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Meet the Betas Factory Five Customers Step Up for Larry Launch |
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It was only a week or so ago that we launched our Hot Rod website, introducing the world to the next Factory Five. Our plans originally called for a January 2009 product release, and as things look now, we will likely be able to move that up a few months! We are taking orders right now and things are all on-track. |
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One of the reasons things are going so smoothly is thanks to our first round Beta customers. Unbeknownst to many people, the development group here at Factory Five actually delivered four hot rod kits some months back to a hand-picked group of guys, sworn to secrecy. The mission of these four groups was to QC the kit, provide feedback about the assembly process, and assist us in the final determination of product configurations (things like deciding if the fenders will be standard or an option, helping to gauge the interest of others in the hard-top vs. roadster slide-in windshield, etc). |
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The beta program was just one of several important things we have done to ensure the hot rod is well-prepared for the inevitable scrutiny it will (and should!) receive. It was a very difficult decision to limit the number of round-one beta builders to only four guys, as there were many other FFR customers and builders who were immensely talented, capable, and willing to help. Our budget only allowed for four cars at first. We have since registered a second round of beta guys who will be polishing the stone further, before customer kits ship at or about November first. We hand picked a select group of Factory Five loyal customers and shops of whom we have worked well with in the past to continue this important work. |
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| I thought it would be fun to let the first beta guys off the hook, (now that the car is out there) and introduce you guys to these four brave men! | |
 Oliver Hempel's 347 Ported and Polished |
 Art Totten's FMS 302 Crate |
 Henry Renaud's Vintage Flathead V-8 w/Strombergs |
 Joe Leone's 302 Carbureted |
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Engineering Update: As we approach our official production release, there are surprisingly few items left on the engineering and parts checklist. Many people have asked us questions on internet forums and over the phones regarding the new Hot Rod and its official configuration. We have added a FAQ section to our Hot Rod website to help answer some of these questions. Here are a few common ones: Hard Top: We have built a prototype hard top and liner (seen in photos on our website). The hard top will be sold as an option costing $1,765 and will be available by our original launch date of January 2009. Roadster Windshield: The standard Hot Rod windshield is a custom designed (keep in mind our car is 3" wider than an original '33 Ford and so original spec windshields will not fit correctly) part that we are manufacturing ourselves. The design and tooling is complete and we anticipate delivery of windshields in October or November. Removable Fenders: We are designing original style removable fenders (partial and full) to be released at the same time as our removable hard top in January. These removable fenders along with the removable hard top enable a customer to build this car in any one of four body style variants. Prices and final design of the fenders are not available. Eric Jacobs |
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