DC:
I find that if you arrive in New Britain with food, you always get immediate attention and the waiting time just flies by.
More seriously, lest you think I'm on "the A-list or something" , let me explain what the "code" has been for me.
It's essentially investing in ERA "futures" and it works like this: Before I sold my first ERA427SC in 88' I gave Peter two deposits, one for another Cobra and one for a GT, knowing that the GT would be at least a 3 year plus wait and the second 427 would "tide me over." Thus, when the first car sold, the next was ready to pick up. And I timed the sale of that when the GT was ready to go.
When I sold the second 427, I gave Peter another deposit, and when the GT ultimately sold in 99, I was ready to go with the FIA. I actually gave Peter 2 deposits for 2 more GTs, the first of which is about ready to go to paint. So, far I have been able to build each one and get what I have in to each car, plus a little more. Of course, my cars have always been just kits, not turn-keys.
That's the code.
Jim
PS: The ultimate goal is to have both the FIA and a GT at the same time, leveraged out of my first car almost 20 years ago.
PPS: Here are some pictures of my FIA in the ERA gallery:
http://www.erareplicas.com/cars/holden2.htm