Wonder if anybody has built both kits, or seen both kits and can give me some sort of comparison of them? Or, does anybody know of any reviews of the Wespe kit? I am looking at the Wespe kit as an alternative to the scarce and expensive Tamiya kit. TIA for any help or info you can give me.

I have not built that particular Wespe kit but have built several others and seen a few more as well. I have built and used for conversions about 6 of the Tamiya kit and I personally would keep looking for the Tamiya kit rather then buy the Wespe.

Wespe sent me instructions for assembly, and pictures of their sprues, as well as pictures of the finished model. The finished model looks like it was done by somebody who never assembled a model, with the front wheels on the back, guns painted gun metal where there should have been wood, etc.

Of most interest is the fact that Wespe and Tamiya parts look so much the same that one might even suspect that Wespe just cast Tamiya's parts, making a few changes here and there. For example, the storage box from Tamiya has no scribing for boards on its ends, and ditto on Wespe. Tamiya's storage bags and sleeping bags were cast with hollow spots, and Wespe's is the same. Both kits also come with a Boy anti-tank gun.

Looks like Wespe's model might be a good alternative to the Tamiya model if you can't afford Tamiya.

While generally cast cleanly with few bubbles, Wespe kits are frequently poorly mastered, with detail levels similar to kits of the late 80s/early 90s. Frequently wheels & round parts have significant mould mismatch making some parts unusable.

These kits are generally 20+ years behind the times in terms of detail, part thickness and, frankly, accuracy.

Their one benefit is that they have kits of some unique vehicles that no-one else has.

I really, really wouldn't bother unless they have a subject you can't get anywhere else. As for the Chev 30 cwt, they _are_ out there. You're better off to spend the time & money to buy a real one.

HTH

Paul