Thread: should I not buy a Street Beasts Car ?

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The concern I have is about the quality of fiberglass in the streetbeast cars. If it's not top-notch resin, it won't hold up. Call streetbeasts and ask them what the temperature distortion factor is in their 'glass. It should be well over 300 degrees F. If they can't or won't tell you, be careful. Low quality fiberglass (like camper shell 'glass) will warp and move around in the heat of the sun, and the fiber textue can print through.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a streetbeast without a lot of research into their fiberglass composition - but that's just me. I've been burned on a glass body. It isn't a streetbeast, but Bob knows who I'm talking about. (our favorite South Carolinian displaced to Nebraska )

Jack
- Yep, I refuse to capitalize streetbeast.

Originally Posted by DennyW

I don't like the wheels.

Fugly at best

how would you tell a minotti bodied car and was/is their quality any better? in the for sale section is a black one but owner is not sure of body manufacturer. How woudl one tell? papers? title/vin?

Minotti bodies were top notch from my experience with two of them that friends had. If the person bought the body originally they should have both a receipt and an MSO (Manufacturers Statement of Origin) which some states require for registration. You've stumbled on another pitfall.............misidentified manufacturer. Probably THE most respected manufacturer of '32 roadster bodies is Wescott. Guess which name people choose to call their body if they have absolutely no clue who made it? I'll bet Dee wishes he'd sold as many bodies as claim they're his.

As for being over analytical you have to decide. The way I see it it's like a tool you'll need to use over and over. Many people will by a cheapo copy claiming that they "can't afford" the good one. The good one will often last a lifetime if well maintained, the cheapo needs to be replaced/repaired again and again....................which one really cost more? Kind of a variation on the old saw, "if you didn't have the time/money to do it right the first time, how did you have the time/money to do it over?"

Originally Posted by kosmo101

thanks for the input. I mean i think i am really crazy only about the color which is a stupid reason to buy. It just hits me like I have to have it but the guy is asking a bunch for the car so I think I will take a step back and wait.

I mean what is a real price this should go for?

.....what's the asking price??? Don't worry, no one is going to try and steal it out from under you .... lol, really though, what's he asking??? Bill

high 30's is the price

Originally Posted by kosmo101

high 30's is the price

You can do better than that on ebay.

.....also try hotrodhotline.com ..... If you've got 30 g's to spend I think you can find a really nice '32 to '34 Ford that isn't a Street Beasts..... Bill

Street Beasts has re-organized a couple of times due to financial problems.

Seems they took money and didn't deliver.

They used to be in Florida and probably still are.

Florida doesn't do much about pursuing people running scams from an incorporated business.

Far as I know the present owners are the same ones who did the initial BS stuff.

Most places a Street Beast shows a lack of basic hot rod knowledge and the cars are looked down on for a myriad of reasons.

Join the NSRA, you get a subscription to their mag and it's loaded with nice cars for sale.

Well, I have a street beast that I'm building. Seems that all the negative comments are from people who don't have one, and most haven't seen one either. I've been doing the build for two years, including hot and cold weather, and the fiberglass is holding up just fine. In my eyes, the quality has been good, and they have done everything they promised.

I just had a painter come to do an estimate, and he was impressed with the quality of the glass and the fit of the doors and hood. That's just with my alignment, not with any professional adjustment or body filler. He said he expects 100 hours of body work, including blocking, smoothing, and resolving any issues to make it perfect. Compared to others I've seen, this sounds like a very reasonable amount of time. Seems most figure at least 50 hours just to block and prep for paint, so I think I'm doing good. He also said he just finished doing a Heritage Willys that took over 500 hours of body work to get the door and hood lines straight, and has been back to him several times for issues that came up due to the poor quality of the glass. So, SB may not be the best, but it's surely not the worst!

What I see with SB is that many of the people who build them think they are saving money. They plan from the start to have a "bargain". What they end up with is a not-so-good job. I'm doing the best I can, using the best parts, and getting a good finish, and I have a car that I'm confident I can be proud of for a long time coming. I've seen a lot of them over the years, and the difference is all about what level of effort the builder put into doing good work.

Buy what you like. Look it over, and if it's done well, enjoy the car!

I think what turns most people off about SB is the fact that no "real" ford part will work on them. So having something different wont happen other than paint. The biggest problem is resale -its just not as popular,but I dont see a problem with having one for someone just getting in to it.

Originally Posted by kosmo101

high 30's is the price

Spend some more time looking around, you can get a nice rod for less then high 30's, I found a real model "A" all steel all Ford drive train with under 1800 miles on it for less then that (only a year removed from winning Coolest Rod at Goodguys Great Lakes nationals). Also you are coming up on about the best time to find one after the summer driving season is over.

November/December there usually is a number of cars put up for sale with Christmas and taxes right around the corner they are more willing to cut a deal (I bought mine at the end of October). Like some have already stated street rods are not worth as much as some wished they were regardless of how much it cost to build. If you plan to keep it for a while it is in your best interest to take your time and get the most for your money instead of buying the first car that really catches your eye.

I agree. With that kind of budget you are in good shape to find something super nice, and that would have a better resale value down the road. Before I would plunk down $ 30K plus I would really look around. There are a lot of cars that the guy has $ 50-$60K in that can be picked up for this kind of cash.

That isn't to knock the Street Beast product, but I just don't think one of these is worth that kind of money.


Don

Hey, look what I just found on eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-...12871341QQrdZ1

WoW! That looks familiar! Nice car be even better if they would take $12.5 for it. But you can get a nice steel car for just a little more than the current bid of $25k. Maybe not as shiny as that one, but still pretty nice.