AutoWeek features FFR build story

FFROG’s saga seen by several hundred thousand readers
 

Scarlett O’Hara is the Gone with the Wind protagonist that all men love to hate.  But Siskel and Ebert we’re not, and frankly my dear, we don’t give a damn.  In our world, Scarlett O’Hara is the mechanical mistress in Stephen O’Hara’s garage, and since we’re somewhat responsible for that tryst, well, that interests us.
 
 

In the February 25th issue of AutoWeek magazine, we were pleasantly surprised to see a Mk3 rolling chassis, prominently displayed on page 11, staring back at us in full color.

 

The prepubescent go-kart, it turned out, was the property of Stephen O’Hara, a Rochester, NY math teacher and FFROG who somehow convinced the editors of this major national publication to feature his story.

 

We congratulate Stephen on his build, as well as his story in the magazine.
 
 

Stephen’s story, as printed in AutoWeek:

Who among us didn’t sit in the back of algebra class drawing pictures of fast cars with shapely curves, or read the magazines, dreaming of things other than Pythagoras?  Or a new Millennium Falcon to send in to George Lucas?  In my teens, I proposed buying a kit car, a Bradley GT, found in the back of the aforementioned magazines. My parents (wisely) limited my toils to bicycles and similar, less complex machinery.  They also conspired to keep me out of shop class, realizing that I would likely bring home all kinds of contrivances they simply did not want to deal with.
 

Thirty years later, I’m in the middle of that damn-fool project.  I found myself a day away from buying the car I had lusted over for 3 years, a GPW Honda S2000. I couldn’t justify the expense to myself, what with the mortgage and three growing kids.  But I couldn’t justify not getting it, either. A classic mid-life crisis.
 

And then George showed me the ad for a Factory Five Cobra kit.  And that was that. 

George is the friend with the serious mechanical knowledge that I lacked, so if I got stuck, it could get done.  The wife went for it. She reasoned that a mechanical mistress in the garage was better than a live one elsewhere.  Before popping the question, I also had the wisdom to procure the 2 ct diamond solitaire that she demanded 10 years before.
 
The Cobra is in the man room, mechanically complete, already named Scarlett in anticipation of the day when it will turn red and gain those famous white stripes.  In driving it 75 miles (“But officer, I just set the alignment…) around the neighborhood this summer, I have come to regret the impending end of this 2 year ordeal.  As I have built it, I have gained vast knowledge of mechanical things, as well as myself.  Everyone that sees it is amazed.  I’m still not sure if they are amazed at the car, or the fool with the big idea, but it doesn’t matter.

 

My wife, similar to Mom years before, mostly limits her consternation over the metal shavings, fiberglass dust, dirt, and piles of parts.  But, she has already blessed the next proposal. (I haven’t yet told her about Paul, who wants me to build a pair of Lotus 7s: one for him, one for me.)  I’ve always wanted to build a house.  You know, one of those kit houses, a nice log cabin in the woods somewhere.  I can drive Scarlett up to work on it.   How cool is that?