1933 Ford Factory Five Hot Rod

- Ford 4.6L V8
- 5 Speed Tremec Transmission
- Fully Custom
- 692 Miles

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1933 Ford Factory Five Hotrod on a site other than GarageKeptMotors.com, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of this vehicle due to website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 175 photographs, including a short walk-around-and-startup video, as well as a link to its clean, accident-free Carfax documentation, please go to our main website: GarageKeptMotors.)

“I really wanted to build a sports car that's about performance and driving fun as much as it is about looks.” - Jim Schenck, Director of R&D, Factory Five, in his book "The Hot Rod Evolved"

The special allure of the 1933 Ford coupe has long had a hold on hotrodders. The body proportions are perfect, the styling is simple yet beautiful (even better with a slight roof chop), and then there's that sloping curved grille many see as a true work of art. It's no wonder then that so many hotrod builds began with a '33 Ford. If there was one challenge to all these projects, however, it was the unchangeable reality that, however beautiful the custom treatments made to the body were, beneath it all lay the “bones” of a now nearly 90 year-old automobile.

Where one person sees a challenge, another finds inspiration. Enter the people of Factory Five in Wareham, Massachusetts. Dave Smith, president of Factory Five tells the long, but interesting story: “When Jim Schenck, our director of R&D, came to me with his ideas for a next generation hot rod, I was immediately impressed. The idea of making a high-performance and comfortable daily driver '33 was exciting and that race rod sketch immediately came to mind.

“Jim's ideas weren't limited to just designing a performance hot rod. His excellent understanding of the Hot Rod market enabled him to see where there were opportunities for a “leap-frog” product. Today, most hot rods are looks first and everything else a distant second. In addition to performance that leaves something to be desired, most guys are forced to cobble together parts from a wide variety of companies and sources.

“Jim pitched me on the idea of using the Factory Five product template on the Hot Rod. The idea was to stay as traditional as possible, but make performance and drivability the focus and package all the parts together to reduce the number of places a guy has to go. It made a lot of sense.

“We introduced the Factory Five '33 at the 2008 SEMA Show where it earned 'Best in Show - Hot Rod' and 'Best Engineered Product - Runner-Up.' In 2012, the car won the GoodGuys National Autocross Title in both Pro and Street Classes, and a Top 10 at SEMA the same year. In its short life, the car has earned a slew of awards, industry recognition, and has changed the way people think about the 'stereo-typical' hot rod.”

Offered here in Ford Dark Ink Metallic (a deep blue) over black, is a perfect example of this “next-generation hotrod.” The fully completed '33 Ford Factory Five hotrod was custom-created in 2010. It included a number of options directly from the Wareham, Massachusetts factory, among them: the hardtop body style, Vintage air condition (with heat), power windows, full fenders (as opposed to open-wheel models), bespoke Factory Five 5-spoke wheels.

The individualized drivetrain brought together first-quality components including an all-aluminum, dual overhead cam, remanufactured 4.6-liter V8 linked to a 5-apeed Tremec 3650 manual transmission (with Center Force clutch), built to road-racing specifications. The 3.55 rear differential chosen was a Ford 8.8 converted to 3-link rear suspension; the posi-traction Moser axles are from Ford Motorsports.

Additional highlights include: Factory Five “straight-as-an-arrow” frame… extensive Dynamat chassis sound proofing… LPW “Ultimate-88” differential… Simpson 5-point racing safety harnesses for both driver and passenger … full array of custom Auto Meter gauges… and so much more. All inside the chopped-appearing '33 Ford-styled body professionally painted in its lovely deep shade of metallic blue. The car carries an assigned chassis VIN (certified by the State of Michigan), and is in virtually brand-new condition with under 700 miles on the odometer.

With any custom build, details are key. In this case, the more than 175 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available at the GarageKeptMotors site faithfully present this hotrod and its charms from virtually every angle, including from underneath. As to its condition, “brand new” is accurate. Still, we encourage interested parties to come inspect the car up-close and personal in our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Nothing can substitute for that sort of appraisal, especially when it comes to a custom vehicle of this level. We ask only that an appointment be made in advance by phone or email so that we can devote our full attention to our visitors and this Factory Five '33 Ford.

Once upon a time, “kit cars” were looked down upon in some automotive circles, but that time is long gone. As Factory Five's R&D Director put it: “When you see Factory Five cars winning national races or lifting the tires clear off the ground, check out the 'straight-as-an-arrow' frame quietly doing its job. There is no finer replica frame. Period.”