I'm reading and rereading this. Your rant, while unfair to Mr. Street IMHO, makes some sense but that sentence about Roth throws me a curve ball. Please explain. Roth bought cars and added gadgets to gain Trophies? Or are you talking about Lance Roth who owned the sandwich shop in Spokane?
I think steel rebel is talking about someone named Hell Roth . I don't think he means Ed. I mean come on, Ed Roth sculpted his cars!
Rikester, Thanks for clarifying. I don't know that he ever did any work on the Sahara either. I got the impression that he did a lot of small jobs that Street had. That car looks like the one I saw. It was mostly in primer at the time. The Foose car sure looks like a clone. Those roof lines are so much better than other chops of that era.
In my humble opinion, Jim S. has added nothing to our hobby/sport, other than possibly establishing himself as an egotistical, self centered, arogant, pompas ass in the custom community. Would it be nice if he shared some history on the Golden Sahara? Sure. But that doesn't look like it's going to happen. It's his car(s) and his decision how to enjoy them. Hopefully Mr. S. will come forward in the near future and share the fruits of his enjoyment. Stu
Sorry if I hurt your or Street's feelings. I call them as I see them. Why are you kissing his ass. He's going to do what suits his own interests. You must have read it wrong. Street added the gadgets. Ed Roth was putting electric steering on his cars at the same time. You tell me what this Street guy has contributed to the car hobby.
All I have to say is that I myself have never built anything that will be remembered, but y'all are welcome to touch my monkey.
OMG - Hell has no Fury like a Fad-T driver scorned... What has Mr. Street done to you or better asked what have you contributed to the car hobby Mr.Rebel? Then again, I did not know that to be part of the "Hobby" you had to contribute. I also thought that cars are private property and not subject to forced exposure by public demand. So unless you show pictures of your own darn Monkey lay off Mr. Street - one of this "Hobby's" great eccentrics !
I disagree both your 34 and now your "Ranchero" are known and loved by all, as for your monkey I would not touch that with a ten foot pole.....literaly
guys,this is getting kind of silly.i doubt mr street even know we are talking about him or the golden sahara.he is in his early seventies..the man working on the car is in his late sixties,to early seventies.they went to school together.mr street toured with the car or cars several times,he showed the cars at a local dealership years ago.he had his run,did his thing and maybe doesn't have the energy or the drive to do it all again..i don't know.as hard as it is to imagine,people sometimes do burn out,no matter what the hobby is.
Very well said Vert1940. I am sure that at it's heyday the Golden Sahara put a smile on many a show goer's face and that is a great legacy all in itself.
I take exception to the "Fad T" placement. Especially since Gray Baskerville called my car a "Lakes Modified" in a Rod & Custom article. Hey maybe if I keep being the all hole I am I might go down in history as one of this "Hobby's great eccentrics" LOL
True and the intent of the post was to see who have seen these cars in the last 20 and maybe gain an understanding on why they've been hidden for so long
HeHe - Mission accomplished. I knew the Fad T would rile you. Your car is actually very nice and you can be justifiably proud of it! Drive Safe! Mike
Okay you got me. Thanks for the compliment. And I am contributing to the Hobby by posting on this thread and not hiding out somewhere beating my monkey. Well not the same way he is.
Didn't get mentioned in all this dicussion about the Golden Sahara and the Grabowski car, but Jim Skonzakis also had Barris and Metz customize a '49 Buick convertible which is on Rikster's site...looked really cool, wonder what happened to it??
Has anyone got a picture of this elusive Mr Street? I 've heard about him for years and no pics. Is he a real person? LOL
If you read post 27 at the beginning of this thread you can watch a clip of the car and him on TV in the sixties,
From the link above (posts #139 & 140). These shots are best viewed while listening to "Carol of the Birds - Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia". Enjoy. The last two shots are kinda between transition of the first version and second version. In the interior shot, one notices the Astatic microphone next to the telephone. Some of those microphones came painted that gold color, but I would doubt Barris would try color matching to something so irrelevant....would he? That is the best picture I could find of the mic.
I don't see him around that much as he is an enigma. I do know that the dam monkey is really ill. It like his kid and he's had him for about 40 years or more. Jim is in his late 70's and as eccentric as Howard Hughes. I have a couple of friends who keep tabs on him, so that's how I know what's going on. AM trying to get with someone who is close to him to get something for the world to see...Might take some time, but patience is how you get through....
Next time you see him in person, you just walk right up to him and say, "Hey, where did you get all that money?" Sorry about his monkey though. Seriously.
Jim owned a company in West Carrollton, Ohio called Radar Securities. They sold high end security systems to businesses and homes. This is correct.......
Another interesting tidbit I found out last night... Golden Sahara caught fire in the garage a few years ago due to the large amt. of electronics installed in the car. Not sure on the amt. of damage, but I know it's still sitting there next to the old Kookie Kar..........
Still waiting for Pics, All this talk and no show, makes me think it's all BULL ha ha....... If the the Golden Sahara caught fire wouldn't there be A Fire or Police report with pics? Just saying...........................
The fire wasn't necessarily an accident, more like a slight miscalculation by the Doomsday device he installed...I mean he had EVERYTHING in that car!!!