Father'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!