Factory Five/superformance/backdraft

[Wiplash]

I was about to pull the trigger on a FFR MK III, but I decided to buy one that is already finished.

I like the Factory Five features (frame etc.), but I don't know the difference between the FFR and others.

I didn't want to get raked across the coals on the Factory Five Forum for just asking the question, so here it is...

"WHAT ARE THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES?"

Thanks

Brett

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by Wiplash

"WHAT ARE THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES?"

Brett...the major difference is that the FFR is a component-based kit, while BDR and SPF are factory-built and painted rollers.

[Wiplash]

Hold it!---Let me qualify the question...(sorry)

I know the Backdraft and Superformance are pre-made rollers, and painted to specs. The Backdraft is longer by three inches. You can have independent rear options on the FFR.

OK--Are the dimensions of the Superformance the same as the Factory Five (I like the dimensions of the FFR).

Quality of build (fit and finish) of the Superformance and Backdraft (?)

Are the frames of the Superformance and Backdraft as good as the FFR?

I'm about to drop the Backdraft out of contention because of the length. (It just seems European or something because of the stretch.) It will take someone knocking my socks off with praise of the Backdraft to keep it in the race to my driveway.

Thanks

Brett

[Dangerous Doug]

On buying a used FFR, there is a big difference between buying a car that was built using a "donor" and one that was built using all new parts. Be clear on what you're getting before you plunk down any cash.

In terms of the body shape, FFR has the so-called "perky butt" relative to other manufacturers. Some like it, some don't. ERA has profiles of several cars you can look at to compare their shapes: http://www.erareplicas.com/427/profiles/index.htm

DD

[mrmustang]

Let's see if I can explain this one from the perspective of an FFR owner who has also owned ERA,Contemporary, SPF and far too many FFR's to keep count of.

SPF, Very refined, fit and finish is top notch, bought as a roller or used as a turn key, you cannot go wrong at $38,000 for a painted roller....Frame is square tube, but do not hold that against it as the square tube vs round tube hype has been beat to death and the naysayers on both sides will say theirs is better than the others.

FFR, sold as a non turn key kit, fit and finish is left up to the individual owner/builder. Not as refined or as water tight as the SPF or ERA. Still a ton of fun to not only build, but to get in and race (I happen to have road raced several of my old FFR's). I've seen some extremely nice FFR's, and have seen some truly horrible builds that make me wonder why I bought them to tear down and rebuild. Safety factors prohibited me from doing anything but trailering some of these cars home...Some purchased less than 5 miles from my old address.......Again, fun to build and drive it your way. Downside is the attention to original body details as the current FFR body (rear end) is not as faithful to the original, even with the changes they have made to their current MKIII.5, the upside is if you wait, they will have a body splashed off Dick Smiths original 427SC coming out some time in the near future. Again, do not get caught up in the round tube vs square tube argument, as both have been engineered by their respective manufacturers to exacting safety standards. I've seen several FFR,ERA, and SPF's that have been in major accidents, and each one kept it's occupants equally as safe (similar collisions).


I have also seen some beautiful Backdrafts and would not rule them out, cannot personally comment on them further as I have yet to own one .........


Now, of course the real question is, what do you plan to do with the car? Are you building a big block or a small block powered car? Are you looking for a nice street cruiser, or do you plan to drag race, autocross, or road race with it? Your intended use, and your realistic budget is the real deciding factor.......

Hope you find this helpful.

Sincerely,

Bill S.

[ROUSHAC]

Brett, check out these two threads. Some good info on all three brands (along with some misinformation, of course).

http://www.ffcobra.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186274

http://www.ffcobra.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185974

I love my BDR, but I'm a big guy who really appreciates the extra room.

I have seen many great FFR builds and Superfornance certainly makes a very nice car.

Like Bill said, a lot depends on what you want to do with the car. You owe it to yourself to test drive all three, if possible, once you decide on your priorities.

Whatever you decide, you will have a permanent everytime you drive it or even think about it. Remember Nike's motto: "Just do it!"

[SkipB]

Wiplash,

As a Backdraft owner and a person that did quite a bit of research before buying a car, I must tell you that the extra 2 inches of length in the Backdraft wheelbase is virtually undetectable. (It also adds more cockpit space if you are tall) I've had FFRs and Superformance cars sitting right next to my car and you really will never notice the difference. As for frames, all the cars you mentioned have very well thought out and engineered frames.

What brought me to the Backdraft was a combination of issues. First the rolling chassis appealed to me, as opposed to a car I had to build. (No room, time, expertise, etc.) Second, I thought about buying a built FFR, but that opens up Pandora's box. Many are very well built and beautiful cars, some, not so great. The "Perky Butt" has been mentioned, and I wasn't too much a fan of that either, although I hear there is a "fix" for this. Don't get me wrong, FFRs are great cars when they are done right.

So, it narrowed it down to Superformance vs. Backdraft for me. I am a BMW fan and have owned many of them over the years. So, the BMW based suspension that rode and handled very well was a real plus! At the time I bought mine, there was quite a price difference too. The Backdraft was considerably cheaper, even after factoring in the engine and transmission, labor, etc. Throw in the fact that I was able to "watch" my car being built on the Backdraft website and it was easy for me to make a decision. I'm glad I bought a Backdraft, and truly think it is a great car.

The Superformance is also a great car. Excellent build quality, great frame, paint, and is a more authentic reproduction. I drove several of them, including small and big block cars, but I just loved the way the Backdraft handled vs Superformance as well as the other brands.

Just my two cents, but I mainly wanted you to know the "extra inches" on the Backdraft make only a positive difference!

SkipB

[Wiplash]

Thanks guys!

OK--I want it to become a highly used car. (Almost, but not daily driver) I don't want a big block. I would like to do a solo 2 here and there. **A fun, yet useful expensive toy**

I would be willing to pay around 35K for something used. I'm not in the market to spend 50K and above on something I'm building. That seems to be the theme--investing around 50K, yet selling for around 35K. Sad, but true.

I need all the opinions I can get!

Thanks again!!

[Cashburn]

At $35k used you should be able to find a very well built Factory Five with some searching. To find a nice used BDR you will need to go over $40k. And finally to find a decent, later SPF used it would be closer if not above $50k.

If you have a better budget for something new .... call me

[Slick61]

as a Backdraft owner, I'd say the overall fit & finish of a Superformance is slightly better- as is the paint. BUT... I LOVED the fact that the suspension was BMW-sourced... and the 2 inch stretch makes for less "squirrelly" handling at the limit- and it IS a very comfortable car, as Cobras go.

One thing that no one has mentioned yet is that Backdraft has one of the most nicely-finished engine compartments around. All the polished stainless really sets off a nice engine.

Exhibit A

[Joe Wicked]

In my research of everything, one thing I have not come across is price listings for these cars. Does anyone know if the respective companies publish the base price and price of options for the roller cars like the build yourself kit companies do? If I decide to go with a roller, I really like the Superformance, ERA and Backdraft. The more I think about it, the more I like a finished car, the body work is something that I will not want to attack myself, and I know that will get real expensive.

[Mattnshilp]

I started a long thread on which replica is best... Got some really great responses.


Along with FFR (The most affordable Replica worth spending money on), ERA (Expensive and supposedly just awesome), SPF (almost as expensive) and BDR (a wee bit more expensive then FFR), the other company that came up a few times that seamed to be worth looking into was Unique.

http://www.uniquemotorcars.com/

Turnkey pretty well loaded for somewhere between $47,500.00 and $49,000.00 . Used for a bit less.

I can't wait for mine. But it'l be a while before I decide which direction I want to go in. I want either an ERA or SPF. I like the ERA better but they are expensive. I can probably get a great pre-owned SPF for a great price. I just keep feeling like I should be buying an american produced and constructed Ford Cobra replica.

I am having a hard time with FFR's Bulky Butt. But if they can fix that problem, I would probably go for an FFR for my first to get in affordably and enjoy until I really learned what was important to me...

-Matt

[Slick61]

Originally Posted by Joe Wicked

In my research of everything, one thing I have not come across is price listings for these cars. Does anyone know if the respective companies publish the base price and price of options for the roller cars like the build yourself kit companies do? If I decide to go with a roller, I really like the Superformance, ERA and Backdraft. The more I think about it, the more I like a finished car, the body work is something that I will not want to attack myself, and I know that will get real expensive.

Backdraft's pricing is posted right on their website...

[flipscobra]

I have a SPF, Before I bought mine I went to look at a Unique Cobra in Va. I would probaly bought had I not driven a SPF. You have more footroom in the SPF, the pedals are further apart. All you have to do is look in the drivers side an you will see the difference. If you have big feet you will love the SPF.

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by Wiplash

I'm about to drop the Backdraft out of contention because of the length. (It just seems European or something because of the stretch.) It will take someone knocking my socks off with praise of the Backdraft to keep it in the race to my driveway.

You're going for looks and you're considering an FFR over a BDR? I feel like I'm missing something. Have you looked at the two?

Steve

[mpanten]

Originally Posted by lovehamr

You're going for looks and you're considering an FFR over a BDR? I feel like I'm missing something. Have you looked at the two?

Steve

I have to agree, A FFR is pretty easy to spot compared to the rest of them. BDR not so much but you can tell the difference( Personally I like them) SPF, ERA, pretty close in appearance. When I had my spf painted I the body shop guy had a FFR in there and I asked him how much time he spends on one? He told me that he ususally has 4 guys on it for a month to a month and a half, granted when he is done with them they look extreamly nice but they are not cheap. I guess my point is that if you want a comperable car you are going to spend comparable money, so the real question is how nice and how fast do you want it?

[SKINNEDR]

I don't like above comments about BDR.
There is a big difference in appearance from a FFR to a BDR.
DEx....

[Wiplash]

OK, I see the difference now that I looked at the profiles. I have formally changed my opinion of the Backdraft (I officially dig it!)

Are SPF and BDR the only companies that turn out rollers?

Thanks guys!

Brett

[RodKnock]

CSX, ERA and Kirkham can have complete rollers available, if so desired. Unfortunatey, they're at the expensive side of the Cobra spectrum.

[wanab5150]

Keep in mind the BD has 3 series BMW suspension consisting of a BMW rear end made for a 250 hp or less car. It may handle the juice, but it's BMW and was never designed for 500 HP. Also, the front of every other kit or turn-key car has unequal length a arms like any race car, wheras the BMW front end uses struts, like most imports and Mustangs.

In my oppinion the BD would probably ride better than the others, but the manner in which a strut changes the caster/camber during its vertical travel does not allow the tires to stay planted as well as say Superformance or others. Ever seen struts on a real race car?. Also, there will be no real performance upgrades on the BD because ITS A STRUT.The others allow spring rate, and shock variations like Bilstein or QA-1's.

I'm 6-1 with bad knees and find the SPF a lot more comfortable than I thought. The BD does however have more leg room.
I bought an SPF and I'm happy with it. I considered the BD but in the end wanted the A A arm suspension and a hearty Dayna style rear end for the 550 hp Roush even if I never use it. Unless someone crawls under the BD no one would know the difference and if it makes no difference to you, it may be the right car for you.

You'll end up the same money in a kit Factory 5 as the BD, but the resale on the Factory 5 car is lower as..... "would you buy a car someone else BUILT?" Or, would you buy a factory built car that's probably built by pros and is built to factory standards.
The BD is a deal. I think 10K cheaper than my SPF which I picked up in March.

Tough choice...........weigh the positives and negatives. CSX, Superformance, factory 5, ERA, Backdraft, their all good. If I had it to over again and I hit the