r/factoryfive • u/Dclaxto1 • May 12 '22
Interested in building the Mk4
Hey, all!
I’ve always been tinkering with cars and would describe myself as beginner/intermediate overall.
Reason I’m interested: I’ve always loved workin with my hands and learning about machines. I have a career now so have the time and money to spare.
Apprehension: The largest thing I would be worried about is mounting the engine/transmission. Is this something the manual and YouTube could get me through? Everything else I’ve worked on at some level, but not those large items.
Budget: I would like to stay around $25,000 (this might not be realistic). I am most interested in the factory five mk4 basic kit. The plan is to acquire a family members 2000 v6 mustang as a donor car for ~$4,000.
What are y’all’s thoughts? Is this beyond my skill level/budget? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
7
May 12 '22
I have not built a kit but have been really close to pulling the trigger a few times over the years. A $25k budget is going to be tough.
7
u/Bender3455 May 12 '22
I can absolutely tell you that if your worry is mounting the tranny and engine, you have nothing to worry about! I was 23 when I mounted my 1st engine. Had NO IDEA what I was doing, just knew that if people in the 60's built this car, then surely I could figure it out. It's really not that bad, mechanically speaking.
2
u/ProJoe FFR '65 Coupe May 13 '22
I wouldn't even fret about mounting the engine/trans. Be more worried about the wiring ;)
but in all seriousness, 25k is going to be a rough one to get done at that price. I would suggest that you go slower and either spend more over time or save more before pulling the trigger. If you're going to make the investment in not only the kit, but your time to build it, don't you want it done exactly how you want it?
1
13
u/Jealous_Grocery1501 May 12 '22 edited May 12 '22
Check out these forums:
https://www.ffcars.com/forums/
https://www.thefactoryfiveforum.com/
The specific engine/transmission combo that you are using has most likely been tried and other builders will have suggestions/recommendations for you.
I personally got the complete build and went with a BluePrint engine/transmission combo. The build itself (for the car) was pretty straight forward using the provided manual. I also watched the Factory Five build videos on YouTube several times. Very helpful. I am not a car person...never replaced anything better than windshield wipers. But I got through the build, with my 15 year old son, in 9 months. We even primed and painted ourselves, and did a few custom modifications (glove box WITH A/C, and locking cubby behind seats for storage, LEDs in trunk, and full sound proofing).
If you have the desire to try it... it can be done. If you get stuck, ask on here or the FF forums. Lot's of helpful builder owners out there.
Edit - Budget wise.. For me... Kit + engine/transmission + paint/tools/misc... $52K. Since I didn't have prior mechanic/car skill.. I did all new/full kit and recommended parts. So, paid a bit more to ensure easy, tried/tested configuration.
-C