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Kirkham Motorsports

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  #1 (permalink)  
Old 05-09-2007, 08:02 AM
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Default How does the brushed body hold up?

Is it a ton of maintenace? How do you deal with scratches?
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Old 05-09-2007, 08:31 AM
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It's easy to maintain. If you get some light scrathes they easily removed with a piece of maroon scotchbrite.
When the car gets dirty you can simply wipe it down with windex.
Tough stains or dirt can be removed with lacquer thinner or brake cleaner.
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Old 05-09-2007, 08:41 AM
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Even though all of the real Cobras back in the 60s were aluminum, none were ever left a just bare unfinished metal were they??? Not sure what the appeal is to a bare car?

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Old 05-09-2007, 08:59 AM
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One of the appeals is that it looks differant but I'm sure that some of it has to be "look at me I'm not one of those fake plastic cars" . I would love to have a Kirkham car but I think I would have to paint it.

Dick
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Old 05-09-2007, 09:04 AM
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UUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHH I dunno. Maybe I should sand all the paint off my Sedan DeVille and then clearcoat it !!!!!


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Old 05-09-2007, 09:06 AM
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The brushed finish does get marked up easily, but so does a super glossy paint job. The advantage is that it does clean up easy.
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Old 05-09-2007, 09:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CobraEd
Even though all of the real Cobras back in the 60s were aluminum, none were ever left a just bare unfinished metal were they??? Not sure what the appeal is to bare car?

.
I asked that too at first, but then it grew on me and I started to really like it. Then, I got so sick of paint chips. . . .

It's a taste thing, if you don't like it, paint it. . . .

I don't see the appeal for certain colors either. . .
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Old 05-09-2007, 09:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lamaluv
One of the appeals is that it looks differant but I'm sure that some of it has to be "look at me I'm not one of those fake plastic cars" . I would love to have a Kirkham car but I think I would have to paint it.

Dick

Yeah, but unless it was made in the 60s, it is just a fake aluminum car.


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Old 05-09-2007, 09:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CobraEd
Yeah, but unless it was made in the 60s, it is just a fake aluminum car.

.
This is true, but my fake aluminum car takes about 10 minutes to clean up after a afternoon run through the mountains so while you are busy waxing I'll go for another drive.
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Old 05-09-2007, 09:33 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CobraEd
Yeah, but unless it was made in the 60s, it is just a fake aluminum car..
And so what?

Are any other non aluminum replicas real? When you buy a Kirkham, you're not just buying an aluminum car, you're getting a high quality aluminum car. . .among the best in the market.

I don't understand your point. . .
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Old 05-09-2007, 09:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CobraEd
..... it is just a fake aluminum car.
Stay on topic..... OK?

ron
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Old 05-09-2007, 09:45 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lamaluv
One of the appeals is that it looks differant but I'm sure that some of it has to be "look at me I'm not one of those fake plastic cars"

Dick

Interesting quote

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Last edited by CobraEd; 05-09-2007 at 09:56 AM..
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Old 05-09-2007, 10:21 AM
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Ed...this is a specific mfg forum. Heed what Ron has said.
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Old 05-09-2007, 10:30 AM
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Didn't realize this was the Kirkham forum. Just thought it was a general forum. Anyway, it's not about the cars. kirkhams are terrific cars. It's about the lack of paint on any brand car. ???????

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Old 05-09-2007, 10:33 AM
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much appreciated...thanks
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Old 05-09-2007, 10:37 AM
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The reason no older cars were left "unpainted" is because they were hand beat and not 1/10 the quality of the Kirkham body. With todays tech. you couldn't even make as bad as an original. MY Autokraft Mark IV had a skim coat of bondo over 90 percent of the car. That is the reason for the older Cobras always having paint crack issues- as the Autokraft.
I am leaving my bare because I like it that way and I can always paint it later.
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Old 05-09-2007, 10:50 AM
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ng82....

It is the easiest finish of any car I have ever owned. It's been on the road for several years now...all kinds of conditions. Windex and a baby diaper makes everything all better. I don't chase every little scratch or belmish (hard to see unless you stare at a spot anyway), and a light Scotchbrite touch takes care of everything else.

BudMan's has been around even longer...seems to be the same case from his reports.
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Old 05-09-2007, 12:02 PM
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Love the look of the raw aluminum - it just looks mean. But when I owned my raw aluminum CSX4039 I found it alot of work to keep it looking good. I tried windex, vim, and just about every household cleaner and auto cleaner avaiable to keep it clean looking. What I found worked best for me was to scour it down with a damp cloth using comet (gritty household cleaner). Rinse the car throughly with water then apply a coat of wax. What the wax did was to help prevent oxidation as well as preventing oil from peoples hands getting on it when they just had to touch. Bottom line is, in my experince the raw aluminum car was as much or more work to maintain that my painted glass car.
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Old 05-09-2007, 12:29 PM
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The stripes are created by a different grit sand paper (if you have the ghost stripes and not the polished stripes), so when touching up with scotchbrite, should a different color (grit) scotchbrite be used on the stripes?
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Old 05-09-2007, 12:48 PM
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that is correct on the stripes.

I too have found the finish to be easy to maintain. I think what you need to understand is that people that like this look tend to appreciate the more vintage ,racey look, as opposed to the car show winner look,so a few blemishes are ok with us. In fact ,they are desired. My previous glass cobra was prettier than my Kirkham, but I like this look much better. I seem to be alone in my cleaning technique, but it works for me. I wash it as I do any car ,then I take a cloth with WD40 on it and wipe it down. It looks new. chuck
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