In this industry-first, we're going to take you step-by-step through the assembly of a Street Beast. In this case, we're building a '34 Coupe in our new Research & Development Department.
If you've always wanted a street rod but never thought you had the resources to build one for yourself, you're in luck! There's no more reason to delay because the price is good and the project is easy. Best of all, we're going to walk you - online - through the whole process of building a Street Beast hot rod right here.
We'll be updating this site on a regular basis, and then archiving the whole assembly so you can check back on the buildup at any point. The specially designed and engineered 2x4-inch rectangular steel frame is primered in Rustoleum, and all you have to do after a minor rub-down to remove a few metal burrs is to put a finishing coat of paint on it. The 3/8-inch thick fiberglass body, trimmed and sanded to a 600-grit finish in two separate passes - using 400 and 600 grit sand paper - requires only minimal preparation before you paint it your favorite color.
These basic components - and lots more - are delivered directly to your garage in a solid shipping crate. The components are designed to fit, one into the other. In addition to the things in your crate, you'll need to go out and find the engine, transmission, suspension and other modern, reliable mechanical components - and as easy as A-B-C - you assemble them all into your dream machine. The assembly of this '34 Coupe is being done in one corner of the 75,000-square foot Street Beasts production facility in Miami. Leading the effort is Cameron McCrary, an ASE-certified Master Technician with 30 years of experience in the automotive field. While he wielded the tools, I puttered around in the background with a notepad and camera. Cameron knows how to build everything from a racecar, to fabricating a basic clamp - but building a kit car was new ground for him. Equally important is the fact that this project creates a chance for everyone to learn something new - and that's always one benefit from building a Street Beast
While there were considerable assets at hand for the project, we're using the same tools and skills that you will be using on your own project. You know, the things you would find around your garage and in a $149.99 159-piece tool kit you might find on sale at Sears. But, you have to understand that this whole operation should be no more demanding than eating a pizza. You know how that works: You look at the piping-hot, 16-inch circle of mozzarella topped with double cheese, sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms and think . . . I can never eat all of that! But, by taking it one slice at a time, you wind up with a burp and an empty plate. Building a Street Beast is the same - you just have to take it one step at a time.
This is a collection of parts that will be going into our '34 Coupe Street Beast. But remember, like a good pizza, we're going to be "eating" it one slice at a time!
This is a view of the raw 2x4-inch, 10-gauge cold rolled steel frame that comes with every kit. It has been specifically designed to accept your mechanical components - engine, transmission, etc.
This is the fiberglass package with many of the various panels that are part of the Street Beasts automotive component package.
WHAT ABOUT COSTS?
The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for the executive street rod automotive package is $18,495, but you can call (888)888-6645 to check for any current specials, and then place your order. The cost of the additional mechanical components depend on where you find those parts. If they're new, from your local Ford dealer, they will cost you more than if you find them at your local salvage yard and have them rebuilt or remanufactured. Beyond the financial investment is the amount of time you'll be involved with the project, and that ranges from 200 to 400 hours, depending on your skill level.
Now, before you think this buildup at the factory is an "inside" job, with specially prepared and fitted components, think again! Everything you see here was pulled directly off the production line or the supply shelves. An important aspect of this whole buildup is that it gives Street Beasts an opportunity to assure itself - in a real world situation - how well the fiberglass components fit together and how well the manual describes the assembly. As the project moved forward, and new approaches were refined, those ideas were not only incorporated into an updated manual, but a dozen or so minor changes were made to our production line to make your job even easier.
The first thing that happens after paying for the kit is that a Welcome Package arrives with a sample of the upholstery material, a special gift and the all-important assembly manual. No matter how much experience you have, reading this full assembly manual is the most important part of building a Street Beast. The whole kit has been designed to go together in sequence, and if you ignore the order, you could find yourself in trouble. This is truly a "Tab A into Slot B" kind of thing. And, as you shuffle ahead, day after day, you'll feel a real sense of accomplishment as you see the '34 Coupe taking shape right before your eyes.
Another important part of the big crate (14 feet long, 76 inches wide, 67 inches high) is a packing list - which lists all the components of your kit. This list is normally found attached to one of the major fiberglass components packed inside the cockpit, or attached to the custom-made aluminum fuel tank. The total number of items in the shipment is indicated on the packing list. Since you may have ordered optional equipment, the number of items in your shipment may vary from other customers. Be sure to sign the bill of lading, noting any observable damage and any missing components. On the off-chance that you discover any damage, you should immediately call the shipper's local office and follow his instructions for filing a claim.
In any case, you are advised to open each container in the crate and carefully go through them to create a familiarity with your kit and its parts. As part of that process, save the packing list, and then place the tagged parts in appropriate containers so you can easily locate and identify them when you need them during the assembly.
Here, the front suspension - painted white to separate it off from the frame - has been mounted.
A workman sprays white gelcoat into a mold, and will follow in a second with a mixture of resin and glass fiber.
The 75,000 square foot factory in Miami not only produces the fiberglass components, but a full metal shop cuts the steel for the frames which are welded onsite in purpose-built jigs.
TOOLS
Another thing you'll find in the assembly manual is the Tools Check List. While you will need only a basic tool kit to do most of the assembly, there are specialized tools that you will also need. You might want to consider asking your buddies if you can borrow some of the more specialized items. Chances are, once they hear about your project, they'll want to come on over to see it - and then pitch in to help build it. And, if the specialized tools can't be obtained that way, you can also rent such items as a spring compressor or a hydraulic floor jack.
In some cases, though, you'll need items for a longer period of time and renting them would be foolish. One such item might be the four sturdy jack stands you'll need to support the frame as you hang suspension and mount the rack and pinion steering. We strongly recommend jack stands with four legs, not three! These four-legged jack stands come in two basic sizes: The small two-ton version or a larger size that will support five to six tons. Regardless of the size, these must be used to support the frame. Using anything else to support the frame is unacceptable. The ideal height of the frame from the floor is 18-24 inches. This will provide you with enough room to use a creeper under the frame, and if you're working on running fuel or brake lines, you can do the work while sitting atop a stool or plastic milk crate.
Hundreds of different components, from brackets to steering wheels, are all warehoused in the factory so orders can be filled quickly.
This pallet of salvage yard parts have all been painted white to separate them off from the parts that come with the Street Beasts component package. These are the types of things you'll need!
COMPONENT PARTS CONSIDERATIONS
In addition to the steel and fiberglass parts that are supplied, you'll have to come up with the mechanical components. Many of these components come from either a 1974-'78 Mustang II or a '79-'00 late-model Mustang. If you have the financial resources, you can waltz into your local Ford dealership or NAPA, AutoZone or similar parts store and buy new components. If you aren't using new parts, you'll have to spend time collecting, inspecting, and rejuvenating the used mechanical components for both safety and performance reasons. Remember, when you are obtaining these components from a salvage yard, it's best to save all the related attachment parts and wiring connectors. As you are clipping these items from a donor car, have masking tape ready to label the parts and attaching hardware, wires, fuel lines, clips, etc. It's also a good idea to have a variety of small containers to hold small loose items such as nuts, bolts and washers - and even plastic sandwich bags that you can reseal.
Along those same lines, there are several things you must consider when buying either new or used component parts for your Street Beast. Ford utilized a variety of gear ratios in their rear axles, and while all of them will work, it is strongly recommended that you use a rear axle that came from a car with a V-8 engine because it's more likely to have a taller gear. Axle widths vary from application to application, so before purchasing your rear axle, measure it from hub to hub. It should measure 59 inches for late-model Mustangs.
Incidentally, when it comes time to pick a rear end - and you're planning on disassembling it - you might also want to consider changing the four-lug axle for a more popular five-lug unit. The change will require opening the rear of the gear carrier and removing the C-clips at the spider gears. In an upcoming installment, though, we will show you how this is done. But, you can also go to a shop manual, Chilton's, Haynes' or MOTORs manual for instruction for this procedure. Ford Motorsports has a five-lug axle conversion kit (about $200) that will convert a four-lug to a five-lug - and then there is a whole range of aftermarket companies selling items which will convert to the five-lug pattern.
The Street Beasts frame is designed so either a small-block Chevy or Ford V-8 can be used. These are the most popular American engines ever produced and variations are still being manufactured.
One variation on this theme is that you can go to an engine remanufacturing company and they can produce a motor for you from a pre-'74 block. This makes registering your Street Beast a real snap in states where the unsmogged engine has been "grandfathered" to run as is - without all the ugly hoses and canisters you'd otherwise need.
If you're looking for real horsepower, this is certainly an approach you should consider. Otherwise, when you are removing a later, smogged engine from a donor car, be sure to collect all the emissions-related hardware because you will need them in the registration process. In fact, most late model EFI setups will run worse with the emission control devices removed. But, in all cases, you should be checking with your state Department of Motor Vehicles to ensure that the application you choose will meet all the legal and D.O.T. requirements. Do it now! Don't wait until the car is finished.
Working in conjunction with the engines are the transmissions, and you can use any of the following five types. For use with the small-block Ford engine, you can use C4 or C6, or an AOD (automatic overdrive transmission) unit. All are easily adapted to the Ford, although the flywheels do not interchange. It is recommended that you acquire engine/transmission units as a mated pair so you can eliminate that problem. For the Chevy engine, you can use the TurboHydromatic 350 or the TH400 transmission. The Street Beasts assembly package is specifically designed for these five types of Chevy and Ford components. If you decide on going the remanufactured engine route, the manufacturer can either recommend a transmission to go with their remanufactured engine, or provide you with a compatible transmission.
In the construction of your Street Beast, you will need not only additional mechanical components - like a rear end - but also consumables like sand paper and flat black spray paint. These items are all listed - with accompanying parts numbers where necessary - in the assembly manual. The mechanical components (engines, suspensions, radiators, etc.) can be found by looking for "Automobile Parts & Supplies - Used And Rebuilt", as well as under "Junk Dealers", in the Yellow Pages section of your local telephone book. You can also look under "Automobiles" in the Classified Section of local newspapers and in Auto Trader-style magazines. And, at this point, there are also companies - like wrenchead.com - out there where you can get parts over the Internet.
After removing a few sharp edges from the frame, Cameron primered it in white and then painted it black all over.
Just as soon as you open the crate, you should find the packing list. It's generally right on top of the fiberglass components packed inside the body or pasted to the custom aluminum fuel tank.
Here's a crated '34 Coupe just as a customer would receive it!
Many of the fiberglass components packed inside the body are wrapped in sheet foam. Sitting at the top of this batch, as you can tell from its distinctive shape, is the grille shell.
Here, you can see the custom-made 15-gallon aluminum fuel tank strapped into the bottom of the crate for shipment.
WORKING SPACE
Before you get the crate containing the Street Beast assembly package, and gathering all the tools and other mechanical components necessary to transform it into a true automobile, you'll need a working space approximately the size of a two-car garage. However, as you progress and the frame is completed, and the suspension and driveline components are installed, you'll suddenly find you will no longer need quite as much room. The assembled chassis measures approximately 150 inches long by 44 inches wide. The fiberglass body occupies approximately the same space.
In addition to these components, you'll need room in which to walk around the components, and space to store all your parts and tools. If you're building your car during the summer months, the fiberglass body, with sandable white gelcoat finish, can be stored outdoors under the sun, where the fiberglass will simply continue curing. Remember, fiberglass doesn't rust!
This is a good view of the frame's front crossmember. In our next installment, we'll be working right here to mount the steering rack and the front suspension.
HARDWARE AND FASTENERS
The assembly manual also has a glossary of important terms and symbols, but right now - right here - we want to make a special plea to you about your use of second-hand hardware and fasteners. Structural bolts and nuts should only be replaced with equivalent parts, and those replacement parts must be of equal or better strength. For example, suspension bolts must be Grade 8 or better. And, you can determine the grade of bolts by checking the radial lines on bolt heads and raised dots on nuts. While front suspension bolts, nuts and washers are included with the deluxe kit, ordinary fasteners are not included, so you will have to seek them out at automotive supply houses.
Equally important is the fact that automobile manufacturers occasionally suggest that certain bolts NOT be re-used once they are removed from an assembly. Check the factory service manual for information. In addition, check either the factory service manual or a generic torque chart for torque specifications. As a consequence, a critical tool will be a torque wrench.
Here, the painted frame is put on display, with suspension and steering components spread out around it.
REGISTRATION
While you might not be thinking about registering your finished car when you start the project - you should be! Street Beasts provides each owner with a manufacturer's statement of origin (MSO), which is the equivalent of a title on a production car. When you go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to register a car, you'll need a batch of records and receipts for the parts and pieces you use in building the Street Beast. (For example, a bill of sale for the engine and transmission.) But, we advise you to call your state agency to see exactly what it will require from you, as these requirements vary from state to state.
COMING SOON!
Okay, that sets the groundwork for building the '34 Coupe. Check back here for the next installment and we'll all get our hands dirty preparing the frame and mounting suspension components. Oh, and tell your friends that over the next few months, they'll be able to see just how easy it is to build aStreet Beastsdream car of their own by checking this Web Site!
