My BATTERED Ford Anglia MOC or: why didn't lego do this in the first place??
So in this winter's lego Harry Potter winter 2024 wave, we got a cute little Ford Anglia set (lego 76424 Flying Ford Anglia - 165 pieces $15 | 15 EUR | £13). And as part of this summer's lego Harry Potter summer 2024 wave, we're getting a suitably terrifying Aragog set (76434 Aragog in the Forbidden Forest - 195 pieces $20 | 20 EUR | £18). While I love that they're actually producing small sets for the theme that can make a nice little present without breaking the bank, I have to ask: why didn't we get the first ever battered Ford Anglia from the scene with Aragog? All told, there have been 5 regular and one microscale Ford Anglias in sets in the 23 years of lego Harry Potter sets, and not one of them has been the mangled version we see at the end of CoS. (And that's not counting the nanoscale Ford Anglia builds in 2023's lego 76419 Hogwarts Castle and Grounds, 2022's 76404 lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar, and 2018's lego 71043 nanoscale Hogwarts Castle.) Why not? In fact, there are so few pieces required to make the change, I'd really like to know why they didn't include the pieces for both versions. If you're doing it from the outset, it's so much cheaper, and it would have barely dented the budget. Make it a dollar | Euro | pound more if that's what it takes, but they'd be giving us two builds for the price.
As this is a MOC (My Own Creation), there are certain considerations to make it more successful, and I'll explain those in more detail beneath the fold.
The Ford we got:
Set in scene with the Hogwarts Express from the beginning of Chamber of Secrets (CoS) with the lovely box art:
Here's the very excellent nightmare fuel Aragog we'll get this summer, box art and build, from the end of Chamber of Secrets:
And without further ado, here's the MOC (in three versions). You can find the build's mecabricks page here.
First, the version with four leaves, three spiders, a crumpled front left fender and a damaged rear right wheel well, because flat tires aren't much of an option 😂. (You'll have to scroll down to the nighttime colours version to see the leaf on the other side.) On the purple plate you can see the six unused parts from the original build. On the bright PINK plate are the thirteen new parts you'll need to complete the build.
Design considerations:
* Here I went with leaf colours that could be day or night versions, avoiding the dark purple leaves, also for more "leafy" contrast. The dark purple version (below) does go nicely with the car colour though, if that's more your thing, but it's less convincing in a daylight setting.
* There is no 26604 Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Studs on 2 Sides, Adjacent in Bright Light Blue, to affix the spider to the right rear side of the car while retaining the original fender shape. The choices are to rotate the set's 87087 Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on Side to attach the spider and deform the wheel well (which is nice in that it adds some irregularity to that side beyond just removing the headlight, and saves us from ordering 54200 the Bright Light Blue cheese piece for the crumpled front left fender), or to use a different coloured 26604, perhaps suggesting rust or bare metal.
* There's no rust here, but it's an option. 26604 is available in Red and Reddish Brown, the latter is probably the more successful of the two for rust, but looked a little blocky and will probably make ordering the parts more expensive due to the colour variations.
Parts added (13 pieces in total, of 6 or 7 different parts, depending on whether or not you use two different leaf colours):
* 1x 2431 white Tile 1 x 4
* 3x 29111 black Spider with Elongated Abdomen
* 2x 3024 white Plate 1 x 1
* 2x 32607 dark green Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 32607 olive green Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 36841 bright light blue Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 1
* 1x 5404 bright light blue Slope 18 2 x 1 x 2/3
Next, the version with four leaves, two spiders, a crumpled front left fender and an intact rear right wheel well. (Here, too, you'll have to scroll down to the nighttime colours version below to see the fourth leaf on the other side.) On the purple plate you can see the six unused parts from the original build. On the bright YELLOW plate are the thirteen new parts you'll need to complete the build.
Parts added (13 pieces in total, of 7 or 8 different parts, depending on whether or not you use two different leaf colours):
* 1x 2431 white Tile 1 x 4
* 2x 29111 black Spider with Elongated Abdomen
* 2x 3024 white Plate 1 x 1
* 2x 32607 dark green Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 32607 olive green Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 36841 bright light blue Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 1
* 1x 5404 bright light blue Slope 18 2 x 1 x 2/3
* 1x 54200 bright light blue Slope 30 1 x 1 x 2/3
Finally, the nighttime colours version, which is more compatible with the new line of Forbidden Forest sets' colour scheme, with four leaves, three spiders, a crumpled front left fender and a damaged rear right wheel well. The picture here is from the other side, so you can finally see that fourth leaf. On the bright LIME GREEN plate are the thirteen new parts you'll need to complete the build.
Parts added (13 pieces in total, of 6 or 7 different parts, depending on whether or not you use two different leaf colours):
* 1x 2431 white Tile 1 x 4
* 3x 29111 black Spider with Elongated Abdomen
* 2x 3024 white Plate 1 x 1
* 2x 32607 dark green Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 32607 dark purple Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 36841 bright light blue Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 1
* 1x 5404 bright light blue Slope 18 2 x 1 x 2/3
This is a nice, small MOC to illustrate some simple design drivers, and so, briefly, an explanation of why the different versions might matter when trying to source parts...
Unlike issuing the set with currently available extra parts, it can be more difficult - and expensive - to source certain colours on the aftermarket to order them. With a MOC, it's not simply a question of the purple leaf being more expensive than the light green leaf, due to available quantities, it's also less likely to be available from any given reseller, which means on a MOC you might find yourself having to order parts from someone more expensive as a whole or from two or more people, in which case the postage always adds up quickly.
To keep the cost of parts down for a MOC:
1) Try to have as few different variety of pieces in the MOC (this mostly impacts shipping, but also the selection of resellers, and therefore price). Versions 1 & 3 are very likely going to be cheaper than version 2, even tough spiders are more expensive, because an additional type of part needs to be sourced. (the 1x1 cheese piece)
2) Try to keep the number of colours of those pieces down. Same colour spiders are cheaper and easier to source than adding the glow in the dark spiders into the mix. (again, this is mostly impacts the shipping costs)
3) Try to use more common pieces / colours. Despite being the same build, just with different colours, version one is very likely going to be cheaper than version 3 because it uses a more common colour for the leaves.
4) If pressed to pare back further, all of the above! Simplify the colour / parts required, and go with less expensive versions. Using four of the same coloured leaf is likely to reduce the price more. If you're on a budget, figure out which of the piece colours is cheaper and available in your country and go with four of those. Dark Green will probably be cheaper than Olive Green, Bright Green (not used here as a bit bright for the Forbidden Forest) will be cheaper yet.
As this is a MOC (My Own Creation), there are certain considerations to make it more successful, and I'll explain those in more detail beneath the fold.
The Ford we got:
Set in scene with the Hogwarts Express from the beginning of Chamber of Secrets (CoS) with the lovely box art:
Here's the very excellent nightmare fuel Aragog we'll get this summer, box art and build, from the end of Chamber of Secrets:
And without further ado, here's the MOC (in three versions). You can find the build's mecabricks page here.
First, the version with four leaves, three spiders, a crumpled front left fender and a damaged rear right wheel well, because flat tires aren't much of an option 😂. (You'll have to scroll down to the nighttime colours version to see the leaf on the other side.) On the purple plate you can see the six unused parts from the original build. On the bright PINK plate are the thirteen new parts you'll need to complete the build.
Design considerations:
* Here I went with leaf colours that could be day or night versions, avoiding the dark purple leaves, also for more "leafy" contrast. The dark purple version (below) does go nicely with the car colour though, if that's more your thing, but it's less convincing in a daylight setting.
* There is no 26604 Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Studs on 2 Sides, Adjacent in Bright Light Blue, to affix the spider to the right rear side of the car while retaining the original fender shape. The choices are to rotate the set's 87087 Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on Side to attach the spider and deform the wheel well (which is nice in that it adds some irregularity to that side beyond just removing the headlight, and saves us from ordering 54200 the Bright Light Blue cheese piece for the crumpled front left fender), or to use a different coloured 26604, perhaps suggesting rust or bare metal.
* There's no rust here, but it's an option. 26604 is available in Red and Reddish Brown, the latter is probably the more successful of the two for rust, but looked a little blocky and will probably make ordering the parts more expensive due to the colour variations.
Parts added (13 pieces in total, of 6 or 7 different parts, depending on whether or not you use two different leaf colours):
* 1x 2431 white Tile 1 x 4
* 3x 29111 black Spider with Elongated Abdomen
* 2x 3024 white Plate 1 x 1
* 2x 32607 dark green Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 32607 olive green Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 36841 bright light blue Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 1
* 1x 5404 bright light blue Slope 18 2 x 1 x 2/3
Next, the version with four leaves, two spiders, a crumpled front left fender and an intact rear right wheel well. (Here, too, you'll have to scroll down to the nighttime colours version below to see the fourth leaf on the other side.) On the purple plate you can see the six unused parts from the original build. On the bright YELLOW plate are the thirteen new parts you'll need to complete the build.
Parts added (13 pieces in total, of 7 or 8 different parts, depending on whether or not you use two different leaf colours):
* 1x 2431 white Tile 1 x 4
* 2x 29111 black Spider with Elongated Abdomen
* 2x 3024 white Plate 1 x 1
* 2x 32607 dark green Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 32607 olive green Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 36841 bright light blue Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 1
* 1x 5404 bright light blue Slope 18 2 x 1 x 2/3
* 1x 54200 bright light blue Slope 30 1 x 1 x 2/3
Finally, the nighttime colours version, which is more compatible with the new line of Forbidden Forest sets' colour scheme, with four leaves, three spiders, a crumpled front left fender and a damaged rear right wheel well. The picture here is from the other side, so you can finally see that fourth leaf. On the bright LIME GREEN plate are the thirteen new parts you'll need to complete the build.
Parts added (13 pieces in total, of 6 or 7 different parts, depending on whether or not you use two different leaf colours):
* 1x 2431 white Tile 1 x 4
* 3x 29111 black Spider with Elongated Abdomen
* 2x 3024 white Plate 1 x 1
* 2x 32607 dark green Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 32607 dark purple Plant Plate, Round 1 x 1 with 3 Leaves
* 2x 36841 bright light blue Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 1
* 1x 5404 bright light blue Slope 18 2 x 1 x 2/3
This is a nice, small MOC to illustrate some simple design drivers, and so, briefly, an explanation of why the different versions might matter when trying to source parts...
Unlike issuing the set with currently available extra parts, it can be more difficult - and expensive - to source certain colours on the aftermarket to order them. With a MOC, it's not simply a question of the purple leaf being more expensive than the light green leaf, due to available quantities, it's also less likely to be available from any given reseller, which means on a MOC you might find yourself having to order parts from someone more expensive as a whole or from two or more people, in which case the postage always adds up quickly.
To keep the cost of parts down for a MOC:
1) Try to have as few different variety of pieces in the MOC (this mostly impacts shipping, but also the selection of resellers, and therefore price). Versions 1 & 3 are very likely going to be cheaper than version 2, even tough spiders are more expensive, because an additional type of part needs to be sourced. (the 1x1 cheese piece)
2) Try to keep the number of colours of those pieces down. Same colour spiders are cheaper and easier to source than adding the glow in the dark spiders into the mix. (again, this is mostly impacts the shipping costs)
3) Try to use more common pieces / colours. Despite being the same build, just with different colours, version one is very likely going to be cheaper than version 3 because it uses a more common colour for the leaves.
4) If pressed to pare back further, all of the above! Simplify the colour / parts required, and go with less expensive versions. Using four of the same coloured leaf is likely to reduce the price more. If you're on a budget, figure out which of the piece colours is cheaper and available in your country and go with four of those. Dark Green will probably be cheaper than Olive Green, Bright Green (not used here as a bit bright for the Forbidden Forest) will be cheaper yet.