Assembling an ERA Cobra

[cobrajeff]

I built my ERA from a "roller". I ordered the suspension, steering, brakes, & rear end "installed", as I didn't want to spend my week-ends combing scrap-yards for Jag parts, and coming up with the wrong pieces. I didn't want to deal with trying to get my junkyard Jag rear end rebuilt by somebody who hasn't seen a Salisbury diff in the last three years - ERA is getting them done by the pallet-loads - I'm sure their guy knows what he's doing.

I had already had experience (call that NEGATIVE) trying to use 3/8" (they are BIG, and TOUGH) pop-rivets to add chassis bracing to one of my other cars - I had to replace the borrowed Snap-On pop-rivet gun when it broke. I knew I didn't want to deal with that again.

I paid them to paint the frame, and sub-assemble the suspension/brakes. They bonded the body to the frame. If I had it to do over again, I would probably have them paint the body, too. I ended up dismanteling a lot of my car, mostly due to modifications I made. My body man refused to try to "roll" the body edges (so it would look more "real") with the rear bulkhead in-place . I removed the foot-boxes to section them to make room for my Cleveland. Those pieces (rear bulkhead and footboxes) had been permanently installed, and were a lot of work to R & R without damaging. I think I MAY have got a better paint job than I would have gotten from ERA - but, I think I also paid a LOT more for it.

ERA is definately a class act - the car goes together easier than a mid-sixties model car. Everything fits like it is supposed to, and they are pretty reasonable when you want to make "modifications".

Good luck with your car.

regards,

Jeff Burgy