Bob; My car runs perfectly now and i just got home from about 90 mins of the twisty bits ! Concorso in Monterey is on my bucket list but not this year! . Thing is a trip from Toronto To California would involve shipping the car and then flying to meet it etc etc . I think if I started planning it now id be ready for 2013! LOL There must be a load of North east guys that don't make it for the same reasons. In 2013 maybe the best way to celebrate the 50th anniversary is to pick a central location to attract maximum numbers? Gary ( thousands of miles to the northeast) 8394
Gary, I do have space here if you shipped your car. It is good to go up with a group as we can handle any problems on the way. ;-) Espada's have room for friends plus tools! It normally starts on a Wednesday morning with Jack Riddell driving up from San Diego in his 400 2+2 up to my shop in Buena Park. Last year Uno Junhans came up with Jack. Mike has his Espada at my shop and we go have lunch then drive up to Pismo Beach and stay the night. Thursday morning we make a run for breakfast at a place called Fat Cats where we are joined by Laust Pederson in his S2. This gets us up to Monterey around 11:30 the morning. We like to go to Carmel to see the Pebble Beach cars as they drive into Carmel for lunch. Thursday night on, we do all the club functions plus go to the Laguna Seca historic car races and Pebble Beach. Last year all three Espadas that were at the Concorso Italiano headed back home on Highway 1 Sunday afternoon. It was a great drive. My hope this year is that we get a larger caravan Especially Bertone cars for the 100th Anniversary. Bob Huber
Hi All, It seems that the front sway bar on Espada's were designed to hit the parking lot concrete stops and the rear seems the ride lower than the front. I have machined spacers to bring the ride height up on the front and also up on the rear so that when caring 4 people and luggage there is still travel left for the bumps. Now the tire actually hits the concrete stop first, you don't have to slow down for every bump, giving the rear suspension a chance to do its job. Actually the Espada handles much better and overall much more capable on city streets. Front rocker at the jacking point is 6 inches and the rear rocker jacking point is at seven inches .Car without driver / passengers and without Espada girls in the trunk. Here are some pictures of Aaron's shocks. Bob Huber Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Front rocker at the jacking point is 6 inches and the rear rocker jacking point is at seven inches. Car without driver / passengers and without Espada girls in the trunk. Here are some pictures of Mike Trivich's S1 with this setup. Bob Huber Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Espada dudes in particular Bob noted above Since its blatantly obvious that you obtain the technical prowess that goes along with most ( im the other guy)Espada owners I have a tech question! I have a question . Mine is a series 2 with the steel tube running all the way down the block starting at the open end of the rad Hose and ending on the back of top of block between the cam covers. On the front passenger end of the cam cover there is a vent hose which vents pressurized air from the oil jackets and cam and in doing so spits oil down the pipe and therefore my car when parked after its fully warm , usually marks its territory on who's ever driveway it feels like. An old local Lambo mechanic here tells me all is normal and by the time the first iteration countach came out this was rectified by a thin metal disc inserted right where the hose meets the engine . this disc was solid at the bottom half and perforated in the upper half thereby letting pressure out and the oil stay in .... Have your series 2 guys experienced this and what if anything have they done to rectify . My car is as close to perfect as one could hope now right down to the fact that it dribbles . This 78 year old x factory mechanic exclaimed in broken English . " ifa jor car no leaka olio itza becuss der is no olio ina da engine" I would like to change this one little problem however..... Any suggestions would help Gary 8394
Hi Gary, You are not alone as series 1 and 2 have the same road draft set up. Laust has sent me a design for an oil slinger that attaches to the end of the camshaft. As the camshaft spins the oil mist is spun off the oil slinger greatly reducing oil in the road draft tube. Although Laust has designed a more modern vent system that eliminates the road draft tube and factory casting, the slinger does work. I will be making the slinger to fit our road draft system. Bob Huber
If you could make 2 and show me the install I will pay you for your efforts. Much appreciated Gary 8394
Gary, My Espada suffers from the same incontinence that you're describing. My car has ZERO USA specifications on it even though it was imported by Estes in late 1971 so no PVC or lighting changes etc. It has a production dates of 9/11/71. I have a large plastic tarp duct taped to the floor of my garage but when I visit a friends house with a nice driveway (pavers) you do leave your mark so to speak. If Laust and Bob H can produce a piece that doesn't show and cuts this way back that would be great. Any further details on you're elder mechanics mod? Yours is a totally restored car so I feel your pain. Mine is a driver and I can readily see the evidence from this method. That tube drops in front of the RF suspension which is nicely covered now with 40 years of oil & road dirt. I had a 1950 Imperial with similar issues. I think a positive crankcase venting system with the burning of the fumes is probably going to be the cleanest route. But that will be impossible to hide. I think the later cars have this plus a much better thermostat and coolant reservoir system. As it is now I think that way too much oil comes out of that tube to allow us to connect it to the air cleaner. It would foul up the filter very quickly even it is piped aft of the filter. So I think your older Italian mechanic friend, Laust and Bob D. are on the right path with a modification to greatly reduce the amount that splashes out of that hose. We're getting some great help on this! There are numerous units on the market for separating the oil more thoroughly from the fumes but you need a drain back inlet to the crankcase (like a tap on the dipstick). I haven't looked into that. It would show too. If you look at the various versions of this engine in this car this was an evolutionary design for Lamborghini. The earlier cars require a tarp or a box of Depends. Certainly we should be able to do better than this though. Great photos Bob H! Anxiously waiting to hear about the results on Mike's dizzy conversion/rebuild. I'll wager that his car is going to run SOOOOOO much better after that repair that he'll be ecstatic. A V12 can hide a lot mechanical junk with all those cylinders. Bob S.
I see what you're now Bob. Sorry but yesterday I was not able to get any measurements from the Espada you requested as I had a couple of guests fly in from London and they sucked up all of the available time looking at the cars. I'll talk with you more about this before I return for for some more work in the next week or so. I can't wait to get that finished. I'm waiting on Pierce and the plating shop right now. It was in the mid sixties to low seventies last week here but it's going to drop down into the mid twenties at night this week again so it's hard to know if the weather will be cooperating.
Hi Bob, Ok...understand...we can't be with our Espada 24/7. Tell me when you get your parts. Ok...I will be the Robert. Robert
Hi All, Today, Aaron and I spent most of it cleaning bearings, cleaning shims, cleaning, and more cleaning. We gave the ultrasonic cleaners a workout today. We did get the lower control arms on at least Tomorrow will be less cleaning and more assembling. Robert Huber Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Charles Nicholls Espada S3 was hit and unfortunately considered a total loss. This car as many people know was in outstanding condition. Charles put a lot of effort into this car and I believe it was his daily driver. I don't know the whole story but Charles looked for shop to repair it but didn't have a lot of luck. This car is too nice to be cut up for parts. Charles has allowed me to become the new owner. I will be putting this car back on the road were it belongs. If anyone is interested in seeing its progress you're welcome to come by the Shop in Buena Park. Special thanks to Roy Cats; He had bumpers (USA) that I was able the purchase that helps bring this car back to the road. Robert Huber Image Unavailable, Please Login
Is it possible I saw that car in the Lamborghini Brussels showroom, in 2005? They were asking (a considerable lot) less back then, and if I had liked the color combo (frankly I think it's horrible ) I think I would have bought it.
Espada dudes Someone posted a rear hatch strut rebuilder in Alberta a while back.... Anyone remember??? Gary 8394
OMG, I never saw it but knew the pain Charles suffered when it happened. I have much nicer pictures of it than that. You have your work cut out for you Robert.
The car you saw at Lamborghini Brussels was probably #8218 and I believe it's still owned by one of their mechanics. This #8730 was with a Swiss dealer before it came to Germany.
Greasy kid stuff! Yeah! We had a good day at the workshop today; we finally put something inside that rear wheelhouse. We are making good headway on Aaron's Espada and feel that we just have a few more days to go. Well, plus a few more days for the unexpected things that always happen. Just to mention something that might be a good idea and that would be, to remove the long bolt that holds the upright onto the lower arm once a year, clean and re-grease. First, yes there is a grease fitting but is it is very ineffective. Second, after one year the bolt should be in perfect condition and should come out easy. Third, no parts needed just a little grease. I know it sounds like a hassle but these cars were really built with racecar type suspension uprights where maintenance was just not an issue as they were pulling these apart all the time on the racecars of that era. Remember these young engineers wanted to go racing! As you know, taking one of these out after 40 years can be a real problem... No, a unreal problem! You will have to buy new bolts and related bushings, for sure. What's going to happen when GT Car Parts is not around? So it's just a suggestion... Think of it as preservation for your dinosaur. Robert Huber Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yeah from a suspension thriller, moan ... I've never used red CV joint grease. I always refer to assembling these lovelies as like a Rubik's cube covered in grease.
Hi All, I just a few notes about Espada rear sway bars. First, since most Espada's are low in the rear the sway bar inner mount brackets will be the first thing to hit when backing up a bit too far. Second, most Espada's have been jacked up on the rear suspension using the outer sway bar mount for a pad. In this case the sway bars left inner retainer that the bushing rides on was loose and had to be secured back onto the bar. The outer end caps/sleeves were loose and were epoxied back on. The brackets basically can be straightened with a 28 mm socket, a vice, appropriate hammer and assorted pieces of bar stock. I did have to make a weld on the inner brackets due to stress cracks. Everything else is pretty straightforward. I feel strongly that the Espada with slightly raised suspension will avoid damaging the front and rear sway bars. Robert Huber Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
