[Bart Carter]

Factory Five had an aluminum body (Kirkham?) and wanted to offer it as an option for a rumored $7,000.

At the SEMA show we were told they dropped the idea. I don't know the real reason. I was told the the body took a lot of work before painting and the price wasn't consistant with their market.

They offered a carbon fiber body, but don't anymore. I have heard that 24 of them were sold for $3,000 each. Stronger and lighter than fiberglass, that would be a good deal, but I guess a 2000 lb car vs a 2100 lb car is not worth $3,000 to most.

But aluminum is a different story.

I think the best way to go would be to either design a new donor type of chassis/suspension or work with a manufacturer to design an attachment "kit" or option for their cars. But it would need to be an manufacturer that doesn't use the body/panels as part of the frame structure. That would eliminate a lot.

Does anyone know the weight difference between an aluminum body and a fiberglass one?

So, can David give us any insight about the Factory Five decision?