Warning: New Guy Content

[willtwallace]

Originally Posted by King- cobra

Do your self a favor and have them paint the car and bond it to the chassis. For what they have cars painted for you would be hard pressed to find someone to give you the quality for the price they have them done for.

yes, agreed. that was my initial draw to ERA, the bonding of the body.

[66gtk]

If I was on a slim budget I'd get the standard IRS - it's pretty darn nice. 5 PIN wheels with adapters, too. You can also save money with vinyl seats. Get the fluted knobs and other details that make the car look authentic. SW gauges are fine, too. Definitely get the powder coated chassis and have them bond and paint with their vendor. I've had the front and rear sway bars on both my cars, so I don't know what it's like without them. The nice thing about adding parts at this point is that the cost is no worse than you can do on your own sourcing and you can negotiate easily to have them installed for you at the shop before you take delivery.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by willtwallace

so, here are some preliminary numbers, YES, i know there is a couple thousand in "gotta haves" and "must haves"....Please advise?

basic kit $21,900.00
PAINT (est) $6,000.00
REAR END (ERA design) $5,200.00
BOND THE BODY $2,800.00
POWDER COAT FRAME $1,000.00
five pin drive (est) $2,500.00
rack & pinion (FRONT) $650.00
coilover (FRONT) $700.00
drive shaft $350.00
side pipes $850.00
dual front fans $350.00

TOTAL $42,300.00

I see a thousand things that are left off that list, but I don't know if Peter just "throws them in." You gotta go up there and sit down with him -- but if you've got $50k, not including drive train, then I think you'll definitely be able to do it.

[willtwallace]

Originally Posted by 66gtk

If I was on a slim budget I'd get the standard IRS - it's pretty darn nice. 5 PIN wheels with adapters, too. You can also save money with vinyl seats. Get the fluted knobs and other details that make the car look authentic. SW gauges are fine, too. Definitely get the powder coated chassis and have them bond and paint with their vendor. I've had the front and rear sway bars on both my cars, so I don't know what it's like without them. The nice thing about adding parts at this point is that the cost is no worse than you can do on your own sourcing and you can negotiate easily to have them installed for you at the shop before you take delivery.

you bring up some good points. For me the savings is easy, i don't desire the bling, i.e the leather, the top notch gauges, etc. I want the functionality and quality. Im sort of a minimalist, sort of. In my current toy (95M3), it has no carpet, no leather, no radio, no heat, no air, etc. I would prefer to spend the money in the frame, suspension, motor, tarnny, and company history and service after the sale.

I think ERA will be a great fit, they seem to be able to cater to any person.

[patrickt]

My leather is nice -- mostly for the smell. My top and side curtains get used once a year, if that, same with the heater. You can only tell I have six pin drives if I remove my wheels. You can only tell I have the ERA rear if you really know what to look for (performance wise, I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between the two). You can't tell I have the QR steering hub, unless I show it off. If I really think about it, I bet a good third of the cost of the car is something you can't see, doesn't really affect performance, and that you probably wouldn't miss anyway if it wasn't there. After ten years, I'm at the point now where I get really excited about just being able to put a new shift knob on it.

[LMH]

Original S/C Cobras had vinyl seats too. So you're replicating well!
Larry

[66gtk]

Oh, I'd get the ERA steering hub as well. Much nicer. You can save money on those front fans unless you really like the appearance of them. What engine and trans are you going to use? I like the Toploader 4 speed and the 3.31 rear. Excellent combination and easy/fun to drive with a vintage correct appeal. No need for the big brake upgrade on a street car, either. Get the rear battery for ease of access and charging. It's a tight fit under the front fender and battery tray area.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 66gtk

Oh, I'd get the ERA steering hub as well...

I'd forgotten what stuff costs. Here's the PDF price list from 2012, which is probably still pretty close: http://www.erareplicas.com/427/427options.pdf That stupid little expansion tank is almost six hundred clams, the three little Girling cans is another four hundred, a knob for this, a wire for that, a gizmo here, and *poof* you're dropping a half million....

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by willtwallace

I think ERA will be a great fit, they seem to be able to cater to any person.

Yes, they will be a great fit and they will cater to any customer. They've been around for 30+ years and their record of customer service is unsurpassed in the replica industry.

$50,000, excluding engine & trans, is a very good budget. If it were me, then I'd have the ERA (their sub) handle the painting too. Saves having to find a good local painter and I haven't heard of many, if any, complaints about the paint work coming out of the ERA's shop.

[DanEC]

If you have ERA paint the car you may have to have them bond it for you also and buying it that way will greatly speed up your build.

For $2,800 I would (and did) bond the body myself since I also painted it. Very little work involved and pretty simple to bond. However, the 600 or 700 or 1000 rivets (? lost count) do take a while. A air operated riveter is a good idea. Just depends how deeply you want to get into the build. With a FFR that you were originally scoping out - factory paint was not an option to consider.

66gtx list of cost-effective options is right on.

Depending on your location and ability to pick it up yourself, shipping could be $1,000 to $1,500 also.

Overall if you can manage the engine and trans outside of your budget, I think you could manage OK.

[willtwallace]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I see a thousand things that are left off that list, but I don't know if Peter just "throws them in." You gotta go up there and sit down with him -- but if you've got $50k, not including drive train, then I think you'll definitely be able to do it.

well yes, thats just a rough list. i KNOW there are countless little things. My grandfather used to say, "Boy, you dont even know what you dont know." This applies now

Originally Posted by LMH

Original S/C Cobras had vinyl seats too. So you're replicating well!
Larry

Originally Posted by patrickt

I'd forgotten what stuff costs. Here's the PDF price list from 2012, which is probably still pretty close: http://www.erareplicas.com/427/427options.pdf That stupid little expansion tank is almost six hundred clams, the three little Girling cans is another four hundred, a knob for this, a wire for that, a gizmo here, and *poof* you're dropping a half million....

Awesome Thanks. they have a plethora of information on their web page.

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Yes, they will be a great fit and they will cater to any customer. They've been around for 30+ years and their record of customer service is unsurpassed in the replica industry.

$50,000, excluding engine & trans, is a very good budget. If it were me, then I'd have the ERA (their sub) handle the painting too. Saves having to find a good local painter and I haven't heard of many, if any, complaints about the paint work coming out of the ERA's shop.

yup, agreed.

You guys are great, you make the internet feel good again.

[*13*]

I did pretty much what your original post stated. I did my own body & paint. The numbers add up pretty quick & all of the little details/upgrades will put you near your limit, pretty quick. At the time, I considered Unique & FFR, also. I have no regrets about my decision. I absolutely stretched my budget to afford the best, most accurate car I could get. If you have any detailed questions, I'll be happy to answer them. PM me. Hyde

[MOTORHEAD]

Never mind, new glasses

[*13*]

35k is really a decent deal if your changes wouldn't be too drastic. 427, was what I originally wanted. A few history lessons, changed my mind. Besides, a 289 with Webers is just as cool as the baddest 427 car. IMHO

[willtwallace]

Originally Posted by *13*

I did pretty much what your original post stated. I did my own body & paint. The numbers add up pretty quick & all of the little details/upgrades will put you near your limit, pretty quick. At the time, I considered Unique & FFR, also. I have no regrets about my decision. I absolutely stretched my budget to afford the best, most accurate car I could get. If you have any detailed questions, I'll be happy to answer them. PM me. Hyde

Thank you

Originally Posted by *13*

35k is really a decent deal if your changes wouldn't be too drastic. 427, was what I originally wanted. A few history lessons, changed my mind. Besides, a 289 with Webers is just as cool as the baddest 427 car. IMHO

yea see, that's why i avoid history, its complicates too many things.

[Three Peaks]

Era's are great kits,but keep in mind thst bonding of the body isn't needed on the types of kits that have the non-stressed body like the originals, Kirkhams, FF5, and others. They are also lighter and just as strong and stiff as the stressed body style .

You are going to hard against your budget with the less expensive kits and way over with the ERA kit with the options you will end up with, IMHO

It's still early in the process- take some time and check out a number of kits before you commit.

Bob

[willtwallace]

Originally Posted by Three Peaks

Era's are great kits,but keep in mind thst bonding of the body isn't needed on the types of kits that have the non-stressed body like the originals, Kirkhams, FF5, and others. They are also lighter and just as strong and stiff as the stressed body style .

You are going to hard against your budget with the less expensive kits and way over with the ERA kit with the options you will end up with, IMHO

It's still early in the process- take some time and check out a number of kits before you commit.

Bob

Will do. Seems that ERA is very flexible up until the the point the arch strikes on the torch.

So, bonding the body has no structural advantages?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by willtwallace

So, bonding the body has no structural advantages?

You do not want stress on the outside body. ERAs do not have stress on the outside body. This is not to make it structurally stronger, but rather to eliminate distortion which will end up ruining your paint job. Click here to read more detail and you can follow the link to an excerpt from the portion of the manual that is available to non-owners: Body Structure

[rlrichins]

After dreaming and doing research since 1974 I purchased my car from ERA in 2008. During my research I had the opportunity to visit most major manufacturers and ERA three times (and I live in Utah). I purchased their basic 289 FIA kit (#2129) with the body not bonded to the chassis. I wanted to do all the work myself. I purchased the options as they were needed. It was a dream come true and I loved every minute of the build. The car now has about 12,000 miles on it and I wouldn't trade or sell it for anything. The ERA people were very good to work with and always helped when it was needed.

[willtwallace]

Originally Posted by rlrichins

After dreaming and doing research since 1974 I purchased my car from ERA in 2008. During my research I had the opportunity to visit most major manufacturers and ERA three times (and I live in Utah). I purchased their basic 289 FIA kit (#2129) with the body not bonded to the chassis. I wanted to do all the work myself. I purchased the options as they were needed. It was a dream come true and I loved every minute of the build. The car now has about 12,000 miles on it and I wouldn't trade or sell it for anything. The ERA people were very good to work with and always helped when it was needed.

Ditto, i spoke with Peter today over the phone, it was like talking to an old friend. them seem like genuinely good people.