2013 SEMA Show Photos and Updates

[FFR-ADV]

Wow!!! The Big/Tall Gas Tank allows the Kirkey to be put so far back it almost touches the roll bar. The passengers seat looks like it is three or so inches forward of the drivers seat, but they don't have pedals taking up space. Hopefully we will get an update on this new development soon (expected availability?). Great progress and absolutely stunning Right Hand Drive 818S Factory Five!

Cheers!

[BipDBo]

I'm exited about the carbon body. I mentioned a while ago in a "weight saving" thread that it would be cool of FFR offered carbon body panels as an option. Is this a one off for SEMA, or does this mean that FFR is pursuing this for the 818 and possibly other models as well?

Have the body panels been weighed to see how much potential weight savings there may be compared to a fiberglass body?

Until the thermoplastic panels come out, if they ever do, carbon panels might be a popular option for builders who are willing to spend a little more money.

When I built my windsurfer, I found that the material cost between carbon and fiberglass is not that great. Carbon cloth is more expensive, but you have to use less of it, and also less resin. Although fiberglass is much weaker than carbon in tension, it is just about as strong in compression. To protect from dings, I laminated my board first with carbon, and then with fiberglass. I totaled up all the cost and found that my 50/50 composite was actually only negligibly more expensive than doing it all in fiberglass. The final product, however was about 5 lbs lighter (big deal on a windsurfer) and it looks much cooler. The expense in carbon is in the labor. Any hack (like myself) who has ever worked with fiberglass can build something decent with carbon. It's a little less flexible, especially compared to fiberglass matt, which makes it slightly more difficult. Not all carbon builds, however, are equal. The craftsmanship is more important that the material.

The big difficulty in carbon is doing it right (which I didn't do), building with it in a way that squeezes all of the potential weight savings out of the material. Most of the weight is in the resin, so it's best to use as little as possible. The best way to do this is to buy carbon cloth that is pre-impregnated from the factory with the optimal amount of resin. It arrives on a refrigerated truck to keep the resin from curing. It is laid out cold and vacuum sealed, and bubbles are to be avoided. The cold product is then baked. Otherwise, since it is cold, it would cure slowly, which make the resin too soft. It has to be baked under an optimum temperature. If it's too hot, it cures too fast and gets brittle, possibly even cracking during the cure. This process has a really high up front cost, building the in-house craftsmanship for properly hand laying the cloth and vacuum bagging, getting the tools for baking and building supply chains for cold delivery. To build with carbon well, takes a lot, and is therefore best when done with a very high volume. All of the countless windsurfing brands design and build prototype boards in small surf shops, but all of the production has been consolidated to one outsourced factory in Thailand. All brands are built by the same company, "Cobra International", on the same assembly line. There might still be a few small shops in the US or Europe that build custom carbon boards for a big price premium. The more critical components, the masts and the fins, where strength to weight is even more important, are still not trusted to foreign manufacturing, even from Cobra. Most masts and fins are still built in their local markets, in Europe and the US. Some tried outsourcing to Thailand or China, but found that they lost more money on quality control than they saved on cheap labor. Where quality counted most, it was cheaper to rely on good Murican' craftsmanship.

If carbon body panels will be an option that only a small percentage of buyers purchase, rather than producing them in house, it may be a better business model for FFR to outsource to a shop that builds masts, fins, custom boards, boats, bikes, etc. My old college roommate has founded a company in Beaufort, SC that specializes in this exact construction. Most of their big builds have been fiberglass, but they are building infrastructure for large scale carbon manufacturing. They are currently building and installing large freezers, ovens, etc. They are a very new company, but they've already completed a wide variety of projects, including boats, carbon boat components, custom SUP boards. They have even consulted for McDonalds on a new "golden arches" sign, and even made some custom camouflage composite coated truck body panels.
"DUER High Performance Composites"
http://www.duer.co/

[Oppenheimer]

The 818 carbon body at SEMA was not built by FFR. An outside vendor did that. Will that vendor offer 818 carbon bodies for sale? Who knows. But a big part of the 818 allure is its so inexpensive to complete the build. The whole idea of 818 thermoplastic panels is not about weight, its about no-paint with multiple color offerings. If FFR was going to offer or push for someone to offer carbon bodies, they'd likely do it for their GTM product, not the 818 (is there a already a vendor doing that for GTM?)

While there are sure to be some very costly and exotic 818 builds, those will be the outliers. What FFR needs to focus on now is how to ramp up 818 production to meet the huge demand. And to be able to offer multiple no-paint options, which hopefully will still be via thermoplastic panels (though if that does not materialize they can fall back on fiberglass panels in other gel-coat colors.) Once they are able to build more 818's, then they can start looking at alternate body designs, and alternate body materials (like CF).

[Mad Dog]

Here's a couple of videos from the SEMA Show with Nate Johnson talking about the '33 Hot Rod he built for his dad and the other with Jim Schenck talking about the 818S and 818R.

[Mad Dog]

[Martin]

Wonder what they'll do for SEMA 2014

Pretty hard to top this year.

Martin

[Dave Smith]

Every year, after we get back from SEMA we all sit back, exhausted and relieved and we say collectively, "How will we EVER top this year?!"... True to form, I have spent the day catching up and reviewing action items from this year's big SEMA show. Let's see...

818 wins Best Domestic from Sony Playstation

818 wins Best Carbon Car Top Ten

Improved new Mk4 with 18" rims and big & Tall guy seat (soon avail)

Sherwin Williams paints that STOLE the show (and now SW execs are all riled up to get em named and launched!)

15 Factory Five's in the show!

Huge new agreement with Hot Rod Magazine on a cool project car (to be announced soon)

Big deal with Snap-on Tools (official sponsor)

Debut of four 818's at the show (three of which were brand new), one with new soft top, one with 6 cyllinder subie engine (Presley), and one with Right Hand Drive and cool carbon parts

Cover of Grassroots Motorsports Magazine with copies at the show

As a result of SEMA response, 818R will be headlining the GRM booth at PRI in some weeks

GREAT support from the team, from customers, and from suppliers TOYO, WILWOOD, FORD RACING, KONI, GRM MAGAZINE

Two new broadcast Cable TV shows contracted (one of which is an all-womens FFR build!, the other one TBA)

A stunning GTM from Gary headlining the Toyo Tires booth in the Dub area

Interviews with Ford Racing, PowerAuto Media, and Rod Authority Magazine

Record turn-out seemed to be camped out in our booth!

Support from Chris Canning, our Australian distributor

Met with the legendary Pete Brock on the all-womens FFR Coupe build (to be announced shortly) and he agreed to serve as design/build consult.

Had a chance to meet the great racer John Morton whose racing resume starts with Ken Miles and the Shelby cars and goes thru Rolex Series and American LeMans!

Spent time with customers and friends like Kevin Byrd from Two Guys Garage, and Ronald Todd, a great friend who is fighting CF like my Jenny and who just survived a lung transplant!

Great new project work on a race engine from Cosworth boys

Attended SEMA Awards night with the crew from PowerBlock (Courtney Hansen's seat was next to mine but I left before she arrived ) RTM Productions and met Ed Iskendarian (a huge honor and so much history in one man!).

I truly enjoyed the time I had to visit with hardcore customers like Karen Salvaggio, Wayne Presley, Freddie, Johhny Kab, Ron Everitt, and ATV-injured-but-still-working-the-booth, Johnny Takvorian and TONS of other greta people!

... and I've forgotten a million other details from the four day automotive whirlwind called SEMA. This company, this community, our partners and suppliers, all combined to make this a SEMA show that makes me wonder, "how the heck are we gonna top this next year?!"...

experience has taught me that as hard as it is for me to believe that we will, we will. I got a ton of ideas and tomorrow we gotta get to work.

[Mustang Man]

Dave, if you're building the Coupe with the ladies from All Girls Garage you know you're always welcome to do a reveal/open house with us. I think the donut marks in our back lot are almost gone, so it's time to come down and make some more!

Really wish I could have been out there instead of chained to my desk...

Mark

[Dave Smith]

Thanks Mark!!! We've gotta have another event at your place this winter. The women's build is slated for sometime in March-April with filming date not set and there are two broadcast companies with offers! In either case I would be happy to come down and help re-surface your lot with fine driveway products from the good folks at Toyo tires! We're past due on catching up. Call you tomorrow if you're around bud.

[Kalstar]

Can I suggest your next project be something with 4 seats, maybe a adaptation of the 33 as a delivery or something of the like?

Or maybe something built around a V8 extended cab pickup truck as a donor car, there are millions of those on the road. A 4 seat retro truck that can pull a trailer with the other F5R toys one already owns. 2wd and 4wd kits would be cool and I think a great seller. Low rider or jacked to the sky.

[THE ITALIAN]

Can I suggest your next project be something with 4 seats, maybe a adaptation of the 33 as a delivery or something of the like?

Or maybe something built around a V8 extended cab pickup truck as a donor car, there are millions of those on the road. A 4 seat retro truck that can pull a trailer with the other F5R toys one already owns. 2wd and 4wd kits would be cool and I think a great seller. Low rider or jacked to the sky.

How about a replica roadster built from a donor 64/65 Shelby Cobra !?! Now that WOULD GET SOME PRESS !!
I think the company has done wonders up till now, incredibly fun stuff, can't wait to get started on mine.

[myjones]

[QUOTE=Dave Smith;125669]Every year, after we get back from SEMA we all sit back, exhausted and relieved and we say collectively, "How will we EVER top this year?!"...

As tough as this 4 day event was on all of us I would remind you that Karen did it in heels
And NO I don 't want you to top that for 2014

You should have a full fender 33 in the booth next year though

Dale B
Hemi33

[Mad Dog]

Here's a few more photos from this year's SEMA Show.


The Factory Five 818S showed well with the new soft top design.


Factory Five customer and GTM builder extraordinaire John K. signs a GTM model presented by Steve K.


Factory Five customer Karen Salvaggio (middle) is very popular in the Factory Five community and will be heading up an all-women’s build on cable TV soon.


Dave Smith discusses the cable TV show featuring an all-women’s FFR build.


2014 Corvettes were all over the show. This one in GM’s massive display.


Karen S. brought her endurance racing championship Type 65 Coupe to SEMA.


Wayne Presley’s 818S was effective at making the neighboring Lamborghini disappear. Here’s Wayne with Power Automedia host Jonathon Buckley in the Toyo Tread Pass Area.

[Mad Dog]

The Ford display featured another great field of truly beautiful street cars and race cars.

[Mad Dog]

Street Rodder Magazine's Jerry Dixey talked with Dave Smith about Ford crate engines in Ford Racing's booth at SEMA 2013. Probably the most interesting thing about this shameless plug for Ford is listening to the Mustangs tearing it up in the background. Click here to watch the video.

[JJ'snakepit]

Wonder what they'll do for SEMA 2014

Pretty hard to top this year.

Martin

They could TOP this show with a hard Top for the 818

[Mustang Man]

Am I the only one at first glance thought that the dude interviewing Wayne Presley had his right hand in Wayne's left front pocket? LOL

I had to do a double take and stare at my screen for a second. I know Wayne is a real friendly guy, but he never offered me that chance!

Dave, I'm here all week (try the veal!). I'll be tied up in the shop Wed with some tech work, but otherwise at my desk Thurs/Fri. Call if you get a chance.

Mark

[Martin]

They could TOP this show with a hard Top for the 818

My money would be on the 289/slabside as well - *if* they can keep up with production volumes for their existing line up.

Martin

[BillJackson]

I am pretty impressed with what a few other vendors brought to the show as well.
DSC_04021.jpg