[tfarhood]

Ask the seller "who built the car?", ERA or someone else. If ERA built the roller it should be done right. If someone else built it, take someone else along with you to look at it, hopefully someone that knows Cobras. One detail nobody mentioned yet it the wheel size. 16", a big negative in my book. Almost no tire selection for 16's. 15" is original, 17" is popular for performance/racing. Both have more choices of tires. 16" only has one or two tires available in the size you need. Are the wheels "knock-off " or "five-lug"? I would say you need to take caution with this auction. As for the purists out there, an ERA with 16" wheels, CD player, and a Windsor engine wouldn't be worth top dollar. If it is a nice ERA, at a good price, you can always change things after you own it. If you plan on keeping it for the long haul, and this car is what you want in a car, then it could be a real find. My concern is that a well made ERA that would command a good re-sale price in any market condition would never be on e-bay in the first place. If this car were worth $40k+, then the current owner would already be Cobra smart and know about Club Cobra, his local clubs, Coubra Country, etc. and would have listed it for sale in these places.
When you go see it in person, ask the seller what the reserve price is. If it is high, just thank him and walk away. If it is really low, I'd probably still walk away. If it is about $30k-$33k, and the seller seems knowledgable, it may be worth making an offer below the reserve price. Leave your name and phone # and go home. If the car doesn't sell by auction, he will call you the day after and ask if you still want it.
Just my $.03 worth.