Who makes the better Roller?

[LightNFast]

......................

[twobjshelbys]

You should look at a CSX. My roller is perfect. The engine had problems but there are no beefs about the roller.

[gary osborne]

I’m a SPF owner who bought his car in 1999 and I have been all over the USA in mine with well over 60,000 miles on it (closer to 70). That said, the only time I ever question my decision is when lusting over an ERA. They are beautiful cars. But even though I lust over the ERAs, if I was going to buy another cobra, it would have to be another SPF (it’s kind of like me looking at a super model but staying true to my wife…lol). I have simply had too much good luck and too much fun with mine to even think about something else.

I could go on and on about the support infrastructure but most of my comments would be redundant of earlier posts. I am not one to wrench on a car and fortunately, my SPF has been trouble free. I have made a number of upgrades (a few comfort and a few performance) but most of those were completed by one of the hundreds of high quality mechanical experts who have chosen the SPF brand and are lurking in every nook and cranny of the USA. So that support system has be incredibly important to me.

But the best part of it has been all the friends I have made through SCOF. My best friends in the world consist on two old high school buds, one professional friend and the rest are all SPF owners. I know they will be a part of my life for as long as I live and would come to my aid no matter what…no questions asked. That is worth more to me than ten times the price of the car. I won’t say that cannot happen elsewhere or with other brands. I just have not seen or heard of it in my 12 years in the hobby. Had someone told me this in 1999 when I was buying my car, I would have said I had enough friends and never have known the difference. But that was only because I had no point of reference as to what this car would bring to me.

I suppose the latter is the #1 reason I would buy SPF again but I don’t want that to diminish the total 100% confidence I have in the brand. My car still looks incredible and is probably worth more than I paid for it making it the least expensive car I have ever owned…..yet the most fun and rewarding. Tough to beat that experience.

Uncle Fester

[Snake Pliskin]

Originally Posted by gary osborne

I’m a SPF owner who bought his car in 1999 and I have been all over the USA in mine with well over 60,000 miles on it (closer to 70). That said, the only time I ever question my decision is when lusting over an ERA. They are beautiful cars. But even though I lust over the ERAs, if I was going to buy another cobra, it would have to be another SPF (it’s kind of like me looking at a super model but staying true to my wife…lol). I have simply had too much good luck and too much fun with mine to even think about something else.

I could go on and on about the support infrastructure but most of my comments would be redundant of earlier posts. I am not one to wrench on a car and fortunately, my SPF has been trouble free. I have made a number of upgrades (a few comfort and a few performance) but most of those were completed by one of the hundreds of high quality mechanical experts who have chosen the SPF brand and are lurking in every nook and cranny of the USA. So that support system has be incredibly important to me.

But the best part of it has been all the friends I have made through SCOF. My best friends in the world consist on two old high school buds, one professional friend and the rest are all SPF owners. I know they will be a part of my life for as long as I live and would come to my aid no matter what…no questions asked. That is worth more to me than ten times the price of the car. I won’t say that cannot happen elsewhere or with other brands. I just have not seen or heard of it in my 12 years in the hobby. Had someone told me this in 1999 when I was buying my car, I would have said I had enough friends and never have known the difference. But that was only because I had no point of reference as to what this car would bring to me.

I suppose the latter is the #1 reason I would buy SPF again but I don’t want that to diminish the total 100% confidence I have in the brand. My car still looks incredible and is probably worth more than I paid for it making it the least expensive car I have ever owned…..yet the most fun and rewarding. Tough to beat that experience.

Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester......Thanks for stayin true to your school, your car and your wife and not necessarilly in that particular order. Your input is greatly appreciated...keep the rubber side down as your puttin on the next 70K........Snake

[cscobra]

Compare the frame designs (Superformance vs. ERA):

ERA vs Superformance

Just one of the multiple reasons I chose ERA.

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by cscobra

Compare the frame designs (Superformance vs. ERA):

ERA vs Superformance

Just one of the multiple reasons I chose ERA.

Good comparison. Why doesn't ERA show pics vs. computer renderings?

[LMH]

That's an awesome comparision! Hadn't seen that before.
Larry

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by cscobra

Compare the frame designs (Superformance vs. ERA):

ERA vs Superformance

Just one of the multiple reasons I chose ERA.

Now don't get me wrong - I like SPF, but there is a certain quality required and confidence in your own ability/product to directly link to a competitors web page.

ERA have done that! ...and for me, that's classy

It doesn't seem like you can lose with either

PS: ERA don't get my vote for building websites.
I've been to their site 1000s of time an not seen this, and often can't easily find things I'd seen before.
hehehe

[Bill Bess]

Great comparison, I have seen the ERA frame design before but not the SPF, both great, but one is built like a truck.

[jhwalker]

"Who makes the better roller?

Whichever one you end up buying because hopefully you did your research and found out what was important to you. [Hydramada]"

Short and to the point. Good answer.

The ERA is a very nice car, a boutique car. Something to admire and appreciate. And with all of that protection I guess you don’t have to worry about running into things. (just kidding... )

The SPF tours are something to behold. We have pictures of SPFs fording streams, groups following dirt and gravel roads thru wilderness areas. And then with some water and elbow grease they look great. We certainly know that we can rely on them, and we have a track/race upgrade path and track support that has been shown to make them superior on the track and those upgrades carry over to the road.

Personally, I wouldn’t put a very detailed “car to car” comparison on my website without being very sure of my facts, but marketing is marketing. No harm no foul.

SPF offers dealer support, parts network, and the owner of SPF goes
on cruises with us, invites us his house for a BBQ, and threw 10
members of the “family” the keys to a million dollars worth of cars on a recent Saturday morning to go to a car show ! That is a pretty close relationship…

What does that mean about the roller? The purchase and build are the first step in the ownership of a Cobra replica. The quality of the roller is established over the years and after miles of driving, and I know many of the owners of low 3 digit car number, high-mileage SPF cars who are as happy with their cars as those of us with car numbers in the 2000-3000 range. There are a lot of SPF Mk IIIs clocking a lot of road and track miles. That very fact could be a deterrent to someone who wants exclusivity.

So here’s to you ERA owners who love your cars, and here’s to you other SPF owners who love your SPF like I love mine.
Over and out.

[SunDude]

Sounds like both ERA and SPF owners are fully satisfied with their choices. Always a good sign.

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by cscobra

Compare the frame designs (Superformance vs. ERA):

ERA vs Superformance

Just one of the multiple reasons I chose ERA.

Unless you built a FEA model of both frames and subject it to the loads, you will not know one is better than the other. Just looking at the two frames does not tell you anything.

[Snake Pliskin]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

Unless you built a FEA model of both frames and subject it to the loads, you will not know one is better than the other. Just looking at the two frames does not tell you anything.

Thanks for the link ....Snake "If all minds are thinking alike; someone's not thinking!" George S. Patton

[Got the Bug]

Here's a (little dated) tour of the SPF factory.

[Bill Bess]

Thanks Doug, the video was great. It's pretty tough to compete with the controlled productionn quality and design of SFP.
I love their Daytona's, wish I could afford one.

Bill

[kayakjack]

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

Here's a (little dated) tour of the SPF factory.

Amazing video. What great cars!!! Makes me proud to own one.

Magnificent. Bulletproof. Fast. Fun.

Jack

[GOstberg]

I have owned 13 Shelby Mustangs and 3 93 Mustang Cobras, including #57 Cobra R. My neighbor in TX (73 yrs old) owned a Superformance, but let it sit and rot for years. I tried to buy it...did some research on Cobras, and saw the great reputation of Superformance...we eventually made a deal. The owners group (SCOF) has been INVALUABLE with great support, immediate advice, and an awesome tech library. The closest dealer/racer is Dennis Olthoff, truly a shop that understands it all! Then there is RT, a living breathing phone call away consumed by the Cobra passion guy who will do anything to help one of the SCOF community...what else could you ask for? Oh, and it is a fabulous
driving car. Just had it on VIR for three days of hard track driving...what a hoot...best car we have ever had. My wife and I cruise in it a ton, and it rides better than any Mustang we ever had. There are probably other good Cobras out there, but we lucked out and got a keeper...with all the support network you could ask for!

[DonC]

The primary difference between ERA and Superformance lies in how much individuality you want reflected in your Cobra. Both are undeniably great cars but ERA requires a lot more individual thought when you order it.
I spent the better part of a year researching both cars and in the end went with ERA simply because I could get the car exactly the way I wanted it right out of the gate. The amount of individuality available from a company that builds one car at a time can't be matched by a mass production supplier. The only trade off between the two manufacturing concepts is the amount of time needed to produce the car. Getting exactly what you want takes a little longer and a lot more thought than just picking "one from column A and two from column B".
Both cars have options lists but the ERA list is staggering in it's coverage.
Build quality for both is top notch but being able to talk directly to the individual who put your car together makes any questions you have a lot easier to resolve. There's no substitute for that aspect of the ERA build.
To my mind the whole thing boils down to how "special" you want your car to be. ERA can supply you with a car at any point in the build from a pile of boxes on your front porch to a complete car ready to drive away from the curb.
It's up to you to decide how involved you want to get in your finished product. While Superformance isn't a cookie cutter car there are still aspects of the build that are "standard".
The final decision for you is how much knowledge you want to acquire about what's going into your car. You can take the time to build an in depth understanding of what you've got or go with what is provided by someone else.
You can't get hurt quality wise with either car but, for my money, the ERA is the much more individual of the two.
I could go on for a long time about the what's available from the elves at ERA but, for me, deciding for myself is what it was all about. You can take what's there or get into it up to your elbows.
DonC

[lamaluv]

I was hoping that someone would respond to this thread that actually had owned both an ERA & Superformance as that was the original request. So far the responses have been as expected- If you own an ERA it is the best. If you own a Superformance it is the best. There has to be someone out there that has owned both. Let us hear from you as this has started to become one of the "lets get the popcorn" threads.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

You should look at a CSX. My roller is perfect. The engine had problems but there are no beefs about the roller.

And one gentleman who thinks the CSX is best.

While we're at it, has the OP considered a..........oh, never mind.