Mog-mania!

Little bricks with an awesome imagination...

I am a big fan of the Lego Technic series.
These are the most challenging toys ever to be produced by the company and I must say that it'll give you a run for your money.
My first brush with the Technic series were the "Bionicle" action figures.
These are now highly collectible and are no longer in production.

The little Unimog..

I found the Technic 9390 kit for new builders fascinating.
Its called the "Mini Tow Truck", based on a Mercedes Unimog 400.
Now, I am a huge fan of the Mercedes Unimog or UNIversal-MOtor-Gerat which is known around the world as a utility workhorse.
This vehicle is so well-respected, most 4WD enthusiasts would know about its existence.

Lego's entry-level kit for the Unimog fan

Hunt for the Mini Tow Truck

For some strange reasons, Technic sets are far and few in between off the shelves.
And each year, new sets are introduced.
I believe the Mini Tow Truck has been in the market for a year or more.
So, looking for this one from retail stores is out of the question.
Having said that, my best bet is through on-line dealers and I found one for sale in Ebay Malaysia.
I contacted the seller who had put this up for sale at RM60 and traced him to a housing estate in the greater Cheras.
A meet up with him had sealed the deal.

Work in prgress: the Unimog and its instruction sheet

Constructing the U400 mini

Right out of the box, the kit contains parts in two plastic bags.
There's two set of instruction booklets for the builder to follow.
It too me about 15-minutes to build the vehicle chassis and another 15-minutes to complete the kit.
Rather than fitting-in the crane and winch, I decided to leave it bare.
What I like about this small kit is the free-wheeling hubs and the steerable front wheels.
The overall built and quality of the Lego Technic Unimog U400 is commendable.

The finished Unimog minus the crane and winch

Since this kit is meant for beginners, I would rate the level of difficulty at 'easy'.
Simply follow the instructions are you will be fine.. 
What's more exciting is the larger Unimog U400 that comes with a power motor kit and this big fella is also a premium-priced item that can hardly be found off the shelves.