Non Kirkham Aluminum body replica on BaT

[1ntCobra]

Interesting, Aluminum body, but not a Kirkham.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/al...cobra-replica/

[mrmustang]

Hhhmmmm......

I dig picture 78 and the attention to detail.
Picture 79 & 80 each have a "tell" as to the potential chassis manufacturer

Seems to have traveled quite a lot in the auction circles, with one even stating "Body by Kirkham".


Perhaps we have discussed this car in the past, I'll stop there as I do not want to be subjected to the wrath of the moderator


Bill S.

[mrmustang]

[1985 CCX]

Think this is a FFR with KMP body?

[incoming]

I pulled up the ad and IMO it looks like someone beat out an aluminum body from an FFR pre-mk4 body and mounted her on a mk4 drivetrain? IMO,looks like a big-assed car?

[patrickt]

Well somebody ought to just summarize the story for us dumbasses that don't know it or can't remember it.

[CowtownCobra]

Yes, who IS this mysterious panel beater?

[Blue66]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

Those aren't original Kirkham rivets . I think the original ones had a square head

[kanuck]

I still think it cool in it's own way, and I am sure it won't be 200k which is what Kirkhams are going for now. Those seems in the middle under the doors could be welded and the rivets taken out with out much fanfare.

[Buzz]

Originally Posted by kanuck

I still think it cool in it's own way, and I am sure it won't be 200k which is what Kirkhams are going for now. Those seems in the middle under the doors could be welded and the rivets taken out with out much fanfare.

Agreed. Aside from the few negative posters here and there lampooning it for it's imperfections and because it's not a Kirkham, most of the commenters in the various forums appreciate it for what it is instead of what it isn't. Fitting a Kirkham body onto a "heavily modified" FFR chassis had to take some doing, as evidenced by the rectifiable cut-and-join seams below the doors. At the end of the day it's a pretty cool looking aluminum bodied Cobra and only discerning cobraphiles will recognize the non-original look of the rear body sections. There are plenty of respected and overly praised 'glass-bodied replicas that deviate even further from the "correct" body shape and stance. It can't command typical aluminum Cobra prices, but hopefully somebody will make a deal on an interesting replica with alloy body bragging rights.

[mrmustang]

If not mistaken, I believe the original builder of the car is, or was here on Club Cobra.

I do not have access to my archives, so I'm not able to dig the information out right now. Perhaps one of you with a little more free time can do so.
I do have these, but I do not believe it was the car in the auction:
Morphing a Cobra into the P51 concept
P-51 Cobra Concept

Found the picture I was looking for of the original FFR concept car shown at Carlisle in 2002. Then sold, sold again, until a certain company in Florida (Alloy something ) bought it, then claimed it as their own product, thus setting off a firestorm here, and on other Cobra forums. Again, I am hesitant to say the whole company name, as Jamo may still have me under an NDA here. However, if you CLICK HERE, and peruse the thread within, you might just find the rest of it without my breaking the NDA

Bill S.

[patrickt]

Ooooh, I remember now.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Ooooh, I remember now.

Blue Moon Motorsports built the original FFR/Kirkham bodied car. The car in the BAT auction is not that car. I still think we discussed the car under it's P-51 livery here, but have yet to find the thread.


Bill S.

[CowtownCobra]

edit: Its a Kirkham body after all....

[kanuck]

I know they made two of them, one went to California and this one.

[Buzz]

The P-51 Cobra from the thread mentioned above was actually an ERA with a metallized surface treatment by forum member here named Metal Morphus (I think). I'd forgotten about the whole Alloycars debacle but looking back at some of the photos of their (pre Mk lV) FFR based body, there are some differences to the BaT listed car - notably the hood scoop. If it is one of their cars that actually got finished, my opinion still stands that for the right price it would be a cool aluminum bodied replica for someone who's not too concerned with originality.

[patrickt]

99.9% of car enthusiasts cannot tell a high-end glass car from an aluminum car. Even when putting their fingers under the fender edges to feel or when rapping on the body with their knuckles.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by Buzz

I'd forgotten about the whole Alloycars debacle...

Oh yeah, wasn't he the guy in Florida that was going to corner the Cobra market by making an aluminum car for something like a couple of hundred bucks and was going to be cranking them out at a rate of 10 a week by now??? And then disappeared from the face of the earth? I had a memory recall about him a bit ago but couldn't come up with good search terms. I hope noone sent him any money.

The rivets look cheap like someone couldn't figure out how to join the two sections seamlessly.

[Buzz]

On closer inspection, I'm pretty sure that is not an FFR based aluminum body from that Alloycars operation in Florida. The rear haunches are definitely not shaped like a pre MK lV Factory Five - more like a Kirkham or similar "correct" rear fender that had to be cut off and cocked up to fit on the FFR frame. The fenders have the proper rounded shape and there are other parts of the body that really look like a Kirkham. Unless someone took a lot of pains to reshape their Alloycars rear fender profile, I'm guessing it's at least based on a Kirkham or similar aluminum body.