Our new NORRA ride! Chenowth 1000

[NORRA129]

Some of you may have noticed that we are selling our Funco because of my Facebook post and ad in the Race_Dezert classifieds. I have been asked by many why we are selling it. Well on Saturday Dave Tilton and I completed the purchase of a Chenowth 1000 that was 30 minutes from my home here in Texas. Anyone recognize it? Here is what I know. The car was purchased new from Chenowth by a guy in Oklahoma (not sure when). It was a desert racer. It was then sold to short course racer Jud Cowley in the early '80's and raced the Mickey Thompson series as a Pro 1600. His engines were all built by Lyle Cherry who recently passed away. I found a great Hot VW's article about Lyle Cherry. Some considered Lyle the Smokey Yunick of VW engines. After racing most of the '80's it was then sold to one of Jud's best friends, Joe Nelson, who short course raced it in Sportsman 1600 (single port engine). After about 3 races, Jud re-acquired the car and it has now been sitting in his shop since the early '90's.

Jud Cowley was a motocross racer and rode for Suzuki. He then moved into short course as a hired gun for the Hitachi Tools sponsored car. Anyone have a picture or remember this car? Jud then moved on to drive for a Sprint car team before returning to short course in his own car which is the Chenowth pictured below. In recent years Jud raced the 2007 Baja 1000 ironman on a bike. He is hoping to come to NORRA with one of his KTM's but is open to sharing a 4 wheel ride with anyone who is interested.

The Chenowth is a true time capsule and has never been stored outdoors. Not sure of the actual age of the car, but the pedals are all Neal, and the beam and whole front end is Wright with Summers Brothers hubs and vintage looking Wilwood calipers all the way around. The shocks are all Fox. The car also has secondary torsions with its own pair of shocks. Jud said it is set up to land from 10-15' in the air.

Now if someone buys our Funco, we will be able to afford to ship it to CA so Dave can get busy on it!

 

[Josh 8]

Wow. You have got some serious problems that you have to work out with your self.

Laugh out loud.

It looks like a clean car. But, wow. Another? Well who am I to talk. Have fun. Laugh out loud.

 

[NORRA129]

Wow. You have got some serious problems that you have to work out with your self.

Laugh out loud.

It looks like a clean car. But, wow. Another? Well who am I to talk. Have fun. Laugh out loud.

Haha, Dr. Rob Herrington is my Physiatrist (Funco racer back in the day). I spent a couple hours on the phone with him before making the purchase.

 

[Alvinapm]

Look like a great fine Robert !!! Maybe you just need a dual car trailer ? Yes, Lyle Cherry was a great engine builder for many years.

 

[scary fast hummer]

Wow! ANOTHER single seater?! Are you just a glutton for punishment ? ;-) Looks like a great ride. Hopefully it wont need as extensive works as the Funco did. Best of luck with it!

 

[NORRA129]

Wow! ANOTHER single seater?! Are you just a glutton for punishment ? ;-) Looks like a great ride. Hopefully it wont need as extensive works as the Funco did. Best of luck with it!

It will need work but nothing even close to what the Funco involved. It is really a complete race program with tons of spares. Most of the work is cosmetic as well as converting it back to a desert car. It will need a spare tire mount, front skid plate and the current skid plate under the engine looks like the type of aluminum normally used for interior panels. The car is coming with some of the original desert parts such as a bunch of Centerline wheels. There is so many parts including engines and transmissions that we won't really know what we bought until we start unboxing stuff when we get it home to CA. We are already set on engines so if anyone needs a Lyle Cherry race engine let me know. I am hoping to bring it to CA on the 17th.

 

[Jeff Furrier]

Thats a nice car, lots of cool parts. I like the Oberg oil filter.

Did you get the chassis number? It should be near the dash on the upper left tube.

 

[NORRA129]

Thats a nice car, lots of cool parts. I like the Oberg oil filter.

Did you get the chassis number? It should be near the dash on the upper left tube.

Thanks Jeff, I wasn't sure where to look for the chassis number. I will take a look when I pick it up.

 

[jps1145]

We are already set on engines so if anyone needs a Lyle Cherry race engine let me know.

Not that I need another motor... But, I'd love to tear that thing down and see the kind of stuff he did. I was fortunate enough to meet him a couple of years before he died. He was a tough guy to get to know according to most, but he and I were fast friends. I could hang around his shop for hours and just shoot the breeze.

 

[DONALD MACE]

Tommy Croft drove Lyle's car at the MTEG races - Super 1600 class. Was one of the only air cooled engine out there. Good looking car, it's in real good condition. How much for the engine ? Nice car, have fun.

 

[NORRA129]

Tommy Croft drove Lyle's car at the MTEG races - Super 1600 class. Was one of the only air cooled engine out there. Good looking car, it's in real good condition. How much for the engine ? Nice car, have fun.

We have two Lyle Cherry engines. $1000 each I am leaving Texas early next Thursday morning and everything will be in CA on Friday afternoon. If anyone in Phoenix is interested I will be passing through there Friday.

Question, Why did the short course cars have the extra aluminum trim around the cage? I haven't seen this on desert cars.

 

[NORRA129]

Here is a cool article I found about Lyle Cherry.

http://www.bbt4vw.com/assets/downloads/hotvw-lyle-cherry-web.pdf

 

[Jeff Furrier]

Question, Why did the short course cars have the extra aluminum trim around the cage? I haven't seen this on desert cars.

Kept the mud out.

The chassis were built in mild and chromoly, the tag will have a M or a C to denote the difference. I'd guess by the hi end parts, the car is probably chromoly.

 

[NORRA129]

Kept the mud out.

The chassis were built in mild and chromoly, the tag will have a M or a C to denote the difference. I'd guess by the hi end parts, the car is probably chromoly.

Thanks Jeff, I will be at the car tomorrow and will look for that tag. How big of a fuel cell were you able to fit into your car? I know your car lengthened in front of the rear housing which may have given more room but this car is a 105" wheelbase and I am not sure where the extra length is compared to a 100" car.

 

[MC@ Performance Fab]

First one I've seen with the aluminum on top the fiberglass around the driver. I liked the 1000 more then the standard Funco's I drove way back. After I retired I tested a mid 80s RaceCo at Ocotillo that made them both look stupid.

 

[Jeff Furrier]

The 118 has a 22 gallon Fuel Safe off the shelf cell, the original was about the same just a different shape. I have the original can from when Mark built the car, I could measure it. If you need a cell, I can get you a Pyrotect which is what I've been using for custom sizes.

The wheel base is effected by the length of the front arms and if the car is measured static or at full droop. I think the 118 is 107 static with 2" over front arms and according to Mark , 110 at full droop. 6 inches were added to the car in front of the B pillar after Marked wadded trying to pass Mickey Thompson at...I think the 79 Baja 500.

The longer wheel base made it push real bad, I'd move any weight you can towards the front.

 

[NORRA129]

We got it off the lift and are getting it ready to take to California. I hosed off 25 years worth of dust.













Lots of treasure on these shelves!

 

[NORRA129]

The 118 has a 22 gallon Fuel Safe off the shelf cell, the original was about the same just a different shape. I have the original can from when Mark built the car, I could measure it. If you need a cell, I can get you a Pyrotect which is what I've been using for custom sizes.

The wheel base is effected by the length of the front arms and if the car is measured static or at full droop. I think the 118 is 107 static with 2" over front arms and according to Mark , 110 at full droop. 6 inches were added to the car in front of the B pillar after Marked wadded trying to pass Mickey Thompson at...I think the 79 Baja 500.

The longer wheel base made it push real bad, I'd move any weight you can towards the front.

Thanks Jeff, It is nice to know we can get at least 22 gallons in there. We would love to get even more if possible. Dave is thinking of building a custom can and have Harmon make a cell to fit it if we can get closer to 30 gallons.

One thing Jud showed me today is a bar with a pre-load adjustment arm that ties the two bars together which makes it a sway bar but still acts as a secondary suspension. He said that is how he raced it. He said it turned great and he could slide it around the course. Joe Nelson was the last to race it and he took the bar out and installed individual adjusters. Maybe Joe was spinning out with it hooked together? I prefer a loose car to a tight one.

 

[CMA GUMBY]

Loose is ALOT more fun! IMHO. Especially in the dirt.

 

[NORRA129]

The car and all the extras that came with it are now in the shop in Redlands CA. We have lots of extras if anyone is looking for something including the entire Howe power steering system.