FFR Open House 2003

June 7, 2003

Wareham, Ma

Open House 2003 Photo Gallery

We're simple people. Like most, all we want is the chance to get our cars out of the garage now and then, dust them off, give them a good scrub-down, smell the perfume of burnt rubber and gasoline, and enjoy the warmth of the sun once again. We enjoy the seasons as much as anyone out here on the east coast, but our summers are already too short. This year, winter's grip on our collective psyche simply has not let go. Sure, we had brief teasers of sunshine in March and April, but on the whole, it just hasn't been a great spring. What we want is a change from the cold, wet winter, the chance to go outside again, and enjoy the heat and humidity of summer.

We've been scheduling our annual Open House in June because it's traditionally been a time when we could rely on the weather. This year, however, the stranglehold winter has had on our event-planning has continued into June and as the Open House date drew near, another tremendous rain front was drenching half the country like a garden house left on all day.

Our customers however, are not the average car guys, however. They're not the type to keep their pride and joy in the garage for fear it might get wet. Instead, despite a dismal weather forecast, over 100 customers drove their cars out to Wareham (rain storms be damned), braving the cold morning commute and the predictably soggy ride home to join us for the best Open House we've ever hosted.

Because the NE FFROGs aren't the type to give up easily, they came out to join a field of vendors, a mobile chassis Dynamometer, a live band, a moonwalk, and the largest assortment of "scratch and dent" parts ever collected. They were not disappointed! Although the event was cut short as the rain started to fall, a dedicated staff of Factory Five employees ensured that no one went home hungry nor bored.

In the course of the rain-shortened event, the hardest task of all was determining which, among a field of unbelievable cars, were better than the rest. A crack-team of Factory Five's more discerning owners set out, evaluating each car for its merits and uniqueness. In the end, Rich Gagliardi took home the Best in Show award while Joe Leone's roadster captured the Most Innovative Build honors.

Other winners included:

Bill Beardsleee: Best Paint

Matt Kennedy: Best Interior

Mike Cardoza: Best Engine

Dale Ryba: Long Distance Award

Rich LaCourse: High Mileage Award

Bill Knight: Most Innovative Build (runner-up)

John Bryant: Best in Show (runner-up)

Also highly contested was the horsepower shoot-out. Over a dozen cars were run on the Dyno, while a crowd watched and waited as the results of each was read in succession. In the end, an underdog, running a 289 motor, pulled 342 hp at the rear wheels. Brian Dinsmore's license plate, QWIK 1, says it all, doesn't it?

We can't guarantee a perfect day next year, but we can promise you a field of hearty, determined owners who actually drive their cars, regardless of the forecast. In the end, isn't that what we really want anyway?

Come join us for the 6th annual Open House, tentatively scheduled for June 12, 2004.

Open House 2003 Photo Gallery