on the side of a cotton farm in Texas, Moonburst has been hibernating since the mid 70s. Not forgotten or unknown, just waiting for the right time to sell at a retirement package level price

Around 1980, Michael Lightbourn spotted an the enclosed car trailer on the side of a cotton farm on the outskirts of Fabens, Texas.

You might recall his name, Lightbourn earned the nickname “The West Texas Scout” for his uncanny ability to find historic cars that many considered lost to the sands of time. His most famous discovery was undoubtedly the Orbitron, a custom car built by Ed “Big Daddy” Roth in 1964.

Eventually he met the owner Bob Kimpel who unlocked the door and let Lightbourn peek inside. Bob did not want to sell of course, preferring to let it time capsule for another 40 years where he did nothing to it. Must have realized it was a better retirement package than a nostalgia race car.

Kimpel explained this old racecar was Moonburst

Kimpel had purchased the chassis of Moonburst for $1,200 in "1973 or 1974," through a Cincinnati, Ohio classified ad. He wasn't even aware of the car's legacy until after the purchase, when the seller said, "Oh by the way, it was featured in some magazine."

Enthused, he got busy hunting the original Mr. Ed Trailer that Jack Mackay used to transport Moonburst to drag races in the 1970s. The trailer cost a couple hundred bore than more than the chassis of the race car.

Inspired an inquiry on Facebook "Whatever happened to Moonburst?"  Kimpel's daughter-in-law posted that her father-in-law owned that very car. When the hot rod crowd found out, someone offered $90,000 for the car.

On June 3, 2020, for the first time since 1977, Bob pulled the car and parts out of the trailer.

What's spectacular about Moonburst is the car became a time capsule inside the Mr. Ed trailer.

The Woody Gilmore chassis is excellent and still has its original paint.

The Tom Hanna aluminum body is all there.

The paint might be stripped, but the metal is in excellent form, save for a small dent in the front. Most of the original parts remain, except for the original 392 blown Chrysler Hemi. Drag racers keep their engines when they sell.

In the 1970s, Bob rounded up a 392 Hemi block, a pair of 6-71 Thompson and Detroit superchargers, and an intake for an early-model Chrysler Hemi.

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/dean-moons-aa-fuel-dragster-found-43-years/