Dingo Kit - My first build. Any tips/advice? What mods are worth doing?

[LeadFootCaliKiid]

Hi I am brand new to this forum and to crawlers. I've mainly been into short course trucks but I don't have the space to drive them anymore. Plus, I've always enjoyed working on my rigs more than driving them. So I've given in to temptation and ordered an SCX10 Dingo kit the other day. Not only is this my first kit build, but it's my first brand new car. I wanted something that wasn't too beat up or put together wrong. Plus, I'm really excited to have something to work on. It was supposed to be here on the Friday that just passed, but now UPS says it will be delivered on Monday... this has been a long weekend.

My plan is to build something realistic and scale looking but I still want it to drive really good. I made this thread because I'm sure I will run into some problems and I know I will have some questions.

I already have a lot of questions about chassis layout, drivetrain, and possible mods. I've done my research about entry level crawlers and that's why I decided on the SCX10. After searching more, I've learned that there is a TON of different mods and stuff to be done to these kits. What mods or changes should I make while I build my kit?

Other than cosmetic mods, the only thing that I've learned is to mirror the transmission. Can somebody clarify how to do that for me? A lot of the stuff I read about it conflicted with the last thing I read. Are there any other changes/mods that are worth doing? Also, What weight oils should I use? Any other tips ,tricks, or advice will be greatly appreciated.

I bought the Dingo kit specifically for the Jeep Cherokee body. Until I get a Jeep body made up, I'm going to make the dingo body into a Camel Trophy Land Rover. I will post pics of my progress.

Kinda what I'm aiming for:

[Louisbaby]

Build it first, then modify it. You'll see that it's a very capable chassis out the box. Future mods can be battery placement change, overdrive gears in the front, tires, etc...

But in the scx10 section, there's a performance thread: Stock SCX10 Performance Tech.

Read this for a ton of tips...

[lemonhead]

reading and research will give you ideas for mods