A Day in the Life at Factory Five

Pro photographer and good friend Christian Rowell from High Octane Image came down the other day and captured some nice shots of a typical day at Factory Five.  Here are some of his shots.

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The boys from “The Auto Shoppe” in South Burlington, VT came down to show off their newly built ’33 that had just won “Best Ford in a Ford” at the NSRA Northeast Nationals.

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Mk4 chassis and body getting prepped for shipping.

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An 818R right hand drive being crated for Australia.

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Josh operates the new Mitsubishi laser in the welding department.

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The CNC laser has added efficiency and accuracy to the welding group.

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Steel gives up some future Factory Five parts.

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Factory Five Dir. of Engineering Jesper I. drives his ’33 daily to work.

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Above & Below: Crating operations are mostly for overseas shipments.

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Built, not bought. Respect for labor and craft. Tradition and technology are fused in the welding area.

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Mk4 chassis fixture has produced over 1,000 Mk4 frames.

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Despite the best CNC tools, welding is still a craft and one man makes each Factory Five frame.

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Mark in Composites operates the Eastman Fabric Cutter

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Composite molding with the shaping loft above.

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John, our master shaper, works on the 818 hard top.  Image blacked out to keep Jim happy.

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Freddie works on a Mk4 bare chassis with a Coupe, Hot Rod, and 818S chassis behind him.

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CNC cut aluminum pieces.

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Chris works on crating a Mk4.

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Jesper tests some new parts on his own car.

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818R prepped and ready for a race at VIR on 10/3/2014.

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The showroom at Factory Five.

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Christian captured this cool shot of two iconic American cars paying homage.

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The 818S outside.

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Dave Smith pulls the Coupe out of the showroom for a photo shoot.

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Christian captures old #5 and the GTM.

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Street Rodder Magazine’s Chuck Vranas stopped by to say hi.

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Factory Five Mk4 Roadster.

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Street Rodder Magazine editor Brian Brennan’s most recent column quotes Scott Fisher who said, “If I had all of the money I spent on cars… I’d spend it all on cars.”  Dave Smith proving the point.

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Factory Five Operations Manager pulls out of the showroom with the ’33 Hot Rod that he built for his dad.

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The Special Edition ’33 stares down the Coupe.

Latest Factory Five News

2026 Kick-Off Sale! Ends April 5th, 2026

2026 is off to a great start, and the team wants to keep the momentum going! They have put together a sale for all of our kits to help you build your car your way this year. Score a Free IRS Upgrade OR Save $2,026 Off Options on Mk5 Roadsters, Mk4 Roadsters, Type 65 Coupe, and ’33 Hot Rod To ensure your finest ride is possible, we are offering FREE IRS Upgrades (up to $3,199 in value). Our Independent Rear Suspension is the best suspension configuration Factory Five has to offer. This upgrade package includes: OR you can save $2,026… Read More »

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In 2020, customer Donny N. from Georgia started his Factory Five Mk4 Roadster build with his wife and kids. 4 years and 3 months later, they started work on their next Factory Five project, a Type 65 Coupe! “My first build was a MK4 Roadster powered by a Coyote Gen 2 with a TKO600, IRS, and Wilwood brakes,” wrote Donny N. “This time, I built a Type 65 Coupe with a Gen 3 Coyote, T56 transmission, IRS, and Wilwood brakes.” Check out this reel of Donny’s two Factory Five builds with his family.

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