“Mr. Edward Mann”, formerly know as long-time CC reader and commenter alfasaab99, is a thirteen year-old home-schooler, and CC is part of his liberal education. This is his first (but probably not last) CC.
Amazing. That’s the one word I can use to describe this Unimog. Its crane can pick up objects. Its winch actually works and can probably pull it out of a small pit. Its suspension is fully functional. I could just go on and on and on about it. So I will.
The interior, just as detailed as the exterior, has many more features or “abilities”. These “abilities” include a nonfunctional gear stick (my addition) and a nonfunctional steering wheel. There are many working functions in the Unimog’s interior as well. They include a working (reciprocating) diesel I4 and working steering on the roof.
Knowing there are many engineers and mechanical design fanatics in the CC commentariat (myself included), I’ve decided to give a treat for you, for me, and for all the people here at CC: raw Unimog guts! I think you’ll be pleased with my treat for thee!
Yes commenters, I know you probably wanted to see the Unimog in action but the video file I had for it was too large and similar videos can be found on Youtube, like the one below. On the bright side, you still get to see a photo of the ‘Mog in action while carrying a plastic egg to safety without an operator!
Fortunately for the winch, I was able to get a quick video (capturedvideo) of the winch in action pulling the ‘Mog for everyone. If you don’t believe me, buy a used Lego Unimog from Amazon.com or Lego.com for $200.00 or from the occasionally dreaded Bay Of E for $260.00+ (Yikes)! If you do believe me, just watch the video and enjoy watching it.
The Unimog shows everything it has
The Unimog is a natural show off. If it were not a show off, why would it be painted bright orange? Why would it have tons of lights? Why would it have a crane? Why would it have a winch? I could just bore you to death or to sleep with reasons it is a natural show off.
At the heart of the ‘Mog is a Lego Power Functions (PF) Box and a single-cylinder electric air compressor. The air compressor produces the compressed air needed to make the crane functional (move). The PF box and a Lego PF electric motor power the winch and rotate the crane (output determined by setting on “switch box”).
Photo took by Darkone @ Wikimedia Commons
I have run out of thing to say about my own Lego Unimog, so I will proceed to talk a bit about the history of the Unimog, to help put things into perspective about the model. Here goes nothing.
Unimog was started in 1947 by a Mercedes-Benz engineer as UNIversal-MOtor-Geratet (Universal Motor Implements in German). The first Unimogs looked like this, an early Unimog, just without a soft top and less color variation than the above example. These early ‘Mogs were mainly advertised as farm vehicles in early Post-WWII Germany, which was initially planned by The Allies and stayed mostly in that role until the 1950s due to eased restrictions. After these restrictions were lifted, Unimogs started being advertised as buses, trucks, tractors, etc. Eventually, these early ‘Mogs gained 4WD, a more flexible chassis, and many other revisions to become the Unimog of today, real or Lego.
This is…. an unusual article for CC. But very entertaining read nonetheless!
Wow dude COOL toy, that is just awesome I knew I was born too early there was nothing even remotely like that about when I was 13, Oops tell a lie the actual Unimog existed in books.,
I had a German friend who like most German youth failed to make to the Berlin occupation zone in time to avoid National service, Dieter told me of towing field guns with Mogs thru axle deep mud no problem they were more tractor than truck way back then. Mogs make things like Jeeps and Landrovers look seriously underdone Jeeps especially, I have a couple of shots of a 6WD Landrover Im trying to mail across
Remember Bryce, Paul wants one of these himself too.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/dear-santa-how-about-just-a-lego-kit/
When did this German friend try to escape national service? 1950s? 1960s? 1970s?
As the parent of a homeschooler only 2 years your junior, hats off to you and your parents! Terrific article.
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Any suggestions, advice, comments about writing quality, ways I could improve, etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Wow, I had no idea you were so young. Since you are in the right age range I have to ask have you considered getting involved in FIRST? FTC, FIRST Tech Challenge might be right up your alley. It uses the Lego Mindstorms kit to control it and there are many Home school based teams in addition to those from traditional schools, church groups, and Scouts, both Boy and Girl. If you and your parents would like to get some more information send a message to Paul and have him forward it to me and I’ll help you get the ball rolling. If you want to graduate from being a mechanical design fanatic to a real engineer FIRST is a great start.
I was in FLL for 4 years, last year was my final year. Dad was coach for engineering, robot design, & programming. Mom (last year) was acting coach for script and board helper (asst. coach). My team won the pod challenge, & the Judges Award at state & best project skit at regionals.
So are you interested in FTC? Last year we had grants specifically for former FLL team members who were graduating to FTC, they haven’t announced it yet but I am pretty certain they will have those grants next year too.
Not for this year or next year. Eagle Scout now & Science Fair next year will use too much time.
At least see if you can go see an FRC regional near you, there are still 4 weeks of competitions left. The FRC team I mentor just won the Autodesk Oregon Regional so we’ll be heading to the World Championships, with all the FLL, FTC and other FRC teams that qualified this year.
In case you weren’t aware this season the permited materials and construction techniques allowed in FTC was expanded to include the use of welding, CNC machining, laser cutting and 3D printing.
Here is a post on our team’s website of our most recent Boy Scout Robotics badge workshop. http://tahomarobotics.org/2012/11/18/boy-scout-workshop/ It was run by an Eagle Scout.
I’m also in BSA, working on an Eagle Scout currently.
Great article,I saw a Unimog towing a tram in Blackpool,it had bogies to run on the tram lines and a hydraulic platform to let the electricians work on the powerlines.Keep up the good work,more please
All of thirteen and a part of CC, I’m rather impressed!
Nice job on the Unimog, and the story. I have a Lego car I built a number of years ago sitting on my shelf gathering dust. I was quite proud of it, what with it’s reclining front seats, deep well trunk and lower fog lamps, but this makes it look like a pile of junk!
Great Job!!!
FYI:this was from a kit.
When my son was approaching your age we would haunt a “collectables” shop where we scooped up several configurations of Siku die-cast Unimoogs. Twenty years later they still have a place of honor in the house.
Our son also went on to become an Eagle Scout. It takes effort and I wish you all the best. You already come across as a man beyond his years. Hope to see more from you here at CC.
I am not an Eagle yet, I am just working on the project.
That’s quite a model there. The background on the Unimog is interesting too. I believe I recall one made by Matchbox back in the 60s, but in pre-internet days, I had no idea what a Unimog was.
One question: when climbing up into the cab, where does the driver’s leg go? (Sorry – it’s a disease).
I had the Matchbox Unimog. It was one of my favorites because it was so strange-looking to my American eyes. I had Legos, too, but they were a lot less fancy back in the 1960s.
I’m trying to picture Mr. Bennett’s Lego car. Did they have brown metalflake lego bricks back then for the outside of the car, and soft Corinthian bricks for the interior? Little tiny brougham badges, perhaps?
Perhaps it’s time for Shelfside classic. I’ll nominate my Lego 1962 VW Westfalia model since that beat out the Lego Technic Unimog kit in my race to spend 3 figures on a Lego kit.
Building these is major achievement just for the sheer complexity of managing hundreds of little pieces of plastic.
It would be awesome if the model could replicate my favorite Unimog option, the Variopilot tool free LHD/RHD conversion for streetsweeper, mower and snowplow applications.
In the kit, it starts out RHD but I converted it to LHD for stylistic reasons. One can find instructions for turning the ‘Mog into a snowplow on Lego.com.
Lego has a long history of kits in this style, going back to the late 70’s. I grew up building “expert builder” kits and later bought several “technic” kits. As with all Legos, if you are adventurous you can mix and match the parts to make your own creations. Lego: best toy ever!
I really want that Unimog kit!
“As with all Legos, if you are adventurous you can mix and match the parts to make your own creations.”
I’ve been doing that for some time now.
I have been doing that all the time:) I reckon I made Lego item the parts in the box were for only the first time, after that was ‘make what you want’ period!:)
Anyway, I would love this Unimog set, but would probably make an VW Iltis or G-wagen out of it:0
Great article, Edward! Wish you all the best in life!
I am late to the party–new job keeping me busy–but a most excellent kit and article!
I was a Lego nut well into my teens. I still have a doctor’s office I built 15 years ago, complete with waiting room and two exam rooms. And it goes without saying, I made lots of my own Lego cars. One of them had suicide doors, like a 1960s Continental.
I still have the yellow Technic Jeep and red-and-white Indy Car I got for Christmas in the early ’90s, plus a Lego cabin cruiser and harbor fire boat that actually float!
I have some remnants of the harbor fire boat (hull). Would you still have the instructions for it?