New Buyer First Time HELP!
 

After many years with Corvettes, parking next to those mean Cobras at shows etc, I have decided to plunge in and buy a Cobra. Sold the Corvette and am ready but need some guidance. Questions are;
1. What are the good and bad cars? I am looking at a ERA built in 2003.
2. Small block (351) ok or?
3. What should I stay away from?
4. What are the major pitfalls?
5. This small block ERA, with Jag rear etc. What is the FAIR market value?

Thanks for helping this newbie out!

here are some more details of what I am looking at;

351 Windsor HO SVO Motor Dynoed 440 HP., 3.54 Posi Jag IRS Rear H.D. Axles, Wheels and tires 16 x 9 - 16 x 12 rear tires new July 04, 13" 4 piston alloy brakes and HD Rears, Alloy radiator and oil cooler, new tremec transmission and linkage with scatter shield, OEM dash and guages, OEM leather seats, custom soft top and side curtains, heat and defrost, chrome roll bar and 4 pt seat belts, stereo and 6 disc cd player, radar detector, custom headers and side pipes, alloy hubs shocks and chrome springs, engine fire extinguisher, extra engine cooling fans

Go to Cobra Country.com, check out the "Cobras for sale" section, and get a good idea of what people are ASKING for their Cobras. ERAs are generally good manufacturers. 351W are good engines. Seems that you have a lot of "Good things" in this particular car. Good luck! Can you post any pictures?

An odd engine choice for an ERA and the price should reflect that.Typically,ERA cars(427's not FIA cars) have FE motors.ERA prides itself on being very authenic and the highest valued ones have 427's.There is nothing wrong with a 351 but it is more at home in a Superpeformance than an ERA.I would estimate that car to be worth about 40 -45 grand. chuck

ERA makes both the original 289 body style and the 427 body. Big difference. Believe they can not put anything bigger than a 351 in the 289 style (so its a common choice) without major modifications (such as cutting off the foot boxes).

You did not say which body style your looking at. The 351 certainly is not common in the 427 style. The 289s are rarer (fewer made). A 351W in a 289FIA may have no effect on the price, other factors being the same (i.e., identical cars otherwise). The other choices for the 289s are, of course, a 289 (if you can find one) or the 302. Clevelands have also been used but also require major adjustments. Highly recommended that you don't put the Corvette's old engine in one.

Thanks for the replies so far!
This is the link to the ebay auction. The car really isnt bringing any bids right now, probably because of the lack of more photos. My advantage is that the car is only 10 miles from me. I have an appointment Wednesday to view/drive, so I want to be prepared and educated enough to make a cash offer. Am I way off at 30K???

http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ebaymotors/w...RK%3AMEBI%3AIT

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Forget the eBay use this forum for your purchase
 

Karfever

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No doubt the guys here will steer you through the maize. I would be buying here through the forum first.

My thoughts are that an auction based purchase may get you a bargain or you may pay a high price and possibly sight unseen.

:eek:

I have seen this question asked here many times and in most cases prospective buyers are directed to a Cobra by someone on the forum.

**)

I would buy this way and stay off the eBay. I'm not anti the eBay, I just believe 'clubcobra' members know what's about..%/

Most people here would check a Cobra out for you or know the history. What a resource..%/

Just my $0.02 worth.

Bernie

Let's critique the auction in question, one picture showing little to no true details on the car. No real description of what parts were used in the build, just generic terms for the description. Five days in to the ten day auction and only two bids after 900+ hits to the auction web page. Truly makes you wonder...........

Bill S.

mrmustang

Now that's what I was trying to say..:LOL:

Bernie

Bernie,

I just call them like I see them, especially on Ebay.

Bill S.

Karfever

Goodluck what ever way you go..%/

Good to see you looking at it. Start low you can always lift the offers.

Bernie

I agree in principle about the Ebay stuff, but in this case the car is right in my backyard, 10 miles away. Based on the information provided, I REALLY would like an assessment of value/good deal/ etc. Thanks guys!

karfever: 30K usually won't get you a nice ERA, but if the car is that close to you, go check it out and get back to us. My concern for you would be, do you have ANY experience with Cobra's at all? Have you ever seen / driven a Cobra so you have a referance to compare the car to?? There are many replica's out there (and ERA is one of the best), but if you don't know what to look for then I would do some "homework" before making a purchase. ERA's can come in a "kit" form as well as assembled by the mfgr. I haven't seen a poorly built ERA, but I'm sure they exist (depending on the experience of the person that built it). Seeing a 351 in a ERA is very strange as well (at least in a 427 body). Throws up a red flag as far as I'm concerned. Hard to say because there is very little detail in the ad.
I would recommend that you take your time and go through this right. Perhaps you could find someone here to go along with you to view the car (CAN ANYBODY HERE HELP A BROTHER OUT????). Now (fall / winter) is usually a good time to buy a Cobra...especially from the mid west. Go to cobracountry.com and look around. Buying a Cobra isn't like going to the Chevy dealer and buying a Vette. Too many "kits" and too many variables. For the most part, no two Cobra's are the same. It takes time to pick out a "pride and joy". Enjoy the "search". You will learn a lot along the way!

Good luck!

Ask the seller "who built the car?", ERA or someone else. If ERA built the roller it should be done right. If someone else built it, take someone else along with you to look at it, hopefully someone that knows Cobras. One detail nobody mentioned yet it the wheel size. 16", a big negative in my book. Almost no tire selection for 16's. 15" is original, 17" is popular for performance/racing. Both have more choices of tires. 16" only has one or two tires available in the size you need. Are the wheels "knock-off " or "five-lug"? I would say you need to take caution with this auction. As for the purists out there, an ERA with 16" wheels, CD player, and a Windsor engine wouldn't be worth top dollar. If it is a nice ERA, at a good price, you can always change things after you own it. If you plan on keeping it for the long haul, and this car is what you want in a car, then it could be a real find. My concern is that a well made ERA that would command a good re-sale price in any market condition would never be on e-bay in the first place. If this car were worth $40k+, then the current owner would already be Cobra smart and know about Club Cobra, his local clubs, Coubra Country, etc. and would have listed it for sale in these places.
When you go see it in person, ask the seller what the reserve price is. If it is high, just thank him and walk away. If it is really low, I'd probably still walk away. If it is about $30k-$33k, and the seller seems knowledgable, it may be worth making an offer below the reserve price. Leave your name and phone # and go home. If the car doesn't sell by auction, he will call you the day after and ask if you still want it.
Just my $.03 worth.

Thank you so much for the assistance. I am pretty sharp about cars, having built a number of performance Corvettes and restored various muscle cars etc, but when one ventures into unknown waters, it pays to have another opinion etc. I remember this particular car from a recent show in Fernandina Beach. Compared to other Cobras at the show, this particular one was far ahead in regard to the fit/finish and overall craftsmanship. Unfortunately, I wasn't seriously considering a Cobra at the time otherwise I would have taken a closer look.
The seller is in England at the moment, due to return this Tuesday, hence we have an appointment on Wednesday. I will post my observations once I take a close look.

Thanks,
Steve

Looks a lot like the 351W/427 body I saw (had Fla tags too) for sale today at the Reptile Roundup in Ocala, except there were no ERA cars anywhere in sight (not a single 1 of the 100+ cars was an ERA). The car I saw was an E-M I think (have to look thru the pics when I get them developed). The Roundup was a great chance to compare "quality" (i.e., door, hood, truck, gaps, out of round, etc.) as well as the other differences "wide body" vs. original and so on and to talk to people about their experiences with various manufacturers. We had on display my engine (351W)-supposed to go into ERA #2095, now, maybe #2097) as well as a 4.6 supercharged Hunter, and a Classic (also a 351W).

Hello Karfever, welcome to the club.

To take advantage of the enormous resources of this community, I'd suggest putting your checkbook away for awhile, and get more persononally involved in our family before making a potentially disasterous purchasing decision. There are just too many variables in purchasing a Cobra that is right for you. You need to know the right questions to ask first. So, welcome to the leading edge of the learning curve.

Step one, go out to some of the Deep South Cobra Club events and gatherings. Make some friends, go for some rides, and ask a lot of quesations.

Step two, make a realistic assessment of your own driving needs and requirements. What do you want from your car?

Then go shopping.

Reptile Roundup in Ocala
 

TAMPAFLA,

WHO WON THE BACKDRAFT ROLLER OR $$$$$????

If you can't find someone to go with you, you can take some pic. and post them here to get some feedback
Mike

A little more information on this car. It was built by Bill Andrews, Freeport NY. HRE. Bolt on wheels, asking price is 40K. I have photos which I can email, but I dont know how to post these effectively.