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British S.A.S Land Rover Pink Panther Sagged Wheel Set (DW35140)

Mario Matijasic

Editor

posted on 2 years ago — updated on 11 months ago

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This review covers resin replacement wheel set from DEF Model, designed to fit both Tamiya and Italeri Pink Panther kits: British S.A.S Land Rover Pink Panther Sagged Wheel Set (DW35140).

Introduction:

Over fifty years ago, one of the most famous military Land Rovers came into existence – the Pink Panther.

This iconic vehicle was released as a 1/35 scale plastic kit a long, long time ago by Tamiya and Italeri, with several companies producing aftermarket sets for upgrading the original model. DEF Model recently offered a set of resin wheels, designed to replace plastic wheels supplied with both Tamiya and Italeri kits: British S.A.S Land Rover Pink Panther Sagged Wheel Set (DW35140).

Review:

The set comes in a hard cardboard side-opening box. The box is nicely designed and features an image displaying the resin wheels on the model and providing all the essential info about the set… it contains 13 resin parts and masking sheet, and is designed for Tamiya and Italeri kits.

I opened the box and found a zip-lock bag with resin pieces, masking sheet and masking instructions.

Upon closer inspection, the resin pieces look really good. DEF Model is well known for their resin quality, and this set is no exception to the rule. The details on these wheels are superbly delivered, sharp and clean, with no imperfections in the cast that I could find.

The set contains 5 wheels (4 road wheels and a spare wheel) and 2 sets of adapters (4 to be used with Tamiya kit and 4 for Italeri kit). Part cleanup should not present problems, even for those not experienced in working with resin. Some sharp side cutters, X-acto blade and fine grit sandpaper would do the trick nicely.

The tire depicted in this set is Dunlop 9.00-15 Sand Type tire. The tire features wide, rounded tread which provides excellent ﬂotation on sand with straight ribs for stability, and has dimensions of 840 x 235 mm.

Comparing the images of the real tire and the 1/35 scale version in DEF Model set, I found a really good match. The intricate tread pattern, as well as the sidewall embossing with DUNLOP, SAND TYPE and 9.00-15 inscriptions are well defined and easily recognized. The tire in sized to 23,80 x 7,60 mm, with the perfect diameter but about a millimeter too large width in 1/35 scale. The rim features 6 studs, when in fact Land Rover rims should have only 5. Quite an unusual error from DEF Model... I contacted the company with this information and DEF Model ensured me they will correct their mistake and produce a remodeled version of these wheels soon.

The tires of the road wheels are depicted sagged, conveying the compression of the tire due to the weight of the vehicle.

The set includes two slightly different wheels, labeled A and B. The two versions differ in orientation of the tire compression and, if fitted to the same side of the vehicle, do not look identical, adding to the realism of the model.

Here's the spare tire:

Fitting the wheels:

DEF Model designed these wheels to fit both Tamiya and Italeri kits, not as a direct replacement but with the help of specific adapters. These are the adapters for Tamiya:

and these for Italeri model:

Images on DEF website provide help in positioning these: Tamiya and Italeri adapters.

Wheel masks:

A pre-cut masking sheet is included in this kit. The masks are of help when painting the wheels, allowing airbrushing without overspray. The instruction leaflet shows two different ways of applying the masks and painting the wheels.

Conclusion:

British S.A.S Land Rover Pink Panther Sagged Wheel Set (DW35140) from DEF Model delivers 4 road wheels and a spare tire designed to upgrade Tamiya and Italeri models. The wheels are cast to perfection, with details superbly reproduced. The road wheels are depicted with a slight compression at ground contact and offered in slightly different orientations so the model doesn’t end up with wheels on one side looking the same. The wheel masks are a bonus.

EDIT: I apologize for not noticing the incorrect number of rim studs in my original review. I would like to thank our member "dcrfan" for taking the time to read the review and inform me about the obvious mistake I somehow missed.

I informed DEF Model of this mistake and the company assured me they will fix the error and produce a corrected set of Pink Panther wheels. Until then I can only recommend this set with reservations.