Questions for ERA owners

[lippy]

Hi,

I'm considering an ERA 427 to build with my kids. I may have the car painted by one of ERA's recommended painters (Ct. Custom Cars) as Peter at ERA does a lot of work with them (12-15 cars/year) and obviously they do a lot of ERAs. I'm also leaning toward one of ERA's recommended engine builders (Danbury Competition) for a 428 FE for largely the same reasons. I'm thinking these benefits may outweigh the fact that they are not local to me.

So my questions are:
(1) Does any ERA owner have experience with either Ct. Custom Cars and/or Danbury Competition, and how did it go?
(2) What paint "options" did you get, e.g., undercoating in wheel wells, what color inside the hood, etc?

Thanks!

[ERA Chas]

What is your 'local area'?

[lippy]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

What is your 'local area'?

SF Bay Area/Peninsula

[Don]

Not an ERA owner, but Walt @ CT Custom Car in Enfield does excellent work, consider visiting while they have an ERA body in their shop, approx 10 minutes from I-91.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by lippy

SF Bay Area/Peninsula

DeCooney has a great Cobra painter just north of you-Ken Pike. Do a search here.
Tom Lucas at FE Specialties is your engine builder. Value for dollar and no corners cut. Just ask RodKnock who is in this thread.

[Murky781]

I own ERA 781 and I used both of those suppliers. I have a 69 428CJ built by Joe at Danbury and a beautiful PPG black paint job done by the Walts at CT Custom. CT Custom did an absolutely beautiful job on the bodywork and paint. He is slightly more expensive than some other shops in the area, but I had seen some of his work and was very impressed. I have yellow stripes across my hood and down the front fenders and Walt Sr. picked out the color from a diecast model I had brought him, and adjusted it slightly and was right on the money. People have given me so many compliments on the paint and black hides nothing! Joe at Danbury knows everything there is to know about Ford engines and he will probably tell you so. I got along well with him and he steered me to the 428 vs the 427 I was looking for, from both a price standpoint and at the time he was saying he was getting poor quality parts at that time. I just went and saw him last month to order another engine, for another ERA, and it was like he knew me all my life. I told him what I was looking for and he will tell me what he is going to make for me. It's a bit of give and take, spend time talking to him if you visit, or let Peter and Doug do it. YOu won't be disappointed by either shop. Good luck with the build. I built mine and I love it, and the help from ERS is incredible. I was chasing a major electrical gremlin for a bit and Big John came to my house to help me. I'm onlt 10 minutes away, but still.Above and beyond in my book.

[LodiWino]

Lippy;

I own ERA 773 in Lodi CA. You sons' will learn a lot more about motors if you have it built locally. A lot of the Bay Area Cobra motors are done by Neil Ruegsegger in Danville. Check him out before going to an out-of-area builder.

neilshop@comcast.net.

ERA is a great choice. Very happy with the car. Ct. Custom has a good reputation for paint jobs. The local go-to guy is Ken's Custom Autobody in Yuba City.

Cheers...

[Quik289]

I had my ERA painted by CT Custom, and they did a spectacular job imho. Mine is a 289FIA and CT Custom painted the underside of the hood body color at no extra cost. The only extra cost item was correctly shaping the edges of the wheel openings. Again, a great job there too. tkb289 on this forum is in your area. I met him at ERA. He also had CT Custom paint his car, but had his engine build in the Bay Area. You should contact him - I know he'll be happy to share about his experience, which I believe has been very positive with both painter and engine builder.

[DonC]

I second the points made my Murky781 and Quik289. Had Joe Lapine build the engine and Walt at Connecticut Custom do the paint on my ERA.
Going on 8 years and 50,000 miles and still could not be more pleased with both products.
Only extra costs over quotes for the paint was the additional cost for red which is quite normal for paint shops and the option of a Scat crank in my 428, per Joe's recommendation, to help bullet proof the bottom end. Both additions were discussed with me before I committed to them. Very comfortable doing business with both.
DonC

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by lippy

Hi,
I just joined, and am considering building an ERA 427 with my three small kids. I'm thinking of using an FE 428, carbed, with a TKO-600, something in the ballpark of 500 HP/500 lb-ft. Of course, I want it to be a nice powerplant, but I also want to keep the price reasonable. Do you have any references for good builders for this sort of engine, and what prices have people seen? Thanks!
-Jeff

Jeff, I pulled this quote from your previous thread. I've used both CCC and Danbury -- they're top notch. First off, those three kids are going to be absolutely no help whatsoever with your build; in fact, they're going to be a hindrance -- so consider having ERA do as much as possible. "Keeping the price reasonable" is pretty subjective, but CCC & Danbury alone will put you well in to the 20's (and that's before you even spend a dime with ERA). There's no rush deciding on either CCC or Danbury, since the wait for ERA will be several months at the very minimum. Have you sent Peter a check yet to put your name in the queue?

[DanEC]

I can't speak to either supplier as I had my motor built locally and did the paint/body myself. But, I've only heard great things about the painters ERA uses and from what I remember of the pricing, it sounded very reasonable. But from doing my own body work here are a few things you might consider:

- Roll the cockpit edges fully front and rear deck.

- Finish the inside of the wheel lip back a couple inches or more to give a finished appearance (and feel).

- Finish underside of hood and I did the underside of the trunk also and painted both.

- You can do the undercoating yourself, but if you're doing the aluminum panels yourself like I did, it was easier to undercoat them off the car and then rivet them in place. Otherwise, whether they do it or you do it is personal preference (and check book).

- I coated the exposed aluminum side of the panels underhood with Sharkhide, an aluminum protectant. I don't know if ERA offers this as an option but I think it's going to keep the aluminum looking fresh longer from what I can tell so far.

An ERA is a wonderful thing.

[ERA 778]

I know the guys in Connecticut do outstanding work. I've seen some of it.

Something to consider is what will you be able to do after the build if you have a problem or need a repair. I built ERA #778 myself, bought the engine from Keith Craft in Arkansas, and had it painted by someone 200 miles away. They both did great jobs and I am completely satisfied with the results, but it can be a real pain in the ### when you need help later on.

For example, I put a little scratch on mine (accident in my garage) and will probably have to drive or tow the car to the painter - major trip! Hope I never have to get Keith's help on the engine! He's two days away!

There are important advantages to working with someone close enough to help out later on, whether it's a scratch or an oil leak. Think about the possibilities.

By the way, excellent choice in ERA. Good luck on your build!
Hal

[lippy]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Jeff, I pulled this quote from your previous thread. I've used both CCC and Danbury -- they're top notch. First off, those three kids are going to be absolutely no help whatsoever with your build; in fact, they're going to be a hindrance -- so consider having ERA do as much as possible. "Keeping the price reasonable" is pretty subjective, but CCC & Danbury alone will put you well in to the 20's (and that's before you even spend a dime with ERA). There's no rush deciding on either CCC or Danbury, since the wait for ERA will be several months at the very minimum. Have you sent Peter a check yet to put your name in the queue?

I'm sort of getting past the "reasonable price." Probably a process everyone else has gone through. BTW, the kids are the primary reason I'm doing this project in the first place. I don't care if it takes twice as long (or more). I want them to learn how things work, how to plan a project, that things need to be made by someone, and lastly I want to spend the time with them. Otherwise I'd probably save some dough and consider a completed car.

[Dangerous Doug]

I had my paint done by Ken Pike up in Yuba City (streetrodpainter.com). I got an amazing black paint job for $7k. That was 2 years ago.

I built my own 289 FIA by purchasing their basic kit with the body-mounted, frame powder-coated option. Did a little bit at a time, and spread the cost out over 3 years. I really enjoyed the build. My son was too young to participate, so my build time was after I put him down for the night until about 10. Great experience with ERA. Go for it.

DD

[tkb289]

Originally Posted by Quik289

I had my ERA painted by CT Custom, and they did a spectacular job imho. Mine is a 289FIA and CT Custom painted the underside of the hood body color at no extra cost. The only extra cost item was correctly shaping the edges of the wheel openings. Again, a great job there too. tkb289 on this forum is in your area. I met him at ERA. He also had CT Custom paint his car, but had his engine build in the Bay Area. You should contact him - I know he'll be happy to share about his experience, which I believe has been very positive with both painter and engine builder.

lippy,

Welcome to Club Cobra! Your ERA project sounds great and building it with your kids makes it all the better.

To echo many of the comments above, I can also highly recommend Connecticut Custom. I had my ERA FIA painted by CC and they did an outstanding job on the body work and paint. I also opted for the rounding of the inner wheel well lips and the finishing of the underside of the hood and trunk, both done in the body color (indigo blue). Connecticut Custom has a lot of experience with ERA cobras, and they are a top notch outfit.

For the motor, I went with FE Specialties in Sacramento. Tom has built motors for several Cub Cobra members and he did first rate job on an all iron 302 for my FIA. The look, sound and performance of the motor is amazing, very much like a HiPo 289, but with modern internals which is just what I was after. Tom's well known for his FE motors, has an excellent reputation and would be an great person for you to talk with. Sounds like you are close, so a visit to his shop is recommended. Ask him to start up the motor in his '67 Mustang drag car … that will get your attention !

Best of luck with your project … keep us posted!

[decooney]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

DeCooney has a great Cobra painter just north of you-Ken Pike. Do a search here. Tom Lucas at FE Specialties is your engine builder. Value for dollar and no corners cut. Just ask RodKnock who is in this thread.

Chas, actually you got it right on both counts. Ken Pike did my last paint job, and Tom at FE Specialties built my FE short block and heads for my car. Before that I painted my own cars and put together my own motors. It was nice to have these two pros at the help when it came to my ERA. Worth every penny.

Lippy,
if you decide on having your motor and paint done here locally in NorCal, feel free to send me a PM, I work closely with Tom and Ken on various projects. Both aspects were completed in a specific way, and you can do the same depending on what you are looking for for your future ERA. You are welcome to check out my car too if it helps. Be sure to come to Monterey in August if you can, plenty of nice cars will be there to look at while you are waiting on your ERA order. Tell Peter and Bob I said hello.

[*13*]

I wanted the "Ridden Hard/ Put Away Wet" look so I painted mine myself. My advise is pretty simple. If you don't want to paint it yourself, have the ERA recommended shops do it. As with any raw fiberglass body, it will have it's own personality. When I built my car the prices they we giving were quite reasonable. It just makes sense to have someone who knows the body intimately, the mold lines, the fender lips & any other quirky areas of a fiberglass body. It will be worth your hard earned money. The only other option I would consider is to do it yourself. I was very meticulous with my bodywork. It was a learning process, not one I'd want to put in the hands of just anyone who is "trying to make a living".

As far as engine build goes, if you have a good Ford guy, go with him. Some of the recommended engine builders are a little pricey for my taste. You might look at Hawaii Racing in Simi Valley, CA. They generally have a good stock of blocks on the floor &/or can build what you want. They seem fairly reasonable, have a clean shop & appear to do nice work. I bought a lot of stuff from them when I was in CA. The Owner & Engine builder were really good people.

[kevins2]

The other ERA paint shop was formerly Tony's Auto Body and is now Big B's Auto Body. According to Peter, can't tell the difference in quality between them and CT. Customs. Cost is a bit less.

Regards,

Kevin

[Young1]

Are you reallly sure that you want to commit the time and space to build? There are some really nice ERAs for sale on Cobra Country much cheaper than you could build. All bugs worked out and ready to enjoy with the family. Plus no DMV hassles to get it titled.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by decooney

Chas, actually you got it right on both counts.
Lippy,
if you decide on having your motor and paint done here locally in NorCal, feel free to send me a PM, I work closely with Tom and Ken on various projects. Both aspects were completed in a specific way, and you can do the same depending on what you are looking for for your future ERA. You are welcome to check out my car too if it helps. Be sure to come to Monterey in August if you can, plenty of nice cars will be there to look at while you are waiting on your ERA order. Tell Peter and Bob I said hello.

Thanks for jumping in Duane. Not sure the OP is paying attention though...