Countach Downdraft 1985 to 1988.5

And his son is Luca

 

Omg. Speechless. The Nero "wingless" Downdraft paired with the 288 is stunning.

 

TR topped out the GTO as well. Although if I remember it had to retire early.

 

Throw a second rear-view on that bad boy and were talking 150mph max!

 

I think you could possibly be correct about the missing sound insulation material. However, I do not think it is a "top tip" to smother out what seems to be a vaguely annoying noise with a scarf. Yes, due to the proximity of the passengers to the gearbox and the relatively thin fiberglass barrier between them, the Countach has earned a well deserved reputation for producing more gearbox noise than any car that I can think of. I can speak from experience that the noise that is being broadcast from the shift gate is that of bearings that are knackered. I have witnessed the exact noise produced by his car from a Countach from a seized clutch pilot bearing. Good news is that the parts bill to replace the bearings will be small. The bad news is that it's an engine out job to replace them. While the engine is out you will have the opportunity to really build up the tab with "while we are here, we might as well do this...and this...oh yeah, and THAT". My top tip would be to stop driving the car immediately before your bearing failure leads to serious damage.
Keep your great videos coming Harry!

 

Hi Michael, good to hear from you and thank you for your comments on the infuriating transmission noise in my Countach. I've driven several Countach but only one other QV and it made similar sounds to mine so guessed they all did that but maybe I should investigate my car a bit more. The noise was there when I first test drove it, the sound might have got progressively worse over the 7years/20k kms of ownership but hard to tell.

I hope to own this car forever so I should really investigate it at some point but my plan is to 'rest' the Countach next year and get the Espada right up to scratch and ready for whatever Lamborghini has planned for the Espada 50th Anniversary next year.

We are so lucky to own Countach QV, the only car I might swap mine for is the 288 GTO but the crazy difference in value between the two makes zero sense to me. If a round-belly Countach QV is circa $500k then, from a driving/owning point of view, a 288 should be $7-800k but we all know that's no longer the case..

 

Allways good to hear honest comments from real experienced Countach owners, Such as Joe and Harry, but i will say this, i am clearly missing something in the 288 gto craze/fasination. A glorefied stretched wheelbase, engine turned lenghtwise, twin turbo 308,with all its shortcomings, is beyond mine boggeling, and yes, i drove one,it was nice,but not a chance compare to my QV, please explain this to me, values aside,the market speaks, (Ferrari geek market smily face) what am i missing?

 

https://youtu.be/V7nVpW13y4E

Part 2 of Harry's trip. He really gets after it for a moment there. Great video.

 

Hello Harry
I just enjoyed part two of your journey to the Lamborghini corcorso. First a quick question: Which ignition box did you switch to? I only ask as I am presently working on a Countach that needs one, and I am curious if there are any units out there that have a programmable electronic advance.

I think it would be wise to investigate the sound emanating through the shift gate. I would bet a dollar that it is just the clutch pilot bearing that is making the lions share of the excessive noise. Also, I could hear that your car clanks a lot going over bumps and joints in concrete. Almost all of that noise will disappear when you overhaul your suspension with new joints, as the new ones currently being manufactured by FRAP for Lamborghini are superior to the originals. You will be amazed at the improvement in the overall handling and feel of the car as well.
As for myself (all monies not considered) I think I would prefer a DD Countach to a 288 GTO.... And I LOVE the 288 GTO. I think that in a few years time (once immaculately restored DD Countachs become the norm rather than the exception) the price gap between the two will be much less.
Keep posting the wonderful videos.

 

Good answer, perhaps my initial dissapointment was the lack of drama, just felt like any other 328,(wich i put 15000 mile

all great points,and agree,Driving a car once does not qualifie you to judge much,other than the first impression, perhaps the lack of drama made it boring,iloabw, anway,i do admit i like its looks,

 

Super cool video,i am soo thrilled to se this Countach blasting through Europes highways and byways, 30 year old supercar?does not get much better,also love Harrys relaxed map classes,and plan for the day,where to go ,and so on,(one could almost smell the eggs and bacon on the back deck on his boat0 have traveled the autostrada between Cannes and Rapallo/St margahrite many many times,but never in my Countach,various rentals, a few Mercedes,and a late 80 s Corvette, My first F 40 real life sighting was on this road late 80 s a few miles east of Monaco, blasting past my rental, anyway, Keep it up Harry, its effing awesome.can not wait to se your Espada road trips, do have a soft spot for this model. My friend had one in Norway, drove it a few times,really liked it, we should get all Us Countach guys together,ship our cars to Europe for a fun Roadtrip,one day.

 

US Countach shipping to Europe for a massive roadtrip! Sounds a plan!
R

 

Interesting comments, Joe, but I guess it all comes down to what you're going to use the car for. The 288 GTO has gained royalty Ferrari status over the past decade, yet when you consider it from a driving point of view, the Countach QV is the equal, if not the better car. Let's consider the differences in powertrain between the two; normally aspirated 5.2litre V12 vs twin turbo 2.8litre V8, 455bhp+ vs 400bhp, on-paper near equal performance but when driven in the real-world, the Countach QV feels the quicker of the two. Then the Countach QV is the pinnacle of the carb fed V12 Lamborghini supercar (if not design as well), while the 288 GTO's nemesis, the F40, eclipses it in very many ways apart from rarity, which seems to be what matters most to buyers these days.

Will the value gap close between the two? Who knows but with such a colossal difference in values, the Countach could double in value overnight but would still be worth less than half what a 288 GTO is worth today. Doesn't make any sense to me but that's the classic car market for you. I try to buy cars that offer real value at their price point, rather than chasing the must-have models. Another example of value disparity is the Mclaren F1, which is a truly amazing car but the Porsche Carrera GT (with clutch upgrade and latest gen tyres) is a near equal driving machine and offers way better value for money than the F1. Same thing..