Looking to test drive before I build.

[jenglemn]

I am interested in possibly building a GTM, but would absolutely need to drive/ride in one first. Factory Five Headquarters says they do not offer a test drive with a tour. Is everyone else committing to this task without driving one first? They suggested I come on here and look for someone in Texas that owns one and could give me a ride. Can anyone help?

[David Hodgkins]

Where in Texas are you? I'm sure getting a ride in one is just a question of finding someone close to you.

You also might try posting in the appropriate regional forum. Try looking or posting here:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/forumdisplay.php?51-Texas-Discussions

Good luck! I'm sure you'll be able to find someone to give you a ride...

:)

[RMB]

There are several GTM's that I know of in Houston. I don't know any of the owners personally, but I've seen GTMs and talked to multiple owners at Niftee50ees, Westside Muscle, and Coffee and Cars.

http://niftee50ees.com/
http://www.westhoustonmuscle.com/
http://coffeeandcarshouston.com/

I bought my roadster without driving or riding in one.

Rob

[jenglemn]

I live in Austin.

[jenglemn]

I am very disappointed that they don't have one to preview and drive at the Factory. I would like to go there and do a proper tour and some due diligence.

[RMB]

I'm sure they would take you for a spin, but there are lots of liabilities in letting someone drive their cars. I doubt you'll find anyone that is willing to let you drive their car, but most guys would be more than happy to take you for a ride. There might even be one at the Texas Cobra meet in San Marcos next month.

[kabacj]

Well as one of the guys that built it without driving it or even getting a ride. It's an impressive car. It's not a production car if you want one of those the dealership is where to get it.

These cars are about the build as much as the drive.

I am sure if you find a local builder you will get a ride and if you are lucky a drive.

The GTM is your personal interpretation of a super car.

It's impossible to test drive that until you build it.

John

[jenglemn]

That reasoning is all pretty silly.

[mrmustang]

That reasoning is all pretty silly.


The liability in letting a stranger drive a car they do not own is not silly.
the owner of a specific car does not know you.
Does not know your driving skills
Does not know your abilities to handle a car in any situation.
The owner has everything to lose by allowing you to drive their car, especially since the insurance restrictions do not cover you as the driver, and your regular car insurance does not cover the owner of the vehicle you want to "take for a test spin".

The factory shows you the cars as they can be built. As a kit car, there is no demo "arrive and drive" like a new car purchase.

For you to expect otherwise is unrealistic.

Finally, for those of us who have been around these cars for a long time, we have seen test drives turn in to funerals, as potential buyers have gotten in over their heads when they said "it's ok, I know what I am doing". So the life being saved by not allowing you to drive the car, might just be your own.


I'll leave it at that.

Bill S.

[jenglemn]

If you are old enough, you probably had a neighbor that owned a Bricklin, an Avanti, an Excalibur, or even a Zimmer. I remember the owners of them in our neighborhood. The cars looked cool, but when you got really close, inspected them, and drove them they were actually junk. They too were built from all different parts from the majors. Now I am not saying that this car is like a Bricklin. I actually don't know until I use my lifetime of experience to determine that. I would need to first drive and ride in one. One thing I am sure of. I do not want to be the kook in the modern version of the Avanti. Reading some of the responses to a simple responsible request gives me the impression that I may be dealing with the children of Avanti/Bricklin owners. The only reason that I am on here is because the Factory told me they do not have one to test drive In MA. and suggested I come here. They should have one there to drive or at least ride in. That is not unreasonable.

[mrmustang]

If you are old enough, you probably had a neighbor that owned a Bricklin, an Avanti, an Excalibur, or even a Zimmer. I remember the owners of them in our neighborhood. The cars looked cool, but when you got really close, inspected them, and drove them they were actually junk. They too were built from all different parts from the majors. Now I am not saying that this car is like a Bricklin. I actually don't know until I use my lifetime of experience to determine that. I would need to first drive and ride in one. One thing I am sure of. I do not want to be the kook in the modern version of the Avanti. Reading some of the responses to a simple responsible request gives me the impression that I may be dealing with the children of Avanti/Bricklin owners. The only reason that I am on here is because the Factory told me they do not have one to test drive In MA. and suggested I come here. They should have one there to drive or at least ride in. That is not unreasonable.

If you are old enough to remember those cars you have posted, then you are also old enough to understand the liability that goes with someone allowing you to drive their car.



Of course, since you are only here to attempt to drive one of these cars, I am sure I can arrange that, however, there will be a 4 page disclaimer associated with the drive that you will have to sign and have notarized. You will also need to deposit 150K in a bank account of my choosing should you wreck the car in question. Refundable at the end of your test drive provided the car is brought back in 100% the same condition as when you left. A sealed Go Pro camera will be installed in the car to provide evidence of improper driving, or over revving of the engine, grinding of the gear box, etc. Finally, you will need an insurance rider listing the car and yourself with a minimum coverage of 5,000,000 for liability and collision.

To think that anyone would be stupid enough to just hand you the keys to their pride and joy without the above is downright "silly".

Now, having someone take you for a drive in their car is a whole other story, I'm sure there would be several here proud enough to take you for a spin, but not one crazy enough to hand over the keys and allow you to drive it.



Bill S.

PS: I've personally owned 18 FFR products since 1996, I doubt they would just hand me the keys to anything they have at their shop in Wareham and say "have fun".

[jenglemn]

I never expected for anyone to let me drive their car! I was shifted over here by the Headquarters. They should have a demo available for prospects. I think it is stupid to transfer me to a forum. It is not your job to sell the cars. I am not the kind of guy to fork over 60k for a kit car without some due diligence. I am truly sorry if I upset anyone on Saturday morning. Clearly this is not in my risk profile. I will stick with Porsche.

[jenglemn]

And the car is not Speed Racers GRX. It is just a car. There are plenty of options to have a test drive program at the factory within safety and insurance guidelines.

[kabacj]

I never expected for anyone to let me drive their car! I was shifted over here by the Headquarters. They should have a demo available for prospects. I think it is stupid to transfer me to a forum. It is not your job to sell the cars. I am not the kind of guy to fork over 60k for a kit car without some due diligence. I am truly sorry if I upset anyone on Saturday morning. Clearly this is not in my risk profile. I will stick with Porsche.

Thanks for shopping :)

The reason factory five sent you here is because they have proud owners all over the country who are always happy to help.

We are all very proud of what we have built. The guys here on the forum will help you choose, build and tune your car.

Factory five don't have salesman in the showroom. They are not selling finished cars.

Yep it's not like what you are used to, but it's actually pretty smart.

We will be here if you change your mind.

John

[jenglemn]

Thanks John,

I know it's a street legal race platform, and I want to believe it is awesome! I have requirements to verify. I could figure that out really quick with a ride!

[skullandbones]

Since the GTM is a mid engine vehicle you could consider an "exotic car experience" which are set up in various places in the US. I did one in a Ferrari 360 Modena about a year ago that was helpful. It had 500 or 550 hp and capable of 8200 red line. Of course, you had to pay according to how much you pushed the car. If you stayed under 6500 rpms it was one price and another price for 8200. There was no clutch, just paddle shifters. I got the feed back I needed. The advantage for this route is the company has all the paperwork in place and the camera, rev limiters, and a driving instructor to accompany you. You just find the car that is closest to the car you want to compare and GO!

Good luck on your choice,

WEK.:cool:

[jenglemn]

25968 This is our current club car. I would like to think that my partners and I could handle a simple test drive of the GTM.

[Fugly_Old_Cowboy]

I do not know of any Austin based GTMs but I do know of several in the Houston area (just a couple of hours drive away down 290) I have been in touch with one & as soon as my schedule allows I WILL be making the drive... the owner/builder I have been in contact with not only offered to give me an up close & personal inspection of his GTM, he also offered to contact others in the area to help me arrange visits with them...I will leave it up to them as to deciding if they want to make a similar offer to you... I however did not ask for a test drive/ride... this forum has numerable threads with videos of test drives as well as "in car" track footage... being a self built vehicle, no 2 are the same so yes, there "could be" some that look & handle like some of the cars you mentioned but that would be due to the assembly not the manufacture of the product...

[Kalstar]

25968 This is our current club car. I would like to think that my partners and I could handle a simple test drive of the GTM.

Nice toy but a completely different animal. That's like owning a drag car and expecting samilar experience from a 911. The GTM is much like a Porsche GT (the widow maker). The GTM (depending on power levels) will make the best F1 driver need to change his pants. I have several fast street cars including several 10sec cars that can also take a corner. That said my GTM with it's fairly modest power level can be down right scary. It is the most potent in my current stable. With a 0-60 in sub 3 sec and 1+g in the twistiees it can be a killer in the wrong hands. I can tell you this, it is no "cheap" kit car but is only as good as how well you put it together.

I have owned, Porsche (911 x50), MB e55, cl600 and sl65, modified C4, C5 and C6 Vettes, BMW M3, M5 and Z4m. Pro-street Camaro as well as a Maserati Gransport and several bikes including liter bikes. Nothing with 4 wheels comes close to the brutal acceleration of this car. The CBR 1000 is about equal in pucker factor.

All this said, I live very near the factory and would be willing to take you for a ride (come spring). Understanding you may have come off wrong in your introductionary thread. These cars are blood, sweat and busted knuckles. Any connection with "so so" kit cars of the past will bring little but distention.

Jim

[jenglemn]

Now we are getting there! Thanks.

[jenglemn]

Well ok, I guess you could call our Lola 9 a toy and we can still be friends!!!

[FFinisher]

If you are old enough, you probably had a neighbor that owned a Bricklin, an Avanti, an Excalibur, or even a Zimmer. I remember the owners of them in our neighborhood. The cars looked cool, but when you got really close, inspected them, and drove them they were actually junk. They too were built from all different parts from the majors. Now I am not saying that this car is like a Bricklin. I actually don't know until I use my lifetime of experience to determine that. I would need to first drive and ride in one. One thing I am sure of. I do not want to be the kook in the modern version of the Avanti. Reading some of the responses to a simple responsible request gives me the impression that I may be dealing with the children of Avanti/Bricklin owners. The only reason that I am on here is because the Factory told me they do not have one to test drive In MA. and suggested I come here. They should have one there to drive or at least ride in. That is not unreasonable.

WOW- Way to win friends.

When you get yours done, be sure to post your number I would love to fly to texas and take it out for a rip. You will probabaly only have $100K or so in it, but you won't have any risk 'cause I am good driver.


Don't worry, My Friend has a Lola too.

[jenglemn]

Okay so here is a possible solution. If somebody wants to bring they're GTM to open track day at Texas Motor Speedway this spring, we will trade rides with you in our lola 9. You need to be currently sanctioned in a governing body. Also the car is setup for a man no larger 6'2 inches.

[jenglemn]

Okay so here is a possible solution. If somebody wants to bring they're GTM to open track day at Texas Motor Speedway this spring, we will trade rides with you in our lola 9. You need to be currently sanctioned in a governing body. Also the car is setup for a man no larger 6'2 inches.

[mrmustang]

Okay so here is a possible solution. If somebody wants to bring they're GTM to open track day at Texas Motor Speedway this spring, we will trade rides with you in our lola 9. You need to be currently sanctioned in a governing body. Also the car is setup for a man no larger 6'2 inches.

See post #11, I've highlighted the offer in red seeing that you missed it the first time around.

First, I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm just trying to show that your request is not as simple as it appears. Both from an owners standpoint, and a liability standpoint. We in this community get requests like this every month, in a variety of settings and requests. We as the owner/builders have spent our blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention our hard earned money) to build what is essentially our dream.

With that said, your "request" as you call it requires an unreasonable risk on the part of the owner. Such a risk requires a reasonable coverage for both the owner, and potential lawsuits from your estate should you get in over your head and damage the car, and/or yourself.

Certainly you can understand and respect that.



Bill S.

[Jeff Kleiner]

We've been down this road before:

http://www.ffcars.com/forums/42-factory-five-gtm-forum/86972-unfortunately-won-t-gtm-3.html

There's some good comedy there, kinda' like what is developing here :rolleyes:

http://i.imgur.com/NnoGhN1.gif

Oh BTW, there is also a reply by Dave Smith explaining FFR's policy and position that might interest the OP.

Jeff

[jenglemn]

Good lord! The point of creating a Product, and being in business is to sell as many as you can. You have to cater to your prospects, even if they do not exactly fit into your marketing profile. Is my request that far out of the value proposition?

[skullandbones]

Yes! It's a different world. Customer is defined differently in this environment and the customer understands it is different.

WEK.

[mikespms]

Factory Five is selling you a platform to build a sports/race car. The GTM was design use Corvette parts and a Porsche transaxle and there is a wide range of performance and handling capabilities,no two cars will performs the same. It all boils down to your building skills and know how and like any race car that is not properly set up it can be unsafe. If you are looking for predictable handling and performance you need to buy a production super car.

There are completed GTM's on the road and track some of them very capable track cars, you would be much better of getting one of those guys to take you up on your track offer.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Just curious, when you and your "partners" first found the Lola did you simply show up and say in effect "I might like to buy it but I want to drive it first"? Did the owner strap you in and send you out without you first showing financial responsibility and an assumption of liability? Maybe so because you know, "It's not Speed Racers GRX. It is just a car."

Jeff

[Kalstar]

Well ok, I guess you could call our Lola 9 a toy and we can still be friends!!!

Unless you can drive it to the market, put groceries in the trunk and drive to home...then it is a toy. My buddy has an $800,000 helicopter (I call that a toy too). The one that dies with the most toys wins......now go buy and add a GTM to your collection.

BTW, I had 3 rides in different GTM before I bought, all very different, LS1 powered one, then a LS6 with cam and finally an LS7. For my liking the LS6 seemed the most "fun" but the LS1 was predictable and very quick. The LS7 was a TQ monster and would light up the 335/40/18 at will at any speed under 90.

If it helps for comparison, I have a modded C6, it is a H/C LS3 putting down 491 at the wheel or roughly 570 at the crank. A buddy of mine and I were coming back from a charity event so we decided to give them a go (I know dumb). The GTM walked it by a fairly large margin. He is an equal driver, maybe even slightly better as he has far more track experience. That said, the Vette and the Merc have much better manners, so on a date night, the GTM would stay behind. If I wanted to feel young again and felt like flexing my motoring muscle, The GTM would be the clear choice. For what it is, the GTM has no replacement....including your Lola 9.

[crash]

Hi.

I'm one of the frequent drivers of the FFR PDG GTM race car. I'm sure Richard(the owner) would be willing to let you drive the race car...I believe the going rate is $5,000 a day plus your expenses like travel and lodging. The car has 4 cameras on it and two data systems. It is not quite a stock FFR GTM and you will have to also pay for any damages incurred, but you would be driving in a safe environment on a race track in a modestly powered GTM. In the last two years the car has been driven by professional drivers Elliot Forbes Robinson and Davy Jones. Davy is just about one of the best race car drivers to have ever come from the United States. He has won the Daytona 24, 24 Hours of Le Mans overall, and come in second at the Indy 500. Matter of fact he is the last American to win Le Mans. In any case, both those guys volunteered to race the car FOR FREE after a test drive. They both have done so and both commented on just how much fun the car was to drive. We didn't have the 25 hour race results we wanted this year, but Davy has requested another shot at running the car in races, so obviously he was not discouraged by the lack of a win. The car also won both the year end NASA sprint series in Super Unlimited and the Western Endurance Racing Championship last year. I drove in every WERC event there was last year in the FFR PDG GTM. Our races are between 2 hours and 25 hours. It is a fun car. Richard can be contacted here 209-518-4778.

[fact5racer]

If I still have mine this summer (Which I hope to still own), I will be happy to take you for a ride in my supercharged GTM-X. I too had a "toy" like yours: 1998 EX MCI Worldcom, Max Papis driven, Reynard Champ car.26108