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Kirkham Motorsports

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  #1 (permalink)  
Old 03-25-2015, 11:00 AM
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Default Painted Kirkham

I can't imagine owning a polished or brushed car. It seems like too much upkeep for me. I have seen a few painted examples of Kirkham's.

What does it take to prepare the body for paint starting from a file finish? Can a painter that is used to steel paint the car? Their go to move it to lay on the filler and start sanding. I am just curious.
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Old 03-25-2015, 11:51 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Detroit Bill View Post
I can't imagine owning a polished or brushed car. It seems like too much upkeep for me. I have seen a few painted examples of Kirkham's.

What does it take to prepare the body for paint starting from a file finish? Can a painter that is used to steel paint the car? Their go to move it to lay on the filler and start sanding. I am just curious.
You prep a Kirkham the same way you do just about any other car.

Sand
Etch primer
Sand
Fill
Sand
Fill
Sand
Fill
Primer
Sand
Fill
Sand
Fill
Sand
Primer
Sand
Seal
Base Coat
Clear Coat
Wet Sand
Buff


Doesn't that sound simple


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Old 03-25-2015, 12:19 PM
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KMP600 is at McCluskeys right now getting paint.
It's in the earlier stages of sand and fill.
Lot's of flaws pop out, like knee marks on the side, elbows on the fender (none of which are mine ), door/hood gaps, etc.

Personally, I could never own a polished car. My polished stripes were enough of a PITA. Looking back, I would rather have had all brushed but recently I though it was time for a change and put better use of sitting resources (sold stuff) and get some color (as well as earrings for the missus).
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Old 03-25-2015, 12:29 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Detroit Bill View Post
I can't imagine owning a polished or brushed car. It seems like too much upkeep for me.
That's funny, because I can't imagine owning a Cobra that has paint on it. Seriously.

You wash and polish just like any other car. Different type of polish though.
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Old 03-25-2015, 12:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rodneym View Post
KMP600 is at McCluskeys right now getting paint.
I don't why, but I'm sad about this for some reason.

So what color or colors did you choose?

What's the total time to paint from start to finish?
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Old 03-25-2015, 12:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RodKnock View Post
That's funny, because I can't imagine owning a Cobra that has paint on it. Seriously.

You wash and polish just like any other car. Different type of polish though.
I recently polished some aluminum parts for my engine compartment. If you look at them sideways they get scratches. I am trying to imagine getting road tar, bug splats and bird doo off the polished or brushed finish without creating marks or damage. My last car was black and that kept me on my toes to not create swirl marks in the paint. I also saw one that was polished with brushed stripes. The upkeep on it was not great and it solidified my opinion on it.

If you can keep it looking good more power to ya.
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Old 03-25-2015, 12:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rodneym View Post
KMP600 is at McCluskeys right now getting paint.
It's in the earlier stages of sand and fill.
Lot's of flaws pop out, like knee marks on the side, elbows on the fender (none of which are mine ), door/hood gaps, etc.

Personally, I could never own a polished car. My polished stripes were enough of a PITA. Looking back, I would rather have had all brushed but recently I though it was time for a change and put better use of sitting resources (sold stuff) and get some color (as well as earrings for the missus).
Could you see the knee and elbow marks in the polished finish?
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Old 03-25-2015, 12:44 PM
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RodKnock,

Don't be sad. I'll still be your friend. We can still chide patrickt. We'll always have "Magnesium" [cue in music and video montage]...

Color is 'Virginia Sand'...

It's about 3 1/2 weeks in of an 8-10 week job. Being done along side a CSX30xx S/C
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Old 03-25-2015, 12:45 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Detroit Bill View Post
Could you see the knee and elbow marks in the polished finish?
Not with KMP539.
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Old 03-25-2015, 12:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Detroit Bill View Post
Could you see the knee and elbow marks in the polished finish?
Bill,
Mine was brushed with polished (and later brushed) stripes.
Brushing H-I-D-E-S minor flaws, big time. While still 'visible' in a brushed car, in a painted car they would scream out.
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Old 03-25-2015, 12:48 PM
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Not with KMP539.
Well, you have to drive it, to work on it
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Old 03-25-2015, 01:00 PM
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Originally Posted by rodneym View Post
Color is 'Virginia Sand'...
Was that selected from the Martha Stewart collection at Home Depot?

"Virginia Sand" sounds an awful lot like "Patrick's Crappy Beige" to me. Say it ain't so.

I feel like that Native American in that old iconic 1970's TV commercial with a tear in his eye when he sees all the trash that has been dumped in the water and on the land.
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Old 03-25-2015, 01:05 PM
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Even IF I could settle on a colour to paint it, it seems a shame to hide all that craftsmanship.

Brush or Polish it, and let it patina gracefully with age...
Paint just can't quite replicate that.
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Old 03-25-2015, 01:36 PM
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Living near the ocean, I've witnessed corrosion on bare aluminum. My Danbury Mint cobra model got corrosion on the body from dust and moisture in the air while sitting on my shelf, LOL...
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Old 03-25-2015, 02:42 PM
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Living near the ocean, I've witnessed corrosion on bare aluminum. My Danbury Mint cobra model got corrosion on the body from dust and moisture in the air while sitting on my shelf, LOL...
That Danbury Mint model and the alloy Kirkham body sure are very similar (i.e., same material).

Without the alloy body, then your weekend polishing job will definitely be shorter with everything else that's aluminum on a Cobra (e.g., nearly everything in the engine compartment, miscellaneous panels, wheels, gauge bezels, blah, blah, blah).
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Old 03-25-2015, 07:06 PM
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Windex & Scotch Brite pads ...works great....
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Old 03-25-2015, 07:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RodKnock View Post
Was that selected from the Martha Stewart collection at Home Depot?

"Virginia Sand" sounds an awful lot like "Patrick's Crappy Beige" to me. Say it ain't so.
Ahhh, but it is so. He has thoroughly thought it through, weighed all his options, and has chosen to paint his aluminum bodied Kirkham with a color that is similar to mine. Ooooh, how sweet it is.

And btw, there were three reasons I chose ERA over Kirkham: 1) I was going to paint the car from the get-go; 2) ERA is on the east coast; 3) Kirkham has no manual (well, they kind of have a partially done one now, but they dropped the ball and gave up on it when it was about half way done).
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Old 03-25-2015, 09:10 PM
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When my brushed aluminum Kirkham gets s little grubby, I just get out the shop rags and lacquer thinner and Scotch-brite!!
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Old 03-25-2015, 10:46 PM
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1. It's not gonna be Virginia Sand.
2. I live about 5 miles from the ocean, but drive along it, and over it, at least once a week. Corrosion is very real. It starts to pit a tiny bit but a re-brush gets it out. The part of the gas cap facing forward....black. Hmmm.....black....
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Old 03-25-2015, 11:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickt View Post
Ahhh, but it is so. He has thoroughly thought it through, weighed all his options, and has chosen to paint his aluminum bodied Kirkham with a color that is similar to mine. Ooooh, how sweet it is.

And btw, there were three reasons I chose ERA over Kirkham: 1) I was going to paint the car from the get-go; 2) ERA is on the east coast; 3) Kirkham has no manual (well, they kind of have a partially done one now, but they dropped the ball and gave up on it when it was about half way done).
Kirkhams need a manual?
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