289 for sale in GA

[patrija]

Ran across this while surfing tonight

http://www.fraserdante.com/Cobra%20Replica/cobrareplica.htm

[TurnpikeBoy]

:)<img src=images/icon_speech_yeah.gif border=0 width=29 height=15 alt=Insert Speech Icon: Yeah!>, car looks good - and for that money?

The sales pitch, tho..."massive" 650? Whoof.

Yeehah

[nolastyankee]

I think I have seen this car for sale for a while, including a pass on eBay where it didn't hit the reserve. I'm pretty sure that reserve was higher than the asking price at Frasier. From the radiator, it looks like an older car of the "Spence" vintage. (1991)

Unique 9122 - 289 FIA Cobra - The Legendary "Spence" Car

[GeorgiaSnake]

I spent several hours (weekend before last) looking this car over for a guy. My suggestion to him was to pass at the price advertised.

It is a 92 dated car. Some of it looks great some of it ??.

Randy

Unique 289 FIA #2899420
Southern Automotive 396
Team III 16's
Brilliant Silver

[lust4fia]

This is as good a place as any for a new guy to check in. This car is appearantly still available for $25,xxx. Seems like a decent price for a complete car even if it's a little old. Not much more money than a delux palet kit. The color would have to go though. What were some of the specific items that were a concern to you?

Todd

[nolastyankee]

Todd,
If you can get this car for a deal, there's nothing that can't be corrected. Trust me.

On a '92 car you will have the older front suspension and brakes. It is drivable, but not adjustable like the current version. There are lots of cars on the road with the MG front end, and there are improvements for the MG units as well. The older car also has the front trailing arm rear suspension. Again, drivable, but not as good as the newer model. Again, this can be retrofit as desired.

I'm sure Randy can give you the specifics on this ride...As with anything, the devil is in the details and will determine the value of the car.

Brian Carlson

Unique 9122 - 289 FIA Cobra - The Legendary "Spence" Car

[rdorman]

Heck, I'd look at it. Hate the color though. Mine is dated 12/84 and I love to tinker with it. Reliable to. I have taken a couple of trips over 1500 miles each in it.

But, up close and personal it may be a different story. With a repaint, clapped motor and some upgrades it would start adding up close to the new car territory. Of course, I don't know if it needs any of this.

Rick

[GeorgiaSnake]

It needs front end work, carpet ,seat belts(they are the original ones installed at build time)and could use a better color. I'm not sure about the motor - all I did was look the car over(about an hour).

I can check it out again if anybody is interested as it is only about 5 miles away.

Randy

Unique 289 FIA #2899420
Southern Automotive 396
Team III 16's
Brilliant Silver

[lust4fia]

Thanks for the replies guys,

I've wanted one of these cars so bad for so long that it almost hurts. But with one income and five children (fine ones at that) money for toys is tough to come by. I guess I've come to realize that to get into one of these I'll have to find a bargain and be willing to wrench a little and break out the paint gun. Brian, could you expound on what upgrades you did to the MG front suspension on the "spence" car and what is involved in upgrading the rear suspension?

Rick said, "Heck, I'd look at it. Hate the color though."
That really is a nasy color isn't it. I remember seeing this car a while ago and I think the seller called it Mexico blue. I'm think BRG with a little metalic would look just right, probably without stripes.

Randy, I'm not sure what I'd ask you to look at. I suppose engine specs and condition and would be great to know, like was it a donor, crate engine or custom build. Same kinda stuff in the tranny. Can anyone guess what kind of cost would be associated with redoing the interior? From the pictures it looks like it could use seats, carpet and dash covering, maybe in a nice Tan color to match the BRG.

Thanks to all,
Todd

[nolastyankee]

Todd,
On the MG front end there is an integrated upper control arm-shock absorber combination. It is really interesting, but not much for performance. On the MG front ends Unique disabled the shock feature and installed Monroe gas shocks on the back side of the suspension. Again, this is a functional system, but not adjustable, and not performance oriented. Changing springs and damping, let alone caster and camber is a major job. (i.e. it is not supposed to be adjustable and would require machining or shimming) There are a number of things that can be done to improve this depending on the budget. Keith Wilson, also on this site, upgraded his MG front end with a Moss coil over kit. This removes the upper shock/control arm and replaces it with a coil over unit. No adjustable caster, but you do get the coil over advanatage. These run around $1000-$1100. We installed the Hawk front end which is an all tubular setup with adjustable coil overs and adjustable camber. Super nice setup, bolts on out of the box. Butch Capps helped install one of these on Tony Lewis' Unique chassis coupe recently too. About $1300 depending on the exchange rate. Be sure to go through British Automotive in California, they upgrade the fastener set for free.

We also upgraded the front brakes to a Wilwood set retrofit from a '69 Camaro. About $500 and some engineering time and machine work if you don't have the ability to do it yourself. It's all pretty sweet now, but it took some time. I have lots of pictures in my threads. (Search for Hawk front end)

The easy route is to install the whole Unique front end which will run about $3K and requires welding in the two upper shock towers.

The rear end upgrades are available from Unique for about $350 and they are pretty simple. Weld in a new trailing arm bracket at the rear of the frame, and install the ladder brace. The trailing arms move from the floor pan behind the seats to the rear of the frame and aiming forward. Pick up the tie plate at the same time and you're good to go. This improves the geometry of the rear suspension.

Overall, I'd say the front end improvements would buy you more, but both can be done after you have had some seat time in the car. (Assuming it goes home with you)

Knowing what good Cobra's are going for these days, and assuming that the driveline is top notch, a car of this vintage would likely sell for $20-$24K depending on the workmanship. Just before we bought our project car, a nicely built Unique 289 with a warmed up 302 and T-5, no engine compartment details, but good paint (rangoon red), Compomotives, and nice interior sold for $22K. It was a street car with no roll bar or trunk 'bumps'. It sat on eBay for weeks before going to Florida. Given that this car has been around for a while (I saw it on eBay last year) the price needs to come down some.

This is the perspective from afar, have Randy or someone go over it with a fine tooth comb, get lots of pictures, and make a trip if it looks like a good deal. If you are going to need a repaint, I'd seriously consider passing as that will easily run this into the neighborhood of a better car.

Brian Carlson

Unique 9122 - 289 FIA Cobra - The Legendary "Spence" Car

[lust4fia]

Thanks Brian,
Very good input, I appreciate you taking the time. Sounds like the front would need upgrading at a minimum. It would definately get a repaint, that blue that is on there now is bad news. I would do the paint myself so that would help on cost. Other wrenching would be done by me also. The only thing in your response that gives me the willys is welding on Uniques shock towers. I have a decent welder and can run a pretty good bead, but welding on something my life depends on makes me a lttle nervous.

Todd

[Slither]

Todd,

Call Maurice and check with him on the retro welding. I would be surprized if they have not done it many times already, and I'll bet they could set it up so you could swing by and have it done if you are picking up the car. They are fantastic folks, and they take care of their own.

If the drivetrain is reasonable, and you can get it for low-twenties, 3-4K for the suspension upgrades and whatever you can do the paint for... sounds like you could end up with a decent ride for in the 26-28K range and have the lastest suspension setup too [?]

Maybe this is overly optimistic, but you can't lose much by investigating it [^].

I know the drill on saving for a car on a tight budget... got my first KITCAR magazine 19 years and 8 months ago and I have been planing a build since then... gettin' old [:O]! Mine is still a pile of steel and a drum of resin, but I have a serial number :D ;)!

Paul

289 FIA

2899464

408 Windsor

Toploader (wide)

3.07 rear

[nolastyankee]

Todd,
I didn't intend to leave you with the impression that you had to upgrade the front and rear suspension, as there are a lot of Uniques still on the road with the MG setup. A MG front end car won one of the last autoX events that Unique had (as I am told) so the combination works...There's just not much room for upgrade and damping improvement. In fact, Rick Dorman from Ohio just drove his MG front end car 1000+ miles to Homecoming and back, and there are way more MG's driving this setup than there will ever be Unique Cobra's. However, if you are going to retrofit the Unique front end the body will need to be off to do it properly, so you would want to time with the potential re-paint.

The Hawk retrofit can be done with the body left on if you choose to go that route. Let me know if you want pics of the MG front end, I have quite a few in my archive at home from our teardown.

If the price is right, this can be a ongoing project that can be upgraded over time. Just keep in mind the cost of a new car or a well sorted pre-driven car that is already everything you want.

Brian Carlson

Unique 9122 - 289 FIA Cobra - The Legendary "Spence" Car

[rdorman]

The MG front works, just not real $exy. I think the rear trailing arm upgrade and bottom plate are good upgrades. But if the spherical joints on the current leading arms are in good shape, then you can fab up the rear ones yourself real cheap. I would imagine you can get the interior redone for around 1500 using the old carpet as a pattern, installing the carpet and dash covering yourself and having new seat covers made. Depending on who the belts are from many companies will reweb then for about $50 a set. If you replace them then that will add a few hundred to the job. Run a leak down on the motor and have the oil analyzed and that will tell you a bunch. Of course, drive the thing and not just around the block! Be sure and point out everything that needs attention, work on the price and there you have it!

I enjoy being an owner of an older Unique. It is different and I like having projects to work on.

Rick