Quote:
Originally Posted by Nantucket427
I drive my Superformance everywhere and have owed it for 6 years. I like to do shows but I also like to drive the car on the road and track. I am sold on a Kirham as my next car but I have a few questions that I would like there customers to answer.
1. Can a Kirham be driven and still look good? What kind of upkeep is required?
2. How do you care for a polished body?
3. How durable is the stainless frame. New England has a lot of sand on the roads(left over from Our Wnters)it is very abrasive. I have taken the control arms off and sent them to be powder coated and I am always painting the frame. I just don't know how it will wear or how to keep it looking good without parking the car.
4. What are the necessary options?
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About all I can say is "it's the greatest thing since sliced bread."
No one cares if it's real or not. No one cares what kind of car it is. No one cares how much it costs. Virtually, the only question I get is "What color is that?" or "Is that chrome paint?"
Unless you're totally anal and the slightest minor blemish or piece of dirt bothers you, then the finish holds up very, very well. I've done literally nothing for a couple years and the polished/brushed stripes finish still looks excellent. Not perfect though.
I do leave it under a car cover and it is garaged, but that's what I'm sure everyone does anyway. However, I don't live at the beach, but I'm also not that far from the Pacific Ocean either. Notwithstanding, I'm sure the East Coast may be rougher.
As for care, I've purchased some cloth and micro fiber towels along with the Nuvite S polish that's recommended by Kirkham. When the times comes, first, I'll polish by hand, see how that goes, and then if needed, I may buy the dual head polisher from Cyclo and use that, but only if it's absolutely necessary.
Here's a link for you. Scroll down to the section called "
Maintaining the Mirror Finish":
http://www.irinfo.com/polish/html/polish.html
The Kirkham roller is almost fully optioned as is. Not much additional to buy from Kirkham, except for maybe the Halon system and then the body finish. I also got the powdercoated bulkhead panel and the wheelwell foam, but if you're the industrious type, then those you can do. I have since done a few extra things like install an inner gas cap, vents in the front fenders (near the headers) like the S/C's or comps, changed the mufflers, etc., etc.
Some people would never buy the alloy body and I understand that position. I'm just one of those buyers who personally prefers the aluminum body over fiberglass. Vanilla versus chocolate.