Commissioning a Turn Key ERA 427 Cobra

[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.

[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 !

[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.

[DonC]

Flygirl:
Not apropos of anything but here's a write-up I did on my ERA when it was first delivered.
Just an idea of what you have to look forward to:
Number 684

DonC

[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.

[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...?

[Flygirl]

Well, in any case I like the color very much, sort of a bone white/light beige on my screen. I'm hoping Wimbledon white would be almost, but not quite as beige.

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Natalie/Flygirl. You sound like an educated buyer who know's what she wants. I, too, wanted a Cobra when I first saw one back in Jr High. Took me forty years, but I got what I wanted. ERA is the best glass Cobra on the planet. I built mine, but Doug at ERA is a great mechanic and cannot be outdone. Check out my gallery (ERA 718). I didn't spend what some of these guys spent, but my car often gets mistaken for a real Cobra. I use a 10:1 428, because it has gobs of torque, and I didn't build it to race. Not much chrome, except for a roll bar and the original style bumpers (they can be good to have). It's important to me to have an original looking Cobra, so I went with a large Moto-Lita steering wheel (best 500 bucks I ever spent). You may want to explore the new power steering rack that ERA offers, but I think the stock brakes are good, along with the Jag (standard) rear end with 3.31 posi. I also use a close ratio top loader, as it's almost unbreakable (if I can afford a Cobra, I can afford a little more gas) and has that 'Cobra' feel. Talk to Peter, visit if you can. If you visit, you will drop a deposit while you're there. Guaranteed. This car drives better than anything else on the road. You will not ever be wanting for a better Cobra. You'll keep it forever. Good luck.

[FUNFER2]

ZOERA-SC7XX- Beauty.

Without changing direction of the thread. How well does the ERA's IRS stand up to heavy launching torque ? Mainly the knuckles and the 8.8. I've been interested in them but, since they were made for road racing and not semi hard drag I'm worry about the strength. They do look larger than like the T-bird IRS. Have they done any track test proving ?

I never just dump the clutch and don't use slicks, just street fun and occasional 1/8 mile dragging.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

Without changing direction of the thread. How well does the ERA's IRS stand up to heavy launching torque?

If you're building a monster with drag slicks, ERA offers high-strength stub axle shafts to handle them. I have the custom ERA rear, but saw no need for the high strength stubs -- my Yokos just break loose anyway. I forget what HP the ERA rear is "comfortably" rated for, even with drag slicks, but it was higher than my build. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, there were reports of wheel-hop, under heavy off the line acceleration, with the standard Jag rear. I believe there was a fix for that, and it may in fact have been nothing more than an anomaly. If I was building a drag car, I wouldn't use the stock Jag rear though -- the ERA rear is not that much more money for a nice upgrade.

[xb-60]

Also without changing the direction of the thread, how is the CR Toploader / 3.31 rear / 428 combo for moving off quietly from standstill? And who did the paint?
Cheers,
Glen

[FUNFER2]

I would never use a IRS for the drags, they were not made for that application. Good ole 9". Wheel hop can happen with any rear end, any car, most of the problems comes with setting up the suspension. Sometimes a simple shock change will correct the problem. Using a four-bar with a panhard and softer shock settings will be the best for the drags. You don't hear about such problems with the cobras because their so light weight, so they don't get axle wrap as heavier cars.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

I would never use a IRS for the drags, they were not made for that application. Good ole 9". Wheel hop can happen with any rear end, any car, most of the problems comes with setting up the suspension. Sometimes a simple shock change will correct the problem.

I don't think I've ever seen an ERA with a Ford 9". If you were building a dedicated drag car, ERA probably wouldn't be the best choice. An FFR might be better. Here's what the ERA site says about the Ford 9" on the FAQ.

How about the Ford 9" differential?


There are several reasons that the 9" isn't the best choice. The unit is not interchangeable with the Salisbury in our subframe and would require aftermarket calipers and a very Rube Goldberg emergency brake. Also, the pinion offset is about 1.5" lower than the Salisbury, making the driveshaft angle down excessively. Since the nine-inch wasn't designed for an IRS halfshaft, the conversions are quite expensive too.

[Flygirl]

Originally Posted by xb-60

Also without changing the direction of the thread, how is the CR Toploader / 3.31 rear / 428 combo for moving off quietly from standstill?

I'd like to know this, too. One ERA I drove had the 3.54 and close ratio gearset, and it seemed wound out at normal freeway speeds, let alone anything more. But at lower speeds, the close ratio was excellent, I've always like them.

Thinking the 3.31 might address that problem with either the close or wide ratio, since they're both 1:1 in top gear.

Originally Posted by decooney

I wish that was true, and I don't have 700HP.

2nd Launch was firm but I did not dump the clutch, hit it, barely went four feet and tore both splined stub axles apart and absolutely disintegrated my spider gears into exactly "44" pieces. Maybe that's why they call it a Dana 44, hahahaha. The implosion in the differential came so hard and fast that it shook the car and broke my front windshield too. I was barely launching the car, not that hard really. Ended up replacing everything in the Jag rear with hardened stub axles, hardened spider gears, and all new internals.

That sounds awful. I think to myself, I'm not going to beat on the car, and yet I know I may more than I think I will, once I begin to get acclimated to it.

[decooney]

Flygirl,

I've tried Close Ratio (CR) and Wide Ratio (WR) Toploader transmissions with 3.08, 3.31 axle ratios in my cars, and 3.54 in a buddy's car. Crazy as it sounds, even tried a 3.08 axle ratio with a Close Ratio trans for a 1st gear slingshot result. I find the 3.54 to be useless in an ERA FE big block car, unless you have a really large (super high rpm) camshaft, and that's not what you are going for from what I've read.

If you must go with a Toploader for your own authenticity purposes, and a 5speed is not in your vision, FYI: combining a Wide Ratio transmission with a 3.31 axle ratio is pretty much the preferred standard in an FE ERA powered car. Its been talked about on CC for over a decade. In my case I wanted the large input/output shaft setup so I had David Kee Toploaders build me a custom Wide Ratio gearset mated to a large "Bullnose" input and output shafts for the best of both worlds. If I had to do it over again, I'd probably just get a 5speed Tremec Road Race transmission and call it a day. Good Luck.