Hi wewu,
Most of the screws are fine. The only screws I think that have to be replaced are the ones that connect the suspension plate to the chassis. Replace them with longer screws because the stock ones are too short in my opinion -- they could come off. Regarding more bind screws and nuts, that's one of the good things about the Mid, you could if you wanted to. That's something you can't say about the Mini-Z.
The plastic is actually better than the brittle ones used on the Mini-Z. It's less prone to stripped holes and cracking. I haven't broken a plastic piece yet. Once you put your electronics in, the Mid will be "stiffer" and flex from having a bare chassis will disappear. And yes, I am looking forward to those GPM parts.
I mounted my Spy over the receiver and haven't had problems. I'm using a KO KR297Z RX on one of my Mids and a Novak XXL in the other with neither one experiencing glitches. Something I can't say again about the Mini-Z. Guess there's something to be said about using an FM system. Check
http://www.tinyrc.com/forums/showthr...?threadid=6814 for pics.
The weak part in the design is the suspension plate. I broke it only after a couple of runs. I think it's too soft so I replaced it with CF plate. The mid is very durable. After I installed the servo saver, I could run it without the body. Try doing that with a Mini-Z (bye bye servo gear). Speaking of bodies, choose from the thousands of 1/24 scale bodies available out there and I'm sure you'll find one that will give you enough space even for that huge Airtronics receiver your using.
After driving your Mid, believe me, you'll wonder how you put up with the Mini-Zs handling, glitching, and broken servo gears. This car is superior out of the box. Recommended hop-ups are ball bearings, a ball diff, servo saver, stiffer suspension plate, faster motor, and smaller radio equipment
.
Haven't tried a 180 yet and maybe your friction shock looks crooked because the spring isn't centered on the shaft.
Hope that helped. Enjoy your Mid!