Factory Five President Dave Smith on Two Guys Garage Podcast

[Mad Dog]

https://www.factoryfive.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ffr-tgg-podcast-oct21-folio.jpg

As president of Factory Five Racing, Dave Smith is the poster child for pride in ownership. The “Built, Not Bought®” kit car company has weathered its share of storms over the course of 27 years, with the last year-and-a-half being “both the most challenging and maybe a lot of fun, too, but not in the way I thought.” Consider this: There are 4500 parts in one kit, and with 10 kits sold in an average week, that’s 45,000 parts leaving the building in a single week. Add a global pandemic to the mix and, as Dave tells the guys, things get complicated real fast. Click here to listen to the podcast! (https://twoguysgarage.com/steak-and-sizzle/)

[narly1]

Truck!

[Presto51]

You really have to appreciate how Dave can keep a secret locked up from everyone :cool:

Ron

[Jeff Kleiner]

You really have to appreciate how Dave can keep a secret locked up from everyone :cool:

Ron

You can't be serious...he's one of the worst at keeping secrets (including this one) :p

Jeff

[Todd Baumann]

Didn't think it was farther ahead than the F9 in development though.

[J R Jones]

The day the music died.

[RoadRacer]

LOL you guys are really going to make me listen to it? :D spill the beans

[PointmanUSMC]

Awesome thanks for sharing the Podcast MadDog. A truck would be amazing. Anything with a back seat for the kiddos and grand kids is AOK in my book! I like his idea in the podcast a Factory Five to tow your factory five. ;) :cool: Thanks to Dave for sharing the info to us ! This may be too late because development may be started but I would even go for something like a 33 Ford Four door style hot rod or your current truck line up with a larger cab. I'm taller so a larger hotrod cab would be great. My family would appreciate that as well. #1 factor in my book for the truck would have to be stout enough to tow at least 7500+lbs. Brakes of course strong enough to stop that. :p Who wouldn't want to take your Factory Five truck camping with a small travel trailer,

[Al_C]

Photos or drawings??? Would love to see the prototype!

[Chadillac]

This is pretty close to what I'm imagining.

154832

[GoDadGo]

I listened to the Pod-Cast and am just not feeling that this next project will be successful; however, I've been wrong before.

Hopefully, this next project will yield great rewards for Dave & His Band of Boulevard Bandits.

I was hoping for a 33 Hot Rod Nomad Woodie Wagon instead.

Hummmm, VMAN7 Where Are You?

[Cobradavid]

Will the FFR truck be significantly different from the smyth performance kits so the brothers are not eating into each other's businesses?

[David Hodgkins]

Will the FFR truck be significantly different from the smyth performance kits so the brothers are not eating into each other's businesses?

There's no crossover. Mark does his "cut up a car and make it a ute" thing and this is a whole new chassis for a truck cab.

:)

[Chadillac]

I think Toyotas would be a fantastic donor for this type of concept. You got a whole pile of Tacomas and Tundras with rusted out frames, but with bulletproof drivelines. A Tacoma with 2 feet of suspension travel, Tundra 5.7 V8, and 4.30 gears would be a lot of fun!

[J R Jones]

I think Toyotas would be a fantastic donor for this type of concept. You got a whole pile of Tacomas and Tundras with rusted out frames, but with bulletproof drivelines. A Tacoma with 2 feet of suspension travel, Tundra 5.7 V8, and 4.30 gears would be a lot of fun!

Chad, That is an astute observation and recommendation. Two issues:
* The relationship with Ford.
* My perception is FFR is trading on the massive truck enthusiast, the "rolling coal" thing. Your suggested Series I Tundra 2000-2006 (I have owned two) are regarded as 3/4 size of "real" trucks.
I would not be a customer, even with the Series I Tundra, they are perfect for me as they are.
jim

[PointmanUSMC]

If it was a Baja style offroad racing truck as Chadillac's shared photo I would be out. As much fun as that is, it's not a practical daily driver if you wanted to use it elsewhere. This may be his goal to expand into those racing scenes and area's out west. If it was a classic styled truck that could also be a bad off roader then it's a maybe. I think I would prefer them to take more inspiration off of a 40s era Dodge Power Wagon than a modern Ford Raptor or OffRoad race truck. Something that still has some style with the rolling body narrowed hood. Still able to have some fun offroad as well. They could make it their own with their own spin on body lines. Still keeping their relationship with Ford. Of course for me it has to have a back seat for the kids/grandkids and dog. Thats my #1

154982

[Chadillac]

Chad, That is an astute observation and recommendation. Two issues:
* The relationship with Ford.
* My perception is FFR is trading on the massive truck enthusiast, the "rolling coal" thing. Your suggested Series I Tundra 2000-2006 (I have owned two) are regarded as 3/4 size of "real" trucks.
I would not be a customer, even with the Series I Tundra, they are perfect for me as they are.
jim

They have the GTM - Chevrolet and 818 - Subaru. I don't think they're limited to only Ford Vehicles.

I live just 30 minutes from thousands of acres of sand dunes and trails that are open to ORVs. I've always preferred smaller vehicles for off-roading, but one benefit to using an F-150 (or other full-size truck) is the availability of a front bench seat where you can fit 6 people. There aren't many serious off-roaders that can fit 6 people. I've got 4 kids and have never been able to take my entire family off-roading before.

I'm anxious to see what Factory Five comes up with. I really want to build a 65 coupe or 289 after my MkIV is finished, but I may consider this as well.

[narkosys]

Chadillac: this is Carli testing out their suspension systems (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ba9uKwwOs). you can easily fit 6 in the one tonne and go all out in the sand dunes.

[PointmanUSMC]

They have the GTM - Chevrolet and 818 - Subaru. I don't think they're limited to only Ford Vehicles.

I agree they aren't just limited to Ford but they may have a strong relationship since a majority of their current line up of replicas were powered by Ford. Heck for all we know Ford could have sold Dave his current truck for a $1 to him for the business he drums up for Ford and Ford racing motors. Sort of like when Corvette sold the Astronauts vets back in the 60s just to be seen in them. I think their are hosts of other brands that have their good and bad points. Considering modern trucks I like the raptor but I'm more partial to the current GMC lineup like their AT4 series with a Duramax. Or as stated before Toyota has some decent power plants. Whatever they chose I just hope it's not a box on wheels like most modern trucks.

[Chadillac]

Chadillac: this is Carli testing out their suspension systems (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ba9uKwwOs). you can easily fit 6 in the one tonne and go all out in the sand dunes.

I had a friend come out to the sand dunes with us once and he brought his stock F-350 diesel. It was quite entertaining to watch. It looked like he was trying to push the sand dunes over instead of climbing up them. I'm really glad he didn't get stuck.

[J R Jones]

They have the GTM - Chevrolet and 818 - Subaru. I don't think they're limited to only Ford Vehicles.

I live just 30 minutes from thousands of acres of sand dunes and trails that are open to ORVs. I've always preferred smaller vehicles for off-roading, but one benefit to using an F-150 (or other full-size truck) is the availability of a front bench seat where you can fit 6 people. There aren't many serious off-roaders that can fit 6 people. I've got 4 kids and have never been able to take my entire family off-roading before.

I'm anxious to see what Factory Five comes up with. I really want to build a 65 coupe or 289 after my MkIV is finished, but I may consider this as well.

Chad,
When FFR displays at a show that Ford is at, like the EAA, FFR displays Ford powered vehicles only. It is a relationship.
Given the FFR legacy, I might have predicted vintage cabs, like the F1 Ford. Wrong again.
jim

[PointmanUSMC]

Chad,
Given the FFR legacy, I might have predicted vintage cabs, like the F1 Ford.

I'm with you there J R Jones. How nice it would be to bring back say a 1955 F100 style with a crew cab. I could see towing a factory five to and from the track with something like that maybe. Have it be as mean looking as the dodge power wagon pic I posted.

154996

[first time builder]

Sounds like an off road Baha type truck, not interested.

[J R Jones]

SEMA trucks. We should assume FFR upper management attended SEMA and this is what they saw on the truck / prerunner market (scroll photos on the bottom):

https://www.hagerty.com/media/events/gallery-our-favorite-trucks-and-4x4s-from-sema-2021/?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=MED_UN_NA_EML_UN_SaturdayRoadTrip_NoDy namic&hashed_email=e29ae41c30a8cc7bc5bc56d7629c05ef62ac2 b68b55398394c1d2202d76379a9

This vehicle trend is interesting. In a cumulative sense this may be spending similar to an F1 grid.
I am fascinated by train wrecks too, but do not participate.
After this much spending, the owners tent camp on the roof?
Maybe for when parking is restricted at the Super 8.
jim