[The Dreamer]

Red,

Not to pile on or anything, but I have been struggling with the SPF, ERA, Shelby decision as well and there some things you wrote that I don't think are as cut and dried as presented. The Baer brakes I believe offered on the Shelby are 2 piston brakes and not 4 pistons as offered on the SPF. 4 pistons are optional like on ERA.

The "Best" chassis discussions on these forums are really funny and based little on fact. You can NOT tell which chassis is better (pick your criteria-stiffness, strength, etc) just by looking at it. When someone gets the data (testing or FEA), this can be a decision criteria.

On cost, I have tried to create the most detailed (I'm talking about going through summit catalogs for prices of finishing components) cost estimate of all three makes using available info from all sources. The SPF using a small block (because that is more acceptable in a SPF) is about $10-15K cheaper than an Shelby block ERA or Shelby. The difference between the ERA and Shelby is less than a $1K, which I think is well within the error of my estimate.

Why would anyone buy something other than a Shelby? Well, I put down my deposit on an ERA about a month ago because from everything I read and heard, ERA stands for quality. The advantage to me of the Shelby is I could get it quicker, but I have not been able to see one in person (limited availability like everyone else is experiencing), so I can't judge. The CSX # and saying I have a "Real" Shelby (I actually think the "Real" thing is a joke), don't mean that much to me, but it does to others.

If I was a $40K betting man, I would guess the Shelby is going to be a fine car. Better than ERA or SPF, I just don't know, but I would probably have a great time with either. $.02

Dreamer