SORRY, BUT WE ARE NO LONGER TAKING NEW ORDERS FOR THE ERA GT.

A classic race car - carefully adapted to the street

THE LEGEND IS REBORN

The ERA GT has been designed to standards far beyond what is expected of a "kit car":  The body, chassis, suspension, and interior duplicate the original car closer than any other car selling for less than $250,000! GT40

But race-car-quality was not enough !  Our body is much straighter than the original, with all-weather sealing - and our chassis is designed for the street as much as the track.  Even air conditioning is available.

THE ERA GT KIT

AN UNASSEMBLED PRODUCTION CAR

$54,900

ERA REPLICA AUTOMOBILES has long been known for the highest quality in design, engineering, and craftmenship.  In  replica circles, the ERA 427SC (and now 289FIA ) have become the standard by which others are judged.  In fourteen of the last fifteen years, customer built ERAs have been voted the "BEST COBRA REPLICA" at the annual Shelby American meet! 

Like the ERA 427SC, the ERA GT kit was designed to be put together like a production car. No fabrication is necessary, so your garage simply becomes the final assembly line. Carefully chosen components are thoroughly integrated into the overall design. All the holes, caged nuts, receptacles, brackets, adapters, etc. that are necessary to mount these components were designed into our kit from the beginning. 

Except for the drive-train, wheels and some standard suspension components, everything necessaryto complete a finished automobile is there. From a custom aluminum radiator to the minutia of wiring harness clips.   Furthermore, the standard pieces are the highest quality .  We don't skimp, even where you can't see . 

The ERA GT body is an updated version of a mid-60s mid-engined race car, with improvements made for longevity, silence, and weather sealing.   Because many of our cars will be used on the street, our standard fiberglass layup is formulated toward maintaining excellent body shaperather than feather-light weight (although custom layups are possible). The front and rear body sections are hand laid using random fiberglass mat so that the paintable surface will show no cloth pattern, even after many years.

THE  
CHASSIS
 

We created a semi-monocoque structure like the original one.  Ours uses 14 to 20 gage stainless steel , slightly thicker than original, instead of the original cold-rolled mild steel. The chassis is about 50 lbs heavier, a small price to pay for greatly increased corrosion resistance and reliability. The only major change from the original is the substitution of a graphite/kevlar  reinforced plastic roof for the original steel one (which wasn't particularly structural anyway.) 

The chassis has been modified to allow left or right hand drive in the basic design. By narrowing the rocker panels slightly, we give you more interior space and comfort . Unlike the original GT40, our chassis is designed for an efficient (optional) air conditioning system. 

All the components that you must install are simply bolted in. The chassis already has caged nuts for almost everything imaginable. 

THE E.R.A. GT CHASSIS INCLUDES:

• All engine, transaxle, and suspension mounting brackets. 
• Built-in structural roll bar 
• Radiator, and front and rear body mounts 
• Removable access panels for fuel tank, suspension, air ducting, etc. 

FRONT SUSPENSION

The E.R.A. front suspension has similar geometry and components (updated for wider tires) of a real race car,  using E.R.A. manufactured components. 

STANDARD SUSPENSION INCLUDES:

• Front upper and lower control arms with ball joints and urethane bushings 
• Cast aluminum uprights to accept either Corvette integral bearings for bolt-on wheels or ERA's pin drive system. 
• Steering gear adapters and tie rods. 

REAR SUSPENSION

Jig welded trailing arms and lower reversed "A" arms locate the uprights. Compare the configuration of each component with the original. Very few compromises have been made. 

All wearing components, such as axles, bearings and brake parts are compatible with late model Corvette. When the optional pin-drive wheels are specified, the bearings are modified to accept the E.R.A. pin drive hubs.. 

Coil-over dampers from Spax, Koni and other sources are optional. A rear sway bar is also available.

SUPPORT SYSTEMS

BRAKES

Except for the rotors and calipers (from late model Corvette), the ERA GT comes with all hydraulic and mechanical parts for the brakes and clutch control systems. From the pedals to the stainless steel sheathed caliper flex lines, everything is included and pre-installed. 

A fore-and-aft adjustable pedal assembly comes complete with: 

• Dual brake master cylinders w/balance bar 
• Clutch slave cylinder, bracket and connecting rod 
• Fluid reservoirs with fill tubes and brackets are also included. 

CLUTCH SYSTEM INCLUDES:

• Clutch Master cylinder 
• All lines and fittings from front to rear 
• Clutch slave cylinder and bracket 
• Adjustable link to throw-out arm 

THROTTLE SYSTEM INCLUDES:

• Accelerator pedal assembly, with special progressive linkage. 
• Accelerator cable and bracket 

COOLING SYSTEM

E.R.A. includes a heavy duty custom made aluminum radiator with dual cooling fans for worry free driving. 

The dual electric fans are thermostatically controlled with a switch in the radiator and can be over-ridden with a dashboard switch. We also include a radiator stone guard and shrouding. 

Four special aluminum coolant pipes from the radiator to the engine are also standard. You simply purchase   GT40 kit, GT40 replica

• Fresh air duct hoses 
• Fresh air control cables 
• Defroster grill 
• Dashboard adjustable swivel vents 
• Roof-top exhaust vent w/water trap & drain hose 
• Optional Air Conditioning 
• Steering wheel, center cap and medallion. 
• Steering column, adjustable for height, and in and out. 

A complete wiring system , consisting of many plug-together sub-assemblies.  The circuit breakers, relays and other components are pre-mounted on a removable bracket so that the most complex components can be wired off the car. It's all plug-in!

Because the harness is modular, each body section, dash component and mechanical component is wired separately, and so can be removed easily. 

INCLUDES:

• Complete wiring harness - a dozen separate modules so that you can wire the front and rear body sections individually - and they can easily be removed later for service. 
• Fuse blocks, flasher and relays on a modular bracket, ready to be mounted in pre-drilled holes on the firewall.
• 25 page wiring installation manual, with many illustrations and wiring diagram.
• Headlights, signal/parking lights, and driving lights, pre-installed at the factory. 
• Horns 
• Fuel level sending units, mounted in the fuel cells. 
• Miscellaneous hardware, including rubber grommets and hold down clips for the wiring harness 

INTERIOR PARTS, INSTALLED: Carpets, cut and bound with heel pads  Door panels  Tunnel cover and console/arm rest  Rear bulkhead with covering [foam and vinyl, precut w/finished edges]  Seats, integral as original
TRIM AND ATTACHMENTS, INCLUDING: Door aero-fairings  Side view mirrors(2) and dim-able interior mirror Weather seals for doors, rear body  Rubber grommets for water and oil temperature lines, wiring harness, shifting rods, brake lines water pipes etc  Louvered panels for top and rear of rear body  Hand brake cables  Fresh air duct hoses  Fresh air control cables  Ventilation/defroster grille (top of dash)  Rooftop exhaust vent w/water trap & drain hose

GLAZING

• Laminated windshield 
• Hard coated acrylic door windows with swing-out vent windows 
• Hard coated acrylic rear window w/stainless steel screws 
• Safety glass intermediate rear window w/gasket 
• Windshield wiper arm & blade 

Our 110 page manual (plus 25 pages of wiring instructions) carefully and thoroughly guides you through the assembly process,and includes a list of part numbers and sources for all parts. If you can't find a part, E.R.A. usually has it in stock or can give you a reasonable source.  If you want to take a look at the text portion, the manual is posted on the web in PDF format, and complete versions are available in hardcopy or PDF format for a refundable fee. 

FUEL SYSTEM, INSTALLED): Two foam-filled fuel tanks are standard, holding a total of 19 gallons.  Made from cross-linked polyethylene, each is extremely impact resistant, especially when you consider it is surrounded by an aluminum cradle and our stainess steel chassis pontoon. All tank fittings, clamps and hoses to the fuel pumps are also included. We also offer an SCCA legal, bladder-type cell in an aluminum case at additional cost.

Two aluminum filler caps , with flanges, hoses and intermediate tubes to connect to the fuel tanks.

Any small-block Ford engine - 260/289/302/351 will fit, and brackets to mount the alternator are supplied with the kit. 

The original GT40 ZF 4 bolt transaxle is available again in a stronger 7 bolt version (as used in BMW M1's and Panteras of the mid and late 70's). The transaxles require some modifications (Pantera: ~$800 from ERA, M1: ~$1600 from RBT Transmissions) for use in the ERA GT.  Typically, used transaxles sell for $2500-$5000, NOS units to $8000 .  While we do not a "deal" in these transaxles, we may be able to give the ERA kit owner some good leads for one. 

 RBT Transmissions (714-516-1215)  manufactures new transaxles from the original tooling.

A custom bell housing is available to adapt the inverted piece to the engine. The system uses standard Ford clutch parts. A custom throw-out bearing and pilot bushing comes with the bell housing. 

YOU MUST SUPPLY THE FOLLOWING MAJOR COMPONENTS:

• Engine - small block Ford 
• Transaxle - ZF-5DS-25/1 or /2 [Pantera] 
• Rack and pinion - MGB 
• Rotors and calipers - late model Corvette 
• Front and rear coil-over dampers 
• Road wheels and tires 
• MGB or Triumph windshield wiper motor assembly 
• Hand brake lever (standard with RHD) 
• Exhaust system 

(All components are available from E.R.A.)

Your Labor:  Expect to spend about 200-300 hours constructing the kit, excluding bodywork and paint.  There is no fabrication, but this is a very sophisticated machine - with many exact components.  If you want to take a look at the specifics, the manual is posted on the web in PDF format. 

OPTIONS AND PRICING

Our standard kit is not cheap!  But $54,900 buys you the beginning of the most extraordinary car you could imagine.   E.R.A.also offers many options to make construction of the GT easier. We are also in constant development of new items, so many new items may be available. Custom pieces are also available - we can make almost anything! 

PAYMENT SCHEDULE POLICY

To reserve a spot in the production schedule, we require a $6000 deposit. This deposit will reserve your kit or turn-key at the agreed upon price. The deposit is fully refundable at any time, up until we actually start production on your kit or turnkey car. It takes about 6 weeks for us to build a kit, 4 months to complete a car. 

A second payment of 20% of your total cost is required when we actually begin your kit or car. 

For turn-key cars, some intermediate payments for engine, transaxle and paint may also be required. We prefer for you to deal directly with the people who are doing the work. We make no money on these sublets. 

The final payment (about 20% of the total) is required on delivery of your vehical. 

ERA GT "TURNKEY" CARS

WE CAN HELP YOU COMPLETE YOUR KIT
This link gives you our "standard" finished specifications and the options

SPECIFICATIONS

• Engine: Ford small block, 289-351 CIDw/Holley 4bbl 
• Transaxle: Pantera ZF 5DS-25/2 5 speed transaxle (modified to original orientation), or new transaxles from RBT Transmissions
• Chassis: Mid-engine stainless steel semi-monocoque with integral rollbar, square tube subframe front and rear. 
• Suspension: Front:: Independent, double wishbone, coil-over dampers, cast aluminum hub carriers 
• Rear: Independent, reverse lower A, top radius arm, with trailing arms, coil-over dampers 
• Wheels Bolt-on wheels, 8.5" x 15"(F) and 10"x 15"(R) or 
• Pin Drive in various sizes from 8" and 9.5" x 15 to 9.5" and 12.5" x 17" 
• Body: Hand laid fiberglass body panels with Carbon/Kevlar roof.  Inner panels are bonded in with special techniques to reduce "print through" on the outside body panels 
• Brakes: Vented disc, 11.5 or 12" front and rear, Aluminum calipers, emergency brake built-in at the rear 
• Steering: Rack and pinion, left or right hand drive 
• Comfort Adjustable seats, steering wheel and pedal assembly. Will accomodate 6'4" people with "Gurney Bubble" 
• Ventilation Flow through, with optional air conditioning and/or heater 

DIMENSIONS

• Wheelbase: 95"/241cm 
• Track, Front: 57" with 8.5"-10" wheel 
• Rear: 58"-59" with 10"-14" wheel 
• Body Length: 165"/419cm 
• Body Width: 73"-78" (Std or "1075" flares) 
• Body Height: 40.5"/103cm with 4.8" ground clearance 
• Ground clearance: Adjustable, 4"-5.5" 
• Weight, dry: 2350-2550 lbs depending on options 
• Fuel Capacity: 16 gallons total, two tanks, optional 22 gallon fuel cells

• E-mail us or contact Peter at (860)224-0253 (Phone) or (860)827-1055 (Fax)
  (Please - I can't do quotes or give references via e-mail.  Phone or fax Peter at the above numbers)
• Hard copy of this information is available from us, too.  See below.
• Want references ? 

Hard Copy and PDF Brochures

  You can download a PDF file of the brochure here.

Other Interesting Links:

• ERA Owners Registry (not associated with E.R.A.)
• The GT40 site of the UK
• GT40 Photo gallery - Nevada Shelby Club (scroll to the bottom of the opening page)
• GT40Club.com - Links and information
• FordGT.org - A forum for the new GT and classic GT40
• Shelby American Automobile Club  
• Cobra Restorers - Original restoration and aftermarket parts 
• Car Lounge
• A2Z Car Guy - Information on a myriad of automotive subjects
• AboutKitCars - lots of interesting information
• KitCars  
• GT40 Forum
• Pantera Forum
• Restoration of an original car!
• The new Ford "GT40"
• Extreme Classics - a customer and exhaust supplier
• The Physics of Racing - an excellent primer for automobile dynamics
• TurnFast - Technical articles on road racing and racing equipment
• RBT Transmissions - the ultimate source for ZF transaxles
• Club Cobra - Mostly Cobra replicas of course, but some discussion of the GT.
• Video:  GT40 at LeMans

Mailing Address

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