Exploring the Type 65 Coupe by Factory Five Racing

A model car kit that grew up

As a kid, I must have built dozens of plastic model car kits, and if you’re into cars like I am, you probably did the same. The kits, made mostly of plastic, came in boxes that would have easily been mailed or nicely fit under the Christmas tree. I still have a lot of those that survived multiple moves. As I got older, the kits got bigger and more complex but nowhere near as complex as the ones offered by Factory Five Racing in its display at this year’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI, and the subject of this week’s spot.

If it wasn’t enough that Carroll Shelby had just gotten revenge for Ford over Ferrari’s dominance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one title that eluded him was the World Sportscar Championship. Again, Enzo Ferrari dominated the series until Shelby came up with the Cobra Daytona with the help of Peter Brock and Ken Miles. Shelby’s next Cobra, like his GT40s, was a Ferrari killer. While Ferrari narrowly won the 64 title, Shelby came back to win in 1965. Several of these survive to this day; however, if you wanted one, only six original Daytona Coupes were ever built. They routinely command eight-figure sums at auction, with valuations stretching past $20 million to an estimated excess of $25 million for historically significant chassis.

Enter Factory Five Racing. Founded in 1995, Factory Five Racing has grown from a start-up business in a small garage to become the world’s largest manufacturer of component car kits. They employ a full-time crew of about 40 people and are located in Wareham, Massachusetts, about an hour south of Boston, with a combined 62,000 square feet for their operations. I was particularly interested in the Type 65 Coupe. If you took this to an auto show, most, if not all, of the attendees would think it is the real deal. From its website, “Each Factory Five Type 65 Coupe is true to the road racing legacy that gave the design its birth, and yet with modern engineering and technologies, our cars are much more livable than the originals.”

You can purchase a Base Kit from them that will include everything you need except for Engine/Transmission/Rear End with Rear Brakes, Wheels and Tires, for $17,990. What you will need to get it on the road are the engine and drivetrain, plus some other odds and ends. Suggested drivetrain will come from an ’ 87-’93 Mustang engine and transmission, along with a Ford 8.8” rear end with quad-shocks, brakes, springs, and control arms. Upgrading to a Complete Kit will cost $22,990 and add more goodies to the order. They even have an option for you to order an engine from them, ranging from a Ford 302 c.i. Carbureted starting from $10,799 all the way up to a Ford 427 c.i. Fuel-injected HO Stage 2 starting at $21,499. So you’d be looking at anywhere from $50,000 to over $100,000 depending on how nuts you wanted to go. Still, considering what you’d have to lay out for one of the originals, this is getting by cheap.

As you read this, AirVenture comes to a close today. As always, Meg and I had a great time. I did discovery flights on radio-controlled planes for youngsters thinking about an aviation career, while Meg was taking in the afternoon airshows and hanging out with the pilots and crews. I shot some videos that I’d like to share with you. There was an afternoon Heritage Flight with an F-22, F-16, and P-51 Mustang, a hover demo by an F-35B, and the main event, direct from the UK, the Red Arrows. We can’t wait until next year, which is only 365 days away.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out this week’s spot. Be sure to Like, Comment, and Share. I have another AirVenture find I’ll share with you next Sunday. Have a great week.