Psychographic Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 (edited) I'll probably get shot for this by the purists, but as the Strombecker body this was cast from is so out of proportion I decided to do a modern street car version of it. This body is very wide. I couldn't leave it alone and had to play a bit to see if it would work. Once I decide what I'm doing as far as a rolling chassis and interior, I'll start a thread on the "Workbench". For now I thought I would post it and see what everybody thinks. I hope I don't get run off the boards on a rail! I extended the rear panel a 1/4", the taillights will need to be raised, I added a splitter to the front, and plan to add some simple skirts to the sides along with a molded sidepipe covers. Edited May 5, 2014 by Psychographic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrherald420 Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Looks good. Man that body is rough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Looks mean already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantrix Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 I agree this one is one of the big holes in the hobby that no one has tried to fill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychographic Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 (edited) Looks good. Man that body is rough. You should've seen it before I sanded the main part of it smooth. Edited May 5, 2014 by Psychographic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrherald420 Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 lol Dang!! Someone cast that in the dark while drunk and hanging upside down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychographic Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 (edited) lol Dang!! Someone cast that in the dark while drunk and hanging upside down. Tell me about it! Not only did it look like the surface of the moon, it had bits of clay stuck in it here and there. You can see some of it along the bottom edge in this pic. Edited May 5, 2014 by Psychographic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Oh my ! That is pretty bad. You can make something nice out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigphoto Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 (edited) " 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." The 390 that Miles put in was an aluminum NASCAR 390 so the weight wasn't much different from the 289. Edited May 5, 2014 by bigphoto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Customman Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 (edited) JC, Andy, & Mike Oh yeah I had to keep it short when I wrote that PM because of space. Yepper, the weight and distribution of the 427 plus the fact of too much power and the traction. It definitely had it's problems. Oh yes, Mike and the "Liver regenerating itself". lol I wanted to type something on the ride, It wasn't as bad as some of the hard tail choppers I built but it was rough. Although it wasn't a street car it was made for racing. Edited May 12, 2014 by Customman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 David that is going to be sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Modelhaus is suposed to send out my Cheetah kit tomorrow !!! : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 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. This is the single biggest 'wives tale' from internet pundits and wizards ever perpetrated in all of Cobra lore. A 427 or 428 with aluminum heads, intake and water pump weighs 520 pounds. Iron heads and water pump add 60 pounds. My replica, weighing about 150 pounds more than an aluminum '60's car, has a weight distribution of 48 / 52 - with me in it it's 47 / 53. That's wet with 1/2 tank of fuel. An original would have the same distribution, (given the aluminum parts). A '60's 289, which had iron heads and pump weighs about 150 pounds less than the big block (smaller frame diameter, brakes and narrower bodywork). But the same distribution. It also had a transverse front leaf. The lighter overall mass did not translate into better lap times or transient handling numbers. Smaller contact patch, higher roll centers and increased bump steer all limited its cornering ability. Just look at the vintage photos of inside front wheels off the pavement. What is always confused is that the smaller car is easier to drive under its limit. Nitwits construe that as better handling. The big block requires a driver experienced to work harder to get the higher cornering limits out of the chassis and limit the always-present oversteer. When that happens, you're going faster than the small block car driven by the same or equivalent driver. No big block understeers with that weigh distribution. They are both (and Cheetah) hampered by the 90" wheelbase compared to modern sports cars. Getting all the power down at corner exit is a skill to be learned with seat time. For lap times the big block car is superior in every way. Drive one of each on a track and you'll understand this more easily. But work up to the limits with care... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weasel Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I've got both, the R&D Unique Mini Exotics and the modelhaus offering... haven't 'done' the one from modelhaus yet, but... here's the MiniExotics version... I had the 'cheetah's always win' decals made up...gots a BUNCH of them, 2 sheets...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weasel Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 also, IIRC, didn't they have to run with the CanAm cars because of the limited production or some such BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 also, IIRC, didn't they have to run with the CanAm cars because of the limited production or some such BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH... How about because they were a completely different type of car?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weasel Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I realize that, that's also why a Cheetah never won a race!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 That yellow Cheetah looks great ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger U Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I agree, that MiniExotics Cheetah does look great. Do the kits from MiniExotics or modelhaus include the interior, wheels, tires, motor, exhaust, etc.? I'd like to get a fairly complete Cheetah kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Modelhaus is a curbside kit. I believe the other is a full kit but harder to find and cost more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RancheroSteve Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 also, IIRC, didn't they have to run with the CanAm cars because of the limited production or some such BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH... Unlike the Cobra, for various reasons the Cheetah was never produced in sufficient quantities to allow it to be homologated, therefore it had to run in the modified category in the SCCA's new USRRC series. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Road_Racing_Championship The rules of the Can-Am series (FIA Group 7) were pretty loose - almost a "run what you brung" series - with no requirements of minimum production numbers. Keep in mind that the Can-Am series started three years after the debut of the Cheetah, by which time it was pretty obsolete in terms of racing car design anyway. So you could have entered a Cheetah in the Can-Am series, but it wouldn't have been competitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weasel Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 thanx Steve.. I knew it was something like that, I just couldn't pin it down... tooo long ago for this old brain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weasel Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I agree, that MiniExotics Cheetah does look great. Do the kits from MiniExotics or modelhaus include the interior, wheels, tires, motor, exhaust, etc.? I'd like to get a fairly complete Cheetah kit. the MiniExotics comes less motor as it's a curbside, but, there is a 'box' built under the hood for an induction of choice... I saw the HRM Cheetah at NNLEast when it was released, verrrry nicely done, high detail, high price...the Modelhaus kit is the same way, except, the front pan is molded onto the body of this one...oddly, that was the only gripe I had with the R&D kit, the pan didn't quite fit on the right side... no big deal, just a gap of sorts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Cheetah !!!!!! Got my Modelhaus Cheetah kit today ! Looks great ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted May 16, 2014 Author Share Posted May 16, 2014 Show & Tell, Ray, it's your turn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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