.Make copy before using

This is not my first Kit Car; however, it is a huge step in complexity compared to the VW powered Dune Buggy I built in the 1970s. After a seven-year legal battle to free me from a sinking partnership, I decided to find a project. If you are searching for a car kit, the name Factory Five Racing pops-up. Builders highly recommend Factory Five.

 

I was interested in the Factory Five Hot Rod Truck kit. However, since I like to drive from the outside, my interest turned away from Pick-up's closed body. The open cockpit Cobra (Factory Fives' most popular kit) caught my eye.

 

Question one is will an arthritic 6' 250 lb man fit into the driver's seat of a little race car?

 

Step one is to visit the Factory in Wareham, Mass. The Car had a good feel, and with the thinner seat option, my eyes looked out the center of the windshield. Dave Smith, the owner of Factory Five, introduced himself to Barbara and me. We were then passed off to Mad Dog for a factory tour.

 

Touring the factory sitting in the Cars, I was ready to make a purchase.

Would we buy a car from a man named Mad Dog?

 

NO!

 

Or at least not that day. I still needed those legal bills to stop piling up, and that day I didn't know the divorce my partners would last two more years.

 

My Cliff notes version of the history of the Cobra.

Carroll Shelby built almost 1000 Cobras during just a few years of production. There were many revisions. The first cars were nothing more than jamming a V8 engine into a skinny tired flat-sided British sports car. Since the AC car bodies were hand-formed, changes in body design came with almost every order. By the time production ended, the body had become wider better and more bulbous. Underneath larger tires were fitted and suspension was improved.

  

In racing innovation wins and the outdated Cobra platform had reached its limits. One reason is the open cockpit design had the aerodynamics of a brick. Shelby added a roof and updated the Cobra's aerodynamics and suspension; however, only 6 Daytona's were produced before Shelby and Ford put all the racing resources into the (Ford vs. Ferrari) GT 40.

 

I use the word Cobra, knowing that Carroll Shelby and Shelby International own the rights to the name they borrowed from Crosley.  Crosley used Co Bra to designate the COpper BRAss construction of an overhead valve engine used in the Crosley Mini Car.  While Crosley cars didn't sell well, the CO BRA engine was popular in racing. Racing is where Caroll Shelby and Crosley crossed paths.

 

I turned a Crosley Station Wagon into a go-cart by cutting off the roof and doors in my pre-driving years.

 

http://crosleyautoclub.com/Mighty_Tin.html

 

289 vs. 427

Factory Five and the other kit car companies primarily manufacture copies of the late production 427's. While the 427's was more potent and looked menacing, historically it was out of date and a race looser.

 

In 2014 Factory Five introduced a tribute to the original 289 Corvette Killer of 1964. It appears a little thinner with smaller fenders then is found on the 427 kits. The Factory Five 289 kit is a copy of chassis number CSX 2260. Car 14 was the most successful racer of the time. This included winning the world championship in 1965. With my passion for history, my choice was the 289.

 

Basic Kit vs. Full Kit

When Factory Five designed the Cobra Kit in 1990, they relied on readily available parts of the time. The Car was designed to use a donor Fox bodied Mustang that was still in production. At the time, donor cars were cheap, and junkyards, and used car lots were full of low mileage components. The Basic Kit used a suspension drive train and the electrical system to populate the Factory Five chassis kit. Jump ahead 30 years, and the few remaining Fox Bodies are high priced collectibles. Today the junkyards are limited to high mileage rusted out hulks with worn out parts. Ordering the full kit was a no brainer.

 

What do I envision?

I want my Car to look 1964 period correct. I also want to build a drivable car. The Car will not be blue or white with dual racing stripes. The Racing Strips were from the late production 427's

 

Engine and drive train

Just because a 600+ horsepower Coyote will fit in the car, it doesn't mean you should. I plan to use the 302 out of my 1987 Mustang. The 302 is an updated version of the Ford Windsor 289's of the mid-1960s. I want to limit the horsepower to 300, so the car is drivable and safe. The engine won't be over chromed. I will replace the Mustang fuel injection with an aftermarket fuel injection kit that resembles the mid-1960's carburetor. I rebuilt the Borg/Tremec T-5 5 speed transmission out of my Mustang donor. The wheels will be copies of the vintage Hillenbrand racing wheels. The differential was upgraded to a 3.55 posi for comfortable highway speeds.

 

Bodywork and paint.

Most builders under budget the costs of body and paint. Some builders will end up spending 15,000 to $25,000.00 for paint and body. Many times those owners then fear driving their cars because of over the top bodywork. With my body and paint skills, the body and paint budget is just the materials' cost.

Color? I have some ideas and suggestions. The color will be a process of elimination. So far, I have eliminated Blue and the double-wide racing stripes found on most kits. Why? Because my projects don't look like everyone else's.

2021 color update.

Barbara likes the purple I used on a mower I painted  Check out page 8

How much does it all cost?

A quick visit to Factory Five and you will learn the complete kit is $20,000.00. Add a drive train and paint and bodywork, and the sky's the limit. I am reducing costs by rebuilding the drive train myself. I will do my own paint and body supplies rather than trip to a high-end body shop.

Factory Five Community

In 25 years of operation, Factory Five has sold almost 15,000 kits. My kit is number 14189. Thanks to the internet, a community and some cottage industries revolve around Factory Five. The Factory Five website includes tutorials, an online owners group, and a Facebook page. Factory Five has approved aftermarket suppliers to provide parts and services not offered by the factory.

 

Nope!

Not my car.

 

Step one, was a trip to Factory Five to see if I fit in the car

 Website managed by Sawfish Racing a division of Yoyodyne Propulsion

2212 Sullivan Trail   Forks Township Pa.   18040-7901

 Phone: 610-258-2963    Fax: 610-258-3973

rob@rentalbarn.com

I had every intention of opening my garage to friends and anyone who were interested in building a car.

 

The Virus restrictions put an end to that.

 

I also wanted to post progress in social media.

 

Facebook has gotten really weird and I didn’t like the way the Blog was working.

 

I have put together this website that I have used in the past. I am publishing it web program from 2003.

 

Yes I know it is crude however improvements are coming.

Frequently Asked Question

 

 

How long does it take to build a car? Average hours about 250 hours. The average time is two years.

 

How long will it take you to build the car? I expect to have a running car by spring. Tittle work and inspection will then start. I plan on driving the car during the early stages of bodywork.

 

 

What color will it be? Undecided at this point. It will not be Blue with the twin racing stripes. The lateral racing strips were not used on the 289's. A period of color would be yellow. Barbara likes Plumb Crazy, one of the 1970 Chrysler vivids.

 

How much will the build cost? Under 30,000

 

What is the significance of the number 36?

 

What is the significance of Sawfish Racing? I already owned the webpage from my Gravity racing days. What's Gravity Racing? Check out the last page.