For Steph's birthday, I wanted to get her a driving experience at the Atlanta Porsche Experience Center. But I didn't want to just give it to her, I wanted to create a fun memory that I could participate in.
The completed Lego on display
I purchased a Porsche racing Lego. I loved Legos growing up, and this was a great way to me to share a gift that I always received in my childhood. However, I added some pieces to the box. Before presenting it, I carefully sliced open the glue surrounding the box to maintain a non-tampered aesthetic. I added my 3D printed pieces and some laser-cut acrylic, and I resealed the box with a hot glue gun.
My pieces built a display box for a soon-to-be-assembled Lego Porsche racecar.
The front corner post and transparent roof
The rear corner showing the hinge and flush transparent door
Built into the box was a door to open and ramp to help the car onto its podium. The ramp took a bit of thought as to how I could achieve it; just having a slide-out ramp wouldn't cover the step of the display floor thickness. After a few iterations and failed ideas, I came up with a double-hinge ramp that allowed the gap to be completely closed off. This allowed the car to complete the journey from table to display.
Under the floor, but above the ramp, is where I hid the admissions pass to the experience.
A look at where the admission ticket was sandwiched between the ramp and display floor. It was found when loading in the car.
Closing of the ramp and loading door, showing the double hinge as well as the ramp and door interaction (built to keep the cleanest outer surface).
Because the ramp and door were only used sparingly, and the cosmetics would be viewed all the time, I made the decision to not add a lip or handle on the door to assist with opening. An integrated feature would be a great addition for a future iteration.
The experience was pretty great too. We were able to split our time, so I got to drive as well!
Key Takeaways:
• Keeping acrylic clear of scratches before use
• Multiple prototype iterations to ensure best functioning mechanism
• Evasive driving maneuvers