Worst day ever... she's gone

[pormgb]

Wow, really sorry for your loss, those pictures are painful to view but I'm glad you are OK.

I have just completed building my Cobra, it has a 2.5lb Halguard Fire extinguisher between the seats, I also installed a Firebottle fire system with nozzles around the motor and in the trunk. I am so paranoid about fire that I have an inertia switch and a fuel pump safety switch that only runs the fuel pump when the motor is running.


Last week, I was setting the fuel pressure and got too much fuel pressure to the carb. After a test drive, I noticed the motor was running real rich, I popped the hood and found the intake manifold cutouts full of fuel that came from the carbs vent tube. After this event, I realized these cars need really good fire suppression.

[djspiderman]

Stuff can be replaced. It's just stuff. Happy to hear you're here to tell the tale. Be careful out there.

[xb-60]

From personal experience, another procedure well worth observing is doing a thorough inspection of any "outside" work done on your car.
I could have lost my old Alfa (thankfully still with me) after having an immobiliser installed a few years back. The installer draped the wires over the top of the pedal assembly, and after a week of driving, the sharp edge on the top of the pedals had cut through insulation on the wires and smoke started to come from under the dash. Immediate panic stop and a quick disconnect of the battery stopped it before it had a chance to take hold.

I'm part way through my FIA build now, and what you have described makes me shudder. I hope it works out with the insurance company and you can get back in the (Cobra) seat again.

Cheers,
Glen

[MarkC]

Originally Posted by luke427

... My cobra burned to ashes :cry:

Friday last week i decided to take the cobra for a nice ride through the hills. A 10 mile detour that i like to take once in a while to go to work.

Beautiful day, cruising in corners and pushing a bit on the throttle climbing the mountain. Happiness

then downhill, in a corner turning right i hit the brake and only the left (driver) side of the car brakes.
I almost hit trees on the opposite side, manage to come back in my lane, hit a fence at low speed on the passenger side and pull over on a clear turnout about 50 yards later.

Nothing too bad, it seems.

I'm upset there will be a bit of bodywork on the pristine, 7 layers of clear coat (yes!) body and get out the car to check it out. There will be something with the brake. Probably a loose conduit or something stupid. I'll fix it, go back home gently and will take her to the shop... That's what i was thinking at that point.

Then i realize there is smoke coming off the passenger's louver. I run into the car to shut the engine off, grab the tiny extinguisher and stupidly blow it into the louver... To realize a few seconds later that drops of inflamed fluids are dripping under the car.

Then stress comes. I pull my phone to realize there is no network. I still try 911 but no network. I run uphill, checking for signal, and start to yell for help all the way around.
Turning back, the car is stable. More smoke, but no flames yet.

5 minutes later i'm back, never found @!$@# signal and still haven't called 911.
Two joggers who heard me yell earlier are there, but they don't get signal either.
The car then starts to burn seriously. I can just watch it, powerless. I can't prevent tears dripping from my eyes.

It's been about 15 minutes and a car comes by. I ask the driver to go back and call 911 as soon as he gets signal. So does he. A few minutes later he's back, telling fire dept is on its way. But the cobra is already half gone.

A genuine 427 fe that was spitting 560hp, on a clean unique frame, with rear jag irs, top loader tranny, shelby magnesium wheels, all vintage parts. Damn it. Just got the roll bar and side mirror re-chromed two weeks before.

Altogether i'm thankful i didn't get injured, and no one got hurt.
It could have been very bad if i had hit a tree, rolled the car or put myself in a situation where i'd burned in it.

I don't know what i'll get next, she'll be hard to replace.

This was unique motorcars chassis #9299

:cry::cry:

[MarkC]

Wow that was a horrible day. Glad your ok. Hope it didnt hurt your motor also. Time and another kit will heal your wounds. Mark C

[AC Ventura]

Truly terrible experience and that's from somebody who has been through it, well almost as bad. I'd just completed a no expense spared 3 year restoration/build of a fabulous Austin Healey 3000 ultimate spec rally car. While setting the spot lamps one night, the day before the Costa Brava Historique Rally in Spain, the Triple 45DCOE Weber carbutettors decided to spit back neat fuel onto the foam air filters, followed by another similar episode with partially ignited fuel. Within seconds the whole engine bay went up. By the time I got the extinguisher out (which worked)p the entire engine bay, front end paint, aluminium panels, bonnet and some of the all new $30k competition engine was trashed.
Upset wasn't the word. Complete bemusement was the only way to describe it and the way a perfect machine can turn into a pile of burnt debris is nothing short of personally destroying. People saying 'At least you're okay' was almost an insult. As if that meant all was okay. It seemed to make a mockery of all the agonising work, over ever the smallest details, I had been through.
All I can say is, you will recover and if possible, one day get that car, or a similar one back up and running. You owe it to yourself, not to let this thing beat you and in time you'll look back and see that it didn't.

[mrmustang]

The bottom line:

The car can be replaced.


Your life cannot be.


Bill S

Originally Posted by Luke427

... my Cobra burned to ashes

Friday last week I decided to take the Cobra for a nice ride through the hills. A 10 mile detour that I like to take once in a while to go to work.

Beautiful day, cruising in corners and pushing a bit on the throttle climbing the mountain. Happiness

Then downhill, in a corner turning right I hit the brake and only the left (driver) side of the car brakes.
I almost hit trees on the opposite side, manage to come back in my lane, hit a fence at low speed on the passenger side and pull over on a clear turnout about 50 yards later.

Nothing too bad, it seems.

I'm upset there will be a bit of bodywork on the pristine, 7 layers of clear coat (yes!) body and get out the car to check it out. There will be something with the brake. Probably a loose conduit or something stupid. I'll fix it, go back home gently and will take her to the shop... that's what I was thinking at that point.

Then I realize there is smoke coming off the passenger's louver. I run into the car to shut the engine off, grab the tiny extinguisher and stupidly blow it into the louver... to realize a few seconds later that drops of inflamed fluids are dripping under the car.

Then stress comes. I pull my phone to realize there is no network. I still try 911 but no network. I run uphill, checking for signal, and start to yell for help all the way around.
Turning back, the car is stable. More smoke, but no flames yet.

5 minutes later I'm back, never found @!$@# signal and still haven't called 911.
Two joggers who heard me yell earlier are there, but they don't get signal either.
The car then starts to burn seriously. I can just watch it, powerless. I can't prevent tears dripping from my eyes.

It's been about 15 minutes and a car comes by. I ask the driver to go back and call 911 as soon as he gets signal. So does he. A few minutes later he's back, telling fire dept is on its way. But the Cobra is already half gone.

A genuine 427 FE that was spitting 560hp, on a clean Unique frame, with rear Jag IRS, top loader tranny, shelby magnesium wheels, all vintage parts. Damn it. Just got the roll bar and side mirror re-chromed two weeks before.

Altogether I'm thankful I didn't get injured, and no one got hurt.
It could have been very bad if I had hit a tree, rolled the car or put myself in a situation where I'd burned in it.

I don't know what I'll get next, she'll be hard to replace.

This was Unique Motorcars chassis #9299

[twobjshelbys]

Wow. That sucks. I wouldn't consider the engine safe to rebuild. Heat stress from the fire has certainly damaged it.

[lakercobra]

Wow! Emotional pic's since we all are passionate about our cars. Thanks for posting, as we have read from the replies, it will remind us of safety.

[1ntCobra]

There is an auction for a burnt up Cobra in this thread:

65 Cobra Project.

[Moto One]

Some new tires, duck tap your ready to go. NOT... with that 65 project.


Mark

[olddog]

I haven't been able to log in for a week or two, so sorry for the late response.

My son got a engine out of a Lincoln Continental that was in a garage/ house that burned to the ground. 4.6 Ltr all aluminum engine. The fenders were fiberglass and all that was left was the matting. Car had no paint left on it. The engine was fine.

If the valve cover gaskets are still good, the engine may be fine. After all it was full of coolant. If the radiator didn't boil over I doubt the engine got than hot.

[Luke427]

Thank you guys.
The burned Cobra auctioned is not mine. I'm looking into buying the 427 block from the insurance company. Everything else looks too fried IMO.
I'll keep you guys posted!