111 replies to this topic

[MattD]

Here are some comparisons shots of a stock Cox, an ISO and the silver Carrera.   If anyone is interested, I did some searching last nite and the 1/24 Carrera red version is available at Modelcar Roundup for $99.    If anybody wanted one, this is as good a deal as you will find unless they re-release them some day.

 

Kind of looks like the Carrera is in between the Cox and Strombecker bodies.  I don't have a 1/24 Strom, but they are shorter and wider than Cox.   Carrera does set nice, but it's on a custom chassis with smaller wheels, so a stock car may be taller than this one.

 

You may notice the color of my mag frame car.   I've had a few of these over the years and this one is pretty much as I got it.     You can see looking at the  windows that it has been sprayed with candy red.   I think it gives the body a better color than the stock Cox plastic.

[MSwiss]

This may have been touched on before, but I always thought that slot racing was lucky to have the Chaparral, but the Cheetah was lucky to have slot racing.

I used to live near this place, and I would see this yellow Cheetah parked outside, all the time.

Below is a bonus Jag pic for Cheater. Lol

[Martin]

Thanks for the pics Matt. I like the Carrera a lot. The way you have it mounted is better than stock.  I like that's its wider and I like that it is lower than the Cox standard model. I even like the hood grills better.

A lot to like really. I will keep my eye out for loose body. I wonder if Carrera sells replacement bodies ?

 

Thanks for the pics Mike. Worlds apart but both cool cars.

[Martin]

Body is mounted, I went for the simple solution. The styrene angle that is mainly there for the side pipes has slots cut into them from the inside so that the chassis snaps into place. It seems very secure, although I am sure if you hit the wall hard enough the body would separate. The fix, don't hit the wall.

 

Lower front valance is primed and has clearance for the chassis. The metal reinforcement allows me to keep the smiley face lower.

 

 

 

Attached Images

• 
• 
• 
• 

[MattD]

I doubt if they offer any bodies.    I do see lots of trim kits, exhausts, mostly, they may be 1/32.  It's funny how we see this stuff in comparison to companies like Carrera.   I'd buy a couple of those bodies, probably the GS Vette,too.    The current rtr companies think very little of  hobbyists like us or the American market in particular.    The US is the red headed step child to the big companies from overseas.     I remember this discussion  with the Carrera rep (they no longer even have a US rep) and how resistant they were to doing American cars and how low the production actually was.   

 

Look at these Cheetahs.    I heard from another guy the listings for Model Car Roundup now say out of stock.   I'm not sure you can buy one anywhere except on Ebay for 150-300.  .That would lead me to think the production wasn't large enough.   All the tooling is in place to order up a couple thousand by making a phone call.    I'm sure they would produce another couple thousand if they thought they could sell them,  But, what do I know?

[Martin]

Good info Matt,

 

I have noticed that the real car has way more roll under at the rear so to this end I have added some styrene here.

Now I can blend and give a more realistic wheel arch. Like this.

Attached Images

• 
• 

[Martin]

Found another view of the tucked under rear panel. The trunk lines will probably be lost in this mod. As seen deleted here. 

Attached Images

• 

[Isaac S.]

I remember seeing a Cheetah for the first time in an article from a Hot Rod Magazine that was included in a box of old magazines that a neighbor gave me. Since then, I have always loved their sleek styling. I was able to find the article, (and the seller is wrong, it is from the March 1964 issue of Hot Rod). 

https://www.ebay.com...=p2047675.l2557

[Dave Crevie]

The yellow Cheetah shown in Mike's post was originally built by Al and Ken Baurle for one of their customers. I watched it evolve from a frame and body to the finished car.

 

The red number 110 was owned by Van Pell for a while. I got to know that car intimately. I even drove it from the tech barn at R/A up to the paddock area. A short drive, but it infected me with a desire to take it out on the track for some hot laps. Never got the chance, though.

 

Pretty sure I posted this shot before. I have a bunch more pics of this car, but I need to scan them into my computer to post them.

 

 

incedently, Cheetahs didn't have trunks. On some, the rear window was made to open so you could get the spare out. But most others you had to wrestle it around the passenger seat which had the back hinged so it would fold forward. 

[Martin]

Issac, if this is the article? then it may be from 85 as it say's "looking back 21 years" so that would put it at 85. But the article is talking history here.

 

 

Attached Images

• 

[Martin]

Dave, interesting that above article is the very car you are familiar with?

 

The trunk I am referring to is a rear panel that is on some cars. Do you know what it used for?

 

It is on the Cox model too. It looks big enough to get the spare in and out, but your knowledge and experience over rules out this assumption.

 

I did think it too low, so maybe you can access the diff and/or inboard brakes with panel removed?

Actually the fuel tank is there I believe so, maybe that's how you gain access to it?

Attached Images

• 
• 
• 
• 

[Isaac S.]

I think the rear panel holds a spare but I dont really know.

[Martin]

If you read my last post and Dave's post, I thought that too, but it is too low and the fuel tank is right there. Dave will know. He has been there done that

I think the rear panel holds a spare but I dont really know.

 

[Martin]

Maybe a lot to do about nothing but I think Cox missed on this rear wheel arch detail. The real car is even more dramatic but this will do on this model.

Still needs a little trim for clearance to the chassis and tire, but I think you get the idea.

Attached Images

• 
• 

[Martin]

More pics showing how it fits up nicely to the IFC chassis. Time to lay some primer on. Sunny days

Happy new year guys. Thanks for following along. See you all on the flip side

Attached Images

• 
• 
• 

[Martin]

I have been thinking about this rear wheel arch. Its just not correct on the Cox body, and although I have modified it,it is still not right.

I have not cut it yet as I hate going backwards but this is what I think should happen to be more like the real car.

Attached Images

• 
• 

[Dave Crevie]

That number 110 Cheetah has been passed around quite a bit. A lot of people have owned it. I had the chance to buy it from Van, but the price was a bit stiff and I had other cars I wanted to add to the collection first. The shot I posted was taken at the 1982 Ferrari Club of America track day at Road America. Van was asked to put it back in the trailer being that it wasn't a Ferrari. The Ferraris he brought for the event were a competition 365GTB/4 and a 206 that was a sister to the one I had owned previously. 

 

Some Cheetahs were built with the gas tank mounted higher in the rear, and the spare was mounted below it. That removeable panel was probably for the spare, although I never saw one with that arrangement. Nor have I ever seen one with the four tail lights staggered like the Cox, but that doesn't mean they didn't exist.  

[Martin]

Thanks Dave, I thought the 110 you show had 4 tail lights. Is this not the same car. Or are you saying they are just not staggered as much as the cox car?

Attached Images

• 

[Dave Crevie]

I didn't remember them being staggered at all, but looking at that picture, I can see that the ones on the right side are definitely not lined up. In fact, they look to be more askew than the ones on the left side. Might be that the extra lights were added early in the car's racing career and done hastily. It had the four lights when Van owned it, but I didn't pay attention to how they were lined up. 

[Martin]

I did notice the skewed lights. A quick job as you say. This is a good pic of how the tail lights were laid out at some point.

 

I have trimmed the rear fenders and I am happy with them.  The more you study the Cox car the more I realize you would have to start again to get it perfect.

 

The body is in primer and now its time to pick a color.

Attached Images

• 

[MattD]

 It may not be an original color, but I always thought this was the best looking of the Cox Cheetahs.

 

[Isaac S.]

I would consider this car for sure. The dark blue is very cool. 

I would also maybe go with the street Alan Green car. Just looks classy. 

[Martin]

Thanks for the suggestions and input guys. 

 

I am doing 2 cars one is the Cheetahracha and the other is the Channeled car. I do like the metallic blue and I have it in stock.

 

I may do the Cheetahracha in metallic blue as I think it would look good next the lime green one I have.

 

The channeled car may end up black or red???? If I had the dark blue or the green, I like them also.

Attached Images

• 

[Martin]

I am not much of a painter but I was playing around in photo shop with the Cox box art. This is what I came up with. Just a thought.

Attached Images

• 

[milmilhas]

I am not much of a painter but I was playing around in photo shop with the Cox box art. This is what I came up with. Just a thought.

 

Seems if you paint like this it will be a beautiful car