I just picked up this kit out of curiosity. Good news and not so good news. For anyone who has the Bronco Staghound, this makes a useful companion piece. But anyone who has built the Staghound will find the Dingo a disappointment. It seems to be mostly just a down-scale of their ancient 1/35 (but without metal axles!). Construction is simplified with some molded on details. Tamiya would have done better to take $50 from their R&D budget and buy the MiniArt 1/35 to see what the Dingo really looks like. Among complaints are: lightening holes in wheels are only suggested by shallow recesses, and need to be drilled through; vehicle has antenna mount, and the commander figure is speaking into a microphone, but there is no radio set which would be visible behind his seat; no foot pedals or clutch or gear shift levers detail for driver (but there is a really neat steering wheel); all vision ports and hatches are molded closed; no Bren gun, or any weapons at all; a generous supply of knock out pin marks on interior plates - especially on the folding roof section which will facing up in the open position; molded on exhaust pipe and muffler. Probably more faults that I haven't seen yet. With the amount of missing interior detail, and abundance of pin marks, it would be best to model the vehicle buttoned-up! Hauler will be sure to release a PE set and I hope they include a resin radio set, among other missing detail.

Is there a Tamiya Model Co. is an alternate universe?

The 2 Dingos that I ever built and the unbuilt one in my stash,
all have plastic axles, kit part no:1.

???


For the price of this kit, expectations should not be to high.

Got to leave something for those aftermarket guys too.

Cheers,

OK. So I lied! (I'll admit when I'm wrong!) It was my alternate universe where they had metal axles. But it's still a somewhat disappointing piece of ....plastic! And you're right about something else too - expectations should not be too high about any Tamiya 1/48!

I am just glad to see a Dingo in 1:48 for under $15.00

As far as a super detailed kit, I will go there with AM or
scratch, if the need arises.

Cheers,
Joe