GTM is History

[crash]

Hey everyone.

Since we believe that the last GTM is soon to be sent off the FFR production line I thought I might ask owners to give some stories and histories to what has happened with their cars.

Looking particularly for heritage stuff such as if one was destroyed what happened and what the chassis number was?

If there are cars that raced in sanctioned events, or even just got verifiable lap times or time slips at non sanctioned events?

Pretty much anything to do with the GTM that would be interesting to, I believe, all of us and the journies that have been the FFR GTM.

[cob427sc]

I built an early GTM which I've talked about here before. I drove it for 2 years then sold it to a guy in New York who soon after traded it in on a Viper. It was then sold to a Army doctor (I think) who actually took it to Europe for a couple of years, then brought it back to Texas before crashing. It spent some time in the insurance yard (at least once being sold as a Ford GT and then returned). Last I knew it was in California being first street driven and now being upgraded for track driving. I have been in touch with the current owner who provided some of this history and is welcome to correct any of my musings as he is active on this forum.

[beeman]

Was there a Pete Dove or something like that who built a very early GTM? I believe blue? His name seems to be at the very left of the GTM time-line in my head (as is cob427sc)...

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

One thing I've always regretted is not recording any of the chassis numbers of any of the GTM's we've built/worked on here. Would have been interesting info, but always "something else to do" I guess.....

[acmikee]

why did they discontinue the GTM they already have the molds and jigs for the frame so it does cost them anything in development
does anybody know how many were built and how many are actually on the street

[crash]

The last number I have seen posted here that has been delivered is frame number 534. May be a few more as Dave has stated that this years run is sold out. That is one of the things I am looking to determine...how many were/are actually built.

I think they are just ready to move on to a new platform, but Dave would be the guy to ask on that, obviously.

[crash]

I built an early GTM which I've talked about here before. I drove it for 2 years then sold it to a guy in New York who soon after traded it in on a Viper. It was then sold to a Army doctor (I think) who actually took it to Europe for a couple of years, then brought it back to Texas before crashing. It spent some time in the insurance yard (at least once being sold as a Ford GT and then returned). Last I knew it was in California being first street driven and now being upgraded for track driving. I have been in touch with the current owner who provided some of this history and is welcome to correct any of my musings as he is active on this forum.

WOW, this would be a real coincidence if that car was the silver one that ended up with my buddy Carl? Such a small world!

[Ajzride]

WOW, this would be a real coincidence if that car was the silver one that ended up with my buddy Carl? Such a small world!

It was silver when I tried to buy it from a salvage yard in San Antonio.

[Edgeman]

Shane,
Not sure if you have the room or the time but You know this car so well you should be asking Dave if you could have (Buy) the rights to the GTM. Keep producing them and fix the flaws that they have neglected over the years. JMHO. Would be a Great addition to the VRaptor Speed Works shop.

[gsxrguy]

289 was originally sold to a gentleman in CO. The builder had unforseen family commitments and i purchased it. I began work over 7 years ago and after 6, my wife told me to finally finish it. Having exceeded my talent, i contacted Shane to help me get it done. At that point, I began adding more and more extras. Louvers, custom gauge cluster left of rear view mirror, rotiform 3 piece wheels, kirkey, simpson, apr, and a **** ton of other just cool stuff.
The car is driven at UMC sporadically, button willow and other bucket list tracks.
I am still working on the brake balance, it is a handful but so much fun.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Shane,
Not sure if you have the room or the time but You know this car so well you should be asking Dave if you could have (Buy) the rights to the GTM. Keep producing them and fix the flaws that they have neglected over the years. JMHO. Would be a Great addition to the VRaptor Speed Works shop.

That would be a pretty neat gig if I had the room or the labor force needed to do that. As it is, I can't even find anyone to apply for a job here.....

[cob427sc]

Crash, that is the same car! Carl has contacted me several times about the build as he needed info to get it registered in CA. It was silver, had cable shift (one of the first), 6 speed tranny, Kooks headers and a small rear wing.

[crash]

Crash, that is the same car! Carl has contacted me several times about the build as he needed info to get it registered in CA. It was silver, had cable shift (one of the first), 6 speed tranny, Kooks headers and a small rear wing.

Too funny. I have the damaged silver nose still in my storage trailer! Thinking one day I might get around to repairing it, but it was easier to just swap out with a completely new one. That car has turned into quite a beast.

EDIT: Just to clarify and to add some more history here...

I did not do the repair work to this silver GTM. The car was bought by Carl off of a Co Part auction. I think I might have pointed Carl to it as he was discussing looking for one to buy. It had right front suspension and body damage. That was repaired by Carl and famed FFR builder Richard Migliori. Richard and his wife owned the FFR PDG GTM race car that I and Carl drove for many years and to multiple championships. I have 8 in the car and I believe Carl has two or three(?). So how did the nose end up with me? A little while back both Richard and his wife had some medical issues and so I acquired the FFR PDG GTM and all the assorted team equipment and spares...including the damaged nose. PDG had received a new body from FFR to put on the race car, but we do not use the second gen nose so that was left over and sitting by the side of the shop, so instead of fixing the broken nose, it was replaced with the spare gen II nose. So that will explain why this car, which you say is an early model, has a Gen II nose on it.

The car currently has an LS7, racing derived suspension(much like the FFR PDG GTM), BMW ABS, and a Mendeola is being built for it.

Hope third parties are okay with me telling this info? If not just let me know and I will change/remove anything you like.

[cob427sc]

Great to hear the car is still viable. Last I heard from Carl he was replacing the original G50 trans with the Mendola. Not sure where the original engine (car was built with a 2002 donor) went to. Maybe you can hang the old nose on the wall as an "object d'art".

[The Stig]

Wow…! It seems like it was just yesterday when the GTM phenomenon took hold of us here in the Factory Five world...

I'll never forget seeing the Factory Five GTMs (LS6 & LS7 versions), for the first time, at the Charlotte Auto-Fair Car Show. I was hooked immediately. And like everyone here, I couldn't stop thinking about building one.

My initial plan was to buy the kit from Factory Five, but an "opportunity" became available that I felt that I had to take advantage of.

I purchased my GTM (Serial Number 0081) as a kit that had been started by another member of the first forum, Reginald Herd from Lowell, MA. He offered to sell his GTM kit at a very good price, and we took advantage of the offer.

It was delivered to my house in Charlotte 2 days later. That began a build that went from October 2009 through March 2017.
Build Thread for “The Stig’s GTM”
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...e-on-the-body-)

I went through the build process until I got to a point that I felt I was getting in over my head: electrical/wiring, body work, and paint. I spoke to Jeff Collins of Whitby Motorcars, and told him what I would like to do. Wiring was started, and the Body and Paint was completed.

Whitby Motorcars – Jeff Collins
https://youtu.be/eovwIUakKJo?list=FL...Dn3qanwxLkTPDA


When the car was delivered back to me, I started more chassis work and clean up.

It was time to have the interior designed, fabricated, and installed. I met Steve Kurzman of Custom Stitching Co., a Good-Guys car show in Charlotte. He came to my house to see the GTM, and agreed to take on the project. I had seen a few cars that he had worked on, and was extremely impressed. He and his team, produce high quality interior work. Everything in the GTM was fabricated from scratch and installed by his shop.

Custom Stitching Company – Steve Kurzman
https://youtu.be/NgIDjQmnRAU

When Steve and his guys finished their magic, I decided that I wanted to have the body and paint reworked. There were some updates that I wanted to have done on the body that included the Rear Hatch, the door/window fitment, the shape of the wheel openings, and how the hood fit the fenders and body/doors.

Tony Kutas of Charlotte Speed Shop performed that work that I requested, and did a great job. It soon became obvious that so much work was being done that the body would need to be resprayed. I figured that if I were going to repaint the car, It would be a color that was closer to what I wanted originally. Dark, Dark, Dark, Pearl Blue. Tony suggested a BMW color that was being used at the time, called Carbon Black Metallic. He did a couple of sprayed samples, and I fell in love with it. It was exactly what I wanted on the car. This work ended up taking about a year and a half to complete.

Charlotte Speed Shop – Tony Kutas Owner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzh0w0BCyU4
Moving the car around at the paint shop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6a9QOvhyxw
Moving the car outside

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60GWyiCmhM
Showing the reflection and clarity of the freshly painted rear hatch.


When Tony and his guys finished the body and paint rework, the GTM went to its first car show. Caffeine and Octane, in Jekyll Island, GA. It got a ton of positive attention, and was fun to see people's reactions to it as it sat next to Ferraris, Lamborghini's, and Rolls Royce's. I had a tag made up with the name "PANDORA". It was really funny when a couple of kids walk behind the GTM, saying that "They had always loved these Pandoras"...

The Next Car Show was the Charlotte Auto Fair in 2017. Pandora had come full circle. Tony had reserved 4 slots for cars that he and his shop had worked on. While we were talking to people about the GTM, and listening to them tell me what kind of Ferrari it was, I was approached to do an impromptu interview. I've never been interviewed, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But I guess it turned out well enough.

Charlotte Auto Fair – Car Show Interview
https://youtu.be/hJJowl3ngIY?list=FL...Dn3qanwxLkTPDA

During that show, I learned how much the GTM terrified Pam. She loved the build process. She loved the way it turned out. She loved the way it sounded. But sitting so low, and realizing how fast it accelerated (pins you back in the seat), scared her too much to want to ride in it with me. Since that sort of defeated the purpose of building it, I decided to sell Pandora.

I spoke to RK Motors in Charlotte, who agreed to sell her (the GTM) for me. It took a little longer than expected, but it sold for the price that I told them that I wanted for it.

Sold by RK Motors – Charlotte, NC
https://youtu.be/nETknDLDD44?list=FL...Dn3qanwxLkTPDA


I do not know who actually bought it, but I was told that they were from Maryland...

It would be great to know who bought it, and whether or not they are enjoying owning it. Oh well.

One chapter ends, and another begins... Or so the say.

[rev2xs]

Who remembers the GTMalan debacle?

I believe that was the one which Tanner Foust drove against the Gumpert was it not?

[crash]

Who remembers the GTMalan debacle?

I believe that was the one which Tanner Foust drove against the Gumpert was it not?

Pretty interesting stuff.

I wonder if everyone is out of prison yet?

[beeman]

Who remembers the GTMalan debacle?

I believe that was the one which Tanner Foust drove against the Gumpert was it not?

acfe00c661c5.htmlhttps://www.heraldstandard.com/gcm/n...e00c661c5.html

[beeman]

https://www.allcarindex.com/producti...an-autosports/

https://www.facebook.com/alanautosports/

gt-malan-and-gumper3.jpg

[gtpvette]

Was there a Pete Dove or something like that who built a very early GTM? I believe blue? His name seems to be at the very left of the GTM time-line in my head (as is cob427sc)...

Yes, Pete Dove got one of the first chassis. When complete he painted it black. Pretty car when done. Nice guy too,,, wonder what became of him?? David Borden got an early one as well.

For me I was a first day order, got chassis #22. Still have it (got it 1/2006) and never completed it, talk about life getting in the way LOL. I always seemed to get sidetracked when I was working on it though. Roll your own AC, cable shifter, headers, dash, front control arms, sway bar, seats, harness bar etc etc. It really stretched the time line out. I retired 3 months ago so I'm trying to determine do I finish or sell?? I have a C7 as my DD and it's a fantastic hot rod. Also have a Scion FRS that I've been working on a motor swap (gm 3.6l V6 325hp) that's almost complete. Point is I don't really need another car but dam I did have plans for this GTM.

As it sits, motor was a 2001 LS1, had it totally rebuilt, Texas Speed cam, PRC Heads, LS6 Intake. I figured 420ish HP give or take. It's been sitting a while, hope it's still good and not rusted up. It's got a 1991 G50 w factory LSD. I have all the other parts, clutch, CV joints, starter, AC compressor, home grown headers and exhaust. Did adjustable front upper control arms, speedway splined sway bar, MR2 power steering pump and mustang PS rack.

Looks pretty sad as it sits LOL.

gtm-2.jpg

gtm-1.jpg

gtm-3.jpg

gtm-4.jpg

[jhilb]

Chassis 17 ordered 9/5/2005, arrived Xmas eve 2005. If there are chassis up into the 500's, they really didn't sell that many did they? Did they skip sections of numbering?

[Shoeless]

I'm chassis 501 and got my kit about 5 years ago. I think they made it up to low/mid 500s from what I saw.

[crash]

A couple of thoughts...

IIRC Dave Smith/FFR, when creating the GTM, had only wanted to make around 500 of them, and only wanted them to be available to previous customers of FFR.

While the previous customer requirement did not survive into production, the highest number chassis I have seen reported was/is 534. If anyone has higher than that, please, post it up.

So it appears that Dave/FFR did accomplish the numbers they set out to with the GTM, although it probably took longer than they expected.

[gtpvette]

Quick question,,, I saw on the FFR website that production for the GTM is booked through end of year and no new orders are being taken. Are they still shipping cars??

[Presto51]

Quick question,,, I saw on the FFR website that production for the GTM is booked through end of year and no new orders are being taken. Are they still shipping cars??

If my memory is not too failing, I believe that they stopped taking new orders for this year at ten for both 818 and the GTM. You can add your name to a list, just in case one or more drop off that waiting list.

As for next year, for the 818 and the GTM, well I'm not really sure, since I don't have any inside company contacts, but piecing together, from different chatter/thread discussions, the decision point might well rest on the F9 (which IMO is behind launch schedule) supply chain issues, etc.

Aside from pontificating too much from reading tea leaves, if you really want to know maybe contact FFR, but they have been holding their cards pretty close to their vest, and not give any answer about this subject.

As for me, I'm holding tight till SEMA, where they usually disclose what they will doing/going into next year, I hope

Ron

[jhilb]

There must be an incredible number of unfinished GTMs out there. IMHO the number of unfinished far outweigh the number of finished. Just a gut feeling.

[crash]

As for me, I'm holding tight till SEMA, where they usually disclose what they will doing/going into next year, I hope

Ron

IIRC no FFR at SEMA this year.(?)

I think the SEMA attendance numbers are supposed to be WAY down this year. Ford, again IIRC, also pulled out and will not be the center stage in the main hall?

I know I have been getting tons of promo stuff from SEMA to try and entice me to attend.

I think SEMA this year will be a historic event. Not for who is there, but for who is NOT there.

[fact5racer]

I don't remember my chassis numbers but my First one was the Lambo orange and MB Graphite one that won best in Show at SEMA 2007 and graced the cover of a couple magazines. Next one was at SEMA in 2008 & 2009 which was he PPG 24K gold with the graphite. My third was built for KONIs booth at SEMA 2010 which was the red and white one. Last but far from the least was my 1012 build called the GTMX which was sponsored by Magnuson having supplied me with their supercharger. That one also featured a motorized rear wing that went up and down 8 inches according to speed. That's the one I still wish I had. That one wasa at SEMA 2012 outside in the TOYO booth which was the end of my SEMA builds.

[beeman]

Gary, your first build was the GTM that told me I HAD to build one of these things!

[beeman]

Here's a nice thread Mike made back in 2011, good reminder of some of the great builds (and BUILDERS!) along the way.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...d-GTM-Pictures