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!
Click here to watch the PowerNation preview of the 427 All-Women’s Build.
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
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.
The car was shown at the 2014 Wisconsin Dells Automania Autoshow, and can currently be seen in Factory Five’s showroom.
Five days of wrench turning (no paint work!) with five industry-pro women.
Summit Racing’s Nan Gelhard and Karen Salvaggio work on the engine headers.
Cherielynn Westrich installs the radiator while Jo Coddington works on the pedal box and Nan Gelhard & Karen Salvaggio close up the passenger footbox.
Friday lunch break, the car is wheels and trim items away from its first drive.
Driver Karen Salvaggio backs the newly built 427 Mk4 out of PowerNation’s studios.
The build team test drove the car as the sun came out on the last day.
Attendees at the 2014 Factory Five Huntington Beach Cruise-In got a special preview of the All Women 427 Build car.
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.