Million Dollar Skunksworks Kirkham - Page 48

xlr8or · #**941** (**permalink**) 09-09-2009, 10:18 PM

David,
Thanks for posting the PDF's on your site. I look forward to reading them all.

Scott

David Kirkham · #**942** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 10:07 AM

I particularly like this quote from Voltaire. You can figure just about anything out if you think about it long enough.

David Kirkham · #**943** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 10:09 AM

I really liked this shot of the rear suspension box and the rear bulkhead coming together. Notice the little read paint marks on the bulkhead bolts indicating they were tightened.

rjbh20 · #**944** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Kirkham

I am looking for a less expensive way to publish the book. Of course, there isn't anything less expensive than publishing it on the web. I do realize, however, many people (me included) like to have the actual book in their hands.

As for thinking out of the box, keep the ideas coming!

David

You might contact David Bull at David Bull Publishing in Arizona. His company publishes high end, large format motorsports books that are very well done. He's also a very nice guy and very hands on.

http://www.bullpublishing.com/about_us.asp

David Kirkham · #**945** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 10:32 AM

I have thought about David Bull Publishing. We poured over his Ferrari F1 book to get ideas for this car. Chris had it with him during the design phase. It is an incredible book.

David

rjbh20 · #**946** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Kirkham

I have thought about David Bull Publishing. We poured over his Ferrari F1 book to get ideas for this car. Chris had it with him during the design phase. It is an incredible book.

David

David's a friend -- PM me if you'd like his contact info and/or an intro.

RedBarchetta · #**947** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 12:20 PM

David,

I just "invested" some time going over the various chapters from the on-line version of this book. Unless you take a really hard look at each section, one will not appreciate the INTENSE amount of engineering, design, skills (!), execution and effort required to build a super replica of this magnitude. This car is without question the finest engineered and constructed replica on the planet(it hurts to call it a replica...it deserves so much better than that). The attention to every last detail is simply phenomenal.

What I find even more amazing was that this car was mostly (the wonderful artisans in Poland were involved, too) built by a small entrepreneurial shop deep in the heart of Utah, populated by everyday "Joes" that have exceptional talents and share a passion for fine craftsmanship. And a shop with limited capital resources (relative to the GMs, Fords and Hondas of the world). One has to look at what was accomplished and ask, "How the heck did they do that?!?" Even the guys pounding and filing the bodywork...artisans of the highest order.

Congratulations to your entire team and this car is a further testimonial to the level of craftsmanship that gets poured into your fine replicas. And, yes, we're all a bit jealous of Larry. But kudos to him for banking such a project and giving your team an incredible level of automony to create something rare and awe-inspiring.

I can't predict if/when I'll ever be an actual customer, but this build explains a lot as to why it takes a fair amount of "stepping-up" to get into any Kirkham. At the end of the day, the old phrase, "You get what you pay for." really holds true here.

Regards,

-Dean

Hank F · #**948** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 03:08 PM

Ditto what Dean said,I wish I could have been there when you built it!!
Hank

N2VENOM · #**949** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 04:55 PM

David, are you going to have upgraded parts (dash knobs, door hinges, etc.) available to current owners? Congratulations on another incredible work of mechanical art! Peace, Darren

FatBoy · #**950** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 04:58 PM

Just read it "virtual" cover to "virtual" cover........stunning. Many, many congratulations to all involved.

Paul

David Kirkham · #**951** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 05:27 PM

Here is the entire chassis laid out after pressure washing and ready to go together.

David Kirkham · #**952** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 05:31 PM

How to bolt together an entire chassis was driving me crazy. We just couldn't figure out how to do it. Then one day I walked past a connecting rod and noticed the aligning dowel that surrounds the connecting rod bolt. It was a "Eureka" moment for me. If connecting rods could be bolted together, then so could a chassis. Later I noticed caliper halves were bolted together and many other things were bolted together. Problem solved!

David Kirkham · #**953** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 05:33 PM

Here is the entire chassis all bolted together for Larry's final car. This is my favorite photo in the entire book. If you look closely at the car on the lift, you can see it is a billet chassis car too. It is the prototype car. The poster of the blue car on the wall is the first car we ever finished, KMP003.

Hexnut72 · #**954** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedBarchetta

At the end of the day, the old phrase, "You get what you pay for." really holds true here.

If only more people understood this... You get SO much more for what you pay with a Kirkham.

Spend a couple of hours, or days, or months, looking at the custom parts used on a "regular" Kirkham and compare them to the recycled bits (new or not) from other manufacturers and the Kirkham starts to show its true value. From the suspension, hubs, brake system, to the diff, seats, steering and ultimately the aluminum body, there is no comparison.

Dave, I was lucky enough to see most of this go together and watch Thomas, The Jeremys, Sandwich, Chris, you and the rest of the crew hammer out a lot of the details. I am still in awe.

Bravo my friend, bravo!

David Kirkham · #**955** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 08:24 PM

Here is a view of the undercarriage. Notice the stressed sheet metal. The construction of the car is much like an airplane with stressed skins over longerons (the main rails). The stiffness of the chassis is incredible when we took it out on the track.

David Kirkham · #**956** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 08:26 PM

In every panel we could, we milled the sheet metal directly into the part. The made the assembly stiffer, lighter, and stronger. In this closeup you can see we milled out the entire area between the bosses that receive the bolts to lighten the part as much as possible. The wall thickness of the bosses is identical to the wall thickness of the edge of the panel, 1/4 inch.

David Kirkham · #**957** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 08:29 PM

This is a shot taken from the front suspension box looking toward the rear of the car. The top of the suspension box looks bent because I took the shot with a short lens. If you look carefully you can see the pinion flange peeking out all the way at the back of the chassis.

David Kirkham · #**958** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjbh20

David's a friend -- PM me if you'd like his contact info and/or an intro.

Thanks! I'd love to talk to David Bull. I sent you a PM.

David

David Kirkham · #**959** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedBarchetta

David,

I just "invested" some time going over the various chapters from the on-line version of this book. Unless you take a really hard look at each section, one will not appreciate the INTENSE amount of engineering, design, skills (!), execution and effort required to build a super replica of this magnitude. This car is without question the finest engineered and constructed replica on the planet(it hurts to call it a replica...it deserves so much better than that). The attention to every last detail is simply phenomenal.

What I find even more amazing was that this car was mostly (the wonderful artisans in Poland were involved, too) built by a small entrepreneurial shop deep in the heart of Utah, populated by everyday "Joes" that have exceptional talents and share a passion for fine craftsmanship. And a shop with limited capital resources (relative to the GMs, Fords and Hondas of the world). One has to look at what was accomplished and ask, "How the heck did they do that?!?" Even the guys pounding and filing the bodywork...artisans of the highest order.

Congratulations to your entire team and this car is a further testimonial to the level of craftsmanship that gets poured into your fine replicas. And, yes, we're all a bit jealous of Larry. But kudos to him for banking such a project and giving your team an incredible level of automony to create something rare and awe-inspiring.

I can't predict if/when I'll ever be an actual customer, but this build explains a lot as to why it takes a fair amount of "stepping-up" to get into any Kirkham. At the end of the day, the old phrase, "You get what you pay for." really holds true here.

Regards,

-Dean

Dean,

Thanks for the kind words. I can truly say, we didn't cut any corners.

Now, someone will undoubtedly come up with a better idea on parts of the car after they read the book. I just hope they are kind enough to share that idea with us so we can all learn more!

David

KM480 · #**960** (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 09:30 PM

"So now I suppose it's time to the let the Stig take it around our track to see how it does"

I mean really with a better power to weight ratio than a Veyron and a chassis like that...It could very well top the power board.

In fact I would love to see an entire feature about the Kirkham story and product line done on Top Gear.

Amazing job! It makes owning one of your 'regular' cars even that much more special. You guys are truly a distinguished mark among the craftsmen of car builders.