I Built a Lego Model of a Quirky Soviet Limousine! [morning repost]

Kinja'd!!! "Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2)
06/02/2020 at 10:40 • Filed to: Tatra 603, Tatra, Lego, Legolopnik

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Morning repost, y ‘all.

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I am quite annoyed my finger is in this one because it is now too dark to take photos

Can you tell what it is? It probably looks vaguely familiar to you but it is only heavily inspired by a specific car. Yes, the inspiration was the Tatra 603.

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So, with the real car in mind, here is what I came up with:

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“But wait a minute,” you might ask, “your model appears not to have a roof. Or four doors.”

You are perfectly right to bring this up. I didn’t make the base long enough for four doors and realized I didn’t have enough pieces anyways. As for the roof, I couldn’t for the life of me create a convincing one that didn’t look cartoonish and misfitted. I’ll include my shoddy attempt at the end.

Turns out, someone made a sketch with that same idea. I wasn’t aware of it while building, but here it is. Very similar ideas here.

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I was using what I had and quickly realized this would be an alternate universe version of a car that already felt like it was from an alternate universe. Hence, I felt free to put the chrome, mirrors, and other details wherever they looked best. I’m quite proud of the finished result, given that I have never attempted anything of the kind before. Let’s take a closer look at my finished product.

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The side profile was tricky. The real car has these bulging air ducts for the engine that I approximated using the step up in the belt line and the sideways tapered piece. The covered wheel arch isn’t exact either but gets the idea across.

The tapered front was also quite challenging. The recessed triple headlights had to make the scale a little off everywhere else unfortunately.

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I am quite annoyed my finger is in this one because it is now too dark to take photos

As for the rear?

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The trunk lid had to be a little weird for it to move up and reveal the glorious air cooled hemispherical combustion chambered rear mounted V8.

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I think it is worth it though because it reveals the car’s real inner quirkiness.

But how are the Communist Party officials treated inside?

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No bourgeoisie here. Only fine wine

They are treated to glorious red “Corinthian” leather and a finely aged spirit in the back seat. I promise the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I promised to show you my attempt at creating a roof for this crazy bourgeoisie-mobile.

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Yeaaaaaaah, a little sloppy there. I simply didn’t have the ricks to make it not be tall and goofy looking. Ultimately this attempt might have worked if the model was about an inch longer but as is it just looks cartoonishly top heavy.

Now seems a suitable time to bring up what the Tatra 603 actually was. This period commercial is the best representation of it in all of its opulent glory that can be found anywhere. Stastnou Cestu is a classic.

So, any thoughts on this rough edged attempt at a Soviet Bloc rear engined hemi V8 limousine?


DISCUSSION (44)


Kinja'd!!! RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/01/2020 at 23:13

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That is not bad AT ALL for just using whatever random bricks you had on hand...kudos! I love the 603, but I think my favorite Tatras are still the bonkers early ones with the huge rear fin....they just look so vastly ahead of their time...


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/01/2020 at 23:25

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I think an 87 drives past in the city scene in Stastnou Cestu at 5:44. Love these things. Real life has never been more steampunk and this was before and punks first steamed. Any idea what that strange asymmetrical police car is? I think the door is in a different location on different sides.

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7:20 and 9:13

I’m quite proud of it but I think the model needs about another inch in the middle before it can really look right.


Kinja'd!!! Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/01/2020 at 23:25

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Pretty ambitious first attempt at a Lego car... Not bad!

Also, challenge accepted ;)


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller
06/01/2020 at 23:32

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Yes, hopelessly ambitious. T hat front section is so difficult! The proportions are so unconventional and the the surfaces so curved it made me question everything. I’ve been fiddling with it in the background for two weeks now I think. Now just to add about an inch into the wheelbase so it doesn’t look like a clown car. . .


Kinja'd!!! shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 00:05

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That is super funky and weird! I live it!


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > shop-teacher
06/02/2020 at 00:06

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I wish I could "live it," but I would want to make it bigger first. Classic typo.


Kinja'd!!! shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 00:08

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Lol! I'm still in the edit window, but screw it :)


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > shop-teacher
06/02/2020 at 00:10

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If you could live Shas tnou Cestu that would be a good life. Everyone else would have a terrible life but things would be good for you.


Kinja'd!!! fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 00:15

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Fun. Some Czechs might take umbrage with that classification :)

I actually saw one of these on the road once, in Switzerland - I had to hurry and snap a pic before it passed by:

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Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail
06/02/2020 at 00:19

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Former Soviet Bloc, and . . . . . . . Woah what you actually saw one! On the road! JUST ON THE ROAD! The prospect that they are actually out there excited me deeply. I love how it is just silently zooming by the unwashed masses with a contemptuous air in that picture.

I know the Lane Motor Museu m has one, though my planned trip got all messed up from the virus. I wonder when they reopen. . .

Thank you for sharing this!


Kinja'd!!! fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 00:28

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Yeah, I about fell over when I saw it, too. I think I was stuck in traffic, so it wasn’t too risky. Switzerland officially isn’t a fan of cars, but there’s plenty of odd stuff there, older American cars especially. No idea about the story behind the Tatra, definitely someone’s collector car, but it was out in the morning rush hour in Bern.

I’ve seen numerous Tatras in European museums, but never another on the road.   I’m a big fan of the 77 variants with the dorsal fin.


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail
06/02/2020 at 00:31

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That must easily be the rest thing you've seen on the road. I spotted that Plymouth Supervised recently that, if real, would be mind bogglingly rare, but never something so utterly insane. There will never be cars like that again and I love them for that.


Kinja'd!!! fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 00:36

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I’ve seen a number of oddities on the road around here - 300SL, BMW 507, Enzo, etc, but for something to be rare and not worth 7 figures makes it much better in my eyes. A car like that Tatra survived with a little luck.  I don’t expect to see another randomly in the wild.


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail
06/02/2020 at 00:42

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I’ve seen some of the ones you mentioned at shows but never just on the road. I can’t think of the last car I saw that was never common and not expensive driving dowm the  street. Seem a few old rarities parked but never on the move. Certainly nothing as exotic as a Tatra, though I reckon the continental location increases your chances.


Kinja'd!!! fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 00:46

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Yeah, unless a museum/collector is exercising their car, you’ll likely never see a Tatra on the road on this continent.   Good excuse to take a trip sometime.  


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail
06/02/2020 at 00:51

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I don’t need much of an excuse, but I wanted to catch the Citroen centennial exhibit.

Goodnight.


Kinja'd!!! Jim Spanfeller > fintail
06/02/2020 at 01:31

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One time I saw a Lamborghini Diablo, Acura NSX (old one), Jaguar E-type, and I think a Dodge Viper all lined up at a stoplight. That was an interesting day.


Kinja'd!!! KnowsAboutCars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 04:23

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Neat! Also, I think the cartoonish propor tions work quite well here.


Kinja'd!!! pip bip - choose Corrour > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 04:46

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good effort


Kinja'd!!! shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 08:42

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By the way, I shared this to Live and Let Diecast, and made you a member. We love Lego creations there too.


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > pip bip - choose Corrour
06/02/2020 at 09:31

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But not good enough to deserve a capital letter ;P

Thank you.


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > shop-teacher
06/02/2020 at 09:38

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Thank you for that. I do occasionally make or write something that would be appreciated there.


Kinja'd!!! ranwhenparked > fintail
06/02/2020 at 10:47

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The Czechoslovakian government had to beg the Soviet Union for permission for Tatra to go back to building luxury cars, since the Soviets had dictated that only the USSR would build cars in that class within their sphere of influence. Czechoslovak politicians were disappointed in the quality and engineering of their imported Soviet limousines (mostly copies of prewar Packards) and were well aware that their domestic industry was fully capable of doing better.


Kinja'd!!! shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 11:00

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You're welcome! :)


Kinja'd!!! E90M3 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 11:36

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They have several Tatra’s at the Lane. 


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > E90M3
06/02/2020 at 11:44

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I was just looking it up minutes ago. They are still closed but they have one of almost all their major designs.

https://www.lanemotormuseum.org/collection/alphaindex/t


Kinja'd!!! seaanemone85 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 12:43

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Any dartz reference is a good reference. I dig the lego, too.


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > seaanemone85
06/02/2020 at 12:46

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Thank you, but I wasn't aware of the reference or even what it is supposed to refer to.


Kinja'd!!! fintail > ranwhenparked
06/02/2020 at 12:47

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Yup.  At least the reds had the sense to let it proceed.


Kinja'd!!! fintail > Jim Spanfeller
06/02/2020 at 12:48

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Heading from a c&c?   I’ve seen a couple Porsche parades, I think, but no groups like that.


Kinja'd!!! Jim Spanfeller > fintail
06/02/2020 at 12:54

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I have no idea. There’re quite a few interesting cars around here, but you rarely see cars that  interesting driving around. One thought I had is that maybe it’s some car club going on a trip? I imagine if this was a c&c thing, I’d be seeing cars like that more often...


Kinja'd!!! fintail > Jim Spanfeller
06/02/2020 at 12:58

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Maybe just a group of friends.

My area has very little car culture - legit c&c usually has no turnout and no promotion (which is amusing as this is such a wired community - there’s almost no notification of gatherings). There is an “exotics” meet at a local mall, which ends up mostly being a show-off contest between rich boomers, spoiled techdorks, and the guillotine-worthy devilspawn of residency purchasers.


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > ranwhenparked
06/02/2020 at 13:20

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Didn't they say they just happened to find some old pre Soviet plans that were definitely not developed in secret at all, no sir, and promised to give some cars to the people in charge? They were so much better than the ZAZ limos.


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller
06/02/2020 at 13:22

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I sometimes see some crazy new money expensive looking bikes riding together but very rarely do I see cars driving in convoy. Even then it's usually just stances bro trucks on massive chrome wheels.


Kinja'd!!! ranwhenparked > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 13:23

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Sounds familiar, but I don’t think many Soviet leaders were ever photographed in foreign cars at home (they certainly owned many of   them though, especially Brezhnev).


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > shop-teacher
06/02/2020 at 13:24

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I don’t think to worked. Don’t I have to accept an invitation or something? I didn’t get anything in my notifications.  Congrats o n y our new mod status.


Kinja'd!!! shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 13:59

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No, you don’t get any notifications like that. If you click on the little circle thingy, you should see Live and Let Diecast in there now. If you go there, you should be able to create something in that blog now. Let me know if it doesn’t work.

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Kinja'd!!! A Boy and His Longtail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 14:30

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Get LEGO Digital Designer or your brick building CAD program of choice and take a wack at it on there. Then you could order the parts and have a splitting image.

I’ve got to say though, I kinda dig the convertible idea you’ve got going. It never would have happened in the USSR, but they missed out. Keep us posted with any updates!


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > shop-teacher
06/02/2020 at 14:33

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No, just says Oppositelock and my personal blog, which made me suspect it didn't work.


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > A Boy and His Longtail
06/02/2020 at 14:36

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I plan on adding about a half inch to wheelbase and correcting a few wanton wastes of bricks as not to deplete my stash. I had a lot of fun doing it and for a first crack at the idea, I think it turned out well considering the utter lack of planning.

I might check those out but I’m definitely not ordering anything. I’ll keep this displayed though so maybe, just maybe, a few bricks wouldn’t hurt. . . No, stay focused on saving for that bigger purchase, Who.

I'm thinking of it more like a fictional coupe converted to be an open top parade car.


Kinja'd!!! shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/02/2020 at 14:37

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Alright, I’ll take a look at it this afternoon.


Kinja'd!!! shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/03/2020 at 08:40

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I found the problem yesterday. You're on the membership log with authorship, but listed as pending. I'm still trying to figure out how to fix that.


Kinja'd!!! shop-teacher > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/03/2020 at 13:13

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I tried revoking and redoing your invite. Is there an invite in your notifications now?


Kinja'd!!! Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > shop-teacher
06/03/2020 at 13:33

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Sadly I don’t have the blog listed on my profile and I received no invite. Try following me for Lald first . No idea if that does anything.