Need help with VW Bus build with color change

JillK

I recently purchased the VW Bus for my boyfriend for Christmas who is an avid VW bus collector. He owns a bus in blue but seeing how the lego bus only comes in red I was looking for some advice on changing the color. Does anyone know if all of the red pieces have the equivalent blue pieces available? I live in NYC so I have the ability to purchase lego pieces individually at the Lego store. Any advice from someone who has done the color change? Thanks!

absolut3

This tread may help you. http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/1432/customizing-the-vw-camper-van-10220/p1

Bumblepants

The selection of parts in the Lego stores are rather limited, but you can buy any part just about through either Lego.com or via Bricklink.com or Brickowl.com

maniac

Firstly, what shade of blue are you looking for? In any case, modifications would need to be made to the design as some of the red pieces aren't available in other colours.

ecmo47

Here is how you would do it.

1. Go to the Bricklink inventory for #10220. http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?S=10220-1

2. Scroll down to where all the red parts are grouped together.

3. Click on the part number. (2436 for example)

4. On the new page that opens, look over on the right side where it says "Known Colors." You will see all of the colors that Lego has produced this piece in. In this case, it is available in Blue.

5. Repeat these steps for each part.

6. (If you click on the word "blue" in the third column (Price Guide Info) you will see all of the sellers that have this part available.)

As Bumblepants said, you will be lucky to find one or two of these parts at the Lego store. Bricklink is the best place to find the parts you need.

Good luck!

graphite

To go a step further. Another way to do it for looking at swapping anything color wise.

1) Get LDD and LDDManager
2) add all the red parts to an LDD model (don't have to build anything just place all the parts in the model).
3) Load the model into LDDManager and look at the color swap tab. That will tell you what colors all the parts of one color in the model are also available in.

If you are looking for a specific color then after then insert the following step
2a) Highlight all the parts of a particular color and select the color swap tool in LDD and select the color you want. This should change all the highlighted parts to the selected color.
3) Load into LDDManager and just look through the main list it provides of parts and in one of the columns it tells you if the part is available in that color.
4) From here you can take the ones not available in a color and look for parts that might substitute for it to see if doing that color is feasible.

ecmo47

^ Hmmm...I'll have to explore that option myself. Thanks!

graphite

^ It is also good anytime you build something in LDD that you want to build in parts to occasionally (the earlier and more often the better) run the model through LDD just to check the availability of parts as it will tell you if a part isn't available in a color, if it doesn't exist and if the availability is low.

bosh

I've just been to both Lego stores in NYC (30Rock and 23rd St). Both Pick-A-Brick walls were pretty good, but you're not going to find anything helpful for your specific MOC, I'm afraid.
I did grab PAB containers from both walls though, and I probably hit 75% of the specific parts available on each, so there are definitely other parts that what you're about to see. Here are two images of my hauls, the one with the horses/fences was from 23rd St., the rest from 30 Rock. There was very little basic blue in either. 23rd st had two different shades of 1x2 blue bricks. One seems to be sand blue, and I'm not certain about the other.

P.S. is there a thread or better place to contribute to the general community intel on PAB wall pieces? I know about the two sites that let people set what is in each bucket/cell on the wall, but I didn't take pictures so I can't be that specific.

JillK

That website was great. Thanks for your help. Between that and the lego website I have been able to find most pieces.