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Old 03-05-2012, 05:41 PM
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Default Build/order question

Hello,

I'm new to the site and just made the call to ERA to start the process. I just ordered the manual to read over before I submit my order.
I'm building this car with my son and my question is can I order the basic kit with nothing added and have some build time before I need to order other bits and pieces?
This is sort of a grade reward for him and I want to just get it started but not order all at once...but I'm afraid I will need other items beyond the basic kit rather quickly after we start.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
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Old 03-05-2012, 06:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jcooper View Post
Hello,

I'm new to the site and just made the call to ERA to start the process. I just ordered the manual to read over before I submit my order.
I'm building this car with my son and my question is can I order the basic kit with nothing added and have some build time before I need to order other bits and pieces?
This is sort of a grade reward for him and I want to just get it started but not order all at once...but I'm afraid I will need other items beyond the basic kit rather quickly after we start.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Yes and no. ERA builds a fairly complete kit - it's not as basic as most. Some items are options that if you want them, you should order up front - such as leather over vinyl seats. Other items could be delayed until later, especially if you're planning to do the body work and paint yourself. I received my car 2 years ago and just finished the paint and "finally" can start on assembly. I did have ERA powdercoat the frame and I'm glad I did as it probably would have added another month or more to where I am right now. One disadvantage of ordering later is that ERA typically will pre-fit the accessories and options when ordered with the car. I did put off ordering a number of items until later - top, side curtains, car cover, floor mats, etc. One big item is the rear suspension. I ordered it with my car but to tell the truth it's just been hanging under there for the last two years. Again, there is a drawback to ordering it later - it came mounted in the car and it looks like it is probably a job to install in the frame yourself. Another drawback is you will pay more for individual shipping costs on parts. Good luck
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Old 03-05-2012, 07:02 PM
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You can start with the mounting of the fuse blocks and other small engine compartment components and then do the wiring. Can also assemble the front suspension - all part of the kit that will keep you busy for a while before ordering parts outside of the kit.

Best to read through the manual and spend some time on the ERA website deciding on the options you want. If you just put your deposit down, you'll have plenty of time to research that. Then, when the time comes to discuss what options you want, Peter can guide you as to what you can easily defer vs. what you should order with the kit.

Regards,

Kevin
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Old 03-05-2012, 07:59 PM
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jcooper,

First and foremost, welcome to Club Cobra ... you came to the right place!

I agree with what was said above, go through the manual and all of the options on the ERA web site. There are numerous build threads as well to read through here on CC. This should give you a good idea of where to start your project and figuring out what you and your son want to tackle, and what you want to have ERA provide / assemble.

I would recommend having the frame powder coated, the body bonded to the frame and having Connecticut Custom (an excellent ERA vendor) do the bodywork and paint. That should give you a good starting point, with lots assembly left as a great father / son project.

I don't know what the current lead time at ERA is at the moment, but you will have plenty of time to figure things out. Peter and the guys at ERA are great to work with and in the end you will have a beautiful Cobra.

Are you thinking a 427 Cobra or a 289 Cobra ... can't go wrong with either one ...

Keep us posted!

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Old 03-05-2012, 08:13 PM
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One big item is the rear suspension. I ordered it with my car but to tell the truth it's just been hanging under there for the last two years. Again, there is a drawback to ordering it later - it came mounted in the car and it looks like it is probably a job to install in the frame yourself.
Dan is right about everything except this-if it's a Jag. You can have ERA install the Jag into the cradle as a unit or do it yourself. If you do it, it's straight assembly of the ham and arms paying attention to shimming at the top. Then two bolts in bushings at the top and the forward pivots of the trailing arms and it's in. Slide under the car with your floor jack and jack up into place. Mine was out twice easily and here it is after complete disassembly for powder coating and reassembly. Came out again later for ventilated rotors and pin drive hubs. If I could do it alone so can you.
Never did the ERA rear assembly so can't say but a friend did and I don't remember him having any major issues getting it in place.
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Old 03-05-2012, 09:32 PM
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Others might want to comment that built their ERA. A friend that built his ERA had them bond the body to the frame......2nd build, did not have ERA perform the task the first time...wish he had.

Mentioned earlier, Walt @ Conn Custom Car in Enfield CT does excellent work and is experienced with the ERA body.

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Old 03-05-2012, 10:53 PM
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Thanks for the input so far......this helps start the process.
I am leaning toward having them bond the body.
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Old 03-05-2012, 11:01 PM
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I ordered the basic kit from ERA, and built my 289 FIA over about 4 years---the rate of build was gated by my ability to burn cash without setting of the Spousal Financial Alert System.

I bought the basic kit, but had the frame powder coated and bonded onto the frame. Pretty much everything else I did myself except for the body work, which I had done by Ken's up in Yuba City (Home).

I really enjoyed working on it. About a year into it my son was diagnosed with Leukemia, and working on my Cobra was my escape from a very stressful period of my life. (He's fine now.) Every six months I would sell some stock options to fund the next phase, and I broke it all out in a build spreadsheet, what I would purchase and when. ERA was great, answering questions and getting my through the process.

If you have the time, and this sounds like a father-son project, I'd say, "Build it!" I would advise getting it painted first, though. I got mine in raw fiberglass, and drove it that way for a couple of months. When I got ready for paint I had to partially disassemble it, which was no big deal. However, I think painting it first makes more sense.

PM or email me if you want to know more.
DD
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Old 03-06-2012, 04:26 AM
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Default Welcome to the party

jcooper J. first off, welcome to craziness. Looking forward to meeting your new mistress. Have to remember that what ever the car cost, the other half with want same worth applied to her. New kitchen, Dining room set, Car, Vacation or cruise, and the list goes on.
Now after doing fact finding for 2 years before building my cobra there are a few thing I will ask you before to start this quest.
1 Read the manual a couple of times and ask question here or talk to Bob, Doug, or Pete about anything that brings a question to you
2 How mechanic ability do you have? Also tools in your garage? Lift jack, jack stands, air tools, and ROOM? It's very hard in a 1 car garage.
3 Unless you do body work for a living on fiberglass leave the body work and painting to the PROS. I have seen people try and to this part of the build and it takes years to get a masters eye for perfect seams and body work. If you turn your body into a wave looking down the side of the car, it will take twice as long and cost more to have the mess fixed.
4 Please let ERA paint the frame, bond the body to the frame and paint the car while in Ct. Even having this done you are still looking at about 60-100 hours more of assembly. Shop hard, you will not fine a better place for the body work that needs to be done on the car. You still have a problem,,, What color or colors is it going to be??
5 Make a big build list and follow it. There is no time date it is needed in. It the build that will be fun and a knuckle bang or 2 to remember. The Father and son project is a great idea. Shop hard for parts, start collecting now. What motor are you looking to have in the car. This is a big money issue. To keep cost down buy a 390 FE motor and stroker kit to a 446. Have a street motor with alot of low end power. Take people WHO KNOW what they are looking at and how to check out things.
6 Now for the last issue, Here on CC we all love cobras. No other car has done what a cobra has in the 50 years since it came from Shelby. It's fast, nasty, brutal, loud, and very unforgiven. Depending on the power level in the car, a killer. This car has no traction control other than your right foot, manual steering, manual brakes that with the 12" setup will put you through the wind shield but not ABS unless you build a system. A ride that is very firm even with great seats that ERA sells. Going to a couple of driver schools is needed before tking this car out on the street. We lose 1-2 owners every year from accidents. I would like to see you have a great easy build and many years of fun with the car. Going to shows with the car is great. You may also want to look into a car trailer and tow truck too. There is nothing wrong with protecting your investment. Good luck on the build. Kit car show is coming up in Carlisle in couple of months. Walking around the show will give you come great ideas, possible color combos, and meet alot of nice people. A bigger show is in Ohio with 3-400 cobras. Rick L.
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Old 03-06-2012, 05:55 AM
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Sounds like a wonderful plan..building a cobra with your son. The positive value of this idea is an excellent way to teach him mechanical skills, provide knowledge regarding automotives and inspire both of you to build a great car. Perhaps you can set up a time line with build points and school grade points, something that will give him an obtainable goal.
You may even allow him to drive the darn thing when it's done and will it to him for the future.

I told my son (now 33 years old), he gets my cobra when I croke, so he now keeps telling me to drive it slowly, take good care of it and don't ever sell it.

Anyway, take Rick L.'s suggestion as a good approach an have fun with your build and son.
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Old 03-06-2012, 08:39 AM
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ERA Chas - did you pull the gas tank to remove the rear? It can't go straight back because of the gas tank. And it can't go straight down because the yoke is over the frame cross member. That only left rotating it up into position from underneath as it goes in - something that can't be easy with a 400 lb assembly. Or, the gas tank has to come out - not a huge deal other than about a dozen bolts.

Dan

Quote:
Originally Posted by ERA Chas View Post
Dan is right about everything except this-if it's a Jag. You can have ERA install the Jag into the cradle as a unit or do it yourself. If you do it, it's straight assembly of the ham and arms paying attention to shimming at the top. Then two bolts in bushings at the top and the forward pivots of the trailing arms and it's in. Slide under the car with your floor jack and jack up into place. Mine was out twice easily and here it is after complete disassembly for powder coating and reassembly. Came out again later for ventilated rotors and pin drive hubs. If I could do it alone so can you.
Never did the ERA rear assembly so can't say but a friend did and I don't remember him having any major issues getting it in place.
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Old 03-06-2012, 09:44 AM
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ERA Chas - did you pull the gas tank to remove the rear? It can't go straight back because of the gas tank. And it can't go straight down because the yoke is over the frame cross member. That only left rotating it up into position from underneath as it goes in - something that can't be easy with a 400 lb assembly. Or, the gas tank has to come out - not a huge deal other than about a dozen bolts.

Dan
Yes Dan, it's cake (as these things go).
Jack stands on the rear crossmember. I cut a 1" thick board to the width and depth of the diff side brackets to support it on the jack.With jack in place under the diff for slight support: Gas tank out. Undo flange bolts, cage upper bolts and trailing arm front links. Lay the tips of the arms on the ground-they will drag straight back when removing.
Jack slightly for the flange to clear the crossmember. The cage-to-chassis is just enough clearance to do this. Pull the jack slowly aft and let it sink SLOWLY as you go.
Support the removed assembly on jack stands as above pic.
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Old 03-06-2012, 06:30 PM
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jcooper:

I can second much of what has already been written on this topic, but still I'd like to add a little to it.

First, do go through the manual several times. It's well written and generally put together in the same order as a full build. Try to think through how you and your son will be able to handle each step. Peter, Bob, and Doug at ERA can answer many questions for you in quick phone calls and believe me they're willing to help!

If you're anywhere close to New Britain, it's well worth a trip to see the shop, meet the team, and get first-hand ideas about how things go together. I did that and it was well worth the time.

One place I can offer a different suggestion concerns bonding of the body. I did this myself, for two main reasons. First, there were some things I wanted to do to my car that could best be done before bonding, and second, I just wanted to do as much of the build as I thought I possibly could. Bonding and mounting the body turned out to be much less difficult than I imagined; I think that came mainly from the fact that my car was from the new molds (done in about 2008). Everything fit together perfectly and went very much like the manual describes. You just need to have 4-5 people help with the actual placement of the body - which takes about 15 minutes - everything else can be done by you and your son.

In the end, it's all about what you feel comfortable doing yourself and your mechanical abilities. Either way, the whole build experience is a great one and would be especially enjoyable with your son there!

Again, good luck and enjoy the experience! And be sure, there are plenty of us on ClubCobra ready to help you through the whole thing!

Hal
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Old 03-06-2012, 06:54 PM
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My BAD! In post #12 above, I forgot to mention disconnecting the brake hose from the junction block on the cage and the e-brake linkage clevis!
Getting senile lately...
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Old 03-06-2012, 07:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevins2 View Post
You can start with the mounting of the fuse blocks and other small engine compartment components and then do the wiring. Can also assemble the front suspension - all part of the kit that will keep you busy for a while before ordering parts outside of the kit.

Best to read through the manual and spend some time on the ERA website deciding on the options you want. If you just put your deposit down, you'll have plenty of time to research that. Then, when the time comes to discuss what options you want, Peter can guide you as to what you can easily defer vs. what you should order with the kit.

Regards,

Kevin
Actually, you'll find that the ERA wiring harness is quite complete and sophisticated, and is more like a factory harness than is the case with most other brands. For example, the fuseboxes are already wired in, so you just run the harness where it belongs and bolt things in as you go (like the fuseboxes and the relay holders, also already attached).

And, it's no problem stripping the car completely to the frame--this allows you both to easily ream out rivet holes and to completely paint the underside of the body (I used a 500 degree satin black engine spray paint). You then mount and seal the body to the frame (along with 34 rivets and a few screws) and take just that much to the paintshop. You'll then have clean aluminum panels to mount later on (no overspray). Spend just a little extra ($150. at the time I bought mine) to have ERA drill all of the rivet holes for you (they didn't miss many, and it simplified my life!).

The only other parts I left on before paint were the fuel line and the brake line from the master cylinder area to the rear connector. I've also delayed mounting the front suspension until the car is complete and ready for engine and driveline--you'll have an easier time working through the removable access panels in the front fender wells (great access to both footbox areas) without the suspension in the way.

Also, Dan is correct--buy any options and accessories you want and ERA mounts them for you. (I do wish I had paid a little extra to have ERA mount the top and the tonneau cover--mounting these is not included in the price of those options).

Putting the body back on was a no-brainer--the kit is so well engineered and pre-assembled that the body essentially found its own way to the proper position. All holes lined up perfectly, although I still measured everything (unnecessary, as it turned out).

It all depends on how much you want to do--I wanted to do it all.

Good luck, and congratulations on buying an ERA.
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Old 03-07-2012, 06:23 AM
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Based on ERAChas' comments about mounting the rear suspension - ordering that separately later (or even building up your own from a Jag core) is an option to defer some significant costs. However, you will pay later for crating and shipping. I've heard 400 lbs and 500 lbs for the Jag rear suspension. I think the ERA suspension is about 50 lbs lighter.
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Old 03-12-2012, 06:48 AM
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Thanks for all your input!
This helps a lot......
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