Peter Wilt recently picked up 40469 Tuk Tuk and is displaying it with his minifigures – here’s his hot take on whether it being out of scale matters
During my most recent excursion to my local LEGO store, I decided to pick up 40469 Tuk Tuk. I haven’t purchased many small or mid-sized Creator sets recently, as my regular LEGO diet has consisted of a main course of Star Wars with sides of City and Collectible Minifigures, with a variety of sets from other themes tossed in there for good measure.
So what drew me to this set in particular? Its vibrant colours and low price point seemed like a great combination. Bit what tipped it over the edge were the two studs on the driver’s seat – perfect for a minifigure to sit on. I couldn’t wait to assemble my LEGO Tuk Tuk and place one of my own minifigures right in that seat. Sure, the thought that it might be a tad oversized did cross my mind- but I didn’t let that stop me.
A few hours later I was back home, and the set was complete in no time. I added some minifigures I had on hand like Shipwreck Survivor and Paddle Surfer. It was perfect! Later I watched some reviews on YouTube of the set (watching reviews of a set after I’ve already purchased it, defeats the purpose… I know). All the people in the videos and comment section made it clear that 40469 was most definitely NOT minifigure scale. But does it even matter?
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Does everything have to be exactly minifigure scale for it to be good? Perhaps you’ve already guessed my opinion. As you can see from the pictures, I’ve been having lots of fun with my not-minifigure-scale Tuk Tuk that can fit minifigures in my city.
This got me thinking about other non-minifigure scale sets can work with minifigures? Not long ago, I purchased my first Technic set in more than a decade – 42117 Race Plane. It’s a small set and the colour pallet of teal and orange really pops. I can easily modify this set to accommodate a minifigure – or at least part of one. All you have to do is remove the clear canopy piece and add a minifigure head with a pilot helmet and goggles and voila – you no longer just have a Technic set, but a Technic set that can work with minifigures! How often does that happen? With the addition of three extra parts, 42117 can feel at home in any LEGO city or airport display among the other system aircraft you might have.
My advice to LEGO fans everywhere is if you can make a set work in a way that makes you happy, do it. As of now, 40469 stands out in my city layout as the only Tuk Tuk amongst various cars and trucks. I currently have 42117 Race Plane displayed on my desk in my room, pilot inside. Do you have any sets laying around that weren’t intended for minifigures? Can you modify them in a simple way? Don’t let scale limit your imagination – you decide what ‘to scale’ is. Always remember – LEGO is meant to be tinkered with!
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