eBay Find: Original Warren & Coburn “Rain For Rent” 1970s Top Fueler

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Drag racing collector cars don’t come a whole lot cooler than this; not only are you looking at a legit piece of drag racing history, but unlike many of the classic nostalgia cars out there that are in fact highly-detailed reproductions of the original car, this is the real, 40-plus-year-old deal, in the flesh. And for 84-grand, you can own it.

Spud’s Garage in Arizona has listed this original James Warren and Roger Coburn owned and raced Top Fuel Dragster — the famed “Rain for Rent Special” car — that won the Bakersfield Fuel/Gas Championship three years running (from 1975 to 1977), along with its matching Mr. Ed trailer, with hopes of finding it a new home that will preserve its history and its condition for years to come. The car, stored away in the very trailer you see here for decades, was all but forgotten; but in recent years its undergone a complete, fact-based restoration. The current owner, Frank Hinman, consulted with Coburn, who built the car, and Warren, who piloted it to greatness, to ensure each and every last detail was as painstakingly accurate as possible.

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The 426 Hemi engine was reassembled by Southern California engine builder Jim Shewbert and will safely fire up and run on alcohol. Famed artist Kenny Youngblood, who originally hand painted and lettered the car four decades go, was also tabbed to tackle the restoration of the cars’ exterior.

The trailer, a truly rare and iconic piece built in Fresno, California by Mr. Ed (Wills, a car and boat drag racer himself who operated E B Wills Steel Co.), which was built specifically to house rear engine dragsters, also underwent a complete transformation, returning it to a like-new state to match the digger.

Shown here are but a few of the many images that were taken of the car and trailer — even if you don’t have $84,000 to burn, it’s worth visiting the Spud’s Garage website to see more of this drag racing artifact.

About the author

Andrew Wolf

Andrew has been involved in motorsports from a very young age. Over the years, he has photographed several major auto racing events, sports, news journalism, portraiture, and everything in between. After working with the Power Automedia staff for some time on a freelance basis, Andrew joined the team in 2010.
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