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[HIS]

Hi Ned. I literally just got home from another 10 day hospital stint. Not wanting to air my existence in a public forum all I can say is that there is a limit to how much a person values life over ending the pain.

First it seems fairly easy to rule out that 2416 was built as a Dragonsnake. The obvious closed extra silenced exhaust, standard gearing, uncut wheel openings, lack of roll bar, sway bars, choice of wheels/tires, radio, etc has to logically rule that out.

Regarding the tag  you are correct in that it has the same tag as the factory built Competition Cars.
At the risk of those reading this wondering if all the chemo I have taken has taken its toll I am the only Cobra owner on earth attempting to get to the truth and not just easily accepting the fact that I own another true SA built Comp Car.

My opinion is that the purchaser of this car quite simply ordered (from a microscopic little dealer in KS) a cobra HIS way. After rereading the list of options he chose and/or made up we all have to agree that HIS way was pretty damn cool and had zero regard for any designation being Drag, Comp, or pizza delivery vehicle. His choices as ordered and delivered would have kept him off of every race course in America plus many of his choices would have not helped the car compete even if that was his intention. SA , as far as I read, wasn't sending out Comp cars to the public with radios, quieted closed exhaust, NO roll bar, standard suspension, chrome overrider bumpers, dual chrome tipped exhaust, etc... c'mon he even sent it back for a color change? He liked a new red he saw on a mustang over the blue he rec'd? What guy ordering a race car does that? He send it all the way back to California from Kansas for red paint? That sure sounds like a guy who simply ordered a fun car HIS way to me. So faced with this custom build the question is how did Shelby American confront it? This we can never know. Obviously this build was way out of the scope of the street car department thus it ended up in the Race Car build section. The exhaust alone had to be a nightmare to construct. Ironically it started life being built alongside the yellow Dragonsnake it sits next to now. 

So my opinion is the most obvious and justifiable one. CSX2416 was simply a cobra ordered by a guy who wanted it the way he wanted it with ZERO regard for any race designation. It is what it is....a loaded up very expensive impressive street daily driver that now today falls into a unique one of one status. Anything to the contrary is hard to justify 50 years later.

The opioid has worn off so i shall to.

Miss you Ned.

Steven

Before I get into some brief details of CSX2416 I would like to begin with some quick thank yous especially since these gentlemen put me first when I was in need. On the west coast Mr. Cobra Lynn Park, the founder of The Cobra Experience Drew Serb, and John Bessey. The guys who did all the heavy lifting of this restoration are Jeff Christ and the highly resourceful Dave Riley. Ned Scudder who I wished existed in the MoPaR world as well (I am not sure all of you appreciate where we would be if there was no Ned.) David Wagner, and to Dan Case, the most knowledgeable Cobra expert in the world PERIOD. When a question is asked of Dan and he responds with "how far do you want to go" it puts true fear in me.

After many years of gathering knowledge and ORIGINAL bits the restoration of CSX2416 has been completed. The first order of business was to dispel all the nonsense regarding its history from day one. This self serving spinning of the facts by previous owners that ignored the obvious.

CSX2416 was never a factory dragonsnake. It quite simply and obviously was ordered as the most by far highest optioned and most special 289 streetcar ever built. There is nothing else like it that left Shelby American. Obviously Shelby America was not selling Drag cars with standard wheel openings, unmodified front spring, standard gear ratios, no roll bar, sway bars, radios, closed quiet exhaust, and on and on. All obvious facts that previous owners turned a blind eye to.  Instead they highlighted that the car was built alongside CSX2427, the yellow Dragonsnake, at Shelby's race shop. PLEASE NOTE THAT CSX2416 AND CSX2427 ARE THE ONLY WEBER INDUCTED COBRAS EVER SOLD NEW TO THE PUBLIC. With the long highly specialized list of options on CSX2416 only the race shop could handle this build. The one-of-a-kind elaborate headers into relocated elongated mufflers with four tailpipes with four chrome tips plus the Weber induction system was work out of the scope of the street car shop. This is where the connection to being a drag car starts and ends.

In the November 1964 issue of Car Craft magazine there are two clear photographs of 2416 brand new at Shelby American (In fact the car was still Princess blue thus these were taken prior to its return and repaint by Shelby in Rangoon Red). Dan Case and I went over these photos to the point of insanity. Dan sees things at a hawk-envy level.

Based on three original invoices from Shelby American this is the list of options on CSX2416 from new. Many of these options are one of one and do not appear on any other Cobra. Whoever ordered this car new had eccentric tastes and deep pockets. This car cost more ($9200 w/tax and repaint at SA) in 1964 than an S/C Cobra did years later. On a side note I was able to find the son of the owner of the dealership that had closed in 1971. He was kind enough and I lucky enough to obtain from him an original dealer foil emblem for the trunk. It may not sound like much though it made my day.

Attached are photos of CSX2416 new in front of Shelby America plus an engine photo taken the same time and as it sits today.

Sadly due to health constraints I may not be able to post/respond.

Thank You Gents.
Be well,
Steven Juliano

Here is the list of options as per the Shelby American factory invoices dated 8.6.1964:

STAGE III ENGINE WITH WEBER INDUCTION

ALUMINUM ROCKER ARM COVERS

FRONT GRILLE GUARD

REAR BUMPER GUARD

EXHAUST PIPE TIPS (4)

ADJUSTABLE WIND WINGS

TINTED SUN VISORS

HEATER

SEAT BELTS

RADIO

HOOD SCOOP AND COLD AIR BOX

SWAY BARS

OIL COOLER

FULLY POLISHED AMERICAN RACING FIVE SPOKE WHEELS W/O VISIBLE LUGS

CUSTOM EXHAUST SYSTEM

HARD TOP

DELUXE SIDE CURTAINS

ANTI FREEZE

PLUS MODIFIED GRILLE AND RELOCATED EMBLEMS

Shelby invoice dated 8.21.1964:
REPAINT RANGOON RED 64 FORD DAL-71243X

The invoiced line items were not fully itemized but based on the new car pictures at Shelby American, research, and findings during the restoration the Stage III engine package included a COBRA bell housing (new car picture), stock Armstrong shocks,  the polished wheels carried wide road racing tires, the hood scoop had a baffle inside, and the body emblems were installed in different locations than standard street cars.

I didn't mention all the many people that helped supply original parts. Even if you just found one little piece your help made the project a success."

CSX2416 at Shelby American after being returned for a color change new.


CSX2416's engine bay as new car at Shelby American.


CSX2416's engine bay Sept 2018.


The next two pictures are of CSX2416 currently in Sept 2018.