What is up with the bellhousing in this BAT auction?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by FredG

I have seen those type inspection covers before. They use to be fairly common. You can see the bolt holes to attach it. I agree that it could have been removed because of a clearance issue. Not a good idea to leave it off because a good portion of the clutch is exposed.
Fred

My '70 roadrunner had a factory cast iron bellhousing, with a stamped steel inspection cover just like that, that bolted up to the bottom of the bellhousing.

Originally Posted by patrickt

And I don't buy the centrifugal force keeping crap out of the clutch. Anymore than it keeps toes out of bicycle spokes.

The cover is really meant to hold the broken parts in, so you know what broke. I know from experience.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

Won't be my first "7", that one caught my eye because it was Atomic Orange and would have gone well with the 69 Shelby. Even more fun than a Cobra, strictly from a power to weight ratio, at least that car was. Sadly, a downward spiral with a family member, and her recent death this past week has really kept me off my "A" game. I briefly thought about taking a run at the KMP, but again, my mind is elsewhere and my heart is just not in it.

Bill S.

Bill,

Sorry to hear about the family death. And this COVID situation makes it tough for families to get together to grieve.

I did not say it was you bidding on the Caterham, and I did not see you bidding on the orange one, but I did see you bidding on the Zetec powered one with the John Deere color scheme.

Ken

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by ERA 626

that car need to come completely apart and start over...

As with any similar potential purchase, having an expert look over it carefully would always be prudent.
That said, from what I can see in the pictures of the Kirkham, there's nothing jumping out at me that looks to be seriously wrong with that car.

Cheers (from my armchair ),
Glen

[tortuga]

Originally Posted by RB60

I know nothing about Kirkhams. Wouldn't one think a Kirkham would have a blow-proof belhousing? They build beautiful top quality Cobras, don't they?
When my clutch let loose, it tore up and ruined the blow-proof bell. A stock cast bell would have been horrific!

At what point should one consider a blow proof housing? HP or what you are doing with the car? My motor is north of 600hp with an aluminum bell?

Thanks

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by tortuga

At what point should one consider a blow proof housing? HP or what you are doing with the car? My motor is north of 600hp with an aluminum bell?

Thanks

Isn't it feasible that the owner/builder of the car is replicating an early Comp 427?
If so, fitting a cast steel bell housing rather than a modern scattershield would most likely be period correct.
That said, fitting AutoMeter gauges and a Speedhut GPS aux. speedo doesn't fit with "period correct"

Cheers (again from my armchair perspective )
Glen

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by tortuga

At what point should one consider a blow proof housing? HP or what you are doing with the car? My motor is north of 600hp with an aluminum bell?

Thanks

I find a lot of reassurance in both considering and also acquiring it prior to a clutch / flywheel failure.

The failures are not so much power related (although it can be a contributing factor) as they are material and fault related. Like a pane of glass with a scratch that breaks along the scribed line, the rotating assembly will break along some type of surface defect or internal flaw, which you can't see once you get to the right rpm.

You can buy new clutch parts, you can't buy new feet — or legs.


Ed

[RB60]

Originally Posted by tortuga

At what point should one consider a blow proof housing? HP or what you are doing with the car? My motor is north of 600hp with an aluminum bell?

Thanks

Believe me, just pray you're clutch doesn't explode...

[saki302]

Reminds me of a 502 cu in 1970 Corvette I looked at once.

There was no plate in front of the bellhousing- just open. It had huge headers and exhaust pipes- which necked down to about 1.5-2" to fit through the center crossmember holes.
The owner was a doctor who's dream was to make a 200mph supercar.. and it had a 4spd top loader which with current gearing was rev limited to maybe 120mph.

You could tell the guy just kept throwing money at it as it had some good parts on there, but good lord..

[Chicagowil]

If I remember right, trucks using the big block motors used a bellhousing with a removable inspection cover. I remember they were quite heavy as they were cast steel- not aluminum.

Do not think I would have used it in this application! I have just a 5.0 in my CR1 and really stressed on using the stock alum bell housing- but I do not intend to race it. Just street cruising with this "old man" behind the wheel.

Thom

[Jerry Clayton]

Over the years I've had two clutch/flywheel failures (notice I don't use EXPLOSION) and a friend has had a starter ring gear failure-------some parts came thru dash but didn't make it thru the windshield in the first one which seems to have been caused by bolt failures with the 5/16 bolts for holding pressure plate assy to the flywheel---bolts had failed at the last thread to the shank in the recessed hole ( designed as a shear )

the other one was 64 Cyclone 289 with top loader------failure resulted in the headers being destroyed plus 2 ears broken off the top loader------and the radio------

[1ntCobra]

On facebook, I saw David Kirkham posted the following:

Kirkham Customers:
KMP036
I have had several questions on KMP036 which is currently for sale on Bring a trailer.
KMP036 was shipped from Poland to the United States on 1 Sep 1998. KMP036 was sold to Dave Dralle in 1999 as a bare, brushed frame and body. Dave Dralle passed away 19 Dec 2017. KMP036 was sold to a new owner in 2019 along with some suspension (and other) parts.
From the photos the new owner sent to me it appeared some of the parts he received were Kirkham parts and some were not (like the rotor hats). I informed the customer at the time, "[it] will take some time and effort to get all of those [suspension and brake] parts to work together properly." The new customer bought some steering parts and a Jaguar differential mount from us.
Kirkham does not currently know what parts were ultimately installed on KMP036. Kirkham was not involved in the assembly of KMP036. The photos below were sent to me from the new owner after the purchase from Dralle.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

On facebook, I saw David Kirkham posted the following:

Kirkham Customers:
KMP036
I have had several questions on KMP036 which is currently for sale on Bring a trailer.
KMP036 was shipped from Poland to the United States on 1 Sep 1998. KMP036 was sold to Dave Dralle in 1999 as a bare, brushed frame and body. Dave Dralle passed away 19 Dec 2017. KMP036 was sold to a new owner in 2019 along with some suspension (and other) parts.
From the photos the new owner sent to me it appeared some of the parts he received were Kirkham parts and some were not (like the rotor hats). I informed the customer at the time, "[it] will take some time and effort to get all of those [suspension and brake] parts to work together properly." The new customer bought some steering parts and a Jaguar differential mount from us.
Kirkham does not currently know what parts were ultimately installed on KMP036. Kirkham was not involved in the assembly of KMP036. The photos below were sent to me from the new owner after the purchase from Dralle.

Well I was thinking this was a Kirkham roller, but it is really more of a kit and not necessarily as nice of a kit as it might seem, since it has at least some non-Kirkham parts.

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Well I was thinking this was a Kirkham roller, but it is really more of a kit and not necessarily as nice of a kit as it might seem, since it has at least some non-Kirkham parts.

My comments back in post #9 ...

Originally Posted by eschaider

If you read the seller's description of the car it is apparent he is uninformed and uses clumsy English to describe the car. When you look at the car it looks like it was poorly constructed which is unbelievable for a Kirkham. The owner was as uninformed about building the car as he is about describing the car ...

Ed

[1ntCobra]

Ed,

I was looking at the comments on BAT and I saw something that might explain the "quality" of the construction:

Mickmate This author's likes: 22
Les much as I’m disappointed to see you sell, you and the new owner both did well. I didn’t know it was originally Daves car. My fingerprints are all over this one too!

I suppose that might mean that Nick Acton helped put this together.

[eschaider]

Mickmate's work, that I have seen, is typically in the impressive category. I presume your comments about explaining the build quality are referring to someone else?


Ed

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by eschaider

Mickmate's work, that I have seen, is typically in the impressive category. I presume your comments about explaining the build quality are referring to someone else?


Ed

It seems that there are a number of club cobra members that are rather unhappy with Mickmate.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

It seems that there are a number of club cobra members that are rather unhappy with Mickmate.

At any point in time there are always a number of members unhappy with somebody about something. I've almost been kicked off of this place any number of times.

[NROTOXIN]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

It seems that there are a number of club cobra members that are rather unhappy with Mickmate.

I would not be counted as one of those numbers.

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

It seems that there are a number of club cobra members that are rather unhappy with Mickmate.

The build quality in the photos is not something I would anticipate coming from Mickmate. It looks more like a well intentioned but unskilled enthusiast enjoying his first build experience on a budget and cutting corners to stay inside the budgetary constraints he has placed upon himself.


Ed

[Mongoose930]

Originally Posted by eschaider

The build quality in the photos is not something I would anticipate coming from Mickmate. It looks more like a well intentioned but unskilled enthusiast enjoying his first build experience on a budget and cutting corners to stay inside the budgetary constraints he has placed upon himself.


Ed

Go through my build history and I am sure you will change your mind.

Alloy Hi-Tech Build