Folks:
It's interesting how a thread entitled "ERA GT not mentioned much" has turned into a "discussion" of the relative merits of different brands of GT replicas. As some have observed, it's a bit like politics or religion, with folks saying; "I'm of the same opinion still!", repeated, ever more stridently by those who are committed to one manufacturer or another. What is great about this hobby is that there are more choices with every passing week and each of us has greater opportunity than ever before to express ourselves through those choices.
I can certainly enumerate the reasons and priorities that I considered when I made my choice, but the next individual's choices and priorities may be totally different. ...and that's OK. What may be right for me, may be wrong for someone else. To bottom line it, I haven't seen any other manufacturer's product out there that I would sell my GT to get. At this point each car is essentially custom built by ERA to the purchaser's specifications. There are numerous options and, within reason, they will do extra fabrication, etc. that, I would observe, most other manufacturers may not be able/willing to do. ...and ERA does it "my way."
Having dealt with ERA for over twenty years, I'm more than satisfied that they deliver on the promise, with a quality product, that more than meets my needs. As an aside, a friend, a long time ERA owner purchased a Ferrari Daytona - Corvette conversion kit from another manufacturer. He ultimately ended up having to retain a lawyer and sued to get all his parts. He later laid into Peter at ERA saying; "You spoiled me. I thought all manufacturers would-be as responsive as ERA is." After twenty years and five cars, I'm of a mind not to "change horses". ERA builds the cars they way I want them and (a substantial consideration for me) is that they are great people to work with and only an hour and a half away.
ERA builds approximately forty to fifty ERA427SC and FIAs and approximately four to six ERAGTs each year. To do any more would require a substantial expansion of facilities, out- sourcing of fabrication and obviously a substantial investment of capital. My observation is that (like most items formerly made in this country) the strongest competition is now coming from overseas, where labor, land, and production costs are lower. ERA has, for better or worse, decided to try and keep most of its production in house.
There are probably a number of reasons why there aren't all that many ERA owners actively on this site:
1. Only eighty or so cars have been built over the last fifteen years and most of them have been completed.
2. The cars, even in kit form, are complete as to those items that need to be engineered and/or fabricated. They are bolt together projects and, I would speculate, may not require the same sort of "support network" that some other kits may require.
3. I haven't done any "survey" but as the cost of the ERAGTs has gone up over the years, perhaps the average age of the purchaser has gone up as well, although I'll observe that I was in my thirties when I ordered my first GT.
While I do not post that frequently, I do check the historical threads that pop up from time to time.
With best wishes for a safe and healthy New Year.
Jim Holden
PS: I would suggest, ever so gently, that to attract the greatest participation, the moderator of the site ought, in my opinion, to resist the temptation to weigh in with an opinion on certain topics. There is no surer way to alienate potential users of the forum.