[The Dreamer]

I can only give my opinion as a soon-to-be buyer of a ERA, SPF, or glass Shelby. I have waffled between the ERA and SPF for a while and when I finally convinced myself I would get the ERA, Shelby can out with his newest offer. The Shelby offer certainly made me stop and think.

The way I see it is the SPF allows me to do things like 18 in wheels, high back seats, dual roll bars, and use a small block. I don't think I could get away with that approach with an ERA or Shelby. I'm not saying everyone is going to accept those things in a SPF, but it is more likely to be accepted.

The SPF (assuming you use a small block) is really not in the same cost range as the ERA or Shelby because if you use a 427SO (which I think you need in either of these to protect your resale value) it will increase cost $10-15K over the SPF. I wouldn't put anything in a SPF but a small block because I can get BB power, easier maintenance (parts availability and engine compartment space), and a lighter car (weight is the enemy).

The CSX# doesn't mean much to me, but it does to some and I need to consider that in terms of the value. I'm not buying to car for resale value, but I can't ignore it as well. The problem with the Shelby is there is not that much info on the CAV car. The finish on even the original glass Shelbys was greatly influenced by the dealers, so the question of the final CAV product is a real one. You can't just say it will be like the other glass cars because they are all finished slightly different. I don't know if the difference is enough to change the buying decision because I haven't compared a bunch of Shelbys from different dealers. Its an unknown that I will need to see a prototype to clear up. Component wise, the quality appears to be there.

For the ERA, there is a wealth of info. Their chassis has the potential to improve over the original chassis, but there has not been the analysis or testing to prove the benefits (that I know of). There has been much discussion on the chassis design issue, but without the finite element analysis or testing on both designs, you can't determine better by looking at it. Everyone says the quality is there for ERA, so that is a known.


On impact to future prices, only time will tell. The Shelby has the potential to have a higher resell than the ERA (I estimate their costs to be almost identical) because of the CSX# influence. ERA has a huge backlog, so I really don't expect ERA prices to be influenced that much by the Shelby. If anything, it may bring more customers to ERA because the wait will be shorter. As I mentioned before, I don't think SPF will be affected as much because they are $10-15K cheaper.

For me, I'm leaning ERA (known product) and ERA allows me to build as much as I want. I will still investigate the Shelby, but if they delay much longer in providing a prototype, I will make my decision. That's my opinion.

Ready to stop Dreaming