Youd need to ask George Evans on that , or even S_Agata . I know prices have changed since I did mine.
I would expect to pay between $25-30k for a quality paint & complete body conversion. Perhaps my answer is a little out of date as well.
Thanks for that. I'm assuming less for an Anniversary model as that would be front end only (whilst I don't particularly like the rear bumpers on those, they are standard globally).
Converting an Anniversary to Euro bumper is a much simpler proposition, as you only change the bumper itself. On earlier cars, you have to change out the entire nose. The cost to properly repaint a Countach is EXPEN$IVE. Once you have the car completely apart, there is no point in not doing a complete restoration.
It's sounds current for any number of coach-builders, although some situated in certain areas undoubtedly charge more. That said, most people who do the Fuelie Countach USA to Eu bumper conversion don't do a complete body conversion to European specification. Correct, we discussed this a few months ago, Downdrafts have their air-ducting and receiving vents in different locations so if you want a conversion that actually allows the brakes and the cabin to be properly air-vented, you have to make all the changes to Eu spec. The Countach is expensive to repaint because of the difficulty of disassembly, the angular design of the bodywork, the innumerable pieces, and the similarly difficult re-assembly. The main reason that it makes sense to restore now is because the cars are thirty (30) plus years old, many were not taken care of properly for at least 20 of those years, and today's methods & materials for refurbishment & restoration ensure much more longevity next time around.
Thank you - that's good information to have. I can only imagine the cost of a full restoration - and the time involved.
The Anniversary is very easy. Some people just slide in an Anniversary front euro bumper onto earlier US cars as well.
$200,000 to $300,000 over 1.5 years to 2 years. This depends on the restoration facility doing the work, and the pre-restoration condition & completeness of the individual car they are restoring.
I'm not sure I'd have the patience to wait 2 years. I went nuts waiting 3 months for the M3 I ordered.
Patience comes hand-in-hand with Countach ownership from a maintenance perspective, primarily because these are now 28 to 44 year-old classic sports cars. If you plan on owning one for any considerable period of time, you'll soon find that the specialists who work on these cars who are knowledgeable, skilled & trustworthy, are somewhat limited, and as such are often booked well in advance for the obvious reason that they are sought-after. Also, although the parts situation for these cars is better than what it used to be, most parts are still generally considered obscure, and they sometimes have to be sourced from Italy or elsewhere, and this can this can take not inconsiderable time. Finally, the longer you own these cars, the more likely it is that you'll carry out the responsibility of a long-term custodian, which means besides routine service work, at some point you'll need to maintain mechanical systems such as brakes, suspension, engine, gearbox, etc. Carrying out maintenance for some or all of these will take time, for the aforementioned reasons. As a longtime Countach owner who has lived with these cars since the production days, if I were preparing you for intended Countach ownership, I would say that patience is essential.
Strongly agree with Michael. I just did a complete euro conversion based on the descriptions of this board. Once you start taking apart a Countach, a Pandoras box will for sure open on issues you must consider. A well used car that has never been touched, the body and euro conversion alone could reach closer to $80k or more. Add engine out, suspension, interior, electronics... It become more a labour of love and passion for the Countach than an increase in its value. Once you go down that route, you have to push to the end.
Yes, NOTHING on a Countach is anywhere near as simple and straightforward as on any other car that I can think of. Few (if any) of the body/trim pieces made by Lamborghini itself are interchangeable from one car the next. Any factory body part will require more fettling than anyone who has never had to deal with one can ever begin to comprehend. I think it is impossible or the uninitiated to imagine the costs involved. Restoration cost is a simple factor of time and materials. The problem for someone trying to wrap their head around Joe's previous educated general "guestimate" of $200,000-$300,000 to a query of "How much does it cost to restore a Countach?" is that they first need to imagine how much time it would take to restore a car, then they need to multiply that figure by 10. Then they need to imagine how much they will spend on parts replacement and refurbishment in a "how expensive could this stuff possibly be?" kind of way. Then multiply that number by 10 to really get the picture.
It's almost as if when the cars were being built @ Sant Agata, they never expected them to ever have to come apart again.
Ain't that the truth... The Countach is like an experimental prototype that they happened to produce around 2,000 times in various versions. The only concessions that I can think of to serviceability were the discontinuation of magnesium castings and when they made the removable boot/engine bay barrier to allow more clearance for the installation/removal of the engine&gearbox. Very little (if any) consideration was given to the idea of someone ever having to disassemble /rebuild /repair/ reassemble at all.
Tube frame with composite under-panels and aluminum body panels fastened with rivets, it's great fun disassembling all that. But not as much fun as rebuilding it all and fitting components within a sleek shape with millimeters to spare
No thanks. I am here because I choose to be, for the same reason that Downdraft owners John, Mike & Rich are. I guess some people have a depth of experience with Countachs in general that they are willing to share, and it transfers across variants such that it may actually help a Fuelie owner take care of their car. The key is, the discussions are positive, informative & useful. Unfortunately, Ellagirl can't respond, so allow me to chime in. You're correct, those fans should be replaced with the more efficient SPAL items that everyone uses, it makes no sense to do work on the rads and not replace them, I imagined that there are few Countachs that are actually driven which still have the old fans in them. It's a little more involving than a bolt-in application (see below), but it's still a relatively simple upgrade. That said, replacing the fans will have not help a Fuelie catch a Downdraft, you'd need to replace the engine with a Downdraft engine. One thing to consider in the quest to keep the car from overheating, temperature, especially the 107-plus degrees that you remind us you drive in, causes your engine to lose power, because, ambient temperature negatively affects the air-to-fuel ratio required to run smoothly & efficiently with Fuelies. In your hot weather, your intake receives less concentrated levels of oxygen than it was set up for in the cooler air, causing the engine to lose horsepower trying to make up the difference. What happens with your Bosch Fuelie system is, to prevent a rich mixture & engine knocking, less fuel is sent to the combustion chamber and the ECU adjusts the timing, which has a negative effect on performance. So, whilst your car might run a tick cooler, new fans alone can't negate the hot weather temperatures your car still has to run through in the desert, consequently, you won't make any more power. FWIW, in hot weather, if you run into traffic, watch out because vapor lock can also be a real issue, and then you won't be keeping up with anything at all. The bottom line is, mechanical sympathy aside, these 30-year-old Italian sportscars were not really designed for 100-plus degrees weather. Meanwhile, I think anyone who keeps a V12 Countach in a hot climate could consider the waterless coolant as Joey suggests. Personally, my favorite time to run the Countach is in the chilly early morning down by the ocean, where the cool oxygen-rich dense air is great for power, with the AC switched off because I don't need it, I think the car loves that. 20W-50 Image Unavailable, Please Login
You'll make more power by simply switching the AC off than by swapping out the fans, however I still advise any Countach owner to do the latter.
I was commissioned for it, provided the original Kyosho donor and an aftermarket resin conversion kit (FI deck lid, skirts, etc.). A full disassembly project, it went from all white to all pearl with red interior and the Andretti signature on the glove box, mirror, and name on the inside of the seat bolster panel. The interior was heavily modified. Since there are no 1/12 QV's out there, we had to draw the line somewhere on compromises for sanity; i.e. it's not perfect, but as close as possible in that scale.
