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07-03-2009, 02:42 PM
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Full Blown Member
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 427 S/C, Twin Paxton 511 FE
Posts: 2,594
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Not Ranked
Aluminum durability
Hello,
I'm a current SPF owner seriously considering a Kirkham.
I've read nothing but amazing things about the quality of Kirkhams but my real concern is the general durability of aluminum.
In SoCal, there's quite a bit of highway debris that gets kicked up, like tire chunks, small pieces of smashed pallets, etc. I'm pretty good at avoiding such things but.......
On a glass car, the road debris makes for tiny chips in the paint but what kind of damage happens to a Kirkham? Do you guys get dinged up in the front?
Is it true that you can dent a fender by working on the car or are these stories blown out of proportion?
Thanks for any input.
Rodney
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07-03-2009, 04:16 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP
Posts: 790
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Not Ranked
The aluminum is either stronger, thicker or both. I have leaned in my fenders, my kids have sat on them and there are no dents. I have some paint chips on the front, but no dings. I have 5,000 miles on the car and the only small dent is from someone opening their door into my door. It is very slight and you have to look to find it. I would imaging that a fiberglass door would have been damaged as well. The dent would probably be easy to fix, but I can't be bothered. Also, folks in the know, know that a fiberglass Cobra wouldn't have a dent.
My Dad had a 289 Cobra in the late '60s. I remember getting yelled at for denting it. I can't remember exactly how I did it, but I was maybe 6 or 7, so I am not sure how much "force" I could have applied. In comparison, my 5 year old smacked my Kirkham with a wooden mallet pretty hard and nothing happened. (To the car or to the kid.)
__________________
Lew
I'm no expert.
Last edited by Lew Ledyard; 07-03-2009 at 04:26 PM..
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07-03-2009, 05:01 PM
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Super Moderator
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Fresno,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 184/482ci Shelby
Posts: 14,445
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Not Ranked
Rodneym...it's terrible, so bad that few buy Kirkhams. I think they stopped production about a dozen after mine. Anybody that would buy one must be a dumb sumb!tch for not thinking of the concerns you have.
Jaguar, Audi and Range Rover are all going to fiberglass.
__________________
Jamo
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07-03-2009, 05:12 PM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 539, a Ton of Aluminum
Posts: 9,591
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Not Ranked
According to the Kirkham website, the aluminum used for the Kirkham is thicker than the originals (0.059" versus 0.050"):
http://www.kirkhammotorsports.com/faq/index.html#024
Honestly, it's always a concern, and anything that's a projectile from the freeway will damage virtually any car. Fiberglass is not without its own concerns as well.
I had an large empty cardboard box come off a truck that I was following on the freeway, some time ago. It bounced and hit my daily driver and it made a small indentation.
If the unfortunate does ever happen, then aluminum can be fixed just like metal or plastic.
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07-03-2009, 06:01 PM
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Full Blown Member
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 427 S/C, Twin Paxton 511 FE
Posts: 2,594
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Not Ranked
Well, I thought it was an honest question.
Thanks for the input, guys.
BTW, my mom's XJR is plastic front and rear. I assume the Audi and Range Rovers are the same.
I could live with the reality of an aluminum car, I was just curious.
Rodney
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07-03-2009, 06:19 PM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Manchester,
NH
Cobra Make, Engine: AK1085 (302 Street), HTM111 (427 Comp), CSX2375R (289 Comp) and COB5999 (427 S/C)
Posts: 19,008
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Not Ranked
Not only is it thicker it is alloyed differently making it harder. They are very durable as I think they are stamped versus rolled as well.
KMS person may know for sure.
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07-03-2009, 06:26 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: St. Louis, Missouri,
MO
Cobra Make, Engine: SPO 2715
Posts: 1,648
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by rodneym
Well, I thought it was an honest question.
Thanks for the input, guys.
BTW, my mom's XJR is plastic front and rear. I assume the Audi and Range Rovers are the same.
I could live with the reality of an aluminum car, I was just curious.
Rodney
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Jamo is pulling your chain.
E
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07-03-2009, 07:03 PM
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Super Moderator
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Fresno,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 184/482ci Shelby
Posts: 14,445
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Not Ranked
Yanking like hell, actually.
Yes, you can live with an arruminum car. Any doubts in your mind have been placed there due to sniffing plastic fumes.
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Jamo
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07-03-2009, 07:04 PM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Galion,
OH
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham 427FE (sold & missed)
Posts: 1,320
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Not Ranked
I found the Kirkham to be very durable..........how ya doing Eric??
__________________
Brian Newell - Superformance Sales
Mansfield Motor Group
www.mmgauto.com
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07-03-2009, 07:14 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: St. Louis, Missouri,
MO
Cobra Make, Engine: SPO 2715
Posts: 1,648
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by bnewell
I found the Kirkham to be very durable..........how ya doing Eric??
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I'm doin great!
Was just over at the LCS, were you there?
Sorry for the thread theft OP
E
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07-03-2009, 07:16 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Jacksonville,
FL
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham #570 w Shelby FE
Posts: 1,009
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Not Ranked
The big difference is really painted or not painted..
Paint jobs are destined to look like crap over time doesn't matter what it's on.
An unpainted aluminum body on the other hand...
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07-03-2009, 07:22 PM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,005
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Not Ranked
The Dirty Little Secret of Aluminum
But what they don't tell you is that repeated removal of the pesky oxidation will eventually result in holes in the aluminum.
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07-03-2009, 07:36 PM
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Full Blown Member
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 427 S/C, Twin Paxton 511 FE
Posts: 2,594
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Not Ranked
Sniffing plastic is right, Jamo. I'm in vinyl fabrication business: chemical suits, medical bladders, etc. Smelling a warehouse of vinyl in full bloom will kill some brain cells.
Thanks a lot, Patrickt. Now I have something else to worry about with Aluminum. Just pulling your chain, Jamo.
Rodney
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07-03-2009, 07:42 PM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ferndale,
WA
Cobra Make, Engine: SPF2089
Posts: 460
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Not Ranked
Isn't Windex an aluminum solvent. After 6-7 years the aluminum just dissolves.
Much like some mail boxes.
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dblbarrel
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07-03-2009, 08:06 PM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,005
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Not Ranked
Damage from Windex
Quote:
Originally Posted by dblbarrel
Isn't Windex an aluminum solvent. After 6-7 years the aluminum just dissolves.
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Yes indeed. Here's a close-up of some yellow aluminum that was repeatedly exposed to Windex.
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07-03-2009, 08:24 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Jacksonville,
FL
Cobra Make, Engine: Kirkham #570 w Shelby FE
Posts: 1,009
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Not Ranked
Nah, those are high-speed bug impacts. The bugs can fly faster than the glass cars so it's not an issue with them.
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07-03-2009, 09:46 PM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 539, a Ton of Aluminum
Posts: 9,591
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by dblbarrel
Isn't Windex an aluminum solvent. After 6-7 years the aluminum just dissolves.
Much like some mail boxes.
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I just went into my garage to check for holes in the aluminum and I found that there's both a large as well as a smaller hole in the front end of the car. Is that bad?
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07-03-2009, 09:53 PM
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Super Moderator
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Fresno,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 184/482ci Shelby
Posts: 14,445
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Not Ranked
Rodney...get an unpainted KMP and breath easier.
__________________
Jamo
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07-03-2009, 09:56 PM
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Super Moderator
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Fresno,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 184/482ci Shelby
Posts: 14,445
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Not Ranked
Tim...bite my ass.
Your friend, Jamo
...and leave my mailbox oughtta this.
__________________
Jamo
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07-03-2009, 11:27 PM
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Senior Club Cobra Member
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Cobra Make, Engine: KMP 539, a Ton of Aluminum
Posts: 9,591
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamo
Rodney...get an unpainted KMP and breath easier.
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Just don't take it to any judged events in Fresno. The judges may think it's an Austin-Healy.
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