Massachusetts

Is Larry a true sports car in retro hot rod clothing? That's what the Factory Five Racing company says about its newest and perhaps most controversial kit car introduction in years, the Factory Five '33, nicknamed "Larry."

This car is so new that the first builds of this highly touted performance version of a 1933 Ford-inspired hot rod are probably being started as you read this.

Is there any topic more talked about today than fuel economy? All the members of the various classic car clubs that Frank and I belong to are moaning and groaning about costs to go to events, shows and cruises. The national clubs' chat line threads are all about fuel costs and how to work around the problem to keep club entries and attendance up, as a lot of popular competitions have really been suffering serious declines this year. And never mind the used-to-be-careless Sunday drives to different places just for the fun of getting out in your classic car - according to what I'm hearing, these threaten to become a thing of the past for many people, unless and until we can all get a handle on what to do about fuel costs.

Everyone familiar to kit building and renovating of cars knows what it's like to be on the lookout for donor parts. There may be those who actually enjoy spending the tons of time it takes to locate salvage parts, the traveling around for weeks, months, sometimes years, finding some here, finding some there. Then the spending of what adds up to be a lot of money refurbishing components and parts, and ultimately, there's always the disappointment of discarding some parts bought that prove, after all, not to be worth the effort to redo.

The GTM Supercar from Factory Five Racing was inspired by the sleek lines and good looks of the Ferrari.

The GTM (an acronym for Grand Touring Mid-Engine) was tested in the military wind tunnel at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.  The aerodynamic information gathered during that test determined how the GTM Supercar would look as well as work.

Engineering

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.

If you're an older baby boomer, chances are you have some cash set aside for a rainy day or, better yet, for finally making that once-in-a-lifetime purchase that you have dreamed about since a teenager or young adult.

And, if you're reading this blog, it's highly likely that you are doing so because one of your true passions is cars, particularly heading-turning American classics that you can buckle into and accelerate past envious onlookers as the sun gleams down on you and your car's glass-like finish.

Factory Five Racing recently introduced a new version of their MK3 Roadster.  I’m not talking about a new body style or new materials, but a new concept.
 
As any kit car enthusiast knows, finding a suitable donor car with less than 100,000 miles on it can be quite a challenge.  And then the condition and cost of the donor car must be considered.  All in all, this part of building a kit car can be frustrating and time consuming.  Plus, it can blow your build budget right out of the water.
 
However, with Factory Five Racing’s new concept, the issue of finding the right donor car for your MK3 Roadster build can be put to rest.  You can move directly to the fun of actually building your roadster.