I previously built the DT-02 MS and documented it in detail so I'll only write about the differences here. Please see that page for more detailed build information.
The Sand Viper comes in a relatively small box with a
photograph on the cover instead of box art. There are no fancy
blister packs or dividers inside, just a pile of parts.
Here I've laid out the small number of parts and
started the build. One hidden difference compared to the MS is the
use of an open gear differential instead of a ball diff.
Honestly, I like this better. I'd less adjustable but more
reliable.
The front and rear suspension look pretty familiar
because they use all the same plastic parts as the MS. One glaring
difference though is the plastic CVA shocks instead of aluminum.
Still, many DT-02 chassis models only come with friction dampers so the
CVA shocks are most welcome. They perform very sell despite their
simplicity. One other difference that's hard to spot is that the
regular DT-02 use dog bone axles instead of the CVD axles from the
MS. I used a Sport Tuned motor to replace the silver can, but
otherwise cheap electronics.
That's it. Builds don't get much simpler, but
that's what makes this one fun. I went for yellow box art backed
with white on the body which looks great. I'll be driving this one
hard.