Beach Mk4B-II Sports Racer s/n 104A

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! 

Photos from John Fleming - most dated September 1971
7-31-2006-10.jpg (44216 bytes)
initial assembly - 1968?
7-31-2006-13.jpg (146802 bytes) 7-31-2006-17.jpg (113364 bytes) 7-31-2006-20.jpg (120172 bytes)
7-31-2006-15.jpg (87801 bytes) 7-31-2006-07.jpg (37858 bytes) 7-31-2006-05.jpg (64774 bytes) 7-31-2006-11.jpg (57507 bytes)
7-31-2006-02.jpg (79378 bytes) 7-31-2006-03.jpg (90831 bytes)    
Photos below before restoration - at Larry Long's in 1980's?
hk-104a-12.JPG (86417 bytes) hk-104a-22.JPG (77342 bytes) hk-104a-20.JPG (73542 bytes) hk-104a-03.JPG (69314 bytes)
hk-104a-08.JPG (73712 bytes) hk-104a-13.JPG (69071 bytes) hk-104a-16.JPG (60399 bytes) hk-104a-19.JPG (73126 bytes)
hk-104a-17.JPG (65878 bytes) hk-104a-24.JPG (76509 bytes) hk-104a-14.JPG (74357 bytes) hk-104a-23.JPG (76685 bytes)
hk-104a-06.JPG (65258 bytes) hk-104a-11.JPG (65342 bytes) hk-104a-18.JPG (68789 bytes) hk-104a-09.JPG (58042 bytes)
hk-104a-04.JPG (68042 bytes) hk-104a-21.JPG (85845 bytes) hk-104a-15.JPG (73129 bytes) hk-104a-10.JPG (83347 bytes)
hk-104a-07.JPG (38029 bytes) hk-104a-01.JPG (79666 bytes) hk-104a-02.JPG (69352 bytes)  
Photos below showing chassis restoration at Hugh Kleinpeter's shop
hk-104a-05.JPG (74641 bytes) hk-104a-28.JPG (98146 bytes) hk-104a-25.JPG (102141 bytes) hk-104a-27.JPG (99006 bytes)
hk-104a-31.JPG (84132 bytes) hk-104a-32.JPG (87402 bytes) hk-104a-33.JPG (88201 bytes)
hk-104a-34.JPG (79745 bytes) hk-104a-35.JPG (71877 bytes) hk-104a-36.JPG (86008 bytes)  
Photos below after chassis restoration and body-fitting
113-3qurt.JPG (64985 bytes)
Andy Greene 2002
113-side.jpg (66529 bytes)
Andy Greene 2002
113-rear.jpg (59522 bytes)
Andy Greene 2002
dsc00001.jpg (348181 bytes)
John Rankin 2003
dsc00006.jpg (397253 bytes)
John Rankin 2003
113-F-sus.JPG (129523 bytes)

113-Engine.JPG (114435 bytes)

Beach 7-2-06 003.jpg (82481 bytes)
John Rankin 7/2006
Beach 7-2-06 006.jpg (45512 bytes)
John Rankin 7/2006
dscn0365.jpg (182824 bytes)
John Fleming & wife with John Rankin 7/2006
dscn0366.jpg (150505 bytes)
John Fleming & wife with John Rankin 7/2006
dscn0371.jpg (210652 bytes)
John Fleming with John Rankin 7/2006
104a-2018-02.jpg (90966 bytes) 104a-2018-01.jpg (98045 bytes)