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Thread: How do the factory five cars "feel" when completed

  1. #1
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    How do the factory five cars "feel" when completed

    All the kits look absolutely amazing, but I'm curious, how do they feel? A lot of kit cars really feel like a kit car. When you open/close the door or hood, they feel kindve wobbly and flimsy. While driving things kindve rattle and dont feel real tight, or you see body panel kind've wobble in the wind at highway speeds. Factory five is on the higher end of the "kit" cars it seems like, so I was curious if they felt the same.

  2. #2
    Out Drivin' Gumball's Avatar
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    Mine is rock solid and feels "factory built." I tried hard to get an OEM look and feel to my car, both to the touch and when driving. I feel like I hit the bullseye.
    Later,
    Chris

    "There are no more monsters to fear, and so, we have to build our own."
    Mk3.1 #7074

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    Not a waxer Jeff Kleiner's Avatar
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    It is very dependent on the builder's skills and attention to fit/finish/details as well as what was used (insulation and sound deadener for example).

    Jeff

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    That's good to read. I love the factory five cars. But have never seen one in person here in alaska. After riding in 2 separate kit cars this last summer that felt a little wonky, it had me curious.

  7. #5
    Out Drivin' Gumball's Avatar
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    As Jeff mentioned, it's all up to the builder... no two are alike, really.

    In my case, here are a few details.....

    Under the FFR carpet, I used 3/8" jute padding with a foil backing, and I then used foil tape on all the seams.

    I applied a fair amount of acoustic damping material - Dynamat - to various areas in the cockpit and trunk.

    The doors are filled with a low expansion foam and have door panels on the inside, as well as full weatherstripping on the surround.

    The trunk is carpeted and the trunk lid is also fully weatherstripped (as is the hood all the way around the opening).

    I used premium switches, added some waxed cord to the spoke areas of the FFR wood wheel for a quality, vintage touch, and had the custom leather seat covers made (along with lumbar support and seat heaters).

    All of the mechanical components received a high level of attention to detail, but many were subject to thousands of test miles and debugging.

    After 13,000 miles, it's rock solid, is reliable, and feels great everytime I shut the door, turn the key, and drive.



    Later,
    Chris

    "There are no more monsters to fear, and so, we have to build our own."
    Mk3.1 #7074

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  9. #6
    Senior Member edwardb's Avatar
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    Agree with the comments so far. The bones are rock solid and perform well. The doors, hood and trunk are solid. The body doesn't shake or rattle. The parts you select to finish (engine, trans, rear suspension, etc.) make a difference. But that last bit of finesse is dependent on the build. I've a big believer in insulation, sound deadening, paying attention to the details, etc. I've given a bunch of rides in my builds. To a person, riders were surprised how "solid" and "together" the cars were. Many say it's not what they expected from a "kit car." Not a rattle, squeak, nothing. Nearly all of that I give credit to Factory Five for the product they offer. But finishing it properly closes the deal. I did an inspection for an out-of-towner of a Factory Five Mk4 Roadster at a local dealer some months ago. Build looked OK. But up close it didn't have the attention to detail. Among other things, didn't have any insulation other than carpet over the bare unfinished aluminum. That might be what some want for their builds. But after taking it for a drive, I can tell you it was very different than what I am used to.

    Now just to be fair, this is a Factory Five forum made up of mostly happy owners. You're not going to get too many on here to admit to wobble, flimsy, rattle, and so on.
    Last edited by edwardb; 12-12-2018 at 08:49 PM.
    Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread
    Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video
    Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.

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  11. #7
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    Wow gumball, That is a clean looking build. And some solid pointers in there. Sounds like they are pretty solid cars, but the real tightness comes from the builders attention to detail.

  12. #8
    Senior Member Fixit's Avatar
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    I'm about 1/2 way into my 1st build (Roadster #9365) and I cringe at the term "kit car".
    "Kit Car" conjures up something from the '80's, based on a cobbled up VW Beetle pan, or an assemblage of ill-fitting parts that are never quite done (uh, Bradley GT for one).

    I'd call the FFR offerings a "Component Car".
    A very well engineered product that either supplies or recommends everything needed to build a solid vehicle if you start at page 1 through the end of the manual.
    Everything added to the build by the owner is a bonus - contributing even more to the overall excellence of the car. Out of the boxes will yield a fabulous car - add a few more hours (and dollars) and the already high quality goes up exponentially.
    John D. - Minneapolis 'Burbs

    1965 El Camino - LT-1, 4L60e, 4wh discs, SC&C susp.
    2013 F-150 Platinum - Twin Turbo 3.5
    2018 Mk4 Roadster w/ Coyote - #9365 - Build Thread Delivery 7/3/18, 1st Start 1/4/19, 1st Road Mile 5/5/19, Legal 6/18/19, In Paint 2/25/21, Done (?) 4/2021

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  14. #9
    Senior Member cgundermann's Avatar
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    About 2000 miles on my build and I couldn’t be happier. There is a wealth of information, expertise and just great ideas on this Forum to coach you along on your build. Members are always willing to assist and as mentioned above, FFR is a well engineered kit with “good bones” - that you can flesh out and even make it truly outstanding. Echo - the devil is in the details and sound/heat insulation...

    Chris
    Last edited by cgundermann; 12-12-2018 at 10:22 PM.
    Generation 3 Type 65 Daytona Coupe Complete Kit #151885 received May 6, 2022. Gen 3 Coyote, IRS, Tremec TKX, American Powertrain hydraulic throwout bearing & Wilwood brakes.

    MK4 Basic Kit #7404, 347 EFI - Pro M Racing ECM, 30# injectors, 70 mm throttle body, 80 mm MAF, Edelbrock Performer aluminum heads & RPM II intake, all new G-Force T5, 3:55 gears, Pro 5.0 shifter, 3-link, carbon fiber dash/custom Speedhut gauges and paint by Da Bat.

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    Senior Member AZPete's Avatar
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    I agree after building a roadster, #6228, and an 818C, #25. The Factory Five bones and design are good and the "feel" depends on the build quality. Insulation, sound deadening, gaps sealed, and everything fitted with attention to detail. My goal, like Gumball, was production car looks, quality and feel.
    818S/C : Chassis #25 with 06 WRX 2.5 turbo, ABS, cruise, PS, A/C, Apple CarPlay, rear camera, power windows & locks, leather & other complexities. Sold 10/19 with 5,800 miles.
    Mk3 Roadster #6228 4.6L, T45, IRS, PS, PB, ABS, Cruise, Koni's, 17" Halibrands, red w/ silver - 9K miles then sold @ Barrett-Jackson Jan 2011 (got back cash spent).

  16. #11
    Senior Member AC Bill's Avatar
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    The originals probably have more rattles, squeaks, then these cars do when built right..

  17. #12
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    did you foam the doors?? or they come that way?? what type of foam used ??
    I foamed a car door on 53 chev and pushed tin off door frame took a bit to fix that, shrunk skin and run bolts through the door
    makes them solid though

  18. #13
    Senior Member edwardb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Houdini View Post
    did you foam the doors?? or they come that way?? what type of foam used ??
    I foamed a car door on 53 chev and pushed tin off door frame took a bit to fix that, shrunk skin and run bolts through the door
    makes them solid though
    No, the doors don't come filled. Not sure which model we're talking about here this is in a general category forum. The Roadster doors are molded with inner and outer shells and an integral steel frame. Coupe doors are similar except the door frame is added later during the build. Can't comment about other models. Foaming the doors has been talked about for as long as I've been on the forum. Some do it successfully with low expansion foam. There have been several reports of damage to the doors but don't know any particulars. I'd proceed very cautiously. There are several on here that paint these cars and generally don't recommend. My personal experience is that with door cards (not part of the kit, but several options to make or buy), weather stripping around the doors, and a properly adjusted and working latch, they're fine and I've not felt the need to do anything else. Door cards in this pic are leather like the rest of the interior. The doors close very solidly.

    Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread
    Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video
    Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.

  19. #14
    Not a waxer Jeff Kleiner's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by edwardb View Post
    ... There are several on here that paint these cars and generally don't recommend. My personal experience is that with door cards (not part of the kit, but several options to make or buy), weather stripping around the doors, and a properly adjusted and working latch, they're fine...
    Exactly! (even without door cards/panels)

    Jeff

  20. #15
    Senior Member TDSapp's Avatar
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    I'd also point out that there are somethings you can buy that will help. For instance the Delrin\poly bushings for the door, trunk and hood hinges will help. With driving the poly control arm bushings will help quite a bit as well.
    Tim Sapp
    11110001101
    Build Blog: http://hotrod.sapp-family.com/blog/

    33 Hot Rod
    Delivered 5/31/2017

  21. #16
    Senior Member Dave Howard's Avatar
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    How do the factory five cars "feel" when completed?????

    Like Tony the Tiger.....It feels GRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!!!!!!

    The car is rock solid. No shakes, no rattles. I agree with all that's been said about panel fit. Take your time and do it right. Dynamat, weather stripping, door panels, trunk carpeting all help to make for a solid sounding ride. My only beef is the hollow sound when closing the doors. I've though about foaming and after 6 years, I'm still riding the fence.
    MkIV #7854, Kit picked up September 2012, Coyote/BOSS 302 intake tuned at 488HP, TKO600, Center Force, Moser 8.8, driveshaft safety hoop, Stainless Header 4x1x4 headers, Gas-N-sidepipes, rad shroud, Wilwoods, NO PS/PB, heater/defroster, heated seats, wipers, Herb door panels, Dynamat Extreme sound/heat dampening, premium Rodtop top, Fast Freddie lexan wind screen, Nitto 555R, drop trunk battery, drop trunk storage,

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    16 years on the road without any issues of noise or vibrations, so maybe that will count for a confirmation of what has already been said.

  23. #18

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    While on a cruise weekend several years ago, one of our fellow cruisers had a problem with his Superformance car ... the clutch master cylinder developed a major leak, leaving him without a clutch. He had driven his car to the cruise location so didn't have a trailer. I drove back to the hotel in my Type 65 coupe and got my truck and trailer and went back and we pushed his car into my trailer. The next day was "go home" day and I told my friend. You have two choices ... you can drive my truck and trailer to your mechanic ... or you can drive my Daytona while I drive the truck and trailer. He chose to drive my coupe (a very early one, # 031). My friend loved driving the coupe, how it handled and how nice the ride was (IRS) compared to his factory built Superformance roadster. I had 18,000 miles and smiles on the coupe when I sold it back in 2015.

    Coupe in photo booth.jpg

    Photo credit to Avalanche 325
    Last edited by Garry Bopp; 12-15-2018 at 10:17 AM.
    I sure miss my coupe!

    F5R1004503SP 2004 Challenge Car, 331 Stroker

    Coupe # 031, 422" Windsor stroker by Southern Automotive (Dash autographed by Peter Brock)***SOLD***
    Unique 427 Roadster, 482" Aluminum FE by Southern Automotive***SOLD***

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