Original subtitles

Narrator: TODAY ON "HOW IT'S MADE: DREAM CARS" --

THE FALCON F7, A MID-ENGINE SUPERCAR

WITH THE HEART OF AN AMERICAN HOT ROD.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THE FALCON F7 IS MADE IN HOLLY, MICHIGAN,

THE HEART OF AMERICAN CAR COUNTRY.

JEFF LEMKE, FOUNDER OF FALCON MOTORSPORTS,

GREW UP IN THE DETROIT AREA.

HE FELL IN LOVE WITH CORVETTES AS A CHILD.

FOR YEARS, LEMKE BUILT SPECIALTY PARTS FOR EXOTIC SPORTS CARS.

EVENTUALLY, HE DECIDED TO MAKE HIS OWN SUPERCAR.

FALCON INTRODUCED THE F7 AS A CONCEPT CAR

AT THE NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW IN 2011.

THE RECEPTION WAS SO ENTHUSIASTIC THAT LEMKE

DECIDED TO BUILD CARS TO SELL.

THE AWARDS HAVE BEEN ROLLING IN EVER SINCE.

JEFF LEMKE'S DESIGN OF THE FALCON F7 PAYS HOMAGE

TO HIS FAVORITE CARS --

THE CORVETTE, THE FORD GT40, AND THE FERRARI GTO.

IT DRIVES LIKE AN OLD-SCHOOL SPORTS CAR.

THERE ARE NO PADDLE SHIFTERS AND NO AUTOMATIC OPTIONS.

THE FALCON F7 IS MANUAL, PERIOD.

CARS ARE NOT THE ONLY SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR THE FALCON F7.

LEMKE INCORPORATED FEATURES FROM U.S. AIR FORCE FIGHTER JETS

INTO THE DESIGN.

FIGHTER JETS ARE BUILT AROUND AERODYNAMIC EFFICIENCY,

SPEED, AND FUNCTIONALITY.

BUT THEIR AGGRESSIVE LINES

HAVE THE POWER AND ATTITUDE LEMKE WANTED FOR HIS CAR.

THE FALCON'S TAILLIGHTS

AND CENTRALLY LOCATED EXHAUST PIPE LOOK LIKE JET THRUSTERS.

EVEN THE NAME, F7,

IS A TRIBUTE TO PLANES, LIKE THE F-15.

LEMKE STARTED BY SKETCHING OUT HIS IDEA.

BUT HE HAD TO BUILD A MODEL

TO MAKE SURE THE DESIGN WORKED IN THE REAL WORLD.

LEMKE TAUGHT HIMSELF THE TRADITIONAL CRAFT

OF CLAY CAR SCULPTING WHILE MAKING CUSTOM BODY PARTS

FOR VIPERS AND OTHER EXOTIC CARS.

TYPICALLY, THIS IS SOMETHING ONLY TRAINED ARTISANS

KNOW HOW TO DO.

LEMKE'S EXPERIENCE COMES IN HANDY AS HE WORKS OUT

THE FINER DETAILS OF THE F7's DESIGN.

ONCE HE'S SATISFIED WITH HIS DESIGN,

A COMPUTER SCANS THE CLAY MODEL,

PROVIDING A DIGITAL IMAGE THAT CAN BE REFINED

AND FINALIZED IN COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN SOFTWARE.

ONE ADVANTAGE TO MANUFACTURING A CAR

IN THE DETROIT AREA IS THAT EVERYTHING YOU NEED IS NEARBY.

TO CUT THE PIECES FOR THE F7's ALUMINUM MONOCOQUE,

FALCON FOUND A PLACE

A MILE DOWN THE ROAD THAT USES WATER-JET TECHNOLOGY.

THE MACHINE POSITIONS ITS CUTTING

IN A WAY THAT MINIMIZES LEFTOVER SCRAP METAL.

ONCE CUT, WORKERS REMOVE THE PIECES FROM THE SHEET.

EACH MONOCOQUE CHASSIS REQUIRES 2 1/2 SHEETS OF ALUMINUM.

BECAUSE THE WATER-JET CUTTING PROCESS DOESN'T USE HEAT,

THE RESULT IS AN EXTREMELY CLEAN,

PRECISE CUT WITH NO WARPING OR DISTORTION OF THE METAL.

NEXT, THE SHEETS GO BACK TO LEMKE'S MANUFACTURING FACILITY,

WHERE TECHNICIANS WELD THEM ONTO THE TUBULAR ALUMINUM FRAMEWORK

OF THE CHASSIS.

LEMKE WORKS ALONGSIDE HIS TEAM OF CRAFTSMEN

THROUGHOUT THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS.

HE STARTS BY TACK WELDING THE PARTS IN PLACE

BEFORE COMPLETING THE JOINT.

ALUMINUM SURFACE COATING, HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY

AND LOW MELTING TEMPERATURE

MAKE THE WELDING PROCESS DIFFERENT FROM WELDING STEEL.

ONCE THE MONOCOQUE IS COMPLETE,

A TECHNICIAN INSTALLS THE FORGED ALUMINUM CONTROL ARMS

AND UPRIGHTS.

THESE ARE CORVETTE ZR1-BASED PARTS FROM GENERAL MOTORS.

FALCON USES OFF-THE-SHELF COMPONENTS

TO MAKE SERVICING THE F7 EASIER AND CHEAPER.

WHILE THE BRAKE PICTURED HERE IS STANDARD,

CARBON CERAMIC BRAKES ARE OPTIONAL.

THE CAR HAS PUSH-ROD SUSPENSION

WITH THE SHOCKS SEPARATED FROM THE CONTROL ARMS

TO CUT DOWN ON UNSPRUNG WEIGHT.

LEMKE AND ANOTHER TECHNICIAN LOAD THE PRECUT,

PRE-BENT CHROMOLY STEEL TUBING INTO A WELDING FIXTURE.

CHROMOLY STEEL'S HIGH CARBON CONTENT GIVES IT ADDED STRENGTH.

FALCON COULD BUILD THE ROLL CAGE OUT OF ALUMINUM,

BUT THE RESULT WOULD BE A BULKY STRUCTURE INCONSISTENT

WITH THE LOOK OF THE F7.

CHROMOLY STEEL TUBING IS MUCH HEAVIER THAN ALUMINUM.

HOWEVER, IT'S ALSO MUCH STRONGER,

ALLOWING FOR A MORE STREAMLINED FRAMEWORK.

Narrator: TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE F7's V-8 ENGINE,

FALCON CREATED ONE

OF THE LARGEST SINGLE-PIECE CARBON-FIBER CAR PANELS

IN EXISTENCE.

THE F7's REAR DECK LID IS A VERY COMPLEX COMPONENT TO BUILD.

DESPITE THE CAR'S RETRO LOOK,

LEMKE WANTED TO USE CARBON FIBER FOR ALL OF THE BODY PANELS.

A TECHNICIAN CAREFULLY CUTS A PIECE

OF THE SPECIALIZED MATERIAL.

THIS MATERIAL PROVIDES A HIGH-QUALITY,

HIGH-PERFORMANCE RESULT

AND DOESN'T REQUIRE EXPENSIVE TOOLING TO PRODUCE.

THIS IS IDEAL FOR SMALL-SCALE, HIGH-END MANUFACTURING.

TECHNICIANS APPLY A GEL COAT

ON THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE GIANT MOLD

BEFORE THEY BEGIN THE PAINSTAKING PROCESS

OF LAYING THE CARBON FIBER.

A SPECIALIZED ROLLER TOOL HELPS THEM PRESS THE FIBER TIGHTLY

INTO EVERY CORNER OF THE MOLD.

AND AEROSOL GLUE HOLDS THE FIBER IN PLACE.

NEXT, TECHNICIANS COVER THE CARBON FIBER

WITH A LAYER OF MATERIAL CALLED PEEL PLY CLOTH.

THIS MESH MATERIAL, CALLED MEDIA FLOW, FORMS A THIRD LAYER.

WHEN TECHNICIANS INFUSE THE MOLD WITH RESIN,

THE MESH STRUCTURE OF THE MEDIA FLOW

ALLOWS THE LIQUID TO FLOW EVERYWHERE.

THE WORKERS CUT THE MEDIA FLOW

INTO SMALL SECTIONS TO MAKE SURE IT COVERS EVERYTHING.

IT TAKES TWO TECHNICIANS A FULL DAY

TO BUILD THE OUTER SKIN OF A SINGLE BODY PANEL.

THAT'S BECAUSE IT REQUIRES THE CAREFUL AND DETAILED APPLICATION

OF THREE LAYERS OF SPECIALIZED MATERIAL.

NOW, THE TECHNICIANS INSTALL AN INJECTION HOSE.

THE HOSE IS ACTUALLY AN OPEN SPIRAL.

THIS ALLOWS THE RESIN TO BE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AS IT FLOWS.

NEXT, THEY TAPE ON A VACUUM BAG AND REMOVE THE AIR,

PRESSING THE CARBON FIBER TIGHTLY AGAINST THE MOLD.

THEN, TECHNICIANS INJECT RESIN.

A VACUUM PUMP DISTRIBUTES THE RESIN THROUGHOUT THE MOLD.

THANKS TO CAREFUL PLACEMENT OF THE MEDIA FLOW CLOTH,

THE RESIN SPREADS EASILY.

THEY LET THE CARBON FIBER CURE IN THE MOLD FOR 12 TO 15 HOURS.

BECAUSE THE CARBON-FIBER SHELL OF THE DECK LID IS SO LARGE,

IT NEEDS ADDITIONAL STRUCTURAL SUPPORT ELEMENTS.

ONCE IT'S CURED,

TECHNICIANS APPLY A BEAD OF STRUCTURAL ADHESIVE TO BOND

THE FRAMEWORK COMPONENTS IN PLACE.

THESE ELEMENTS WILL TRANSFORM THE FLOPPY SHELL

INTO A RIGID BODY PANEL.

THE ADHESIVE HAS FULLY CURED,

SO THE TECHNICIANS POP THE DECK LID

OUT OF ITS MOLD.

THE COMPONENT NOW MOVES TO THE FINISHING AREA.

WORKERS USE BLOCK SANDERS TO SMOOTH THE SURFACE.

THEY COULD USE MOTORIZED SANDERS TO BRING DOWN BULKY SPOTS,

BUT IT'S SAFER TO HAND-SAND CARBON FIBER

TO AVOID DAMAGING THE SURFACE.

HERE, A SPECIALIST

APPLIES A FINAL GEL COAT BEFORE THE PRIMER GOES ON.

THE PANEL GETS A COAT

OF VINYL GEL BEFORE AND AFTER THE SANDING PROCESS.

THE GEL COAT SEALS THE CARBON FIBER WITH A PROTECTIVE COATING.

Narrator: THE FALCON F7 COMES STANDARD WITH AN LS7-BASED V-8

OR A TWIN-TURBO OPTION

THAT CRANKS OUT MORE THAN 1,100 HORSEPOWER,

ENOUGH TO GUN THIS SUPERCAR FROM ZERO TO 60

IN LESS THAN THREE SECONDS.

FALCON ASKED DETROIT-BASED

LINGENFELTER PERFORMANCE ENGINEERING

TO BUILD ITS ENGINES.

AT THE LINGENFELTER FACILITY,

THEY START WITH AN ALUMINUM ENGINE BLOCK

FROM GENERAL MOTORS.

A FOUR-AXIS CNC MACHINE MEASURES ALL THE HOLES

IN THE BLOCK TO ENSURE THEY MATCH THE SPECIFICATIONS.

THE MACHINE CHANGES TOOLS AND DRILLS THE OPENINGS

TO A SLIGHTLY LARGER DIAMETER.

THEN, ANOTHER TOOL PERFORMS

AN ACTION CALLED DECKING TO THE BLOCK.

A CAST BLOCK CAN HAVE A SLIGHT TAPER TO IT,

INTERFERING WITH THE ACTION OF THE PISTONS.

THIS OPERATION ENSURES THE DECK OF THE BLOCK IS PERFECTLY FLAT.

THE CRANKSHAFT IS MICROPOLISHED,

MEASURED FOR DIMENSION, AND WEIGHT-BALANCED.

NOW THE TECHNICIAN CAREFULLY POSITIONS IT IN THE CRANK CASE.

HE SECURES IT IN PLACE

WITH A COMPONENT CALLED A MAIN BEARING CAP.

THESE CAPS SLIDE DOWN OVER A SET OF FOUR STUDS.

THE BOTTOM END OF EACH STUD THREADS DIRECTLY INTO THE BLOCK.

WHEN THE TECHNICIAN TIGHTENS THE BOLT, THE LOAD

TRANSFERS DIRECTLY TO THE BLOCK, RATHER THAN TWISTING THE STUD.

LINGENFELTER CUSTOMIZES ITS CAMSHAFTS

FOR EACH APPLICATION.

THIS CAMSHAFT IS MADE OF BILLET STEEL

SPECIALLY CRAFTED FOR A SUPERCAR ENGINE.

IT'S TIME TO INSTALL THE PISTONS AND THEIR CONNECTING RODS.

BECAUSE THIS ENGINE WILL BE TURBOCHARGED,

THE PISTON HEADS HAVE A COATING DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND

EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES.

ONCE THE RODS ARE SECURED TO THE CRANKSHAFT

WITH THE CONNECTING ROD CAPS,

A TECHNICIAN CAREFULLY

FITS THE MULTILAYER STEEL HEAD GASKET OVER THE PISTONS.

HE INSERTS THE PUSH RODS, THEN THE ROCKER ARMS.

WHILE THE HEAD ITSELF IS ALUMINUM,

THE INTAKES VALVES ARE LIGHTWEIGHT TITANIUM.

THE EXHAUST VALVES ARE MADE OF A SUPERALLOY CALLED INCONEL.

THE TECHNICIAN INSTALLS THE COVER,

WHICH FEATURES THE LINGENFELTER LOGO.

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD

FOR THE FALCON F7 IS BUILT BY PERFORMANCE DESIGN,

A COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN THESE COMPONENTS.

TO CREATE THE MANIFOLD'S RUNNERS, A TECHNICIAN

STARTS WITH A SEAMLESS LENGTH OF BRAIDED CARBON-FIBER TUBING.

HE CAREFULLY FITS IT OVER A FORM,

WHICH IS ACTUALLY AN INFLATABLE LATEX BLADDER.

SEVEN LAYERS OF CARBON FIBER WILL FORM EACH RUNNER.

THIS PROCESS TAKES ROUGHLY 45 MINUTES TO COMPLETE.

THE TECHNICIAN PLACES THE CARBON-FIBER-WRAPPED BLADDERS

INSIDE A CUSTOM-BUILT BILLET ALUMINUM MOLD.

PERFORMANCE DESIGN SPENT 2 1/2 YEARS DEVELOPING THEIR MANIFOLD.

FALCON PURCHASED ONE OF THE VERY FIRST ITEMS THEY MADE.

PERFORMANCE DESIGN USES A HYBRID MOLDING PROCESS.

RESIN INFUSES INTO THE MOLD WHILE, AT THE SAME TIME,

THE BLADDERS PRESSURIZE.

THE TECHNICIAN MIXES UP

A TWO-PART, HIGH-TEMPERATURE EPOXY RESIN

THAT WILL BE INJECTED INTO THE MOLD.

FALCON SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED THE F7 BODYWORK

TO SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE DESIGN'S

REMARKABLE CARBON-FIBER MANIFOLD.

THE SUCTION FROM THE VACUUM PUMP PULLS THE RESIN INSIDE THE MOLD,

WHERE THERE'S A NET PRESSURE OF 125 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH.

ROUGHLY FOUR HOURS LATER,

THE TECHNICIAN OPENS THE MOLD AND EXAMINES THE RESULTS --

PERFECTLY FORMED

HIGH-PERFORMANCE CARBON-FIBER RUNNERS.

THE RED FLANGES ARE MADE

FROM AEROSPACE-QUALITY 6061 BILLET ALUMINUM.

THE TECHNICIAN ASSEMBLES THESE PARTS TO CREATE ONE BANK

OF THE MANIFOLD.

A SET OF IDENTICAL PARTS WILL FORM THE OPPOSING BANK.

HE USES AEROSPACE STRUCTURAL ADHESIVE

TO BOND THE CARBON-FIBER RUNNERS TO THE ALUMINUM FLANGES.

THE CARBON-FIBER PLENUM IS THE FINAL ELEMENT.

THE TECHNICIAN USES A CUSTOM-BUILT FIXTURE

TO HOLD THE PARTS IN PLACE

AS HE PUTS THE TWO BANKS OF THE MANIFOLD TOGETHER.

THIS REMARKABLE, HIGH-TECH MANIFOLD

ADDS ALMOST 50 HORSEPOWER TO THE ENGINE'S OVERALL OUTPUT.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT BOLTS ONTO THE LINGENFELTER ENGINE.

Narrator: COMBINING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION

WITH CARBON-FIBER TECHNOLOGY, RETRO LOOKS,

AND 21st-CENTURY PERFORMANCE,

THE FALCON F7 BELONGS TO AN EXTREMELY RARE BREED --

THE MID-ENGINED AMERICAN SUPERCAR.

YOU CAN'T USE A REGULAR TRANSMISSION

IN A MID-ENGINE CAR.

YOU NEED A TRANSMISSION-DIFFERENTIAL COMBO,

ALSO KNOWN AS A TRANSAXLE.

HERE, TECHNICIANS INSTALL THE RADIATOR.

FALCON TYPICALLY USES A GENERAL MOTORS RADIATOR,

BUT THIS ONE IS SPECIALLY MADE PER THE CUSTOMER'S REQUEST.

FALCON WORKS CLOSELY WITH THEIR CLIENTS

TO CREATE ENTIRELY UNIQUE VERSIONS OF THE F7.

NEXT, THEY ATTACH THE CARBON-FIBER SILL PANEL,

A COMPONENT THAT CREATES A DOORJAMB,

COVERS COOLING LINES,

AND FORMS AN ATTACHMENT POINT FOR OTHER PANELS.

THEY BOLT THE CHROMOLY-STEEL ROLL CAGE IN PLACE.

IT WILL DOUBLE AS A SAFETY STRUCTURE

AND AS A FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT THE BODY PANELS.

FALCON CREATES DISTINCTIVE GAUGE PODS FROM SOLID PIECES

OF BILLET ALUMINUM.

THE CNC MACHINE

CARVES THROUGH THE ALUMINUM LIKE A KNIFE SLICING THROUGH BUTTER.

ONCE THE GAUGE-POD PARTS HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED,

A TECHNICIAN ASSEMBLES THEM USING BRASS SCREWS

AND CARBON-FIBER TRIM ELEMENTS.

BUILDING PARTS BY HAND

IS ANOTHER NOD TO THE CAR'S MICHIGAN ROOTS.

JEFF LEMKE BEGAN DEVELOPING THE F7

WHEN THE U.S. WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT RECESSION.

THIS TURNED OUT TO BE AN ADVANTAGE FOR LEMKE

BECAUSE SPECIALISTS WITH TIME ON THEIR HANDS WERE EXCITED

TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR EXPERTISE TO THE FALCON PROJECT.

AT THE SAME TIME,

CUTBACKS CAUSED LOCAL BUSINESSES TO SLASH PRICES,

MAKING FALCON'S PRODUCTION PROCESS RELATIVELY AFFORDABLE.

AND IF THERE WERE THINGS LEMKE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO,

HE JUST ASKED AROUND.

THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF CAR EXPERTS IN MOTOR CITY.

DETROIT HAS BEEN A CAPITAL OF AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE PRODUCTION

SINCE HENRY FORD FOUNDED FORD MOTOR COMPANY

IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY.

WHAT SURPRISED LEMKE

WAS HOW WILLING PEOPLE WERE TO DONATE THEIR TIME AND ENERGY

TO HELP HIM REALIZE HIS VISION.

THESE GAUGE PODS ARE SYMBOLIC FEATURES OF THAT VISION.

THE GAUGES ARE ONE OF SEVERAL ELEMENTS ON THE F7

THAT MIMIC THE LOOK OF U.S. FIGHTER JETS.

THEIR SHAPES HAVE THE AERODYNAMIC CONTOURS

OF JET TURBINES OR NOSE CONES.

THE ANALOG DIALS

CONTRIBUTE TO THE OLD-SCHOOL MANUAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

THE GAUGES FORM THE CENTERPIECE OF THE GLOSSY BLACK DASHBOARD

AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE COCKPIT'S RETRO-FUTURISTIC,

JET-FUELED AESTHETIC.

THEY ARE INSTALLED IN THE DASHBOARD

BEHIND THE TWO-TONE STEERING WHEEL.

THE VENTS IN THE F7's HOOD REFERENCE THE LEGENDARY GT40,

BUT THEY DO MORE THAN JUST VENT.

THEY'RE AERODYNAMICALLY DESIGNED TO KEEP THE FRONT END OF THE CAR

ON THE GROUND AT HIGH SPEEDS.

THE CUSTOM-MADE EXHAUST IS INSTALLED ABOVE,

RATHER THAN BELOW, THE BUMPER,

ADDING TO THAT FIGHTER JET LOOK.

NEXT, TECHNICIANS INSTALL THE REAR BUMPER.

IT'S MADE ENTIRELY WITH CARBON FIBER.

THEY NOW MOUNT THE REAR DECK LID,

THE CAR'S SHOWPIECE CARBON-FIBER PANEL.

IT'S ATTACHED WITH FLOATING PINS.

THEY LOWER IT INTO POSITION, WHERE IT LATCHES FIRMLY SHUT.

INSTALLING THE REAR DECK LID

IS THE FINAL STEP OF THE BODY ASSEMBLY PHASE.

THE FALCON F7 IS NEARLY 7 FEET WIDE,

SO IT NEEDS CUSTOMIZED WHEELS.

THESE MADE-TO-ORDER COMPONENTS COME FROM FORGELINE MOTORSPORTS.

THEY WON'T FIT ANY OTHER VEHICLE.

SPC INTERIORS, ANOTHER DETROIT ENTERPRISE, TRIMS THE F7

IN WHATEVER MATERIAL THE CUSTOMER REQUESTS,

FROM ALCANTARA TO POLISHED LEATHER.

THE F7 IS A MASH-UP OF JEFF LEMKE'S FAVORITE CARS.

THE WEDGE-SHAPED HEADLIGHTS PAY TRIBUTE TO THE SUPERCARS

OF THE 1980s.

THE NOSE IS REMINISCENT OF A LAMBORGHINI.

AND THE TAIL RECALLS THE FERRARI 512 BERLINETTA.

IT'S ONE THING TO GATHER THE BEST ELEMENTS

OF YOUR FAVORITE CARS.

IT'S ANOTHER TO BLEND THEM TOGETHER INTO A COHERENT

AND DISTINCTIVE VEHICLE

THAT LOOKS LIKE A 21st-CENTURY SUPERCAR FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.

THEY SAY IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD.

MAYBE THE SAME IS TRUE OF SUPERCARS.

IT TOOK A MAN WITH A VISION

AND THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF DETROIT

TO BRING THE FALCON F7 INTO EXISTENCE.

CAR ENTHUSIASTS HAVE BEEN DEMANDING

AN AMERICAN MID-ENGINE SUPERCAR FOR DECADES.

NOW THEY'VE FINALLY GOT IT.