Hi everyone. My Mark IV Roadster was loaded with Stewart Transport yesterday and should be on the road Saturday. SO I can expect delivery towards the end of next week. So I decided to go ahead and start the build thread.

The order:

Mark IV Roadster complete kit with IRS and body cut outs traced. Bare frame and power steering. Standard seats and Auto Meter Lite gauges. Heater and wipers. Wilwood brakes and the Koni double adjustable shocks.

The engine is a Ford 351 Windsor with a .040 over bore making it a 358. About 10.5 to 1 compression with a roller cam. Built it a few years ago and mounted it on a break in stand, was trying to teach my young sons things about car engines at the time. The transmission is a TKX with the .68 fifth gear. Centerforce Dual Friction clutch and a Quicktime bell housing.

I have already hit all the aftermarket vendors. Soft top is here, Boig Cool tubes are here, drop trunk from Russ Thompson is here and I will send the steering column out for the turn signal mod.

Forward firewall and transmission tunnel top from FFMetal. The rear glove box, door sill plates and exhaust hangers from Dark Water Customs.

Mirrors, radiator brackets, battery tray, fan shroud from Breeze are all here.

I am sure I am forgetting parts, but ALL the vendors I chose to do business with are great to deal with.

I have been amassing parts for the engine, wheels, seats and such for years.

So about me. I started this journey in the late 90s. I wanted a Midstates, Bob Kalio was a class act but then he sold out to Shell Valley and that ended that idea. Then Hurricane Motorsports came out and made a real decent car, then they went out and came back. Factory Five was a second choice to Hurricane for a long time. What made the change is the refinements and changes made by Factory Five showed they cared and wanted a better car. Finally the frame was the deciding factor. People drive terrible. I think a collision in a car with Factory Fives frame would be more survivable than with Hurricanes frame.

I am a retired commercial pilot hence the username "flyboyjy". I got tired of the economy getting me every time there was a downturn, competing with 5000 or 6000 pilots for the same job isn't fun. But long ago I thought to have a back up plan and that turned out to be as a diesel mechanic, and yes I actually do have college degrees as both. So I retired from flying in 2010 and started working on trucks and equipment. Turns out I had a hidden talent for running crews and entire shops. Ended up where I am today as the Field Service Manager for an extremely busy heavy equipment repair company. I send my crews out and sometimes run the entire company when the owner decides to take time off.

Anyway the car will be built in a 3 car garage in Colorado, I live somewhere between Papa and GTBradley.

I will do my best to post pictures and keep this updated. I thought about putting it on YouTube but I know I don't have the time for editing.

Talk with you all later.

Jason