Cat out of the Kirkham Bag! Daytona Coupe!!

[alpace@pacificp]

Dave,

Quick note to say thank you to all of your team for the assist during the past month. Joe was GREAT and Tom provided a big assist today when I was speaking with Keith Craft re engine, etc. You guys are the very best. Responsive artisans....an oxymoron of sorts!http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/imag...es/biggrin.gif

As I sit here tonight, I am writing out checks for a mirror Kirkham 427 S/C and a Keith Craft Aluminum Side-oilier, spec'd withthe help of Joe and Tom! I am looking forward to delivery later this year of a REAL Kirkham.

Thanks again. Works of art. As to the Daytona, saving my nickels, after tax.

al

[FUNFER2]

I think it would be another fantastic car built by the best company there is.
I would prefer a 427 to fit or, original small block. With the attention to detail like the Kirkhams 427 Cobra, a true tribute to the original is the way to go. But,.....with the new stroked 351 engine, it also would be great.

[David Kirkham]

Brent,

We are bantering around $99,995 and $125,000 right now. I know that seems like a big spread, but we do not have all the numbers down and the dollar keeps sinking against the Zloty (Polish Currency). Also, one thing people never seem to realize is it is possible to lose money at both price points if there is not enough demand for the car at the particular price point. The tooling costs for the car are tremendous. It is an enormous gamble to launch a car like this.

Preliminary thoughts:

Car will only be offered as a high-end kit, fully assembled.
no engine
no transmission
Coupe specific engine parts will be in the package...exhaust, throttle linkage, cold air box, etc.
aluminum differential included
no paint will be offered
body filed, brushed, or polished
3 inch original chassis and leaf spring (Original 3 inch chassis and suspension will be an up-charge)
4 inch billet Hybrid coil sprung chassis.

CNGreen,

I too have heard 351's are a tight squeeze. We are still researching that one.

Bert,

Yes, the 4 inch rails would change things, but I think we can work around that. Considering our billet suspension is over 100 pounds lighter than the original suspension, we will most probably sell quite a few more Hybrids than original chassis type cars. That is the direction most of our customers want to go anyway. We have had SEVERAL customers want to jump into line and all (so far) have wanted the Hybrid chassis. I am sure there will be other original type customers along the way as well.

Al,

I am glad to hear you are happy with our customer relations! Just last week I walked over to Joe's desk and dropped a 6 inch pile of papers on his desk. I told him, "This is your problem now; deal with it!" I had to finally step away from sales--I was doing a terrible job! I had to free up time for new and exciting projects!

FUNFER2,

Thanks for the kind words! We are looking to see what motors will fit. I will let you all know ASAP!

David

[docford]

Originally Posted by David Kirkham

Preliminary thoughts:

Car will only be offered as a high-end kit, fully assembled.
no engine
no transmission
Coupe specific engine parts will be in the package...exhaust, throttle linkage, cold air box, etc.
aluminum differential included
no paint will be offered
body filed, brushed, or polished
3 inch original chassis and leaf spring (Original 3 inch chassis and suspension will be an up-charge)

Dear Mr Kirkham,

congratulations on launching the Daytona Coupe. I'd like to go the original chassis route and put a 5-bolt 289 in there. Are you already taking downpayments on pre-orders?

Regards,

CS
Paris, France

[David Kirkham]

Originally Posted by docford

Dear Mr Kirkham,

congratulations on launching the Daytona Coupe. I'd like to go the original chassis route and put a 5-bolt 289 in there. Are you already taking downpayments on pre-orders?

Regards,

CS
Paris, France

Thank you. Yes, we are now taking orders for March 2013. We are sold out until then.

David

[Bill Kesner]

Nice going!

Can't wait to see the completed prototype. As the others have said, this is definitely going to drum up some business. I had hoped that Shelby would offer the coupe again, but they passed it by as a 10-car limited outsourced edition.....and not even sure they have all been produced. Very glad to see your interest in the car, as the only Daytona to date with near perfect lines has been McCluskey's. No offense to the others mfr's out there, it's just a hard car to replicate, though I'm sure Dave & Tom will make the closest replica of such a beautiful car to ever pound the pavement. Looking forward to it!

- Bill -

[Jamo]

This is gonna be fun...

[Excaliber]

Looks like the Skunk Works are alive and well.

[mr bruce]

no offence , but a buck 35, that's real car territory. why not quit playing games abuild a metal street rod . Come in around $50k and you'll own the market.http://www.dearborndeuce32.com/http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/s...32&ppuser=9746

[Mark IV]

David,

You will of course offer ALL the coupe rooflines as options!:

Looks REALLY good.....nice to know that this is available as a choice amoungst the many fine cars out there now.

And I agree, the coil springs with say, a 331 stroker should provide plenty of motive power. What we all seem to forget is that we can have reliable, streetable horsepower figures that Shelby would have KILLED for in 1965! Yeah, an eight stack Fuely unit and a 5 speed trans.....yeah, that's the ticket!

Rick

[carmine]

Hello David: I notice that the roof line does not have more of a tilted down forward look ive seen on some pictures of other coupes, some have your roof line and some have tilted down. why is that. Best Regards Carmine
PS: keep up the excellent work. Hope to own one of you vehicles one day.

[RON N BKFLD]

Jamo,,, I know exactly what you are thinking....Ron

[What'saCobra?]

So do i... i suspect...

"...the only Daytona to date with near perfect lines..."

Absolutely gorgeous in the metal... very techy... very advanced with the hybrid underpinnings... aero and a-half. i tried to look non-plused and control my dialation instinct. Deliberately did not photograph, to resist the temptation to yak. Scout's Honor, y'know.

Not possible to describe my continued good impressions about these two men without gushing. They are simply the current world's best.

[67500]

Why go to all of the trouble of making an extremely acurate replica of the Daytona Coupe in aluminum and then offer it with non-authentic suspension options? IF you are going to all of this trouble and expense then I say go all the way and make it correct, and that means leaf springs. Leave the "updated" suspensions to the plastic bodied replicas.

[Igofastr]

David,

For what it's worth (probably not much), I think 100 LARGE is a big psychological barrier. Sorta like $4.99 seems like a much better deal than $5.01, though in a practical sense, there's not much difference.

Of course, by the time anyone actually finished the car, they'd be into it for significantly more than the cost of the roller anyway. But, some of us may find convincing our significant others of the reasonableness of a 100K purchase much easier than a 125K purchase.

Then again, the market in that atmosphere may be based just as much in exclusivity, as in perceived value. So, I suppose you'll have to make the call, and I've been of no help whatsoever (But, I hope you do choose the lower of the two...selfish reasons that they are).

[David Kirkham]

What'saCobra,

Thank you very much for the compliments...although they are not deserved. We did not make the car in the photo. (We DID make the Jaguar bonnet, however). We tried to keep a lid on this, but that obviously didn't happen so I might as well stop the rumor mill as much as possible.

Though I'd very much like to claim the car as my own creation, I can't. The car was made by McCluskey. That is why it is so beautiful. If you see one of these cars in real life it will make you stop in your tracks. You will have to remember to breathe.

It became available and so we picked it up. If you look closely at the photo, you can see the lines that are all over the car like Spider Man had paid a visit. The lines are actually digitizing lines so we can get an iges of the car. (An iges is a CAD model). We are almost complete with the digitizing. Mike, of course, makes an extremely accurate car as he has restored a good chunk of the original cars.

As for roof lines, etc. we will every so subtly modify the roof line according to Peter Brock's original wishes. Peter and I are good friends. We email constantly and regularly. We have for years. Peter told me how he originally wanted the roof to be slightly higher in the rear for taller drivers.

67500,

That is a good question. I have (what I hope to be) a good answer. We will offer the car both ways. People who want a car like an original can have that--leaf springs and all. People who want the 427 coil-sprung chassis can have that as well. So far, almost all the requests are for coil-sprung chassis cars.

Igofastr,

I think there is a big barrier there as well. Also, as I sit here and add up numbers it may not be possible to sell them at $99,995. As the dollar falls, our prices go up in Poland. I do appreciate your comments!

David

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by David Kirkham

...
As for roof lines, etc. we will every so subtly modify the roof line according to Peter Brock's original wishes. Peter and I are good friends. We email constantly and regularly. We have for years. Peter told me how he originally wanted the roof to be slightly higher in the rear for taller drivers.
...
David

I think 2287, the first coupe, turned out to be the fastest car. Is Peter asking you to make the roof line more like 2287? He also wanted a different style spoiler on the coupe, but there was not enough time to fabricate it. Maybe you could get him to explain what he wanted for the spoiler and offer that as a option too? Well maybe that just would not look authentic...

Since you have a McCluskey car, then I guess you don't know which coupe (or coupes) it was modeled after.

[David Kirkham]

Igofastr,

We are now in production on the Jag aluminum bonnets. We have 2 of them here in the shop right now.

Carmine,

I agree, the XJ13 is a beautiful car. Maybe some day.

1ntCobra,

I will ask Peter about the spoiler. As a McCluskey car, I am sure it has the best of all of the cars! Peter told me he wanted to raise the roof slightly in the rear for more head room and to help keep the rear of the car down at speed.

David

[Igofastr]

Thanks David,

So now, you've raised a whole 'nother question...about the Jag Bonnet...a one off? Future plans? Skunkworks? Humm?

[carmine]

better still, how about XJ13 !