Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

SEARCH: 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Dragonsnake CSX3198....then look at bottom to see: packautomotivemuseum.com Click on for a great writup and many pics....I saw this car run many times....in its day, was the best of the best anywhere in A/SP.....Who here remembers this one-of-kind Shelby-built on order car and it's talented driver? If you're a racer or just a fan, you will love this... WJ

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

Bruce Larson drove one if I remember correctly.

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

Ed, living on the eastern seaboard especially, (ran Jersey tracks alot--also, NOT a Tasca Ford sponsored car)....you should know this, like me....you're old enough. 1966 Winternationals (Pomona) A/SP champ, 1966 Summernationals (Indy) champ A/SP....Many Street Eliminator wins, as well....Did you look up the site?? Not Bruce Larson....BTW, you heading for Lebanon Valley? :)WJ

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

Bruce Larsons Cobra owned by Jim Costalow was a 289 small block with webber carbs.

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

Terry, ONLY one 1966, 427 side-oiler Cobra Dragonsnake built and prepped by Shelby for drag race application....also a great story on this car, the Ma. dealer who ordered, and their employee who maintained and drove it in Hemmings Muscle Machines, Nov. '04.... ;) WJ

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

The Dragon Snake was indeed a 289 car with weber carbs. I saw it run at the greatest drag race I ever saw, the 1967 Nascar Winternationals at Deland Fla held during Nascar Speed Weeks. Every heavy hitter in the country was there and its was cold & damp. We set the Nascar P/S record in a heavy fog with our 283/185 4 speed 59 Chevy Biscayne. A drunk actually died in the stands, passing out and laying there overnight at 35 degree temps

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

kawboy: Not the same car as one I'm refering to.....:D WJ

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

Well its been all day and no one has come up with the answer. The only 66 427 Cobra that I remember is/was owned by a Gus Zuidema and sponsored by Harr Ford. It won the AA/SP class (not the A/SP class) at the 1966 Indy Nationals and it was kind of the same color as Bruce Larsons 289 65 Cobra. Im not sure if this is the one that was at the Daytona NASCAR Winternationals or the NHRA Winternationals? They were fast primarliy because they were approx 500 lbs lighter than the Corvettes.

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

Yes Terry, The '66 427 Shelby Dragonsnake Cobra was ordered and owned by now closed, Harr Ford in New England (Worcester, Ma.) Harr also held a authorized Shelby franchise. Car was maintained and driven by the late Gus Zuidema, former preformance service manager at Harr. Zuidema, a top-notch machinist and engine builder won 1966 Pomona Winternationals event and 1966 Summernationals event at Indy, along w/many A/SP and Street Eliminator wins up and down the eastern seaboard for the 1966 race season. The car was campaigned by Harr for only the 1966 NHRA season. If you do the search mentioned in my 1st post in this thread, you'll get all the details of this car and its complete history.....there's also large feature story: "Venomous Snake" in Nov. '04 issue of Hemmings' "Muscle Machines" which is also accessible online if you simply type it into a search. It's worth the search....very informative reading about the ONE and ONLY 427 factory-built/ factory drag--prepped 1966 Shelby Dragonsnake Cobra, built and sold by Shelby for private drag race use. Regards, WJ

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

WJ,
Not the first, but maybe the second rarest.
1969 Corvette ZL-1 (Only 2 made)
If 50 were built, I think they would have been classed in SS/A,
and the Hemi Cuda's and Darts would have stayed in SS/B.
Does that sound right?
And wasn't there a 69' Mustang 427 SOHC 'Cammer' proto-type
for SS/A in 69'?
Paul

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

Hi Paul. Check my 1st post of this thread for the link to this car's Shelby factory order, build, and drag prep, and also read the Hemmings mag Nov. '04 writeup on this car.....quite an amazing piece, and Gus Zuidema was a very talented person, as well. Let me know what you think after reading the stuff.....Best wishes and enjoy your July 4th wknd....:)
Warren Lederer. WJ

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

I saw the Zuidema car race at probably more than one race. E-Town for sure. I have a real strong memory and it comes to mind how easy the man took it going down the track and still went very fast. Easy shifting and not a real screamer on rpm.....Had the fender flares and the small blocks did not.

Ed Hedrick was the guy that most racers feared most......he won races. The small block Cobras could run about 3 classes by changing the intake and carb(s). Single 4- Dual 4-s and Webers.....I believe were all legal combos.

The Costilow and Larson car was at many races. My buddy ran D/MP in Street Eliminator which was the name used before it became Modified......All the /SP classed cars ran in that eliminator so I was familiar with them. Cobras were some very slick little cars.......

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

There was a red 427 Cobra than ran in the Denver area back then. Watching him run down the track is looked like he was just out for a drive, not racing. He always won his class. I remember one day I was pitted near one of the 427 Corvettes. His car was still on the trailer and one of his friends asked why. His reply was that he was waiting to see if the Cobra showed up. If it did he was just going home.

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

I raced the first AC Cobra, driven by Gas Rhonda, in late '62 or early '63, in my '63 Corvette. It was a publicity shoot for Ford at Pomona. He beat me that day and everytime after. My 3000 lb 327 was no match for his 1800 lb 289.
Just a little trivia.

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

I wonder what that 66' 427 Dragonsnake cost back then.
The 65' A/FX 427 SOHC Mustangs were about $11,000.
PC

Re: Rarest Drag car ever made......
 

All the car's cost figures, including drag race modification costs done at Shelby, and single truck shipping of the 427 Dragonsnake to Harr Ford in central Ma. are mentioned in the packautomotivemuseum.com website article. WJ