CHEETAH

[Ace-Garageguy]

Wow, The placement of the engine in this car is unreal, no wonder it handled so poorly.

Just for clarification, the front-mid-engine layout of the Cheetah SHOULD have contributed to a car that handled BETTER than its contemporary Cobras, but other factors, as RancheroSteve mentioned, contributed to that not being the case.

The Panoz LMP cars performed very well with a similar layout.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[RancheroSteve]

The Panoz LMP cars performed very well with a similar layout.

Yes - I had to build that one, too (LeMans Miniatures kit):

[RancheroSteve]

Also, while we're on the subject, Vintage Racing Miniatures makes an excellent decal set for the Cheetah which does several different versions and comes with a detailed reference sheet. Top quality!

http://www.v-r-m.com/decals/013_CheetahCoupeRoadster/cheetah.htm

Edited March 26, 2014 by RancheroSteve

[cobraman]

Might have to get me one of those decal sheets.

[Roncla]

I recently purchased that VRM Cheetah decal sheet. Quality really is excellent. Printed by Cartograf

[DirtModeler]

They had a legends race years back at Portland International Raceway with a bunch of different road course cars of different eras. they had a Cheetah there, and it looked like it handled pretty awfully, the driver could barely keep it on the track.

It's funny though because of all the cars that were there and looked fast.. towards the end of the race Parker Johnstone pulled out his Camel Light GT Prototype and absolutely stomped every car on the track. It's pretty insane how much faster that car was. I can't imagine how fast the full GT prototypes were in the 1980's.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Dang. Just when I really thought I had enough long-term projects mapped out to last me the rest of my modeling life, you guys have to come along and get me all interested in Cheetahs, so of course I'll have to build one...and then Harry with his beautiful brass-era models getting me interested in those again...man.

[cobraman]

Bill, I would love to see you do a Cheetah.

[TooOld]

Although I am a die hard Cobra fan I have always though the Cheetah was a very cool car. I have been thinking about Cheetah's since this thread had been started. Soooooooo today I broke down and ordered the Cheetah resin kit from Modelhaus. 70 bucks delivered. It will take 4 to 6 weeks to get since they make on order and have no stock on hand. : (

I'm looking forward to seeing some photos of your kit , please post some when you receive it .

I was thinking of ordering one too until I came across this Cox body for a really good price . I've got the Rod & Custom magazine with the How - To article so I'm going to give it a try !

[Belugawrx]

Dang.

Good One!!

[Danno]

LOVE those Cheetahs! And, I love Calvin's words of wisdom . . . that's my credo . . . the longer I put things off, the longer I'll live. Right?

[Austin T]

LOVE those Cheetahs! And, I love Calvin's words of wisdom . . . that's my credo . . . the longer I put things off, the longer I'll live. Right?

You should build a Cheetah interceptor. Make up a fake story about how the CHP was looking for a fast race prepped car for chases and experimented with a cheetah but found it wouldn't work for them so they destroyed the only one. It would be pretty cool.

[Ace-Garageguy]

...And, I love Calvin's words of wisdom . . . that's my credo . . . the longer I put things off, the longer I'll live. Right?

Works for me.

[Psychographic]

I just got a resin Cheetah body. It is a very poor casting, but it only cost 20 bucks shipped. It's from an old Strombecker slot car body and looks to be way to wide. Also there is so much sanding that needs to be done to take the lumps out of it that without rescribing some of the panel lines, they will disappear. As the body is in such shape and out of proportion, I'm going to modernize it a bit and make a custom street car out of it.

This is after I sanded most of the hood and sides smooth.

[cobraman]

Looks pretty good. I'm still waiting for the one I ordered from The Modelhaus. Been almost 5 weeks so it should be coming soon. I hope.

[Psychographic]

Looks pretty good. I'm still waiting for the one I ordered from The Modelhaus. Been almost 5 weeks so it should be coming soon. I hope.

It's really a disaster, I should've just waiting until I had more money to spend and got the Modelhaus one. I looked at the kit from HRM at NNL East and it was very nice, but at $175, it's not for me.

Please be sure to post pics of your kit when it comes in.

[mnwildpunk]

These cars just ooze pure sex appeal to me and always have since I first saw a pic as a kid

[Customman]

I Love them! Totally Awesome! What a race design, looked like it was screamin standing still. It just possessed everything good looks, arrogant, Smooth rolling lines.

I worked for GM years back, I had a Superintendent that was personal friends with Zora, I used hear some good stuff on occasions. One thing he did tell me on the Cheetah was (and it might have been mentioned before but I've never read it) was the cockpit heat was so intense that it would melt the soles of the drivers shoes and make the foot pedals sticky for the drivers. Now that's a hell of a thing to have to keep in the back of your mind while your wrestling with that monster and super powerful it was.

I think if they were able to work the bugs out, the frame flexing, and the intense heat in the cockpit, and anything else they could have resolved the problems, they would have hammered the Shelby Cobras. I had a very good friend that owned a 427 Cobra God bless him he was a good guy. His dad owned a foreign car dealership and Tommy hounded him until he bought him a Cobra, and he paid his dad back. His dad told us later he really didn't want to buy it he was afraid he'd get killed or hurt in it. I rode in it, it was a wild ride. it was a 427" had the mag wheels, road pipes ,amber headlights, a plaque rivited on the dash that said "Not Recommended For Street Use". And at that time the one thing that I've only seen on his car was a Lift-Off Hardtop and it was aluminum like the rest of the car. I loved that Cobra, but let me tell you it didn't handle well either, I think it's all about torque, I'd watch him crack the throttle at different levels and the car would go crazy and he would be fighting hard to straight line it. At times we would go to other hot car areas and race, everybody wanted a piece of the infamous Cobra, we would watch out for one another and be (lookouts for the cops). You could tell how unstable the car really was if you would just keep your eyes on the amber headlights you would see them bouncing all over the place, you knew he was putting it in the wood. And that bad boy would get hot big time too.

I think the whole problem with the Cheetah was Chevrolet pulling the plug on it, or it would have been everyone's favorite car.

Greg I agree with you if someone would produce a kit of it I think it would sell some good numbers. I have the Cox kit it's not bad for a curbside kit the proportions on the body look right on.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Customman

[Dave Van]

I bought the Modelhaus kit day one from Don....yet to build....can't decide which one to build. I like the kit....not perfect but IIRC when it was new it cost me $60 and for that a very decent kit.

[Greg Myers]

Great story George, thanks for sharing.

[afx]

From what I have read George I would agree that the 427 Cobra did not handle well. The engine was to heavy, messed up the weight distribution. That's why the 427 wasn't a successful race car. The 289 Cobra handled far better than the 427.

[cobraman]

I bought the Modelhaus kit day one from Don....yet to build....can't decide which one to build. I like the kit....not perfect but IIRC when it was new it cost me $60 and for that a very decent kit.

It's still 60 bucks plus 10 bucks for shipping.

[1930fordpickup]

From what I have read George I would agree that the 427 Cobra did not handle well. The engine was to heavy, messed up the weight distribution. That's why the 427 wasn't a successful race car. The 289 Cobra handled far better than the 427.

I read were the guys that raced them wanted the new 351 Ford was working on. Ford said we want the 427 so that was that. They were telling stories about the handling problems because of the big block( extra weight, to much power , traction problems) this was from the 60'S.

[ratdoggy]

What's the going rate for a liver again?

Good thing is the liver regenerates so you could actually sell pieces of it again and again

[afx]

I haven't read anything about a 351 in a Cobra. However Ken Miles built a "Fliptop" Cobra (CSX2196) and originally installed a 390. It was fast. He later installed a 427 and it just wouldn't handle.