I'm ordering an ERA! Seeking your experienced opinions

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by DrivinWest

I'm sure that will piss of a few CSX owners, but I hope all is safe here in the ERA forum

I do not believe you'll piss off any owners, it's your money, you buy what you want with it. Of course with that said, and having owned 4 ERA cobras to date (3-427SC's, 1-289FIA), I can say you are going to love it. Your plan is sound, maybe rethink your engine choice (200hp is enough to kill you in one of these cars), otherwise you are right on track.

Can't wait to see your build thread start.


Sincerely,

Bill S.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

Your plan is sound, maybe rethink your engine choice (200hp is enough to kill you in one of these cars), otherwise you are right on track.

Bill's giving you a wonderful tip. Think about a nice, custom built 390FE from Lykins. It will look no different than a side oiler or a 428, and it will have more power than you can ever possibly imagine. That just might save you close to ten grand. Maybe.

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Bill's giving you a wonderful tip. Think about a nice, custom built 390FE from Lykins. It will look no different than a side oiler or a 428, and it will have more power than you can ever possibly imagine. That just might save you close to ten grand. Maybe.

The only reason I've talked Keith Craft up over Blykins is due to his location you could visit his shop a little easier and even pick the engine up yourself. Both have a ton of experience and are competitive.

Seems that when I had Keith do my engine (about 4 years ago) the premium on a 428 block over a 390 block was about $500. I suspect that may have increased by now. Keith expressed that he typically prefers to use a new crank rather than spend money reconditioning a used one - so building a 4.125 inch or 4.25 inch stroker motor was very little additional. It's fairly easy to get up to 445 cu in from a 390 block. Dressed out nobody can tell a 390 from a 428 without tearing it down to a bear block. In a Cobra you can't hardly tell a 427 SO from a 428/390 without crawling under the car (good luck with that without jack, ramps or a lift).

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Bill's giving you a wonderful tip. Think about a nice, custom built 390FE from Lykins. It will look no different than a side oiler or a 428, and it will have more power than you can ever possibly imagine. That just might save you close to ten grand. Maybe.

Yup, I'm in agreement with the engine advice as a budget-saving tool. Down the road, once you've gotten plenty of seat time, if you get the itch for more power, then R&R-ing an engine isn't the most difficult item to change on your ERA.

The only other piece of advice I'd offer is PLEASE don't paint it beige. Cobras shouldn't be painted beige.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

The only other piece of advice I'd offer is PLEASE don't paint it beige. Cobras shouldn't be painted beige.

Ahhh, but sometimes they are. And when they are, there is 100% agreement among the members of this forum that they are not just beautiful, but rather, they are absolutely gorgeous. Yep, even Mr. Mustang agrees on that....

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Ahhh, but sometimes they are. And when they are, there is 100% agreement among the members of this forum that they are not just beautiful, but rather, they are absolutely gorgeous. Yep, even Mr. Mustang agrees on that....

Only when they are of the 289FIA variety and have a lime green nose stripe

[DrivinWest]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

I do not believe you'll piss off any owners, it's your money, you buy what you want with it. Of course with that said, and having owned 4 ERA cobras to date (3-427SC's, 1-289FIA), I can say you are going to love it. Your plan is sound, maybe rethink your engine choice (200hp is enough to kill you in one of these cars), otherwise you are right on track.

Bill, I think I remember you from old Mustang message boards and (I think?) the Vintage Mustang forum. I believe you steered me away from a bad 66 Convertible in ~2000. Suffice it to say, I value your opinion greatly, and your affinity for ERAs is one of the main reasons that I've settled on that make.

You're right about the engine. So much of the car game is about bench racing with buddies in person and online, and I've likely succumbed to that. That said, I really don't care about the ponies under the hood. I had a bored/stroked 289 in my 67 A-Code Fastback that put out way more power than I had any interest in using on the street. Even on the track I've learned how little horsepower means compared to good driving*.

I'm off to do some rebudgeting based on an all-iron FE. Thanks again for your input!

* My wife bought me a two-day driving class at Porsche Driving School. The instructors drove base 911 Carreras while students drove Carrera S models with an extra 50 horsepower. Instructors pulled ahead in every turn and on every straight, and they were still sandbagging it to stay in view.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by DrivinWest

Bill, I think I remember you from old Mustang message boards and (I think?) the Vintage Mustang forum. I believe you steered me away from a bad 66 Convertible in ~2000. Suffice it to say, I value your opinion greatly, and your affinity for ERAs is one of the main reasons that I've settled on that make.

That would indeed be me (Rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang, and well as the early VMF before they switched servers and I lost the same user name to some guy in Sweden, who has only posted once ), my past always seems to come back to haunt me (in a good way mind you)


Bill S.

PS: I like (and like my affinity for Mustangs, have owned) SPF, Contemporary, Unique, and FFR's as well