Getting ready to list ERA 575 427 SC

[frankym]

hello CC friends, I just purchased my first CSX continuation car. I am far from new to the community. This is my 7th Cobra car. I currently have what I believe is one of the finest ERAs out there that I am about to list for sale on BAT. ERA 575 was originally built by James Baldwin in Texas. The car lived in Texas and California for the first 20 years of its life and I've owned since June 2022. I was going to wait til Spring to list on BAT but then I saw this ERA sold last week for $113K.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/er...cobra-replica/

I am getting my 2 rear Trigos powdercoated black and just finished billboarding the tires into good year looks. I've gotten pretty good at doing this with many hours of experience. curious if anyone else saw that Street ERA sale and can tell me what made that car run to 113k? Any feedback would be great. I'll post some pics soon of both cars.

[frankym]

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render...&ts=1684005851

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by frankym

hello CC friends, I just purchased my first CSX continuation car. I am far from new to the community. This is my 7th Cobra car. I currently have what I believe is one of the finest ERAs out there that I am about to list for sale on BAT. ERA 575 was originally built by James Baldwin in Texas. The car lived in Texas and California for the first 20 years of its life and I've owned since June 2022. I was going to wait til Spring to list on BAT but then I saw this ERA sold last week for $113K.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/er...cobra-replica/

I am getting my 2 rear Trigos powdercoated black and just finished billboarding the tires into good year looks. I've gotten pretty good at doing this with many hours of experience. curious if anyone else saw that Street ERA sale and can tell me what made that car run to 113k? Any feedback would be great. I'll post some pics soon of both cars.

The street car on BAT was brand new, beyond clean, and exceptionally detailed and such.


Your car is clean, but not that clean, your car is a "typical" (if there is ever a typical) 427 SC style, two completely buyer pools in my head. While you enjoy the black wheels, and the billboard look, you'll find a buyer pool who does not always share your personal touches and tastes. While your car is beautiful, don't let yourself get caught up in the "Barrett Jackson Syndrome", which is the thought "that car went for xxxxx, my car is almost as nice, or nicer in my eyes, and should easily go for that".


Now, with that said, detail the car to the nines, top, bottom, in out, if it needs anything, anything at all, fix it. Drips, leaks, dated parts (dates on tires over 5 years old, replace them), all fluids, again, you know the drill, but to get BAT top dollar, you'll need not only the car to shine, and all documentation to back up anything you put down to the screen, but you'll also need a thick skin, and a calm demeanor to deal with those questions that seem to be out of this universe........


Finally, you have a great car there, it should do well if the car shows as well as ERA 828 did. Wish you the best of luck.




Bill S.

[cfmistry]

I love both but will agree that your car and that car are about as different as two ERA Cobras can get. Best of luck with the sale, just set a reserve and if it doesn’t reach it wait until Spring. Based on the bidding you should have a real estimate of what your car is worth (springtime may bring a 15% premium at best).

[CSX2345]

Great advice so far.

Be sure the photos are good quality. Use the BaT photo service or hire a professional.

Add videos to the listing as soon as it goes live.

You don't need to drive 10/10ths in the video, but a spirited drive gets the bidders excited. Check out the heavy hitters on BaT, 1600veloce and 911r and copy what they do.

Good luck

[twobjshelbys]

I'd try cobracountry first. It's not prime season for cobras so auctions can be hit or miss. Cobracountry gives you time to gauge market

Download and follow the photo instructions

[Alfa02]

@frankym as Bill S. (Mr. Mustang) said, you better have a 'Thick Skin' on Bat. These commenters there most know nothing about an ERA let alone our Cobras period, they just want to tell everyone their opinions and gain "Likes".
IMPO, it's your best bet for getting the money you want, I've sold 5-cars there and ended up getting my money out of every car.
You can't take enough pictures, and underside pictures are believe or not very important, along with at least one driving video.
My first sale was a (Very Rusty) Alfa GTV, and buddy it was "Baptism by Fire" they (Commenters) tore me & my Alfa apart, so much so a lot got deleted.
My $.03 If you need any help, PM me and I can walk through the listing, Cheers Tom.

[Alfa02]

@frankym as Bill S. (Mr. Mustang) said, you better have a 'Thick Skin' on Bat. These commenters there most know nothing about an ERA let alone our Cobras period, they just want to tell everyone their opinions and gain "Likes".
IMPO, it's your best bet for getting the money you want, I've sold 5-cars there and ended up getting my money out of every car.
You can't take enough pictures, and underside pictures are believe or not very important, along with at least one driving video.
My first sale was a (Very Rusty) Alfa GTV, and buddy it was "Baptism by Fire" they (Commenters) tore me & my Alfa apart, so much so a lot got deleted.
My $.03 If you need any help, PM me and I can walk through the listing, Cheers Tom.

[frankym]

Thanks for all the feedback. It’s pending acceptance by BAT. I would normally wait til Spring but I just bought a CSX 4000 series car at a winter discount and I don’t have the room to store both. The CSX is being stored in a warehouse till I make the spot available in my garage.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by frankym

Thanks for all the feedback. It’s pending acceptance by BAT. I would normally wait til Spring but I just bought a CSX 4000 series car at a winter discount and I don’t have the room to store both. The CSX is being stored in a warehouse till I make the spot available in my garage.

How is the ERA titled, that too may make a difference.


Bill S.

[twobjshelbys]

Tell us more abt you csx car ,(in another topic) curious what gen it is

[frankym]

The new car is csx4147. It has a windsor stroker 427 and a tko 600.

The ERA is titled as a 1965 Ford Cobra

https://youtu.be/aDNu3-kGeTU?feature=shared

Should be on BAT next week.

[Lenni-65]

Hi,
after watching your YouTube video, I think the ERA should need a wheel alignment before you set it to BAT. The steering wheel is not straight when driving straight ahead.

cheers Frank

[frankym]

Good observation, I did have a 4 wheel alignment. The shop wrongly thought that the emblem on the steering wheel was to be aligned, which was silly since the emblem is easily adjusted. I did also see that the design of the steering rack from that vintage was poorly secured and allowed for too much movement between the rubber mounts. I made a reinforcing mount that holds the rack fixed in place. There is 0 play in the steering column now. But I agree that the aesthetics would look better with the steering wheel re-set. https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render...&ts=1734345435

[DanEC]

Well, the BaT crew should certainly like the driving video. They are always complaining about boring driving videos. Good luck with the auction.

I agree with the comment about taking lots of good underside photos. That is often the first thing I go to, to see if a car is worth my time looking over. If it has a clean underside I assume it’s been well maintained and cared for and kept in a dry garage.

[Alfa02]

Yes, there will be comments about the steering wheel being off center. Another issue will be the orange light on dash staying on, they will ask if it has a charging issue.
Nice job showing what the car can do, rowing though the gears is a nice touch, EVERYBODY will LOVE the sound !!!
Again, if you need any help, just PM me, good luck, Cheers Tom.

[frankym]

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/era-cobra-replica/

good commentary and over 1,000 watchers in first 48 hours. There just aren't a lot of ERAs out there for sale that I can find. Winter is typically a bad time to sell, because buyers are limited, but so is the supply.

[DanEC]

It looks good on the auction site and getting lots of interesting commentary. Good luck - hope it sells for big dollars.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by frankym

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/era-cobra-replica/

good commentary and over 1,000 watchers in first 48 hours. There just aren't a lot of ERAs out there for sale that I can find. Winter is typically a bad time to sell, because buyers are limited, but so is the supply.

Sadly, I'm thinking you left a lot off the presentation with the pictures taken. They do not pop, and do not show the car in it's best light.


Your original:



Enhanced:



You tell me which one shows the car as it sits today.


Maybe check with BAT and see if they can do the same. Figure about 30 seconds per picture.





Bill S.

[frankym]

Thanks for the feedback, I asked the auction manager if they can enhance but it’s not something they will do with pictures that weren’t a part of their photography package. I’ve sold 2 other cars on BAT and my experience has been to pivot off of the comments to provide the right level of specificity. For example, someone asked me if the stripes are painted or vinyl. This gave me an opportunity to detail the stripes, eg the stripes are under the clear and fully sanded and polished to leave a glass smooth surface to the touch. Also, the stripes are tapered from 16 inches down to 13 inches. This type of conversation reveals details I never even thought to highlight. People also love videos and while many sellers put a lot of effort into the photos, most leave a lot of the driving experience out of focus. I’m no expert here but when I compare my listing to the csx I just bought, the seller tried selling on BAT and he had almost no interaction with the community. I also bring up the silver ERA from 2020 that sold for $113k, there were 5 other bidders that were bidding up to the last minutes of the auction, and this was the readon I jumped in with mine even though the winter is not usually the best time to sell but there are only like 4 ERAs on BAT per year so my timing might be best in terms of proximity to a top dollar ERA. I know people here were saying apples and oranges but I totally disagree. Both are stroked BB 427s, both silver, both widebodies (ok street vs S/C) and yes one is 20 years newer but I don’t think the 2020 build is any different than a 2000 build except for maybe the steering box and inboard rear brakes. But which is better? Answr, the one that is 60 years old 😂