main model did have some flaws, from the engine to the gears and the steering, but overall it was an awesome model to build at the time. The models pictured on the box were always more interesting to build, since all you had to go by was a few scant photos of what Lego showed on the box. One of my favorites was the forward cab tractor trailer truck in the instruction booklet. I built and rebuilt it many times and made my own modifications.

@Lego_lord said:
"In it's 50 year anniversary Lego should release a modernized version of it. It will be both meaningful and affordable."

I was hoping already for that for the 40th anniversary.

One of my most awkward Lego store experiences was a couple years ago witnessing a parent bringing in a deconstructed copy of this set and asking employees if they could get new instructions for it (obviously something well outside the typical wheelhouse of what store employees are expected to do). I tried to give them a link to a site where they could download instructions but I'm not sure my message got across—they were old and didn't seem very tech savvy, which is probably why they brought the set to a physical store for instructions instead of simply googling it.

@Lego_lord said:
"In it's 50 year anniversary Lego should release a modernized version of it. It will be both meaningful and affordable."

My mind is already envisioning the pile of “too expensive!” comments that are certain to follow such an announcement.

@Binnekamp said:
"Wasn't there such a model for the 40th aniversary, built from a select few models?

EDIT: no wait, that was for 8860
https://brickset.com/article/27326/technic-40th-anniversary-model-building-instructions-now-available"

Here we can see a prime example of how impossible it is to please people. Several commenters in this thread would like to have a remake of this set. But when lego did a remake of a very similar set almost nobody remembers it. I know it was just an instruction combining few other sets from 2017 but still I can imagine the lego designers waving this instructions at afols asking 'are you not entertained?!'

"Hey, let's celebrate 40 years of Technic by buying three of our not-so-interesting sets to build this so-so re-imagination of a 37 year old set!"

Yeah, I can see why reactions to that weren't too excited...

@WizardOfOss said:
""Hey, let's celebrate 40 years of Technic by buying three of our not-so-interesting sets to build this so-so re-imagination of a 37 year old set!"

Yeah, I can see why reactions to that weren't too excited..."

Thats harsh. The 8860 was a considerable step forward, stayed in the catalogues for many years and must have sold remarkably well despite being one of the most expensive sets in the entire lego range, judging by how many seem to pop up on ebay. Its easily the most iconic set from the first decade of Technic, and it seems like splitting hairs to insist that the celebratory tribute model needed to be from the first year of the theme.

Though I would have preferred a reimagined 8865 or 8880 .

I didn't mean anything bad about the 8860, it was a great set. Didn't have it myself but have build it several times, and I loved it. It's just kind of a weird choice for the occasion.

But that was the least of the problems with that tribute model.

@thor96 said:
" @Binnekamp said:
"Wasn't there such a model for the 40th aniversary, built from a select few models?

EDIT: no wait, that was for 8860
https://brickset.com/article/27326/technic-40th-anniversary-model-building-instructions-now-available "

Here we can see a prime example of how impossible it is to please people. Several commenters in this thread would like to have a remake of this set. But when lego did a remake of a very similar set almost nobody remembers it. I know it was just an instruction combining few other sets from 2017 but still I can imagine the lego designers waving this instructions at afols asking 'are you not entertained?!'

"

Me not remembering correctly is more about me not being a technic guy rather than the quality of the remake. Also, it wasn't super advertised at the time and some people who weren't present for the hobby at the time might have missed it.

People being silent about something isn't all that informative on their opinions.
For all we know this comment thread might have spurred people to try look for that remake build. Always keep in mind that a comment section is a small sample of people's reactions as a majority might not even post comments. We can't really know.

That said... yeah, you can't please everybody. That's definitely true anyway.

LEGO should reissue this. …New Vintage-inspired Packaging, and some slight changes to brick color.

Beautiful and iconic set.

First Technic set, a Christmas present, build it and alternative same day. Loved and still love the early Technic sets, very little interest in the weird coloured panel carriers produced now.

@TeraMedia:
I just looked up the 24-tooth gear you mentioned. Judging by your story, and the design of the part, they probably had more than a few of these things split open, which is probably why the newer version only has the 2x2 grid of pin holes and the center axle hole. The path from set design to published instructions is messy, even more back in the days when they couldn't do it all on computers, so there may have been a mixup at that stage where the person who designed the instructions accidentally switched from x to + orientation.

@PurpleDave said:
" @TeraMedia:
I just looked up the 24-tooth gear you mentioned. Judging by your story, and the design of the part, they probably had more than a few of these things split open, which is probably why the newer version only has the 2x2 grid of pin holes and the center axle hole. ..."

I suppose it's possible, but FWIW I still have those old 24-tooth gears; they never split on me. I did manage to split an 8-tooth when I was a kid, but that was human error not LEGO design.

I also drooled over this in the late 70s but it seemed way out of my league in terms of price, size and complexity so I settled for the blue go-cart instead...
I recall in the Lego Builders Club magazine circa 1979 / 80 in the UK (was anyone else a member?) that somebody sent in a picture of a fully built up car using the chassis set as a base (as it would have been intended for) - I remember it was a red coupe design - extremely blocky as there were no curves then...

:') beautiful. I love this set.

I think this was one of the signature, if not most challenging sets that Lego offered in the initial Expert Builder/Technic series.

My big brother received this set for Christmas (1978) while I received the Go-Kart (948). We spent hours playing "demo derby", then re-build and do it again and again. Many years later he sold it on e-bay, I still have my Go-Kart. I would like to re-unite the two of the again.