Customer Henry R.'s Vintage '33 Flathead

Henry Renaud has been an active member of the Factory Five community for 10 years.  His latest build is a Factory Five ’33 Hot Rod that earned Top 10 honors from MSN.com at the 2011 SEMA Show.  Henry is a Colonel in the USAF and builds cars in his spare time.

Henry’s car has been at Factory Five over the winter and is heading home now so we figured it would be a good idea to shoot some pictures in our parking lot.  Local automotive photographer Dino Petrocelli is shooting the car today and we will share the hi-res studio shots with you later.

Henry’s car is Hot Rod #002!  Instead of using a modern engine, Henry chose to power his rod with a blown flathead Ford.  Continuing the theme is matte black paint and 15″ period correct wheels, half moons, and drag T/A’s.

Factory Five’s Nate Johnson took Henry’s car for a drive and reported that it handled well and was comfortable to drive.  The flathead doesn’t run too hot and the exposed engine makes everyone stop and stare.

Henry used genuine Air Force bomber seats rather than the stock Factory Five units.

The dash of Henry’s ’33 is clean and purposeful carrying on the aircraft theme of the interior.  Automatic transmission delivers some nice drive ability.

Congratulations Henry on a really nice build!  See you this summer at Open House.

Factory Five Racing

Latest Factory Five News

Five Deals from the Factory Five Guys Ends Soon!

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 »

Read More

From Track to Street: Ben F.’s Factory Five Challenge Car

For five years, Factory Five customer Ed Boothman and his team competed in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in a modified Challenge Car. After the 2012 event, the car was retired, and eventually sold by Ed. It is now owned by Ben F. from New Hampshire who has shared the news that he has completed converting the 25 Hours Challenge Car into a steet car. “My father and I took the tour down at Factory Five in late 90s,” said Ben. “and “That cemented what I wanted to do: open a shop and work on old English vehicles.” Ben took… Read More »

Read More

Jesse L. Scores Autocross Top Time of Day in Mk4!

Like so many of us, Jesse L. has been thinking of owning a AC Cobra since he was young. His dream became a reality in February 2025 when he purchased his Factory Five Mk4 Roadster kit to start building with his daughter, Claire. They recently shared the exciting news that they have reached the go-kart stage and decided to take it to their local autocross. Jesse tells the story better than we could, so we’ll let him take it from here: “This idea of getting an AC Cobra started, like I am sure many people do, with an adolescent idea,” said… Read More »

Read More
Top