Chapter 3 - The Exorcism

Most Unique builds begin with satisfied owners looking upon their new, shiny rolling chassis and mild, clean disassembly. For us, the disassembly part was certainly true, but we had an additional job...Removal of all of the special touches the first owner had added. I smiled as we began the "exorcism" or the "Spence-ectomy".

http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/.../Interior1.jpg

I could hardly wait to remove the god-awful white vinyl covered seats. The B&M quicksilver shifter was next. Finally, the battery (which had been conveniently relocated to the passenger footwell) was taken out and the interior actually looked presentable.

We picked up the car in Alabama the week before Thanksgiving 2003. The rain which beat down from just outside Indianopolis until our arrival home in Wisconsin actually served to clean the car slightly. This did not deter us from attacking the remaining 10 years of grime with an extra dose of Simple Green. Like a dog from the pound, the rescue Cobra was responding. Her chrome shone for the first time in years and we couldn't be happier.

Next started the real stuff...You know, where tools are required. We unbolted the roll bar and learned disassembly hint number 1.

:) When removing the roll bar, make sure it comes straight up. Even the forward weight of the brace is enough to make the roll bar bind and it will never come out. Have another person take the forward weight of the bar while gently using a rubber mallet on the main hoop.

Once bar came loose we discovered the forward braced section was full of water. Not just a little damp, not a simple few dribbles. There was a full-on torrent of Alabama's finest sludge that came pouring out of the forward braced section! This was clearly from years of leaking and not a simple rainy trip home. Thus we learned tip number 2.

:) Some sort of silicone or sealant would be advisable to prevent water from running down into the roll bar. Once inside it is trapped!

Continuing the process we decided to investigate the source of the strong gas smell in the trunk area. Believing the rotten hoses were to blame, we drained the tank of something that looked a lot more like apple cider than gasoline. But as the tank came out, we found that the fuel tank vent had been sealed with duct tape. Duct tape! Beneath the tank was more Alabama blackwater. This all cleaned up nicely and provided a few laughs to boot.

My dad and I expected quite a few frozen and rusted bolts, but the fact of the matter was that there was not too many items on the car that were more than finger tight. We felt ourselves fortunate that the Cobra didn't shed parts all the way back from Alabama.

We finished that weekend with the car drained of fluids. The doors, trunk lid, hood, side pipes, windshield, quick jacks, dash and gauges, seats (?), and roll bar were safely tucked away in the basement. Counter to the wisdom on this site, we removed the door hinges along with the doors. We were careful to note the orientation and shim sizes to get us back in the ballpark when it came time for reassembly. The cowl brace was pretty rusty and we needed to do some additional cleaning that the hinges would simply not allow. More on this later. This has been preached many times, but disassembly hint 3 is still good advice.

:) When removing the hood and trunk lid, leave the brackets in place and simply remove the pivot screws. Accoring to the Weavers, the bolts which attach the castings to the body and truck/hood lids could be damaged or misaligned if the brackets are removed!

Tip 4 is also fairly intuitive, but is easily forgotten in the rush of an exciting project.

:) An easy way to catalog the many bolts that are removed is to use Ziploc bags to hold them and the parts they attach. Invest in multiple sizes of Ziploc and a few impervious markers. Bolts all start to look the same when they are in a big pile!

With measurements in hand for the body buck, my folks left for home. Dad and I waved with greasy hands and

This is wonderful. Like watching a child being born (or born again, maybe?).

XL

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars
Southern Automotive
Bruce Bunn (the painter)

My Photo Album

"Spence-ectomy" That is so-o-o-o appropriate after reading your post. Good thing your not in California.... with all the gunk-n-gooh that you are draining out of that car you would have to hire a Haz-Mat crew :D

You guys are to be applauded for what you are doing. Looking forward to the next chapter.


Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
3:31 and Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

Are you sure that was Alabama blackwater or was it from Kentucky?

John

This is great - a re-birth. You and your dad will have enough stuff for a book:). Keep us posted and feel free to ask before doing.

I have a very large group of pictures, mostly body work, that I can send you. Make sure you put good wheels on your buck if you plan to move it around much, I didn't and had a blow out (bearing failure) midway through the body prep.

Randy

Unique 289 FIA
Southern Automotive 396
Team III 16's
Brilliant Silver

This IS great! Thanks for taking the time to document your rescue of this car. Sometimes, the mutt you bring home from the pound is the one you remember for the rest of your life. I know you're going to end up with a fabulous car.

Clay

Unique 9299, 427FE side oiler, top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD

Have heard many things about this car and all were bad. It's great to see that most of the stories were false and that the car will finally be built! Good luck with the build and look forward to the many updates!

Brian,

Keep the "chapters" coming! I’ve really enjoyed the way you’ve chronicled your adventure and look forward hearing how things unfold as you move ahead. Great reading!

Gary
Unique FIA 351W

Really like the lucid colorful descriptions of the car. Great imagery. We all appreciate the time it takes to tell a good story without all the bias. You know the saying, "It is ,what it is". Well, just tell us the truth about the car. We'll deal with it... I'm ready.
Black water is stinky.
Save the car... that's cool. The "ugly duckling story" comes to mind. I had one of those car.

Sundown