Vicki saw this truck at Louisville, but they wouldn't talk to her because she was a girl. She also saw it yesterday on the road. http://www.southernmotorcompany.com/
Wouldn't talk to her because she was a girl? They must be idiots.Girls have money-she might have wanted stuff for her rich husband or boyfirend. Girls have brains-she might have wanted the stuff for herself-and had money to buy it. Girls listen-they don't presume they know everything and will take time to learn instead of bullshitting you about how much they know. I LIKE talking to girls and they are some of my best customers. I don't know these guys, but if they won't talk to 50% of their potential customer base,I'd wonder how good their quality control is in other areas.
55K, yea I'd say that is beyond the reach of the Average Joe. Is there a market for this vehicle? Probably yes. Go have a similar vehicle built and you'll blow away 55K so fast your head will spin. The buyer has enough choices with this that they can still have a truck that is uniquely theirs. The basic concept is solid, American auto manufacturing has a very rich history of small car manufacturers and coach built cars. I'd like to know how many components are interchangeable with early Chevy trucks. I also believe that it would be a challenge to meet all of today's EPA and government safety standards. I personally wish them well!
After staring at it for awhile I spotted what I think is wrong with it. The windshield is slanted back to far and throws off the proportions of the top. I think that it should be more vertical to match the rest of the trucks lines. My 2 cents BB
I was thinking the same thing. not enouhg curve to it either. This will end up like the $60,000 harleys. people will go back to buying the real thing and they will always hold their value much stronger.
Killer idea, I expect to see a whole lot more of these boutique style cars and trucks comming available.. Look at the Speedway 32 Roadster, Factory Five Daytona coupe, Cobras from South Africa and those super nice Willys coming Poland. Great examples of American ingenuity being used abroad then applied to our own supply and demand. I have a feeling this girl will do well. Truck looks pretty decent overall.
Well, that is a very ambitious project. They are going to meet EPA standards by using a GM 5.4 straight from a new truck. They will meet safety standards with dual airbags (something the truck on the website doesn't have). The tooling required seems immense, an all steel five window cab, already chopped, fenders, hood, doors, all steel? And a 3/36 bumper to bumper warranty. It's a heck of concept, and I can't think of any other small company that sells anything like it. Rich
All of those are sold as incomplete cars without engines/trannies so that they don't have to meet safety/emmissions. This truck is sold as a complete vehicle, with warranty.
Full prototype build pics are here... http://www.carolinarodshop.com/current_proj/html_files/smc_pic_pg1.html
Ok, the people who would buy this piece of shit are the ones that truely piss me off... You can talk about "rat-rodders" and "gold-chainers" all you want but these people are way worse and let me tell you why. Chevy trucks are fairly plentifull and cheap. You could build one for cheaper than buying that thing, and you'd be returning an existing one to the road. Instead you're gonna buy that re-pop... ...And where does the steel come from? RIIIIGGGGHHHT!!!!! Salvage yards are crushing old cars everyday, to supply us and China with our steel. And which cars do you think get crushed first? RIIIIGGGGHHHT!!!!! The ones that are the most plentifull and cheapest to get parts for. I have no problem with a guy repopping unobtanium like a Cobra or a Willys but a 48 to 54 chevy truck? That's just conspicuous destruction.
I didn't realize that the originals were so hard to find. I can think of about 10 of them around my no junk having neck of the woods. Rust free ones seem to be plentiful out west so where is the demand for a new one?
i agree with kilroy and plowboy. in colorado you see these at every show and swap meet, not too hard to find. to me they are like bel-airs in that everytime you turn around they one is. ya its easier to buy one with all the mods but that takes out all the learning and fun. i have one in my back yard that my chick got for free if that tells you anything about availibility.
I went thru the website and it doesn't look to me like they're building a ground up, repro truck. It looks as if they are rodding an existing vehicle and reselling it. Still pretty ambitious, I think. I'm not sure there's a market for 2000 of these every year, nor do I think they can find 2000+ good rebuildable trucks every year. If they did, it would certainly drive the price of that model thru the roof.
wow, check out the "specifications" section under "Comfort and Conveniences" it has a Cup Holder.. HAHAHA
I dig it, and if I had the money, I wouldn't hesitate for one minute to purchase one. About the only thing I can think of that I'd do different is to put in an LS motor and the 6 speed, with a 9" rear instead of the live one. There's a company doing something similar, offering classic FJ40 body and styling with modern drivetrain, and a few creature comforts.
i think these things are aimed at folks like my brother. when we were younger he always wanted a 5-winder chebby or gmc. BUT, he was so wrapped up in his career that he barely had time to put gas in his new car, let alone have the time to build one for himself. he's still in that mindset, even though he could prolly retire today with more income than most folks with good jobs make working full time. he works 60-80 hours every week in an executive position and seldom takes a vacation. people like him can write a check for one of these and have something similar to what he always wanted, but (for reasons other than ca$h) could never have. i'm not preaching his lifestyle or mindset (which is about as opposite of me as you can get), just pointing out the kind of people who might be interested in buying one of these.
I sure do get that, but why not just look on ebay for a real done one and write a check for something real? That isn't quite viable for Cobras, Willys, etc... But for a Chevy truck, he could be on the road in a weekend.
What difference does it make if it is a REAL truck with a pedigree and a historical vibe? The folks that'll buy these probably couldn't care less. It does what it is suppose to, and that is to LOOK like a modernized old Chevy truck. For what it's worth, I think they did a pretty good job. I hope they sell 'em. If 55K is what they are asking, I think that is a fair price. Considering we live in a time when designer sikkles START at 50 grand. I think Atch nailed it. In fact, I can think of a handful of people, right off the top of my head, that would probably pony up to have one of these trucks to match their "chopper". Not talking to the females? If they did that, tsk tsk, not too smart I'd say....
it looks like they used an exixting truck for the prototype, but in the build pics they showed them laser scanning the body of the truck, so i'm buessing they are going to have the bodys made. i don't see how they can have american stampings made and sell the trucks at 55g. i didn't notice some of the mods they made until i looked at the build pics, they stretched the cab, pie cut the hood, etc. IF they can pull it off, they'll sell. but i suspect they will not quite make it to real production for some reason. i don't think they'll be able to make their price point using all new components unless they are getting a hell of a deal from suppliers, which very well could be. one thing to consider, the tanking of domestic automakers like Ford and GM is putting lower level suppliers out of work. suppliers that have invested a fortune in state of the art equipment that now sits idle. this drives the shop rate down, better to have the machines running and making a few bucks than sitting idle. so it becomes more affordable and available for companies like this to take advantage of the situation, so they just might have the connections to have all steel USA made bodies.
oh yeah, and to those who say that ol dtrucks are plentiful, yeah, they are out there, but remember, they are trucks. trucks in the 50's were workhorses. almost every one you find will have bashed fenders, and be pretty much worn out. you can bet on it. solid straight ones are not that common. notice too that they based their truck off a 54 cab, a one year only bodystyle, good luck trying to find over 100 solid straight 54 bodys in a year. ain't gonna happen.
Parick's already offers a REAL alternative... http://www.patricksantiquecars.com/restoration.htm Repopping plentiful cars is still a travisty in my book considering we get a lot of our steel from crushing old cars...
The prorotype truck is sweet. it's a true custom.this place should be more focused on building one off rods and customs, obviosly there capable of doing it.Sucks that this truck will be a production vehicle, that simply takes all cool away from it
Nice truck but it looks like a good way for a group of investors to loose their asses if you ask me. Most folks looking to spend 55K on a "new production" toy would just as soon consider a Vette, Viper, SSR, etc.... Not a damn old Chevy pick up. JH
Shit, I'd buy one of those before I'd ever look at a Chevy SSR or whatever that pice of crap pickup Chevy builds is called. GM should be building specialty stuff like this instead of the SSR's and HHRs
Ok,how many years has the "rodding community" been waiting for the Brookville 32 3W bodies to actually be available to the public,4-6 years??Does anybody have a new 3W body yet??The Speedway 32 roadsters are built in South Africa then shipped here without an engine or trans and ONLY come in red,I think they START around $55,000.I dont see how the people building this truck could possibly have an ALL NEW steel cab and hood available and in production by 2008.(the fenders and bed stuff are already available repro) Then build,fit,bodywork,paint,interior,assemble,and test this truck for $55,000.I dont know how they can possibly sell them for that little money,unless they are being built in another country,and that still may not be enough.
the only parts not already being repoped are the a pillars and the drip rails. doors, firewalls, cowls, the entire rear of cab, roofs are all being made now
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