Why did Dean Jeffries' Mantaray have a 289 Cobra engine? Cool story

Dean painted the first AC Cobra several times for Carroll Shelby.... painting it in different colors in order to fool magazine editors into thinking that many cars had been built... when actually only one prototype was.

So in appreciation Carroll gave Dean a 289 Cobra engine

Below is what it looked like in 1973 from http://www.huffreport.com/archives/oldpics/the70s.htm

photos from http://www.myrideisme.com/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/701.jpg
and http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/gallery/15647/Dean-Jeffries--Mantaray.html

Hef, icon of making it in America... and landing on top with a harem of women the rest of your life. Not a bad gig

the 60's and 70's were good for Hef, 2 or 3 clubs where all the famous and talented would stop by to hang out, a private airplane that had a bed for him and his bunnies for the commute from LA to Vegas or what ever caribbean island the next photoshoot was going to be in. Living the good life. Not so much anymore now that the internet brought free porn to anyone with a computer and basically have put his company out of business.

Some of the coolest dragsters, diggers, slingshots, and launches are found on ClassicDragsters.com.... what took me so long to look through it?

See more good photos and a video of the above Jade Warrior, a 1985 motorcycle... 2 wheels qualifies as a motorcycle; http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/12/zaniest-hting-ive-seen-in-whiel-jade.html

  

 Looks like a real TV Batmobile at the dragstrip... I wonder if the smoke out the back was hot or cold?

Thses are all from 88 pages of just one album http://www.classicdragsters.com/v/Others/ among about 4 dozen... so if I got you worked up to sit back and enjoy dragsters, get through the link, soak it up, and look into the dozens of other albums!