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Projects DRAG SNAKE "Vintage Terror!"

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Deuced Up!, Oct 13, 2017.

  1. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    MGA.jpg
    James how long has it been since you've been out of the Twelves? LOL
     
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  2. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    It has been awhile.:(
     
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  3. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    It's like riding bicycle James, you never forget how....right?
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2017
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  4. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    I haven't forgot.
    Not sure if I was having more fun then or now.
    One of these days I will stop bringing a knife to the gun fight.;)

    So this could turn into a good match race.
    20171018_165402 (2).jpg
     
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  5. wrenchbender
    Joined: Sep 5, 2007
    Posts: 2,337

    wrenchbender
    Member

    James how long has it been since you've been out of the Twelves? LOL[/QUOTE]


    It's not been that long but it was the opposite direction you were aiming for lmao. For me it was last Sunday lmao hey I was thinking about stabbing a good ol small block mopar in the willys and still out run you both lol



    Chrome don't get ya home
     
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  6. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    Well I didn't go to the greater side of the 12s last weekend.
     
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  7. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    1963 Shelby Cobra 289 ‘Dragonsnake’ (story credit SuperCars.net)

    Shelby offered the Dragonsnake as a ¼-mile drag car that came equipped with several distinct racing options. Around $8,000 USD, this option was not cheap and only 8 cars came ordered with the drag pack.

    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.

    The engine was completed to a very thorough specification. “Every clearance and dimension has been checked and set to minimum specification. Clearances of all bearings in the lower end of the engine have been set for high rpm. All moving parts of the engine assembly have been balanced, including the cam followers, the push rods, the rocker arms, the valves, and spring retaining washers.”

    “The cylinder heads are cast aluminum and have lightened competition valves installed. The ports and combustion chambers are not polished to comply with N.H.R.A. rules for Stock Sports class. The cam can be either advanced or retarded to customer specification.”

    “The rear and front spring assemblies are modified slightly to create better ground contact on the rear springs and better lift characteristics on the front springs. A hood scoop is also fitted to ensure cool, efficient air intake to the carburetors.”

    Shelby offered the car with three levels of carburation. Stage I was a single 4-barrel carburettor while the $688 Stage II option included two units. Only one car, CSX2427, was original ordered with the Stage III Weber carburetor setup which was fitted later to most of the cars.
     
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  8. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,216

    AHotRod
    Member

    Are you building your own chassis or have you found one that will fit the build?
     
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  9. rr64
    Joined: Nov 30, 2010
    Posts: 84

    rr64
    Member
    from Montana

    [QUOTE1963 Shelby Cobra 289 ‘Dragonsnake’ (story credit SuperCars.net)
    .[/QUOTE]

    There are quite a few errors in the Supercars.net story. A few: production cast iron cylinder heads were modified, Koni® was not the supplier of Cobra Dragonsnake unique shock absorbers, and rear slicks were not made by Goodyear®.

    Anyway, Hot Rod Magazine did a real nice feature story on CSX2427 a few years ago.

    http://www.hotrod.com/articles/forgotten-shelbys-cobra-drag-car/
     
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  10. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
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    So here is an original style space frame cobra chassis.
    unnamed.jpg

    I am pretty sure we will build our own.
     
  11. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,276

    loudbang
    Member

    There are quite a few errors in the Supercars.net story. A few: production cast iron cylinder heads were modified, Koni® was not the supplier of Cobra Dragonsnake unique shock absorbers, and rear slicks were not made by Goodyear®.

    Anyway, Hot Rod Magazine did a real nice feature story on CSX2427 a few years ago.

    http://www.hotrod.com/articles/forgotten-shelbys-cobra-drag-car/[/QUOTE]


    GREAT find
     
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  12. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    COOL READ - Thanks rr64 - Article Taken From Hot Rod Magazine

    Memories of Racing a Rare Shelby Dragonsnake

    The year was 1964. It was a typical humid summer afternoon in south central Pennsylvania. A yellow T-Bird pulled up to a grassy field alongside a quiet airport runway, towing some precious cargo in the trailer behind. The ramps quickly dropped, and a thunderous roar echoed through the aluminum cavern that enveloped the caged beast.

    Don Reimer gave the signal to back the brute out. His younger brother, Mike, shifted into Reverse and eased down the ramps onto the asphalt strip. A retina-burning yellow hue blinded the small pack of spectators gathered to see this race-bred animal run. It was here at this rural race site where the first trials of man and machine would take place; the test to see the compatibility of a young driver and the monstrous Shelby Cobra Dragonsnake.

    Don Doersom had the idea to use his family’s local airport landing strip for the shakedown runs of the Reimer’s new Cobra. Don read in the local paper about the arrival of the car to Gettysburg and was more than happy to help the Reimer boys out. It was the perfect setting to trial run the Dragonsnake, as it offered a 40-foot-wide strip for 3,100 feet—plenty of room to pull off a quarter-mile rip.

    It was fitting that the first runs were at an airstrip, as the checklist seemed similar to a pilot’s agenda just before takeoff. Seat belt on: check. Helmet on, strapped down tight: check. Ignition on: check. Fire it up, back her in, and prepare for takeoff. After pacing off 1,320 feet, Mike Reimer was set to pilot the Cobra for the first time. And he remembers it quite vividly:

    “At first, [I made] a gentle cruise down the strip amid a nearly constant but deep melodious hum from the exhaust, reminiscent of a Tibetan wind gong. There were 1,700 feet of runway beyond the cone and several hundred yards of cut grass beyond that, so plenty of stopping distance and reserve if needed. Then back to the west end of the strip. The second run a bit faster with rapid gear changing. A third conservative run with a bit more speed. The fourth run that afternoon was all out: 5,000 rpm and pop the clutch, the pedal to the metal all the way, snapping through the gears, the incredible sound of power, the sensation of rapid acceleration, and the blur of a cone at the quarter-mile mark. The car came off the line beautifully, no smoking tires, no elevated front end—just perfect weight transfer for a great holeshot. It was hard to get any accurate timing, but we estimated between 12 and 13 seconds for the runs.”

    Mike and Don moved to the pastoral Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, area before they were teens. Their parents bought a farm, and the boys learned to keep it running: plowing, harvesting, plumbing, electrical—which led to welding and mechanics, trades needed to keep the farm machinery going. Back then, you could drive farm vehicles on the roads as early as age 12.

    Vehicles gave you freedom from a home in the sticks—gave you a passage to places with a little more action and faster times. A car could get you where you wanted to be, whether it was nearby York, maybe downtown Gettysburg, or even a hilltop where you could pick up radio stations playing rock-’n’-roll tunes banned in your household. With the youth-oriented radio stations spinning 45s that were music to the boys’ ears, nearby York Drag-O-Way frequently bought commercial time on the local rock-’n’-roll stations, announcing radical 1,320-foot showdowns between Detroit’s Big Three. It not only grabbed the brothers’ attention, it captured them with a high-torque grip that was hard to shake.

    When Mike got his driver’s license, it led to the question of what ride to get. It had to be cheap. He purchased a Corvair, which by no means was a speed demon, but it did the job with little impact on his wallet. Two years later, another Corvair replaced the first; this one a Spyder. Fast, no, but faster than the first. And even though they were out in the rustic countryside, it was tough to test the limits of the car on the tight two-lane farm roads where everyone knew who you were—and could easily notify your parents of your exploits. But the quest for speed was soon to find an outlet.

    Mike started running his Spyder in the M class at York. The dragstrip was large enough to run two side-by-side races at a time. Lower classes like his ran on the outer track, farthest away from the grandstand, while the modifieds, dragsters, and quicker class racers had the better light and higher exposure in the near strip. Occasionally, action had to be halted because of a plane needing to land on this dual-purpose strip. Nonetheless, young Mike got good with the little Chevy’s four-speed and developed a talent for wiping competitors off the line with remarkable reflexes and reaction times. It wasn’t long before his success brought a few important spectators to one of his races: “I was going to Alfred University in upper New York state. Racing was a summer occupation. What would be a good car to run? I got caught up in advertising. Cobra. Big ads in car magazines got my attention, and here was something that could run against the dominating Corvettes. Of course, I needed some investors, and the first one on the list was my dad. My dad and his brother came to York, unbeknownst to me, to see me race. I did well, putting down competitor after competitor. A fellow sitting in the stands behind my dad and uncle also noticed. About the third race, the unknown fellow jumped up and shouted, ‘Look at that Corvair go; he’s beating the s**t out of them all!’ Investment secured. My thanks to that unknown friend.”

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    From that night, Mike and Don sat down with their father and hashed out the makings of their family’s next purchase, a true factory-prepared Cobra Dragonsnake. It was a concept their father suggested: a way of getting the brothers to work together as a team, enhancing their brotherly bond. The $9,000 investment (nearly $70,000 in 2015 money) would be justified by selling the car after their time with it. Mike chipped in as well, with his total life savings, about $1,200, going toward the purchase.

    From the start, Don would handle the management of the team, while Mike would be the primary driver. This worked out well, as Mike had always raced well and was a pro at handling the shifter. Originally, the plan was to buy a factory, street-prepared Cobra and modify it themselves to Dragonsnake specs. But after talking to Dick Guise at Adams County Motors, they were swayed to buy the factory-prepared Dragonsnake, complete with Phase III trim. That Cobra would become known as chassis No. CSX2427, the only factory Shelby American–prepared Cobra sold to the public with the Phase III treatment. That particular setup included the 4×2 Weber carburetors, which many of the Cobras would later run.

    [​IMG]

    It was a busy spring with the boys assembling the essentials for the race team, as the Cobra would arrive sometime in mid-summer. Mike knew that looking like a winning crew was the first step in psyching out possible opponents. Matching uniforms were ordered, toolboxes sourced, and custom painting was lined up to personalize the car. Mike discovered the Shelby-sponsored race team would be in Watkins Glen that spring for a race, so the Reimers set up a meeting. Adams County Motors, which was sourcing Mike and Don’s Cobra, let their own ace mechanic, Roy Williams, represent the brothers as their chief mechanic. Mike remembers the meeting with Ken Miles and the Shelby team quite well: “We met Ken Miles and had a good conversation over breakfast about the special items the Dragonsnake would have specifically for drag racing. Ken gave some pretty good pointers on the racing equipment and what to expect, such as the limited life of the axles in the rear differential and when the jets and air bleeds in the Webers needed changing. Ken was so nice to give us this time at the motel and then in the pits before racing. He was tragically killed in a 1966 test-driving accident.”

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Mike stayed close to the phone for days, waiting for the call from the dealership. Then it finally happened: “Mike, this is Dick Guise from Adams County Motors. Your car is coming off the transport now.”

    Their Dragonsnake had arrived. Mike and Don hit the pavement to Gettysburg. “I drove the 4 miles to Adams County Motors. When I got there, the car was sitting on the street behind the transport trailer, a bright-yellow carriage under now cloudy skies.”

    The car arrived wearing street tires, knock-off mag wheels, and the rare yellow paint. Out back, the taller stock 3.77 rear was present. The boys were promised the shorter 4.89 differential, which would arrive at a later date. The Reimers ended up purchasing racing slicks from a speed shop in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Interestingly, Shelby asked for the return of the rear tires, even after several test runs. The front, factory-shaved tires (side treads were removed to possibly lower resistance) were kept on the car and used exclusively.

    The car’s first competitive run would take place at the boy’s local track. York was 30 miles away, which made it a short trip to some genuine drag-racing adventures. Cobras usually ran against Corvettes, as the spectators particularly enjoyed the Chevy-versus-Ford showdowns. With the Webers, the boys would run in the A/SP class. Later on when the NHRA made an additional sports production car class, a 4-bbl setup was sourced so they could still race in A/SP, while the Weber setup was now designated to AA/SP. They could make the changeover quickly between carb/intake combinations. Mike said electrical tape “A’s” were kept on the toolbox for an easy designation change: “York Dragway was our home strip. We had some local Cobra competition with the Costilow-Larsen Cobra. I liked Bruce Larsen, as he was an intense competitor. We were weekend racers, but for Bruce it was a career—and a successful one too. We only met a few times, as my crew sequestered me, not wanting Bruce to psych me out. I had a great reaction time and could put a holeshot on almost every competitor. And all that time, 250 to 300 races, I never red-lighted.

    [​IMG]

    “I don’t think Larsen showed up that first week, so we had the field to ourselves—three runs and it was over. There were seven or eight Corvettes and us. Most of the Corvettes were in legal street status, meaning mufflers connected. There were two in racing form, and the track put us up against both. For us, it was really a learning experience. We had time for a trial run. It was still daylight. The temperature dropped as the sun went down, and we wondered if we should change the jets or the air bleeds in the Webers. We left them alone, came off the line at 4,000 rpm, and turned a decent 12.4-something in the first competitive run. The car was sharp off the line and we could go another 1,000 rpm off the start. Pop the clutch, smooth off the line, good holeshot, rapid shifting with the pedal to the metal, and I never did see the Vette until after the traps with a 12.2. Feeling good…we picked up the trophy!”

    [​IMG]

    Tasting success so early gave the young guns even more confidence they could run with the pros. Though the brothers took it seriously, they knew deep down this would never be a career choice for them, as other fields of employment were on the horizon.

    The Reimers got lucky enough to be a late entry for Indianapolis that summer. Mike called up the NHRA organizing committee and asked if he could sign up for the event. Though reluctant, the voice on the other side of the phone asked, “What class are you interested in?” Mike told him “A/SP” and that he “was a running a Cobra.” Since the field was already littered with Corvettes, the organizer decided it was a good idea to grab another Cobra. Access granted.

    [​IMG]

    Once there, the boys met up with representatives from Hurst who brought new shifters for all the Cobra teams. It was a tough decision: keep the original “Mickey Mouse” shifter (Mike’s semi-affectionate term for the basic shifter supplied with the Dragonsnake) or take the chance and put in the Hurst stick the other teams ran. Mike decided to go with the new piece, so a late night was spent under the parking-lot lights of a nearby Ford garage installing the shifter. However, more work was ahead. The Reimers were promised the 4.89-geared differential that they never received initially. Shelby brought one to the meet for them which was installed as well.

    The trial runs were the next day. Mike got five passes in, trying to get used to the altered throw of the new shifter. The car was a different animal now, and Mike had to get acquainted with how the Dragonsnake came off the line. It was short between gears—on the order of no more than 2 inches—and the upshift across to Third was also very close. Mike felt it was almost like he was jamming his elbow attempting to make the large throw shifts with the “Mickey Mouse” shifter. With practice, Mike felt confident going into the competition.

    “We were ready to go,” he said. “We had a strategy: Run with the Vettes and then about the third run go after Shelby. We used our last set of spark plugs and got the right-hand lane. As the temperature of the day increased (and humidity too), we figured out the jets and air bleeds for the Webers. For every 10 to 15 degrees, we would go another 0.05 inch larger on the air but left the fuel alone.”

    It was hot and sunny on race day. Only the car’s driver and passenger were allowed in the pit area. The other hangers-on had to sit in the stands. It didn’t last long—they all snuck in.

    “We were called up,” Mike said. “We looked sharp in our team gear. Yellow shirts with COBRA embroidered on the back, with black pants sporting a yellow stripe down the leg. The pairings were Cobra and Vette. Nobody pre-burned tires at that time. So up to the line. Unfamiliar track, unfamiliar crew, wow—just look at the people in the stands! But then the world shrunk to about a 70-foot radius. Not even the end of the track was in my mind. Staging light on for the Cobra. The Vette went too far and had to back up. Slowly creeping forward, pushed by their crew, the staging light was on. Revving the engines, clear out those jets. ‘Ready now?’ the starter signaled. I snugged up the strap on my helmet and nodded yes. Two, four, five, sixty-five hundred rpm on the tach, the lights start to descend: blink, blink, blink, blink—I popped the clutch—then green. I shifted by sound, slammed the four-speed into Second. The Cobra had fantastic front-to-back weight ratio. It never seemed to lift much off the line, but it sure reeled when it snugged into Second. As the engine approached 6,000 rpm, I slammed into Third—oh, crud, I missed Third! I shifted too far to the right and missed Third. All that practice, all that way to the track and on the first run, I miss Third. I knew we should have left in the ‘Mickey Mouse’ shifter. Shelby’s team did not change. Oh, no! How disappointed I have made the rest of the crew!”

    Mike salvaged the run. The timeslip showed him a full second behind his typical race. But, amazingly, he still clipped the Vette, winning the heat. That would be his only hiccup that day, as he raced flawlessly through the rest of the matchups:

    [​IMG]

    “About 40 minutes later, we were called back to the staging area. Another Vette. I was lucky and had the right lane again. Ready to go. Deafening exhaust, both excellent out of the hole. All the way down the track side by side. This is the best race I have ever experienced. Through the traps and sadly, I finished Second. The times were the same, but the Vette tripped off the quarter-mile light first and he had a slightly greater speed. Was it aerodynamics at 115 mph? I don’t know. I didn’t miss Third!”

    At the end of the day, the tally had been reached. Shelby had won the meet. Being part of a winning team was a source of pride for the young-gun cast and crew, and the topper to participating in such a major event with the elite of drag racing. These quarter-mile showdowns would continue for the Reimers and their Dragonsnake, with the team stalking the local tracks in and around Pennsylvania. They would usually be called up to race against Corvettes, which continued to be a crowd-pleaser. Mike remembers the crowd being a little more receptive to the competition. But that never bothered him, as the little yellow Cobra was always a fierce competitor and left its citron-hued mark on the race field.

    [​IMG]

    Years passed, and Mike was graduating college. He’d received the good news he was accepted into graduate school for the upcoming fall semester, but that meant all his free time was about to dry up. The decision was made to sell the Dragonsnake. It was a melancholy farewell to his “pet”; a car that provided the brothers and crew memorable nights and instant celebrity in such a small-town theater.

    After the Reimers sold CSX2427, it bounced around to several owners.

    “We sold the car and it had various owners through the decades. I probably don’t know them all, but some would call and ask if we had any stuff from its first racing career. I did and sent some out, holding on to less and less as mementos of a fun time growing up. Once in a while, I would find a small piece in the toolbox, a few jets for the Webers, a special spark plug, and some clips for the spark plugs.”

    Filtering through several owners, the Dragonsnake finally made its way to a high-end restoration shop in Canada, where the Cobra received a ground-up restoration. But on the horizon was a new owner who had already abolished the basic standards of what restorations could be—and what they should be. His name is Steve Juliano.

    Steve Juliano is an autophile on his own level, and when the “Master Amasser” takes on a project, you can be sure nothing will be left to question. Being a collector of one-of-one cars, Steve always has an ear to the pavement for bizarre builds and cars yet to be discovered by his collecting competitors. His assemblage consists mostly of one-off Mopar designs, but Steve has a big spot in his geardriven heart for all things Cobra. Being a onetime judge for the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC) multiplied his love for these beautiful beasts and has supplied him with the knowledge to recreate them as built by Carroll himself.

    [​IMG]

    Once in possession of CSX2427, Steve searched past owners, diving into the Dragonsnake’s history. Steve contacted Mike shortly after gaining ownership of the car.

    “[Steve] told me he was restoring the car,” Mike said. “We communicated regularly over the years and he would send me pictures of the car in various stages of restoration. I knew he was very dedicated when he mentioned the car was in different restoration shops around the country. I sent him some of the remaining materials, including the few photos we had taken, and as memory allowed, I emailed him what I could recall about its configuration. I could sense Steve was experiencing the same passion for the car I had when it was factory fresh.

    Steve is driven by perfection. Restoring a car is not enough for him; there is a need to hit a new level each time out. Armed with a treasure trove of new-old-stock parts, the arduous restoration unfolded. No money was spared to bring the Cobra back to when it first rolled out Shelby American in 1964. The final steps of the restoration were handled by David Riley of Michigan. Good friend, and Cobra expert, Lynn Parks helped with support while Steve pushed through the dark times of this restoration. The fruit of Steve’s labor was when the Cobra scored the highest points total in SAAC judging history. An amazing accomplishment for any collector.

    In 2013, Steve brought CSX2427 to the Shelby Cobra museum located in Boulder, Colorado. Mike had the opportunity to meet Steve and see the Cobra for the first time in 47 years. Needless to say, Mike was amazed at the level of restoration the Dragonsnake received, which was now emblazoned with the lettering the boys had done back in 1964. Steve and Mike hit it off from the start and talked for hours about the car, its significance to Mike, and its significance to automotive history.

    “Steve made a very astute observation when we met,” Mike said. “[Steve] said this car will be preserved long after you and I are gone from this Earth. He is right. My parents have passed away, and Don and Roy are gone. The farm has been sold, and Dick Guise and I are retired.”

    When Steve and Mike met in Boulder, Mike handed Steve the trophy the Reimers won on their first day at York. It was the last Dragonsnake memento Mike held on to over the years. It was a fitting end to this story. This bright-yellow “torch” had been passed.
     
  13. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,276

    loudbang
    Member

    Much easier to read without all the ads. :)
     
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  14. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Some pretty exciting news here today. You know this thing really needs the Webers to look the part. After all that was what the final versions were all wearing. I have been thinking about it for a few days and doing some research. Today I ran across these guys, Redline. They have been selling and tuning Weber carbs forever. AND now they have a true EFI unit. I know things like this get frowned upon around here but these guys are a killer old school group of true car guys making a totally kick ass product. They even have the COBRA embossed intake. I spoke with their tech guy today and he blew me away. I got schooled for about 20 minutes and when he was done talking I bought it! We have to wait on the engine to get a bit closer to fruition to decide on the exact injectors etc. But you are definitely going to find one of these babies under the hood!
    hrdp_0811_14_z+electronic_fuel_injection_systems+redline_weber.jpg
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2017
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  15. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,592

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    Sure would be more fun watching you and your dad tune on a full set of Webers.
     
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  16. wrenchbender
    Joined: Sep 5, 2007
    Posts: 2,337

    wrenchbender
    Member

    I remember watching them tune a couple of carbs what fun that was lmao just imagine a whole set of webers I better get me a lawn chair and a case of beer this would be a great show lmao. Trust me I know what fun it is lol


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
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  17. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Sorry Jackson no such show coming...you have taught me well my friend. It is fuel injection all the way from this point forward...LOL! Hell I think in the first version of the Austin we put nearly as much raw fuel down through the cylinders as we put in the fuel cell! It can happen fast when your completely over kill ProMod style fuel pump and regulator keeps trying trying to stuff 45 pounds of fuel pressure through a couple of 750s....LMAO!
     
  18. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I have been looking at transmission choices for the little snake. I think I am going this direction for several reason.

    m7003m6266_3178.jpg
    This is the Tremec Magnum 6 Speed with dual placement shifter. Sort of high tech but it will be all be hidden. It has an optional gear ratio that I really like: 2.97, 2.10, 1.46, 1.00, 0.74, 0.50. I think the original DragonSnakes were in the mid 4 range on the rear gear. I am doing the math now but I am thinking 4.11 out back may be the ticket. We shall see. The two overdrive gears should make it very highway friendly and that is one thing we are not going to mess up this time (scope creep)! This car is going to be driven, not drug everywhere on trailer. The cool facts about this thing are it is good through 700 hp, can easily handle as high as 7,500 rpm shifts, and it is a proven unit. Certainly the way I am leaning anyone have other thoughts?
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2017
  19. oldolds
    Joined: Oct 18, 2010
    Posts: 3,407

    oldolds
    Member

    With all those new goodies I guess this build will not qualify for the under $5000 build page! lol
     
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  20. loudbang
    Joined: Jul 23, 2013
    Posts: 40,276

    loudbang
    Member

    I drove a Cobra jet with the 4:30 rear with locker on the street for years. Wound pretty high over 55 mph but NO OVERDRIVE. With that new transmission it would work pretty well and get you maybe a couple less tenths in the quarter.
     
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  21. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
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    Here is the gear ratio formula that you can use several ways etc. rpm = (mph x final gear ratio x 336*) / tire diameter. Basically if you know any 3 of the numbers above you can figure the 4th. LOL

    Wondering how accurate it could be? Well the Austin ran a very consistant 144 mph out the back gate. It didn't matter if we ran 9.50 or 10.50 et, if she was rapped out in 4th by the finish the mph was 144. (7,000 rpm was my shift point so 144 mph with my configuration should = 7,000 rpm)....lets check it out!

    (mph - 144) (Final Gear Ratio From Below In 4th - 4.305) (Tire Diameter - 30) SO....
    rpm =(144 x 4.305 x 336)/30 Formula says rpm was: 6943.10 Pretty Darn Good!

    My Doug Nash with 3.50 Rear Gear
    1st:. 3.27 Final Math 11.445
    2nd. 2.14 Final Math 7.49
    3rd. 1.5 Final Math 5.495
    4th. 1.23 Final Math 4.305
    5th. 1 Final Math 3.5

    Tremec with a 4.11 Rear Gear
    1st. 2.97 Final Math 12.2067
    2nd. 2.1 Final Math 8.631
    3rd. 1.46 Final Math 6.0006
    4th. 1 Final Math 4.11
    5th. 0.74 Final Math 3.0414
    6th 0.5 Final Math 2.055

    So using that same formula numbers from the Tremec etc. 130 mph with 4.11 gear and 29" tall tires would be just a tick over 6,000 rpm in 4th gear. In a perfect world in 5th gear 70 miles per hour will be 2467 rpm and 6th a mere 1667 rpm. With no wind...lol and a long enough road and big enough (well you know whats) 6 grand in 6th gear is over 250 mph...
     
  22. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I never knew there was such a page! LOL.
     
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  23. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Boy I am going to catch hell for this. It took a while to track down the actual "Cobra" color I am looking for but I just found the paint code and you are not going to believe what it is called: "Princess Alice Blue" ....nice.
     
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  24. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,752

    Deuces

    So, let's see the color please.... Gotta paint chip??? :)
     
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  25. oldolds
    Joined: Oct 18, 2010
    Posts: 3,407

    oldolds
    Member

    els, loudbang and Deuced Up! like this.
  26. loudbang likes this.
  27. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    AC COLORS.jpg
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2017
    loudbang likes this.
  28. Deuced Up!
    Joined: Feb 8, 2008
    Posts: 4,206

    Deuced Up!
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Actually I think I am wrong. Especially knowing the first 100 cobras were either black, white, or red and Black is not on that color wheel from AC. I believe the color chips above are for the Ace Bristol and not the converted Shelby Cobras. It appears below may be the actual color options.

    Screen Shot 2017-10-22 at 4.29.50 PM.png
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2017
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  29. edcodesign
    Joined: Mar 30, 2007
    Posts: 4,716

    edcodesign
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  30. rooman
    Joined: Sep 20, 2006
    Posts: 4,045

    rooman
    Member

    And for the first car is was pearl yellow, red and finally blue as Shelby painted it different colors as he let different magazines test it. The second list looks more like the actual line up as the first is a more muted palette (kinda British).

    Roo
     
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