Factory Five Racing 1933 Ford - The Cobra In Henry's Clothes

The rear axle is not included in the '33 package; however, the chassis accepts either the Ford 8.8 rear axle from the Mustang or a 9-inch that's been modified for Mustang control arm mounts. Factory Five offers two rear suspensions systems: a standard four-link for the corner carvers or the race proven three-link derivative optional on the roadster. "It's the three-link from our racing series..." Dave noted, "...the geometry is the same."

As dramatic an improvement as the suspension systems may be, a key to the car's turn-in manners and ride quality is due in part to the gap between them. "The wheelbase is a little longer (than the Cobra roadster)," Dave noted. For the record, he's being conservative: "a little longer" translates to 22 inches, or about a quarter of the Cobra's wheelbase.

Remember the tangent about the body components bolting exclusively to the chassis? Though the comprehensive interior panels suggest otherwise, it's not a body in the conventional sense. "The body is just a shell," Dave said. "Nothing bolts to the fiberglass; the body's little more than a fairing. You can actually drive the car without the body."

But just because it's a shell doesn't mean it's crude. Factory Five Racing hand-lays every one of its body panels. "There's not a chopper-gun in the entire building," Dave proclaimed. "It's three layers of 2-ounce mat and a layer of bi-directional cloth, a finishing cloth that has a tight weave that looks real nice. We're using vinylester (binding resin) with a deformation temperature of about 218 degrees. That's really high-a guy in Arizona can paint his car black, and it won't go all wavy. We're also doing between 12 to 20 mils of gel coat, so it'll be a sandable finish.

"Overall, it's about 3/16-inch thick when it's cured and rolled out," he observed. "I think it's thicker than it needs to be, but there's this perception that fiberglass has to be thick for it to be strong. It's frustrating because 1/8-inch is a lot stronger than people think-plenty strong even if the doors and trunk hinged on the body."

Though the doors are full height, it's only to preserve the body lines. Since the door openings are about 1/3 shallower on account of the taller side members, a vertical panel extends from the actual door jambs to where the rocker panel would be on a real '33 Ford.

Rather than part of the body, the floors are stiff aluminum panels that are bonded and riveted directly to the chassis. Once shrouded in carpet, they're indistinguishable from conventional body floors.

Second, Put It All In One Box
"There were two things we really wanted," Dave reflected. "One was the performance and engineering, but the second one is sort of an inheritance from the Cobra industry: it's all in a box. You're getting everything except the engine, transmission, rear axle, wheels, tires, and paint."

Though some in this industry may view this comprehensive package-type design limiting, it's a philosophy that overwhelmingly redeems itself by making the car operate as a balanced system rather than a piecemeal conglomeration of sub-assemblies that may or may not work well with each other. Furthermore, it practically eliminates the frustration and guesswork generally associated with building a car from scratch.

For example, as part of that one-box philosophy, the chassis includes engine and transmission mounts, an aluminum radiator, and even a driveshaft and U-joints for select drivetrains. The roll bars aren't just part of the package; they're part of the car's chassis.

Furthermore, the box includes every piece of suspension, including the spindles, coilovers, rear suspension links, and oversized front disc brakes. The electrical panel and plug-and-play harness runs everything right down to the supplied DOT-approved headlights, LED-lit taillights, and Auto Meter gauges.

As you'd expect, the body has a fully functioning hood, doors, and deck lid and includes a comprehensive weathers stripping. More than just interior and trunk panels, the car comes with an entire interior package, including carpet, bucket seats, and Simpson harnesses. The E-brake handle? It's in there. Steering wheel and column? It has a Factory Five-specific 14-inch wheel on an ididit column purpose built for this car. You want fasteners? The kit includes more than 550 of 'em, including specialty and high-strength variants.

"Really, all the parts are there," Dave said, the pitch of his voice rising in direct proportion to his enthusiasm. "You're getting everything except the engine, transmission, wheels, tires, fuel pump, and battery. Oh, and you gotta paint it."

"One of the things that's made Factory Five famous is that our cars go together pretty well, and this one's the easiest to build of all of 'em," he said. "People are going to be able to build it a little quicker" (than the average hot rod/street rod).

How fast? "Everybody asks the same questions," Dave noted. "How much does it cost and how long does it take to build?"

According to Dave, by chasing great deals, "A guy could build one of these things for less than thirty grand pretty easily," Dave revealed. "You have to be careful; paint can knock you out. But you can do it." As far as how long it takes to build one, "We're about 250 hours for our cars. That's based on a good survey of the people who build their own Cobras, and this is the most elemental car we've ever built.

"Realistically I'd say it's six-month project, after-hours-not full time," Dave noted. "I'd like to under-promise and over-deliver, and I'd say 90 percent of our customers tell us that it took less time than they thought. You know you've really done it right when a customer is even happier about how the car drives and that it took less time than he thought."

Third, Let People Customize ItBy Dave's admission, the one-box design is a potential double-edged sword in a market weaned on the idea that a hobbyist can personalize a car better than any factory can. "That in-the-box idea sort of flies in the face of the hot rod industry where you'll get a frame from one company and a body from another and use suspension from somebody else and it's up to you to put the pieces together," he admitted.

"The challenge was-and I think Jim (Schenck) met it-is how can you make it customizable if all the parts are in a box?" Dave observed. "There's a lot of latitude (in the car) because of the way in which it was designed."

For example, "With the slide-in chrome windshield in it's a roadster; replace it with the hardtop and it's a coupe. The doors come with the power window mounting points already in them, so if you order the car as a roadster and buy the top later you're okay. And the optional fenders...they're removable, too. So really, you've got four cars in one platform.

"Now you mix in paint, wheels, and tires, which are all up to the customer, and engine and drivetrain options, and you can really personalize these cars. The interior-we're just giving everybody a black interior. It's like a Henry Ford thing-any color as long as it's black, right? But you can also do your own if you want. You're not locked in.

"It's not like a donor-based car that has to be built one specific way. There are a few things that have to be a certain way to make the car work as well as it does, but beyond that you can change a lot. That was a third priority."