Watch Industry Pro Women Build a 427 on Detroit Muscle TV!

Now on PowerNation, five women from the automotive industry build a Factory Five Mk4 Roadster in five days!  If you missed the show when it aired, you can watch it online on PowerNation’s “Detroit Muscle”. Click one of the links below watch Cherielynn, Nan, Courtnie, Karen, and Jo build this beautiful Mk4!

powernation-promo
Click here
 to watch the PowerNation preview of the 427 All-Women’s Build.

 

 

FFwomen-play-episode
Click here to watch the full episode.

The Factory Five Mk4 Roadster built by these five women is powered by Ford Racing’s 535 HP small block 351W based 427 stroker. A TKO 5 speed delivers power to the 3.31 solid axle 8.8″ rear end with FFR 3-link suspension from our race series. The shocks are Koni 3012 double-adjustable coil-over units. Brakes are Wilwood 13″ cross-drilled and slotted rotors up front with four pot calipers, and 11.65″ rears with 2 piston calipers. Tires are Toyo R888’s roadracing rubber on custom wheels designed by Christopher Coddington and Hot Rods by Boyd. Paint is Sherwin Williams Planet Color Midnight Black with off white vintage stripes.

The team consists of…

Karen Salvaggio, an SCCA and NASA regional and national roadracing champion

Jo Coddington, broadcast celebrity from American Hot Rod, American Icon, Bidding Wars, and wife of the late Boyd Coddington

CherieLynn Westrich, formerly of Overhaulin’

Nan Gelhard, Director of Advertising at Summit Racing, Inc.

Courtnie Provencher, a mechanic from Factory Five Racing

2014-04-07-10.29
Left to Right: Karen Salvaggio, Nan Gelhard, Jo Coddington, “Detroit Muscle” host Joe Elmore, Courtnie Provencher, Cherielynn Westrich, and “Detroit Muscle” host Tommy Boshers.

The car was featured on the 2014 Hot Rod Power Tour with women from the build team at stops along the way. The car will be featured at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

DSC_0665
The car was shown at the 2014 Wisconsin Dells Automania Autoshow, and can currently be seen in Factory Five’s showroom.

FFwomen-6880
Five days of wrench turning (no paint work!) with five industry-pro women.

FFwomen-6904
Summit Racing’s Nan Gelhard and Karen Salvaggio work on the engine headers.

FFwomen-6912
Cherielynn Westrich installs the radiator while Jo Coddington works on the pedal box and Nan Gelhard & Karen Salvaggio close up the passenger footbox.

FFwomen-6950
Friday lunch break, the car is wheels and trim items away from its first drive.

FFwomen-7057
Driver Karen Salvaggio backs the newly built 427 Mk4 out of PowerNation’s studios.

8
The build team test drove the car as the sun came out on the last day.

Factory_Five_Racing_Huntington_Beach_Jesse_Kiser_63
Attendees at the 2014 Factory Five Huntington Beach Cruise-In got a special preview of the All Women 427 Build car.

HB2014_234

Factory_Five_Racing_Huntington_Beach_Jesse_Kiser_84
Out in SoCal, Karen, Jo, and CherieLynn helped show off the newly built car.

Pro-photographer Dino Petrocelli captured images of the car in his studio. Click here to view the photo gallery.

Latest Factory Five News

Damon P. Graduates 30th Anniversary Mk5 #11 of 30

Congratulations to Factory Five customer Damon P. on graduating his Mk5 Roadster build! Like other recent Mk5 graduate, Doug S., Damon also built one of the Factory Five 30th Anniversary Special Edition Mk5 Roadster, #11 of 30. Damon received his Mk5 in June 2025, and built it with a BluePrint Engines 427 CID Stage 2 HO, Tremec TKO 600, Holley Sniper 2 EFI, Ansen tri-color valve covers, IRS, 18″ 30th Anniversary Bronze Halibrand Wheels, Holley returnless fuel system, Radium Engineering fuel dampening system and fuel pressure gauge power steering, power brakes, and bronze Anniversary chassis with almost all other bare… Read More »

Read More

Five Deals from the Factory Five Guys!

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

SoCal Factory Five Owners Meet Up for Some Cars & Coffee

It’s officially car show season everywhere, and 12 Factory Fives in SoCal met up at the Cars and Coffee event this past Saturday in San Clemente. Among them were customers Hal C., Tim W., David H., Bud C,, John S., Kevin H., Bart H., Tony V., and Dennis A. The San Clemente Cars and Coffee is a weekly event and is the largest in Orange County so we’re stoked to hear that Factory Five was well represented with these customer builds. Click here to watch a quick YouTube short of the Factory Five Roadsters and Coupe from this event. Photos… Read More »

Read More
Top