Commissioning a Turn Key ERA 427 Cobra

[Buzz]

No doubt at all that the roadsters have a sleek and subtle beauty. Every year I come close to ditching my roll bar and sidepipes, but without frame cutouts and raising my ride height, there is no way an undercar exhaust would be practical for me. If you drive on smooth, even roads and really want the look, no reason in the world not to go for it.

[decooney]

Its not an ERA, but if you can visualize White instead, sort of gives you an idea..

[cscobra]

ERA recommended that I paint (or have coated) the entire undercar exhaust system satin black, as it helps to de-emphasize the visibility of the system. I plan to do so.

The 390, 427, and 428 V8s are all identical from the top (which is all you can see once the car is completed). And, a 390 V8 built for reliability and durability is plenty for this car--it shares the same stroke as the 427 so it will rev (and with less reciprocating mass than with a 428 or with a stroked crank), but you'll still have more low-end torque than most people can effectively use. The Toploader 4-speed adds to the original feel. Both will save you money, and you'll be able to comfortably drive more than a quarter-mile at a time

By the way, the original 427 Cobra prototypes had 390 V8s (albeit in aluminum) and the inboard-mounted rear brakes that ERA uses even today on their standard rear suspension. The only advantage to the outboard brake option is improved cooling for those who spend a great deal of time on the track, which does not seem to be where you are headed. Otherwise, that option increases unsprung weight, a disadvantage for those of us who like to drive on regular roads, highways, and mountain passes, which does sound like what you want to do.

With regard to wheel size, the original street models (whether 427- or 428-equipped) came with 7.5 x 15" wheels front and rear--that was part of the original look. The 9.5" rear wheel widths were original only on the SC models that were built (about 50 of them, according to some authorities).

Your plans for your car sound great, and the final product should make you happy. All of the rest of us have our biases for why we did things the way we did, so just accept what we say simply as "food for thought."

[Flygirl]

Originally Posted by decooney

Its not an ERA, but if you can visualize White instead, sort of gives you an idea..

Thank you! That's an excellent looking car. The stance is exactly what I'm going for.

[Flygirl]

Originally Posted by cscobra

The 390, 427, and 428 V8s are all identical from the top (which is all you can see once the car is completed). And, a 390 V8 built for reliability and durability is plenty for this car--it shares the same stroke as the 427 so it will rev (and with less reciprocating mass than with a 428 or with a stroked crank), but you'll still have more low-end torque than most people can effectively use. The Toploader 4-speed adds to the original feel. Both will save you money, and you'll be able to comfortably drive more than a quarter-mile at a time

Well, let's see how much it all costs and if I can make it happen. Reliability and durability are where it's at for me. One of the ERAs I drove had the close ratio Toploader with 3.54 final drive and it seemed a bit tached out on the freeway. Perhaps a 3.31 might address that issue. I generally like close ratio gearsets.

Originally Posted by cscobra

By the way, the original 427 Cobra prototypes had 390 V8s (albeit in aluminum) and the inboard-mounted rear brakes that ERA uses even today on their standard rear suspension. The only advantage to the outboard brake option is improved cooling for those who spend a great deal of time on the track, which does not seem to be where you are headed. Otherwise, that option increases unsprung weight, a disadvantage for those of us who like to drive on regular roads, highways, and mountain passes, which does sound like what you want to do.

Less unsprung weight is good. And I can't imagine I'd max out even the stock ERA brakes, to be honest.

Originally Posted by cscobra

With regard to wheel size, the original street models (whether 427- or 428-equipped) came with 7.5 x 15" wheels front and rear--that was part of the original look. The 9.5" rear wheel widths were original only on the SC models that were built (about 50 of them, according to some authorities).

This I might compromise on. I just love how the rear quarters are crammed full of tire.

Originally Posted by cscobra

Your plans for your car sound great, and the final product should make you happy. All of the rest of us have our biases for why we did things the way we did, so just accept what we say simply as "food for thought."

Thanks for your input. I'm doing my best to take it all in and stay true to what I want, while modifying as I go when the vision changes or a better idea makes me re-think what it was I wanted, and why.

[decooney]

Originally Posted by Flygirl

Thank you! That's an excellent looking car. The stance is exactly what I'm going for.

Flygirl,
Found it, this is actually the photo I was looking for - a little bit closer to your vision for your ERA. This is an old Arntz street car version featured on Motortopia a while back.

Now even I can appreciate this one... Nice!

[Flygirl]

Originally Posted by Buzz

No doubt at all that the roadsters have a sleek and subtle beauty. Every year I come close to ditching my roll bar and sidepipes, but without frame cutouts and raising my ride height, there is no way an undercar exhaust would be practical for me. If you drive on smooth, even roads and really want the look, no reason in the world not to go for it.

If the ride height has to be raised, I'll definitely go with side pipes.

I do like the looks of the pipes on that red Cobra, just peeking from the bottoms of the rear quarters. Very sweet looking and not ostentatious.

Originally Posted by decooney

Flygirl,
Found it, this is actually the photo I was looking for - a little bit closer to your vision for your ERA. This is an old Arntz street car version featured on Motortopia a while back.

Now even I can appreciate this one... Nice!

Thank you! I like clean and simple, and Wimbledon white has that a similar soft/off white-ness to the color, too, which I like very much.

[strictlypersonl]

Originally Posted by cscobra

...Otherwise, that option increases unsprung weight, a disadvantage for those of us who like to drive on regular roads, highways, and mountain passes, which does sound like what you want to do.

Because the ERA design uses a single damper and the control arms are much lighter, the unsprung weight is surprisingly close. Probably within a few pounds.

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by cscobra

By the way, the original 427 Cobra prototypes had 390 V8s (albeit in aluminum) and the inboard-mounted rear brakes that ERA uses even today on their standard rear suspension.

Actually only CSX2000, the first small block prototype had the inboards. The 427s including the protos and mules had outboards.

[Fullchat289]

Flygirl:

Really enjoying this tread and look forward to how this all plays out. Just like the legendary Jeffy ERA FIA inspirations thread, you have the makings of another great ERA story.

Might I suggest you take the ERA inboard brake option and have them extend the rear to accomodate a decent undercar exhaust system (as already suggested) and with the money you would save from this and some wise powerplant decisions, you would be well on your way to a set of Sunbursts!! It would certainly bring an aire of uniqueness to your build, make you the envy of your cobra peers, and make the car even more period looking. Here are a couple resources for you to mull over and thanks for the good read so far!

SunBurst Knock Off Wheels

Sunburst Wheels

And some eye candy:








- Allen.

[Flygirl]

The sunbursts are beautiful and especially unique. I've been surfing a bit and checking them out. Thanks for the pics, they have definitely entered the decision making process. The ones I saw online for sale were many thousands of dollars though, but I haven't researched it much at all yet.

The car in the garage has, in my opinion, a nice relationship between the wheel and wheel arch. The car on the lawn, apparently an actual CSX...doesn't so much. I know it's correct, but doesn't please my sense of aesthetics.

[Fullchat289]

I agree..it looks like a tack-on job, rather than an engineered solution. I'm picky about this too, but I think I (if it were me) would replicate it anyway as closely as possible for the sake of "correctness"..concessions, concessions.

Anyway, enjoy the journey!!

- Allen.

[FUNFER2]

You're correct. Some like the wheel-well to be all tucked in like the red one in the garage, and others like the original where there's a lot of space and the wheel pushed in further. I prefer like the originals and the Kirkhams. I would actually like to narrow my axle housings a couple inch's, to bring the wheel in further. I think it looks better and, I could have more suspension travel without the tire hitting the quarter panel.

I also like the wheel well to be filled with tire, with 15" wheels and not 17"+. It looks like a hot rodded cobra, not muscle like a cobra should look like, but to each it's own. Build a car like you want to, not someone's else's vision. Too bad the 15" selection of tires are limited. I have the stone hard Good Year Eagles II's, but will mount up my original looking Good Year Billboards next year. They won't track as well being a biased tire and are softer and will throw more pebbles, but I love the look !
Can't get more racy looking than those.

Have you decided what you'll use ?

I thought I would say this about you.

I really like the fact that you're doing a lot,.....of research. The originals to the latest cobra manufactures. You would not think there's a lot of differences between today's cobra builders, but there actually is. You're also asking a lot of questions and debating everything from the body, suspension, drive trains etc. The only question I do see asked,....what color ! lol

You're doing a great job, thinking, and a lot of work, but you'll be getting what you want, the first time around (hopefully), unlike me. lol and be very happy.

Cobras are unlike any other car on the planet. I've built several cars through the years, the last being a Pro-Street Camaro, 468 Ratt, Muncie, narrowed 9" etc. It was fast,.....but the Cobra is just NASTY !

Bet you're getting very excited !

[FUNFER2]

Originally Posted by decooney

Flygirl,
Found it, this is actually the photo I was looking for - a little bit closer to your vision for your ERA. This is an old Arntz street car version featured on Motortopia a while back.

Now even I can appreciate this one... Nice!

Duane- I'm usually a bling guy, but that Arntz's plain & simple apearence is just sexy.

[Mark IV]

The wheel placement is the same in all of the pictures. The difference is the FOUR different rear flares the 427 cobra used. The one with all of the unused real estate is the "wide-hip" S/C type fender. The medium or narrow-hip units look 'right" as the tire pretty well fills the fender.

[FUNFER2]

The one on the grass is too,......much of an opening. You would think that it would ruin what aerodynamic the cobra had. That's a lot of space for the wind to hit, acting like flaps on a plane.

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

Duane- I'm usually a bling guy, but that Arntz's plain & simple apearence is just sexy.

I like it, too, although it is a bit too monochromatic for me...perhaps with a different background, I don't know....I hate it when people sand the chrome bumpers on their classic cars down and paint them the same color as the body...it just doesn't look right to me, neither does this one for some undefined reason.

Fly girl, the answer is obvious to me...you need enough flare to get the appropriate sized exhaust system under the car (if that is what you really want...it's more of a "street" model look than an S/C, on which the sidepipes really add a distinctive feature).

Like most of the others, I like for the tire to fill up the fender, no spare room for the wind to get trapped for me, no sir!...it just has that "look" about it. I would not go for the "stage IV" flare (my classification term considering Rick's description of the number of different flares the Cobra had) until someone had told you how much room you'll need under the car. I have often wondered why Cobra owners didn't use ovalized pipe under their cars, it seems obvious, but it isn't common. With ovalized pipe you could get the flow of 2 1/2" pipe with a height cross-section of about 2"....find chambered ovalized pipe and you don't even need a muffler (well...maybe )....the 1960's Olds 442's used that system, IIRC.

The street look, sans sidepipes and hood scoop and extra-width flares, is a very "clean" look and IMHO a 289 street model with wires is the schnitz!!! The red 427 on the grass is a street model...single 4 barrel and all.

I use the hoop bumpers and bumperettes on mine just b/c I live in a very highly populated area and the risk of contact is correspondingly high. If I ever move back to the old family home in highly rural SW KS, off they come and on go the quick-jacks!

I have a noise induced hearing loss and would really LIKE an undercar exhaust, that loud sidepipe less than 3' from my left ear makes it necessary for me to wear hearing protection. I use lime green earmuffs on top of my cowboy hat..... With the exhaust exiting out the back, it wouldn't be so bad and I could probably get by without them. My car was already built when I got it, thought, and the sidepipes are part of the deal....next time, though.....

See the advantages of having your own car custom made, FlyGirl? Kudos to you for all your "due diligence'...it'll definitely pay off!!

Anyone notice the unusual "over-riders" on this Arntz?

Cheers, Dugly

[FUNFER2]

"Anyone notice the unusual "over-riders"?

Yeah, looks like extra tubing from the build. lol
Strange.

[Flygirl]

There are a few slightly odd things going on with that white car, the over riders included.

Like, hey...where's the radiator and oil cooler...?

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by decooney

Ever tried to steer an Arntz...?
They can be pretty heavy and you need forearms like popeye, if it isn't rolling.

That might explain why she's putting on her lipstick and not driving it

PS: I actually don't mind the look of those "quick-jacks", I wouldn't use them but i think it matches that car quite nicely.