My number is coming up at ERA, options / order advice?

[Bearwolf]

To clarify, I am not throwing every cent I have at it, I'm on this budget because after looking at my numbers this is what I'm comfortable with while keeping some in reserve for things that come up. Though the advise to not follow through with my life long dream is probably solid advise, I'm still going to go ahead and follow through with it. I've built other cars on a tight budget and still managed. I could probably sell my 23 t bucket, 62 impala ss, 68 camaro or 67 GMC and build the thing with cash, but for now the plan is simply to build the Cobra on a budget, little by little as finances allow. I'm definatly going to look into the 12v hair dryer approach. A 12v electric blanket probably would hi old be way better for the wife than a heater.

[DanEC]

If watching the budget don't worry about bonding the body yourself. The stories about the difficulty in this mostly related to early models. With the newer models, it's no big deal. Just get a good epoxy with a moderate working time so that you don't have to get in a big hurry. Prepare the bonding surfaces by sanding and blowing clean and get some loadable caulking tubes to load the mixed epoxy in so you can inject it into the bond areas. The panels are similarly no big deal. They are pre-fitted and drilled by ERA regardless so you just have to align the holes and rivet away. There will be a few areas that are a little tight and a couple holes that may need a bit of massaging - but no big deal. A air operated rivet gun does help out with hand cramps.

[Whodeeny]

I guess I am the odd one on this. I live in Colorado and want to really drive my Cobra as much as possible. I ordered my ERA 427 with not only a heater/defroster but with heated seats, a top and side curtains.

You might want to buy a used ERA. Does Wisconsin have emissions testing? I would have bought a used ERA but getting a used car through Colorado emissions testing made it a nonstarter. Cars here must meet emissions in effect for the year of registration.
BD

[66gtk]

I don't recognized the OP's handle here, but I believe I know who he is, and that's he's been to my home and been given a ride in my ERA (: Funny enough, my ERA is nearly identical to what he wants to end up with. I'd sell him mine, be he seems to be a hands-on kind of guy who wants to build his own. I can't fault that at all.

If I was building on a budget, here are some considerations I can think of:
1. vinyl vs leather seats
2. No carpet or door panels (this is an FIA afterall)
3. Forget the heater
4. Forget the oil cooler (coincidentally, I just bypassed mine recently and it's the best thing I did. Even with the additional oil cooler thermostat it still allowed enough volume by to not ever effectively heat up the oil to engine temp, even on a HOT summer day.)
5. Rear end has already been mentioned
6. STD street brakes work well. If you are tracking the car, you can put together better pads and rotors. You can fab some cooling ducts, too. You may not need the larger competition rotors.
7. Track the car without paint. You could drive the car a couple seasons and paint it later. You may enjoy tracking it much more without a nice paint job to worry about.
8. Wings and visors are nice on the street, but you could add these later, too.
9. Maybe consider using gauges other than the SW? They don't necessarily work all that awesome anyway.

You didn't mention if you were going for a period correct look or not, so there may be things you can't consider leaving out.

[fastd]

x2 on buying a used one...there are a couple out there now that are reasonably priced and you'll save a bunch...also, you can still get your hands dirty by making it perfect...

[1795]

I had the soft top and side curtains and the heater worked nicely with both of them on during cold weather drives.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 1795

I had the soft top and side curtains and the heater worked nicely with both of them on during cold weather drives.

I've done the same a couple of times, it gives the car an entirely different look that is quite cool. But his money is better spent elsewhere.

[tgandy]

The FIA seats are naugahyde on fiberglass buckets There's an option of vinyl or leather street seats. If you want to go as period correct as possible and watch your budget, then it's the naugahyde.

[dacobb]

My two cents...I would have ERA bond the body. Will help with resale, and they can do it better than you.

[66gtk]

Originally Posted by dacobb

My two cents...I would have ERA bond the body. Will help with resale, and they can do it better than you.

Plus you will double your garage space requirements and shipping difficulties by bonding it yourself.

[tgandy]

Does ERA bond the body before it's initially shipped or do you have to ship it back to them for bonding? Terry

[strictlypersonl]

Originally Posted by tgandy

Does ERA bond the body before it's initially shipped or do you have to ship it back to them for bonding? Terry

We bond the body (and also bond the aluminum and foot-boxes) before the kit is delivered. The hood, trunk and doors are also installed, although some adjustments might be required during the bodywork process.
Kit as shipped

[Bearwolf]

For clarification, if the kit comes not bonded, is it still shipped in like the car in the link, with everything in place, or is it all separate? I'm wondering because someone mentioned extra shipping hassle if the body doesnt get bonded.

[tgandy]

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

We bond the body (and also bond the aluminum and foot-boxes) before the kit is delivered. The hood, trunk and doors are also installed, although some adjustments might be required during the bodywork process.
Kit as shipped

Thanks! Terry

[DanEC]

Not trying to talk anyone into it - who isn't comfortable with doing their own body bonding and panel installation. But, just for information - if you purchase an unbonded kit here is what your receive (I did purchase the Jag rear suspension in my kit)





The first thing you will do is spend about a week disassembling most of what ERA has already pre-fit and trial assembled. I put alignment marks on the body and frame to ensure it went back together in proper alignment. They are in the firewall area and at the rear cockpit bulkhead.



I realized later that this wasn't really necessary because of the assembly clips/plates that ERA installs. As long as I got the screw through the bracket and back into the hole in the body framing - it was going back together just as ERA assembled it.

The front frame at the grill area is the one area that did not have a clip (at least from memory) but the other mounting clips centered it with my original tic marks. There may have been a couple of temporary attachment screws there. This is after bonding - you can see the line of gray epoxy in the body to frame contact area.



Major bond joints.





After bonding.





This is the best shot I have of the alignment/mounting plates that pre-mount and center the body to the frame.



I didn't install the foot boxes or panels until I was through with painting. I used a black adhesion caulking material and applied a bead at all contact points with the body or frame. I figured if any of the black did extrude out of the joint it would not be glaring in appearance. But with a little care that didn't turn out to be much of a problem. Doing your own bonding and panel installation does mean you will spend a lot of time with a drill and 1/8 inch bits - buy a quantity of them. A close quarters drill is nice to have for a few of the rivets in tight corners. You will spend an equal amount of time with a rivet gun. An air rivet gun from Harbor Freight is a good idea but you still need a hand gun for some tighter areas.

Edit: I failed to note above if you don't have ERA do the frame powder coating then yes, the body will have to come off the frame for painting/coating and that will require more garage/shop space during that time. I know at least a few ERA builders have painted their frames themselves so that is another approach. I did have ERA powder coat mine and it seems to be a high quality application so for me it was money well spent.

[patrickt]

Jeez, I'd rather shovel out a latrine. How much money will he save by doing that little chore himself?

[DanEC]

Some misinformation here. If you order the car un-bonded, it still comes assembled body to frame with all metal panels loosely screwed in place ( such as screws in corners etc). There are metal clips positioning the body on the frame. There is no reason to remove the body from the frame unless you just want to, to completely undercoat it or something. The assembly clips are your alignment jigs for returning the body to correct alignment when bonding. There's no reason for additional garage space - my body never left the frame during my build. I pre-drilled the rivet holes at the boding points, removed the screws securing the body to the positioning clips, raised the body slightly with wooden shims, injected the epoxy into all the bonding spaces, pulled the shims and lowered the body back down (like about 1/4 inch), secured the clips which puts the body in perfect position and then installed the additional rivets per ERA's instructions. I bonded and riveted the rockers as a second operation. I'm telling you it's so dead simple that anyone who can't handle it needs to buy a completely assembled car. And if that is what you prefer to do then there's nothing wrong with that.

Go to the first page of my photo album link below and you will see exactly how it's shipped in-bonded. There are also pictures of my bonding the body.

[1985 CCX]

Here is my two cents

Bond body at ERA
Outboard rear end
6 pin hubs
Best brakes you can afford

Best seats in the business, treat as such....

[Bearwolf]

So it sounds like anyone on here who has bonded a body says it's no sweat. Being the type of guy I am, who really prefers to touch every single nut and bolt with my own hands, I think I'll bond it myself. I know ERA are pros and resale and what not, but building cars is half the enjoyment for me.

What about the 6 pin hubs? By that I mean, more than one person said it'll be cheaper to do them with the car. Is this still the case if I'm building the rear suspension myself? If I order the 6 pin stuff when I get around to building the suspension will it actually be more expensive or are they just saying its cheaper to build it with 6 pins than to build it with 5x4.75 lugs and then convert?

You guys really have me considering dropping the street seats and going with the FIA seats. I might have to fly out to ERA and see if they'll let me sit in both.

[patrickt]

If you "convert" to six pin hubs at a later date, you will be buying new wheels as well. Mucho expensive.