Hidden Gem of Hyperfest: 1933 Factory Five Hot Rod
At every automotive event, there is always one car that burns itself into your brain more than others, as if it has a gravitational pull that drags you back for more. Spotted at HyperFest 2017, Jeff Collins’ Factory Five Racing 1933 Hot Rod left a lasting imprint on us. Some of you may recognize the icy-blue fiery perfection that was skillfully painted across the classic street rod fenders, hood and body from the event gallery.
Under the hood is a 345-horsepower Ford Racing 302 engine mated to a Tremec five-speed transmission. Underneath is a Ford 8.8 rear axle with a Factory Five three-link suspension, which allows for effortless, solid cornering. Meanwhile, the QA1 high-performance shocks cushion every bump and crack in the road and allow for adjustable ride height.
Inside it has Honda S2000 seats with custom, cushy leather, with other creature comforts like heat and air conditioning. There’s also some good news for roaster fanatics: While the car’s exterior appearance is currently set up as a coupe, the Factory Five Racing body kit can easily be converted to a roadster.
Jeff’s favorite feature is the inverted vents that he and his team at Whitby Motors sculpted into the engine side panels.
“They almost go unnoticed, and they are effective,” he said.
According to Jeff, the ’33 drives like a dream, and the trek to Hyperfest was the first time he really put long distance miles on it. Before that it was all short-but-sweet test drives.
“It performed flawlessly during the 200-mile trip, and it will certainly be a nice drive back,” he grinned. “We put the A/C to good use, too.”
The two-lane twisty roads are what this car was made for, all the way down to the wheels and tires. The Nitto 555 Ultra High Performance tires mounted on Billet Specialties wheels provide a smooth ride and excellent performance.
“We have 225-40-ZR-17 on the front and 285-35ZR18 on the rear," Jeff said, "and the ride was amazing!”
This Hot Rod isn’t the first and surely isn’t the last of the cars that Jeff will get his hands on. He has been in business as Whitby Motorcars since 1999, but has worked on cars since childhood.
“It has always been a part of my life in one form or another,” he reminisced. “It all started when my family moved from the middle of town out to the country. The only way I could get back to civilization was to keep my car running!”
To Jeff's relief, their new home was squarely between what he later deemed as the world's greatest junkyard and the world's greatest parts store.
“I was set with anything I needed.”
Jeff uses cars to meet and connect with the greatest people on the planet.
“If you hop in your car and drive in any direction, you will likely stop among friends. Or for events like HyperFest, we hosted a Factory Five car corral, met new folks, connected names and faces with online friends, and reconnected with friends we hadn't seen in years. It was a great weekend.”
As for the ’33 Hot Rod, Jeff says all of the credit goes to Rick Riffle, a customer who was kind enough to include them in his project.
“He purchased the parts from us, but he did a lot of the build himself,” he explained. “We did the paint, body work and assembly.”
Luckily for Rick and Whitby Motors alike, after the car was finished, Rick found his old high school ride. Everyone at Whitby liked the ‘33 so much, they struck a deal to buy it back.
