Each panel is accurately cut...
Each panel is accurately cut and then handlaid into the body mold. The FFR Roadster molds are housed in a separate location, but one is kept in-house for quality checks and the numerous daily tours that FFR provides.
Counting Your Presidents
Building an FFR Roadster can be an exercise in strict budgeting or a financial black hole. Don't get caught up in having every conceivable option and an 800hp engine with every bell and whistle. Build what you can afford. You can always go back and upgrade later. The Mk III Roadster kit is complete at just $12,990. With the options we chose (powdercoated frame, body cutouts, chrome rollbar, heater, and so on) our order totaled $15,700. That's a lot of new parts ready to bolt on. Sure, we still need an engine, transmission, rearend, and brakes, but we suspect even with all those parts and a paint job, we should be around $30,000, maybe less.
Once cured, the robotic trimming...
Once cured, the robotic trimming machine accurately trims each panel for the proper fit and contour.
If that sounds like a lot of money, think back to the last project you built: $3,000-$5,000, maybe more, for a rusty car. Throw in an engine rebuild or a crate engine, transmission swap, built rearend, four-wheel discs, paint and body repairs, and interior, and you probably spent somewhere in the mid-$20,000 range. So you can see that in the grand scheme of project car costs, the FFR Roadster is quite achievable, and when you're done, you'll be getting all the looks at the next show or cruise night.
Do yourself a favor and at least call Factory Five and order the free informational DVD. It will answer many questions, and the action on film and the responses from the owner interviews will make you take a hard look at your savings account balance, just as it did for us.
Unlike some replicas, which...
Unlike some replicas, which use large amounts of fiberglass as structural members, the FFR Roadster uses only fiberglass for the body, keeping weight down and chassis integrity up. The cockpit and chassis panels are made from 6061-T6 aluminum that is CNC laser cut and shaped and then riveted in place by the end user. This replicates true race car building practices, just like the original.
At the end of our tour with...
At the end of our tour with FFR's Mark Dougherty and Dave Smith, they asked us to return to the manufacturing floor for "one more thing we forgot to show you." When we passed through the double doors, we were surprised with our Project Snake Charmer Mk III Roadster and its pallet of parts ready for shipping-surprised because we had been told our kit wasn't going to be ready for another week or so. Those crafty guys at FFR pulled one over on us! The vertically challenged dude in the middle with the ear-to-ear grin is your lowly scribe, with Mark on my left and Dave on my right. Now we get to go home and wait for delivery. What torture!