Drag racers are always looking for an edge. Larger motors, trick parts, better tires, and the list goes on and on. During the sixties, factory backed teams played around with acid dipping bodies to make them lighter. Less weight usually means more speed. While these creations were mechanical works of art in the eyes of many, less financially advantaged competitors sometimes relied on their talents with a torch and a welder. Near Chattanooga, Tennessee sits one of these aesthetically questionable creations. For sale on craigslist with a heady $15,000 price tag, this diminutive Chevy II drag car is looking for a new owner willing to brave public opinion for a chance at 1/4 mile greatness.

The seller tells us that this petite beast was built in 1983 as a drag car. While you mostly see cut down cars as attention getters for businesses, this sporty shorty was built for battle. The wheelbase was obviously altered, the frame “doubled,” driveshaft loops were installed, and it looks like a gasser style straight axle rounded out the package. Whoever did the body chop must have been pretty talented. The doors look like they were mainly built from the rear doors of a four door wagon. The front sections that match up with the cowl were somehow fabbed in rather seamlessly. A little more length in the doors may have balanced the looks enough to make it look cool.

We can also see a seam just past where the roof meets the pillar. The bright yellow paint found a way onto the black trim there, highlighting a slightly poor fit. Inside, we see that the roll bar support/door beam has been cut for ease of entry and exit. I have seen these rigged up with a hinge on one side and a locking mechanism on the other, so a new owner may look into that. The interior is otherwise in good condition. The monsterous floor shifter goes well with the vintage steering wheel and the racing tachometer on the dash.

Under the hood is a 355 cubic inch small block Chevrolet engine that has been “built to the hilt” according to the seller. It is backed up by “a built TH400.” The rear end is said to be equipped with a limited slip differential with new gears installed. Looking into the engine compartment, we see that the go fast goodies include headers, a tunnel ram intake manifold, dual four barrel carburetors, and what looks to be a turnbuckle to keep the engine from torqueing over too much under load.

A look from a different angle reveals an aluminum radiator with a matching fan shroud. This angle also gives us a good look at the air scoop and the cut out in the hood. The whole tunnel ram setup pretty much mandates this modification due to the height of the whole package, and the cut out seems to be somewhat strengthened by a metal lip surrounding the gaping orifice.

The seller tells us that this munchkin marauder is currently being daily driven. You don’t see many custom shorty drag cars on the street, especially in bright yellow and sporting an industrial strength set of wheelie bars. I wish we knew the length of the wheelbase, the front to back weight distribution, 1/4 mile times, and the overall weight. Since we are wishing, I’d bet that a video of this dwarf drag car caterwauling down the track would be comedy gold. They say there is a car for everyone, and I’d like to meet the kind of person that would put down 15 big large ones for this flyspeck flyer. The future buyer may be end up being just a wee bit eccentric, but I am certain they would instinctively know how party in epic fashion.