A World Car

[Cj_]

Dave,

You stated that one of the design goals was a world car. Will the 818 be available in right hand drive and if so what are your development plans?

Have been watching this project develop from Australia and think it will be a great entry into kit cars.

Cheers
Cameron

[FFinisher]

I am not Dave, But yes it will be availabale in Right hand drive at production.

[WonderDude]

I also remember him stating that!

I hope the BBC's Top Gear get's ahold of it! I'd love to see how fast the Stig could take it around their track!

[skullandbones]

I also remember him stating that!

I hope the BBC's Top Gear get's ahold of it! I'd love to see how fast the Stig could take it around their track!

X2 on that. It has to be the UK version. This thing is already flying off the shelf (pre-production orders). Dave's going to need a bigger building. WEK.

[Movieman]

I also remember him stating that!

I hope the BBC's Top Gear get's ahold of it! I'd love to see how fast the Stig could take it around their track!

Clarkson would never let it happen..An "American" car setting track records? His English blood just couldn't stand that happenning..

[WonderDude]

Clarkson would never let it happen..An "American" car setting track records? His English blood just couldn't stand that happenning..

True! But don't fortget how he went ape crap over the Ford GT and just had to have one! ...Besides, it has Subaru under the bonnet.

[WonderDude]

Yeah! I bet they are gonna have to expand. I wonder if any of those buildings around them are vacant?

[PhyrraM]

I say what's needed is a SoCal based production facility. I know a spectacular industrial mechanical/maintenance manager to keep the place running and spitting out kits.

[David Hodgkins]

I say what's needed is a SoCal based production facility. I know a spectacular industrial mechanical/maintenance manager to keep the place running and spitting out kits.

That would ROCK! I'd be all over that for sure.

Yes, the 818 will be available in right-hand drive, but not quite as you think. For Australia, for example, an approved importer will handle the conversion but the cars will be manufactured in a way that makes it easy for the importer to do. The importer will handle all the documentation details required for import into Australia. All of this is already in the works.

HTH,

[Cj_]

That would ROCK! I'd be all over that for sure.

Yes, the 818 will be available in right-hand drive, but not quite as you think. For Australia, for example, an approved importer will handle the conversion but the cars will be manufactured in a way that makes it easy for the importer to do. The importer will handle all the documentation details required for import into Australia. All of this is already in the works.

HTH,

Thanks for the info David, although looking at your other kits I can see involving a third party will add 20k to the price.

[NonProfit]

For Australia, for example, an approved importer will handle the conversion but the cars will be manufactured in a way that makes it easy for the importer to do. The importer will handle all the documentation details required for import into Australia. All of this is already in the works.

Will RHD kits be available in the US to be assembled by the owner?

[Rockraven]

RHD cars are (in Canada anyway) very expensive to insure. They're seen as dangerous if you want to pass another car on the highway... you have to pull way out to see oncoming traffic.

[07FIREBLADE]

Lets go this SoCal department up and running. I need a place to intern at and this would be great. Lol

[Sergio]

I asked David Smith this very question in 2004 (Iirc) at the Knotts Kit Car Show (to have another Factory in SoCal since we buy most of the kits) and his response (again IIRC) was that that was one of his dreams , (since they grew up in SoCal) , but the situation in California wasn't the best back then (perhaps that still remains the same) for manufacturing plants, back then a LOT of companies were leaving Cali because the high costs and taxes. I would love for FFR to open a West Coast Plant !

[WonderDude]

I think it would be cool if there was a factory in all four corners of the US.

[flynntuna]

Texas is close enough for me, very business friendly, and only a couple days drive.

[Cobradavid]

Texas is close enough for me, very business friendly, and only a couple days drive.

x2! Houston is very business-friendly, has plenty of skilled labor and high-tech folks looking for work, and low energy costs. Plus, the port of Houston handles the second largest amount of shipping tonnage in the US - an important thing to consider for shipping all those 818 kits overseas!

David

[Mechie3]

I work for a medical device company headquarted in SoCal. They shut down a lot of operations and moved a huge percentage of the engineering team to Indianapolis. During one of our cost analysis, it cost 2x as much to manufacture a consumable in SoCal as Indy.

I say make a plant in Indianapolis. Cross roads of America, Racing Capital of the World, Dallara has a plant here now, John Force Racing, Don Schumacher Racing, Beast Racing, Andretti Racing, Mitchell Motorsports (f500). There's plenty of warehouse buildings both 5 minutes from my house (next to all of the other motorsports teams) or next to where I work.

If they came, I'd be tempted to quit my job.

[Xusia]

Oregon has low cost of labor, NO sales tax (!), and LOTS of space (the SE quarter of the state is practically vacant). Sounds ideal to me...

[jayguy]

Lots of businesses have moved to Las Vegas from SoCal also, because of the low taxes offered to businesses. And I'm sure there are a few welders available in town for hire, and plenty of existing warehouses sitting empty right now.

[Sergio]

Vegas is a good suggestion !
what do you say David ?
lets create some more jobs !

[timmy318]

Hey! What about Kentucky????? Right here in Owensboro there's an ex-car dealership selling its place! Real nice too! Got a 7 car showroom right by the street so everybody can see the cars, has four separate buildings(three mechanical/maintenance and one kinda like a showroom/offices). Also, amazing parking lot to do some shows in or..... Pull some doughnuts anybody????? Great location too(only a two minute drive from my house )!!!!!

[Silvertop]

You guys are shameless -- every one of you!!

[Rockraven]

Southern Ontario here, just an hour east of Toronto. Just retired from the air force (23 years) and have $$$ and management experience to set up FFR Canada. Call me.

[David Hodgkins]

Wow, did this thread take a right turn or what?!? CJ asks about right hand drive, and now we're expanding FFR! We could call it Smithville or Daveberry (get it?) I hear their are GIVING AWAY LAND in one of the Dakotas....

[Movieman]

Wow, did this thread take a right turn or what?!? CJ asks about right hand drive, and now we're expanding FFR! We could call it Smithville or Daveberry (get it?) I hear their are GIVING AWAY LAND in one of the Dakotas....

And this just isn't fair! How am I supposed to suggest Litchfield,NH when I'm only 90 miles from the plant they have now..Just not fair!

[Xusia]

I hear their are GIVING AWAY LAND in one of the Dakotas....

That's because no one actually WANTS to live there... LOL

[DougR]

Wow, did this thread take a right turn or what?!? CJ asks about right hand drive, and now we're expanding FFR! We could call it Smithville or Daveberry (get it?) I hear their are GIVING AWAY LAND in one of the Dakotas....

New relocation thread started here: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/newth...ostthread&f=28

[Mechie3]

To me, RHD is something that sounds cool, but very impractical as Rockraven mentioned. It's like JDM stuff to me that isn't much different from USDM (some stuff is, some stuff isn't). It's a novelty with no real benefit and usually downsides (high cost for jdm, can't see to pass for USDM).

[NonProfit]

To me, RHD is something that sounds cool, but very impractical as Rockraven mentioned.

If you want practical, then a two seater with virtually no luggage space probably should be out of the question. If RHD is not for you, that's cool but one of the big draws for me is the option to drive it from the wrong side...err right side...you get the idea.

However, I was primarily interested in David's statement, "an approved importer will handle the conversion." Is the conversion going to be made by the agent to the components which the owner will then assemble? My understanding was the RHD option was baked in.

[Oppenheimer]

If you want practical, then a two seater with virtually no luggage space probably should be out of the question.

The 818 will be one of the most practical ways to obtain and use an extreme performance car. RHD does not add anything to its performance, but can take away a good chunk of its practical performance (its more difficult to drive in LHD countries). I think that is all others were trying to say.

But by all means, build yours as you see fit. I am sure I will be adding stuff that is just for the cool factor (so long as it doesn't take away anything from the core value that matters to me), and I'm sure others will think me silly for it. Don't let anyone tell you how to build yours, or what is appropriate or not.

I can't imagine FFR would design and build the pieces to make it work with RHD components, then restrict sale of those peices to only RHD markets. I would expect it will be more difficult to obtain the RHD donor parts from a foreign market than it would to obtain the RHD pieces to make it work from FFR.

[Mechie3]

Impractical wasn't the best choice of words in regard to the 818 being RHD. Perhaps, lacking purpose or reason? For other countries, yes it makes sense. For people that go ga-ga over a USDM car (civic, for example) converted to RHD, it is impractical, serves no purpose, and makes driving on LHD based roads difficult and more hazardous than it needs to be....IMO, of course.

Is it cool on a show car? Sure, but not worth it for a DD.

[NonProfit]

it is impractical, serves no purpose, and makes driving on LHD based roads difficult and more hazardous than it needs to be....IMO, of course.

Perhaps. But I maintain a NA RHD 818 is less hazardous than a 400hp monster with the steering wheel two feet to the left (at least when I'm the one driving; lol).

Different strokes for different folks. Every 818 will be unique.

[Evan78]

I wouldn't choose RHD in the U.S., but this isn't a DD for many (most?) people either. I want one with a center driver and a passenger on either side sitting aft of the driver like the V-Storm kit car =)

[NonProfit]

PhyrraM, your level of knowledge & insight is astounding.

I want one with a center driver and a passenger on either side sitting aft of the driver like the V-Storm kit car =)

A cool setup for sure, but unless your passengers can fit in baby seats, the car won't be big enough.

IMG_5298.JPG

[Evan78]

A cool setup for sure, but unless your passengers can fit in baby seats, the car won't be big enough.

Yep, not happening on the 818.

[PhyrraM]

PhyrraM, your level of knowledge & insight is astounding.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I just wish I could find out how to turn that into a way of affording the 818 a few years sooner.......

[PhyrraM]

The only differences to the kit I can see are:

Dashboard molds - pick when you order.

Footwell aluminum sheeting - FFR can (already is?) design it to be 'mirror imaged' left to right. That way the final installer can choose what side to install the panel with the steering column cutout on, and what side to install the "blank" one.

Steering column and pedal mounting brackets - All cars can come with both, as they are likely only a few oz. and mounted high above any sightlines or folks feet.

Steering rack mounts - IIRC these are the same on each side of the car for the more common, early style racks. They *may* be different on each side for the later "ear" STI type of racks. In eaither case I don't see a big deal for FFR to accomodate as they must already be doing just for the alreadt exsisting rack differences. (They DO know about the two types of rack mounts in thier own chosen donor range, right?)


Edit: added steering column mounting brackets to the list.

[Cj_]

The only differences to the kit I can see are:

Dashboard molds - pick when you order.

Footwell aluminum sheeting - FFR can (already is?) design it to be 'mirror imaged' left to right. That way the final installer can choose what side to install the panel with the steering column cutout on, and what side to install the "blank" one.

Pedal mounting brackets - All cars can come with both, as they are likely only a few oz. and mounted high above any sightlines or folks feet.

Steering rack mounts - IIRC these are the same on each side of the car for the more common, early style racks. They *may* be different on each side for the later "ear" STI type of racks. In eaither case I don't see a big deal for FFR to accomodate as they must already be doing just for the alreadt exsisting rack differences. (They DO know about the two types of rack mounts in thier own chosen donor range, right?)

I agree, what does an importer have to do for conversion if the parts are sourced from a compliant local vehicle?

[Jeff F]

I owned a RHD postal jeep for a few years. It was very fun to drive and easier in many ways like distance from parked cars as you drove. Then again, I did not have to shift it. That would have been a serious learning curve! Not good with 400 hp and 818 kg.