ERA upgrade parts.

[Detroit Bill]

I did notice that there are lots of upgrade parts available for Superformance.
Everything from suspension, brakes, exhaust.... Are there similar ERA parts?

I looked have not found any.

Thanks
Bill

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Detroit Bill

I did notice that there are lots of upgrade parts available for Superformance.
Everything from suspension, brakes, exhaust.... Are there similar ERA parts?

I looked have not found any.

Thanks
Bill

You can upgrade the wheels, rear suspension, brakes, add some additional anti-sway bars, gauges, seats, additional venting, larger fans, different belts, leather versus vinyl, competition trunk panels, I think the "aluminum dress up kit" is now standard, and that's just off the top of my head. Bill, there are no rules with ERA, if you get your checkbook out, and click your heels three times, you can get pretty much whatever you want, or whatever you can think of. I had them fabricate special stuff for me too.

[DanEC]

At least in my experience with ERA, most "upgrades" are something that you just need to take up on a person-to-person basis with ERA. There are certain listed, upgraded brake packages, relocated battery, roll bar, exhaust, tail light, hood scoop type, leather, wool carpets, coil/overs, top, sidecurtains, etc - type options/upgrades. But there are many, many things they do on an individual custom basis. I think they have done a few original spare tire tray conversions on 427 cars but it isn't something they advertise that I know of. Peter used to have a store of glove box 2-prong knobs for 427 street cars he will part with for a price if asked. They fit a street roadster surface mount gas cap for my car and fabricated a storage pocket across the back behind my seats, similar to street cars.

If you have an idea on what you want, talk to them and they probably can do it for you.

[lippy]

What Patrick said. I sent them seat heating elements and they upholstered them into their seats and added a circuit on the wiring harness. I also sent them sidepipe mufflers from Chambered Classics, and they welded their collectors, ends, and hangers on. I chose my own Wilton wool and they used it to make the carpets. They will do anything you can think of for a cost.

[patrickt]

This page lists a lot of them: http://www.erareplicas.com/427/427options.pdf but mostly, you need to go visit them. If you've seen anything, anywhere, that you like, bring a picture of it along with you. What I did was just tell them what I wanted, showed them pictures of stuff that had been made for a CSX owner that I wanted, and then specifically did not tell them how to do the fabbing or how to build it. I then just got out of their way.

[kevins2]

I also sent them seat heater pads to sew into the seats. I did my own wiring for those but, without even asking, ERA drilled holes and put grommets in the aluminum panels that go inside under the door so I could easily route my wiring. They also made a two piece battery cable the perfect length for me to install my own battery cut-off switch behind the passenger seat (I have the optional trunk-mounted battery). Also, when my car was in progress they were finishing up another car that was the first, and maybe only, car with air conditioning and electric power steering.

So, they really are great to work with. Just tell them what you want and they'll do their best to accommodate you. Peter may try to talk you out of something or suggest alternatives but, given their experience, that is something you should appreciate.

[Detroit Bill]

It is nice to hear that they are that flexible. I was thinking of upgrades after the fact like Bilsteins, bigger sway bars and things like that.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Detroit Bill

It is nice to hear that they are that flexible. I was thinking of upgrades after the fact like Bilsteins, bigger sway bars and things like that.

They have their SPAX customized to their specs, but you can opt for KONIs if you wish. I have the SPAX and they're double adjustable. The sway bar tweaks are ten minute jobs -- just a few bolts. The rear sway is adjustable though.

[Detroit Bill]

Originally Posted by patrickt

They have their SPAX customized to their specs, but you can opt for KONIs if you wish. I have the SPAX and they're double adjustable. The sway bar tweaks are ten minute jobs -- just a few bolts. The rear sway is adjustable though.

Please define double adjustable? Ride height and?

[kevins2]

Ride height and stiffness. There are 28 "clicks" of adjustment ranging from soft to hard.

[patrickt]

I use the Spax G135 PAS 200. But you can also opt for the Koni 8212-1126SPA with the double external damping adjustment. I do not know the advantages of one over the other, I simply went with Peter's recommendation.

[Detroit Bill]

Originally Posted by lippy

What Patrick said. I sent them seat heating elements and they upholstered them into their seats and added a circuit on the wiring harness. I also sent them sidepipe mufflers from Chambered Classics, and they welded their collectors, ends, and hangers on. I chose my own Wilton wool and they used it to make the carpets. They will do anything you can think of for a cost.

What did you go with from chambered classics? They are local to me.

[RICK LAKE]

Detroit Bill Bill welcome to the party. For shocks startup with what ERA has setup the car with from the factory. There is a whole list of things we need to know before changing the car around. These changes will effect the handling and ride of the car. Shocks, The spaxs have adjustment, for dampening ride over rough bumps. Konis have both dampening and rebound to control both ways the wheel responds to the road.
Before we go crazy with changing the suspension of the car, we need to get some basics out of the way like weight balance of all 4 wheels to match and get a 49/51 ratio of the car front to back and side to side with your weight in the drivers seat. Wheel alignment next. This can vary from razor sharp handling to Queen Mary handling. Does your car have power steering? If not hope you hit the gym for work outs. Also recommend a couple day driving school with the car after you get it. I don't know the power level but this car is nothing like you have drivin before. What tires are we looking at?? What size? 15" are great for the roads and 17" are great for the roads and track. You are just learning about cobras, GREAT. Understand this, this car is just the coolest, but will bite you faster than you can blink. RESPECT IT. I wish you alot of luck. Rick L.

[lippy]

Originally Posted by Detroit Bill

What did you go with from chambered classics? They are local to me.

Less restriction for a given amount of sound attenuation vs the stock ones. And they sound good.

[kevins2]

Originally Posted by RICK LAKE

Does your car have power steering? If not hope you hit the gym for work outs.

When I was choosing the specs for my car I agonized over the power steering question since I had never driven a Cobra with manual steering, so thought I'd add my 2 cents to this particular topic. If you plan to autocross your car, for example, I would say power steering is very important. If you're designing a street-driven only car, you really don't need it. In fact, I think the feel of the road you get with manual steering is a plus. I've driven my car for many hours at a time on winding, twisting back roads and can tell you it isn't the lack of power steering that eventually wears you down. Yes, steering is heavy in a parking lot, but still not terrible and only momentary anyway. Like most other options, you will want to choose based on how the car will be used.

Kevin

[DanEC]

My car has 70 series front tires so that does probably lighten the steering slightly - but overall it's so light even at a standstill that I just can't see power steering. It's far less effort than my 66 Corvette with manual steering.

Specific purpose like track work or gymkhanan sports such as you are thinking, may be a different matter.

[RICK LAKE]

Kevin2 Alot has to do with alignment and tires. I started with BFG 15" wheels and the steering was ok. Good for the street which I did little and slow on auto cross. Tires where poor all the way around. Poor grip, wear hard, and slip and slide on tracks. Great for smoking burn outs. I went to GT qualifers of Dunlop and the car handled alot better. Changed the caster for the alignment and the car was quicker to respond and feed back was better. After 20 minutes of track time, had no arms left. Called ERA and they installed and setup, an Appleton /sweet rack. The car handles like a slot car with excellent feedback and quicker than me responce. Upped the caster and camber numbers. Car got better. Went to 17" Pilot tires from Mich and the car pulls almost a "g" in turns, .89 with g meter. Had to upper the springs rates 30% in the front and change the compression in the rear end of the shocks. Car keeps improving. Spax shocks are limited with adjustments. Went to QA1 double adjustment shocks. Mich tires are 200 wear and getting harder. over 260 with gauge for testing hardness. Got a set of Nitto 05 with a 200 wear, heated them up and pulled a .98g. Drivers door popped open on the test. I can drive the car hard for 20 minutes and till have some arms left. I think if you check, you will see there are alot of guys running power steering. It's not just autocross and road racing. It's normal street cars.
Does a cobra need powersteering, maybe not but until you have drivin one with you don't know what you are missing. ERA builds a great car, I just wanted it a little better and got it. Rick L.

[Detroit Bill]

Rick I am interested in your experiences with Tires. I am definitely thinking I want 17" rims so I can get modern tires. It is hard to follow your post, it sounds like you are on the track and or auto cross the car a lot.

How did you find the Pilot sports and Nitto's on the street? How long do they last?

[RICK LAKE]

Detroit Bill Bill you will have to check and make sure your cobra has the clearance. My old car is serial# 428 and had to get some rear body work to clear the 335, 35 r 17" Pilot tires where great for a couple of years. Car handled like on rails. Had to up the springs to a higher # 450 and changed the shocks to QA1's. Once this was done, no rubbing on the body of the car. I used these tires for 7 years, kept them covered in the dark and used VHT to keep soft. After so many heat cycles of the tires, they get hard and loss some of the grip. I do 95% track running and 5% street. My area has potholes that tanks disappear into and not return. Also have high sewer covers. Good thing is they don't pickup alot of crap off the road. For street would get again if you can still get this size.
Nitto 05. great tire once it is warned up. Only down side is picking up every piece of carp on the track or road. Have a 200 wear and is still soft after 6 autocross and 2 track cruises. They come in a 315 size. They are street legal but wouldn't want to get caught in the rain or wet roads.
Side note for either tire, to pervent flat spots I keep the car off the ground. Have jack stands under the "A" arms front and rear. This saves driving on square tires until they warn up and have to rebalance them after racing. Make sure you have full lock to lock with steering and not rub the body of the car front or rear areas. I have about 1.5" of travel up and down and 2.0" in the rearend. Softer setting in rearend of car to get better traction. Also have sway bars front and back from ERA with solid bushing of hard plastic donuts from PST suspension. Have hard plastic on all bushing in the suspension arms. I did modify them with adding grease holes in the arms and grooves in the bushing to lube. Running the same bushing for 15+ years and suspension is still tight. Good luck with your car. Rick L.