1964 Chevy Cheetah The Antidote to the Cobra

[WBofTN]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2456116101


Is it just me, or is this thing BUTT UGLY

WB

[Cal Metal]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These were built as Coupes, primarily. You probably wouldn't like that design, either. I don't quite get the "Shelby: Cheetah Chevy" description. These were Chevrolet through and through (Stingray suspension, engine, etc). Sort of like saying "Chevrolet: Cobra Ford". Makes no sense to me.

There are quite a number of threads on this car, and we have some esteemed member who have actually built them (Cheetah Neal Jackson and Cheetah Mr. Bruce). Check out the info on CC Search. They have an interesting history.

BTW, the correct description or name--at least of the original cars---would be, The Bill Thomas Cheetah.

[ItBites]

Ugly

[snakeeyes]

This is a Shell Valley kit; I don't know what they've done to the windshield area. I guess it has to look that way for DOT regs, but it doesn't replicate the Cro-Sal Cheetah, which I think was the only open original car. IMHO their windshield design spoils what is not a bad-looking car, especially as a roadster.

Cheetahs were brutally quick and potential Cobra-beaters, if not for a factory fire and lack of support from Chevy. They are pretty neat cars and, as Cal mentioned, have a very interesting history. The best book on the subject is probably Paul Van Valkenburgh's "Chevrolet = Racing?", which was reprinted a couple of years ago.

[mattr762]

Funny you bring the Cheetah up, I actually know quite a bit about them (Am I bragging?). My Dad's friend owns an original one. He bought it for dirt cheap and put it in his barn for the last 25 years. He got it out about 3 years ago and started to restore it.

Anyway, I've seen that kit before and about threw up! It does look terrible. The originals look much better, but still not as cool as the Cobra. Where the Cobra make for a nice street driver the Cheetah is a pure 100% race car. Very uncomfortable and very hard to get in and out of. Most all the Cheetah's were coupes not convertables and they had gull-wing doors. It would get incredibly HOT in the cabin because the engine is on the left of the foot-box and headers actually go on top of the foot-box and then bend down on the outside of the foot-box. So you're getting heat from 3 sides. There is no drive shaft because the end of the tranny connects directly to the diff (which you're basically sitting on). You also sit between the 2 rear wheels so elbow room is very tight. You also might notice where the gas cap is (right infront of the door. The very small gas tank was right below the door which would be right next to your left leg.

Here are some picts of originals:





Most Cheetah's ran a 377ci small block and this one is no exception. It ran a 10.86 @ 136mph in the 1/4 mile.

[computerworks]

Matt...

...you might want to take this opportunity to go freshen up...

...'cause Mr Bruce is gonna give you a big hug and kiss when he comes on.



Can you get any more info and/or photos of your dad's friend's car?

[WBofTN]

Very good info and pics guys. You learn something everyday - Coupe still only looks slightly better.
WB

[Tongue Pirate]

I think the coupes look awsome! Not as nice as a Cobra though. I think the roadster would look a lot better with a differen't roll bar.

[Tom T.]

From time to time people post their non-Shelby cars for sale under the Shelby heading on ebay because they know there will be a lot of traffic; e.g., one guy had a Grand Sport replica listed there recently.

TT

[Zoom This]

Goofy, goofy, goofy.

And $167 extra for a welded gas tank??

[Cal Metal]

Jerry Titus drove them with some success, although the Cheetah, like the Cobra in 1965, was the last gasp of the big front engine rear wheel drive concept in racing and were non competitive against the likes of the Chaparral, Ferrari 250LM, and the legendary Ford GT.

How did the Cheetah handle? I heard once that Titus or Grant, who had raced them for some length of time, say that it was "the most perfectly balanced car that he had ever driven----because once you put it into a spin, it seemed as though it would never stop......"

[computerworks]

WB ...

I don't like the roadster look either... but the coupe is classic.

Go here for a website dedicated to the Cheetah... and read this page for a brief history of these cars.

[John McMahon]

I'm not a big fan of the roadster, but I love the coupe.

Shell Valley makes one, Doug Winslow makes them (have only herard of one being delivered) and the old Auxier version which went belly up a few years back.

Our own Mr. Bruce builds them....



Also, check out:

http://www.cheetahracecars.org/

[computerworks]

FLASH-

"John M. inadvertantly reveals Mr. Bruce's super-secret 1x10 pine traction bar design"

[mr bruce]

Very nice pics of Fred Yeakel's car. I have a car under construction for a customer in Ok at this time. We are shooting for #1600 lbs, with an LS-6, 6-speed settup. One of the original Cheetahs was clocked at 220 mph!, blew the doors rite off! Chevy fans that hate Fords have finally got the car to do battle with the cobra. See my Cheetahs at Carlisle this spring

[John McMahon]

More mrbruce pics...still waiting for this kitty to show up at the Glen!!!

[TimG427]

The Cheetah is beautiful car in person. I have seen some original ones at various vintage races. This is one car that looks much better in a coupe form. The authentic replicas are beautiful, there has been a yellow replica at the Road America Vintage races the past two years one the same yellow car showed up in Chicago last year for the Chevy Fest. Very nice car and extremly wicked looking in person.

[avanti-176]

I never have completly made up my mind on whether or not I like the looks of the Cheetah. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't.
I do know that I like the looks of it from the back.

...and man I can't imagine what a ride it is when the rear end lets loose, hell you are sitting right over the axel must feel like your getting fired out of a slingshot. And I thuoght a Cobra looked unsafe.Looking at the pics of Mr.Bruce's without the body on it looks like you within about 10 inches of absolutely everything that can possibly BLOW UP!

Does Lakewood make a scattershield in the shape of a 5'8" 170lb Scottsman???

Still looks like fun though.

Dan

[snakeeyes]

Isn't Fred Yeakel's car the one that has the 58 DCOE Webers on a Corvette Grand Sport manifold? Man, that is one wild-looking carburetion setup, in a massively quick car. Sitting in one must feel kind of like lowering oneself into the engine...

[computerworks]

Update from Mr. Bruce...

New pics of chassis with aluminum Corvette C-4 suspension/ 427 big block
(view 1)