Ok..in my opinion these cars are not money makers..especially in the current market...there are tons of good c_obras for sale for less than it takes to build them. The experience of building/driving a car I made is like no other experience I have had in any car /bike I have owned. I no longer get thrilled about buy a performance car....because I would not get the same thrills as I have received from my FFR. Then there is the brother hood that comes with build this car....I have made life long friends. I recommend you find local FFR members... look at their cars... talk to them & get some rides in them. Know what you want...especially in the hp area....more is not necessarily better.

Your going to have the time of your life.

Charles

Drive with your lights on.

 

Go for it, you won't be disappointed!

 

X2 everything Charles said above.
1. This is nothing like the kit cars of yesteryear, it's base is a precision made race car chassis that's extremely rigid. I have read its better than the original Cobra frame due to the modern technology used. Dash: I fabricated a couple simple supports for the bottom of the dash to attach it to the 2"x2" horizontal frame member, no shaking.
2. You will probably not get out of it what it cost to build, but it depends on where you spend your money as to what % you can expect to recoup.
3. I'm average size; 5'9", 165#. It's extremely easy for me to get in & out, and quite comfortable to drive.

 

I bought an MKII last year knowing absolutely nothing about FFR, the car I bought was sold as a new motor non donor build but I found out pretty fast it was a heap of junk built with parts out of a junk yard and a motor on its way out. the engine lasted a couple hundred miles before going and as I took the car apart I found Micky mouse after junk again and again. I pretty much rebuilt the entire car, all I have left is suspension and brakes which I plan on doing this winter.

Bottom line is with the purchase of the car and everything I rebuilt I am in it $40k, I should have bought a kit. Only thing I was saved from is the body work. But now the car is solid, rattles are gone since I insulated everything, the original owner claimed it was but it was bare metal.

 

You can buy a "good one" and that may be your best buy but you will have to get the right car at the right price. Building is more costly than FFR wants to advertise which is not all FFR's fault since everybody changes this or that and sometimes we stumble over the learning curve. If you have the room, money and a understanding family or are single you have a chance of at least living through it or even enjoying it. If you have to fight the build and the wife its gonna be ugly. Don't get caught up thinking a donor build is the only way to go. You can buy a optioned up base kit and buy new or rebuilt parts as needed and skip all the teardown and rebuild and not be much different money wise. I would suggest reading the forum for 3 months and getting the FFR manual and study up on what's possible and then start making a build plan. Your taste may change in what you want in the car with your education of the build process.

 

I would definitely build it myself. A donor car is great for some but I would get the complete kit which includes the tubular chassis from FFR. I am 53 yrs old,work full time, married and have two high school daughters. I estimate it would take me about 1-1/2 yrs to build which is ok. My family is very understanding and would be ok with me committing the time and money. They know I am am a car nut.

I guess I do not want to head into this thing with buyers remorse. 40-45K is a lot of money to spend and not be happy with the end product(poor drivability/vibrations/rattles/shoddy workmanship,etc). I am just a little nervous about making the correct decision. I appreciate all the input you guys can give me. I have been reading the forum and you guys are great!!!

 

Best bet, find someone local who you can meet and talk to, these cars can be built be built for a hell of a lot less than 40-45K.

And can be as civilized (or not as) you want.

My suggestion?

2003-2004 mach 1 donor, abs, PS, PB, heated seats . insulated cockpit and trunk, and carpeted trunk, Hood and trunk supports.

Built properly it will not rattle, squeak, or vibrate. With emissions properly built it will pass emissions anywhere. Also if built properly and set up properly it will drive like a production car, go like a raped ape, and stop on a dime with nickel change.

These are not your grandfathers kit cars, these are refined and sold as a rock.


I am in Mass and would be happy to meet and / or talk with you.

Ron

 

The beauty of building one of these cars is that you can make exactly what you want. You can make a complete show car or a daily driver. You build it as solid as you want. At least you are more realistic about price than I was to begin with.

I would never recommend building a FFR if your intention was to drive it for a year or two and then sell it. You will most likely break even on build expenses but by the time you factor in the long hours it took to build, you will be in the red.

On the plus side, the build process has been unlike anything else I have ever done. I could have just went out and purchased a new sports car but I would have been bored just letting it sit in the garage and driving it occasionally. I figure I am paying for the experience, the hobby and pure fun of the entire process.

If you aren't picky and you don't have spare time buy used and save money. If you want a hobby, an awesome learning experience and a passion for your car that you will never get from just buying then by all means build one.

 

Where do you live? There is probably an FFR owner within a reasonable drive for you and he would be happy to give you a spin in the car.

When I visited the factory, I was very impressed generally with the whole package. The frame is top quality, as are the components. The body is well done and good quality, and the firm is great.

In terms of your time commitment you can do the car easily in 18 months, especially if you hire someone to do the body and paint work. I found that body work was easily 50% of my build time.

 

Since you want to build it yourself you control the finished product.

The end product will be the result of the quality of parts you put in it and the care you take in building it.

You can go the complete kit route with all new parts or the donor route if you choose. Either way can result in a great car, or a POS. It's totally up to you.

I've got 3 kids about the same age as yours and it's been a great family project. It's been one of the best things we'ver ever done together.

Keep doing your research because it is a significant financial expense (notice I did not say investment).

Spend some time here looking over threads and build blogs. They will give you an accurate picture of the scope of the project, for better or worse.

Good luck!

 

I live in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl

 

I live in Coral Springs and am contemplating a MkIV in a year or so...gotta get my daughter's wedding covered first! There is a gentleman named John in West Palm that is building a MkIV that my brother and I went and saw. He was getting his crate engine delivered that day after we saw his build. He's on the FF5 forum and you can find my post under the regional threads.

I came away from that pretty excited feeling like I could definitely build the car. I was uber impressed with how solid the thing was/is. There's other FF5s around the area too but they're hard to find. I saw a Cobra in Coral Springs a few years ago but only once...hurt my neck I swung my head around so far!

 

You could always go to the build school

 

You did'nt say how tall or what your wt. was so it's hard to say how comfortable the car would be.
I've been on this forum for 6 years and I have never seen a mention of a shaky dash.
You can build a $45000.00 car, but I have seen many very nice builds for a lot less. How good you are at finding deals on parts, how much of the body work etc. you farm out, will have a significant part in final cost.
Find some FFR's in your area, look at their cars, get some rides and ask questions. There is nothing like the first time you start her up and pull out of the shop, it's a great feeling!

 

I finished my Mark IV last July 19th and my recipe has been to look for FF5 owner in my area for suggestions and occasionnal help, help from a friend car nut, a car body professionnal and a retired Ford mechanic. My project took nine months and I am very happy with the results. Also, I agree with others reply , take your time and enjoy ...

 

Sven-I looked through your posts and could not find anyone from west palm beach.....

 

Sven-Link did not work

 

I'm confident you can figure it out with the information provided :001_smile:

 

I see!

 

Hey John that's good news. I want to see the motor! You've got to be excited with getting so far on the build.

 

1- The quality of the kit is great, the quality of the build will vary depending on skill and effort.
2- you will be money ahead if you but a finished car but you will need to be selective to get the best car for your money.
3- There is quiet a bit of room depending on the seats you pick and your physical dimensions.

I am very happy I built from a bare kit but I could have been on the road quicker and spent less if I had bought a finished car. It can be a win either way depending on what is most important to you.

 

Thanks for all the input! I have been getting a lot of good feedback both on the posts and privately.
Leaning closer toward purchase.

 

I know of a pretty nice looking car that was done completely (including the cost of the kit) for around $18k and I've seen some beautiful cars that cost upwards of $50k. Most that I've talked to do a very nice build for around $30 - 35k. As others have said, ultimately the quality is up to you, but FFR provides a pretty good starting point. With the new MkIV, they've also done away with quite a few of the past complaints about body shape, putting the final appearance of a well built car on par with others costing much more for just the rolling chassis.

 

jmwdl, the one thing I haven't seen from you is how much you look forward to spending evenings or weekends in the garage. For me the fun part was planning what to do next, researching my questions, checking that I had the parts & tools, installing new stuff, maybe finding a better way and then admiring a completed project no matter how small. Many nights I lost track of time and went to bed at 2 AM. If you are one of us lunatics who think a day in the garage is fun, then you're in the for thrill of a lifetime.
Pete

 

Motor/HP choice

Yes-I love working in the garage on projects. Especially the research/planning and doing work-arounds. What a salesmen you are.
I have done a fair amount of motorcycle/automobile work in my time(hobby) and love it. This would definitely be my biggest project by far and I am finding that I am not nearly as knowledgeable as I would like to be.

That begs my next question- motor/HP choice? -Street use-I like fast cars but also understand that to much HP can make a car less fun to drive. I was thinking short block/400-450 hp?? I spoke to tech support at FFR and he said that anything over 400hp makes the car difficult to drive?? I don't need to put the car sideways in 3rd gear.

Advice Anyone???

 

Remember, this car will be much lighter than just about anything else you've driven (with 4 wheels). Completed cars come in at an average around 2200 lbs, so you don't need as much power to get a thrill out of it.

A lot of cars have been built with the stock 5.0 at about 225hp, and those owners have a blast. Others have put twin-turbos and over 650hp, and have fun too.

I'd say read about the different cars on here, take some time to read about driving impressions, etc, maybe even find some one local to take you for a ride and learn about their car, then you can figure out how much power you want.

And remember, you can always add more power later if you feel you don't have enough.

Enjoy!