Kirkham vs. ERA

[Flygirl]

You're probably sick of my asking so many questions...but here goes.

So far I've learned a bit about the Factory Five cars, then Superformance, then ERA (can you see the progression here?) and now I'm beginning to do the same with the Kirkham S/C 427

I'm liking the shape of the body—seems very correct to me—and the engineering. But I don't know too much about the vibe, how owners (and non owners, for that matter) feel when it comes to these cars.

At the moment my major question is about the aluminum body. I love the brushed finish but wonder how delicate the aluminum is. And if it'd be an issue on a car that I'd be using regularly on the weekends, possibly even for some longer distance touring.

Also, does it tarnish in any way? Would I use some sort of stainless steel cleaner on it periodically? I'm assuming that's normally the metal which is exposed, sans clear coat.

The Kirkham website doesn't seem to have nearly as much information as the ERA site. Can anyone suggest how I can learn more about these cars?

And weren't some of the early builds subject to a sagging chassis?

All opinions are welcome.

Thank you!