I'm going to buy a Speedster kit.

I may be mistaken, but I think Beck is the only company in North America actively offering the option to grow your own kit, right now. Kirk lists one, but I don't think he's taking any orders or producing the 'kit' version - at the moment.  I may be wrong.

Word on the street is that CCW (formerly known as Carrera Coach Works/Thunder Ranch) may start to offer chassis and body / roller  - kit options. We learned recently that the company is under new ownership with better investors. The new crew is going to try to make a go of a better run operation. Part of that change is going to include pricing options for a chassis/body, rollers, painted rollers, etc. I don't know the official word on that decision. There were some mystery rumblings of new investors and future official announcements around here over the past few days.

Many people were burned by the previous ownership, so they have a long road to hoe around these parts.  I have no affiliation or dog in that fight. I'm just layin' down what I've picked up over my relatively short time. I think the take away is 'Buyer Beware'.

If someone else or another company still offering a kit option, in North America - someone will be sure to correct me.

Ted

I would avoid CCW until they get their act together and prove themselves.   Vintage Speedsters also offers a "kit"....do your homework take your time in deciding your best choice vs. a used speedster.

As far as CCW, no news is bad news. Stick with Beck.Their reputation precedes them. If CCW was a reputable company they would come out and tell their story especially if you want customer to buy your product and build confidence.

I don't want to clutter up aircooled's thread, but...

 

I'm still pretty new around here and I don't know all of the details of the former thunder ranch ownership. I'm not sure I care to know all the gore. He did burn me on a $25.00 build manual that I paid for and never received. I was told repeatedly "we're still finishing it up". This was years ago when I first had an interest in building a kit. I reached out to them to see what it would involve. I paid his fee and never received the materials. I eventually gave up.  Legend would have it, that I got of easy. 

 

Regardless of the history of the former Thunder Ranch - If it's new ownership and a new crew who simply purchased the assets (who reportedly also made good on what bad debt they could - within reason) - how much crow do the new owners have to eat before we, as a group, quit flogging them for the sins of the 'Tom"? If the old guy is gone, what's it going to take for them to be treated like any other new company?  

 

Let's say this was a completely new company on the scene - wouldn't we all treat that company with cautious, yet optimistic skepticism? I don't think this sort of thing is limited to just this forum or this company. You see it everywhere.  For example, if a bad restaurant closes and then a new one opens in the same location - odds are it's going to fail too. People can't break the bad association with that 'location'.

 

How much of this behavior is warranted? How much of this is just a case of 5 monkeys, some bananas, and a blast of cold water? (Its an old Psychology fable / experiment: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Did_...ment_ever_take_place)

 

Again, no dog. No fight here. I'm just wondering aloud here... maybe I need more coffee.

 

Ted

 

 

Highly recommend Beck & also that you get a solid understanding of CA registration requirements before you start.  Carey can help.

 

 

My psychological wondering aside - in a situation like this, go with what you know.  Beck and Vintage are the two proven solutions that come to mind. When I asked Kirk, he said he wasn't doing any roller options 'at the moment'... things may have changed since then. 

 

I'd be interested to hear which way you go!

Ted

 

 

I'm really interested in a Beck kit, as well. The CA registration process is sounding like more work than the build though. (and a lot less fun&hellip. I'm anxious to follow your progress.

For you CA guys,  building your own kit is the BEST way to go.  In short, the process is easy IF you buy a kit from me, an engine directly from an engine builder and a transaxle directly from the transaxle builder.  Those 3 major receipts, all in YOUR name, and with Beck having NOTHING to do with the engine and transaxle IS what CA wants to see.

I also have a client who put together a CA registration flow chart and annotated copies of the 3 CA documents to make my client's lives easier.

Carey, that's great news! I'll be in touch.

Ted- brief synopsis- The guys who bought the former Thunder Ranch (who wasn't exactly too dependable) didn't build any cars either, but as far as we could tell they did take some deposits but didn't deliver. One of the investors is like a bad train wreck; he leaves people's wallets thinner wherever he goes and whatever the business is (I remember something about him being run out of town over some real estate in Chicago? and people being taken by him a number of years ago in southern California). We'll see about this newest change in ownership. Al

 

PS- And that's why I said not to put any money up front in the other thread.

EXACTLY! Well said, Al. The only way I'd do business with CCW is if a perfect storm happened, i.e. I wanted a car, it was available, it was a good price, I was there with a trailer, and I inspected it, loaded it up, and was ready to drive away! Then he could have my cash, maybe.....

Yikes - I only knew about the Thunder Ranch to CMW connection. I didn't even know that there was an entire iteration / company between the two which had the same set of investors.

 

I'm starting to understand the long running string of skepticism a bit more.

 

Sorry, Aircooled - I didn't mean to drop a 'daisy cutter' in the middle of your thread. I'll go back to my corner of blissful ignorance now. 

 

 

Good luck with your kit / build.

 

Ted

 

 

 

Our old buddy Theo Hanson has shown up on you tube in a video he posted entitled "Hate In Chicago @ In One Ear".

 

He is hiding behind a big beard these days. The first couple of minutes he waxes on about his good deeds in San Diego with Heartland Coalition (parent of CCW) and how he is going to help the poor and disadvantaged of Chicago.

 

What a piece of work.