Henry Ford never built a car like the 1933 Ford coupe recently offered on eBay. But that’s the beauty of owning a car that started as a Factory Five Racing kit. Many may look like other cars, but no two are the same.
Assembly Required
Factory Five does not offer turn-key vehicles. It sells the components, and customers assemble the cars. The company is famous for its Shelby Cobra replicas - opens in new window or tab., but it also provides the parts to build hot rods, race cars, and even a Ford F-150-based desert prerunner - opens in new window or tab.
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Factory Five sells hot rod kits like this one in several stages.
- The Stage 1 kit includes chassis components, fuel and cooling systems, and the electrics.
- Stage 2 has a fiberglass body, full interior, and trim.
- A Complete Kit is a combination of the two. The builder provides the engine, transmission, rear end, wheels, tires, and paint—plus mechanical skills and elbow grease.
If you can’t (or don’t want to) build your own, you can buy a finished Factory Five '33 hot rod kit like the red coupe on eBay. Potential buyers should do some fact-finding about the builder and their work quality, in addition to the usual due diligence to buy a used car. Also, check with the local DMV to ensure it will accept the VIN assigned to the vehicle upon its completion.
Ford in a Ford
Mounts in the Factory Five '33 hot rod's jig-welded tube-frame chassis accept several engines. The 347-cubic-inch Ford V-8 in the coupe has several performance components:
- Balanced and blueprinted reciprocating assembly
- COMP Cams - opens in new window or tab. Thumpr camshaft
- Trick Flow - opens in new window or tab. Twisted Wedge cylinder heads
Behind the engine is a TCI-built version of Ford’s AOD four-speed automatic transmission. A console-mounted Lokar shifter - opens in new window or tab. controls it.
Race-Tuned Suspension
Factory Five hot rod chassis use unequal-length A-arms with inboard coilover shock absorbers - opens in new window or tab. for the front suspension. Several rear suspension options are available. Here, a four-link and coilovers suspend a solid rear axle. Four-wheel disc brakes make short work of stopping the lightweight street rod.
The interior looks well finished, if a bit sparse. Black vinyl covers the metal-framed bucket seats. Six Auto Meter gauges - opens in new window or tab.—speedometer, tach, oil pressure, water temperature, fuel level, and voltage—nest in the dashboard. A Factory Five-supplied “banjo” style steering wheel mounts to an Ididit steering column - opens in new window or tab. and controls a manual steering rack. Under the dash is a Vintage Air - opens in new window or tab. controller for the air conditioning.
While Factory Five Cobra replicas look authentic, the company took some liberties with Ford’s 1933 three-window coupe body. As would any hot rodder. A chopped roof and sectioned body make a sleeker profile than the factory sheet metal. The lack of side hood panels puts the hopped-up V-8 on display. Within the bobbed fenders are General Exclaim - opens in new window or tab. tires mounted on 17-inch body-color wheels with trim rings and hubcaps.
More Car, Less Sweat
The seller says this Factory Five '33 coupe delivers “exhilarating speed and handling.” Its $45,000 Buy-It-Now price, while not inexpensive, is undoubtedly far less than the cost of the Factory Five kit components plus all the time and effort it took to build and paint this unique street rod.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.