The only Dragonsnake Cobra equipped at the factory with the Stage III quadruple-Weber carburetion system, this 1965 Shelby 289 Cobra, CSX2427, was ordered new by Don Reimer of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who—with his younger brother Mike—took delivery of the car from Adams County Motors Corporation. Invoiced to that Gettysburg Ford dealer on August 3, 1964 at $8,695 plus a $305 freight charge for a total of $9,000, the car arrived wearing special-order yellow paint to match the color of the Reimer brothers’ Thunderbird tow vehicle. After a few shakedown runs at a local airfield, the Reimer brothers began racing at the now legendary York U.S. 30 Drag-O-Way, with Mike at the controls and Don managing the team, competing in both A/Modified and AA/Modified Production racing with great success, as well as running at the Indianapolis Nationals that year. It was a serious effort, involving a small crew with matching yellow uniforms and a sharp aluminum car hauler complete with Cobra signage. But at the end of the season, Mike decided to return to school the following year and his father decided the car had to be sold. Even the ad placed in the December 1965 issue of “Car and Driver” magazine had a professional ring to it, reading: “SELL - 1965 Cobra - built by Shelby American especially for drags, complete with special suspension system, drag shocks, modified springs, dyno tuned headers, mag wheels, chrome roll bar, Hurst shifter, M&H Racemaster slicks, 4.56 rear. $4650.00 firm. Also will sell many extras: mag wheel and tire, new clutch and pressure plate, aluminum oil pan, Webers including many jets, trailer. Reason for selling, son returned to college.” It is not known if the second owner, Doug Casey of Chesterton, Indiana, continued to race CSX2427, but its third owner, Dodge Olmstead of Arlington, Virginia, purchased it on July 14, 1966 and modified the car for road racing, competing in several SCCA events. Olmstead rebuilt the car after apparently crashing it in 1967 and repainted it Candy Apple Red. Harold Hammond of Ohio bought CSX2427 in May 1969 and later sold it to Howard Heath of Columbus, Ohio; at that time the car was painted yellow again, had spline-drive wire wheels and a narrow-flare left front fender from an early Cobra that was likely installed by Olmstead while he rebuilt it.
