What is the Code Pilot?

It is a Technic element in this set that reads barcodes and uses them as commands for a model.

Why is it called a Multi-Set?

The contents are intended for building several different models rather than just one.

How many pieces does set 8479 contain?

It contains 1,274 pieces across 213 part types, without minifigures.

Technic

LEGO® Barcode Multi-Set

Barcode Multi-Set 8479 is one of the more unusual Technic releases of the 1990s. Dating from 1997, it contains 1,274 pieces spread over an exceptionally wide range of 213 part types.

Set number: 8479
Year: 1997
Pieces: 1,274
Minifigures: 0
Theme: Technic
Different parts: 213

What can I build with it?

Parts list 213

As BrickLink list (XML)

Import on BrickLink: Wanted → Upload, upload the file (or paste its content), pick a Wanted List and add the parts.

Spare parts (10)

These extra parts come with the set in case one gets lost.

Description

An unusually varied inventory

Many Technic vehicles of a similar size get by with well under 200 different part types. This one has 213 among its 1,274 pieces, which tells you straight away that it is not a single fixed model. The Multi-Set name confirms it: the contents are meant to be built into several different creations. In practice the box works almost like a well-stocked parts collection, with enough variety to keep each build feeling fresh. There are no minifigures included.

Barcodes as instructions

The barcode in the name refers to the Code Pilot, a Technic element able to read printed barcodes and turn them into commands for a model. In 1997 that was a novel idea for a construction toy, and it places this set among the earliest attempts to bring programming into Technic, ahead of the better-known robotics systems that followed. Anyone buying a used copy today should check the electronic part carefully, as its condition matters more than that of the ordinary pieces.

Green and the old greys

The catalogue lists black, light grey, green and dark grey as the leading colours. Green is rarely a main colour in Technic, so the set stands out visually from its contemporaries. The greys are the pre-2004 shades, noticeably different from the bluish greys used today. In construction terms, 1997 Technic still relied mostly on studded bricks and beams, supplemented by the first studless liftarms, giving the build a distinctly classic character that returning fans will recognise.

Sorting a vintage set

With 213 part types, a used lot of this set can take a while to verify. The inventory on this page lists every element with its colour and quantity, so you can work through it systematically. Because the selection is so broad, the parts also lend themselves to other projects. The What can I build? tool compares them with other sets and shows which you could rebuild, especially other Technic models from the nineties that share the same colour palette.

FAQ

What is the Code Pilot?: It is a Technic element in this set that reads barcodes and uses them as commands for a model.
Why is it called a Multi-Set?: The contents are intended for building several different models rather than just one.
How many pieces does set 8479 contain?: It contains 1,274 pieces across 213 part types, without minifigures.

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