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{{newarticle}} StreetBeasts is a notorious manufacturer of street rod kit cars with a lengthy history of fraud. In June of 1999, the owner of StreetBeasts (at the time, operating under the name "Classic Motor Carriages") pleaded guilty to wire fraud, and was ordered to pay $2.5 million in restitution. Recently, representatives from StreetBeasts have been making the rounds of automotive forums, using similar tactics to conceal their history of fraud, and threatening those who inform the public of their deception with frivolous legal action and financial ruin. ==Aliases== Over the years, StreetBeasts has operated under the following aliases and trade names: *Classic Motor Carriages *Fiberfab *Auto Resolutions *Innovative Street Machines ==Wire fraud case against Classic Motor Carriages== In 1994, the Florida Attorney General's office filed suit against Classic Motor Carriages, on behalf of hundreds of defrauded customers, in ''USA v. GGL d/b/a Classic Motor Carriages''. ("GGL" stands for George G. Levin, the owner of Classic Motor Carriages). For the relevant court documents, see: [[Image:Streetbeasts_fraud_charges.pdf]]. George G. Levin eventually pleaded guilty in the case in summer of 1999, and was ordered to pay $2.5 million in restitution. Shortly thereafter, sales plummeted, and Classic Motor Carriages was evicted from its headquarters. Around the same time, he re-opened the kit car business under a new name: "Auto Resolutions" (later changed to "StreetBeasts"). ==Specific problems with StreetBeasts== ===Aesthetically incorrect body design=== This section needs photographs to demonstrate the body differences between Streetbeasts and other hotrods. ===Poor resale value=== Streetbeasts are reputed to have a poor resale value when compared to other kit cars, and to other fiberglass-bodied street rods. ===Lack of parts interchangeability=== On their website, Streetbeasts claims that their bodies are "pretty close" to the originals, but then goes on to state that "Street Beasts parts generally do not interchange with parts on original steel bodied cars". Most aftermarket or original parts will not interchange with Streetbeast vehicles. This compels Streetbeast owners to order replacement parts directly from Streetbeasts. ===Incompetent technical support=== ===Aggressive sales tactics=== ===History of fraud=== ==Factors in favor of StreetBeast vehicles== Streetbeast fiberglass is thick. Their website claims that the fiberglass bodies are "an average of 3/8 of an inch thick or more". ==Known issues with ALL kit cars== ===Kit cars aren't really "easy" to build=== The term "kit car" doesn't necessarily mean that it will be easy to build, or will even be any easier than building a car "from scratch". The main difference in building a kit car is that the parts are supposed to be designed to work together, which eliminates the guesswork during assembly. Kit cars are also to include detailed assembly instructions. Before purchasing any kit car, get a copy of the instruction book, and read it carefully. In street rodding there are very few true "kit cars" available. You can purchase fiberglass and steel bodies, rolling chassis, and even chassis/body combinations. However, these are not "kits" -- they are the basic building blocks necessary to build a car. The builder must still purchase many parts and subsystems to make a viable vehicle, and a high percentage of those purchases will require some fabrication or modification to the body or chassis in order to work well. There are thousands of unfinished kit cars on the market today simply because the novice builder didn't realize the amount of work required to "assemble" the kit. Slick advertising sucks many a novice into the "kit car" trap, and provides a poor entry into street rodding. ===Before buying a kit car=== Before buying any kit car, research the company's history, BBB complaints, legal problems, product qu ality issues and anything else that might be important. Slick advertising can make any company look good, but there is no substitute for an educated consumer. Another important issue to consider is the design of the kit. Is the body designed to be a faithful representation of the original or is it something less? Will parts made for the original fit the kit? If not, how can you obtain replacement parts in case of an accident? Are you forced to buy trim parts, replacement parts, and specialty parts from only one source (the kit manufacturer) if and when they are needed? If so, perhaps the purchase should be reconsidered. Most fiberglass and steel bodies available are good quality and are designed to use parts made for the original car which can be purchased from a variety of sources and some are pretty much proprietary designs that are so far off from the original that very few parts made for the original can be used. Does the frame use a readily available suspension, steering and brake system? If not where can you obtain replacement parts when the need arises? Finally, before anyone lays down his hard earned money for a "kit car" he should ask other street rod owners their opinions. Not just other owners of the kit he is considering buying, but other street rod enthusiasts. Some kits are much better than others and the word gets around so don't hesitate to ask for opinions on a particular product from those who have been in the hobby a while. Curt Scott of KitCar.com publishes a [http://www.kitcar.com/cgscbook.html Kit Car Buyer's Guide] that is generally thought to be considerably less economically biased than the mainstream kit car magazines. In addition, KitCar.com publishes a [http://www.kitcar.com/consumeralert/ Consumer Alert page], and an article entitled [http://www.KitCar.com/editorials-kitcar/predatorsANDeditors/home.html Predators and Editors], which discusses the fallacy of trusting popular kit car magazines. ==References== ===Mainstream news media coverage=== *http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2006-03-02/news/a-beastly-background/ ===Web articles=== *http://www.erareplicas.com/misc/bedard/ *http://www.geocities.com/aztec7fan/story_by_christopher_aguilera.html ===Forum discussions=== *http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/streetbeast-rod-kits-13109.html *http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Fiberfab_CMC/message/22 *http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72255 *http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Roundtable/Archives/Year_2002/February/121.php *http://www.streetrodding.com/index.cfm/f/forums.getThread/id/3215 *http://www.streetrodding.com/index.cfm/f/forums.getThread/id/6527

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