The Baker Family Graduate Their ’35 Truck Build!
Customer Tony Baker sent us this letter that is a great reminder of Why behind Factory Five Racing. Tony’s build with his sons is like so many in the Factory Five community, but it is a story that never gets old, and one that the Baker family should be extremely proud of. Congratulations on graduating your Hot Rod Truck build with your sons, and on your big win at World of Wheels!
Tony wrote: “I first began researching Factory Five Racing in the summer of 2008, after a friend took me for a ride in his newly built FFR Roadster. The bronze 1933 FFR Hot Rod was stunning, and I knew I had to build it, so I started the conversations with my wife. Over the next few years we had two children and built a new house. My very supportive wife agreed to build a large garage with a high ceiling for a car lift. She recognized the value that the future FFR build would bring to our sons when they were old enough to get involved.”
“I visited the FFR website regularly, and one day, I discovered the Barret Jackson 1935 Hot Rod Truck that was largely based on the ‘33 Hot Rod. I was in love! We waited until the time was right to purchase it. That came in August 2020. Our sons were 10 and 12 years old, and we were looking for a much-needed distraction from the pandemic. I got the green light to place the order and to start teaching our kids mechanics in our garage.”
“I ordered the FFR ‘35 truck, power windows, Coyote prep package, electronic steering assist, AC, ‘35 rear fenders, and ‘33 front bicycle fenders to customize my vision. The boys were involved right away, recognizing this was like building with life size Lego, and they chose the theme for our first build together. We wanted to build a daily driver, so we cut no corners on this build and purchased all new parts.”
“We received the truck in December 2020 and got to work right away. Over the next few months, we assembled many of the parts with both kids doing much of the assembly, torquing, and paint marking bolts as they went. I was a very proud father watching their passion and attention to detail grow. Western Motorsports (@western_motorsports) became our primary source for Ford Performance parts including a new Gen 3 5.0 L Coyote paired with a Tremec T56 and fuel system. Their staff are very helpful and have been a great pleasure to deal with.”
“On April 27th, 2021, we turned the key for a roar of excitement! The project was very much alive, and the new Gen 3 Coyote purred like a kitten. We finished much of the key mechanical systems and go-karted the truck briefly in August 2021. She behaved perfectly!”
“Over the next few months, we prepared for the detailed provincial inspection required for registration by installing items such as wipers, windshield washer fluid, corner markers, 3rd brake light and sun visors. These were all key safety items that I had missed in the original planning.”
“On June 15th, 2022, the truck easily passed its inspection. Still in black gelcoat, the truck was ready to truly drive! We took that truck on road trips big and small and completed many other pressure testing chores to ensure the truck was mechanically sound and ready to teardown for paint. One obvious change we needed was the exhaust. The original mufflers dumped under the seats, and when paired with a very vocal Coyote, made for a very loud drive on longer trips. Luckily, my neighbour owns Unobtanium Welding (@unobtaniumwelding), and he fabricated a beautiful custom stainless steel exhaust with X pipe that exits behind the rear axle. The truck was now a pure dream to drive. At high speeds or slow cruising in the country, it was very responsive, had great traction, and drove without the slightest vibration. We enjoyed driving it all summer, and in December 2022 we started the painful process of disassembly for paint and body.”
“Everything was hand blocked, as we wanted it as straight as possible. We only used power tools in the initial stage to get the panel gaps close. We leaned on experts in the FFR build community to help guide our painting process. Thank you to everyone in this FRR family; your feedback truly helped.”
“Finally in May 2024, I was ready to paint my first ever vehicle in Jeep Green with Envy. The look of those bright pearl painted parts safely resting in our spare bedroom made all the hard work worth it. Yes, my wife let me store painted parts in our house! We carefully drove the newly painted truck during the summer of 2024 as we planned the final touches of our build which included a stunning airbrushed truck bed panel from Mike O’Brien (@mobnation1). Mike’s communication and artistic talent were second to none. Mike, thank you for such an amazing addition to this build!”
“It also included a custom leather interior with diamond double stitching of purple and green to match the Hulk theme from Degreeve Auto Upholstery (@degreeve_auto_upholstery).”
“With the final assembly complete, the truck was prepped for its first big car show at the 2025 Autorama World of Wheels in Calgary, Alberta. Our youngest son worked hard for three days, talking to car enthusiasts, explaining the details of the build, and handing out stickers. We received 1st place in the Radical Custom Hot Rod Truck category, and both boys were oozing with pride for their build. Now it’s time to drive our beautiful truck!”
“Thank you, Factory Five Racing. You have helped my children learn lifelong skills and develop a deep passion for mechanics.”
