Q for the home-builders

[J.Jensen]

I have a question for you guys who built the ERA yourself.

Did you buy everything you needed to finish the car at initial time of purchase or wait with steering, suspension, engine/trans etc until you were ready for those parts in the build?

For both storage reasons and spreading the cost out over time (easier to hide the cost of the fancy brakes etc from the wife :P ) I thought this might be a route to go.

I know I´m going to use years to get a kit together - so I don't see the point in having all sorts of parts, that might be a year or two away from install, lying around gathering dust?

Thanks,
Jostein

[mr0077]

I gathered it during the wait for the kit assembly so when the kit arrived I had everything needed to assemble it.

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

I picked up all my stuff shortly after my car was delivered. The only thing not ready was the seats. Having all the parts allowed me to spend any spare time doing assembly, even the little stuff. Afterwards I disassembled the car and sent it away for paint. My suggestion is to have everything possible on hand, or the car may never be completed. You don't need special brakes, just the Wilwood calipers. Good luck, it's a long road that goes by quite quickly.

[Dangerous Doug]

J.Jensen: I built my 289FIA as I bought the components. This allowed me to spread the cost out over several years, and expand or trim the cost as I went. You will spend more money on shipping, though, as each order from ERA will have it's associated shipping cost as opposed to having a roller shipped to you.

In the end, when it came time to add the engine I was tighter on burnable cash so I bought a solid, pumped up 289 from a fellow ClubCobra member, and then ran that for several years until this Spring when I installed the KC 331 stroker I originally planned for the build.

Life can get complicated. About a year after my basic kit purchase my then 5-year old son was diagnosed with Leukemia, and my attention was diverted. The time I could find for working on my ERA was a respite from all the stress.

It was nice for me to spread the cost out, HAVE a Cobra in progress instead of being a wantaCobra guy, and have something to tinker with in the garage when I found or made the time. It was also exciting EVERY TIME I had a new shipment arriving.

Personnally, I couldn't just cut a check for the "works". But, I knew over time I could afford the hobby, and that by being patient and steadfast I would get the Cobra I wanted.

Cheers,
DD

[DanEC]

Unlike a few manufacturers, the ERA kit has a relatively high level of completness, even if you purchase an un-painted semi-roller. The front suspension comes with the kit. Technically you can purchase it without the rear suspension but if space is your concern, there's no reason to do so. Mine was delivered with the rear suspension in place and it stayed there all through body work, painting and assembly. Also, most of the major components come pre-fitted and at least trial assembled in the car when you receive it or pick it up. That is actually gave me a sense of confidence starting out, because I knew everything fit and lined up properly. If and when I had to remove something, I knew it would go back in place without problem.

For mine, the instrument panel became a fixture on a high shelf in my exersize room along with the seats that were stashed under a table. All the chrome was waxed, wrapped in protection paper and put up in the attic, along with the windshield and the aluminum panels that I removed during body work and painting. I have a walk up floored attic which was a big advantage although a basement would be just as good.

My engine builder provided it in a cradle and I set it on a movers dolly platform so I could move it around. Most of the 10 or so various size boxes of parts, carpet, etc, I stacked under my work benches in the garage.

One lessoned learned if you are buying an unpainted roller - peel the protective paper off of the windshield visors upon delivery. After a couple of years that stuff becomes petrified and a real pain to remove.

I did put off buying some of the major options until later like car cover, roadster top, shifter, etc. so that they would not be on the original invoice. I figured I would have to hand that original invoice over to our tax assessors office when tagging it and I figured they didn't need to know about everything.

[J.Jensen]

Thanks guys

[lippy]

I purchased most of the components at one time from ERA, but it took me a long time to make the final decisions. I made several changes between the time I ordered the car and the time ERA began work. I purchased the engine separately from Blykins and it arrived several months after the kit, which worked fine from a timing perspective.

[cscobra]

I had all of my parts available for the build from the start, but it's not absolutely necessary. I had the FE long block (from Carolina Machine Engines), the 4-speed toploader (from GT Performance in Penn Yan, NY), and a crated, used (abused?) Jaguar XJ6 rear end from ERA all in hand even before the kit arrived (two years after I placed the order).

To me, rebuilding the rear end (the one thing people seem to hate to do) was much less of a pain than installing the front lower control arms! The rest of the build was straightforward and uneventful (you might even say it was fun!).

You have much enjoyment ahead of you.

[fintubi]

Speaking of project timing, anyone know if you can make a deposit/get on the list if you haven't even settled on a body style yet?

[DanEC]

Don't know the answer but the problem is that if they get a deposit for a car after you were to put a generic one down, they would have to bump it ahead of you. You probably wouldn't get entered in the que and fabrication time start until you make a decsion. So there would not be any advantage to your doing so.