Lego Ghostbusters Ecto 1 - From Screen to Idea

(Top) The Ecto 1 is one of the most recognizable movie vehicles of all time. (Bottom) Original designer Brent Waller's Lego Ideas submitted set on the lower left. In the back middle and lower right, the retail release version of the Ghostbusters set I am reviewing today.

I never did see the original film in theatres, in fact I didn't become a really big fan of the Ghostbusters until the animated cartoon The Real Ghostbusters came out. I remember finally seeing the first film some years after that, and I could not believe that I had waited so long to see it. To this day, the first film holds up so well, it's no wonder that fan clubs and cosplayers, modern comic titles, and this particular set came out and did so well as a submission on Lego Ideas.

(Top) The box art. (Lower left) Opening the box. (Lower right) Six polybags of parts are within.

Sometimes I think I really get spoiled by how high quality so many models are from Lego these days. I am, as I've said in prior updates, a sucker for presentation and great graphic design and visuals, and the overall look of this boxed set evokes the spirit of the movies (<--- the pun was intentional) extremely well.

(Top) Instruction booklet. (Bottom) Internal pages from the booklet.

Lego Ideas instruction booklets are going down the same look as the ones for the Architecture Series. My only complaint is that fingerprints are a lot more visible on the pages, but otherwise the books are keepers.

The detail on these minifigures is just awesome. Even down to the decals on the backs of the uniforms that once you place the neck tile on for attaching the proton packs, you won't see the hand written like script of each ghostbuster's first name.

The minifigures as you can see just above, have an insane amount of detail. I really wish that with all this detail in the faces and torso, they had made the decision to add the ghostbusters logo on the arm as well as maybe elbow and knee pad details. But I can understand that would have been borderline insane to pull off for this set.

The build used all kinds of bricks in so many very cool and unusual ways that one might not find done in other mainstream releases.

Assembling this set was a blast. It took about two hours, and I never got bored or found it to be tedious. Anyone probably ages nine and up would find it to be about the same, but for anyone younger, it's more than a bit challenging. That's not because the instructions aren't clear, it's just that some of the internal connections really do give you a bit of a swing on how they are used.

(Top) The undercarriage area. (Bottom left) The extra parts that were left over. (Bottom right) The Ecto 1, the spare parts, and all four of the Ghostbusters on a special display stand you can assemble.

So as amazing as this is, a truly epic build that unfortunately was never approved by Lego, was the incredible GB firehouse headquarters.



BUT, even though it's not coming out as a set, if you are anything like me, you'd love to see the directions on how this beauty was built. Fear not, because the directions for not just one, but TWO variations of this behemoth build by Sergio Herencias are located here: Lego Ghostbusters Firehouse.

I hope you enjoyed my overview of the Ecto 1, and pending time, I do plan on building the massive Version 2 of the HQ at some point, and do a review of that as well.

Things could become even more fevered now that a new movie is on the horizon. Until next time!

- Mario, the Artisan Rogue
@theartisanrogue

Stats	Rating/Information
Item	Ghostbusters Ecto 1 Set 21108
Made by	Lego (Design by Brent Waller via Lego Ideas)
Rarity	Retail Release - Fairly Common
Classification	Modern - Released in June 2014
Condition	New
Procured	LegoLand - KC
Worth	$49
Investment	$49
Further Research	http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Ghostbusters-Ecto-1-21108/?domainredir=www.shop.lego.com
Trivia & Fun Facts	The vehicle used for the Ecto-1 was a 1959 Cadillac professional chassis, built by the Miller-Meteor company. The ambulance/hearse combination was the end loader variety. In the film, Dr. Ray Stantz found the vehicle shortly after he mortgaged his mother's house to buy the Firehouse. Because of his mechanical skills, he was able to repair the vehicle, which he acquired for $4,800. A deleted scene dealing with a NYPD officer involved a removed concept that the Ecto 1 somehow possessed some supernatural powers.