Car builders are faced with many decisions long before they pick up a wrench for the first time.One of the first and most important is the style of the car. Should it be built with fanatical attention to the history of the car it is representing? Or should the owner's tastes and likes be presented first and override history? Along those lines is the separate functionality of the car. A real racecar version will often have a ride that can 'bust kidneys' and generally be a pain to egress. Plus, racecars traditionally are void of simple creature comforts that we all take advantage of and have come to enjoy - even down to a CD player. If doing some cruising and even putting some serious road miles on a Cheetah kit car are in your plans, you'll need to check out the new Ruth Engineering & Racing (RER) 1963 Cheetah replica.
The RER Cheetah comes with a great number of advancements for those building for the street. That's not to say this hot little kitty has been neutered, either. The racing flavor and sheer terror of such an outrageous car are still here. Remember, the original was a 365hp motor straddling a 90-inch wheelbase. This first version from RER is not lacking either, with over 550 hp to play with. Of course, just how much power you put in yours is up to you.
It's the changes RER instilled into this car that makes it different, addressing many of the complaints Cheetah builders have had in the past. RER Cheetah bodies are hand-laid fiberglass bodies with some key improvements over the race versions. One is very handy for the aforementioned egress. The original Cheetah doors didn't have pillars. Those clamshell style doors didn't need a lot of strength as long as they latched down when the car took off.
As such, they often flopped around when not latched. The RER doors are more rigid for one feature. Another welcome feature is the addition of an A pillar to the body when the originals didn't have them. On the street, the new pillar invites the use of a DOT windshield and that can help in state inspections for registering your new cat.
The RER Cheetah comes with a great number of advancements for those building for the street. That's not to say this hot little kitty has been neutered, either. The racing flavor and sheer terror of such an outrageous car are still here. Remember, the original was a 365hp motor straddling a 90-inch wheelbase. This first version from RER is not lacking either, with over 550 hp to play with. Of course, just how much power you put in yours is up to you.
It's the changes RER instilled into this car that makes it different, addressing many of the complaints Cheetah builders have had in the past. RER Cheetah bodies are hand-laid fiberglass bodies with some key improvements over the race versions. One is very handy for the aforementioned egress. The original Cheetah doors didn't have pillars. Those clamshell style doors didn't need a lot of strength as long as they latched down when the car took off.
As such, they often flopped around when not latched. The RER doors are more rigid for one feature. Another welcome feature is the addition of an A pillar to the body when the originals didn't have them. On the street, the new pillar invites the use of a DOT windshield and that can help in state inspections for registering your new cat.
Underneath, the chassis is made from 1.5 inch DOM round tubing, as are the incorporated cage bars. Another big improvement was relocating the engine. By moving it forward about eight inches, the car can now use a six-inch driveshaft. If you remember, the originals didn't have any driveshaft at all. The addition of a driveshaft allows the driveline (and those kidneys) the opposite of what they didn't want back in the '60s; a little flexing of the drivetrain and less torque load on the chassis. That's two drivability benefits you will thank after running the roads. The repositioning of the engine also made room for a set of custom made Stainless Works 1 5/8 inch primary headers. And they work off the side of the engine instead of climbing up over the top of the footbox. This will keep some of the engine's heat at bay while it works its way out to the Stainless Works, 3 1/2 inch side pipes.
Creature comforts were made for, well, comfort. Other changes allow for modern technology to be instilled into a cat design that is over 40 years old. RER is also Ruth Corvette, an expert on Corvettes. So taking that cue, they used C4 Corvette suspension and brakes all the way around. It's a great move that gives proven suspension design with the ease of parts availability. There's even a C4 Corvette Dana 36 differential with 3.70:1 gears tucked in there under the occupant's butts. In the first of many examples of using modern race-quality parts, an Aldan coilover shock and custom stainless brake lines are found on each corner. Continuing the parade of neat parts, there is an Afco radiator and surge tank with Derale electric fan. The aluminum pedal assembly came from Wilwood be did the master cylinder. Inside the GM bell housing. a Fidanza aluminum flywheel holds a Centerforce clutch and McLeod hydraulic throwout bearing. They report to a Treme TKO-600 transmission,
If there's one thing that people tend not to believe about the RER Cheetah, it's about the fuel cell located just under the Lexan rear window. It certainly looks like less but a 16-gallon Pro Street fuel cell sits there just beyond the Kir-key vintage aluminum seats and covers with RJS harnesses and belts. A Flaming River dash-mount column, steering wheel shafts, and manual rack handle turns while a Hurst shifter grabs gears. Stewart-Warner gauges, Lokar gas pedal and throttle cable are located under the DOT laminated windshield.
Again, showing how new ideas work with a classic design, 16-inch American Racing Torque Thrust wheels (front 8 x 16/rear 9" x 16") and Cooper Cobra tires were used. (front P235-55R16/rear P295-5016). No doubt you've already taken note of that killer color - PPG Hot Wheels Lime Gold paint with liquid metal stripes and cove is the recipe.
Getting to the motor, RER threw a 383 stroker at their first Cheetah. Sporting 11:1 compression, Dart Pro heads, Gellner billet four bolt main caps, a Lunati crank with Manley rods and JE pistons, it was dyno rated at 550 hp. It also includes a Melling oil pump, Cloyes roller chain, Crane cam (hydraulic roller - 240 duration, 558 lift at valve) Moral lifters, Manley valves (intake 2.050"/exhaust 1.600") and Crane 1.5:1 roller rockers and pushrods. For fuel supply, there is an Edelbrock Air Gap intake and 800cm AFB carb, air cleaner, aluminum water pump; MSD distributor, module and coil; Magnecor wires and March billet pulleys. For that throwback to history, a set of PML cast aluminum Corvette script valve covers were used.
Getting to the motor, RER threw a 383 stroker at their first Cheetah. Sporting 11:1 compression, Dart Pro heads, Gellner billet four bolt main caps, a Lunati crank with Manley rods and JE pistons, it was dyno rated at 550 hp. It also includes a Melling oil pump, Cloyes roller chain, Crane cam (hydraulic roller - 240 duration, 558 lift at valve) Moral lifters, Manley valves (intake 2.050"/exhaust 1.600") and Crane 1.5:1 roller rockers and pushrods. For fuel supply, there is an Edelbrock Air Gap intake and 800cm AFB carb, air cleaner, aluminum water pump; MSD distributor, module and coil; Magnecor wires and March billet pulleys. For that throwback to history, a set of PML cast aluminum Corvette script valve covers were used.
And yes, we did get to check this baby out from the inside. With over 550 hp upending 2270 lbs, it flat out flies. Handling, compliments of those race and Vette parts, is just as superb. It doesn't take too much thinking to see that a few more choice goodies and this Cheetah could be back to a hardcore race version. So, how do you want to build yours?
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