Chapter 2 - The Legendary Spence Car
At first I thought that the title of this chapter was a little too much. Why should I be so special to own a vehicle that could be classified as a legend. Then I started reading through some old threads about the car and recall a comment made by another member...
"That car has had more written about it than any other Cobra"
Let me tell you, most was not good.
For those not in the know about the Spence legend, here's the short version...This car was purchased in 1991 by a gentleman named Spence who lives in Northwest Kentucky. Evidence on the car and through conversations with the Weavers has led me to recognize that building the Unique car was beyond his skill and patience level. Sometime between his purchase and sale of the car, Spence managed to put a 351W and C6 automatic in the frame, wire the car and gauges, and add some wheels and tires. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less.
At some time in the build process Spence became disenchanted with the car, Lord knows why. It is clear to me (and members of this forum) that Uniques are fantastic machines and the Weavers are some of the kindest folks in the Cobra industry. Later, the car was advertised for sale in Cobra Country and at Club Cobra. Unfinished Cobras (not to mention Unique's) are normally sold like hotcakes since every builder is looking for that diamond-in-the-rough to steal and finish for a dime.
I was one of the many who tried to contact Spence to buy the car more than a year or two ago. I couldn't get hold of the guy nor could I get a straight answer when I did, so I passed on the deal. Evidently I wasn't alone, as more than a few people were rebuffed by the angry owner. Along the way, it appears that the owner's internet ads were being used to fulfill a personal quest to discredit Unique. After feedback similar to mine, CC and the other CC voluntarily quit running the ads.
Because so many people had been bitten by this sale, the car developed a dark reputation. While the general Cobra population has never seen the car, most believe that it is hacked up and damaged. Alan Weaver himself was quoted on one site as "not wanting to touch the car". My conversation with Mr. Weaver indicated that he never made such an assertion.
Earlier this year, a gentleman from Huntsville and his lovely wife managed to buy the car and quell some of the rumors. Six months later when the second owner realized he needed his money more than a Cobra project, my dad and I came into the picture. One week before Thanksgiving with a bank check and great anticipation, we travelled to Huntsville, Alabama hoping to return with a Cobra in tow.
We were not disappointed when we finally saw the car that was derided in so many stories. The car was dirty with 10 years of sludge and slime. It sat outside for a while (covered) but there is some surface rust and mud splashed up everywhere underneath. The car was never driven, but had a running engine and trans. All of the rubber is trashed, there was a hideous B&M shifter that stood half way to the cowl, and the seats were covered in white vinyl. But the body had never been off the frame, and all the pieces appeared in good shape. Confident that the car was sound, we loaded up and headed for home.
All you Ford guys will be happy to know that we stopped by the National Corvette Museum with our Ford truck and Cobra in tow...I'm not sure they appreciated the picture we took there.
http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/...kee/Museum.jpg
We are happy to report that the car is great! None of the nasty rumors are true, and we are sincerely indebted to Poorboy who drove up from Gadsden to check out the legend for us. With just a couple hours of elbow grease and some Simple Green, we already are well on our way to looking like a 10-footer deluxe pallet kit. Wasting not a second, we dove into the project to see what we had. The good news just kept on coming...
My next chapter starts the disassembly process. If any others on this site have had their own experience with the "Legend", feel free to add it he
