Texas Mark V Build - 20 years in the making!

[rc21]

Hey Everyone!

I have been following Factory Five for 20 years, waiting for the right time. That time came when the Mark V was released (I am 6'5"). My wife encouraged me to pull the trigger so I did. Couldn't be more excited and could not have been happier with the order process. Everyone at FFR was awesome.

I ordered a complete Kit Roadster with the following options:

Complete Mark V Kit
Powder coated Chassis
Body Cut outs
Power Steering
IRS
FFR GPS gauges
18" Staggered Halibrand Replica Wheels
Polished over riders
Wipers
Battery Cut off switch
Heater
Carbon hood scoop
Matte Black Roll Bar
Side Louvers
Trunk Gas Strut Kit

My powertrain is a Blueprint Ford 427 c.i. Fuel Injected HO Stage 1 with TKX 5 Speed manual transmission. I ordered it February 21st, 2025 and the completion date should be today March April 22, 2025.

My kit got delivered on March 31 and I have been pretty busy since. I will post pics on more posts to come.

I don't know anyone near me currently in the middle of a build or is part of the FFR family so feel free to reach out! I will try to keep my build progress as up to date as possible.

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[gbranham]

Congrats! You ordered the rare front IRS...cool! Just teasing you! I'll be interested to watch your MkV build thread.

Greg

[rc21]

LOL, oops...Front IRS is definitely a rare find :)

[Mike.Bray]

Welcome from a fellow Texan. Sounds like a great project, looking forward to following along.

[Highplainsdakota]

Welcome and good luck with your build!

[Jeff Kleiner]

Welcome and good luck!

I'm one of the Mk5 Beta builders so if you have any questions feel free to hit me up :)

Jeff

[danmas]

Welcome! I had the pleasure of seeing a mkv kit yesterday up in Loveland. It was right next to a Ken Pike mkIV. They are both wonderful kits but what really struck me was the increased space in th V. I’m 6’4 and I’ve had to modify some things to fit. This new mark V already has more driver side space. The drop trunk mod is no longer a mod, it’s built right in and that rocks. The floor is level with the square tubes so I’m interested to see how folks run their lines (fuel and brake).

The driver side foot box doesn’t have an access panel for the master cylinders so I imagine people will rig it the top but I don’t see how you get that off if the body is on. I’m sure Jeff K will have ideas or thoughts.

What also struck me was how much space the engine compartment looks to have. I didn’t measure but it certainly looked bigger. The nose on the body is about an inch wider (the opening). I didn’t measure the body but it feels wider as well. The seam work is way better on the mark v body which means I think it will be much easier to finish, but I really don’t know. Guess Jeff could speak to that as well.

In any respect congratulations on your order and at your height I think you made a great choice with the mark v. I’m looking forward to following along.

Dan

[Jeff Kleiner]

Welcome! I had the pleasure of seeing a mkv kit yesterday up in Loveland. It was right next to a Ken Pike mkIV. They are both wonderful kits but what really struck me was the increased space in th V. I’m 6’4 and I’ve had to modify some things to fit. This new mark V already has more driver side space. The drop trunk mod is no longer a mod, it’s built right in and that rocks. The floor is level with the square tubes so I’m interested to see how folks run their lines (fuel and brake).

The driver side foot box doesn’t have an access panel for the master cylinders so I imagine people will rig it the top but I don’t see how you get that off if the body is on. I’m sure Jeff K will have ideas or thoughts.

What also struck me was how much space the engine compartment looks to have. I didn’t measure but it certainly looked bigger. The nose on the body is about an inch wider (the opening). I didn’t measure the body but it feels wider as well. The seam work is way better on the mark v body which means I think it will be much easier to finish, but I really don’t know. Guess Jeff could speak to that as well.

In any respect congratulations on your order and at your height I think you made a great choice with the mark v. I’m looking forward to following along.

Dan

Yes, tons more cockpit room. Lines will run through the tunnel, same as the Coupe. The entire footbox top can come off whether the body is on or not. Don't know what you're speaking of when you say "The nose on the body is about an inch wider"?

Big, big changes to the body! Dave flew me out to Wareham last year while the prototype was being built. They had made new molds for the body and when I saw it I told them that they hadn't fixed the problems! That new mold got scrapped which is why at the Mk5 introduction he said "Kleiner cost me a lot of money!" But the good news is that when they made the new molds they did everything that I asked for...and more! The chronic problem of the door fit (which was discussed in another post a couple of days ago) is a thing of the past. The doors and body were both reworked to correct their interface and their contours now match for the first time ever. The parting lines on my Beta car body are tight, have zero voids and the panel intersections are dead on. This was a topic of discussion when we met and FFR has pledged to maintain a higher quality standard in part by cutting the number of cycles (i.e.; the number of bodies produced) from a set of molds before they are taken out of service. I have logged the number of hours required to make the Mk5 body "primer ready" vs the number for an average Mk4 and the Mk5 cuts that down by 60%. I'm putting together a post detailing the Mk5 body prep and will publish it in the next week or so after I put color on but until then here's a quick preview.

The doors and body now match each other. This is hung and adjusted, right out of the box:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=212925&d=1745354199

Parting lines are tight, clean and aligned, even on the 3 way intersections:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=212579&d=1744552472

Bodywork done, ready to tear down and prime. Least amount of filler and lowest number of hours ever!

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=212924&d=1745354199

Cheers,
Jeff

[danmas]

@Jeff,

That’s pretty cool that the entire top of the driver side foot box can come off. As you know, on the Mark V it is flat as opposed to arched on the IV. In terms of the nose, the opening to allow air into the radiator is 27” whereas on mine it is 26”. I think, it was a rough measure since we had them both side by side. I couldn’t agree more on the body finish details, at least to my uneducated eye. It just looks better and more …polished? Anyway, it’s going to be a thing of beauty I’m sure.

[Aleinsteingenius]

My Mark V kit is supposed to be ready on April 27th. Delivery should be in a couple of weeks after that. I am also 6'5. I have a Godzilla engine on order. I look forward to following all the Mark V builds and sharing anything I discover along the way.

[rc21]

Thanks for the info Jeff! I am looking for someone in San Antonio of Austin to do the paint and body work. Let me know if you know anyone.

[rc21]

A fellow tall Mark V owner. I look forward to your progress! The waiting and anticipation nearly killed me but was fun. The project has been a blast so far!

[rc21]

Well, it does not matter how many youtube videos you watch, or forum posts you read, or think you are reading every word int the manual......if you get to excited and move too fast, you will 100% guaranteed install your spindles backwards and have to redo everything......:mad::rolleyes:

212973

[rc21]

Sorry for the delay, have been busy with travel but have gotten quite a bit complete. First set of panels went to the powder coater. Front and rear suspension complete.

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Differential and Gas tank in. Went the same route as The Roadster Experience (Check him out on Youtube if you haven't, very good!). I did tighten the gas tank valve and broke the plastic bushing. Yes, I read and watched videos saying don't tighten it too tight. Quarter turn too much :). Also went with Evil Energy Nylon Braided Fuel Line Hose and AN fittings.

213714

Finished drilling the rest of the panels and sending them off to powder coat. Got he wheels back from powder coat and purchased tires. I officially have a roller.

213715

Next up. Finalize fuel and break lines, Electronic E-Brake install. Mount all panels, Steering shaft. Blueprint 427 should arrive in a few weeks. Such a great experience so far. I am not a mechanic, but have always been handy. I'd hoped I would enjoy this process but didn't know I was going to love it this much.

[seagull81]

Welcome to the south Texas Cobra family. I sent you a message. I am over in Seguin.

[gbranham]

Looking good! What are you doing for a fuel pump hanger? That looks to be the kit-supplied unit, and may be insufficient for your 427. I bought the Pro-M hanger, as many do here on the forum, with the 6an feed and return ports. It's more than doubled in price since I bought mine 18 months ago. That Quantum hanger The Roadster Experience mentions in his video looks to have a smaller return port, maybe 1/4, where the feed is 3/8. The Pro-M is 3/8 for both. Just a thought. High Flow Fuel Pump Hanger for 1986 – 1997 Mustangs (https://www.promracing.com/high-flow-fuel-pump-hanger-for-1986-1997-mustangs.html)

Greg

[rc21]

Looking good! What are you doing for a fuel pump hanger? That looks to be the kit-supplied unit, and may be insufficient for your 427. I bought the Pro-M hanger, as many do here on the forum, with the 6an feed and return ports. It's more than doubled in price since I bought mine 18 months ago. That Quantum hanger The Roadster Experience mentions in his video looks to have a smaller return port, maybe 1/4, where the feed is 3/8. The Pro-M is 3/8 for both. Just a thought. High Flow Fuel Pump Hanger for 1986 – 1997 Mustangs (https://www.promracing.com/high-flow-fuel-pump-hanger-for-1986-1997-mustangs.html)

Greg

Good eye Greg, After I got it to this point, I realized I wanted to go with the same setup as "The Roadster Experience" and order the Quantum Hanger, Walbro Fuel Pump, Evil Energy Fuel lines. It was interesting though, when I got the hanger, it has 1/2 inch (AN8) for the fuel line and 3/8 (AN6) for the return. I am using an adapter to go from AN8 to AN6. Do you see that causing any issues?

[rc21]

Welcome to the south Texas Cobra family. I sent you a message. I am over in Seguin.

Thank you Steve!

[gbranham]

Good eye Greg, After I got it to this point, I realized I wanted to go with the same setup as "The Roadster Experience" and order the Quantum Hanger, Walbro Fuel Pump, Evil Energy Fuel lines. It was interesting though, when I got the hanger, it has 1/2 inch (AN8) for the fuel line and 3/8 (AN6) for the return. I am using an adapter to go from AN8 to AN6. Do you see that causing any issues?

I would think that would work, yes, but some others on the forum more schooled than me in fuel flow might chime in.

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

My eyes started glazing over when I was reading about fuel pumps, hangers, etc so I took the easy route and called Forte for a package drop-in deal.

https://fortesparts.com/product/holley-sniper-fuel-pump-for-83-97-mustang-12-345/

[cv2065]

No issues going from 8 to 6. Just check the QC on the Quantum units. I had two and both had issues. I ended up going back to the Pro M hanger.