Questions on buiding a 427 Street Cobra replica

[DanEC]

This looks like the place to find some biased advice. I've been wanting to build a 427 Street Car replica for many, many years and it looks like this may finally be the year. I had been sold on a Hurricane street model kit about a year ago and was planning to order it this year - until they decided to sell and the crooks bought it out and put them in the trash. Since then I've primarily focused on three manufacturers, but not having seen many (if any in some cases) of their completed cars here in Little Rock, I'm unclear on some of their details and quality. Of course price is always an issue but it's difficult to look at overall cost because some offer a street car kit to begin with and one doesn't and it would have to be modified. Here are some of the impressions I've developed of the three options I've been looking at. I would appreciate any comments reinforcing them or correcting them.

1. FFR
Pro - lower entry price on kit with IRS. Excellent forum support. Lot of assembly work (which I want to do myself). Ford IRS rear suspension pieces. They offer sales or discounts on pricing.

Con - appears difficult to add undercar exhaust with IRS. No street car model available - have to find hood, glove box, etc. Not sure rocker panels extend down far enough. Perky butt and trunk lid have to somehow go. Have to roll cockpit edges. Have to add foot well vents. Rougher body (unless greatly improved recently). Checkered reputation mostly due to earlier donar car kits. Work and additional parts to build a street car will run the price of the build up.

2. Unique
Pro - They offer a street car body kit. Appraently they have a very accurate, nice quality body. They have an undercar exhaust system. IRS is the only way they build them. Long established company with loyal customer base. They offer sales or discounts on pricing. Very good reputation.

Con - Higher price. Unsure about how acccurate to original their dash and interior is. I've only seen a few pictures of their interiors and it looks like the steering column is a little high. Dash area looks to have rolled type edge but door tops appear to have an extended fiberglass return in few pictures I've found. I read in a magazine that you sit a little high in them and I'm 6-2 with a long torso. They advertise 3-3/8 tach and speedo gages which are small - just not sure the details of their dash are all that original appearing. Front suspension uses a cradel instead of X-braced framing and tthe main frame rails are 2x4 - depending on the engineering I don't know if this is of any significance. Frame and body are completely separate. Framework for windshield, dash and doors is all within the body. Have to add footwell vents.

ERA
Pro - They offer a street car version with undercar exhaust, original appearing dash, body, etc. Built around IRS from the start. Plus they have a standard vent system. Comparably equipped to a Unique kit (limited slip, glove box dash, heater, etc) they appear to have a very slight price advantage - but it's hard to be sure. (They offer a lot of expensive aluminum panel options that I'm unsure as to how necessary they are) Frame directly supprorts dash, windshield, and doors. Body bonded to frame which I'm sure makes for a more solid feeling car. They use 3/4 inch frame rails and a X-braced front suspension mount. Very good reputation. Known for visual authenticity.

Con - The body is bonded to the frame. I was planning to drive the car in gel coat or primer for awhile to sort it out and then pull the body later and paint it. Furthest away and probably the highest shipping cost. I haven't heard of there having any sales or discounts - so they may be the most expensive kit of the three.

Thanks

DanC