Cheetah Racing Cars

[Moggy]

I am trying to trace the history of a Cheetah Mark 6 that I am told was raced at the AGP in AF2 category in either 1981 or 1982 at Calder Park.
The car is currently in NSW. (in Australia)

It is chassis number 631 and may have been driven by Lucio Cesario round that time.

My information is very sketchy, but I am informed that the first owner was the Mc Lachlan Bros.

It had an early log book issued in Tasmania # T 745

The car was built in 1975 and delivered in 1976.

Engine type at that time is unknown, tho' it is pushed along by a Celica engine nowadays.

I'd be obliged to anyone who might know anything of the history of this car.

MoggyI

[eldougo]

1982. Calder
Two Mk8 Cheetah raced by Brian Sampson & Chris Hocking they came home 14 & 15 positon. None entered in 1981.

[allenbrown]

Welcome Charles

Glad you took my suggestion - I'm sure everyone at 10 Tenths will be able to help you progress your research. For what it's worth, I only have three Cheetah appearances in my database but as I'm missing large amounts of Australian ANF1 and ANF2 races, they are unlikely to be much help:

1972: Peter Macrow's (AF2) 1.6-litre Cheetah Mk4 - Ford 4 at Symmons Plains
1974: "High" Gartley's (AF2) 1.6-litre Cheetah - Ford 4 at Phillip Island
1976: Mike Stack's (AF2) 1.6-litre Cheetah - Ford 4 at Phillip Island

Looking at the Australian GP book, Stack had his Cheetah at the Sep 1976 AGP and, as Doug says, there were those two Mk 8s in 1982.

I can't recall what ANF2 became after ANF1 moved to Pacific but I'm sure the Aussies here can explain.

Allen

[Bryan Miller]

Charles,

Geoff Forsyth is running a Cheetah Toyota in Tasmania in 1977 and 1978 , as the log book no. you give is T 745 , this is a Tasmanian originated logbook , when the car changed states a new logbook would be issued by the new state , e.g. N for New South Wales , V for Victoria etc.

F3 was 1300cc , pushrod till the end of 1977.
1978 a new F2 was introduced 1600cc pushrod/single cam , e.g. VW Golf, Toyota Celicia , Ford pushrod etc.
F3 was abolished and quite a lot of the cars ran in the new F2 as a 1300cc untill converted to 1600cc .

The 3 cars you mention Allen are 1] Peter Macrows MK 4 , now with Brian Sampson I believe .
2] Hugh Gartleys , retained and used in historics by Hugh.
3] The only Ford Twin -cam Mk.6 built , found and rebuilt years ago by Bruce Kennedy from N.S.W. now with a new owner.

I believe you need to get copies of the log books and check the owners to establish the correct progression timewise.

It would appear the car started life as an F3 with a Toyota Corolla 1300cc and then was changed to suit the new 1600cc F2 the same as a lot of other cars.

Bryan.

[allenbrown]

I found this on TNF

Originally posted by Dick Willis
Thanks John, that's a date, and I would certainly like to talk to Adrian Gundlach about Auspers, but that's probably a subject for another thread sometime.
Interesting that you should mention Cheetahs, Ray. Brian Shead was an outstanding Ausralian constructor, I think his highlight must have been in the late seventies when he, Brian Sampson and Peter Macrow were virtually unbeatable in Aust F3. Brian built, I think, 16 Cheetah Mark sixes virtually single handed in a shed behind his Melbourne house, between 1975-77. Almost all were Corolla powered F3 cars and a few appear in Australian hstoric racing today.
Mine is configured as a hillclimb car powered by a 250hp Cosworth Sierra motor, sticky tyres, low gearing and a small radiator, and is quite a weapon, still competitive with much more modern and got FTD at Grafton hillclimb last week. The interesting thing is, unlike most seventies racing cars, you can still ring the original manufacturer and buy parts.
Originally the cars were not fitted with chassis platesor numbers, being simply known as, in my car's example, as the "Engel" car after the original owner. These days, numbers have been assigned to the cars, again in my cars case, 636, 6 denoting Mk6, 3 denting Formula 3 and 6 the build number.
Brian went on to build several Cheetah Mk 7's and Mk 8's which were mostly Golf powered for ANF2 although he also built a few BDA powered Mk 8's for Formula Atlantic/Pacific or whatever it was called. He then built a final Mk9 for Formula Holden.

Which suggests your car was the first Formula 3 Mk 6. However, his comment that the chassis plates are recent additions is most interesting.

Allen

[allenbrown]

But also this:

Originally posted by Ray Bell
Brian also had a changeover system when he introduced the Mk 6, Dick.

If you had a Mk 5, you could take the chassis to him and he would alter it the little bit that was necessary and reskin it to the Mk 6 configuration.

He also did a similar thing for the ANF2 runners when 'ground effects' came in. Keep your old suspension bits and just fit this new tub etc... a cheap changeover.

No doubt this accounts for a few more Cheetahs in Historic Racing than existed originally?

[Moggy]

Thanks to all thus far
I have managed to make contact with Brian Shead now, and I am hopeful of getting some of the original data in the next few days/.
I will post it for any interested party then

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by Moggy

Thanks to all thus far
I have managed to make contact with Brian Shead now, and I am hopeful of getting some of the original data in the next few days/.
I will post it for any interested party then

I'd be very interested.

[Bryan Miller]

Charles,

I will suggest your car started life , given it is chassis 1 of the MK 6 series as either Brian Sampson or Brian Shead's own car before being sold to Geoff Forsyth .

Bryan.

[Moggy]

Bryan,

You may well be right on the money. I have had an interim reply from Brian Shead which suggests that could be possible, he is now looking at photos to try to determine that or whether it is the McLaughlan Bros car which was built in (completed) October 1978.

Will advise further as the mystery unravels.

Charles Mogg
(Moggy)

[allenbrown]

Hello Charles

Anything new on this? I've been contacted by a Mk 7 owner and I'm sure he'll be interested to know where you've got to with your research.

Allen

[spook]

I am trying to gather as much information as possible on the history and owners of all Cheetah Racing Cars.

If anyone can supply race history, photos or ownership history of any Cheetah Racing Cars from Mk2 to Mk9, please contact me at :- racedesign@optusnet.com.au

Thanks

[Amonfan]

Memory is going but where did the Peter Banfeild Cheetah MK6 come from, he was from tassie and i had assumed this was the ex Forsyth car......

[spook]

Where in the world could I find Peter Banfield - can you ask him to contact me - thanks.

[Bryan Miller]

I see Peter Banfield all the time , he was at the A1 Grand prix of nations at Eastern Creek today.

Bryan Miller.

[spook]

Thanks, but I'm sure Peter would have preferred you sent me a PM with his number.

Cheers

[spook]

Info for Moggy - are you still online here?

Geoff Forsyth advertised a Cheetah Celica for sale (with photo) in Racing Car News Feb 1980, page 71.

Just 3 months earlier in Nov 1979, Kevin McLauchlan advertised a Cheetah F2 (or at least most of the bits) in Racing Car News page 70.

Cheers

[spook]

Note for Bryan - the CAMS Log Book number never changes regardless of where the car moves, but you can identify the state it was first issued by the first letter.

CAMS can tell you easily who was first issued with that Log Book number, but not subsequent owners - that you have to find yourself through research, research and bloody hard work.

[Bryan Miller]

Spook,

As Peter has it written in very large letters on the side on his Peter Banfield Motorsport truck , I do not think he would have a problem, I certainly do with the tone of your reply.

[spook]

My apologies, no tone intended.

Thanks again for your help.

[John Turner]

Glad you have sorted this misunderstanding out guys, and I take your point, Bryan, about the number advertised on the side of the truck. I have nevertheless removed it to be on the safe side.

[flightlessbird]

During the 2005 NSW State Championships we had 3 Cheetahs making an appearance 2 mark 6 and on 'improved' mark 7, if you require information contact me via the web site

[275 GTB-4]

Ummmm I think my friend Trevor Longmore here in Canberra has a Cheetah...marque and engine unknown (I think Toyota)...but I could well be mistaken

[spook]

And the web site address would be:- ?

[spook]

I believe that Trevor had a Mk6 (built circa 1976) with a Ford Twin Cam, but has an unknown new owner. This is just one of the many missing in action Cheetahs that
I would like to unite in an association of owners.

Thanks for your help.