Brian C.’s Mk4 Roadster Story

Building a Factory Five car is more than a kit car—it’s a family experience. Reflecting this holiday season, customer Brian C. shared how three generations bonded over the project: from painting the car with his dad (despite weathering the fresh paint for a vintage look), to his son lending a hand, and drag strip outings with his brother and their sons. Much like the holiday season, the journey of building his Factory Five Mk4 Roadster brought his family closer together.

Brian C. picked up his Factory Five Mk4 Roadster kit in October 2018, opting for the 2015+ IRS, nodular iron case with 3:55 gears, 13-inch Cobra brakes up front, and the 13-inch IRS kit in the rear. Paired with Hawk HP pads and Toyo R888R tires, it’s been a fantastic setup for Brian.

He started with a 302 making 282 hp at the wheels, running 12.3 seconds in the quarter mile. Now upgraded to a 347 with a TKX, Brian just hit a personal best of 10.96 at the drag strip!

His 10-year-old son, Cam, has been there every step of the way, and now he’s finally old enough to join his dad for ride-alongs. Watching Cam enjoy the track at Lime Rock has been the most rewarding parts of Brian’s journey.

Recently, while cleaning up an old property they bought, Cam found old Lime Rock dash plaques. He was almost as excited as Brian! Despite their rough shape, they now proudly sit on the dash. “It felt like it was meant to be,” Brian recalls, reflecting on a memory of driving with his son at Lime Rock on the Proving Grounds.

After Cam’s first session on the track with his dad, he said it was ‘scary, but fun!’

Six years ago, Brian started this build, and now he’s looking back on incredible memories—from taking 4th place at a Gorman Engineering event at Lime Rock Park to personal records on the drag strip, and time with his son. The journey has been great for Brian, and having Cam by his side has made it all the more special. He also gives credit to his wife for her support throughout the project!

Brian says, “Time flies—make the most of it.”

Credit to @cashedmedia for the video clips and @be_easy_media for the photos.

Latest Factory Five News

Mark S. Graduates His Mk4 & Scores Magazine Cover!

Congratulations to customer Mark S. on graduating his Mk4 Roadster build! Mark came for a tour of Factory Five in March 2020 to meet Dave Smith and the team. After returning home to the United Kingdom, Mark ordered his Mk4, and it arrived at his garage in February 2021.  Marks good friend, neighbor, and fellow car enthusiast, Stuart H, helpedwith the build which featured a Gen 3 5.0L Coyote, Tremec TKO transmission, 8.8″ solid axle with 3-link rear suspension, 18″ Halibrand wheels, and of course, it had to be in right hand drive. Mark also had the chassis galvanised to…

Read More

Factory Five is Closed Today, Monday January 26, 2026.

I made the call to scrub FFR operations for the day. The drive in wasn’t bad, and most roads are clear. Unfortunately our plow crew was late, and the day dawned with 3-4′ drifts in the back parking lot! We will be at work and at full strength tomorrow. Sorry for any difficulties this may cause. Dave SmithPresident

Read More

Three Generations Embark on a Type 65 Coupe Dream Build

Dave Ryan’s Type 65 Coupe build is moving right along—and it’s become something even bigger along the way. In collaboration with Factory Five Racing, V6 Media is producing a short film documenting the build process. Recently, Dave’s father, Vaun Ryan, sat down to share his lifelong passion for performance cars and motorcycles—sparked as a young boy on the family farm in Utah, building a homemade go-kart powered by a hay-elevator motor. That curiosity for how things work turned into a lifetime of mechanical enthusiasm, passed down through generations and now culminating in Dave’s Type 65 Coupe build, which is a…

Read More
Top