Steib Sidecars
Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2021 11:18 am
As Ande at Barrington Motor Works finishes up mounting my 1955 S500 to my 1963 R60/2, I'll share some observations about new Steib products. As I mentioned in a previous post the fender and the tub itself needed so much work that it made more economic sense to replace them. I ordered the fender from S. Meyer in Germany and the tub from Blue Moon Cycle in Norcross, GA. Both came primed, but that, as I found out, did not mean paint ready. Both were in the same condition from different suppliers so I can only conclude that that is the way Steib makes them. They were sprayed with rattle can primer already rusting and in need of body work to repair blemishes and fit. Now that they're finished they look great and we know what's under the paint.
My advice to anyone buying a new Steib sidecar is not to buy it with finished paint; buy it primed only. If you buy a fully painted car, you will never know what's under the paint until it starts to fail. If it comes in ready to shoot it won't cost you much more than ordering it painted and you'll know what you have. If you need to start over as we did with the fender and tub, now is the time to do it.
In addition, I think you are better off powder coating the frame, anyway.
Do it this way and you have a much better shot at a satisfying conclusion to your project,
Bill Husted
Barre, MA
My advice to anyone buying a new Steib sidecar is not to buy it with finished paint; buy it primed only. If you buy a fully painted car, you will never know what's under the paint until it starts to fail. If it comes in ready to shoot it won't cost you much more than ordering it painted and you'll know what you have. If you need to start over as we did with the fender and tub, now is the time to do it.
In addition, I think you are better off powder coating the frame, anyway.
Do it this way and you have a much better shot at a satisfying conclusion to your project,
Bill Husted
Barre, MA