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Thread: Use donor parts or spend the money

  1. #1
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    Use donor parts or spend the money

    Hey guys,

    I'm trying to decide which kit is better for my first build. I'm having a hard time making the decision whether or not to order the base kit that's 12,900 or the complete kit for just under 20,000. That's a 7,000 difference and my main question is "with the base kit, will I end up spending around 7,000 on the rest of the parts needed to build the kit?" excluding the parts that don't come with either kit (i.e paint, wheels, tires, engine etc) . Time is money too and I understand hunting down parts can be a pain. But I wanted some experienced builders to weigh in on this and give some advice for new and potential builders. I look forward to hearing from the community.

    Thanks
    Steve

  2. #2

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
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    Steve,

    Welcome To The Factory Five Family!

    Go with the complete kit unless you have a Mustang on hand.
    In the end you have a Totally New Car and cleaner hands to boot.
    Just understand that this is a suggestion from: The Dark Dart Side!

    Also, get the manual and read it a few times before you order your kit.

    Steve

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8m...4orIm7w/videos
    Last edited by GoDadGo; 07-06-2019 at 09:03 AM.

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  4. #3
    Not a waxer Jeff Kleiner's Avatar
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    Do you want a new car or a used car? You can use a donor car, swap over all of the necessary components and end up with a sort of new/sort of used car....OR you can begin with a donor then rehab & or replace all of the harvested parts to make them like new. That'll cost you a fair amount of time and few thousand dollars. What's your time worth? I've built cars both ways and unless there were some special circumstances would not do another donor based build.

    2 cents.

    Jeff

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  6. #4
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    As the "good" donor cars get harder and harder to come by, the donor model is starting to make less sense both from a cost and time perspective. The good cars are hard to find at a reasonable price, and the beaters are a pile of 20 year old used parts.
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  7. #5
    Senior Member CraigS's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Papa View Post
    As the "good" donor cars get harder and harder to come by, the donor model is starting to make less sense both from a cost and time perspective. The good cars are hard to find at a reasonable price, and the beaters are a pile of 20 year old used parts.
    This is the answer. The other problem w/ a donor is that there is no single year that has all the right parts. For instance you need at least a 94-95 to get rear disc brakes, but then (assuming a 302 is what you want) that is the worst year for the engine. There used to be a couple of salvage yards that did pallets. They would put together what you wanted picked from several different donors. Don't know if any would still do that. Even if one will, as Papa says, they are now 20 plus year old parts. Do you want a 20+ year old lower ball joint that is in the Mustang LCA?
    FFR MkII, 408W, Tremec TKO 500, 2015 IRS, DA QA1s, Forte front bar, APE hardtop.

  8. #6
    Senior Member CFranks's Avatar
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    I bought an unfinished roadster and am currently finishing it. The original builder chose to go with a base kit but still non-donor, so that means he had to source all the parts brand new from a variety of sources. I have all his invoices, I never added them up but to answer your question they certainly seem like they’d be more than the $7k difference you mention. Regradless, looks like it’s a major pain to source them all if it’s not your thing. Although I really like everything he chose so glad he did the leg work, if I was starting from scratch I would go complete kit. Nothing more frustrating then not having the parts around, especially if you’re time constrained.

  9. #7
    Senior Member skidd's Avatar
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    Don't forget a NON-DONOR base kit build. Piecing together the exact parts you want bit by bit along the way. It's a bit tedious, but I LOVED watching CraigList and eBay every day for "that perfect find". Managed to dig up some great deals.
    Hey, if the money isn't a big issue, and time is a concern, as well as hunting parts.. do the full kit. done.
    For me, the money was an issue since I had a pretty tight budget. Plus.. I wanted to make this "my" car. Power Steering, brakes, carb, MY dash layout and gauges. etc... and Finding parts was a genuine blast!!

    Some examples of how you can do well with piece-meal + base kit.. I managed...
    - low mile 99 Explorer 302 WITH accessories. Means power steering rack and diy lines. I believe the full kit comes with a Manual Steering Rack.
    - Found a Used/Rebuilt SN95 3.55 Rear Axle with seized calipers from sitting in a shed. Also with PBR fronts (also seized) and SN95 spindles. + good condition Fox Brake Booster. All for $300. The seized calipers were worth $230 on core exchange at RockAuto.
    - Found a '98 Pedal Box with ford clutch and throttle cable for $20. Used the Fox Booster and new '93 Cobra Master Brake Cyl.
    - Upgraded to a Blank Dash (cost an extra $50.. go figure, more $ for less?) and you can place the gauges and switches EXACTLY where you want them. And.. got the EXACT speedhut gauges I wanted for my look.
    - $70 for a very clean used '92 fuel tank with sending unit and straps. Coat of paint and it's brand new. Since I was going carb, I sold the the fuel pump on CL for $20 (hard to believe someone wanted it) then $20 on Amazon for a low-pressure in-tank pump.
    - Mazda Miata TopOfTunnel Parking Brake
    - No Frills Wiring Harness from SpeedwayMotors that I modified anyway

    Donor Build? don't bother. Not worth it any more.
    Complete Kit or BaseKit and lots of Parts Hunting.. the only way to go!

    Just to add more fuel to the fire... I'm one of those foolish idiots who tracked every penny spent on my car. I did everything myself, including paint and body work.
    For an on-road grand total of $27K. +- a few hundred for random stuff. Before paint I was at $24K.
    2016 MK4 | '99 Explorer 5.0 | E303&600cfm carb | T5z + 3.55 | 3-link | SN95 | PB/PS | FR500 17" 315&275 |

  10. #8
    Senior Member GTBradley's Avatar
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    I’ve now done both...sort of. In the past I restored, top to bottom, an antique English sports car with donor parts and just recently completed a full-kit MK 4 from FFR using only new parts.

    One thing drove my decision in the first case: money. All other things like desire and purpose had to conform to this limitation, so I willingly accepted the fact that I would be spending a lot of time doing research, hunting, and cleaning of used parts. And that the car would always need more attention than one built with all new parts.

    Three things drove my decision in the second case: money, desire and purpose. This time I could afford to get everything I wanted brand new. My desire was to have the 60s look in a car I could depend on for the rest of my life; have the comfort that old sports cars typically don’t provide (such as Independent Rear Suspension, etc.); and the performance new technology affords. The purpose for the car: to use it, frequently, that means additional items like heater, wipers, tonneau and convertible top, a trailer, etc. - all things that also make my wife comfortable and more likely to go with me. The cost easily tops $65k for this not including a trailer.

    The thing is too, since Factory Five builds such a good kit and if you can afford the time and don’t mind the extra labor you can still build one Hell-of-good-car for a lot less money. You have to be diligent in your planning though, or costs will rise here too.
    Last edited by GTBradley; 07-06-2019 at 02:01 PM.
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  11. #9
    Senior Member BEAR-AvHistory's Avatar
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    Went with a full non-donor build. Did not want to rebuild a bunch of old parts & materially slow down the whole process. Have no idea if it cost more as once I made the decision what donor parts cost was something I never looked up. Car was built & on the road in 13 months working a few hours a day & a longer day on Saturday.

    So far one bad part & one mistake have been the only cause of down time in what is a daily driver with 10K+ miles on it.
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  12. #10
    Senior Member edwardb's Avatar
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    x3 or x4 that the base kit doesn't have to mean it's a donor build. I'm on my fourth build. No donors. Two base kits and two complete kits. Just depends on what you want to do. As you said, time is money. I'm nearly certain buying your own parts, e.g. the difference between a base and complete kit, isn't a way to save money. But if you have some custom ideas in mind and don't want to pay for stuff you don't use, it's an option. But don't look at it only as base kit = donor, complete kit = non-donor. I'm with Jeff. I won't ever do a donor build. I don't have a ton of previous experience, but I've done enough work on older (and in my part of the country rusty...) cars that I don't want to mess with that any more. My hats are off to those who have the patience to rehab parts from a donor.
    Last edited by edwardb; 07-06-2019 at 02:20 PM.
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  13. #11

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    I went the donor route in terms engine transmission and rear end. I purchased a used TKO 500 and 1997 cobra engine. I regret everyday not buying new. I have spent more time and money getting it all hooked up and running and in my opinion not worth the effort.

  14. #12
    Senior Member EZ$'s Avatar
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    I went with a base kit because I wanted to do an FIA car, and of course I was about a year early for FFR's FIA full kit. If I had it to do over again, I would have ordered the full kit, traded, sold, or swapped out the parts that wouldn't work for the FIA, but I would have had all the other parts that I ended up sourcing on my own. I just wish I had known they were close to offering it, and waited till they released the FIA kit. I'm pretty sure I would have been done by now!
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  15. #13
    Seasoned Citizen NAZ's Avatar
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    Go with new parts and you'll have a new car when you're done. Plus no rust, no wear, no grease, and no worry that the used parts won't last or perform like expected.
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  16. #14
    Senior Member Joel Hauser's Avatar
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    I went with the base kit and donor option in 2016. I used a 1996 donor. It turned out a lot of the donor parts were not usable and had to be replaced including the gas tank, lower control arms and ball joints, gauges, steering rack, tires. removing and dieting the wiring harness took several years off my life. And of course, you are probably not going to want to use an engine without first having it machined and rebuilt. You'll probably want to use all new sensors, oil and water pump, and oil pan (not cheap!). In the end I think I saved a little money, compared to the complete kit, but not much. If you decide to do a donor build, make sure the donor mustang is in good working condition, complete, original, and has clean title. Find out from the seller if it has had any mods done to the engine.

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    I'd agree with all that has already been said. I don't think a base kit is a bad way to go but I also wouldn't suggest a donor for all the reasons already listed.
    Here is how my build went and what I learned along the way:

    I started my build in June 2016 by buying a 1988 mustang as a donor with the intention of doing a donor build on a budget. It was a running, driving, licensed car that was rusted out and wouldn't have passed safety for a new owner to put on the road so it was cheap, picked it up for $1400 Canadian. Although I hadn't counted on it, it had a good number of newer aftermarket parts I didn't need and was able to sell for a total of about $2000 so I definitely didn't lose out going this route, that said selling all the parts was pretty aggravating itself.
    I disassembled the car as per the manual, it wasn't easy, some of the 30 year old bolts just don't want to come apart. Once I got everything apart and started looking at what I had I determined most of it I had no intention of using. In the end the only parts that went into my build were the engine Short block, clutch (newer King Cobra), bellhousing, driveshaft and rear axel housing.
    I spent about $5k CDN (if I was in the USA I could have done the same for under $3k USD, in addition to the exchange rate prices are higher here and shipping costs add up) on new heads and everything to convert it to carb, definitely saved some money here over buying a crate engine but I still have a motor with 100k miles on the block and rotating assembly.
    The transmission was shot and I bought a rebuilt one for less than I could rebuild mine for. Ended up blowing 3rd gear to pieces after two months on the road, had a new T5Z spec transmission built for $1800CDN, should have done one of these from the start. Trans builder said the old ones just weren't that strong to begin with and 30 years old have metal fatigue making the gears even weaker. Probably lost another $1000+ dealing with transmission issues start to finish, easily could have bought a new one.

    Rear end had 3.73 gears already in it, spent couple hundred or so getting it sandblasted and painted, ordered new axel shafts to convert to 5 lug. I never specified and vendor never asked so both our fault, I was sent 31 spline axel shafts vs the stock 28 spline for the diff I had. Ended up buying a new 31 spline Diff as it made more sense than shipping the shafts back and forth to replace. Replaced bearings and seals, cheap. once I had the car done and was doing alignment, discovered the rear wheels were toed out almost 1/4" (Bad!), had to remove from the car and take to a shop to get the rear straightened. All in I saved money vs buying a new Moser, but all the aggravation wasn't worth it. If I did it again I would buy a new rear end or more likely bite the bullet and spring for IRS.

    Had new driveshaft made from the donor, saved a couple hundred here, no big deal.

    I ordered my Kit Nov 2016, base kit with lots of options. Wiring harness, cooling system/Rad, 3 link, Wilwood pedal box, probably a couple more, all because I didn't want to use the donor parts and this seemed the smarter way to go. At the time the sale they were having probably still worked out better than buying a complete kit.

    I sourced myself a new repro gas tank, then had to track down the right sending unit/pickup, bought SN95 94-95 spindles as I thought this was the best route, knowing what I know now about the better geometry I would have sprung for the new FFR 2 piece spindles.

    I bought used mustang PBR 2 piston calipers and discs for the front, they turned out to have the now well known sticking pistons so after much screwing around I traded them for new parts store calipers. Once again maybe saved a bit but probably better to just get them from FFR. Sourced rear brakes and braided lines front and rear from a good vendor on here I got lots of other parts from.

    If I did it again I'm not sure if I would do a base or complete kit but I would definitely skip the Donor unless you want to use some of the drivetrain parts to rebuild into something better and can sell off the rest to get close or better than break even on the donor car cost.

    Have fun planning your build, it's one of the best parts!

  18. #16
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    I went the donor route in 2006. My donor ran me $500 so I know I got my money’s worth! Some of the original parts were used for core credits and some actually in my completed car! I could have rebuilt some of them but got new because I figured there were better places to spend my time. With over 64k miles of smiles, I have nothing to complain about.
    FFR 5136 Started as a donor...donor guages, engine, trans,etc. Now...TFS street intake,stage 1 cam, GT40p's,24# injectors and 80mm MAF,70mm TB,Z-spec t-5, and PSE Halibrand wrapped with Nitto 555 G2’s. My ever evolving dream car!!

  19. #17
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    I used a mint 2001 mustang gt donor but I was surprised how little I used after I got it apart. Only used engine (changed to new Tremec 5 spd. transmission), rear axle, gas tank but new pump, calipers (but eventually replaced them, corroded piston). I would probably buy a base kit, upgrade some of the parts and source the rest to get what I wanted. The donor route is the CHEAP way but when you figure all the time you put into building used parts don't sit well and even then you have to refurbish them. I also replaced the side exhausts as they were not an option when I bought my base kit. For me the donor route was the expensive way to go in the end. The one plus was that the donor was in such good condition that I had more confidence in how the engine had been treated. Any of the Cobra donor models I looked at had been flogged to death.

  20. #18
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    Just starting mine so it's to soon to tell how the money works out. I started with a base kit with the three link rear suspension and tube lower A arms. I'm going with an LS and 4L60E so a lot of the stuff that comes with the complete kit wouldn't work. I found a dead 96 Mustang for $400. The rear end seems to be good although it's a 3.27 ratio. The fuel tank also appears to be good but will need a different pump. Will probably replace all the brakes but haven't decided what I'll use. So far, I'm using the front spindles and maybe the power rack. If I had planned to use a Ford drive train, I probably would have been better off to buy a complete kit

  21. #19
    David aka Ducky2009 Ducky2009's Avatar
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    I started out thinking about the donor route. Traveled to FF to see if I fit in the car (I'm 6'2"). They talked me (thank goodness) into going the complete kit route.
    As many said, you'll have a new car with 20 yr old parts, if you can find anything not already worn out. But, if you want to price used parts, try MPS Salvage, 2013 Last Street, Statham, GA 30666 800-236-1156. I think you'll find that the cost is pretty high.
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  22. #20
    Senior Member Avalanche325's Avatar
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    I looked at doing a donor build about 7 years ago. Even then, donor cars were either completely worn our or priced well above what made sense. Fox bodies are pretty much considered to be classics now in the Mustang community and are priced accordingly. Even a pristine one is going to have parts that are so old they are a problem waiting to happen. 20+ year old wires, fuel tank, and radiators are false economy.

    I don't regret going all new for one second.

    If you are straying far from stock, you can always do a base kit + add ons. Like the FFR cooling system package. Or fuel tank package.

  23. #21
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    Hey Steve,
    I went with certain donor parts (rear end and engine) to learn how to rebuild them while going through the experience of building the car. I wanted to know how all parts of a car work, and rebuilding the donor parts sure was the right path for me. That being said, I don't know that I would do it again (the rebuilding steps). I have that general knowledge now, and can visualize how and why something works as it does. Even though I went with donor motor, transmission and rear end I purchased a new wiring harness, new brakes, and put new bearings in everything that was donor. That's indeed added time to the build.
    my 0.02 cents
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  24. #22
    Tool Baron frankeeski's Avatar
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    I've been watching this thread for over a week and have held my tongue hoping someone would point out the financial aspect of this. It all boils down to the thickness of your wallet and exactly how dirty you want your hands to get. Now all you complete kit guy don't need to get your noses out of joint. I've built plenty of complete kits for customers, but I've also built some awesome donor build cars. So here you go, someone point out the "donor" in this build. Agree/disagree but I'd put this car up against any high dollar complete kit build.

    Donor Build by frankeeski, on Flickr

    On top of that I see many builders throw away perfectly good "complete kit" parts replacing them with some special name replacement part. JMHO, but that is just throwing away money and I'm not made of money. I was on the road for under $20K, in just over a year and the car was minus paint, running a stock 5.0 with over 200K miles on it. My long term plan was to end up with the car you see here but we beat the snot out of it for almost 9 years before the 347 SBF went in it. We rebuilt the T5 in the beginning and used all the brake parts as cores for new or rebuilt parts. If you have deep pockets and want the path of least resistance go for the complete kit, never an argument from me. But if your dollars and cents matter, there are still deals on late model Mustangs (Mod Motors) out there. And when FFR runs a 50/50 sale you can get a fully optioned base kit for less than the complete kit. Smart shopping will pay you back. If you're in a hurry or impatient, plan on paying for it.
    Last edited by frankeeski; 07-13-2019 at 10:16 PM.
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  26. #23
    Richard Oben's Avatar
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    What Frank said. Done both, can't tell them apart if done right. $7,000 Buys a lot of parts, getting dirty is a trade off. Remember the $7k still does not include engine and trans. We have cars locally that were built with a donor, refreshed everything, swapped to carb and are almost 20 years old and have 40,000 miles and no one could tell if they were built yesterday, or 20 years ago.

    Budget is the driving factor. Pay a lot or work a lot. Restraint is the hard part of spending too much. We have guys with 30k cars and guys with 70k cars. They both look like same car on the outside. HTH. Richard.
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  27. #24
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    My rule was new for moving/wear items, junkyard for non-moving parts.

  28. #25
    Senior Member Avalanche325's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by frankeeski View Post
    we beat the snot out of it for almost 9 years ........
    9 years ago, donors were 9 years newer. Donors made more financial sense back then. Low mileage Fox bodies are more expensive than the parts you get out of them today.

    Nothing wrong with getting an engine, transmission or whatever used and saving some money. But the donor + kit = complete car would be hard to pull off these days and have a reliable car.

    C'mon with "someone point out the "donor" in this build". The picture is of the body, wheels and tires. You didn't use the donor wheels and tires.
    Last edited by Avalanche325; 07-15-2019 at 03:21 PM.

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  30. #26
    Senior Member edwardb's Avatar
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    I've stayed out of this most recent round. But now have these two comments. Yes, I get where cost (money) is a consideration. Every build should have a plan and a budget that fits the builder's situation. Obviously some will be lower/higher than others. But time is a consideration too. While not so much of an issue now that I'm retired, when I was working and traveling long hours, my build time was limited and it was way faster taking a new part out of a box than rehabbing something from a donor. The time saved has value too. Aside from the fact that rehabbing parts is just not something I enjoy. So there's that too. Now I have more time, but I still prefer spending the time working with new. I can afford it and I can't take it with me. Everyone has to decide what's most important for them. But don't leave time out of the equation.

    The other thing I react to in several of these posts is the somewhat judgmental statement of "wasting money." Never liked that term. How I choose to spend my hobby dollars is my business. If I spend more than someone else (e.g. don't build a donor, don't use a kit provided part, whatever) that doesn't mean I wasted money. Not as far as I'm concerned. It just means I chose a different direction and I'm doing what I enjoy. Did the guy who bought the full dress Roush motor instead of the salvage SBF waste money? No, because that's what he wanted and not going to get judgment from me. One could make a very strong argument that every penny spent on these cars is wasted money. There are way cheaper and more practical means of transportation. But that's not the point, right? We do this for fun and we all choose how much we want to spend. There will always be cheaper and more expensive paths. What we choose is a personal choice, and should be judgment free.

    And BTW, new builds will typically have higher resale value. Have learned that being on both ends of the deal. But that's a whole other discussion, so will just drop that comment and run.
    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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  32. #27
    Tool Baron frankeeski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by frankeeski View Post
    Now all you complete kit guy don't need to get your noses out of joint.
    Uh-oh, seems I hit a nerve?
    Frank
    __________________________
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  33. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by edwardb View Post
    {snip}
    The other thing I react to in several of these posts is the somewhat judgmental statement of "wasting money." Never liked that term. How I choose to spend my hobby dollars is my business. If I spend more than someone else (e.g. don't build a donor, don't use a kit provided part, whatever) that doesn't mean I wasted money. Not as far as I'm concerned. It just means I chose a different direction and I'm doing what I enjoy. Did the guy who bought the full dress Roush motor instead of the salvage SBF waste money? No, because that's what he wanted and not going to get judgment from me. One could make a very strong argument that every penny spent on these cars is wasted money. There are way cheaper and more practical means of transportation. But that's not the point, right? We do this for fun and we all choose how much we want to spend. There will always be cheaper and more expensive paths. What we choose is a personal choice, and should be judgment free.
    Post of the year.
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    427W, TKO600, Moser 3.55 rear.
    Delivered Feb 2017, Graduated Nov 4, 2019

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  35. #29
    Senior Member weendoggy's Avatar
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    I agree with all the comments. Building a car is like reading this thread...pick and choose what you want to do, because everybody didn't do it the same way.
    I'm just a victim of a thousand physic wars!
    www.weendoggy.com/cobra.htm

  36. #30

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    Agree with Paul's comments - but an example of wasting money would buying a donor car and then getting discouraged and not using the parts and then buying new parts. Best to just buy the new parts and not buy them twice in my opinion. If you can stick to the script the FFR complete kit is a fair deal.
    www.breezeautomotive.com 2005 FFR Mk3 Roadster, 302/340hp, MassFlo EFI, Breeze Pulleys, T5, Aluminum Flywheel, 3-link rear with Torsen Diff and 3.27:1 gears, Power Steering, Breeze Front Sway Bar, SN-95 Spindles with outboard SAI Mod, Breeze Battery Mount, QA1 Externally Adjustable Shocks, Quick Release Steering Wheel, Vintage Race seats, GM Arctic White, Sky Blue Scoop, Hidden Hinges, Billet Aluminum Side-view Mirrors, 2,183lbs wet. 1967 Mustang Fastback, Dark Moss Green, black interior, '67 14" styled steel wheels, 2000 Explorer 302 w 5.0 Cam, Quickfuel 450 CFM, 289 Hi-Po Dual exhaust, C4, lowering springs w Shelby drop.

  37. #31
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    I went the donor route and glad I did. I'm not saying the others that are saying go complete are wrong, I'm cheep and I had a limited budget.I was also lucky,I found a 96 mustang cobra that had been rolled and totaled. Nothing mechanical was damaged, and only had 60,000 miles on it, with zero rust. Bought it at an auction for $2700.00. It pretty much supplied me with all the necessary parts I needed.grad4.JPG

  38. #32
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    Hey Everyone,

    It's been about a month since I initiated this thread with my question on which build was better, the donor or complete kit. I just want to say thank you for everyone's advice, I'm already loving being a part of this community. It's been my dream ever since I got back from Afghanistan (semper fi) to build a FFR Cobra. Just in case anyone was wondering I've decided to go the complete kit route. With my reasons I think you will all be in agreement, I have a sporadic work schedule, young family, low budget and I'm new at building. If I'm going to build a car I should follow the instructions since it's my first time. I've done research on the deals that FFR offers and I think I'll just have to wait until the timing is right to finance. In the meantime I'll continue to read as many forums as I can and listen to your advice. Over the next year or so I'll probably be posting like crazy so this won't be the last time you hear from me. What I think I'll do is buy the complete kit for my first build and then when I get around to building another one I'll use donor parts and get the base model (since I'll have more experience from the first build). In summary, as a new builder, this is what I take away from all of your advice and comments. The most important factors are money, experience, time, and style. When computing that equation using my personal details as the factors, I have to go with the complete kit. I thank you all and I look forward to more discussions.
    Thanks
    -Steve

  39. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Koleszar View Post
    Hey Everyone,

    It's been about a month since I initiated this thread with my question on which build was better, the donor or complete kit. I just want to say thank you for everyone's advice, I'm already loving being a part of this community. It's been my dream ever since I got back from Afghanistan (semper fi) to build a FFR Cobra. Just in case anyone was wondering I've decided to go the complete kit route. With my reasons I think you will all be in agreement, I have a sporadic work schedule, young family, low budget and I'm new at building. If I'm going to build a car I should follow the instructions since it's my first time. I've done research on the deals that FFR offers and I think I'll just have to wait until the timing is right to finance. In the meantime I'll continue to read as many forums as I can and listen to your advice. Over the next year or so I'll probably be posting like crazy so this won't be the last time you hear from me. What I think I'll do is buy the complete kit for my first build and then when I get around to building another one I'll use donor parts and get the base model (since I'll have more experience from the first build). In summary, as a new builder, this is what I take away from all of your advice and comments. The most important factors are money, experience, time, and style. When computing that equation using my personal details as the factors, I have to go with the complete kit. I thank you all and I look forward to more discussions.
    Thanks
    -Steve
    Congrats! Do yourself a favor and read over several build threads for ideas and such. Enjoy your build!

  40. #34
    Seasoned Citizen NAZ's Avatar
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    Steve, build it your way -- nobody can say your wrong.
    Dart Little M 406" SBC 800 HP N/A & 1,100 HP on nitrous, 2-spd Powerglide with trans brake, 6,000 RPM stall converter, narrowed Moser 88 3.90:1 spool with 35-spline gun-drilled axles & Torino bearings, custom parallel four-link, custom tube chassis & roll cage NHRA certified for 8.5-sec (only two FFR Hot Rods have this cert).

    33 Hot Rod Super Pro Drag Racer Build: 33 HR NHRA Cert Roll Cage Build

  41. #35
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    Steve,

    Congrats and good luck to you as you venture into this fantastic journey. Like NAZ said, do it your way! There is no right or wrong approach to building the car YOU want to build. I started very much along the same line you plan to take; complete kit by the book. As I got into the build, I found places I wanted to deviate a bit. In the end, I used the vast majority of the kit parts. Things I didn't use were the side pipes, brake & fuel lines, cooling system tubing, head lamps, and a few scattered odds and ends. There were also some great parts used from our supporting vendors like seat mounting kit, seat heaters, uncut trans cover, drop battery box, and a few more upgraded parts. In the end, I have a car I'll be proud to drive and brag about. You'll have the same no matter what you decide to do when the time comes.

    Dave
    My Build Thread: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...ter-Build-9754
    (Most viewed Roadster build thread on this forum!)

    Delivered: 6/17/2017
    First Start: 12/30/2017
    Completed: 12/7/2019
    Legal: 1/30/2020

    Member of the Mile-Hi Cobra Club
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  42. #36
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    Steve, build it as you want, it is your car. No one can question you on your choices (with the exception of safety ), being north of the border I was forced to buy the basic kit by Transport Canada. I had considered doing the donor thing but what swayed me to go New parts was all of the great Venders here and that fact that everyone on this site had such great ideas and Mods that made me spend my money! It has taken a lot longer than I planned but I know I have a quality car and a unique car based on my wants. Go have fun and don't let these guys spend all your money.....

  43. #37
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    i just finished my MKIII kit using donor parts.

    now that i know, i should have used new parts.

    my rebuilt motor and tranny are some what decent but chasing bugs.
    mustang steering rack is not great.
    mustang pedals suck.
    mustang brakes are not awesome.
    mustang suspension sucks. travel sucks on it.
    mustang gas tank is lame.
    mustang hand brake sucks.

  44. #38
    David aka Ducky2009 Ducky2009's Avatar
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    I ran across this link today. I'm retired, i.e. have lots of time, but... I wouldn't spend my time rebuilding everything. But that's me!

    NOTE the age of post and also, he did lots of work himself.... rebuilt engine, paint, etc...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgibGN4i6Uk
    Last edited by Ducky2009; 07-25-2019 at 10:01 AM.
    MK4 Build #9035 Delivered 2/17/17, First Start & Go-Kart 6/2/17, Licensed 9/1/17
    Paint - Lightning Blue Metallic, No Hood Scoop, No Stripes
    Gen 2 Coyote Engine & TKO-600. Solid Axle, 8.8-3.55, Power Steering, Power Brakes, Dual Roll Bars
    Heater and Glove Box, Drop Trunk, Wipers, Radio, FFR Vintage Gauges, Custom Dash
    Build Thread: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...MK4-Build-9035

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