Official Chassis Serial Number Badges

Now Available May 2004
 

Sample of the new FFR serial number plate now available
 

New Serial Number plates and procedures to help FFR customers:

The badge shown above is being included in all new MkIII kits.  It is a heavy duty polished and etched stainless steel number plate that is pre-drilled for rivet hole mounting. 

As more and more people build Factory Five kits, we have received more and more requests for information about registering and driving a home-built car on the street.  Our standard answer in the past was that it was the responsibility of each owner to consult his or her own state DMV and follow their rules for the construction, inspection and registration of home-built kits and hot rods.  Customer based internet forums have been a HUGE help to customers since they are accurate, up-to-date and contributed to by guys who have personal first-hand experience in each person’s home State.
 

After listening to numerous customer complaints about the difficulty and variability of individual State regulations that pertain to those who build their own vehicles (Hot Rods, Street Rods, Kit cars and component vehicles), we figured we needed to take some action.

While it’s still true that you (the customer and builder) have to deal with your own State DMV, we found there are some things we can do on our side to make this easier.  We are changing our badging and numbering procedures to make things more clear. 

 

Historically the FFR chassis’ have been identified with a serial number welded to the inside of the frame. This serial number is the frame identifier (which coincides with the sequence number only).

As part of our MkIII upgrade program we undertook the effort to make things easier for people to understand and easier to track a specific kit to the ownership documents.  Hopefully this new plate and procedure will help people clearly understand our numbering systems and make it easier for people to comply with reasonable regulations. 

FFR is the Manufacturer of the chassis kit and components but, as the owner of a home-built vehicle, YOU are the vehicle manufacturer.  Hopefully, with the help of SEMA and home-built enthusiasts everywhere, the country of the Wright brothers will ALWAYS be a place where we have the right as individuals to construct our own vehicles whether they be street rods, replicas, kit-planes or choppers… but that’s another story.

Hope this helps.
 

Old System:         Applies to all FFR kits not including MkIII production.

  • Frames are identified with serial number welded into 2” x 3” rear cockpit cross member.  This is not the same as the FFR number on the Certificate of Origin for the chassis.
  • Kits are assigned an FFR # (found on the Certificate of Origin for the chassis components) that is recorded on each certificate of origin that is issued ONLY to the person who purchased the kit.
  • It is the responsibility of the customer to identify the frame/kit components with the FFR# and any State issued VIN number in the place of their choosing.
 

New System:  Applies to all FFR MkIII kits.  Will soon apply to all FFR kits.

  • Frames are identified with STAMPED and NON-REMOVABLE/PERMANENT FFR Serial number (same as number on certificate of origin for chassis and kit components). 
  • Kits include the above serial number plate.  FFR will completely engrave it with Model (specification), FFR# (Serial number), and year of manufacture (production date).  FFR will not enter information into the VIN field.
  • It is the responsibility of the customer to record (if applicable) the State issued VIN number on the badge on the last line and affix badge plate to chassis.
 

Definitions:

 

Specification:  This space is to indicate the kit type.  The following nomenclature is used.

Model Specification                              Recorded as…

FFR Roadster                                      MkI, MkII or MkIII Roadster

FFR Type 65 Coupe                            Type 65 Coupe

FFR Spyder GT Convertible                 Spyder GT

FFR Spec Racer model                        Challenge Series

FFR GTM Supercar                             GTM-200

Serial Number:  This space is the FFR assigned serial number also found on the serial number space of the certificate of origin.  This is the “KIT” serial number and serves to identify the frame, body, and chassis panels of each unique kit.

Year of Manufacture:  This space indicates the year the chassis was built by Factory Five Racing, Inc.

VIN:  This space is left blank for the customer and/or State regulatory officials to assign a VIN to the newly customer-built vehicle.  FFR does not and cannot assign VIN’s to kits.  Many State DMV’s will affix their own non-removable badge to the chassis upon assignment of a new VIN.  The customer may, at his discretion, record this new VIN in the space provided on the FFR number plate.
 

Note:  Customers who already have a kit may call and request this badge and it will be provided at a cost of $12.00 plus S/H.  This charge includes the cost of the badge, engraving in all fields EXCEPT VIN field, and verification of manufacturing and ownership records. 

This number plate is not available to the public, nor can anyone obtain one from us incomplete (unverified).  All plates are to be sent engraved with verified information.