Auburn, AL / Cockpit + Garage

Building Cars & Community

A second-generation pilot, husband, and Factory Five builder sharing the slow, hand-built craft of a Coyote-powered Mk4 Cobra — and the people who make a build worth doing.

Pilot Builder Storyteller Husband Christian
Watch the Build on YouTube Follow on Instagram Get Build Updates
CALLSIGN — SCOTTSRIDES Reference photo (placeholder): a Factory-Five-style Cobra roadster in deep teal — Scott's own build photo replaces this on launch. AviationT-38 Powerplant5.0L V8 435 HP / Mk4 ROADSTER
290K+
Instagram Following
3
Platforms
435HP
Coyote V-8 Build
1
Coast-to-Cockpit Story
About

Two cockpits.
One story.

By day Scott is a Delta Air Lines pilot. By weekend he's in the garage, building the kind of car his dad would want to ride shotgun in.

// Auburn, AL Reference photo (placeholder): a general-aviation cockpit instrument panel — Scott's own cockpit photography replaces this on launch. // Built in Alabama

Faith, family, and a flight stick shifter.

Scott Spencer flies for Delta Air Lines and lives in Auburn, Alabama with his wife Kim. He's a second-generation pilot — his father flew the T-38 supersonic jet trainer in the Air Force, and the actual control stick from his dad's jet has been in the family since 1968.

That stick now lives in Scott's Factory Five Mk4 Cobra. It's the shifter. Every gear change is a hand on the same grip his father wrapped a fist around at altitude — a quiet way to keep building, keep flying, keep family in the loop.

On YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as @scottsrides, he documents the build, the cockpit, and the people in between. The tagline is Building Cars & Community, and it isn't marketing — it's the order of operations.

Day Job
Delta Pilot
Garage
Auburn, AL
Heritage
2nd-Gen
Aviator
Faith
Christian
Husband
Featured Build

Factory Five
Mk4 Cobra.

A hand-built roadster running a 5.0L Coyote crate engine through a TREMEC TKO five-speed — and the only Cobra in the world with a T-38 control stick for a shifter.

BUILD #001 Reference photo (placeholder): a blue Cobra roadster with orange center stripe — Scott's actual Mk4 build photography replaces this on launch.
// Factory Five Mk4 Roadster

435 horsepower
of front-yard therapy.

A modern Coyote crate engine wrapped in a hand-fit kit body with the unmistakable shape of a '60s Cobra. Long-arm shifts. Open exhaust. And one detail that's pure family.

ChassisFactory Five Mk4
EngineFord 5.0L Coyote
Output435 HP
TransTREMEC TKO
Gearbox5-Speed Manual
ShifterUSAF T-38 Stick
TKO SourcedForte's Parts Connection
BuilderScott Spencer
// In Scott's Words

"It is the flight control stick out of my dad's Air Force T-38 supersonic jet trainer. He had it in his office since 1968. As a second-generation pilot, I thought it would be fitting to use in my car build."

— Scott Spencer, on the shifter
// Up Next in the Garage

More builds. More parts. More stories.

Future builds, project diaries, and parts breakdowns drop on YouTube and Instagram first. Subscribe to ride along.

Channels

Find me everywhere.

One handle. Three platforms. Different angles on the same garage.

Garage Gear

What's on the bench.

The kits, parts, and tools that show up in the videos — collected here so it's easy to find what Scott actually runs.

Chassis A vintage roadster body in a workshop — the spirit of the Mk4 build.
Factory Five Mk4 Roadster

The chassis that started it all. Hand-laid body, tubular frame, and a parts list a mile long.

Why Scott runs itIt's the only Cobra-replica platform built to take a modern Coyote crate and a TREMEC TKO without fighting you the whole way.
factoryfive.com
Drivetrain A close-up of a manual gearbox / transmission cutaway.
TREMEC TKO 5-Speed

The five-speed manual behind the Coyote — sourced through Forte's Parts Connection. Long throws, satisfying clicks.

Why Scott runs it"The TREMEC reputation speaks for itself. I am extremely satisfied with the TKO 5-speed and would recommend it to anyone building an Mk4 Roadster."
tremec.com
Powerplant A polished V-8 engine bay — modern crate-engine performance.
Ford 5.0L Coyote Crate

The 435hp Coyote V-8 from Ford Racing. Modern reliability, classic noise, and the heart of the Cobra build.

Why Scott runs itModern fuel-injected manners during a 4 a.m. cold start in Auburn, classic V-8 holler when the cabin warms up. Ford support means parts are easy.
ford racing parts
Tools A neatly organized set of mechanic's tools on a workshop pegboard.
Shop Tools & Hand Gear

The torque wrench, the impact gun, the rolling cabinet — the day-in, day-out workhorses behind every build.

Why Scott runs itA pilot doesn't fly with a sketchy checklist; a builder doesn't wrench with sketchy tools. Buy once, cry once — then build for the next decade.
snap-on / matco
Detailing A polished Cobra-style roadster catching the light — the show-finish standard.
Detailing & Finish Kit

The polishes, ceramic coatings, and microfibers that keep a hand-fit body looking show-ready.

Why Scott runs itA hand-laid Mk4 body deserves a finish that does the labor justice. Griot's products survive Alabama humidity and a roof-down road trip.
griot's garage
Apparel A close-up of a classic Shelby-style dashboard with the cobra emblem.
scottsrides Merch

Tees, caps, and decals — built for the garage and the airport tarmac. Drops announced on YouTube first.

Why it's worth a followLimited runs. Numbered drops. The first one ships with a build-update sticker pack — get on the list before it's announced.
join the list

Affiliate disclosure. Some links on this page may earn a small commission when used. It never changes the price you pay, and Scott only links to gear that's earned a place in the actual build.

// Family Business

Planning a trip?
Kim's got you.

Scott's wife Kim Spencer is a full-service Disney and beyond vacation planner. Concierge-style itineraries, no booking fees — and a perspective that reads like a friend, not a brochure.

@vacationplannerkimmy
A castle at a Disney park — the world Kim Spencer plans for her clients.
From the Garage

Build notes & field reports.

Long-form posts on the build, the cockpit, and the people in between. New entries land here first.

Build Diary Engine bay close-up — Coyote first-start prep.
// Coming Soon
First start: bringing the Coyote to life

The wiring harness debate, the relief of a clean idle, and what I'd do differently next time. Plus the one bolt I almost forgot.

Watch on YouTube
Cockpit A general aviation cockpit with full instrument panel.
// Coming Soon
Two cockpits, one mindset: how flying makes me a better builder

Checklists, mode awareness, and the value of going slow on purpose. Lessons from the flight deck I steal in the garage.

Read on Instagram
Heritage A Shelby-style dashboard with the cobra emblem.
// Coming Soon
The shifter that's actually a flight stick

My dad's T-38 control stick has been in the family since 1968. Here's the day I bolted it into the Mk4 — and the rule I made about second gear.

Watch on TikTok
Collaborate

Brand, build, or brief.

Sponsorships, product seeds, podcast invites, and one-off project collabs. If it fits the audience, send it over.

Let's talk collab.

Scott partners with brands that make sense for a builder, a pilot, and a family-first audience. Tools, parts, automotive lifestyle, aviation gear, faith-driven causes — all on the table.

Drop a note here or DM @scottsrides on the platform you live on. He reads them all.

  • Audience290K+ Active
  • VerticalsAuto / Aviation / Lifestyle
  • GeographyUS-Wide, Auburn AL Base
  • Best ForLong-form Builds & Reels
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