How pure do you keep the spec?

[LodiWino]

This Friday I will be meeting with those fine folks at ERA to finalize the specifications of #773.

I like some features of the competition car, like the dash with speedo mounted to the right of the driver, but my wife wants a glove box. I want the car to look like a street car rather than a track car, but I like the wide flairs at the rear wheels.

I see a lot of cars that are a combination of features, and some that appear to be pure representations of either road or track.

How "terrible" is it to mix features of both styles to get the look wanted?

I'm not totally a purist, but don't want to discredit the marque either.

Are there any generally accepted guidelines to follow?

[vettestr]

The bottom line ... it is your hard earned cash and your dream car so do what makes you happy !!!! If you were a purist and that was important to you then again do what makes you happy. I may not make sense to others to buy a lot of original date coded parts and mix them with custom speaker box's and amplifiers hanging on the rear bulkhead but whatever works for you.

[CobraMike]

Hello,

You're working with a great company and as all the cars are unique, I would do what you like! Most cars are semi-competition spec. Virtually all are a mix here or there. We see under car pipes, on cars with strips, hood scoops, and roll bars. We see dual round rear lights on competition cars. I personally don't like the push bars on the competition cars, and like the quick jacks. There isn't .001 percent of the population that will know your choices are a mix. Get wide fenders, a glove box and what ever makes you happy! On a 428 street car I like dual carbs, and on the 427 SC the single carb turkey pan looks so right. Get real knock off's if you can, I didn't and regretted it quite a bit.

Again, you've already made the smart choice to pick one of the best companies to do business and ERA goes out of their way to build it your way... enjoy!

Kind Regards,
Mike Randolph

[Excaliber]

As time goes on it not's about what the 'people' think is correct or not correct, it WILL come down to what YOU think is acceptable. Like Mike said about the knockoff wheels, it's the kind of thing that 'eats at YOU' over time. It doesn't feel quite right to YOU. It could be the engine, the dash, glove box or not, tires, wheels, hood scoop, fender flares, almost any little or large detail. So it IS a good question. I wish my ERA had the square instead of round tail lights, that kind of bothers me. I LIKE the glove box with the street dash, but want the Comp dash look and placement of the gauges. So I swapped my tach for my speedo position in the street dash, works for me. As long as you keep the changes/personality of the car essentially correct you won't have a problem, it won't 'eat at you' second guessing yourself later. Do the street look, with the wide fenders, works for me. Do the glove box with a Comp dash layout (good call). Get the square tail lights... ERA is pretty hard to screw up no matter what you do, some other replicas are pretty much a lost cause from day one, no matter what you do! Careful with the motor selection, that one will REALLY eat at you down the road if your not firm about what you need/want.

I like the look of a Turkey pan, but it sure makes it hard to work/adjust the carb! I got two fours, no pan, very cool and easy to tune. Comp cars had only one carb, but I'm happy with twins.

Disclaimer: I especially like the look, feel, soul of a really accurate built to original specs replica, there very rare these days. Get as close as your budget will allow, ERA is a great place to start. DON'T get hung up on the details, do it YOUR way, within REASON and you'll be OK with it.

[CobraMike]

Disclaimer: I especially like the look, feel, soul of a really accurate built to original specs replica, there very rare these days. Get as close as your budget will allow, ERA is a great place to start. DON'T get hung up on the details, do it YOUR way, within REASON and you'll be OK with it.

Since young (12) I'd read books about Cobras and 'started' building mine in my mind. Unless you're into the dingy mag wheels, the original build is not nearly as 'HOT'. Nothing is polished, nary a braided line to be found. If you're going 'original' get some 'ugly' old mag wheels and make the rest fit the bill I agree with Excalaber, that there is something sexy to 'us' crazy cobra fans about a build like this, however it's likely because we NEVER really see them!

Q? Why are your rim's so dirty
A? Ah...they are suppose to look that way.

Not nearly as much fun as ...oooh that's hot !!

Either way, agreed on motor. I had dual carb's never bothered me a bit on my SC, but if your car has more 'SC' selections in it, then get a real 427FE (iron/alum). Resale, value is MUCH better, should you sadly have to make that choice.

Have fun making your decisions! It's a lot of the fun.

Cheers,
Mike

[chuckbrandt]

I did competition dash layout with a glove box, it looks great in my opinion. I also did dual roll bars, under car exhaust, and outboard brake rear.

With a cobra you really have to do what looks right and good to you. It's all very personal.

Chuck

[cobred]

I have the sc dash with the glove box for the wife. No regrets. Comes in handy. Dont worry about the small items that you can change later. Make sure of the important ones now, color, tail lights, dash, side pipes or under car exhaust, leather etc.

[cscobra]

Rectangular tailllights are now standard issue on ERA 427 replicas, and the round taillights are optional.

[Jim Holden]

A reminder: the round tail lights have DOT numbers, the retangular ones do not. ...and the good folks at New Yorks DMV know that.

Jim

[Rickd]

Peter is a pretty good "director" as far as originality goes. He will say "Ok if you want that but it's kind of weird" if it is not "original". I put Vintage 427 style wheels on my 289 FIA and he took a while to reconcile himself to it being acceptable! (couldn't get FIA wheels at the time - Trigo was not answering calls) But I really like the wheels, and Peter said "well, actually, there were some early 289's that ran 427 wheels because you could get wider tires, so it's not that bad". ERA builds a real quality machine!! Rick

[Dangerous Doug]

I put the Vintage Wheels 427 style wheels on my 289 FIA as well. I've always liked them better than the 289 FIA wheels. If I had put the 289 FIA wheels on, like Excaliber (a.k.a. "Slick") says, it would have eaten at me.

I have the FIA "bumps" on my trunk lid, but a chrome roll bar (gasp!). I went with chrome because it looks nice and I plan on painting my car black and wanted the contrast. I'll have steel braided lines under my hood.

Some things you can change: Don't like your dash layout? Buy a new dash configuration and install it. No longer like the steel braided lines? Pull them out and put in the black rubber lines. Don't like the wheels? Sell them and... you get the picture. Aside from paint, body shape and some of the more expensive things like IRS, if you don't like what you did, you can always change it.

[FrankJohnson69]

Do what you think is best for you. Don't let others feelings and judgment taint what you want and how you want to spend your money. ERA is the best place to get what you want and how you want it. I admit I'm a freak for being as true to the original as possible but I've make a few exceptions too.

Welcome to the ERA family.

[ken swart]

One of the cool things about the original Cobra is that probably no 2 are alike.
Shelby's personal car had a chrome roll bar, 2 superchargers, a huge hood scoop, and an automatic. You know what it's worth. The basic shape of the car is a thing of beauty and you already have that right with ERA. Unless you stick 5 bolt wheels and flip-flop paint on it, you practically can't miss.