About to take the plunge - Questions?

[whinz]

Hi All,

I have been trolling this forum for weeks now and watching every you tube build / video I can find on Factory Five Cars or Cobra Replicas. My son and I are looking to build a Cobra together before he goes to college in a few years. We want to start in the spring. I have owned several classic cars including mustangs, a Shelby GT500, Corvettes, a Bronco, etc. But, this is my dream car and I am leaning towards a FF5 vs. Unique motors or ERA. I like the Ford platform, the price is reasonable, and I love the sense of community experienced by the FF5 owners.

I will have many questions in the coming weeks before I decide to pull the trigger (power vs. manual steering, IRS vs 3 link suspension, etc.).

For now can anyone help answer the following:

1) Are the FF5 Build classes cancelled due to Covid? I was hoping to go because I still have some concerns about building the car form the ground up myself.
2) I am in Northern NJ. Is there anyone locally with a FF% car? I would love to see the finished product and or get some advice.
3) Are there any reasons why I should choose a FF5 kit over other options?

Thanks,

Walter

[edwardb]

Welcome! Couple of responses. I guarantee many of your questions have been asked before. You could speed up your research by searching the forum. The forum has a built-in search engine. But it's not great. Way better to use Google. Easy: From the Google prompt or directly in your browser type "site thefactoryfiveforum.com/ SEARCH TERM" without the quotes and entering what you want to search for. You'll get a list of threads where the search term appears and you can click away. Works great.

For the build school, yes they're all cancelled right now due to Covid and Michigan directives. Live in Michigan and the build school is about 45 minutes away from where I live. Their website should show available classes when they open back up again. To be honest, not expecting it to be soon. https://www.mcc.edu/factory5/index.shtml.

For your last question, this is a Factory Five forum. So you know what we've all decided. There are some ERA's in our club. Super nice but a very different kind of build and based on a little research I did, much more expensive. Unique I know basically nothing about. Bottom line on a Factory Five IMO is a blank canvas you can do what you want with. The bones are as good as anything out there and you'll have a hard time getting a better value. How good it turns out will depend on build choices you make and the quality you build into it. Properly built and set up, and absolute blast to drive. Also the largest number out there with a support system (like this forum) beyond what other brands have. Dave and the team at Factory Five are top notch.

[whinz]

Thanks Edward. Appreciate the response. Really excited to do this with my son. I was also looking forward to the build school for a boost of confidence and some pointers. Looks like you tube will be my best friend.

[GoDadGo]

Whinz,

Prior to ordering my Factory Five MK-4 kit, I went to Lone Star Classics in Texas and then Unique over in Alabama.
I looked at ERA's information but did not go to their facility nor did I make the trek to Factory Five.
The kicker for me was seeing this video on the old Speed Channel and I was hooked.

Speedmakers Part 1:
https://youtu.be/wVT6QHyBxDA
Speedmakers Part 2:
https://youtu.be/GvkJ95X7Fio

Add in the fact that only Factory Five offered race versions of the Iconic Cobra along with multiple rear suspension options landed me in their boat.
Throw in the fact that they supported multiple engine package, even though mine wasn't one of them, which really impressed me too.
Hotrod Magazine did a piece that pretty much threw this fish into the frying pan and served me up on a silver plater.

Hotrod Magazine Piece:
https://youtu.be/V96-AQ1FghI

Good Luck, Welcome Aboard & If I Can Do It Then So Can You!

Steve
The Redbone Roadster:
https://youtu.be/9WEe6-wdNtA

[Al_C]

Whinz,

You just heard from two of our best ambassadors! There is nothing left for you to do other than take the plunge! Best of luck on your upcoming project; we'll all be watching!

[Lidodrip]

Hello Walter,

I have the same aspiration to build a car with my boys (14 and 17) and our kit arrives the beginning of January - can't wait! This is my first replica build and I considered both the FFR and ERA Cobras (as well as a Beck Speedster, but my kids said that looked/sounded too much like a VW Bug). After researching these kits, my general impression was that one cannot go wrong with either Cobra. Both companies provide high quality kits and support their product well. Everyone has different build goals and I wanted a classic looking Cobra with a modern engine (Coyote), power steering, power brakes, etc. Considering my goals FFR offered the best value and means to that end. I also found Dave Smith and his FFR team very supportive and passionate about their cars and customers and the result is a pretty amazing culture. However, one of the most important selling points for me was the incredibly enthusiastic, dedicated and knowledgeable folks here on this forum. While I am sure I would have found build school rewarding and beneficial, I think with time, patience and support from this online community, building a high quality FFR Cobra is very much within my reach.

All the best,
James

[whinz]

Thanks Steve. Loved the videos. Very impressive.. I will probably go with a 408, 475 horsepower Windsor block with over 500 ft lbs of torque. It should move well.

[GoDadGo]

Thanks Steve. Loved the videos. Very impressive. I will probably go with a 408, 475 horsepower Windsor block with over 500 ft lbs of torque. It should move well.

Walter,

Make sure you checkout Edwardb's (Paul's) build threads.

Paul's work in my opinion is the best of the non-professional hobbyist builders and his cars have all been rolling works of art.
His documentation of his builds really supplements the heck out of the Factory-5 Build Manual so they really are a huge help for guys like us.
Also, when configuring your driveline think hard about the intended use of the car because the Horse Power to Weight Ratio gets out of hand pretty quickly.
I'm making slightly lower numbers as your proposed 408 and wheel spin is an issue in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and I suspect possible in 4th gear too but I haven't pushed that one yet.

>....460-hp Redbone Roadster = 5.0-lbs/1-hp
>....Challenger Hellcat Redeye = 5.6-lbs/1-hp
>....Porsche 911 AWD Turbo-S = 5.7-lbs/1-hp

Our cars have No Nanny Safety Features so the stubby wheelbase tends to cause them to get tail-happy when you least expect it.

Good Luck & Happy Wrench Swinging!

Steve