Lawson's 818C

Lawson's 818C

The Complete 818 Coupe Documentation
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Lawson's 818 Build Website

This website is the build documentation for my Factory Five Racing 818 Coupe. Hoping this site can help some new builders, people interested in the car, or just some car folks looking for something to read.

About Me

I’m a recent Georgia Tech grad with a degree in mechanical engineering. Through college, I participated on an automotive competition team, Wreck Racing, that builds race cars for the GRM $2000 Challenge. I have also done co-op rotations with General Motors working in a variety of automotive engineering roles.

Currently, I am a cofounder and Chief Engineer of Ampere EV. Our company aims to make it easier for people and companies to convert existing chassis to electric vehicles by offering an integrated EV powertrain system.

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What is a Factory Five 818C?

A Subaru WRX Kit Car

Subaru parts used included the engine, transmission, steering column/rack, gauges, some suspension, and fuel pump. Most other things are provided by Factory Five or something you have to create yourself.

Manufacturer: Factory Five Racing

Factory Five is a Massachusetts-based kit manufacturer that is most famous for Cobra replicas. They sell several other kits of both replica and original designs.

Three Models: 818S, 818C, 818R

Standing for Street, Coupe, and Race, the Factory Five 818 comes in three different flavors. I chose the 818C as I think it looks the best and offers the most practicality.

Build Background

The Build

Bought in June 2017, my 818C journey began with the purchase of a 2004 Subaru WRX. Although seeming ok-ish from the outside, this car was ROUGH mechanically. Maybe 15% of the car actually made it into my 818…

In the Summer of 2020, my Factory Five 818C finally reached the street-legality stage. Work on the project continues as I fine tune the vehicle and work on the finishing touches. 

The Purpose of this Website

Document My Project

For my own reasons, I wanted to document my full build of the car, the work I did, and how I did it. This is fun to look at, share with friends, and in my field of engineering is a resume builder.

Increase The Knowledgebase

I wanted to increase the available information out there on these kits. They're not super common and it takes a lot of work to get all the information you need.

I Like Tinkering

I like messing with web design. I've done numerous projects with web hosting, linux servers, and more so this was an additional fun side-project. How else am I gonna put my self-built Linux server to good use?

Keep People Updated

With lots of car friends, I wanted a way to keep people updated on the status of the build.

Connect With The Community

I figured this website would be a good way to connect with existing builders, prospective builders, and other people interested in these types of vehicles.

Easy To Use Reference

Forums are great, but admittedly not easy to use. They're also very hard to get just a general overview of one car/build. Instead they're aimed more towards people looking for minute details or assistance.