Hot Rod Forum banner

Kit Cars......factory five

20K views 33 replies 15 participants last post by  1971BB427 
#1 ·
Hey guys. I have a FORD engine I got stuck with because a customer cancelled. I am working on selling it, but in the event it doesnt sell, I was wondering if you guys had any experience with a Factory Five build.

I'm looking at the Corbra or the Five Window Coupe. Any quality issues? As far as I can tell, the reviews have been good. I have never done this, and I don't have the space, or money, to do a full restoration. These seem like an easy way out for a quality build.

Any thoughts? Anything out there that's a better deal? I'm new to this knid of build and would appreciate any input I can get.

Thanks
 
#3 ·
Yeah, if I can find that, would be PERFECT!

Funny, lots of people buy the engine first. I'd like to find one with no engine/trans. I have a 2 car garage. I have SOME room, but this is jersey, I'm on a 75x100. I don't have room for big garages like down south jersey
 
#4 ·
The Factory Five '33 ford is an awesome kit and deal. Your engine, trans, wheels and tires, and paint. Everything else is in the kit - all the chassis, suspension, wiring, steering, instruments, upholstery, hinges, latches, driveshaft, rear end, brakes, everything - for $20,000! They configure all the motor and trans mounts, you just tell them what you want to put in there. When it's done, it handles like a slot car. If I wasn't out of money and garage space, I'd be building one. You can do a coupe, roadster with soft or hard top, highboy, full-fendered, or with motorcycle fenders. They even have a school you can attend one how to build one!
 
#5 · (Edited)
Hey guys. I have a FORD engine I got stuck with because a customer cancelled. I am working on selling it, but in the event it doesnt sell, I was wondering if you guys had any experience with a Factory Five build.

I'm looking at the Corbra or the Five Window Coupe. Any quality issues? As far as I can tell, the reviews have been good. I have never done this, and I don't have the space, or money, to do a full restoration. These seem like an easy way out for a quality build.

Any thoughts? Anything out there that's a better deal? I'm new to this knid of build and would appreciate any input I can get.

Thanks
ffr is 30 miles from me, they are awesome guys, and the product is great, and they help you with anything..
I'm looking at the daytona, or the cobra or the 33..
very well built, frame is very stout..

if your close, I'd drive up and pick up your kit. so you can see the factory.. you'll save nothing as the shipping fee, you'll eat in fuel.. but, it's a great factory to tour (and it's 20 miles from cape cod, hint hint, vacation )

you can buy the kit in two installments if you like, the frame/etc as part#1 and body/interior #2 and the cost is the same under 20k for everything,, or if you can find a donar mustang, they are about 14k.. and they run upgrade sales all the time.. adding in 2500-3000 in extras the two part deal is ideal for those without a two car garage and understanding neb 'hood.(H.O.A. {NAZI'S} ) or wife... lol
 
#7 ·
Do not fool yourself, you cannot build the car for anywhere near $20K. FF is probably the finest car you can build but you will spend probably twice or more what you initially payed for the kit before it is finally finished.

Vince
really no kidding.. :p

but all you need is an engine, trans and rear end
you can get all 3 for 500.oo
302efi/aod grand marks whole cars under 3-400 running, scrap the car and make 300 back, mustang rear complete under200

the kit comes with everything else
 
#9 ·
$20,000 just gets you the kit - you still need engine, trans, wheels, tires, paint (and the prep to paint it). If you opt for full fenders, that's more. If you decide to powdercoat the chassis, that's more too. An open rear end is included - posi costs more.

It does seem a shame to put a junkyard engine/trans in an otherwise fine automobile, but I guess you could do it. You will spend a couple grand on wheels and tires, and you could spend a bunch on paint and powdercoat, but it will still be a bargain for the ride! I would guess you could do a nice one for a little over $30,000.
 
#14 ·
Arrowhead, My bad - I knew they had an optional one, thought the open rear was included. The '33 kit is very different than the Cobra kits, in that they include a lot more. Any build can be up-graded to be pricey (I wouldn't want to remember what all I spent for stainless hardware, for example), but I think the basic FFR '33 kit is a bargain for what you get.

I'll have to read your posts about your '33 build!
 
#16 ·
Cobra

My son built a FF Cobra a few years ago. The thing was the fastest car I ever drove. Weight to power is fantastic. He found a 5.0 Mustang with low mileage for 1500.00 and used the parts in the build. If you do it right you will have some money in it no matter what. He added a supercharger and really woke up that motor. I see nothing wrong with using what they recommend to use. I don't think anyone would just throw a **** engine in a new build. Get on the FF forum and read what people who built them think. Super car as my opinion but that and a 1.00 won't get a coffe anymore. HAHA
 
#27 ·
Here is a rough breakdown:
FFR kit with options, brokerage and delivery = $38K
Coyote/TKO600/Clutch = $13K
Rear End with Torsen = $2.2K
Tires = $1.5K
Upgraded fuel tank ( FFR supplied is N.G.)/Speedhut gauges/Headers/battery/Power steering/
Upgraded Shocks and Springs/Upgraded mufflers = $5K
The rest is misc small items that really add up, every piece is new.

It is 20K over my original estimate, but In for a penny in for a pound. Note that most of this is performance and safety oriented, the car has very little bling.
 
#21 ·
The kit costs $20,000 and includes everything you need EXCEPT: engine, trans, rear end, wheels, tires, paint. If you choose to upgrade like lots of stainless, custom-made components, a premium-cost engine (like a Coyote), and a high-end paint job, you can add tens of thousands.
 
#22 ·
That TV program where they bring in two teams from rod shops to build a pair of either complete stock runners or kit cars etc in 48 hours just did a pair of factory five 33's a few weeks ago. Of course I'm not sayin its the same as us individual folks projects but I did find it interesting, they went together very well and both cars drove and handled great in the showdown testing. I think they allow 6 members on each team. The 48 hours includes everything from unboxing parts to ready for the road test, except the show provides a complete motor and trans for each team.
 
#23 ·
Factory Five also partners with a technical high school (in Michigan I think) where you team with other classmates and build either a '33 or a Cobra kit. Class is 2 or 3 days and costs around $500. I think it would be a lot of fun, but it would encourage me to buy one (that I can't afford right now)! ;)
 
#25 ·
wrecking yard engines

That's the way we used to do it. An olds or Caddy wrecking yard engine into a T bucket, A 331 chrysler into a model A. get it running with a mule engine ,everything wired up plumbed Then when you have some more money build an engine and sell to old one. I've got 3 engines ready, a few $ in them and up The projects stalled.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I'm going to jump in here and maybe help you out! I didn't build a FFR kit but I did build a Classic Roadsters Cobra kit from scratch.
What one of the guy's said about cost Ya! you could spend 40 grand and you could spend 120 grand, but it depends what you want to do and how long you want to take.
It took me 3 years to build my Cobra and well worth every minute!!! I searched for parts over the winter and assembled them in the spring...Well! When my garage was warm enough to work in. You can find great deals if you search for them.
About using a use or old motor or suspension!! Why not!! You can change it out later if you want. I finished mine in 2003 and it's still going strong! :)
Everything for my Cobra is Classic Roadster's Cobra kit from LA,North Dakota, Washington, South Carolina and Canada a true North American sports car.
Oh Ya! My flasher covers are from New Zealand Original Lucus lens's.

Now about the price!! I never totaled up the cost but I know I'm below 20 grand!!! It was evaluated at over 50 grand....so 30 grand maybe profit!
I started with just the frame...that was it. Built it up to a rolling chase and from there to a complete Cobra. I have pictures of the complete build as everyone should do.
I like what one of the guy's said in here. Look for a pre-started kit but make sure that you have the plains that go with it. Thank God for the manual and Don Scott and Ed Combs for any help that I needed.
Do your home work!!! If you find a Cobra kit there are some good site to consider like Welcome to Club Cobra...The world's largest non-biased Cobra site! - Club Cobra if there is a Cobra kit they are all here and these guy's are the pro's to them.
Sorry for the long reply but I hope this will help you out.
Later and be safe.
Cobra427sc.
P.S my next build is a Chevy 1956 Step Side Shot Box this should be fun. Oh and by the way my garage is 15 X 20. Not much room but I built the Cobra in it with room to move. Yes! The body stayed out side until it was needed, just cover it up....it's fiber glass! :)
 
#28 ·
Been helping a buddy build a FF Cobra for the past 3 yrs. I'm not sure what he has invested in it and since he's gotten married since the project started I doubt you'd get him to post an answer in a public forum, but I do know it's on the high side of $25k and counting, and the body work is still yet to do. My guess is he's going to be in the mid-30's after paint.

There's a lot more to it than the price of the kit. The doner car (for things like engine, trans, diff, heater, gas tank, brake Mcylinder), misc items like gauges, steering linkages, coolant tanks, belts, hoses, thousands of rivets, cleco's, drill bits, tubing flaring kit (some of the mating fittings have no off-the-shelf adapters), driveshaft (takes a pretty short one -and don't forget the safety loop), electrical wiring components, seat tracks, shoulder belts, fuel lines, battery....and you probably better budget for some sheet aluminum to remake a few of the parts that don't seem to fit just right from the "factory". I have heard they are doing a better job with the kits now than they did then so it might go a little smoother.

Then there's the basic stuff like a welder, drill press, good tap & die set, a super low jack...A good background in metal fab work and auto building/restoration would be helpful as well.

And on the subject of junk yard engines - you can go that route, save a few bucks up front. But what happens when that engine starts smoking, losing water, making funny noises or the tranny starts acting up...a few months or a few miles down the road. He went kinda wild and stuffed a (salvaged) blown 4.6 into his and we've already had to pull it back out twice and there's no way under the sun you get that motor out with the body still on. Not sure if you put in a 302, you may be able to squeeze that one in and out. But the last thing you want to do once the project is "done" is to have to pull it back apart to rebuild an engine or tranny. And have to explain that to your wife, if you have one.

Nothing wrong with getting a doner from the boneyard, but do yourself a big favor and rebuild or have someone who knows what they are doing rebuild the engine, tranny & diff before you bolt them into the car. It could be your cheapest way out and save a lot of headaches down the road.

But it's fun!
 
#29 ·
Hard to consider the cost of tools in the cost of the kit car. Kind of like adding $3000 to the tune-up of the family sedan because you bought a lift. There is also a difference between the Cobra and the '33 kits. The '33 kits include the wiring harness, gauges, master cylinder, brakes, pedals, door handles, upholstery, lights, steering column, and more. As with anything, you can make any rod project cost a fortune with options and upgrades.
 
#30 ·
Agreed. The cost of the durable tools were not included in my mid-30's estimate. I met the guy at the autofair in Charlotte at the FF booth. We started talking about the cars and I wound up volunteering to help with it. At that point he had the engine sitting in the chassis, but not permanently mounted and a half dozen pieces of sheet metal installed. He ran down a list of what he had in it when I started helping out. At that point he said he had over $20k in it. Then he bought a bunch more stuff: clutch & brake systems, gages, more sheet metal, tanks, reservoirs, driveshaft, heim joints, steering components...a long list. The wheels & tires showed up a few months later (I think they were an upgrade on the kit that were back ordered but included in the previous figure). If you included all the tools he bought he'd be well over 30 now I'm sure.

The body hasn't been touched yet. I'm a 'vette man (owned 4 C3's in the past 35 yrs) and have had my share of fiberglass adventures, but this body is going to take a good bit of work to make it slick. I've seen better seam treatments on the back side of a fiberglass shower stall. If he were taking it to one of the local 'vette-friendly paint shops, I know he'd have 10g in the body & paint. He thinks he's worked out a deal where he can get it painted for around 5, but that's still going to put him into the 30's. I'm trying to not be critical, just reporting what I've seen. We'll see.

But my take is, if you're going to put the time and effort into building an unique car like these, you need to go into it with the expectation of spending a lot more money on it than you might think. Whether you count the tools in as part of the cost of the car or not, you've still got to spend that money to get the project done or pay someone else who has the tools to fill in the gaps.

I suppose you could approach it like the TV restoration shows - buy a body kit, throw it on an 80k mile drive train, get used parts from the boneyard to fill in the gaps, get a Mako paint job and wind up with a $20k ride that looks good from 10' at 10 mph. Ride it until it starts to nickel & dime you to death then sell it for half what you spent on it.

Don't get me wrong. Building a kit is a lot of fun, and the FF's are getting better every year. Just don't go into the project with unrealistic expectations. If 20k is all you have to put into something, put ii into a late model used Mustang or Camero and start having fun. And find somebody who's building one and offer to help...
 
#31 ·
You missed my point about the differences between the '33 kit and the Cobra. The Cobra kits didn't come with a wiring harness, gauges, upholstery, and lots of the stuff that are included in the '33 kit. The '33 kit is $20k all by itself, obviously no one can build the entire car for $20k. Even with the '33 kit, you still need an engine, trans, rear end, driveshaft, wheels/tires, and paint.
 
#32 ·
Yes, I did miss that. Was just thinking about the Cobra and an earlier post I saw where someone said they built one for $20k.

I like the '33 kit, & wouldn't mind having one myself. Got 2 C3 vettes so no need for a Cobra...but really wouldn't mind a street rod. At $20k for the kit, that means somewhere between $30 & $40k to complete.....maybe when the economy recovers....
 
#33 ·
I think the real advantage of these kits is for those who can't find the type of car they want, be it Cobra or '33 Ford, and also want everything engineered by professionals. There's some sound logic to either reason, and I understand the reasoning.
I love the build part of a hotrod, and also the hunt. Finding not only the body to start with, but all the various pieces involved in putting a hotrod together is all part of the fun! I probably would never buy a kit, as it takes so much of the part I love out of my hands. But I would consider a body and frame purchase if I wanted a '33 Ford, and then find everything else to build up my own version. Might not be better, or cheaper, but I know it would be more fun!
 
#34 ·
And I better not even think about tools into the mix on my car builds! :) I've been known to go to the local tool store and browse-window shop, just because I was bored. I really love tools, and have to really stop myself from buying some of them that I'll rarely use!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top