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I haven't seen this mentioned so I figured I should make this post. The Carrera Cheetah has a fifth screw to remove before the body will come off. There is a little rectangular compartment on the lower back of the body. It has a recess to help pry it open and there you will find the fifth screw.

It took me a couple of minutes during which I almost busted the body or chassis trying to get it off. I hope this post helps the next person who trys to open the car up.

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I keep showing people what an asset that screw is, but people just keep on throwing it away. That screw is perfect for body float.

Thanks Michael...I was sure it was in the review.

I have not thrown it away....yet. But Rob, I will try it. Mine is all apart now getting "the works".

I was so eager to get this one that I didn't bother to read any reviews. Especially when I put it on the track and it ran so well. I put the screw back in mine when I buttoned it up.

Finally got around to gluing in the rear bushings on this car, and it's a blast on the wood tracks now. It started out great, but with more use the rear bushings loosened up a bit, and it developed some pretty good hops on acceleration. It's smooth again -- not perfect, but "is this really a Carrera?" smooth.

I've left all the screws in place, but maybe taking out the rear pair of body screws, and using the 5th screw to allow a bit of rock would help.

I have the fronts as limiters of float for one end of the body, and the rear center screw as the other. I have the two rear screws so loose they might as well not be there. The main thing is to limit the "flop" from side to side. Of course, you have to free up the chassis edges first. I have only done this to the red one. The blue one is bone stock for comparison. Its rather dramatic, in that bone stock also eliminates the effects of trued wheels and tires, etc.

Just so there is a photo to illustrate where the infamous 5th screw is.... under the hatch (where you see the Cheetah coat of arms) on the back of this Cheetah lurks the 5th screw.

Since this is the first time I know of Carrera doing this; is there a real purpose for the fifth screw?

I really studied it, and I can find no useful reason for that screw to be there. I just took advantage of an opportunity that presented itself. I suspect that there was another design for the chassis at some point, and the screw would have been to accommodate that. As Dave has taught us, the cost of changing a mold is insane, so it follows that if a chassis design no longer needed it, they wouldn't recast the body.

I've wondered myself. The only thing I can guess is that they wanted to make sure that the back panel (the panel that the screws pass through) was held on securely. As is sometimes noted, Carrera cars can sometimes be... heavily engineered. ;)

I know what you mean. Thankfully I no longer worry about he interior tray falling out!