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Amateurs step aside.  Racing Junkies can step to the front of the line.  Here is the quintessential racing car developed from the simpler Factory Five Mk3 Roadster.  It is the transformer of the modern race car world.  They took the foundation of the already proven mk3 chassis and modified it to meet SCCA GT1 criteria.  Then they upgraded it once again for high-level competition and this little hot-rod has now been dominant in racing classes all over the US for almost a decade.   As one of the 2006 Champ Car "Fast Laps" cars, this car is hailed as a great open track weapon and amazing spec racer. The appeal here is the versatility because the car can be literally transformed into such a wide array of competitive entry specs.

You're going to get more than just kicks on route 66 if you decide to make the LS53 your next project. The LS53 Route 66 is the replica of the rarest Corvette ever made and that is enough to make you a star on the open road. In addition to the classic appeal, the modern body is made so similar that it would actually fit the true 53-55 Corvette frame.  This is something you can prove to yourself if you were so inclined to test it. In fact, there isn't a more true kit that would match its original muse than the LS53 Route 66. They certainly chose the right car to replicate with such precision. The 53-55 Corvette is one of a kind.

The Beck 550 is probably the coolest ‘slacker style’ race car on the market.  This is the one car that still draws the ladies even when they know your wallet’s probably empty.  Beck is an actual replica of the Porsche 550 racecar from the 1950’s which handles extremely well and accelerates like a madman. The sweetest part is that most of the parts are from the 1960's VW Bug.  This is the slacker’s version of hot.  

In late 2004 my wife Arlene and I attended the Western Cobra Round-up in Las Vegas.

This video was captured during a day cruise to the beautiful Red Rock Canyon. The cruise was well attended primarily by Factory Five Racing owners and an amazing Shelby Daytona Coupe.

Tiff Needle: Now you probably know that I’m not very keen on old cars. They’re usually uncomfortable, they don’t handle very well, they’ve got rubbish brakes, and they leak. But there was one old design I was willing to travel 6,000 miles to have a go in.

For the past 15 years, the designers and engineers at Mongoose Motorsports (http://www.mongoosems.com) have been fine-tuning their powerful Grand Sport Replica. Recently, this team unveiled their newest endeavor – the GTP replica. And is she ever hot.

This GTP kit car is Mongoose Motorsports’ homage to the super-rare Corvette GTP race car (only seven were ever built), and its looks are spot-on perfect. In fact, I’ve read that Corvette GTP aficionados have to look closely – two or three times – to be sure that the Mongoose GTP isn’t actually one of the extremely scarce originals. Of course, the Mongoose GTP has something the original GTP race cars never had – air conditioning. But this sleek beast isn’t just for the racetrack.

As the old saying goes, a picture's worth a thousand words. In the case of this website: BarrysBuildPage.com, the pictures may be worth even more for they carry the site by providing eye candy that's sure to get every car lover's salivary glands working overtime.

A chronicle, or "diary" as kit car builder Barry Johnson affectionately calls his website, viewers of these pages are privy to a written account, well, actually a visual account of Barry's hand-built works, which are certainly admirable and run the gamut from a Euro Works Countach to a Diablo Roadster.

Just in case you haven't heard the news that came from Factory Five Racing's Moochfest '08 (yes, you read that right), you'll undoubtedly want to know that the Massachusetts based kit car manufacturer strategically unveiled its fourth model at their annual owners gathering.

Said to be stiffer and lighter than the Cobra reproduction, the new '33 Coupe boasts a 22" longer wheelbase and can be easily fitted with a variety of motors.

What's more, Factory Five Racing's latest '33 Coupe has independent front suspension with clever control arms, and the prototype had 3-link rear suspension.

Just last week, as I was making my down the beautiful South Carolina coast from what was then a sunny Myrtle Beach to a quaint waterfront town called Beaufort, pulling a wobbling transport trailer that I rented from U-Haul to pick up my beloved 1985 Jeep Renegade. Forced to leave "her" behind during a recent move, I was happy with thoughts of being reunited.

After all, it was the perfect time of year for rides in the Jeep. With no top, the fast-changing weather, quickly gearing down from a non-existent winter these past few months to what I hope is a warm, dry spring, was what we Southerners often take for granted, with mild winds off the ocean and and a bright, sunny sky.