A couple observations after spending a little time carefully examining the sprues. The detail is even more miniature than I expected. Seeing pictures online, the detail is so sharp and so, well, detailed that I imagined every piece being bigger. You could blow this kit up to the size of the actual 5-footer and the details would still be perfect. It's THAT good. Because of this, one problem I foresee (at least for me) is that too much paint is going to clog and cover some of the exquisite detail. I plan to black base like ILM did, so I'll need to find the finest, silkiest black primer in existence. I don't think a rattle can will cut it. I'd even be scared to use Tamiya Fine White primer. I also spent time time comparing greeblies to the part I.D. maps our RPF heroes have made (bless you guys, wherever you are) and the PG lives up to its name. It's perfect. In some ways, it's sharper than some of the 5-footer parts that look like they've been cast. I'm sure someone will find some minor flaws soon, but I couldn't find any. None. There looks like there might be some seams that I'll probably glue and putty, like the join line between the two lower hull pieces, but I'm not complaining. I didn't even touch the box containing the piping. I feel like first I should invest in super-sensitive remote manipulator arms and an electron microscope! The kit is bananas.
Lastly, I whipped out a spare MPC hull to show my wife why I spent so much on this kit (her response, "Is this the part where I'm supposed to feign interest?" Love her.) and two things. First, the MPC hull is actually fairly faithful to the 5-footer in that you can see where they at least tried to copy the detail using the primitive stone knives and brear skins of the day. The hull plating is a surprisingly close match and the perimeter dimensions are reasonable. Second, they really REALLY screwed up by making the MPC so flat. Compared to the PG, there's barely a hull curvature at all. It's like the designers just couldn't imagine the hull being clamshells and were forced to compensate with the tall sidewalls. It throws everything off. It's a pity because if they'd just gotten that ONE thing right, that kit wouldn't have given so many so much frustration over the years.
Lastly, this kit was crazy expensive. I'll never spend this much again (I hope). Was it worth it? Absolutely. It's not just a hunk of plastic. It's a whole new level of modelmaking art. I'm seriously afraid to touch it too much. Look, just get one. Take out another mortgage, sell the kids... do whatever you've got to do. You won't be disappointed.