| The New Factory Five Racing Mark 3 Roadster! | ||||
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11. New Carpet, Floor Mats and Tan Carpet Option Ordering a tan leather interior? Now we have tan carpeting to match! We also have some cool new floor mats and all the carpets and mats are a high quality, FMVSS 302 Compliant (flame retardant) material. New floor mats are designed for both MkII and MKIII footboxes.
12. New Optional Aluminum Fuel Cell Over the years we’ve tried everything with fuel cells. The best gas tank to use remains the Ford unit, but if serious racing or extra safety is on your mind we finally have the answer. We worked with the guys from Fuel Safe and developed a cell that has EVERYTHING. The new cell is the only one we offer. It fits all FFR kits (Coupe, Spyder as well as Roadster and Challenge Series cars). |
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The new cell
features interior foam baffles, a Kevlar lined bladder, a pre-installed
high pressure fuel
pump and fuel level sending unit, (works with carb or EFI cars), comes in
an interchangeable side fill location with an
emergency check valve. It’s not cheap, but it’s the only tank you will
ever need for every imaginable application. The new fuel cell comes with an improved mounting cage. This tough 1" x 1" steel tubular cage adds strength/safety as well as makes installation much easier than if you're trying to make some aftermarket cell fit. |
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13. Pre-Beaded Aluminum Radiator Extension Tubing It may seem like small potatoes but this is an example of the degree to which the design team looked at each and every part. The aluminum extension tubing is pre-beaded and ready to be used as part of the radiator hose extension assembly. This part is aluminum so that customers can polish them for a custom engine bay look.
The benefits of volume are many and good. We again went to our powder coating company and committed to a large number of chassis so that we could get a really low price. We can now offer this cost directly to you to make a high quality, show finish at an unbelievably low $229! (MkIII kits only). The painted frames have been discontinued, so we either ship your chassis bare steel for you to coat or powder coated at a very reasonable price. |
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15. Upgraded Fasteners, Bushings, Brackets and Misc. The team took a hard look at the quality and type of fasteners, bushings and other small items. The following items were added, upgraded or changed… · Fasteners for IFS bracket to spindles are now standard in every kit. This was previously a donor part but we decided to supply these since they are so inconvenient to use off a donor car and new fasteners are safer. · Washers changed from USS to SAE standard. This was just because the tolerances and finish of the SAE fasteners are better. · New counter-sunk fasteners for dash and other areas. The new fasteners are countersunk zinc fasteners with a unitized screw/washer in one. They are easier to install and have a nicer finish than the older washer/screws. · MkIII sleeves and spacers are made from aluminum. The steel spacers that are used (standard in kit) for steering rack spacers, 3 link spacers, front/rear shock spacers, etc. were all made from steel. These parts could rust if not coated and look bad. The new parts are aluminum which is more resistant to corrosion, but more importantly, can be polished for those show car fanatics. The engineering change went through in mid august and parts should be ready by Sept 1. · Updated side body mount fasteners. New nuts are easier to insert and tighten. · 1/8” brake line brackets to secure Ford brake lines. This was a convenience feature. The new small bracket can be used to secure the Ford brake lines to the FFR frame, leaving slack for turning radius. · Pre-flared brake lines. Older Mk1 and Mk2 kits came with coils of un-flared brake lines. The new MkIII kits come with flared brake line kits standard. Also included are the metric fittings needed on the later model 4.6 based donor cars. |
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16-17. Improved Lower Control Arms and Universal Fit IFS Bracket The once-again improved front lower control arms have a new plate steel coil-over mounts that are easier to make, more elegant, and allow more shock clearance. Also the new arms don’t require the use of any spacers. |
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| The IFS bracket (attaches the upper a-arm ball joint to the Ford spindle) is now a universal fit part that can accommodate ALL the FFR variations. No more customers who use the incorrect part (or FFR shipping guys who send the wrong part). One size fits all! The new IFS brackets work with 1987-2004 spindles. A new 99-04 control arm comes with a diff. ball joint for guys using 99-04 parts. | ||||
| 18. New Removable Transmission Mount | ||||
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| When we added the backbone structure to the MkII frame we made it harder to get the transmission out of the car during servicing. The addition of the newer running gear gave us a chance to re-visit that design. We engineered a removable transmission mount that also adds rigidity to the frame and makes maintenance a snap. We also changed the trans tunnel top steel tubes to make it easy to install the popular aftermarket mid-shift kit (available on Tremec 3550 TKO transmissions). | ||||
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19. Standard AC Eliminator kit For folks running 96-04 kits we now provide an AC eliminator kit. It is one of those few things that are different between the 1987-1995 kits and the 1996-2004 kits (remember old box 11a and 11b?). |
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21. New Optional Steering Rack The unit is essentially the EXACT same as the Flaming River unit but improved with longer threaded inner tie rod ends that ensure you have enough adjustability regardless of the suspension/wheel combination you’re using, and comes with the outer tie rod ends.
Sounds kinda lame huh? Truth is this one change is extremely significant. In an effort to ship complete kits and ensure that packaging is done perfectly, we made a huge change to our packaging sequence and system. Now standard sub-assemblies are packed and stocked. Want a three-link rear package? No problem… This was a four month effort which has reduced our costs so that we could make other upgrades to the MkIII and try to keep our prices the same. The new kit is packed according to pre-made assemblies. When your order comes in the sub-assembly boxes are pulled according to the order. This procedure should anable us to reduce the lead time between order and delivery (which can be as long as 2-3 months). This new procedure should also enable us to reduce the number of parts that are not available at time of kit packing by pre-building stock. Here’s what’s in each box… Click on each for the actual pack-list which is the exact parts that you get. Remember, you’ll get one at least one of every single box number (1-15) with your frame/aluminum chassis and mounted composite body w/panels. |
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Box 1. Standard Suspension Parts Box 2. Rolling Chassis Components Box 3. After-body Mounted Components Box 4. MkIII Carpet Assembly Box 6. Packaged Aluminum Box 7. Seat Assemblies 7a. Standard Seat, Black Vinyl Seat Assembly 7b. Standard Seat, Black Leather Seat Assembly 7c. Standard Seat, Tan Leather Seat Assembly 7d. Pro-Race Seat Assembly 7e. Street Performer Seat Assembly 7f. Vintage Seat Assembly, Black Vinyl 7g. Vintage Seat Assembly, Black Leather
Box 8. Side Exhaust Assemblies 8a. 4 into 4 side Exhaust Assembly (univ. fit) 8b. Ceramic Coated Side Exhaust Assembly
Box 9. Dash/Brake Line Assembly 9a. Pre-cut dash and Brake Line Assembly 9b. Blank Dash and Brake Line Assembly 9c. Carbon Fiber Dash and Brake Line Assembly
Box 10. Roll Bar/Fuel Line/Trans Mount Assembly 10a. BARE Roll Bar/Fuel Line/Trans Mount 10b. POWDER COATED Roll Bar/Fuel Line/Trans Mount 10c. CHROME Roll Bar, Fuel Line and Trans Mount
Box 11. 1987-1995 Parts/Assemblies vs. 1996-2004 11a. 87-95 Specific Parts 11b. 96-04 Specific Parts
Box 12. Rear Suspension 12a. Standard Rear Suspension Assembly (4-link) 12b. Three Link Deluxe ear Suspension Package 12c. IRS Standard Rear Suspension Package 12d. IRS Pin Drive Rear Suspension Package
Box 13. Interior Trim Assembly 13a. Interior Trim Assembly, Black Vinyl 13b. Interior Trim Assembly, Black Leather 13c. Interior Trim Assembly, Tan Leather
Box 14. Exhaust Assemblies 14a. Exhaust Assembly, 87-95 Straight Tube Kit 14b. Exhaust Assembly, 96-04 Straight Tube Kit 14c. Exhaust Asembly, 302 Header Kit 14d. Exhaust Assembly, 351 Header Kit 14e. Exhaust Assembly, 390/427/428 Header Kit 14f. Exhaust Assembly, 429/460 Header Kit 14g. Exhaust Assembly, 87-95 Catalytic Converters 14h. Exhaust Assembly, 96-04 Catalytic Converters 14i. Exhaust Assembly, 4.6L 2 Valve Header Kit 14j. Exhaust Assembly, 4.6L 4 Valve Header Kit
Box 15. Steering Rack/Shaft Assembly 15a. Lower Steering Shaft Assembly, 87-93 15b. Steering Assembly, 94-04 15c. Manual Lower Steering Shaft
Mounted Components Box 16-20 Misc. Options |
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23. New Chassis Assembly Area and Aluminum Forming Area MkIII production is better, faster and more accurate. The entire chassis assembly area was re-designed to be more efficient, to better protect materials and to facilitate perfect assembly of customer kits to shop floor work-orders. The new area is yet another way of making sure that MkIII and all other FFR kit production is done right. The new chassis Assembly area is right in line with the rest of the building upgrades that have been completed over the last year. The welding and molding areas are all-new with a major reinvestment made in tools and equipment to keep us ahead of the pack |
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24. Improved and Updated Welding Jigs and Tools We went through the manufacturing process from beginning to end in an effort to make our tooling more accurate and easier to use. This effort was extremely important to keeping our costs on the MkIII down. We built a brand new chassis jig for the MkIII, all new component jigs for things like the steel suspension pieces and misc. kit brackets and welded assemblies. We didn’t stop with new jigs though. We bought new equipment to the tune of almost $350,000 and we invested in new software to execute design changes more quickly. Lastly we spent money on training. The crew here in operations needed training in molding processes, robot programming and CNC operations. |
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The result of all this work is that we make even better parts, faster and for less money. |
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25. Re-Designed 3 Link Suspension The three link suspension has been the whipping boy of FFR parts. As the standard rear suspension on the Challenge Series cars, these parts have been subject to more abuse than anyone can imagine. The three link is in its second generation, with reinforced brackets, and a slightly modified design. We also made a small change to to accommodate the rear vent on 1999-2004 8.8” rear ends.
26-27. Revised Aluminum and New Order Entry Procedures All aluminum revised for tighter fit and easier assembly. Rear cockpit area is improved as well for easier riveting. Small and large changes were made in almost every piece. For example, the dash/firewall part was revised to make it easier to reach thru and feed wiring during assembly. There are over 30 pieces of aluminum in the roadster and in the MkIII more than half of them have been changed and improved. One of the main goals was to make the kit easier to build and that starts with the order procedure. The kit is now more versatile but also easier to order and build. In all the work to finish the engineering we failed to let folks know what the kit was! This section as well as an updated information package, order form available online and revised video/DVD (all due by September 2004) should eliminate any confusion over the MkIII configuration.
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28. New and Improved Packaging Designs The team looked at jigs and tooling, but what good would that do if the new and better parts got cheesed up on the way to the guy who needs them? The operations crew and materials manager Steve Dutton worked hard with the engineering staff to develop better packaging materials to protect contents better. New shipping crates and procedures to ensure fewer damages on ceramic side exhaust (which has always been a challenge). Box sizes and construction has changed as well. |
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29-30. New Battery Box and Gas Cap Ground Strap It’s the little things that end up meaning so much. A Battery box is standard (replacing the under trunk mount for good). A cute little braided battery ground strap was just one of the hundreds of parts that received our loving attention. No one will ever see it, but you and I know it’s there. |
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31. Cool New Universal Dash w/Interchangeable Cut-Outs One of the most annoying things to do is try and find hole saw sets that fit the exact diameter requirements of the gauges. Boy-genius engineer Dave Riha made these cool laser-cut dashes with the correct size holes pre-cut to work with any of the FFR gauges or with the Mustang conversion sets… Cool. Engineer Dave even added the fastener holes so you don’t have to. |
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32-33. New (FFR Only) Steering Wheels and Windshields We’ve been buying the original British steering wheels and Chrome-on-Brass windscreens since we started the company. We love the authenticity of these parts. Over time though they have been unable to keep up with our volume, and more importantly, we’ve had some problems with each part from a quality standpoint. Truth be told, these exact same problems were almost for sure found on original 1960’s cars. We’re tired of making excuses for the vintage parts when they should be better and as much as we love them, we had to leave ’em. Steering Wheels: The steering wheels have had incidents of wood/lacquer de-lamination, where the laquer finish flakes off over time. The racing program has also showed another small weakness… they flex when you’re at speed. Lastly, on the leather wheels the seams are glued and every once in a while they can separate. Side by side the new FFR steering wheels are just plain better. You won’t find ANYONE who will prefer the older British part period. We will still provide the British part on a custom order basis. We are only selling the new FFR wheel in 14” size since we all here prefer that size to the 15” wheel. |
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We have designed and paid for tooling and expertise to manufacture an FFR brand steering wheel that is very similar to the British Wheel but is more rigid, better finished and longer lasting. The leather is stitched not sewn and we control the manufacture so backorders should be eliminated on these parts. Before the purists decry our move, remember we will be happy to custom order you an old British wheel. Windshields: We have also tooled up to make our own extruded brass windshields. The new FFR design is indistinguishable from the old British part with the exception of being available and having threaded holes in the correct position, tighter weatherstriping, and better fit to the sidebars. |
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34. Rollbars Shipped Powdercoated Black Standard Used to be on older MkI and II kits that the roll bars were made individually with each chassis and then coated or chromed with the individual order. Sometime back we built jigs to enable us to run production Lots of units at one time. The new interchangeable roll bars meant that it was easy to swap out a painted or powdercoated or chromed unit. With the advent of the new pricing from our powdercoating supplier, we have changed all roll bars to powdercoating standard (even if you order a bare steel frame!). The powder coating is an gloss satin black. Chrome is still optional.
35. New Optional Aluminum Radiator No earth shattering news here, but a new optional 2 core aluminum radiator at a reasonable price. The company is AFCO and the part is great for those not using donor parts or for those with donor parts who want a new radiator. The custom inlet allows easier upper hose attachment.
The original vintage lighting on replicas, hot rods and customs can be a bit, shall we say, dim. We went to our suppliers and asked them to changeover their headlights, tail-lights and turn signals to brighter DOT approved units. In many cases the cool vintage fixtures/hardware was unchanged and only the light was upgraded. We did have to engineer and manufacture our own headlight tooling and buy modern DOT lamps since the vintage Wipac (British) headlights were not DOT approved and their buckets were prone to cracking. |
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37-38. New Assembly Manual and 24 hour Response Redline Email: The MkIII Roadster assembly manual is in its K revision (that means literally the 11th edition!). The new manual is 244 pages long and includes TONS more photos and excellent advice about the ever-widening selection of parts that can be used on your FFR. The manual has wonderfully accurate and easy to follow instructions/plans on how to make a wooden body buck. The new updated assembly manual includes an expanded tech section that goes into detail on common questions like braking systems, and set-up advice.
If you log onto www.factoryfive.com you will see a new link for "Redline". This is a 24 hour response line for complaint resolutions, safety concerns, or any other urgent matter. |
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39.
Upgraded
Seat Harnesses We have delivered over 4500 chassis and every single one of them has included a full set of driver and passenger 3" wide Simpson racing harnesses. We have made an improvement to those harnesses. The shoulder belts were a Y-design and are now an H-design. |
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| What that means is the two shoulder belts no longer meet at a Y junction behind the shoulders to a singlemount. Now with the H-harnesses, each shoulder strap goes to its own frame mount. The new MkIII frames have these mounts pre-welded to the frames. | ||||
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We hope you have enjoyed the detailed review of our new Mark 3 roadster. There are a few straggler projects that will eventually be incorporated into the MkIII but as of yet, have no firm date. They are as follows…
Financing support for customers seeking to buy kits without full cash out-lay. Reasonably priced Painless EFI harness Roll-bar padding delivered with every kit Updated new parts list vendors/sources for non-donor car parts High-end Vintage magnesium wheels Full set of affordable vintage bolt-on wheels New optional MkIII Roadster hard top and improved soft-top design.
If you have any specific questions please give us a call and we’ll do our best to describe things as accurately as possible. Our crew is working hard to service both MkII and MkIII production and ensure as smooth a transition as possible.
General Questions Technical Support @ Factory Five Racing, Inc. 508-291-3443 or info@factoryfive.com |
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