The LEGO® Group just announced the latest set targeting adults. This offering is the Ghostbusters ECTO-1 (10274). As a kid, I loved Ghostbusters. In fact, I got the ECTO-1 for my birthday one year. It was action figure scale, and I was beyond thrilled. Consequently, this announcement from the LEGO® Group has me feeling very nostalgic. Imagine my glee when I received a pre-release copy of the set for review. I built the set recently and will now share a closer look at his epic build.
NOTE: The LEGO® Group provided this set for review. However, the provision of products does not guarantee a favorable review. I will use my usual rating system (click here to learn more) and provide my honest opinion.
GHOSTBUSTERS ECTO-1 SUMMARY
- NAME: Ghostbusters ECTO-1
- SET #: 10274
- THEME: Ghostbusters (18+)
- COST: $259.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 2352
- MINIFIGURES: None
- RELEASE DATE: November 15, 2020
GHOSTBUSTERS ECTO-1 QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 94% (Excellent value-per-brick and loads of build time for the price.)
- BUILD: 90% (Great build, but it has a lot of stickers and some pieces fall off.)
- MINIFIGURES: N/A
- ENTERTAINMENT: 90% (Stunning display piece, but no commemorative Minifigures.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 91%
GHOSTBUSTERS ECTO-1 REVIEW
VALUE: 94%
The Ghostbusters ECTO-1 costs $259.99 in Canada. Additionally, the set contains 2352 pieces. As a result, the cost-per-brick for the ECTO-1 kit is $0.11. Comparatively, my average cost-per-brick across all LEGO® themes is currently $0.14. Therefore, you get a good deal per part with this set. I rate that value at 90%. With sets this large, you are almost always buying bricks in bulk.
This set took me five hours and 36 minutes to build (456 minutes total). Consequently, at full price each minute of build time costs $0.57. Once again, that is a great deal. My average cost-per-minute of build time is $0.83. You get a lot of hours of building for the price with ECTO-1. It earns 98% in this category. Averaging this score with the value-per-brick gives an overall value rating of 94%.
BUILD: 90%
This design is the original Ghostbusters car from the 1980s. However, it is the version of car seen in the Ghostbusters: Afterlife film. The movie was originally due in July 2020. However, COVID-19 pushed the release back to June 2021. Since the ECTO-1 is old in that film, the model features many stickers that are meant to depict rust. Obviously, you can leave the stickers off for a cleaner look. However, my main complaint about the set is the stickers. There are so many of them. Otherwise, the only major difference I can tell from the ‘80s is the position of the ladder on the opposite side of the car.
This ECTO-1 looks great. It is an epic model that competes with the 1989 Batmobile in terms of appearance and detailing. First, the hood flips open to reveal a nicely detailed Cadillac engine. Additionally, the car has four opening doors. Both the driver’s and passenger’s doors open in the front, as does one of the back-passenger doors. Finally, the rear hatch opens as well. Interestingly, the roof of the car is not removeable. The ECTO-1 is a display piece and the only access to interior is through the opening doors. That is a little disappointing because it makes some of the amazing details inside the car hard to see and examine closely.
The ECTO-1 features a detailed Cadillac engine model.
On the driver’s side, the rear passenger door does not open. The reason for this is that there is an awesome play feature built in. Pressing on a panel on the side of the car launches one of the rear passenger seats through the door on the other side of the car. Additionally, the chair swivels around and has a Proton Pack built in for ghostbusting on the go. The feature works amazingly well.
The rear of the car has another play feature. Pulling on a stud beside the rear hatch causes a trap door in the bottom of the car to open. Subsequently, a ghost trapper on wheels rolls out. Since the movie has not been released as I am writing this, I can only assume that this new trap is an updated feature.
The ECTO-1 features a couple of neat play features.
In addition to all the above, the car has a functioning steering wheel. Turning one of the lights on the roof of the car causes both the steering wheel and the front wheels to turn. Additionally, rolling the car along on a flat surface causes instruments on the roof to spin around.
Apart from the stickers, my only other issue is the attachment of some details. There are aspects of the build that come off far too easily. For example, the lower row of headlights. Every time I pick this car up, I forget how loosely attached they are, and I reattach at least one. Some bricks on the underside of the chassis are equally easy to remove accidentally. As a display piece, most people will not move the set much. Therefore, those loose bits are not a major issue. They were bothersome during photography though.
In the end, the build for the ECTO-1 is stunning. Additionally, I learned several new techniques. The complaints that I have about it are small. To recap, there are a lot of stickers. However, leaving them off makes the set look more like the original car. Second, some small details fall off easily. For those reasons, I rate the build at 9/10 (90%).
ENTERTAINMENT: 90%
As an 18+ set, I will not rate the ECTO-1 with a KFOL score. As an AFOL, this set reminds me a lot of the ECTO-1 playset I had as a kid. The build looks amazing, and I will display it in my LEGO® room. However, one issue stung a little. The same issue lingered at the back of my mind the whole time I was building. There are no Minifigures. Granted, the set is not a Minifigure-scaled set. However, the 1989 Batmobile came with three exclusive characters on a fun brick-built display. I already have all the original Ghostbusters from the Firehouse Headquarters set. All the same, this set could include new prints for those characters, or new Minifigures based on the Afterlife film. I love Minifigures, so for me, not getting any was a big downer. I rate the entertainment score at 9/10 (90%).
OVERALL SCORE: 91%
Even though the set is based on the upcoming film, there is a huge nostalgia factor. It reminds me of my ECTO-1 toy from when I was a kid. However, I can see the Ghostbusters ECTO-1 (10274) not being for everyone. With that said, the set is extremely detailed and makes a great display piece. Additionally, the value is awesome. The price seems high, but you get a lot of bricks and build time for that price. I love this set, and any Ghostbusters fan will too. What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
What do others think?
Brick Insights is an awesome site that aggregates LEGO® set review scores from around the web. Based on their statistics, you can see what other reviewers think of the Ghostbusters ECTO-1 (10274) below.
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