My Cheetah inspired Street Roadster continuation

Very impressive! Like one of the other guys said, you're not giving yourself enough credit. You've done a great job.

In reply to jmc14 :

Make a split at the high point in your mold. Production molds just use plywood cut carefully to fit exactly. Splash molds I just use cardboard.  

jmc14.....great progress......safe travels

My friend and I finished the final body work and prep for pulling molds yesterday.

For the body work I left the gap between the tub and nose extra wide.  It will be tighter for the build.

Side pipes will fill in the gap below the body and the frame.

Wow, that looks fantastic.  Really excited to see the progress you're making with this project.

Great build--love the body and frame!  I dig the square tube as opposed to the roadster-show style round tube pains-in-the-neck I see on some "look at me" builds.  I thought I'd throw in a picture of a Cheetah I got to race with a few years ago at a track day at Laguna Seca.  It was the real deal, as far as I can tell; I was nearly afraid to get too close to the thing, but the driver was not in much fear of hammering on it.  The Falcon is mine, an older, less complicated version of what it is now; funnily enough, the Falcon now has C4 stuff under it . . .

Keep at it!

rustomatic said:

Great build--love the body and frame!  I dig the square tube as opposed to the roadster-show style round tube pains-in-the-neck I see on some "look at me" builds.  I thought I'd throw in a picture of a Cheetah I got to race with a few years ago at a track day at Laguna Seca.  It was the real deal, as far as I can tell; I was nearly afraid to get too close to the thing, but the driver was not in much fear of hammering on it.  The Falcon is mine, an older, less complicated version of what it is now; funnily enough, the Falcon now has C4 stuff under it . . .

Keep at it!

Isn't that blue car a Scarab?

I love the falcon!  I believe the blue car is a Devin. 

Crap!  I think you are right.  I believe it was a Scarab--small-block Chevy, predecessor to the Cobra.  Brain gas overload . . .  Sorry, back to Cheetah-related comments.

mblommel said:

rustomatic said:

Great build--love the body and frame!  I dig the square tube as opposed to the roadster-show style round tube pains-in-the-neck I see on some "look at me" builds.  I thought I'd throw in a picture of a Cheetah I got to race with a few years ago at a track day at Laguna Seca.  It was the real deal, as far as I can tell; I was nearly afraid to get too close to the thing, but the driver was not in much fear of hammering on it.  The Falcon is mine, an older, less complicated version of what it is now; funnily enough, the Falcon now has C4 stuff under it . . .

Keep at it!

Isn't that blue car a Scarab?

Absolutely  gorgeous!!!! very well done!!!! How are you doing BTW???? 

Thank you.  To be honest I'm struggling health wise.  Very frustrating. But, I'm not letting it stop me from completing my build.  And, I'm optimistic!

Last night I sat in my car and made Vroom-Vroom noises. :) 

The car is going to the fiberglass company on the 13th of this month.  The molds and first bodies are scheduled to be completed the first week of Oct.

I delivered the body to the fiberglass company yesterday.  I could make my own molds and lay up bodies but I'm not up to doing the physical work now. 

I'm gone the month of Sept to the New England State Fair in West Springfield, MA selling coin banks that I invented.  It will be my 26th year selling my banks there.  I'm scheduled to get the first bodies out of the mold the first week of Oct.  The company says they can do the body in colored Gel Coat that is wet sanded and buffed out. That i won't have to do body work and paint.  If they can do that it will make the build much quicker and cheaper.  I'm anxious to get the car finished. 

Safe travels to the fair .....sell a bunch of banks....and I'll be knockin' this to the top come mid October...Take care!!!

Did I tell you Lately how Much I LOVE YOU,

the car anyway,

    Life spins in a funny arc, I HAVE AN ERA 427 COBRA frame, lots of people calling about it being for sale,  no one has showed. Wonder if the Cheetah would fit there with a couple mods? it's set up for a Ford FE block but no problem as I also was thinking of a jag V-12 but it would need a 'Black Jack' Body / jc Whitney doesn't carry them. but a sick little DZ302 in that cheetah would be QUICK.

Thank you for the comments.  I'm excited for Oct to be here so I can get a production body and get my car built.  Ild like to take it to AZ and southern CA for the winter and go to some car shows.   

The wheelbase and width of a Cobra is similar to my Cheetah.  But, the Cheetah seating position is much farther back, the a cowl and over all height is lower.  It would take a lot of work to modify the body to be used on the ERA frame.  

I wish that I was younger and in better health.  I'm really liking the look of my Cheetah and know that with its stiff frame, C4 Vette independent suspension, rear weight bias, and light weight that it will have great handling and performance.  I like Cobras but I like that my car is unique.  I think there could be a decent market for it.  An alternative to the Cobra for Chevy guys.  

working with what I have, Lol.  

A Cheetah or D-Jag looking body would be way ahead of ANOTHER Cobra.

The plug is being prepped to lay up the molds.  5 coats of wax has been applied.  In addition a mold release agent (PVA) will be sprayed prior to the application of the tooling Gel Coat.

Because the body has negative returns seams will be placed in critical locations. Otherwise its possible to lock the body in the mold.   On either side of the seam a flange is placed at 90 degrees to it.  The mold gets laid up to the flanges.  The flanges are bolted together to lay up the body. Once the body is laid and cured the flanges are unbolted and hopefully a beautiful body comes out of it. 

Cant wait to see the first one coming out of the mold! Plug looks nice and smooth.

Here is a picture of progress.  The flanges have been placed and the top of the full tilt Bonnet has been sprayed with Tooling Gel Coat. We tinted the Orange Gel Coat so that there is more  contrast between the mold and some colors that a part may be made with.  My body is going to be Red.

The next step is to apply the fiberglass to the areas that have been coated with the tooling gel coat.

With the first layer of glass.

The first nose came out of the mold yesterday.  The body mold is almost done.  I should have a complete body with in 2 weeks!  Finally!!

Wow...great to see the progress. I'm still really excited for this project and will stay tuned...

Hey do you have any family nearby that can help you with this......is the young man on page one kin?

Thank you for the comments.

My son is in the pictures of the car.  He's a full time engineering student at Clarkson.  Unfortunately He won't be around much to help me finish this up.

I'm feeling pretty good right now.  I actually purchased steel and welding supplies this week to put together a couple of more frames.  I have a friend that's getting a body and frame.  And, my son wants one too. 

Awesome news on your health and your path forward!!!!

Nice progress! Good to hear you're feeling better.