Countach, the ultimate supercar

I like to think he got a chuckle out of it as well. Truth is he probably could not see me. Though I seem to remember the exhaust revving just as the chase would start, but I was probably at about ear level and it was the most spectacular sound I had ever heard so who knows..

 

I am sure most owners and any serious prospective buyer already knows or could care less about how lousy the seats are. I for one would drive on a milk crate, all be it a very short one just to be able to drive it. If we were to list all of the short comings of the Countach we would have a fairly long list with a longer line of people still eager to take it for a drive.

It reminds me of a story I heard many years ago about a man that would go to the park to simply gaze at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Once when asked by a friend why he does not approach her he said. "In my eyes she is perfect now, I don't want to approach her and find out her flaws."

Back in the day when the Countach was "the poster car" no one saw the flaws they just saw the beauty.

Sincerely Vic

 

For me, the flaws are what make it so special. The car would not be what it is without them. The cars have character as a result. It truly is like taming a bull!!!!

 

Vic are you trying to say true happiness in Countach ownership is just looking at them?

 

No way! I'll deal with the imperfections with smile on my face as I sit behind the wheel in an uncomfortable seat.

 

i'm 6' 0" and 51 years old: no spine problem at all with those seats, even for several hours of non stop driving. Countach has a very hard to turn steering wheel, a very hard to push clutch pedal, a quite hard to move gearbox leverage, a terrific lateral visibility that does not let you relax in traffic, a very high noise level at high rpm but no seats problems at all.

ciao

 

Funny mine has none of those problems you mentioned, just the lousy seats.

 

+1, everytime I see her in the Garage I have a smile on my face.
But working on the car is a pain, I plan to add day driving lights due to new regulations here, so I'm figuring out how to do.

 

Raymond, even old cars are obligated to meet new regulations there?
That could become impossible with time.

 

That doesn't sound right. You'll need to install airbags next, then antilock brakes, ect.... How can they make you retrofit your car with equipment from another era AND make you accountable for paying for it. It would never end. Safety equipment has come with the evolution of the automobile not forced law. Government can mandate vehicles to be equipt with certain equipment, but they can't alter a past production car , or can they?(I don't mean recalls)
I thought one of those car shows said daytime running lights were going away because statistics showed there was no proven benefit with the use of them...maybe I'm wrong.

 

When you are rollin' in style, who cares about the seats! LOL!

Mike
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Mike do you ever asked if your affiliated with the drink because of your plate?
Looks Great!

 

Well the new law in Switzerland says you have to drive with lights, which can be your main lights or you install daytime running lights.
I'm installing them in the air intake of the bumper the way everything is reversible.

I know that Austria reversed their law about driving with light during daytime, but doesn't help me here...

 

Are you a power lifter with fly type eyes?

ciao

 

Raymond would it be acceptable to drive with parking lights only on similar to how Audi and the Corvette accomplish this? If the old Countach lamps were replaced with led style lamps the car would hardly know they were on. If the new law requires them to be automatic, the switch could be rewired or a new switch added under the dash to make it work and be easily reversible. Also the headlights can remain in the closed position.

 

Wow.. what is the Swiss government doing when it's not thinking of ways
to protect themselves from each other?

 

That's when you had a damned socialist being Minister of Transport over years...

No, parking lights are not allowed, it must be either the main lights or daytime running lights which have a Special identification ECE R97.

I bought from Phlipps the Daytime 4 -LED drl's and will install them between the louvres of the front Spoiler intakes.
Doing this I ordered the alu pieces from a local metal shop (they are anodized), the factory used 3 same flat pieces (275mm * 35mm * 3mm) only the position of the holes is different.
I will cut the top one and screw the drl onto the middle, as soon as I get the new pieces and it's installed I will post pictures on my website.

It's also possible to replace the parking light unit with drl's but this would change the look of the car and you have then an additional issue with the side indicators.

 

While ex post factos should apply pretty universally and not require retrofitting of safety equipment in most cases, the evolution of safety devices and their universal fitment has pretty much been totally driven by law.

 

Most laws are put into affect AFTER a manufacturer ALREADY HAS the technology in one or more of their vehicles. The laws only push the technology towards the other manufacturers to follow suit. Imo there isn't a law maker out there that could think for themselves and come up with ONE safety feature prior to it already being available to the public. Followers at their best!!

 

Peter:

Yes! Once or twice someone will say to me "Are you involved with Redbull?" LOL! Its kind of funny to say, "Why yes, its my company". hahahahaha... Then I have to tell them, "No, I'm just a lowly Project Manager at Boeing". ;-)

Mike

 

That's funny. You need to get a license plate surround that says my other car is space capsule.
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Jeremy Clarkson & Countach

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biBE4wbPyuk]how to parallel park a countach. - YouTube[/ame]

 

With all his bashing and poking at the countach i remember a member here
saying that Clarkson actually admitted to him with liking it and appreciating it for
what it represented, and it is still a car on Clarksons Top 100 list.

 

Clarkson has his uses and generally talks some sense, more so in the newspapers here in the UK.

But, lets get back on topic!!!! Late last eve, my QV finally came home. Start the wave, whoop whoop . . . .

Amazingly, it's been a sunny and bright day here in Blightly, so took her for a spin and to get acquainted. More importantly, put some petrol into the tank. As jack all juice in there.

Did not miss a beat. The brakes feel a bit spongy but I'm used to driving more modern hardware. Lovely popping on the overrun. More than a few heads were turned. Love it.

So, couple of piccys. One of her in the garage with her new sister. Both fit which was a relief. And one on the drive.

I'm one happy man. Roll on summer!!

Rob
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Sweet, without the scissor doors guess you may have been in trouble getting in and out? Great sister car too!