NewsSource
07-01-08, 01:00 PM
Factory Five's 11th Annual Open House
http://images.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_01_z+factory_five_11th_annual_open_hou se+.jpgFather's Day weekend has become one of the most popular spots on the calendar to hold an automotive event in the nation. Let's face it: Dad likes cars, car shows, racing, loud and fast machines, and so forth, so what better way to let him have his day than to take him to an event that has all these factors in one location. While we were busy in Milan, Michigan, at the NMRA event tackling the 1,320 in the Ford Racing Invitational 2008 (and taking home the trophy, but more on that in another Web story), Huw Evans was in Tulsa for the Mid-America Shelby Meet. There were at least another half-dozen events going on around the nation, as well, including Fun Ford Weekend and Steeda's 20th Anniversary show.
One of these events was the Factory Five 11th Annual Open House, where Dave and Mark Smith and all of the FFR employees opened up their workspaces to admiring owners and fans of the company to demonstrate how production, assembly, shipping, and other facets of the company work. Included in the Open House was a sneak peak at FFR's upcoming new product, a '33 Ford replica, nicknamed Project Larry (after the Boston Celtics' No. 33 Larry Bird), a car show, chassis dyno shootout, local cruise-in, giveaways and product sale area, and a cook-out--all for free! More than 130 Factory Five models (Roadsters, Type 65 Coupes, GTMs, and Spyder GTs) came roaring into Wareham for the 11th Annual Factory Five Open House.
"They came to see old friends (friendships that had been created through the shared bond of the Factory Five project) and to meet new members of the Factory Five family, as well as to hang out with others who had similarly enjoyed the adventures of building a custom car in the comfort of their own garage," Mark Weber, head of FFR's marketing department, told us in an e-mail exchange.
With perfect weather (78 degrees F and sunny), the Factory Fives of all colors made for the perfect melting pot of car culture in Factory Five's parking lot.
While FFR may be well known for its Roadster kits, the GTM, a completely unique design supercar that uses C5 Corvette components to build, was supported with four completed GTMs on display, waving the Factory Five Supercar banner.
Additionally, eight FFR Type 65 Coupes were grouped together, showing off their sleek racing lineage and the shape that seems to set lovers of this unique replica of the '65 Manufacturer's Championship design apart from all others.
In the end, FFR customers Joe Leone and Rick LaCourse served as car show judges and they had their hands full choosing the 12 best recipients for the Open House car show awards.
We wish we could've been there ourselves, but with so many events in one weekend, we'll have to save our pennies for that cloning machine to make them all next year. Who knows, maybe--just maybe--we'll surprise everyone and bring Project Snake Charmer to next year's Open House. You never know with us crazy car guys!
Mark Weber also provided us with the full listing of award winners:
Allan Uzwiak - Best Use of Chrome
In honor of Allan's incredibly polished LS7 engine intake, heads, and every other visible component, Allan's GTM was referred to as the Best Use of "Shiny Stuff."
Denis Surette - Most Innovative Improvement
(A unanimous decision among the judges, Denis' custom-molded, aerodynamic rollbar cowlings were not only innovative, but completely redefined the look of his Mk2 Roadster.
John Mills - Best Paint Award
In a field of over 100 of the most beautifully painted cars in the region, John's metallic-flake Sunburst Orange Mk3 stood immediately out from the crowd.
Bob Peckham - Best Engine Award
This award may soon be renamed the Bob Peckham Best Engine Award, as Bob has captured it two successive years for his classic, Weber-stacked carburetion system.
Charlie Costa - Best Interior Details
Charlie customized the Factory Five tan leather interior, featuring a hand-made wood-grain dash, to create one of the most remarkable interiors we've ever seen.
Bill Cooke - Best in Show, Under Construction
Accepting our invitation to bring his Factory Five in any form of build, Bill brought his Type 65 Coupe Rolling Chassis, replete with Clecko fasteners holding the aluminum panels in position.
Steve Botellio - Best in Show, FFR Mk Roadster
A thing of beauty from every angle, Steve's Mk3 Roadster also represented the best of these cars as one of the top finishers (338 hp, 376 lb-ft of torque) in the Horsepower Shootout contest on the Mobile Dyno.
John George - Best in Show, Challenge Car
John drives his Challenge Car on the street virtually every day--perhaps that's why he and his Challenge Car are often out front in Challenge Series races around the country. John captured the FFR Challenge Series Northeast Regional crown in both 2006 and 2007.
Paul Murphy - Best in Show, FFR Spyder GT
This Spyder stands out from the crowd because of its rare heritage, but also because of its stunning silver metallic-flake paint and cold-air ram sticking up through the hood.
Bob Potter - Best in Show, FFR GTM
This bright Ferrari-red Factory Five Supercar was selected for its attention-to-detail on every level, turning a home-built race car into a finished jewel comparable to any museum-worthy sculpture on wheels.
Charlie Costa - Best in Show, Overall
The perfection outside the car matched the unparalleled interior, as Charlie's Mk3 Roadster unanimously took Best in Show as well as the Best Interior award.
Charlie Adams - Horsepower Shoot-Out Champion
With a daily driver built from a Mustang donor car, Charlie Adams is the quintessential FFROG. Pushing out 424 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque from a stock 5.0L block using stock internals and heads salvaged from a junkyard donor, Charlie clearly has the best bang for his budget.
Additionally, Factory Five customer David English rode away from the Open House the proud owner of a new TGB Pit Bike, winning the free raffle drawing available to all who brought their Factory Five to the event.
Photo Gallery: Factory Five's 11th Annual Open House - Modified Mustangs & Fords Magazine (http://www.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_factory_five_11th_annual_open_house)
http://images.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_01_s+factory_five_11th_annual_open_hou se+.jpghttp://images.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_02_s+factory_five_11th_annual_open_hou se+.jpghttp://images.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_03_s+factory_five_11th_annual_open_hou se+.jpghttp://images.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_04_s+factory_five_11th_annual_open_hou se+.jpg
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http://images.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_01_z+factory_five_11th_annual_open_hou se+.jpgFather's Day weekend has become one of the most popular spots on the calendar to hold an automotive event in the nation. Let's face it: Dad likes cars, car shows, racing, loud and fast machines, and so forth, so what better way to let him have his day than to take him to an event that has all these factors in one location. While we were busy in Milan, Michigan, at the NMRA event tackling the 1,320 in the Ford Racing Invitational 2008 (and taking home the trophy, but more on that in another Web story), Huw Evans was in Tulsa for the Mid-America Shelby Meet. There were at least another half-dozen events going on around the nation, as well, including Fun Ford Weekend and Steeda's 20th Anniversary show.
One of these events was the Factory Five 11th Annual Open House, where Dave and Mark Smith and all of the FFR employees opened up their workspaces to admiring owners and fans of the company to demonstrate how production, assembly, shipping, and other facets of the company work. Included in the Open House was a sneak peak at FFR's upcoming new product, a '33 Ford replica, nicknamed Project Larry (after the Boston Celtics' No. 33 Larry Bird), a car show, chassis dyno shootout, local cruise-in, giveaways and product sale area, and a cook-out--all for free! More than 130 Factory Five models (Roadsters, Type 65 Coupes, GTMs, and Spyder GTs) came roaring into Wareham for the 11th Annual Factory Five Open House.
"They came to see old friends (friendships that had been created through the shared bond of the Factory Five project) and to meet new members of the Factory Five family, as well as to hang out with others who had similarly enjoyed the adventures of building a custom car in the comfort of their own garage," Mark Weber, head of FFR's marketing department, told us in an e-mail exchange.
With perfect weather (78 degrees F and sunny), the Factory Fives of all colors made for the perfect melting pot of car culture in Factory Five's parking lot.
While FFR may be well known for its Roadster kits, the GTM, a completely unique design supercar that uses C5 Corvette components to build, was supported with four completed GTMs on display, waving the Factory Five Supercar banner.
Additionally, eight FFR Type 65 Coupes were grouped together, showing off their sleek racing lineage and the shape that seems to set lovers of this unique replica of the '65 Manufacturer's Championship design apart from all others.
In the end, FFR customers Joe Leone and Rick LaCourse served as car show judges and they had their hands full choosing the 12 best recipients for the Open House car show awards.
We wish we could've been there ourselves, but with so many events in one weekend, we'll have to save our pennies for that cloning machine to make them all next year. Who knows, maybe--just maybe--we'll surprise everyone and bring Project Snake Charmer to next year's Open House. You never know with us crazy car guys!
Mark Weber also provided us with the full listing of award winners:
Allan Uzwiak - Best Use of Chrome
In honor of Allan's incredibly polished LS7 engine intake, heads, and every other visible component, Allan's GTM was referred to as the Best Use of "Shiny Stuff."
Denis Surette - Most Innovative Improvement
(A unanimous decision among the judges, Denis' custom-molded, aerodynamic rollbar cowlings were not only innovative, but completely redefined the look of his Mk2 Roadster.
John Mills - Best Paint Award
In a field of over 100 of the most beautifully painted cars in the region, John's metallic-flake Sunburst Orange Mk3 stood immediately out from the crowd.
Bob Peckham - Best Engine Award
This award may soon be renamed the Bob Peckham Best Engine Award, as Bob has captured it two successive years for his classic, Weber-stacked carburetion system.
Charlie Costa - Best Interior Details
Charlie customized the Factory Five tan leather interior, featuring a hand-made wood-grain dash, to create one of the most remarkable interiors we've ever seen.
Bill Cooke - Best in Show, Under Construction
Accepting our invitation to bring his Factory Five in any form of build, Bill brought his Type 65 Coupe Rolling Chassis, replete with Clecko fasteners holding the aluminum panels in position.
Steve Botellio - Best in Show, FFR Mk Roadster
A thing of beauty from every angle, Steve's Mk3 Roadster also represented the best of these cars as one of the top finishers (338 hp, 376 lb-ft of torque) in the Horsepower Shootout contest on the Mobile Dyno.
John George - Best in Show, Challenge Car
John drives his Challenge Car on the street virtually every day--perhaps that's why he and his Challenge Car are often out front in Challenge Series races around the country. John captured the FFR Challenge Series Northeast Regional crown in both 2006 and 2007.
Paul Murphy - Best in Show, FFR Spyder GT
This Spyder stands out from the crowd because of its rare heritage, but also because of its stunning silver metallic-flake paint and cold-air ram sticking up through the hood.
Bob Potter - Best in Show, FFR GTM
This bright Ferrari-red Factory Five Supercar was selected for its attention-to-detail on every level, turning a home-built race car into a finished jewel comparable to any museum-worthy sculpture on wheels.
Charlie Costa - Best in Show, Overall
The perfection outside the car matched the unparalleled interior, as Charlie's Mk3 Roadster unanimously took Best in Show as well as the Best Interior award.
Charlie Adams - Horsepower Shoot-Out Champion
With a daily driver built from a Mustang donor car, Charlie Adams is the quintessential FFROG. Pushing out 424 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque from a stock 5.0L block using stock internals and heads salvaged from a junkyard donor, Charlie clearly has the best bang for his budget.
Additionally, Factory Five customer David English rode away from the Open House the proud owner of a new TGB Pit Bike, winning the free raffle drawing available to all who brought their Factory Five to the event.
Photo Gallery: Factory Five's 11th Annual Open House - Modified Mustangs & Fords Magazine (http://www.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_factory_five_11th_annual_open_house)
http://images.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_01_s+factory_five_11th_annual_open_hou se+.jpghttp://images.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_02_s+factory_five_11th_annual_open_hou se+.jpghttp://images.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_03_s+factory_five_11th_annual_open_hou se+.jpghttp://images.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_04_s+factory_five_11th_annual_open_hou se+.jpg
Read More (http://www.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_factory_five_11th_annual_open_house) | Digg It (http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://www.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_factory_five_11th_annual_open_house&title=Factory Five's 11th Annual Open House) | Add to del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us/post?url=2&url=http://www.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_factory_five_11th_annual_open_house&title=Factory Five's 11th Annual Open House)
Full Story.. (http://www.mustangandfords.com/eventcoverage/mdmp_080701_factory_five_11th_annual_open_house)