The Pioneer: First Woman to Build a Factory Five 427 Roadster
The Factory Five community features some incredible women. From those building Factory Fives, to those driving, racing, working in the industry, supporting family builds, and much more, we express our gratitude. Happy International Women’s Day from Factory Five Racing!
Meet one incredible woman and Factory Five customer, Cindy K. who defied expectations by becoming the first woman to build a Factory Five 427 Roadster. It’s no surprise that she still owns and loves her Factory Five!
Starting off as a welder in Pennsylvania, she soared to new heights when she earned her pilot’s license at age 20, and later added her mechanic’s license to work on planes.
Cindy always loved cars, but her love for this iconic car began at a car show in Hershey, PA and fueled her determination to build one herself.
The road to Cindy’s Roadster build was filled with bumps. She encountered the loss of her husband and dad along the way. In true Factory Five ‘Built Not Bought’ nature, Cindy used her talents to build something beautiful after her losses.
While she transitioned and grew her career from welding to investigating major airplane accidents in Virginia, (including a few famous ones) she embarked on her Factory Five 427 Roadster project in 1997-1998.
Her donor car was a 1990 red Mustang. With friends’ help, she loaded the 800lb frame into her one-car garage. Her beautiful Roadster was built during sleepless nights —even going so far as to call in sick from work to finish the build.
Her garage became her haven to build her dream car. To save space to build, she kept the roadster body shell hanging from rafters. Clearly undeterred by challenges, Cindy repainted the car green after the 1st paint job didn’t go as planned. She also added a Birdseye Maple dash veneer, (which she made her own mold for) and meticulously worked away on the wiring.
Her 427 Roadster, crafted from a ’90 Mustang donor, boasts an original 302 engine, (that she disassembled to a short block, revamping it to achieve a closer resemblance to a 350), coil-over shocks, and a trunk-located battery. A collector of diverse vehicles, she’s active in car clubs and has showcased her build at renowned car shows, earning accolades everywhere she goes.
Widowed for two decades, she found solace in the Hash House Harriers group of adventurers while in Virginia, and met her current husband in Great Falls at one of the group functions! Not surprisingly, they both love cars. Today, they are building a barn in Florida for their car collection!
This extraordinary woman, juggled a career investigating aviation accidents and personal losses, and persevered through every obstacle. Her Factory Five 427 Roadster not only reflects her passion for cars, but stands as a testament to resilience, the ‘Built Not Bought’ mindset, breaking barriers, and the pursuit of dreams.
Specifications:
– Ford 302 EFI 300 HP
– Independent suspension
– Dual roll bars
– Drop trunk with lighting
– Gas-n polished stainless steel side pipes
– Behind the seats cubby with lighting
– Fabricated radio housing under the dash with touchscreen stereo, two speakers mounted in front and two speakers mounted behind the seats
– Installed foot box cooling ducts with inline marine bilge blowers
– Heated leather seats
– Accent lighting under hood
– Paint is TCP Sapphire Blue MetallicPower steering
