At BrickNerd, we are interested in builders as much as we are interested in their LEGO creations. We love to get to know them, explore their experiences within the community, and not only discover what they build but WHY they build.

Today we get the chance to meet Ray Jacobs. Ray is an AFOL of the ’80s—which can be clearly seen in his work. From the infamous Mad Max car to the Ford Falcon Pursuit Special to his Fozzie Bear’s 1951 Studebaker, Ray is no stranger to classic cars. Combine that with his love for ambulances, busses and fire trucks, and you have the perfect setup for his newest build, a gorgeous 1920’s antique fire truck.

I spoke with Ray about this truck and his love of building LEGO vehicles.

Keith Reed: You’ve built a wide variety of vehicles inspired by pop culture and history. Why do you enjoy building them so much?

Ray Jacobs: I’ve liked cars since I was a kid, classic hot rods, movie cars and semi-trucks in particular. I grew up in the 80s, so there is a lot of influence from that era. I love 50s era cars too. Though I mostly build cars, I have branched out into other areas like Superheroes, small dioramas and 1-to-1 scale mostly because of my involvement in SLUG (Saskatchewan LEGO Users Group).

KR: What was your inspiration for your antique fire truck? I heard it was inspired by your local LUG.

RJ: The antique fire truck is the latest in a series of fire trucks I’ve built. I wanted to make one for some time so when my local club announced a November vehicle challenge, I decided the time had arrived! The whole car came together in about two weeks. I’ve never seen a fire truck from that period in person, so I worked mostly off of photos from the internet for reference. The final result is a bit of an amalgamation of styles within the 1920s era.

KR: How did you get into LEGO? Are you a collector or do you mostly enjoy building your own MOCs?

RJ: I built nonstop as a kid. I stopped building not because I wanted to but because I felt I was supposed to. Then about 11 years ago, I found some MOCs online that were built by adults and realized if they could, I could build again too. I quickly bought some Technic sets with the grand idea of building large, motorized semi-trucks which began my love of building vehicles. My building skills improved after I discovered SLUG and learned from some of the other people there. And honestly, collecting LEGO sets doesn’t interest me. Of course, I build the occasional set but making MOCs and displaying them at shows is my primary goal—and I have a lot of fun doing it.

KR: What is your build process like and how do you even begin building a car? Personally, I've only ever built two custom vehicles and probably scratched my head for a few hours wondering where to even begin.

RJ: I’ve built over 60 cars and trucks. They are the easiest thing for me to conceive and build, unlike buildings where I have great difficulty making them even though I want to learn how. But for cars, I have numerous vehicles in my head and on a list ready to go at any time. For many of my MOCs, I have thought about and planned them for while before I ever touch some LEGO bricks. Some take only a day, others I’ve been thinking about on and off for years. I generally don’t draw pictures but instead visualize the entire process in my head.

KR: Do you ever run into complications while visualizing your builds? It seems like a lot to keep track of at once.

RJ: I’ve become stuck or lost inspiration MANY times. An unfinished project may lay half-done on my shelf for months or even years before I finish it. I always have multiple projects on the go at once, mostly because I never know when inspiration may hit. But when it does, I try to take advantage of it! For example, My Akira motorcycle sat half-done on a shelf for two years before I picked it up again and completed it. Whereas, my Mad Mad car was started and finished in only one week! I am limited by budget and the bricks I have on hand. Many of my projects lay waiting for parts, sometimes for years.

KR: You mentioned you like to work from reference photos. Where do you get most of your photos?

RJ: Usually, I will look up the car I want to build on the internet and use the images I find as reference. Though I would much rather take my own photos in person so I can get the views and angles I want and need. Car photos from the internet are almost always obliques which is frustratingly unhelpful. My wife complains about how I pull over while driving to take pictures of a semi-truck, or grader or Ferrari that I find interesting. For my fire trucks, I actually went to my local fire hall and explained what I do showing them some of my other trucks. They thankfully drove their trucks outside and let me take dozens of photos I could use.

KR: How exactly do you use the photos you take? Do you use them more for general inspiration or for a more technical purpose?

RJ: I actually measure the vehicle in the photos. I measure the wheel size as compared to the wheelbase length, overall length, width and height. Then I scale and convert these measurements into stud length based on the LEGO wheel that I’m using because that is the one type of element that is hardest to scale up. I always begin with the wheels, then moe to the axles, then chassis, then body, then interior. I constantly check the scale and placement to make sure I am on track.

KR: I may have to take more reference photos now! One final random question that can be a little divisive in the LEGO community—how do you sort your parts?

RJ: Most of my collection is sorted by part type. However basic brick, plates and slopes are sorted by part type WITHIN colour. This makes it easier to build cars as they are usually one colour overall. For example, if I want to make a blue car, I pull out my drawer of blue. That system works out the best for how I build.

More of Ray’s work can be found on Instagram.