AM Recommendations for Otaki/Arii P-51D Mustang kit?

The Otaki kits were very nice for their time many years ago but now you have better kits such as the Tamiya P-51 which is a joy to build and looks great OOB. For the money you will be putting out to improve an old kit you can get a new one with better fit an details.

I got this kit for $8 compared to $30+ for the Tamiya kit. I think the prices would be close in the end. But, even with the Tamiya kit, I would STILL be replacing the cockpit, the wells and possibly even the prop. I would still add different decals. So either way, the Tamiya still becomes more expensive. And rather than buying a $30 kit (on top of the $8 one) and putting in a further $20 or more, I'll go with this $8 one and put in $20 or more. I should start putting disclaimers in my posts like this saying "Please  don't recommend another kit to me... I have this and I will use this."

I don't see the need to replace anything in the Tamiya kit but that's your choice. No need to get bent out of shape as I was just trying to give you an opinion. Have a nice day.

Most of the AM stuff out there is geared towards the newer/nicer Tamiya & Hasegawa kits. I'm sure you could make it all work on the Otaki kit, with enough surgery. All that being said, I personally, for upgrading my own same kit, would keep it simple. Certainly a new seat from True Details or Ultracast, probably some exhaust stacks, and possibly some tires. If I was going in deeper, I might consider something like an Eduard Zoom set for the cockpit. But no, I would rather do any wheel wells and such on my own with Evergreen, wire, etc.

You can trick out any kit you like, to your hearts desire, low end or high end. The only real limits are budget and imagination.

The old kits are still great fun to build and are more of a challange than the newer molds. I personally enjoy the challenge much more than a kit that basically slaps itself together. I have nothing against Tamiya, but if it's too easy, then the fun is lost.

Most all after market designed for specific kits, such as the Verlinden Corsair 1/32 for Revell can be made to fit any Corsair in the 1/32 scale. I am using a Grand Phoenix 1/32 Hasegawa BF109 E interior set on my Matchbox 1/32 kit and I am not having many problems at all. It all can be made to work.