There are two things that came to mind as I began this project...
One, this is a 50 year old design and despite modern tolerances and improvements there are reasons no car is built like this anymore. Some things loosen up on a Cobra, whether old or new. They just do, and while we can make some improvements it's part of the cars' character.
Two, maintenance means something, especially in a car of this type. I bought it knowing how frequently the MMP track cars are serviced. I assumed the Kirkham was scheduled in the fleet of school cars...I should know better about assumptions. The car had many drivers who know what they are doing, but even these guys can be hard on it. Those who are clueless and used it likely did the most damage, for instance it was literally burning a quart of
oil every 200 miles. My guess is bad break-in and not allowing it to get to full temp before hammering it by waaay too many who drove it when new.
I'm blessed...the shop is 20 minutes from my home so parts and technical assistance are always close, and my freight bill is just what it costs to drive there. That said likely all of you know how good Tom and David are about assisting their owners no matter where they are.