Projects DRAG SNAKE "Vintage Terror!"

Hope he’s not putting a hydraulic clutch in it!

 

Funny.

 

Ha ha. Very funny.

 

Bump

 

Looks like he hasn't even been on here since Sept, 1st 2024.

 

Yeah, just thinking if he was standing in the shadows lurking he might like to hear that we are still interested.

 

I believe he has the car for sale. I talked with him earlier today with questions on a Buick he is working on.

 

Well it has been a while boys and girls but the Cobra is back under the knife, so I thought I would update you. We have had a blast with the ferocious little thing but I am tired of dragging it around in a trailer all the time. I am ready to just drive the stupid thing and enjoy it. So I have officially retired it from the strip and we are street bound and down!


The poor little thing has not had a bay of its own for a couple of years, it has simply lived in the race trailer. But after moving a few other project cars to another storage shop we rolled it in to its own little den. We removed all the drag snake graphics (let me tell you, there is a part of me that really hated to see them go). If you ever saw the car in person you know what I am talking about, they were some bad ass graphics if I say so myself.....and I just did.

The one thing we found right away was we lost a bit of the paint, Dad was cringing a bit but all and all it was not too bad. Note: this loss is all about me putting the graphics on before the paint really had a chance to cue. I don't remember why but we were in a hurry when we got the final stages the first time around. Probably had a show or race we were trying to make. But no matter, it is getting a whole new color anyway so not a big deal at all.


After getting her up and on stands and wheels off etc. we set about removing roof and then the full cage. I sort of thought sooner or later we might get to this point so the cage was built and installed in such a way as a couple of quick cuts and it just lifted right out...easy breezy, lemon squeezey!


Then we removed the grill, the bumperetts, all the lights, the windshield etc. We are going to give the entire car a quick sanding and then a filler primer other wise ever bit of the previous graphic placements will ghost through etc. Then we are going to seal it and shoot it Viking blue. Hopefully, we will be something close to this...

If you followed from the beginning you will recognize that was the original color I had planned but some kind of scope creep of some kind changed the plans. Even though I really love the Custom Tri-Go knock off rims I am going to change them. I will obviously keep them and maybe pop them back on occasionally, but I want a new look for the car and I have always loved this style of rim.

These are knock offs as well, from the same company Team 3 Wheels that produced the Halibrand looking set we have ran for the past 6 years. These are Sebring units. Who knows, you might even see the original Cobra wheels and tires on Dad's 3 window coupe from time to time. LOL



This past weekend I started working on the exhaust. We have ran the open side headers since the beginning but they are not staying. From the beginning the external header pipe that ran along side the car just aft of the front wheels was attached to the headers via turbo style clamps. Remove the clamp the pipes are gone. I started there at the down turn in the wheel well and I am building a set of pipes that runs under the car and exits just in front of the rear tires.



I found a set of practically new Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers on Facebook marketplace, I told the moron I would take them and when the next day I would be there to pick them up. When I got to his town I send him a message for the address and he said he tried to contact me earlier on Messenger (which I hate) and since I didn't get back with him he sold them to someone else. I said you sold them to me last night, I am here at the agreed time. But I think Ron White said it best, you can't fix stupid! So instead of picking them up, Zoe and me had lunch and ordered a new set!

 

I am going to put a single roll bar hoop in it like the original units with the down bar into the pass
compartment (which is already there). And in true moron drag racer fashion, according to my
tuner, I am not changing the drivetrain at all. LOL.

The car has been an absolute blast! But when I decided a few months ago to do this little change over, I called my tuner. I said I might need some help because this car is not happy on the street. He said what is wrong with it. I said it starts like a champ. It has never missed. It idles perfectly! It will just sit there as long as you want and pound the ground. Then you can absolutely give it hell and it will take everything you give it hanging the front wheels in the first 3 gears and all but up in 4th. BUT, turn right on elm street and start heading for town and it gets all kinds of pissed off!

He downloaded two years of logs and then called me a "moron drag racer!" lol. He said the computer system has been on learn from the beginning. And in two or three years, I have only showed it two F@&%ing things! LMAO! His word, not mine. He says he thinks he can help us.

 

Nightmare on Elm Street huh!
Good to see you posting again Randall.

 

glad to see you back Randal, I was close to having some competition for you, Untill a guy came by and bought this one from me. Got another chassis in the jig rite now, gonna try to keep that one for myself, been building these things since 94 and never had one of my own. let me know if you need a scoopless hood, I might have one stashed up in the rafters.

 

That will be so fun on the street! A slab side cobra is at the top of my (very long) wish list!

 

Good to hear from you. Thanks but have to keep the scoop, it is functional on mine....lol! Yep you definitely need to keep one for yourself. I can't tell you how many comments I get on the quality of the body! It has been a show stopper everywhere it shows up. I am ready to get it back on the road in its new skin, lol!

Right now I am looking for the piece I cut out of the hood to aid in filling the roll cage holes up front. I know I didn't toss it but I'll be darn if I can find that crazy thing. It will turn up. Maybe I better check in the rafters!

 

I am not sure if everyone saw this or not, I thought I placed in on here but looks like it is only on one of my other builds pages here etc. My daughter and are in the process of starting a car show on YouTube called Fastest Car in the County. This is our first attempt, show 1. LOL