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StreetBeast rod kit's

404K views 1K replies 141 participants last post by  Gwinnetts 
#1 ·
I am planning on building my 1st street rod. The StreetBeast kit's look interesting. Anyone have any experience/references with these? Thanks. Don
 
#577 ·
428ho said:
Oh come on, you've been threatening that for weeks, you know you love arguing with this guy or you would have done it already.
Either do it or stop with the empty threats.
If it had been strictly up to me he would have been gone a long time ago. The mods discussed it and decided to let him go for a while. We enjoy letting people make fools out of themselves sometimes. But... there is a limit to our patience.
 
#578 ·
Centerline said:
If it had been strictly up to me he would have been gone a long time ago. The mods discussed it and decided to let him go for a while. We enjoy letting people make fools out of themselves sometimes. But... there is a limit to our patience.
Even though he is overstepping the forums patience and rules, I believe he would like to be banned. It would give him a way out and more spin as to how SB has been mistreated and maligned in their eyes.
IMO, let em stay.
 
#579 ·
shine said:
I have had the pleasure of having one of these piles in my shop...Then the fun part: trying to put this pig together...You can dress a pig any way you want, but it still smells...
That's going too far. A master custom painter I worked for in Hemet, California had one in his shop for some "corrective surgery", and we came to know the car well. Calling a Street Beasts replica of a 1934 Ford three-window coupe a "pig" is a real insult to pigs.



By the way, did you know that the world's greatest moto-journalist, Dave Despain, owns five pigs (and ten dogs)?

My Australian Cattle Dog and I happen to think that pigs are very cool animals. In fact, they totally rock.

So what did a pig ever do to you?

Justice for pigs!
 
#580 · (Edited)
I got bored tonight, and ran Streetbeasts.com thru the wayback machine, back to Nov 1999 ( most of the original site is still assessable ), to see If I could turn up any more names from when the company changed over.. other than George Levin.. and I did.. Rodger Leeper was the " Zenmaster " at that time.. whatever that is.. and a little searching on his name and innovative street machines brought me THIS site, of a CMC porsche 356 speedster build.. in which it appears that Rodger Leeper was the person who also took care of prior CMC customers. I couldn't dig anything else up, other than there are only 29 sites linking to streetbeasts.com. and that it is a low speed site.


for the toddtown site, click on kitcar on the sidebar.. it's an old site and the BB doesn't understand the url as it's an old type of URL.
 
#581 ·
Another CMC/Street Beast kit on its 3rd owner and still not on the road. The really sad part is that he sold it for probably half what he had in it.
 
#588 ·
Thank's Ken. :D

I read it entirely, and I feel they have been using their same sales tactics since, before June 1995. "Implore-able" would be a good word to describe it.

I spent a little over 4 hours reading this whole thread, along with all of the links, and they have not shown to have changed anything all along.

The name calling just add's to the list, and their credibility keeps getting deeper. Does anyone have a shovel to dig a "hole" under the "squat house"?
 
#589 ·
I posted that same link back on page 18. Glad you re-posted it. Things like that tend to get buried when they're that far back and something like that is pretty important. Nothing shows how well a company is respected, or reviled in this case, more than the automotive press.
 
#590 ·
Street Beasts sales methods. It kinda sounds like the "boiler room" tactics their sales people use are out of desperation - make the sale or down the road. Their sales people depend on that kind of sale for their paycheck. With Florida laws making a haven for folks with less then great potential, I can see why companies settle in there and this selling method happens. I do not condone these tactics. If they don't understand the words that I'm considering their offer then they had best understand the word no - and the message and the language I use to convey that word. I'm nice once, not very the next time and downright abusive the third time a hardarse sales tactic is tried. Fortunately, for companies like SB, they prey on those that have trouble making a forceful 'no' decision. I don't have to be nice when it concerns my wallets or savings account contents. This is lumping SB under the same umbrella as the hard sales for time shares and even bogus or poor financial 'deal'.

A similar situation - 'The Boss' at a car dealership. This the guy that the salesman brings out when you are dickering price on a car and you aren't really close. He's the guy that asks how much do you really want to pay. I would bet we have all been subjected to that individual. Do your homework before you get there. I've walked several times only to get home and the phone rings with my price - works best between Thanksgiving and the first week in January. :D

If you don't want the product or are not sure, tell them no in no uncertain words. If you, for whatever reason, change your mind, you can call them back - if you upset someones paycheck, well too bad, but the fact is, you probably wont talk to him again - he's probably gone on to another "boiler room" to sell a vegamatic or electric scooters.

Dave W
 
#593 ·
For anyone reading this thread and considering doing business with this outfit, please also take a quick look here, beginning at post 16, to see what sort of dishonest thugs and bullies you'll be dealing with.

Instead of standing up like a first class corporation to deal with the issues head on, they attempt to pose as consumer advocate Curt Scott. Our staff of super sleuth Moderators quickly discovered, however, that this post originated at the Streetbeast headquartes. And a follow up converstation with the REAL Curt Scott verified Streetbeast was, indeed, attempting to use his identity and good name to put over a fast one on HR.Com readers.

More importantly, in the body of that Streetbeast post, they show the companies true colors, relying once again on intimidation and fear as their tried and true method of doing business. "[STREETBEAST] will sue you and take everything you have," they threatened this site's administrator. "[STREETBEAST HAS] deeper pockets than you and this whole hotrodding site put together , your on the way to getting yourself into alot of trouble you probably dont want or need, rumor has it ,its already started, good luck pal."

Want to do business Tony Soprano style? Then these are the folks for you. First class Thugs and Tough Guys who believe they can win over their customer base by taking them out back and showing them who's in charge.

Personally, I've seen all I want to see of these folks and their "we'll stomp your face" attitude. These guys are bad for the sport, bad for our community, and bad for the future of hot rodding.

One last piece of advice. When selecting your next fiberglass replica, try to avoid the company whose motto is "Good luck Pal. We will sue you and take everything you have."
 
#594 ·
I'm new here (but not new to hotrodding (or life)). About a year ago I was looking at various 'kit cars', Street Beasts being one of them. Well I got the catalog and then the phone calls started. Probably got 6 or so over a 2 month period.

The first one started out with the give you a discount (show price) blah, blah. then another one, then another one, etc. Prices going up, can fit you in now, etc.Somewhere along the line I asked for a name of someone close by that had one of their kits that I could talk to. Well the person was in South Carolina about 200+ miles away. Made me wonder who was getting those 40 kits a month.

Finally told the person to not call again because by that time I had searched the internet and had not liked what I found and then I hung up on him.

Took him about 5 seconds to call back and really start to ream my butt for the way I had treated him. WHAT ARROGANCE. I got the impression that if he was standing next to me I would have been blind sided and picking myself up off the floor.

He finally got the hint when I used a few choice 4 letter words (in about 10 seconds) and told him to NEVER call me again.

Needless to say, they are off my list.
 
#595 ·
Dave5605 said:
I'm new here (but not new to hotrodding (or life)). About a year ago I was looking at various 'kit cars', Street Beasts being one of them. Well I got the catalog and then the phone calls started. Probably got 6 or so over a 2 month period.

The first one started out with the give you a discount (show price) blah, blah. then another one, then another one, etc. Prices going up, can fit you in now, etc.Somewhere along the line I asked for a name of someone close by that had one of their kits that I could talk to. Well the person was in South Carolina about 200+ miles away. Made me wonder who was getting those 40 kits a month.

Finally told the person to not call again because by that time I had searched the internet and had not liked what I found and then I hung up on him.

Took him about 5 seconds to call back and really start to ream my butt for the way I had treated him. WHAT ARROGANCE. I got the impression that if he was standing next to me I would have been blind sided and picking myself up off the floor.

He finally got the hint when I used a few choice 4 letter words (in about 10 seconds) and told him to NEVER call me again.

Needless to say, they are off my list.
Funny, that's kind of how Outlaw treated me many years ago.
 
#596 ·
I've been doing more research on Classic Motor Carriages, to flesh out the wiki article on StreetBeasts.

Been accessing the Miami Herald archives, which has plenty of coverage on CMC.

I had heard that employees of the Florida attorney general's office were "involved" in protecting Classic Motor Carriages, but I wanted to verify it. There are some details on this in a February 6, 1995 Miami Herald article, entitled: "A Classic Collision: There's Lots of Finger-Pointing as Car Company Flounders".

Turns out that there were some questionable actions by Rhonda Lapin, the then-Assistant Attorney General in Florida.

Here's how the Miami Herald reported that the complaints against CMC were "referred" to another Florida regulatory agency:

Miami Herald said:
Armed with two violated settlements, the attorney general could have sued. Instead, then-Assistant Attorney General Rhonda Lapin referred some of the new complaints to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Tallahassee.

"We could have moved quicker, and I take responsibility for that," said Mike Burnstein, deputy attorney general of the southern region.
And, here's the quote regarding her resignation.

Miami Herald said:
The same month, Lapin, who was in charge of the Classic case, resigned from the attorney general's office.

"It was a mutual decision because of a change in the structure of our economic crime unit," Burnstein said. "Classic was among many factors in the decision."
Looks like her shady dealings prompted the Florida Attorney General's office to force a "change in the structure", which pushed her to resign.

I'm going to contact the Herald to see if we can get explicit permission to reprint the articles in our wiki.
 
#597 ·
Jon

I really would like to know what your end goal is here with SB?
Do you want them to put in their advertising the complete history of events back to CMC or before?
Do you just want to put it in print here to help rodders decide?
To harm SB as a company?
Make them fold?
What?

Inquiring minds want to know as this has gotten redicules, on both sides.
Why can't you just let it go?

:confused:
 
#598 ·
428ho said:
Do you just want to put it in print here to help rodders decide?
Of course that is the reason.
Then SB came in, making all manner of threats and trying to spin the past and present into a rosy future.

If this entire thread with all the replies and time spent ... just keeps one poor schmuck from going in to the purchase of a StreetBeast uninformed ... it will be worth it. :)

If ... after reading all of this, the potential buyer wants to buy one ... then that's OK also.

At least they went in to the deal informed. :D
 
#599 ·
428ho said:
I really would like to know what your end goal is here with SB....
Why can't you just let it go?
I don't know Jon's exact motivation but I do know why I participate in an extended thread like this. I'm a hot rodder. And as a part of the hot rodding community I hate seeing any sort of rip off artists taking advantage of our members.

A large part of why HR.Com exists is to help one another stay out of trouble and avoid pitfalls in the design and construction of our cars. This includes open and detailed discussion of vendors, suppliers, manufacturers and machine shops. There are dozens upon dozens of examples here on these pages where "reviews" (both good and bad) help steer newcomers and old timers alike toward the best and away from the worst.

I personally believe, based on what I've read and heard in this and other threads, that Streetbeast preys upon our fellow hot rodders with deceptive sales techniques and then uses strong arm tactics, including the threat of financial ruin, to silence any and all detractors. And since they continue to do this, right up until yesterday's postings, the hot rodding community needs to remain alert to the "beast" that is among us. As long as SB continues to threaten and intimidate this marketplace, HR.Com needs to keep it's membership informed.

Personally I applaud what HR.Com does by allowing us to share our experiences, both good and bad, with a massive audience. The thugs who prey on our community can only operate if they can operate in the dark and hide under the rocks. Jon provides us the opportunity to lift up those rocks and shine a very bright light on the actions and motivations of companies like SB.
 
#600 ·
I happened to look at a finished Street Beast a few days ago. Unfortunately the owner wasn't around so I couldn't ask him how much pain and anguish he went through to get it to that point - but it was an excellent looking car. Unfortunately, it still had the SB less then faithful to a '33/'34 Ford (to me, anyhow) look that I picked out as I drove by, then stopped for a better look.

The purpose of this thread wandered a bit and there are probably some comments that might be best deleted, but it does show that the old term learned in grade school, "caveat emptor" - let the buyer beware is to be considered. That "boiler room" sales techniques have been and still are being used. It also shows a potential buyer that there are probably better choices if he wants some faithfullness to an OEM Ford.

We can pick on several "kit" or repro manufacturers that have had some significant problems, but to the best of my knowledge, none as checquered as CMC/Street Beasts.

I don't believe Jon wants to run them out of business, just convince them that to be an honest and forthright supplier with honest advertising and sales techniques will gain them more sales and enhance their reputation and maybe have a presence here that would be a positive and forward move for their product.

Dave W
 
#601 ·
428ho said:
Jon



Inquiring minds want to know as this has gotten redicules, on both sides.
Why can't you just let it go?

:confused:

Other inquiring minds, (mine included), don't find this ridiculous at all.

As many have said, if this discussion keeps one person from getting suckered by SB or what ever they will call themselves in a year or 2, then it was worth it....


If a company goes under because of the bad press they earned, then that's ok too.

If you don't like the show, don't watch it.

No one is being forced to post here. :eek:


Later, mikey
 
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