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Type 65 and Roadster

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Francky77 
#1 ·
I'm a proud owner of a Factory Five Roadster and I love it.
I love driving it, I love working on it, I love people reaction and the attention she gets...
At local car show, it gets more attention than Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and other beautiful exotic cars.
Even motorcycle wave at you, best car ever.

I wasn't at first, but I'm now getting attracted to the Type 65, the design and practicality of having a roof really grows on me.

So I have several question for you Type 65 Owner:

First of all, I'd like to know if anybody had a chance to own both and tell me a bit about their experience, I don't want to sell my Roadster, get a Type 65 and regret it.

Then, they are usually more expensive on the used market than the Roadster.... I'm wondering why, the kit isn't that much expensive?

Is there anything specific I should look at when buying one?

Thank you Type 65 people :)
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Have had several Roadsters and currently driving 20th Anniversary Roadster #8674. Just completed its third season and nearly 6,500 miles. Love everything about it. But a real top and real heat and A/C would extend the driving season plus make my wife happy. Plus the Coupe is amazing looking and not nearly as common. So just about to complete a Gen 3 Coupe. Link to my build thread in the sig line below. Can't give you a blow-by-blow driving comparison, although I suspect they will be similar. Especially in my case because I've purposely made the suspension and drivetrain nearly identical.

To your questions regarding price and value: Yes, the kits are similar price. But if you start adding features to the Coupe, which are typical and probably desirable for it, it starts getting more expensive. Like heat and A/C. Side windows. Wipers. High back seats are mandatory as far as I'm concerned. Your head is just inches from the roll cage without. There's a lot more to the interior, so if you start customizing (which many do) the costs start adding up there as well. I've found the Coupe is quite a bit more expensive to paint. I was in denial at first, but it's happening to me now and others report the same. While the Gen 3 from Factory Five seems to be a significant improvement from the previous versions (which I don't have experience with) it IMO is a more complex build than a Roadster and so requires more time. They're not nearly as common as the Roadster and factory built Coupe versions, e.g. Superformance, are significantly more expensive than Roadsters. All of which make the Coupe likely more expensive IMO, and I would expect hold their value better as well.

Get back to me in a year, and I expect to have a much more complete answer after spending time actually driving and experience the Coupe on the road. One caution with the Coupe. They can be challenging to get in and out of, and maybe for some not possible or practical because of that. Don't judge by one, because there are variations that help. Seats make a difference. Some do a removable steering wheel which would be helpful for some. The Gen 3 is bigger and a bit easier than previous versions, so consider that as well.
 
#3 ·
I will 2nd Paul's comments. The coupe has more leg room but it is tight getting in and out of it especially without a removable steering wheel.
David W
 
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#4 ·
I own and built both, I just completed the coupe (gen 2) and haven’t driven it much, it’s a longer and more involved build , especially the bodywork! Getting in and out of it is much harder at 61 yrs old. It is also a lot louder with the supplied exhaust which I’m going to change. It does attract more attention than my roadster which says a lot because like you the roadster is way more approachable than a Lamborghini or Ferrari, people love that car! My initial driving impression is that it’s better suited for a track than a windy road with its longer wheelbase. Hope that helps.
 
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