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1964 Cheetah GT V8

1964 Cheetah GT V8

1964 Cheetah GT V8

Bill Thomas had one goal in mind when he designed and produced the Cheetah: beat the Ford Cobra. With Chevrolet backing the company, 25 fine examples were produced until sadly, the factory burnt down. After the blaze, chevrolet pulled out of the project.

The power to weight ratio of this beast was phenomenal as the car was small and lightweight (Almost 500lbs lighter than the cobra!). The V8 was pushed back as far as possible leaving the engine almost in the center of the car. Some examples were tuned as high as 520HP.

See full Cheetah GT V8 Gallery

In Detail

submitted by Richard Owen
engine Chevrolet V8
displacement 5351 cc / 326.5 in³
bore 101.6 mm / 4.0 in
stroke 82.55 mm / 3.25 in
compression 11.0:1
power 283.4 kw / 380.0 bhp @ 6200 rpm
specific output 71.01 bhp per litre
bhp/weight bhp per tonne
body / frame Fibreglass
driven wheels Front Engine / RWD
front brakes Nascar Drums
f brake size x 279 mm / x 11.0 in
rear brakes Nascar Drums
r brake size x 279 mm / x 11.0 in
front wheels F 38.1 x 17.8 cm / 15.0 x 7.0 in
rear wheels R 38.1 x 17.8 cm / 15.0 x 7.0 in
curb weight 748 kg / 1649 lbs
wheelbase 2286 mm / 90.0 in
front track 1448 mm / 57.0 in
rear track 1499 mm / 59.0 in
width 1727 mm / 68.0 in
height 1194 mm / 47.0 in
transmission 4-Speed Manual
gear ratios 2.20:1, 1.68:1, 1.00:1, :1
final drive 3.72:1
0 – 60 mph ~6.22 seconds