2148 - Tractor Trailer Cab

Rating:
Pros: Neat little model
Cons: Chrome parts aren't too secure and fall off a lot
Contents: 104 pieces including 1 mini-fig
Price: $11.00 - Discontinued
Reviewed: 29-Jan-1998
Reviewed by: Joseph Gonzalez

It's been days since life was back to normal for Jack Burton. What started out as a friendly wager turned into a kidnaping which escalated to landing in the middle of a gang war, someone stealing Jack's truck, and finally a battle with a two thousand year old ghost and three mystic Storm warriors. Jack, of course, took it all in stride and now returns to life as usual rolling down the highway with his beloved semi-truck, the Pork Chop Express, unaware that a vengeful demon from the now-destroyed stronghold of Lo Pan is clinging to the underside of his truck.

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Yeah, I know the 2148 doesn't look anything like the Pork Chop Express, but the "man and his truck" similarities were just too much for me to pass up making reference to one of my favorite movies of all time, John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China.

I don't avidly collect a lot of town vehicles but last year I picked up 1821-Rally Racers on a lark and more recently the 2149-Color Line Truck for its novelty. When the Lego Group came out with a full blown mini-fig-sized semi-truck cab at a reasonable price I decided I had to add it to the collection.
It's a fairly simple model of the truck and sleeper cab. The cab here is fuller than the 2149's with an interior space of 3x4x3 plus the cab is more an integral part of the model (whereas that other cab just snaps on the back like an afterthought).

Alternate models on the back of the box looked pretty lame except for a cool six-wheel all-terrain vehicle.
Outstanding elements (and a big reason some fans are buying the set) are the chrome elements: two large exhaust pipes, two 1x4 pipes, two horns, two 1x2 tubes and three 1x2 grill tiles. The set comes with one mini-fig and decals for the truck are not preprinted but come on a separate sheet of stickers.

A negative aspect of the model is that the snap-on chrome accessories don't stay on too securely but this could be remedied by adding an additional clip (from your own collection) for each piece. Also, the cab's construction seems rather open above the doors but overall I liked the model. If you're interested enough to buy one, I'm pretty sure you'll be satisfied with the end product and it makes a great addition to town setups.