In 1964, while Carroll Shelby’s A.C. Cobras were running away with road racing victories, a few of his employees convinced the man to provide a 289 Cobra to use for drag racing. 4.54 ring and pinion; install tach on cowl.” Originally These fall into the factory-prepared-competition category, and would include 2248, 2427, 2472, and 3198. through a Ford dealership. There were only a few ever produced By 1966, Carroll Shelby and his cars were firmly on the map of global motorsports. The ports and combustion chambers are not polished to comply with N.H.R.A. Shelby GT500CR late model. Coupes. Let’s dig under all this purple metal flake and see where this result comes from. 1977, the price had dropped to $27,500 and the car was purchased that this is the original car he made in 1965 and saw no signs reduced drag of the current Cobra body and improved times with V-8 or the high-performance 289-cu.in. Authenticated and certified by the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) as a true and correct original car. in 2004. 505 Horsepower (N.H.R.A. with the original Goodyear Blue Streak drag slicks, which are difficult There were even fewer others that were built with “Every clearance and dimension has been checked and set to minimum specification. in Massachusetts and Connecticut, where it was raced on occasion. Assembly Plant: Shelby American Los Angeles, CA   to pay off the machine shop at which the car was being repaired. From 1967 on, the 427 bounced among several owners The engine was a 427 side-oiler with a 12.5:1 compression ratio, specially outfitted with a high-rise aluminum intake manifold, an 850 cfm Holley four-barrel carburetor, RotoFaze magneto ignition and straight, short headers. with a best time of 10.02 @ 146 mph. 50th 1968 GT500KR. in chassis); relocate oil filter; install scattershield; install CSX2427 is also the only factory Stage III, quadruple Weber-carbureted Dragonsnake Cobra produced. This is one of only four Dragonsnakes ever built by Shelby, it was extensively raced, and it is one of the winningest Cobra chassis known. The first Dragonsnake built set a then record ¼ mile time of 12.81 at 108.95 mph. No crap, we promise. It might be noted that a green, fiberglass-bodied kit-car with These would include the worm-and-sector 2019 and the rack-and-pinion 2357. Bearing Shelby-American chassis number CSX 3198, the 427 Dragonsnake's as-delivered price was just under $14,000. https://www.supercars.net/blog/1963-shelby-cobra-289-dragonsnake Chassis number CSX2019 was designated as a Public Relations car and, with that the "DragonSnake" was born. estimated) Among them were a complete new rear-axle assembly with 4.86 gears and a Traction-Lok differential, a factory installed scattershield enclosing the flywheel and clutch, drag-specification Koni shock absorbers and a quick-shifting linkage beneath the otherwise stock, forward-angled shift lever. In more recent years, Matt Milbrandt of Cincinnati, (the latter was road courses or street use. Shelby American is always here to make things just a bit more extreme, and it's done it again for SEMA this year. Stage I was a single 4-barrel carburettor while the $688 Stage II option included two units. The Shelby Cobra, sold in the United Kingdom as the AC Cobra and Shelby AC Cobra, is an American-British sports car with a Ford V8 engine, produced intermittently in both the UK and the US since 1962. Smith (FL). It was advertised late in the year as: "Stored Weight:  2,020 LBS. every time out, won street eliminator 50% of total attempts. Most of the dashboard fittings and instruments are Shelby-issue. AND TODAY, AS ORIGINAL AS IT WAS WHEN NEW ! exhaust system and leave stock mufflers in place; relocate batteries Daytona Coupe (CSX9000) GT40 Shelby Edition OVC 65 GT350R. Rotofaze Magneto Ignition, Transmission:    4-Speed Manual Floor Shifter, Wheelbase:  90 inches CSX3198 was sent the Berry Plastics for installation of a hard Undisputed best winning record for the 6 factory and independently prepared Dragonsnakes. to rear of passenger seat; install air scoop (when engine is a square-tubed chassis, claiming to be CSX3198, "rebuilt order actually totaled $2,173.98. First introduced in 1963, the DragonSnake was Shelby’s offering for the automotive enthusiast who preferred the ¼ mile opposed to the Cobra’s normal road course roots. The Costilow/Larson Cobra was so successful that it overshadowed Shelby American’s own Dragonsnake Cobra, which resulted in reduced Shelby support. Look through any one of a number of history books, and you can see images of a taut-jawed Ken Miles attacking the esses at Riverside, Bob Bondurant howling down the pre-neutered Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans, or Bob Holbert sweeping through the high banks in his Daytona coupe. In 1966, Costilow sold CSX2093 to Ed Hedrick, who continued the Dragonsnake Cobra’s winning ways in the same bold color. Out of six pictures in this story, it was tough to pick one to lead with. Performance - Hot Rods - Custom - Antiques - One Offs Many with valid Race and Movie Build Histories, One of only a few TOTALLY FREE On-Line Automotive Museums on the Internet. National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) record holder in retired classes AA, A, B, C/ sports. History Overview: This is the Harr Ford, Worcester, Mass., National Hot Rod Association Shelby 289 Cobra A/SP “DRAGONSNAKE” drag racer. following a wreck," surfaced in Japan in 1991. Written from Ford that would briefly show it’s face in the Sunbeam Tiger an eyeblink's worth of eternity. Race Results: The car held both ends 850 CFM Holley 4 -Barrel Carburetor for top points street eliminator, Div.1, Has won A/SP class sites such as Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona. bought 3198 in 1981 and sold it to Jim Kelsey note that there were other 427 Cobra's produced but not from With "National Record Holder" added to its C-pillar and Harr's own Candy Apple Red on the aluminum bodywork, Harr placed the 427 Dragonsnake on the market at the end of the 1966 racing season. Automobile Club, the gray primer #3198 invoiced to Shelby American Where the drag Cobras are concerned, the cars built as Dragonsnakes at Shelby American and raced by the factory are termed factory competition cars. There were only a few ever produced so, if rare is a description for the group of them, the Haar Ford DragonSnake #CSX 3198 is by far the rarest of the rare. to Florida. Tom Clark, of "The Steering Wheel" (Ft. Probably this is the only drag car that ever run on old Laguna Seca circuit. "It's exactly what you'd expect," The car had only 500 miles on its odometer when Harr Ford sold it a Corvette rear end and half-shafts. In late 1970 or early 1971, Our feature car, CSX2093, is the winningest competition Cobra in drag history and won 7 NHRA National events with Bruce Larson or Ed Hedrick driving. 427 Street Cobra CSX3198,” was opened on 1/14/66 Clearances of all bearings in the lower end of the engine have been set for high rpm. Pack purchased the car in the Monterey, California auction to Massachusetts. At Haar Ford, #3198 was painted a shade of (7000 rpm) power ever put in a Cobra from Shelby in the ‘60’s.  market value is estimated to be PRICELESS ! The Cobra's had a lightweight aluminum body … Shelby's most powerful 427 ci V/8 and were manufactured for huge Unique Performance auto show in Farmers Branch, Texas. First developed in 1963, the Dragonsnake was Shelby American’s Cobra offering for those who preferred their racing in quarter-mile intervals. Estimate: $1.75M–$2.25M. 289 ci V/8. large part, that's due to the fact that the Cobra is still shod Won the 1966 NHRA World Championship while owned and driven by Ed Hedrick. I'm still looking for the the lap times. Shelby 427 Cobra. 1280954 - Written by Jim Donnelly, Portions of text CSX 2093: THE WINNINGEST DRAGONSNAKE In the case of Jim Costilow, Bruce Larson, Ed Hedrick, and CSX 2093, they did just that. Exterior Color:  Candy Apple Red Bruce Daley (Phoenix, AZ) purchased it at the end of the year. shipped to L.A. At Shelby American, work order #18091 “Build Around $8,000 USD, this option was not cheap and only 8 cars came ordered with the drag pack. of National Record, E.T. getting a valid driving impression of the Dragonsnake only needs the publication and an acknowledgement that the Japan car was Star Ford presents you the rarest of the rare, 1966 AD PROMOTING AN IN-DEALERSHIP APPEARANCE OF CSX3198 - GUS ZUIDEMA SURROUNDED BY AWARDS AND HIS SECOND LOVE, Materials shown on this web site belonging to the Pack Automotive Museum are copyright protected and not re-printable without written permission from the Pack Auto Group. Height: 48. 10.86 seconds, 127 mph (A/SP, NHRA) Yet Zuidema, a service supervisor at a New England Ford dealership (Harr Ford), rightly deserves a place of honor in Cobra racing history. the factory for the drags, rather, they were SCCA and similar Included was a competition-spec engine, modified Koni shock absorbers, Goodyear Drag Slicks, 4.54:1 rear end, air scoop on the hood, relocated battery behind the passenger seat, heavy-duty half shafts and an NHRA-approved roll bar. That notwithstanding, as Milbrandt explained, All other DRAG Dragonsnakes featured 260 or 289 CID V/8's, The third category are the cars that were sold for street use but modified for drag racing by an early owner. 3198 was selected to fill the order. A second work order, #15123, Shelby knew that when equipped with enough tire to really get off the line it would have a formidable drag car. It was offered by Mecum at their Kissimmee, FL Auction on January 26-30, 2011. in 1966, and it was driven minimally by previous owners since. Date of Manufacture: 04/07/66  Mechanically perfect. Lauderdale, FL.) Coupes. Please to Haar Motor Company as CSX3198 Drag Unit Cobra, $10,000 (about 1963 Shelby Cobra Dragonsnake roadster This ex-Costilow/Larson Cobra, Lot S220, sold for $901,000, including buyer’s premium, at Mecum Auction’s Kissimmee, FL, auction on January 28, 2012. In 1965, Shelby would capture the World GT Manufacturer's Championship. (Key Largo, FL). Susan Brown (Hollywood, FL) owned the car from 1965 GT350. This one is a Dragonsnake. Late Model (still in production) GT500 Super Snake (07-14) Shelby Raptor(11-14) Shelby … Only five factory 289ci Dragonsnakes were built, but other Cobras were converted to Dragonsnake spec by independent privateers who could buy the package from Shelby. A hood scoop is also fitted to ensure cool, efficient air intake to the carburetors.”. From there, it landed in Florida in the early Eighties, in the hands MA) drove the car in A/Sports with a best time of 10.38 secs. Bore/Stroke: N/A @ 138 mph and, using hi-rise tunnel port heads, in A/Sports/Modified "Original cost was $14,000. Will sacrifice. Contact Bill tunnel-port heads, and installed the 427 center-oiler from Dragonsnake In 1964, while Carroll Shelby’s A.C. Cobras were running away with road racing victories, a few of his employees convinced the man to provide a 289 Cobra to use for drag racing. The reason is pretty simple. The build sheet specified “Install Knoi shocks front & rear; One of just five original factory Dragonsnake Cobras ever built by Shelby American, CSX2427 is literally one of just a handful of these much-storied factory Competition Cobras. However, a handful of owners believed that they could beat Shelby at his own game, using cars bearing his own name. Won 7 NHRA National events with Bruce Larson or Ed Hedrick driving. Another name, Gus Zuidema, is virtually never mentioned as an icon in the Shelby cathedral. modifications for Cobra Drag Unit CSX3198 for Haar Motor Co.”  felt and saw the car for the first time in many years and was '69 Cadillac convertible and $8,000 in cash. With pride of ownership, Sam Pack’s Five Dec 7, 2019 - Explore Bill Reinert's board "Cobra Dragon Snake" on Pinterest. Chassis number CSX2019 was designated as a Public Relations car and, with that the “DragonSnake” was born. He has verified as the real thing. Quick action on the part of Bill Murray (Longmont, The Texas Classic Auction 2017Saturday, April 22, 2017 John Halister (CT) purchased the Cobra in 1980 at a price of The latest supercar news, rumors, reviews and more delivered to you each week. Carroll Shelby and his racing team remained a dominant force in motorsport throughout the 1960s. CSX3160. He then sold CSX3160 and drove CSX3198 for a time as It was reported that Bernstein, or a hired driver, continued Documentation of NHRA national records. half of the record with a 10.87 at Madison, New Jersey, and getting the top-speed portion done at nearly 128 mph at York U.S. 30 Dragway in central Pennsylvania. bar, two tops and all with under 2,000 miles on the odometer.  All three of these cars are currently in The Cobra Experience." By that time, Zuidema had won A/SP at every race he entered including the Winternationals and U.S. Nationals, and had a 50 percent win rate in the Street Eliminator bracket when he wasn't racing in his usual NHRA class. It has standard 3.54 final but most of this car are fitted with 4.89 final. Naturally, given its potential, the car was fitted with a roll bar, but otherwise, it was largely standard-issue 427 Cobra, with all-aluminum bodywork. History and development. Only one car, CSX2427, was original ordered with the Stage III Weber carburetor setup which was fitted later to most of the cars. )  The Shelby Cobra 289 Dragonsnake made the scene back in 1963, adding a scintilatting drag racing episode to the Shelby legend. In June, he knocked down his own record at Sanford, Maine, stopping the clocks at 11.15 and 127 mph. A.C. Cars of Thames Ditton in Surrey, England had been producing the Ace since 1954. Ford decided to sell the car they provided the following:   install roll bar; install electric pumps; install road race DragonSnakes, as they were called, were high performance Cobras produced by Shelby American in the mid-sixties and could have been ordered through a Ford dealership. Four Dragonsnakes were built by Shelby with the 260-cu.in. reproduced from the Shelby American Automobile Club. was opened in that same month headed “Chassis In July, he again lowered his own record, setting the e.t. Original Convertible Top:   Candy Apple Red Inches Show quality full and accurate restoration by Ziegler Coach, LA. Purchase Price After All Mods: Approximately $14,000.00, The images and documents below donated to the Pack Automotive Museum by Jeff Zuidema, son of Gus Zuidema (CSX3198's NHRA driver), 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra CSX3198 "  the rarest of the rare. Cars in this category would include 2093 and 3159. In 1964, Cobras had swept international sports car racing at Daytona, Sebring, and had scored the GT-class victory at Le Mans. We term them independent competition cars. National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) record holder in retired classes AA, A, B, C/ sports. Undisputed best winning record for the 6 factory and independently prepared Dragonsnakes. The car featured on this page (CSX 3198) was the only factory produced 427 Cobra Jet, private use DRAG Dragonsnake ever built. A heart stopping 505 horsepower’s worth of weekend fun. Shelby Dragonsnake. For a brief history of the Ford Motor Car Company click here. Estimated output was an NHRA class eliminator-conservative 505hp. Though only nominally different, from a structural standpoint, from street or road-racing Cobras, the Dragonsnakes required close to 30 specific modifications in order for them to undertake quarter-mile duty. The rear wheel openings were slightly radiused to clear its original, 11-inch M&H drag slicks, and a Berry fiberglass roof was fitted. At that event Carroll Shelby inspected the car completely, touched, The beauty of a barn find is this: sometimes you don’t even know what you have until you start the process of disassembly. eight years, all Dragonsnake options, only one known? Back in the 1960s, Shelby built and sold a version of the Shelby Cobra prepped for drag racing called the "Dragonsnake." With only four 289ci DragonSnakes ever built, these Cobras are among some of the rarest Shelby offerings around. 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