CSX2019 Factory Comp Dragonsnake for Sale

Hal Heindel · #1 (**permalink**) 02-23-2006, 04:55 AM

When the car you've owned continuously for 39 years starts getting richer than you are, it's time to let go. CSX2019, the original factory Dragonsnake, will be at the Mecum Spring Classic Auction in Belvidere, IL at the end of May.

Quick facts: Red factory PR car, documented appearance in the Elvis Presley film "Viva Las Vegas," repainted Sungleam metallic Viking Blue and converted to Dragonsnake (the first of two factory comp cars, out of a total of only six Dragonsnakes ever produced), national record holder, still in its original paint and racing livery, never restored.

I'm the second owner, having bought CSX2019 in 1967 from Randy Berry, who had continued to race the car successfully after it was delivered to him by Shelby American. For the last 30 years, the Dragonsnake has been stored and maintained in my climate-controlled print shop in Rochester, NY.

See http://www.mecumauction.com/auctions...D=SC0506-35662

and http://www.shelbyford.com for more details.

P.S. CSX2019 sold for $1,525,000.00 on Saturday, May 27.

RACERAL · #2 (**permalink**) 03-19-2006, 05:17 PM

This ought to be fun to watch.. good luck.

mrmustang · #3 (**permalink**) 03-19-2006, 05:21 PM

Hal,

Wish you the best of luck with your sale.

Yours In Fords,

Bill S.

csr · #4 (**permalink**) 03-20-2006, 09:32 AM

Hal,I wish I had extra money to Bid on this beauty!!!!!!!!!!!

Hal Heindel · #5 (**permalink**) 04-30-2006, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csr

Hal, I wish I had extra money to Bid on this beauty!

So do I (wish you had the money to bid, csr!).

I've had a number of people ask me what the Dragonsnake looks like today. Last Thursday, we finally got some sun that let us do a test shoot in preparation for the auction. Take a look at the results:

http://www.shelbyford.com/auction.html

I've had the Webers off the car and in separate storage for the last 30 years. A simple Holley was good enough for the occasional run up to operating temperature. With the help of two very dedicated and talented friends (both ex-racers), the car is now being fed by the Webers again. Forgot how good that sounded! Getting tougher every day to see her go.

csr · #6 (**permalink**) 04-30-2006, 06:56 AM

veeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrryyyyyy niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

LMH · #7 (**permalink**) 04-30-2006, 08:12 AM

Lets see,
If I sold my house, my cars, my entire IRA, got the wife to do some "favors"

for friends... I'd still have to rob a bank!

Guess I better not.

Larry

Excaliber · #8 (**permalink**) 04-30-2006, 09:09 AM

Hal do you know the details of the ignition system? Single or dual point? Electronic? What rpm the engine would typically turn in the 1/4?

I've heard the rear gear ratio's used for the Dragon Snakes were ultra low, like 5.34 or something. The rear tires (slicks) look REALLY tall so that would mitiagate to some degree the rear gear.

Hal Heindel · #9 (**permalink**) 04-30-2006, 11:56 AM

Actually, Excaliber, after 39 years of ownership and self-maintenance (I spent a year at Fort Hood working on M-48 tanks), there isn't much I don't know about that car.

The ignition consists of a plain vanilla dual-point distributor. I added, in 1968 I think, a simple transistor system so I could lower the idle despite the hot cam and the Webers. Didn't get much use out of that because the following April I started my printing business and ended up taking the car off the road.

Max RPM at the drags was 7,000 with the Ford high performance valve springs. Leonard Parsons, the Production Manager at Shelby who was also in charge of the drag racing team, told Randy Berry that by using the Iskenderian springs and washers that were in the car he could go to 7,500. (See http://www.shelbyford.com/thepeople.html - click on the picture of Leonard Parsons).

The rear end ratio on CSX2019 was 5.14, which may or may not be what the other five Dragonsnakes ran with.

If you'd like to see photos of the ignition setup, let me know. I'd be glad to post them.

Excaliber · #10 (**permalink**) 04-30-2006, 12:16 PM

Thanks Hal, I can understand how details about the ignition would be fuzzy. Heck, stuff gets 'fuzzy' for me in two days.

I wouldn't want to impose on you to post the pics, I've seen dual point dists before.

Interesting note on the drag racing 427 Thunderbolt cars. At least one car had a switch to cut off power to ONE set of the dual points. Purpose was to reduce total dist advance timing toward the end of the strip for a better ET\Trap Speed. I'd never heard of that before. Such 'old school' tecniques now lost in time with the advent of electronics.

Fascinating history with CSX2019! As I recall, it seemed to be 'lost' for sometime. It was pretty exciting when YOU popped up on the radar a year or so ago. Thanks for being a good steward over the years!

Tongue Pirate · #11 (**permalink**) 04-30-2006, 01:43 PM

That's Awsome! Hate to hear it's being sold but I'm sure someones gonna love acquiring it. Very awsome piece of history!

HSSS427 · #12 (**permalink**) 04-30-2006, 05:25 PM

So, can we start a contest to guess what it will go for, or is that poor form? In any case, I don't even know what to guess, but I'm always curious to see what the originals go for. Got to uphold our value vs the Mopar stuff that seems to be going out of sight!
Thanks!

Excaliber · #13 (**permalink**) 04-30-2006, 05:53 PM

That is an interesting question, over a million I would think due to it's history. Added attraction is UNRESTORED, now how rare is that!! 2 Mil possible?

1985 CCX · #14 (**permalink**) 05-03-2006, 09:42 AM

Great car! I am like most, could sell off everything including organs and still fall short. I estimate the car will sell for 1.67 million. That is of course a guess and from a non-prof source.

Greatest of luck I hope it sets a new record in the draw.......
Jeff

Excaliber · #15 (**permalink**) 05-03-2006, 08:34 PM

A couple of interesting notes from the LINK Hal posted above:

The "Motion Performance" independant drag Cobra (1964, 289) ran coil springs in place of the rear leaf springs. Would like some pics of THAT setup! Shifting at 8000 rpm it would cross the 1/4 mile finish line at 8700 rpm! WOW!!! Sure makes you wonder what kind of cam\valve springs those boys ran.

Hal Heindel · #16 (**permalink**) 05-04-2006, 02:56 AM

I occasionally get to talk to Joel Rosen, one of the two owners of Motion Performance (Jack Geiselmann having been the other). Joel was the driving force behind their 289. He would love to find out what happened to his Cobra. Anyone know?

MysteryTrain · #17 (**permalink**) 05-09-2006, 05:53 PM

Hal,

Don't know about Joel's car, but if anyone would, you'd find out here. Ron?

Out of curiousity, what were your car's ET times like when it was in race form?

MT

Hal Heindel · #18 (**permalink**) 05-10-2006, 04:54 AM

MT,

While a Shelby team car, CSX2019 set an F/SSP record of 12.81 secs at 108.95 MPH and ran AA/SP times of 11.73 secs at 119.20 MPH. When Randy Berry ran the car in AA/SP, his best time ever was 11.21 secs at 122 MPH.

Hal Heindel · #19 (**permalink**) 05-11-2006, 04:07 AM

WBNG-TV came to Rochester this week to film CSX2019 for an upcoming segment of their "Wheels in Motion" series. That's host Bob Simek interviewing Dana Mecum. See http://www.shelbyford.com/wimtoday.html for details and more photos. The show is expected to air this weekend and will later be available for viewing at the http://www.WIMToday.com web site.

This is not making it any easier!

Excaliber · #20 (**permalink**) 05-11-2006, 09:20 AM

A lot of the fun of owning one of these cars (original or replica) is sharing the history and stories of 'yester year'. People, all kinds, young, old, in between, LOVE the Cobra. It is unlike any other car I've ever had in that regard. It draws a crowd where ever you go.

If your not a 'people person' the LAST car you want is a Cobra!