[DanEC]

I guess it is fair to venture that you could stumble on a poorly assembled ERA somehow, although I think the majority are ERA finished and assembled rollers or finished, running cars. But even in the case of an owner-painted and assembled ERA (as I did) it would be pretty hard to mess one up. Everything is pre-fit and most of the equipment is pre-fit and in place when delivered. They come with a full front suspension, brakes, all fuel and brake lines, all panels. The wiring is not a do-it yourself kit but a factory type plug in wiring harness. The frame and body are a done deal (unless the owner decides to paint themselves) and tough as anything around. Most folks buy a pre-assembled rear suspension from ERA but a few hardy types do find a Jag rear suspension and rebuild and modify it to fit in the ERA cradle. I think for the most part on a used, owner-built ERA, if it has good cosmetics. passes a driving test and everything passes a functional test, about the worst you might find is a loose bolt or screw somewhere. Even on a factory assembled ERA or SPF there are typically a number of rebuilt assemblies and occassionally there is an issue with something. These cars do take some mechanical invovlement no matter what their origin. And as pointed out above, if still a concern, you can identify ERA-assembled from owner-assembed cars from the data plate or simply call ERA.