Great new ERA road test video

[fdjake]

I found this on Youtube today...I know the guy's here can spot an ERA a mile away, but if you watch all the way to the end he mentions the car is an ERA.

The reviewer LOVED the ERA after a day behind the wheel!

Enjoy!!!!

Episode 8: 1966 Cobra Dream Machine - BIG MUSCLE - YouTube

[Fullchat289]

Cool vid and definitely not as cheesy as some youtube care reviews I've seen...you can tell the guy is an enthusiast. Thanks for posting!

- Allen.

[tkb289]

Entertaining video that's nicely put together. The car sounds great and looks good even in raw fiberglass. Two comments from the video that caught my attention.

The first was the commentator thought the standard issue seat belts were not up to the task if put to the test. The second comment was cracks in the fiberglass, would be interesting to see some photos as ERAs are known for solid bodies. Since it's an unpainted car with no body work done, wonder if they could actually be imperfections left over from the molding process?

I like the often said comment at the end of the video, about driving your car and not saving it for the next guy. Thanks for sharing!

[JBCOBRA]

Excellent!
Now how in the heck can I sneak out of the office today?

[fdjake]

I think the seat belt comment was more commentary on survivability in ANY car of that size with that much power.

As to the CRACKS in the fiberglass....

If you pause the video the cracks look like seam lines from the molds.

The owners of that car obviously like it looking a little ratty which I think is cool.
My ERA has 5000 miles on it without a single HINT of a crack. I've read about guys with 50,000 miles and ERA's with no issues, so who knows?

Now for a new IDEA!!!!

Ready???

Do we have any guitar players here???

Fender makes a $4000 "Relic" version of their brand new guitars...They AGE them. Placing a convincing patina on the guitar right out of the factory. Worn paint, dings, scratches, wear marks on the finger boards. They sell like crazy!!

How about a "RELIC'd" ERA Cobra?? Could be VERY COOL!!

Fender uses $75,000 original vintage Strats and Tele's as a template....They copy every scratch. Gibson does the same thing...They copied Gary Rossingtons (Skynyrd) Les Paul down to the cigarette burn on the front and the wood screws used to repair a headstock break in the 1970's.

I've always seen CROWDS gathered around original Cobras with that PATINA....The car could be parked next to the most drop dead gorgeous restoration you've ever seen, but the CROWD is 5 deep around the battle scarred original!!

Something to think about.....They are called R E P L I C A S for a reason!

[fjrgary]

video is a complement to the quality of an era. thanks for posting!

[66427stow]

This video is great......have run that rout from SF to SC and the PCH a few times as an east coaster and it is pretty epic out there. I like this guys attitude.....get it done.....and use your machine! Great vid with good humor too.

@ fdjake, that is a REALLY cool idea need to think about building an ERA FIA.....To complement #760......a ratty vintage look would be neat.

[lamaluv]

Originally Posted by fdjake

Ready???

DoHow about a "RELIC'd" ERA Cobra?? Could be VERY COOL!!

!

The easiest way to do that would be to find an ERA like EXP002 and has all the patina that goes with 32 years of driving.

[fdjake]

Lynn Park owns an original, Ivory colored 289 Cobra that he refuses to restore. The wire wheels are covered in surface rust, the paint has a botchy patina all over it. He says it KILLS at every show he takes it to...This guy has Cobras like most people have socks...Show stopping restorations.

His favorite???

Dirt bag!!! (I think that's his nic name for the car)

Google Image "Lynn Park Dirt Bag Cobra" and look at this beauty.

Someone could use ERA's new 289 slabside and make a twin to Dirt Bag.
I'm tellin' ya.....It would absolutely blow peoples minds.

I bet you one thing....

NO ONE would ask if it was REAL!!!!!

[Zaphod B]

You know, I've been thinking the same thing for my upcoming build (likely a Lone Star Classic) - make the car not exactly a rat Cobra, but something that looks like it's been driven daily, tracked occasionally, rained on and had the birds crap on, and not given a bunch of TLC for 30 years.

I keep going back and forth between that and "immaculate."

[crASH]

I saw an older 289 FIA replica at recent Cobra get togther. It was old enough, and had enough of a patina that I was convinced I was looking at a 49 year old car, till I saw the Halibrand style wheels with five lugs. For me that was the only give away at that moment. Boy was I jazzed.

"Rat Cobra". What a great idea. WE don't need no stinkin' paint!

[crASH]

Here's a question for those of you who built yours with glas bodies that were originally in gel coat. If you block sand the seams, can you buff them out and still have a gel coat finish where the seams were, or is the gel coat too thin to have anything left after removing the seams?

[Dangerous Doug]

Awesome!

Dd

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by crASH

Here's a question for those of you who built yours with glas bodies that were originally in gel coat. If you block sand the seams, can you buff them out and still have a gel coat finish where the seams were, or is the gel coat too thin to have anything left after removing the seams?

Yeah you can do that to some extent. However, a lot of builders have dressed their molds up so that the body is a little low around the seams to allow room for a thin coat of filler to even them out. Also, the gel coat takes a bit of a beating in normal handling and trial assembly. A couple manufacturers even advertise a gel coat finish suitable for blocking and polishing. B&B use to do so I know. I saw someone else the other day advertising it. The gel coat is going to be thick enough in most cases to do a little sanding and polishing. But as soon as I've said that someone will pop up with a car that had very thin gelcoat.

I saw this video the other day and had to admit that is a great way to enjoy a car. I've got so much time and effort in preparing and painting mine that the first scratch or paint chip is going to kill me.

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by crASH

I saw an older 289 FIA replica at recent Cobra get togther. It was old enough, and had enough of a patina that I was convinced I was looking at a 49 year old car,
till I saw the Halibrand style wheels with five lugs. For me that was the only give away at that moment. Boy was I jazzed.

"Rat Cobra". What a great idea. WE don't need no stinkin' paint!

I saw a brushed Kirkham recently that had a nice patina going. It didn't like any cosmetic maintenance had ever been done. It definitely caught my eye, since the owner was running an old style black and yellow California plate with 6 numbers (a registration no no in CA ).

Great video. Right in my back yard.

[Dangerous Doug]

I drove my 289 FIA for a whole year in gel coat. It looked ratty and there were a few people that thought it was a restoration project. Didn't worry about rocks or dings, and I even took my 110 lbs. German Shepherd for the ride of his life (if you don't get this, read "The Art of Racing in the Rain".)

I've got an awesome black paint job now, but my objective has always been to enjoy driving it. So, I live with my son's greasy hand prints on his door, and I hear rocks kicking up and more than likely putting at the very least some microscopic chips in the paint. I don't want chips and patina, but that's life and if I allow myself to worry about it, it will ruin the driving experience for me and that was the whole point behind this over-a-decade-long obsession anyway.

I pulled into a local meet in Santa Cruz on 41st and overheard a guy pointing out Cameron's hand prints and such. His buddy replied, "Well, at least he's driving it!"

That's what it's all about---for me, anyway.
DD

[decooney]

CH1 Baby! Cobras on Highway 1. Nothing better.

[Thor maine]

Yeah "It's not a real Cobra, just drive and enjoy the damm thing.

[*13*]

Originally Posted by fdjake

Now for a new IDEA!!!!

Ready???

Do we have any guitar players here???

Fender makes a $4000 "Relic" version of their brand new guitars...They AGE them. Placing a convincing patina on the guitar right out of the factory. Worn paint, dings, scratches, wear marks on the finger boards. They sell like crazy!!

How about a "RELIC'd" ERA Cobra?? Could be VERY COOL!!

Fender uses $75,000 original vintage Strats and Tele's as a template....They copy every scratch. Gibson does the same thing...They copied Gary Rossingtons (Skynyrd) Les Paul down to the cigarette burn on the front and the wood screws used to repair a headstock break in the 1970's.

I've always seen CROWDS gathered around original Cobras with that PATINA....The car could be parked next to the most drop dead gorgeous restoration you've ever seen, but the CROWD is 5 deep around the battle scarred original!!

Something to think about.....They are called R E P L I C A S for a reason!

This is what i did to my ERA. The old car dudes don't get it. I get 3 comments. The first two are by far the most common #1 When are you going to paint it #2 the paint looks terrible #3 Wow

[*13*]

2100 lbs? Please put it on the scale