[frankym]

just curious, there is so much talk about authenticity, everyone seems to overlook the fact that both ERA and SPF use frames that are absolutely nothing like the original. One look underneath the hood or from underneath reveals that they do NOT have tubular construction and the design is antithetical to the original. Both ERA and SPF earn very high marks for being period correct in every place it matters and both deviate from authenticity only to make a better car, utilizing current techonolgies and more attention to aesthetics. The ERA roll bar is unquestionably spot on with the original, the SPF roll bar deviates a little in height and geometry, but not enough to diminish even infinitesimally the finer points of its quality of design and workmanship. I also think the rear of the ERA sits a little more squat which is more authentic (and looks awesome!!) but considering that most of these cars are intended for street use, lower can be impractical. Both are great cars, and no offense to people that choose to finish the ERA beyond the body mounting, but to me, the value of the home finished car is far less than the new briton assembled vehicle, not stating opinion here, it's just a matter of fact that a factory produced vehicle will be done with the benefit of collectively hundreds of years of experience and for the average joe that's very handy, assembling a vehicle with excessive power can be a recipe for disaster. In all the 100s of connections that get fastened, welded, fused, bridged, configured etc.,, or otherwise, the liklihood of the casual builder making some less than perfect decisions is much higher. I hope nobody gets offended, both SPF and ERA are super high quality cars and works of art, the biggest difference is in the consistancy (overall number of finished ERAs and SPFs) and SPFs are all built the same. As far as customization is concerned, there should be none, the best looking replica is one that accurately duplicates, so having any unique features runs against the grain of striving for authenticity, yet I hear many people saying that ERA is more authentic, and at the same time bears more of its owners' imprimaturs. A properly finished ERA and SPF are both top notch, it's important to be objective, doing so should avoid any conflicts between the two owner groups. The buyer of any of these cars also needs to be objective, consider facts, logic and recognize opinion when you hear it.

frankym, ERA and SPF are the best of their kind