Cheap countash in Ontario.

40k is all the money on that.

 

That looks a lot like the one that was owned by a local (Ottawa) surgeon or assistant surgeon... he showed up 2 years ago at the Ferrari track day and drew a lot of attention (anyone have pics of it). Had a lot of the stress cracks on the fiberglass that this one has... he also had a problem with the gas tank where if it was too full, it would leak out the top of the tank and onto his clutch and make it slip... this one has had gas tank repairs...

Hmmm... one hell of a project...

BTW, here's a link that works:

http://crownassets.pwgsc.gc.ca/mn-eng.cfm?snc=wfsav&sc=enc-bid&scn=60129&lcn=204019&lct=L&srchtype=&so=ASC&sf=ferm-clos&lci=&str=1&ltnf=1&test=1#topOfCADC

DF

 

i love countachs
but i would be embarrassed driving that

 

thats hideous with those playdoh american bumpers

 

Thanks for that post. It needs to be said though. COUNTACH, not Countash.

 

Wow...

 

There is no such thing as a cheap Countach. Heck, nor a Countash FTW!

 

So wrong. I have had more problems with Porsche than any Lambo. More problems with Ferrari's for that matter. My own experience.

 

I would never be embarressed to drive one and from what i hear they are in the shop more than out.You have your mechanic on speed dial.That is why a lot of them are low miles as they mosly sit in garages.It doesnt cost a thing if the car is just sitting which can start another topic,is it better to buy a high milage well maintained car or a low miles car that has been parked for a while.

its this kind of misinformed nonsense that creates useless unfounded rumors about cars never owned by the people who write this dribble . I dont even want to get into how many untruths are in your statement above . think before you speak..

Gary
8394
espada

 

Went to see this thing today... bottom line is that 58k + HST (~65.5k) is WAY too much for this Countach. Went there to satisfy my curiosity and to convince myself not to buy this car...

The carfax shows it failing multiple emissions tests but I'm not sure why it was tested as it's not required to pass DriveClean in Ontario.

One thing I had not thought of are finding replacement tires... these are extremely wide 15" rims... tires are not readily available for these rims... and when they are (companies like Pirelli have limited production runs from time to time), they cost approx. 3000$ for a set.

One Countach aficionado I had talked to offline was adamant that a complete drivetrain rebuild would be necessary (at a cost of about 75k) because of the relatively high mileage... I can't find any reference on whether the cylinder linings are nikasil coated or not...

Finally, I was only the 4th person to go see it in person... many emails asking for the PDF docs but not many asking informed questions so I think people realize that this is a money pit.

DF

 

I have been watching this Countach for a while, and I am very interested in purchasing the car. I have made them a private offer, but they are unable to accept as the car must be sold through auction (as per Government regulations)
I am tempted to bid, but I think I will wait until the current auction closes. I feel 58K is still a bit high considering all of the unknowns.
Dan, does the car in person look like it does in the photographs? Did you take any pics you can post?
I am located in Toronto, I am thinking about going up to see the car.

BTW... one of the others who went to see the car in person was a member of the Volkswagen club.

Regards,
Ron Zeraldo

 

I would let a sleep dog lie, and I'm in the business. Save your money and buy a car that has a full service history and is in top condition. There are a few VERY nice Countaches in the city that can be bought. But be prepared to pay over 58k for them (double it really)..but in the end you will have a car that you can turn the key and drive and enjoy.

 

I second that. There is no such thing as a cheap supercar. This one looks like it hasn't been driven in 10 years at least. The backlog on it would be huge. Only interesting for the handy DIY'er willing to sink in the 200-300 hours it will cost to put this thing back into good shape. And then there is the parts and the paint job. And the removal of those ridiculous bumpers.

The ad itself though is an very nice example of how a car should be offered.

 

I don't think these come with nikasil but what do I know. A complete rebuild required at 88k? You just can't say that, and certainly not as a rule of thumb. I have seen so many engines go well to 200k and even well over that, I never understood the high fears of higher mileage cars in that sense. I have had a few daily drivers well over that mileage and they still ran perfectly.
Many owners don't trash their cars and Lambo engines are strong if treated properly.

 

Hey Ron,

Sorry but my camera wasn't working so I only took a few pics with the cell... not worthy of putting them up. I asked the guy if he was allowed to tell me if there were current bids on the car and he said he does not have access to that info... it has to be fair and transparent so private offers will be refused... it'll be interesting to see if it goes at 58+... if not, they'll go back to CRA and likely re-offered at a lower minimum bid...

DF

 

I usually am not afraid of the higher mileage engines if the cylinder walls are nikasil coated, crap my mid-eighties dirt bikes all had them... my 1990 348 has them, why wouldn't Lambo follow suit for a big V12 with a 7k redline... I have no issues pulling the engine, gearbox and changing seals, tensioners, timing chain, re-doing the clutch, etc. but I do drop out of the consideration as soon as the heads or the crank need to come off...

Also, another big consideration, is the amount of help I had when I restored my 348... a lot of 348/355 owners turn their own wrenches so there are fantastic threads that show you how to perform all the basic to complex jobs... I have to spend more time in the lambo section to see if the same applies with the Countach.

DF

 

i think the definition of "restore" and "fixing" needs to be clairfied.

a car getting the engine to work, and doing some spot painting and doing brake pads is not restoring.

this lambo needs a restore - a full restore ... there is almost nothing in there you can save ....and once you start - you in it knee deep.

if you do a mechanical restore -that means EVERYTHING - suspension, brakes, engne, tranny, sterring rack .... thats a restore.... buying used tires or putting on "kumho" tires is not a restore.

anything else, is just maintence to get it to run. which is a car now that is a "driver"

 

This definition will always be vague. Your words read as if restored to you equals only a like new condition. The word restore however suggests to put something back in a condition it once was in. By itself it doesn't tell us it should be back to new, or slightly used, or even well-used condition. If I restore a 15 year old car to one that looks and feels like it's 3 years old, did I perform a fix or a restoration? This all depends on what fits within the definition of a 'restored' condition.

If this Countach were to be restored to such a 'like new' condition, then I would agree with you, everything should be new or like new. And if it were to be changed to a show ("better than new") condition, it would not even be the right word because that is not the same as restoring. It would be changed into a show car, into something it never was.

So where does fixing end and restoring start? It is probably mostly that the word should be in proportion with the work that was involved. I agree, changing brake pads is not restoring. If this Lambo however goes to a new owner who takes it apart, repaints it, flushes everything, changes all rubber parts and such but leaves the engine alone apart from a good tune-up because it was still in good shape with good compression, I would still call that a restored car.

/// rant mode off

 

how do you make any car sitting and rotting for 10 yrs like this lambo feel like 3 yrs old when done ? - are you buying 3 yr old used tires ? 3 yr old spark plugs ?

this is one of those situations where your either pregnant, or not, no such thing as half pregnant.

i can agree to this - i would call it concourse condition if you would enter it and would win.

i have to disagree - changing the oils, and flushing and doing a tune up is not restored... what do you do with a 25 yr olf steering rack on the car ? how about that tranny and diff thats been sitting with sludge ? changing break lines and flushing oils, and doing an alinment and adding fresh new tires and painting is not a restore - thats called a "driver" - somethign i can drive .... this lambo in question right now thats listed is a DEAD CAR

 

Well, as I said it's a semantic discussion. You know well enough what I mean with a car feeling 3 years old, don’t start a discussion on 3 year old plugs now

I agree, that Lambo is dead in this condition and needs a lot of TLC - but there is a lot to say for not going the 125k$ route but the $15-20k DIY route with that one.

Different people have different opinions on what constitutes a "driver", too. Some would call anything that still runs as such, even if barely and totally rusted and unsafe. Others would not be caught dead in anything older than a few years and with more than 30.000 miles on the odo, and would call that a 'worn car'. It’s all very relative, and as such restoring is relative too. That is also why you see additional terms such as 'restored to a high standard', etc in ads.
I love to look at cars that have been an*lly restored, but I would absolutely hate to own one. I prefer a nice driver anyday. I am a practical kind of guy, preferring function over form 99% of the time. Having a car that was restored to a like new standard is like being with a virgin - a thing of beauty but you can't touch it and put it to use it was intended for, if it is to stay that way!

 

Hey All,

It cost me nearly 30k to restore my 348 and I did most of the work myself... it wouldn't surprise me if the cost of restoring this Countach would be in the 70-80k range...

DF