Good? Bad? www.streetbeasts.com/nuindex.html
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Good? Bad? www.streetbeasts.com/nuindex.html
This was my response to an email that posed the same type of question...
Question.....
I would like your thoughts in regard to their products. I have seen
other kitcars out there for less money with more options. I would like your
insight to the following:
1. Pricing
2. Design and engineering
3. clarity of instruction manual
4. technical support
My answer....
1. Pricing - Don't go by the list price. Streetbeasts is notorious for the "this week only special" The list price of 12k is with out the fiberglass floor pan ($1500 option) and the Preassembly package ($1500) and shipping (to Ohio it was around $1700). Total: $16700!!! When comparing other manufacturers be sure to get the TOTAL cost. My "this weekend only sale" was 2000 off the list, floor pan, pre assy and shipping free - Total cost $10,000 The big seller for me was the fact that this kit required no VW floor pan (tubular steel chassis). If I would have had to cut and shorten a pan I would not have done the project at all. In my research only 2 manufacturers offer a tubular steel frame, Streetbeasts and Intermechanica. Intermechanica does not sell kits, so I had no other choice.
2. This is my first kit so I really have no base to go on. But all in all I think the design and Engineering is good.
3. The manual is a joke. Common sense, speedsterowners.com, VW repair manuals and Streetbeast tech help is enough to go on.
4. Tech support was pretty good until lately. From what I understand they have moved some people around and the response time has suffered.
Good Luck,
Jerome
Question.....
I would like your thoughts in regard to their products. I have seen
other kitcars out there for less money with more options. I would like your
insight to the following:
1. Pricing
2. Design and engineering
3. clarity of instruction manual
4. technical support
My answer....
1. Pricing - Don't go by the list price. Streetbeasts is notorious for the "this week only special" The list price of 12k is with out the fiberglass floor pan ($1500 option) and the Preassembly package ($1500) and shipping (to Ohio it was around $1700). Total: $16700!!! When comparing other manufacturers be sure to get the TOTAL cost. My "this weekend only sale" was 2000 off the list, floor pan, pre assy and shipping free - Total cost $10,000 The big seller for me was the fact that this kit required no VW floor pan (tubular steel chassis). If I would have had to cut and shorten a pan I would not have done the project at all. In my research only 2 manufacturers offer a tubular steel frame, Streetbeasts and Intermechanica. Intermechanica does not sell kits, so I had no other choice.
2. This is my first kit so I really have no base to go on. But all in all I think the design and Engineering is good.
3. The manual is a joke. Common sense, speedsterowners.com, VW repair manuals and Streetbeast tech help is enough to go on.
4. Tech support was pretty good until lately. From what I understand they have moved some people around and the response time has suffered.
Good Luck,
Jerome
Their tube frame is very easy to build on especially if you're doing any suspension/engine mods. Plus, there aren't any rust issues that you may run into with a VW shorten pan. The fiberglass work seems pretty good, but I haven't started the paint prep work yet, so that may be another issue. There have been some fit issues, but most items were easily fixed. Customer service, depends on who you deal with at the factory. Maria, has been pretty good for follow thru, etc. I don't think they ever be a good as a VS or Intermec. but then again, they probably never cost as much either. The SB only comes as a kit, the others come as a kit, rolling kit or complete turnkey.
hi jerome,
i get notice you build a streebeast speedster and i feel free to ask you for further information. thanks in advance for your efforts and sorry for my bad english...
can you tell me, how the body was installed an the chassis? i think this kit included also a fiberglass pan and tunnel. must the original tunnel ( with the car-identify-number, that was on the tunnel ) be romoved from the donar car and the front and the back part with the technic is installed at the body, or is the pan and tunnel just placed over the original tunnel from the donar car.
i hope you understand, what i mean. this question is because i want to prevent any problems, when properly removing the original tunnel with the car-number...
thanks once again
robert
i get notice you build a streebeast speedster and i feel free to ask you for further information. thanks in advance for your efforts and sorry for my bad english...
can you tell me, how the body was installed an the chassis? i think this kit included also a fiberglass pan and tunnel. must the original tunnel ( with the car-identify-number, that was on the tunnel ) be romoved from the donar car and the front and the back part with the technic is installed at the body, or is the pan and tunnel just placed over the original tunnel from the donar car.
i hope you understand, what i mean. this question is because i want to prevent any problems, when properly removing the original tunnel with the car-number...
thanks once again
robert
Robert,
No problem with your English, mine is not that good and it's my first language.
The SB uses the rear suspension cut off the pan just in front of the torsion tubes. Then its bolted on to the tube frame with clamps. A SB will have no donor vehicle identification number. This was not a problem here in Ohio.
Jerome
pics:
1. Bottom: These are the brackets for the rear end
2. Center of picture: The rear end out of a Beetle is on the table
3. Installing the rear end
No problem with your English, mine is not that good and it's my first language.
The SB uses the rear suspension cut off the pan just in front of the torsion tubes. Then its bolted on to the tube frame with clamps. A SB will have no donor vehicle identification number. This was not a problem here in Ohio.
Jerome
pics:
1. Bottom: These are the brackets for the rear end
2. Center of picture: The rear end out of a Beetle is on the table
3. Installing the rear end
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hi jerome,
" No problem with your English, mine is not that good and it's my first language. " ....:-)
thanks for your fast help.
unfortunable in germany ( were the car should be born ) we have much more trouble with the goverment. without an old car-idetify-number you have not any change, because its handled like a new-build car.
thats why i have to use and old donar car with number and only can change the body. it was an other problem with a shortened pan. the donar car i you use must already have been shortened. these days it was not longer allowed...and, of cause, there a not many of these cars left....
so i am lucky, i get notice there was an english producer, that offer a kit based on a unshortened pan, so this problems have been solved...
thanks and greetings robert
" No problem with your English, mine is not that good and it's my first language. " ....:-)
thanks for your fast help.
unfortunable in germany ( were the car should be born ) we have much more trouble with the goverment. without an old car-idetify-number you have not any change, because its handled like a new-build car.
thats why i have to use and old donar car with number and only can change the body. it was an other problem with a shortened pan. the donar car i you use must already have been shortened. these days it was not longer allowed...and, of cause, there a not many of these cars left....
so i am lucky, i get notice there was an english producer, that offer a kit based on a unshortened pan, so this problems have been solved...
thanks and greetings robert
Keep in touch Robert,
Good Luck,
Jerome
Good Luck,
Jerome
hi jerome,
i am faster back, then i thought...:-)
its fate, i just get a very interesting offer for a sb kit. therefore i have to think about it once again... shit happens..:-)
can you help me once again?
i need to know the distance between the front and the rear weel?
i told before its neccessary for me to use a numbered donar, so i think about to cut of a part of the sb frame/body and put it on the beetle donar. therefore it is importend, that the distance between the front and back weels are the right ones. it have to be like the original beetle or the " standard shortened ( like the vintage-speedster ) beetle.
once again many thanks in advance.
robert
i am faster back, then i thought...:-)
its fate, i just get a very interesting offer for a sb kit. therefore i have to think about it once again... shit happens..:-)
can you help me once again?
i need to know the distance between the front and the rear weel?
i told before its neccessary for me to use a numbered donar, so i think about to cut of a part of the sb frame/body and put it on the beetle donar. therefore it is importend, that the distance between the front and back weels are the right ones. it have to be like the original beetle or the " standard shortened ( like the vintage-speedster ) beetle.
once again many thanks in advance.
robert
If its the same as the CMC kit (suspect it is) then print off or reference the build manuals in the LIBRARY on this site.
As far as I know you can still buy the SB speedster without thier frame. The pan will have to be shortened though.
Jerome
Jerome