Countach Downdraft 1985 to 1988.5

Have no ide what nmbers the big boxer runs 0-60 but the Countach felt soo much quicker,

 

Probably somthing to do with dealer mark up and exchange rates, and available stock.

 

Also dont know for shure,but most of the grey Us DD s vhere imported before Chrysler and the fi factory set up.

 

I can't get enough carbs!
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365's tend to run dirty, they sound amazing. The DD is definitely a more powerful car. The 365 BB feels lighter tho.

CARBS MAN, CARBS!

 

Ahhhh stop right now, yellow Boxer, you are one lucky guy, probably one of my absolute favorit cars, loved driving one ,so full of character, the uppright steering wheel , flat seats,also the flip up backwards engine cowl, wich exposes all its mid engine glory. Thanks for making me feel like a lesser man, ha ha Beautiful cars, one day.

 

A 365BB is a potent little thing, and it is rather small. Very Very pretty from some angles, not so much from others admittedly. Needs the fat 9" rears from a 512. You can find the beauty though, low down looking at the front is my personal favorite. Its certainly Ferraris first Supercar, weather people realize or not who knows....

We used to have a 365BB, wish it was still around actually.... Revved out nicely and sounded fantastic. Only complaint is a high center of gravity vs the QVDD which feels like its on rails. Otherwise, a gem not fully appreciated IMHO.

 

Healthy addiction......

Really pretty car in yellow.

 

Yes, after 25 years no more DOT or EPA compliance (just did a Euro spec 928). It would be a grey area returning a federalized import back to original. In California you still have to pass emissions and they'd likely fail a car with no smog equipment, etc. Non emission states nobody would notice.

 

You are far too modest, you have a lot, its just a pity its usually not positive, neutral, factual or useful.

For example, here below is a posting of the contents of an article from Modern Motor magazine in October 1985, it features the Downdraft when it was new, the first car to be delivered to Australia. For anyone looking up the spec of an Australian RHD, this article is a guiding light. It has all the technical statistics, power & performance numbers, and a thorough driving test. Anyone looking for one can get it on EBay Modern Motor Magazine October 1985 Countach Brabham Vortex Group A Commodore | eBay

This is how its done, a useful, factual posting, not just a rambling random opinion, everyone benefits, win-win.
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Having owned multiple examples of both, my experience has been that both cars can be equally temperamental.

That said, since the claim is always being made that DD carbs might be difficult to live with, it must be noted that those claims usually come from people who haven't/don't own a DD.

My experience with DDs has been that once correctly set up, they stay that way with responsible ownership, regular driving, and good maintenance.

 

What's your source for this suggestion?

 

Completely false.

Rather than continually spouting off erroneous suggestions, why not ask this as a question, so you can receive information that is factual & helpful to others reading?

 

You are right, they are fantastic machines not fully appreciated, with cool details such as the triple tail-light and triple exhaust tips each side, we've sold 3 in the last 6 months or so, they were Enzo's response to the legendary Miura.
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HLA12065 in company of Lamborghini icons.
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Pity not useful ,simply becuase i disagree and quesion old stopwatch storys.

 

What inspired me to buy my first Countach almost 30 years ago?

I saw one on the street, but what pushed me over the edge?

Truth be told, it was a magazine article.

I grew up in the era of the magazine, sure they are a dying medium now, but they are a tangible source of pleasure for many, and are still important to many people of our generation.

Having just completed a major cover piece on the ex-Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda's Ferrari 288 GTO for Octane magazine (July issue out end of May in the UK), I'm now working on one for the Countach DD or them for late in the year.

Stay tuned, more to come, of course I'll share info here well ahead of time
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Almost bought a 86DD in sweden in late 88 price was 600-000sek aprox 100k$ ,i know my Friend paid mid200s for my car late 89, not trying to siggest anything false but based on the us demand at the time ,merely suggesting there would be a saving in a privat import, also there was a huge jump in values in that aprox time frame , world wide , the gap was probably not as big as my nmbr suggest,but still knowing the USA market in demand at any given time ,reg anything expensive, there is money to be made, not forcing this theory on anyone,just my suggestion

 

IOW you are stating most of the DD grey cars where imported after 87-88?could very well be, if the case i would be wrong

 

octane magazine ,one of my favorits,Harry single handed added 100%to Countach values( i have said this before)by driving his car all over Europe,

 

100%

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Another completely false assertion.

Harry will be the first to admit that he has the impeccable timing of a genius, and he purchased his car @ 6 years ago just as the overall classic & sports-car market began an upswing fueled by economics. No single person can single-handedly cause values to go up 100%, and any such notion can be dismissed as utter nonsense.

That said, Harry has been one of the best Ambassadors for the Countach model overall that I have ever seen in almost 30 years of owning them.

 

Beautiful pair.

 

Amen,

having driven several Countachs in all variants (LP400-25th) - carbed and FI, the most important conclusion is: irrelevant if FI or DD - key is a regular use and maintenance.
If FI or DD is faster, better - honestly I give a Sh** on it, both are fast, but compared to modern cars slow, Period.

 

I can see how this article is not useful to you, you'd have to actually read it to know there are no stopwatch stories

What the article has that is useful to anyone who is a fan of these cars is, period representation of 1985 DD production specification, technical statistics, the new 5.2 liter engine and its Downdraft carburation, build materials including the use of composites, factory power numbers, dry weight, dimensions, and how it fares in a thorough driving test.
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