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Cheetah

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Bruce Bowker

Bruce Bowker

Obi Wan
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Has anyone seen a genuine Cheetah recently? I always thought these were really sharp cars from the day they came out but never saw one live.

Bruce
 
They were made in extremely limited numbers, and I've never seen them out. Always loved their front-mid-engine layout.
 
There are a couple on the California vintage circuit. I think Fred Yeakle has one.
There's a car you can snap roll with the throttle!
Jeff
 
Never saw one in the flesh.
Hot looking car.
EJEN-63BTUJ.jpg
 
Saw a real one next to a kit replicar in Carlisle 2002.

cheetah5.jpg
 
I've heard the name but never seen one. Wow, thats a hairy lookin little beastie! What kind of drivetrain did the original use? A quick google pulled this up, these guys are building continuation cars powered by Chevy ZZ4 crate motors. I'm almost afraid to know what the price tag is on one.

Cheetah Racer
 
I saw one of the early cars race and remember that it terrified its driver more than the competition. This was probably one of their first races so it probably wasn't set up yet. I don't remember where it finished - it may have DNF'd.

lr65b.jpg


It was certainly loud, though.
 
yowsers! looks like years of cow dung was piled on it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
 
Nothing like fiberglass that all the resin has disapeared from - Yuk! Poor thing.
 
A friend had one in PA and sold it within weeks... Scary, as John C has said.
 
John, I think the roadster in your photo is the Cro-Sal Special, a Cheetah that had the roof lopped off to aid cooling of the driver. Cheetahs get hellishly hot inside.

I've seen several at the vintage races. There's been a yellow one (forget who owns it) at Road America the last coupla years. Got to stick my head inside, and generally poke around the car. According to the driver they're a real handful.

-William

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I'll bet. There is such a thing as too much power for a given chassis/weight. I'll also bet that it's not a 50/50 balance - nor anywhere close! I'd drive one though... but might hafta add an aftermarket (or just stolen from the junkyard) A/C system. Good looking car in a "special" sort of way - hehehehehe.
 
[ QUOTE ]
John, I think the roadster in your photo is the Cro-Sal Special, a Cheetah that had the roof lopped off to aid cooling of the driver. Cheetahs get hellishly hot inside...

[/ QUOTE ]

I never heard of that car but it's possible.

I guess they did get hot - the engine was so far back in these things that the driver's legs were actually between the headers and the block - the headers went straight out to the side, over the driver's legs and then down just inside the bodywork and alongside the legs.

The engine was so far back that there was no driveshaft - the transmission hooked directly to the differential. I can imagine the vibrations.
 
[ QUOTE ]

The engine was so far back that there was no driveshaft - the transmission hooked directly to the differential. I can imagine the vibrations.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it was done right, there shouldn't be any bad vibrations
at all, but it would be stinking hot anytime the car was running...

SteveL
 
200°F+ in the driver's footwell if the thing sits, running. Ghastly.
 
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