With the season over we are able to spend more time on the bigger projects. The latest work to the Cheetah sees the doors fitted with fabricated hinges. The door handles we have also fabricated to match as accurately as possible those in period photographs.
Workshop Manager and Engineer Graham Smeeton started his motorsport career grass tracking. The 1988 HRE Grass Track Champion built his first race car back in the 1980’s. Like so many in our sport his first race car was a Mini, albeit a 1400cc Mini with a 14.5:1 compression ratio, revving to 9000rpm and producing 112bhp at the wheels!
The Nash is getting assembled piece by piece. Ian sprayed all of the various components in black 2k or Berkshire green ready to go onto the car. We thought we’d lost the speedo until a final box of parts showed up in storage. Grahams installed the hydraulics and the master cylinders as well as the dashboard, tail lights and various other bits and bobs. I’ve been working on the trim, replacing the warped door card backing with plywood and modifying the rear trim panels to fit around the roll cage. We also received our replica 1956 California number plates. Superb.
The little Nash has been moved into the bodyshop. The shell is in remarkable condition but still needs a little work. Let the welding commence!
