Countach Downdraft 1985 to 1988.5

Thank you for your kind words.

I am glad you appreciate the standard and detail of what we are doing, because we are trying to show what can be accomplished.

The restoration story will continue even after my car is finished, because there are least 2 other Countachs lined up behind mine for restoration.

When I first started the one thing I said I would change would be the Swiss-mandated box muffler. When the cars were built in 1986, a sport exhaust was indeed an option. Also, the one I am installing is not the standard stainless steel exhaust you may have once used, but rather a developed unit which we had specially built http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/144449289-post1533.html & http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/144449292-post1534.html to duplicate the 'Basso Supremo' sound of the original mild steel sport exhausts.

 

After mock-up and removal, our supersport exhaust unit will receive the same ceramic coated satin black final finish as our stainless sport headers in this image, prior to final fitting, the period-correct finish in 1986 for either a standard exhaust or sport exhaust. The connecting pipes will have this finish as well. Of course the period factory application did not not last many miles whereas our application will. As mentioned earlier, one can achieve the same 'look' yet achieve a more durable finish.

I don't want anyone to mistakenly think we will be installing an exhaust with a non-original stainless or polished finish!

It will look just like a mild steel unit, and with the spec it was built to, it will sound like one.
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Thanks for your kind words Nils.

 

Just the top-end, as it checked out okay.

Chris drove it, then I drove it, and we both agreed that this was a strong engine.

It did not smoke @ cold or hot, and, the leak-down & compression numbers were strong & even across all 12.

Raymond assured me it needed nothing and he was 100% correct.

That said we decided to look at the top end and make sure cam-timing etc was spot-on. Chris started his career as an builder so this is his forte.The carbs were completely overhauled and set up by Pierce Manifold, best in the business with Weber carbs.

Since it was all apart and there was a little wear, we decided to throw in a new clutch.

I think I got lucky. What we have here is a good engine that was blueprinted and assembled very carefully in the first place, and then maintained very well though its life, first by the factory, and then by Raymond, to whom we are all very grateful.

 

The sound was a very important aspect of what was engineered into the supersport exhaust which exhaust specialist Paul Goddard & I worked on. The goal was to mimic the deep bassy sound of the original mild-steel units, as opposed to the harsh metallic sound that the stainless steel units on the market give.

To effect this, firstly we perfected the Mandrel bends with each bent section in one bend, causing bend radii of the 2 pipes between the muffler & tips to be as concentric as possible, and properly parallel trajectory of the muffler tubes and pipes heading in the same direction. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the internals of this unit are completely different from that of any unit you can buy on the market. We 'hollowed' the silencers, by building a set of free-flow mufflers with perforated tube-only internals of a specific length. The latter will cause the sound to emulate the rich one you associate with the old mild-steel systems.

To me, besides condition & performance, there are two aspects of a car that are very important: the way it looks, and the way it sounds. It is my sincere hope that the sound of this car brings a smile to the faces of more than just me!

 

This is the original mild-steel sport exhaust unit that came on Countachs @ the mid-80s onwards. As you can see the build quality left something to be desired, as is the case with the subsequent SS units on the market - terrible seam-welding and crooked pipes being the hallmark characteristic.

BTW there was an earlier sport exhaust which the factory itself provided on the LP400 and LP400S cars which is essentially the same design minus the tips configuration.

FWIW, when I got my first Countach in 1987 it came with a sport exhaust, so I have always preferred that soundtrack.
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One reason I went to all the trouble of special-manufacturing this unit is that I knew I wanted a high standard of work throughout the project, so I just couldn't bring myself to use anything that was available.

It will look normal when ceramic-coated satin black.
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I'm useless with video so perhaps I'll have to recruit one of my sons to make one.

That said the car will be subject of a professionally-shot brief film in due course, and I hope the V12 symphony it emits will be highlighted in it. Think 'snap-crackle-pop'!

 

Brian's beautiful wingless Rosso Siviglia Downdraft in Kansas.
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Brian (or anyone else) confirmation of the chassis number would be appreciated, I believe it to be GLA12902.
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Beautiful, thank you.

 

Washer fluid bottle and brake-fluid reservoir as they came out of the car at the disassembly phase of the restoration.
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Brake-fluid reservoir disassembled and refurbished by myself
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Benditalia Crema
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With some hot water, detergent and bleach, the reservoir came out nice.
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Reassembled and ready for installation, looks a bit better than this http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/144768593-post3196.html now.
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