Brian and Steve L. Take Their 289 USRRC Replica to the Next Level
It’s always fun talking with customers about their build plans. Some customers are trying to do a period-correct build where others are trying to do more of a modern take on a classic. Some builds go as far as trying to recreate a specific race car, and Brian and Steve L. took it a step further by not only recreating a famous 289 driven by Allen Grant, but they also built the truck to along with it so they could recreate a photo of Allen Grant and Oly Olson! Read Brian’s story below.
“I ordered my 1st FFR Cobra from Dave in April of 97. Pictured (black cobra donor 1988 GT 5.0L). I sold that car in 2004 and the buyer was in Tokyo, Japan. I have had a great run with you guys. All in all, 4 Roadsters and 2 Type 65 Coupes later… here we are.”
“I purchased the 289 USRRC replica from you guys in Aug 2017. I had this goal in mind to build the Allen Grant and Oly Olson race car and tow truck then. I finished the 289 in 4 years and finally found a solid enough 1956 Ford F100 to make as close to a clone as possible.”
“I had the pleasure of meeting Allen Grant two years ago at the Shelby American Museum in Boulder, CO. He shared some amazing stories from his racing experiences, and I was able to get some great shots of Mr. Grant in my Factory Five 289 Roadster. I have been invited back to this year’s festivities in Boulder over Labor Day weekend. I will have all three pieces and hope to recreate the famous Dave Friedman picture from 1963 with Allen Grant and Oly Olson.”
“This past weekend was nice enough in Indiana weather wise. I was able to recreate the picture with my 78yr old dad! Sadly, Dave Friedman passed away last Thursday at the age of 86.”
“I love details, and if you notice from the 1963 picture, those guys knew hot rods. That custom cab 1956 F100 had wide whitewalls and Thunderbird hubcaps along with a push bumper. Allen said Shelby only made 3 of those custom built trailers. This one had 1954 Chevrolet sedan hubcaps that I was able to find on eBay.”
“Allen’s best friend at the time was none other than George Lucas (18 yrs old). Allen told me that George came up with this yellow livery. He knew what would stand out. Such great stories!”
“My 1956 Ford F100 sports a big block 427FE with a C6 automatic transmission. Everything else is bone stock and original. My Factory Five 289 USRRC/FIA Replica has a 347 engine with all forged internals backed by a Tremec 3550 5 speed transmission and a Moser Muscle Pak rear end with 3:73’s. The 289 sports 15″ kidney bean pin drive wheels and Goodyear 60 series tires.”
