Wrecked Kirkham on Ebay

[mrmustang]

Surprised nobody is discussing THIS ONE. Story seems plausible, yet a bit odd at the same time. Anyone else care to comment?



Bill S.

[D111]

I've been following this auctions since it started bill.

His photographs really give the car a tin can affect.

Trying to grasp how the sway bar hit the front right tire if only the connecting tie broke on one side?

But no worries his following statement really puts me at ease :-)

"Lastly Joe cares a full power if attorney for me"

did he go out of town or is he dying?

[Got the Bug]

No reserve auction as well...big gamble for sure. The car is going to sell.

[HealeyRick]

I would think it would make more sense for the owner to return it to Dave Kirkham, have it repaired and checked out and then put it up for auction. I'd think the selling price increase would more than make up for the expense of shipping the car back if Dave was convinced the accident was a manufacturing defect. Even if Kirkham wouldn't fix it for free, wouldn't the owner's insurance cover the repairs? And why would you go sell a vehicle with only 62 miles on it? Not intimating there's any skullduggery involved, just that people do funny things.

[kgs365]

at $60K the current bid....i'm missing where the deal is?...seems the seller is getting a good deal!

[tcrist]

I am thinking that it broke during the post hit (and whatever was hit before the post). Not the other way around. Sounds to me like it was driver error and it scared the he!! out of him/her, hence the sale.

Whoever is interested in this car should make the sale contingent on the car being fully inspected by the Kirkham’s as to the damage involved. If the Kirkham’s say the damage is as described then the buyer pays for the shipping and inspection. If not then the seller pays and the buyer can back out on the sale. If he/she wants that is.

All and all I think that it was the inexperience of the operator not a part failure.

But that is just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[BMK]

Mmm with two days to go my tip this will get up around $65,000.

[mrmustang]

KMP536 according to the seller. Anyone have any history on it? Have already sent an email to Dave K at his gmail account.........


Bill S.

[mrmustang]

Warning to those interested in this car. Details to follow shortly

[Tom Kirkham]

These are pictures that were sent to us, presumably very shortly after the crash.

[mrmustang]

So how does someone create that type of damage? Rod ends,especially of the size and quality of what you use does not just snap without a huge amount of opposing force happening........


Bill S.

PS: I was seriously thinking of taking a run at this car, but now, not going to happen.

[Tom Kirkham]

The car was not aligned prior to the crash. This is easily seen in the pictures by the fact that the steering tie rod end jam nuts are still loose.

It is also our contention that the impact broke the rod end.

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by Tom Kirkham

The car was not aligned prior to the crash. This is easily seen in the pictures by the fact that the steering tie rod end jam nuts are still loose.

It is also our contention that the impact broke the rod end.

Now THAT makes sense.

[Jeff Frigo]

Tom:

How about a guestimate on what it will cost to repair. This car is starting to remind me of the twin turbo GT40 on ebay with "cosmetic" damage. What the seller doesn't tell you, even when you call him on the phone, is that the tub is bent on both ends, the car is totalled. By no means am I implying that the Cobra is totalled.


Jeff

[stevehaygood]

Comment regarding not being aligned makes sense...What about materials quality of sub-contractor/vendor from Eastern Europe??? I find it curious that the break seems so "clean and even" right at the point of the hiem joint's end threads appear to have been in the tie rod? Also, the almost crystalline appearance of the break seems curious to me as as opposed to what a fatigue type break or what might be expected from sudden side loading as in side thrust received to the tie rod from the wheel after it hits something..? Just the crystalline look bothers me...I lived and worked in Europe for 6 years in the early to mid 1990s during the fall of the USSR and Eastern Bloc and wad in Germany in 1995-96b during re-unification...some of the stories and things I saw were rather,....'amazing' to put it mildly.

[Avmaviator]

You can clearly see in the fourth to last picture that something hit the fender. It punctured the alum skin too.

[Tom Kirkham]

Originally Posted by stevehaygood

...What about materials quality of sub-contractor/vendor from Eastern Europe??? ... I find it curious that the break seems so "clean and even" right at the point of the hiem joint's end threads appear to have been in the tie rod? Also, the almost crystalline appearance of the break seems curious to me as as opposed to what a fatigue type break or what might be expected from sudden side loading as in side thrust received to the tie rod from the wheel after it hits something..? Just the crystalline look bothers me...

The rod end is from Aurora. I would argue that the break is a very classic impact type fracture and not a fatigue type failure. Note the lack of beach marks that is classic to a fatigue type failure. The "crystalline look" you see is where the metal was torn apart.

[JBo]

Mystery solved....thanks tom

[csx4910]

Hey the seller is from Phoenix. I recognized some of the pics and the phone is a 480 area code. Anyone here local know the seller? Did we ever get an estimate from David Kirkham on estimated cost of repairs?

[Jeff Frigo]

Originally Posted by csx4910

Hey the seller is from Phoenix. I recognized some of the pics and the phone is a 480 area code. Anyone here local know the seller? Did we ever get an estimate from David Kirkham on estimated cost of repairs?

I asked.