[Podracer] The Stingy Lulu

[Octopunk]

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Arrrr! Eric the Dead and his Stingy Lulu race to victory or, more likely, certain oblivion. A conglomeration of plundered items and the kind of stuff pirates have lying around, this is a prime example of why "pirate tech" never really caught on.

You can check my MOC pages for more chatter about this contraption, but a couple of key points right off:

Although this idea had already occured to me before I read the Building Tips post, a shout out to Bulls_Eye for throwing it out there (and to be honest, I'm surprised nobody's done one already).

I'd also incorporated all the cannons and cutlasses before I read the finer points of podracer weaponry, but when I thought about it I realized that I never really intended them as effective weapons. Like treasure chests and empty grog barrels, pirates have this stuff lying around. The cutlasses serve as a protective grate for the vent core, while the blank charges in the cannons provide an intimidating booster for last-minute surges across the finish line...

...if it ever gets that far. This was the flimsiest thing I've ever built; it flew apart in my hands more times than I can count, and I've decided to impart that aspect of the MOC to its fictional persona. Let's just say the booster button is a booster half the time, and the other half it's a self-destruct device.

Great contest! Thanks!

[theJudeAbides]

Wow, this thing is friggen unbelievable. This thing may be even cooler than the I-Pod racer.

There's just so much awesomeness, I don't even know where to begin. First, there's the power coupling. I was getting tired of seeing the same old trans 1x1 cones and even the fire pieces had begun to become cliche. Then out of nowhere you changes things up with this awesome swirly trans-red goodness and life is good again.

Then, you got the engines, which are just pure genius with the cannons and treasure chests and skulls. There's just such great detail here, including the swords on the front.

Then, you've got the connectors (and monkey), which really help drive home the "Pirate" feel of this pod. It's simple part usage, but very effective.

Finally, there's the pod itself. All I can say is wow, you really nailed that Pirate "patched together" look and feel. Ooh, and the Pirate flag is a simple but nice touch.

At this time, you've got my vote.

[Flynn]

I love it as well, the pods look absolutely spetacular, the use of the cannons is most ingenious.

One thing I'm wondering, though, how did you accomplish the twisted energy beam?

[Octopunk]

Thanks!

Flynn, this pic will probably answer your question better than a long-winded explanation. On the other engine I flipped the 1x2 hinge plate so the studs on the beam pieces could all face in the same direction.

[Larry Lars]

One of the contest racers that really lives up to it's theme. The pirate stuff is full on, and yet so elagantly incorporated.
The spiral beam adds a lot to the mix as it fits right in with the bold interpretation of the podracer concept.

I like this racer a lot.