Kmp 561

[TimG427]

KMP 561 arrived this morning and it is quite a car. Much different than my aluminum CSX 4000 car, it's a bit more refined. I love it with its Keith Craft 482. It is quite a machine and very well built...........

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by TimG427

KMP 561 arrived this morning and it is quite a car. Much different than my aluminum CSX 4000 car, it's a bit more refined. I love it with its Keith Craft 482. It is quite a machine and very well built...........

"Refined" can be a relative term, but what makes KMP 561 more refined than your CSX4000, which in theory, likely was built on a Kirkham body?

And post some pics will ya.

[Dimis]

Congrats
I hope it serves you well.

Originally Posted by RodKnock

"Refined" can be a relative term, but what makes KMP 561 more refined than your CSX4000, which in theory, likely was built on a Kirkham body?

And post some pics will ya.

It doesn't come with the "is it real baggage" that a CSX comes with.

ps: & what he said ^^^ - post some pix!

[TimG427]

The steering seems lighter as do the brakes. The car seems to be very well insulated with more sound deadener. My CSX car was built by Kirkham in 1999, I bet they have refined the brakes and suspension quite a bit since that time. I like the Kirkham gauges and the five speed transmission, also.

[FatBoy]

Originally Posted by TimG427

KMP 561 arrived this morning and it is quite a car. Much different than my aluminum CSX 4000 car, it's a bit more refined. I love it with its Keith Craft 482. It is quite a machine and very well built...........

An interesting comment. One of the first things that passengers who are familiar with Cobras comment on my car is that it feels like a "proper" car. I don't think it can ever be called refined, but it does feel very solid and well screwed together without the usual rattles and squeaks that you tends to get with these cars.

Paul

[TimG427]

Here it is, I think it's considerably faster that my CSX 4000 even though Keith Craft built both motors. This one is a 482 vs 468.

[rodneym]

My KMP is pretty damn solid with the exception of a rear bulkead rattle behind the passenger seat that drives me nuts. I've replaced the loose rivets but still...

[Dimis]

Thanks! Nice Pic.

Originally Posted by rodneym

My KMP is pretty damn solid with the exception of a rear bulkead rattle behind the passenger seat that drives me nuts. I've replaced the loose rivets but still...

Try either a bead of silicone, or double sided tape/foam between the two pieces of metal before riveting.

[4pipes]

Beautiful car Tim. Does it have bushings or all heim joints?

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by rodneym

My KMP is pretty damn solid with the exception of a rear bulkead rattle behind the passenger seat that drives me nuts. I've replaced the loose rivets but still...

Rodney, that was one of my sorting issues. Not sure which did it, or it was the combination, but I had the install shop replace the rivets, add a few and then I carpeted the trunk and bulkhead panel. No more rattle.

[FatBoy]

Originally Posted by rodneym

My KMP is pretty damn solid with the exception of a rear bulkead rattle behind the passenger seat that drives me nuts. I've replaced the loose rivets but still...

I had exactly the same problem. On mine it was a few rivets on the trunk floor right up against the rear bulkhead. It appears that the floor had been installed after the bulkhead and the rivets couldn't be pulled up tight due to the close proximity of the bulkhead. I took the bulkhead out and re-riveted the trunk floor. I then covered the bulkhead before reinstalling it.



Paul

[TimG427]

It has heim joints, it really is a work of art with all the aluminum suspension. One of the few options it does not have is the adjustable seat, I'd like to retrofit the adjustable seat rails. I'm also learning about how to care for the brushed and polished body.

[Sandwich]

A lot of times that rattle is the panel that sits horizontal to the ground just on top of the differential. It is riveted on the front side of the panel to the frame, but the back side of the panel is not really held down by anything. Sometimes we put some double sided tape under that edge, or some silicon calking to help quiet that panel down.

[rodneym]

(didn't mean to hijack the thread-sorry TimG!)

Thanks for the help, guys. For me, like Rodknock, putting my hand and pushing rearward stops the vibration. I replaced a few rivets on the rear bulkhead and it helped a little. The diff cover in the trunk is ok. As Sandwich said, the trunk floor that touches the rear bulkhead is the culprit, but the rivets are so darn close to the wall that my rivet gun doesn't sit flush (and I didn't want to remove panels). So, I took a rivet gun "head", grinded it to roughly a 30 deg angle (so the gun can sit flush next to the close wall), and installed rivets. I had a 50% success rate (some rivets just never got tight or the head was not flush to the floor). I did get them all installed, and the noise is better, but still there
Maybe someday the panel will come off. Better yet, if I go to the Kirkham anniversay, I'll probably leave my Cobra there for a re-job like Rodknock.

BTW, TimG, why did you sell your CSX to begin with? Many would consider an ally CSX to be the ultimate, or penultimate , in the fakey-doo realm.
And post pics!

[TimG427]

I still have my CSX 4000 car in addition to the Kirkham. I've really wanted a brushed aluminum Kirkham since I met the Kirkham brothers at Road America in about 1995