Aluminum replacement body

David Kirkham · #1 (**permalink**) 02-05-2003, 08:56 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2402677502

Fellow car nuts:

I have often wondered how many of you would be interested in one of these bodies. We made a couple of them which just arrived on the last shipment two days ago. All part of our effort to get more aluminum bodies out there. I have no idea if this will work or not. If it does, we will keep making them...but there is one tiny little problem.

Also, on another post someone mentioned they were going to wait for our "next car" on e-bay. Don't hold your breath. I don't see very many more cars going on e-bay. You may not see very many more of any of our cars for a while.

We are selling cars again to Shelby and they are currently buying more than we can produce. Our next car can't be delivered until September--assuming Shelby doesn't buy any more. They are selling them like crazy and we can't keep up with their orders right now.

David

Jamo · #2 (**permalink**) 02-05-2003, 09:39 PM

So that means you'll make mine really really good?

Should I buy a replacement body now? Like having a two trouser suit.

David Kirkham · #3 (**permalink**) 02-05-2003, 10:10 PM

I hope you will never need a replacement body, Jamo. If you do, this is the one to have. As I said, we may not be making too many more of these unless I can figure out how to make them a whole bunch faster!

David

Your car will be very cool when it is finished.

bmalone · #4 (**permalink**) 02-05-2003, 10:28 PM

Hi David, how's it going? Since you mentioned the body can be used on originals, I assume it can be made to fit round-tube frames for replicas such as Contemporary?

KobraKarl · #5 (**permalink**) 02-05-2003, 10:36 PM

David,

what he said!

Karl

Specialk · #6 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 05:50 AM

It could be made to fit pretty much any replica out there, but it would require significant fabrication i.e. you would need to know how to weld. The Contemporary has a pretty simple chassis, so there would not be much to cut off. You would have to strip the car down to the bare chassis, put the new body on the chassis, align it, the built your supports. The Kirkhams have done all the hard parts, the rest is just support work!

mr bruce · #7 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 06:04 AM

I'll mount that body on any frame for free. If anybody out there wants to supply the body and the frame, I'll do the labor for FREE!

Specialk · #8 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 06:10 AM

damn bruce, you already out bid me!

David Kirkham · #9 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 07:00 AM

Special K hit the nail on the head.

We thought about the process of building an aluminum car and how hard it is to build. We took all of the hard work out of it. The body will fit on any replica that has the correct wheel base. You will need to fabricate a substructure and just weld it all together.

It really isn't too hard...now remember, I make cars everyday, so maybe I'm not the right person to ask. I have been welding and fabricating now for 15 years.

David

Clois Harlan · #10 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 07:15 AM

Ok David you have peaked my interest. What will be the cost of the replacement bodies? Are they available now?

Thanks,

Clois

David Kirkham · #11 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 11:49 AM

We were mostly wondering how much interest there was for the body. Obviously, that is the hardest part of the car to make and we were wondering if people were interested in putting them on their fiberglass cars...or they could fix an original if they wanted to.

This is so new, only 3 days in the States now, that we really haven't established a price on them yet. This is sort of a prototype run.

David

KobraKarl · #12 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 12:24 PM

David ,

I'm thinking you must know what you have in these pieces , add in an appropriate mark-up (say $5.00

) and presto!

Seriously ,this was proposed ,if I remember, about two years ago
and the responce was pretty good. I am pretty sure if the cost of these pieces was reasonable enough the hassle of the retro-fit would readily be over looked. I would also think that after a couple of any particular car had been retro fitted (say Contemporary

)a retro part kit could be put to paper if not actully " fabbed-up" by some enterprising individual.

I know a lot of us with older cars are looking at a body off repaint
soon ....................there is a definate economy to this ...........

Just my thoughts Karl

rdorman · #13 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 01:02 PM

Any one wanna give me 13K?????

mr bruce · #14 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 03:23 PM

Rapidly approaching the point where it's no longer a good deal. What's the price of the K bros, Body/Frame$22K-25K? under $10k ,there was some feasability to put on some other mfg's frame, but why go thu all that if you can get the proper frame from the git-go. If it gets to $20k ,well sumbuddy gots more money than brains.

Excaliber · #15 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 05:21 PM

Mr Bruce,,,,you bring up an interesting point. I wonder just how much a glass body WOULD cost, ready to mount (can you even buy one that way?)?

And of course the BIG question is:
How much MORE would pay over that to go metal? Wait,,,not how much more YOU or I would pay. What will the market "bare" for a "bare" metal body? I think THAT is the question David is asking with his e-bay adventure!

How much does a glass body cost anyway? Anybody?

Ernie

KobraKarl · #16 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 06:00 PM

E-Bay might be an indicator for one or two, but i would expect the price would eventually have to represent many of these being made available,I would bet at the right price you could sell hundreds

KobraKarl · #17 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 06:36 PM

FFR selling contemporary bodies for $3900 , FFR complete w/doors,hood ,trunk about $3500 ..........

mr bruce · #18 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 06:44 PM

An A+C body, which needs no repairs(gelcoat smooth and shinney as paint) is $5K(?) How much prep on the aluminium skin to be ready for paint?If you could keep the Al body at under $10k, I think you could sell a pile of them.but then again, sumbuddy has to do the r+d to get it to fit on each different mfg's frame.

CSX 4027 · #19 (**permalink**) 02-06-2003, 08:01 PM

David, I think its a good idea for the very talented. A novice might never get it done. We all know what it is to line up someting that looks as simplistic as a Cobra.

HEY!!! I still have the 4000 body sitting in my trailer. Anybody want to make an offer?

UH OH!! I hope I am not going to be accused of selling again....

David Kirkham · #20 (**permalink**) 02-07-2003, 11:47 AM

If there is enough interest in our body alone, we will consider making more of them. The current interest level is enough for us to consider further production.

There is VERY LITTLE prep work involved in finish painting one of our bodies. Far, far less than ANY of the fiberglass bodies I have seen from any of the companies in the industry. We go to great lengths to make them as straight as we can. I am confident we make the stratightest aluminum body that has ever been made by hand. (The amounts of bondo on original Ferraris and Cobras is something to behold. I have personally seen 3/8 inch thick bondo on an original Cobra...no, it wasn't even wrecked. The original panel was that warped!) I imagine they had stock in the filler companies.

We go to great lengths to straighten out the panels after they are fabricated and welded together. I think you would be happy with our body.

David