Fabricated late 1965 shipped 1967 |
John Fleming |
OH |
Imp |
Jack Knight |
Un-numbered chassis -
Sister car to 104 originally used to make Series II molds |
3/1972 | Al Smith | PA | Imp | Hewland | - |
1986? | Larry Long | PA | Imp | Hewland | - |
1989 | Hugh Kleinpeter | GA | Imp | Hewland |
chassis/body restoration |
5/2002 |
Andy Greene (for sale) |
GA | Imp | Jack Knight | - |
12/2003 | John Rankin | Seattle | Imp | Jack Knight |
completed restoration currently racing |
John Fleming (Columbus OH) bought a Beach Mk4B-II body in early 1967, intending to build a chassis from plans supplied by Beach. Instead, late that year he bought an un-numbered chassis which had been used by Beach as a form to make the Series II body molds. This was a very early Series II chassis with RHD, instrument "bubble", and short dash panel, and appears to have been made in late 1965 about the same time as chassis #104. I have assigned it serial number 104A since that is where the chassis seems to fit in the Beach sports racer chronology. Some distinguishing characteristics in common with #104 include the geometry of the roll hoop plus firewall struts and the seat belt attachment loops.
Fleming and his wife raced their robin's-egg blue car with a Nathan Imp engine at Mid-Ohio and Nelson Ledges from 1968-72.
10/70 Autoweek ad
In March 1972, Fleming sold it to Albert Smith in NE Pennsylvania, who raced it for several years. Smith sold it to Larry Long (also in Pennsylvania) who raced it for several more years and then sold it to Hugh Kleinpeter, who restored the chassis and bodywork and fitted it with yellow bodywork. After Hugh's death it was offered for sale by Andy Greene. In 12/03 it was bought by John Rankin. Rankin finished the restoration and began racing in July 2006.
UPDATE 7/06 - For many years the early history of this car was not known for certain and it was thought to be chassis #113. However, at one of John Rankin's first races (in Oregon), John Fleming and his wife spotted this as the car that they used to race!