Makes › Barris Kustoms › Drag-U-La (The Munsters, coffin dragster) · Royal, state & papal · Film & TV
Barris Kustoms
Drag-U-La (The Munsters, coffin dragster)
Grandpa Munster's coffin-bodied dragster, built by Barris Kustoms for the 1965 Munsters episode "Hot Rod Herman", reportedly in five cars.
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 5 Built
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- Ford 289 V8, two four-barrel carburettors on a Mickey Thompson Ram-Thrust intake · 4,740 cc / 4.7 LFactory: 289 cu in · converted
- Power
- 261 kW / 355 PSFactory: 350 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
Drag-U-La is the coffin-bodied dragster that Grandpa builds in The Munsters to win back the family car. It was so popular that producers included it in the end credits the next year.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionDrag-U-La cars reportedly built for the show (original status of several is unclear) | 51 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The car was built for the episode "Hot Rod Herman", first aired on 27 May 1965, by Dick Dean at Barris Kustoms to a design by Tom Daniel. The coffin was a fibreglass shell reportedly obtained by Barris project engineer Richard Korkes in an unofficial deal with a funeral home, because selling a coffin without a death certificate was illegal in California.
A modified Drag-U-La appeared in the film Munster, Go Home! (1966), with the bubble canopy replaced by a roll bar so actor Fred Gwynne could fit. Reportedly five cars were built; some are in museums or private collections, one hung in a Planet Hollywood and replicas, including an official one built by the Dean family and a Barris colleague, have made the originals hard to tell apart.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Drag-U-La (The Munsters, coffin dragster).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Ford 289 V8, two four-barrel carburettors on a Mickey Thompson Ram-Thrust intake2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 4,740 cc / 4.7 LFactory: 289 cu in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 261 kW / 355 PSFactory: 350 hp · converted2 Independently researchedRemind Magazine gives a 360 Ford Mustang engine for the car |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Ford C-4 automatic2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Tubular steel dragster chassis2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
What ever happened to Drag-U-La (SlashGear) Level C
- 5 Drag-U-La cars reportedly built for the show (original status of several is unclear)
-
2
What ever happened to Drag-U-La Level C SlashGear
- Ford Mustang 289-cubic-inch V8 engine ... two four-barrel carburetors
- 289-cubic-inch V8 engine
- all of which produced 350 horsepower
- C-4 automatic transmission
- tubular steel dragster chassis
Keep exploring
More from Barris Kustoms
-
No licensed photo yet
Barris Kustoms
Munster Koach (The Munsters, three Ford Model T bodies, Ford V8)
1 Built
-
No licensed photo yet
Barris Kustoms
Batmobile fibreglass exhibition cars #2–#4 (Batman TV series, Ford Galaxie chassis)
3 Built
-
No licensed photo yet
Barris Kustoms
"1928 Porter" (My Mother the Car)
Production not yet verified
See all 4 cars by Barris Kustoms →
More from United States
-
Oldsmobile · 1969
442 W-30 Convertible (1969)
121 Built
-
Chevrolet · 2009–2013
Corvette ZR1 (C6)
4,684 Built
-
Plymouth · 1970–1971
Hemi 'Cuda (1970–1971)
108 Built
-
Ford
Gran Torino Sport (1972) (Fast & Furious, Fenix's car)
Production not yet verified
141 other makes from United StatesAC PropulsionAcuraAllstateAMCAmerican LaFranceAmerican MotorsAmerican UnderslungApteraArmstrongArnoltAuburnBaldwin-MotionBantamBendixBerger ChevroletBill ThomasBollingerBremerBuckeyeBuffumBuickCadillacCallawayCastleCheckerChevroletChristieChryslerClenetCodaColumbiaConsulierCordCunninghamCzingerDana ChevroletDean JeffriesDeSotoDetroit ElectricDick HarrellAll makes →