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Thread: Mott Build School Recommendation

  1. #1
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    Mott Build School Recommendation

    There have been many posts that describe the benefits of attending the build school but I didn't find a comprehensive review of the logistics of how it works. I attended the Roadster class in November with my two teenage sons so I am hoping some of this info will be helpful to anyone considering attending.

    My goals were to experience first-hand the work that is involved in building this car, assess my ability to build it and to have the opportunity to ask questions to those that have experience building these cars. I was also excited to have a fun weekend away with my sons.

    Travel/Accommodations/Cost:
    The course is held at Mott Community College which is located at 1240 Packard Dr., Howell, MI. Howell is roughly 50 miles NW from Detroit Metro Airport which is where we flew to. You can also fly into Flint which is similar distance from Howell but less traffic, hassle, etc. There are several hotels within a 5 minute drive to the school and several offer discounts for students. We stayed at the Holiday Inn which was fine and reasonably priced. The course is $799/person and FFR will give you a credit of $250 if you order a kit within 1 year. Although I paid for 3 people, I believe FFR will only give my one discount.

    Instructors/Content:
    There is a max of 16 students and 2 instructors are assigned to each class. Our class worked with 3 of the instructors (Todd, Scott and Jim) and each were excellent. They consistently demonstrated mastery of the subject and they each had deep personal experience building the car. As important, they put safety first, were patient with the participants and while I know they have conducted these classes dozens of times, the energy and enthusiasm that they show for the subject would lead you to believe this was their first class.

    The class starts on Friday at 8 am where you are presented with the complete kit exactly as you would receive it off the Stewart Transport truck - body on frame with some aluminum panels lightly installed. From there, you basically follow the build manual (a hard copy of which you are given as part of the course). At each stage of the build, the instructors provide you tips and suggestions about how to conduct the build, many of which are not in the manual. You also have the chance to ask all those burning questions you might have before ordering like is the frame powder coating a good price, do I need the Wilwood rear brake upgrades, how much engine do I need, what are the benefits of IRS vs. 3-link, what gear ratios work best with a given transmission, what tools do I need to buy, etc. Since they don't work for FFR, they can freely tell you their opinions without conflict. You can take as many notes and pictures as you like. One person in our class recorded the audio of all 3 days on his phone.

    At the end of the class, they will provide you their contact info and can serve as another great resource for questions after the class. I can't say enough how the instructors made the class so worthwhile. They even joined us for dinner each night which was very nice.

    At 5 pm on Sunday, the side pipes and tires will go on the car and one of the instructors will drive the car out of the garage and demonstrate the power of what you built. Very rewarding. As others have mentioned, the students can't drive the car which I assume is a liability issue. The class then concludes and these poor guys have to remove a ton of rivets to break it down again so the next class gets the same great experience.

    The highest compliment I can give to the class and especially the instructors is that my 2 sons, who would never be confused for gear heads, were so engaged in the class that they rarely were distracted by their cell phones. There are few things that can draw a teenager’s attention away from their technology. Their reaction to the class makes me even more excited about the intangible benefits of undertaking this project with them.

    Even though I have spent a lot of time reading these forums and I have also read the FFR manual, I would highly recommend the class as another useful piece of research before you buy a kit. If you have a question that I have left out, please post and I will be happy to answer and I am sure others will as well.
    Glenn

  2. #2
    Brandon #9196 TexasAviator's Avatar
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    Wish I lived in Michigan. Especially motor city area.

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    RR20AC's Avatar
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    Your review is spot on. I went to the build school in 2015 and my review would have been similar back then. They did an awesome job showing everyone and including everyone in the build.
    20th Anniversary MK4 Roadster, #8752, 18 of 20, Delivered 12/03/15, 1st Start 01/28/2017, off to paint 4/13/2017, Forte 351w/ Holley EFI, Forte throttle linkage, TKO 600/Forte Hyd. Clutch, UniSteer Electra Steering, RT's turn Signals, many Breeze parts, Paint by the Jeff Miller. Finished on 10/08/2017. 500 mile inspection on 10/21/2017, 3000 mile inspection on 1/14/19.

  4. #4
    Senior Member 3yearplan's Avatar
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    Wish I lived in Michigan. Especially motor city area
    TexasAviator, you would change your mind about 5 miles outside Detroit Metro Airport. The roads, oh the roads..
    Mark IV 7923 arrived 11-14-12
    DOHC 4.6L, Tremec 3650, 3 Link 8.8 w/3.73

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by 3yearplan View Post
    TexasAviator, you would change your mind about 5 miles outside Detroit Metro Airport. The roads, oh the roads..
    Good point I should have mentioned. There is some serious road construction around the airport in Detroit that could add some time if you are running late to make a flight. I know from experience. I think I obeyed most if not all the traffic rules but I can definitely tell you the temporary signage about where to return a rental car is not very clear at the moment.
    Glenn

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    Your review is spot on. I was a student in their July class. The instructors really enjoyed teaching the class and were very motivated. You can pick up many “tips” that will make your build a smooth process. After the class many of us including the instructors would go out to dinner.

    If your on the fence for purchasing or if your not sure if you can build the kit, this class will give you confidence. I definately suggest signing up and taking the class.

    We had a guest speaker from Roush racing and he was able to arrange a tour of their amazing facility and museum. Since i flew in from California, I made this trip a mini solo vacation. On Thursday before the class I went to the Ford plant and saw a production run of the F150 and went to the Ford musuem and Greenfield Village. It was awesome. On Monday after the class i went to the Roush museum in Livonia and went to Ann Arbor. Then back to Detroit and hung out there, then caught the late flight back to California. I wish I had a few more days to sightsee. Also the town next to the build school, I think it is called Brighton, has a cool oldtown with good restaurants.
    build thread: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...-USRRC-vspeeds

    Build School: July 14-16, 2017
    Kit purchased: July 25, 2017
    Kit delivered: September 13, 2017
    First Start: December 22, 2018
    Body painted and kit completed and drivable: July 2019 (but still not done)
    CA SB100 Registration: January 2020

    Mk4 - 289 USRRC Roadster kit, Roush 427SR with Schneider Racing custom camshaft, Fitech EFI, TKO600 (.64-5th gear), 15" wheels, stock brake calipers, under car exhaust with Spintech 7000 muffler, no roll bar, Russ Thompson turn signal, removable steering wheel, and many other small upgrades and modifications

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    Hi Glenn. Was at that class with you in November. That was a good experience and pretty much sealed the deal for me. I ordered my base kit on Black Friday and now there is no turning back. If it wasn’t for your two sons I’m not sure that car would have been built on time!

    Jim

  8. #8
    Senior Member Dave Howard's Avatar
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    Build school grad from April 2012 class.

    Good write up Glenn. I found the build school removed any anxiety I may have had about taking on the project. After completing my build a year later I didn't hesitate to tell others the build is quite easy if you follow the FFR instructions...or the instructions that come with any parts bought through 3rd party vendors. You don't need any specialized skills. You don't need to know how to weld, be a pipefitter, an electrician, or an auto mechanic. You don't need to be an engineer. In fact, overengineering, or re-engineering might be your biggest problem. The great team at FFR have done all the tough stuff. We get to enjoy putting the kits together. Like a big Mechano set. Take your time and focus on the details. It's not as hard as some "gurus" make you believe it's is. Enjoy the build.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Todd Baumann's Avatar
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    Wow guys, thank you so much for all of the great reviews.
    The one thing more than anything is that we are FFR owners ourselves also.
    We love doing the builds as much as anyone else.
    The great thing about these classes are that everyone that is there are there for
    one specific reason they want to be.
    We love doing these classes so much because of you guys and of our own love for the cars.
    Thanks again guys,
    Todd
    Todd Baumann
    FFR Build School Instructor 16+ Years Mott Community College
    FFR 2086 MKI, 22+ years on the road
    FFR 300 MKI Coupe

  10. #10
    mcwho's Avatar
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    I attended the build school back in July 2010. Being reasonably mechanically inclined the biggest thing I wanted from the school was, is this kit too complex for me as I would be building it by myself.

    Back then I think the school was Monday to Thursday.

    Going to the school I was fully sure that I could build this kit myself.

    My youngest son did help me out a lot with the kit and also did the paint and body work.
    Baghdad Bob

    Complete Kit Delivered July 2010, serial @ 7287, Whitby Power Brakes, Whitby Tonneau, Power Steering w HEIDTS PS Valve, Hydralic clutch, 15" Wheels, BFG Tires, 331 stroker w Quick Fuel 650, RPM Heads, Air Gap Intake. IRS w 3.27, TKO-600. FFMETAL Firewall Forward, FFMETAL Dropped Battery Box in Trunk, Enlarged Passenger footbox, Breeze Cubby storage, Breeze Seat Brackets, Herbs Door Panels. Ford ruby red 12 coats.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Togaedrat View Post
    Hi Glenn. Was at that class with you in November. That was a good experience and pretty much sealed the deal for me. I ordered my base kit on Black Friday and now there is no turning back. If it wasn’t for your two sons I’m not sure that car would have been built on time!

    Jim
    Jim,
    I am excited for you that you took the plunge. I am getting ready for my order as well. Just trying to finalize my build list and make a decision on drivetrain details. Good luck!!!
    Glenn

  12. #12
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    I love the review! I'm thinking santa may allow me to attend this class in jan\feb sometime Very excited to be able to share in the experience.

  13. #13
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    To all the guys that responded here, I have a request that I don't think the OP will mind...

    Would any of you who has finished their build be willing to share a pic of your car? Or perhaps a pic of your progress for those that haven't finished yet. For the build school guys, same deal on your personal builds please.

    I think that would be a great way to show off a bit, and show the OP what your builds look like. If you don't like my idea, I will pound sand, and won't be offended. To the OP, I just thought it might be cool.

    Regards,

    Steve

  14. #14
    RR20AC's Avatar
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    That Saturday at build school I got to see several builds which gave me some great ideas. Here ya go.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    20th Anniversary MK4 Roadster, #8752, 18 of 20, Delivered 12/03/15, 1st Start 01/28/2017, off to paint 4/13/2017, Forte 351w/ Holley EFI, Forte throttle linkage, TKO 600/Forte Hyd. Clutch, UniSteer Electra Steering, RT's turn Signals, many Breeze parts, Paint by the Jeff Miller. Finished on 10/08/2017. 500 mile inspection on 10/21/2017, 3000 mile inspection on 1/14/19.

  15. #15
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    I have to second all the positive comments about the school. I attended the 818 build in August and had the time of my life. The instructors, course materials, and attendees were great.

    A different Glenn

  16. #16
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    I wonder if that is the same Todd who was doing it about ten years ago... I went with my son... it was a great experience... Was that Todd Baumann by chance?

  17. #17
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    lol.. .going back thru the thread again.... I saw Todd posted...Hey Todd.. from Greg and Joe Lyons... it has been awhile.....hope all is well

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