Hi Gary, Like Bal I never used the choke when I had mine in 2004-2007 but that was in Florida, a much hotter climate. The fact that Bal would not use it, in the UK, is positive information for you. I would nevertheless suggest you add sorting it out on your priority B list.
Agree with Bal here.. In all the years (22) I have owned my Khamsin, I have never used the choke... But to be fair, the car has never been in extremely cold weather! Mike
Hi Marc This is Thomas Luscher, in my younger years owner of the Khamsin #316! Nice to read about it! What is the latest information about my ex K? Where have the traces gone after 1991 (when I sold it to a dentist)? Are there any recent pictures? I have lots of (analogue!) pictures of it at "my time" and many informations, even about it's partially tragic fortune before my ownership. Want to know more? I will never forget this fantastic car. Kind regards Thomas
Original delivery country of #316 was Germany. I can give a lot of information and anecdotes about this car. I would be very happy to get any pictures of it newer than 20 years! Unfortunately the links of autoscout24.ch are dead. Thomas
Hello Thomas and welcome! What a nice surprise to hear from a long ago K owner! We would love to hear some of your anecdotes of spirited driving from an era when one could still REALLY drive and to see some period photos, thank you. And yes you were the youngest K owner as far as I know Your car remained under the radar after you sold it with the exception of that ad in 2017 (for a very optimistic price). I therefore alas have no other photos of it. The selling dealer at the time in eastern Switzerland was: https://pftcar.ch/ I would suggest you speak with them tell them you would be delighted to be put in touch with the current owner who himself should be happy to hear your stories and let you see the car again. I suggest you ask them to forward a message from you to the owner that way there is no breach of privacy. If that owner has sold it on again then ask that he forward your message to the current one. Most dealers are happy to help with such requests. I think you will find it is still in the area; just my hunch. Let us know how it goes. FYI in 2010 with my friend Peter from Zurich we organized a Zurich area Khamsin meeting at at restaurant 30kms S.E. of the city: Hochwacht Pfannenstiel. We had tracked down 14 K's in the area, one of the most dense in the world with Holland, Austria (yes!) and Los Angeles. Since it was August 24 a few of them were away on holiday but we gathered 8, a great turnout for a first Khamsin meeting with some of the finest in the world Some photos below. In the top photo the cars are left to right: #244, 338, 160, 288, 352, 232, 100 and 246. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Gary, pester away! Use of choke is an interesting subject.. Yes, I think with or without choke, the engine should fire up readily even when cold. However, I would use choke if you feel the idle is low or engine is balky the first few minutes: We live in upstate NY and own Khamsins 1196 (modified Euro exhaust) and 1224 (stock US exhaust), both with functioning chokes, so I use them. We have Bora 932 with a disabled choke, and it cold-starts without problems. When I start them cold I turn on the ignition to energize the fuel pump, wait about 20 seconds for the carbs to fill. I pump the accelerator pedal thrice and crack the choke about 1/2". I depress the accelerator about 1/2" while cranking it over and they start right up. It might take a minute or two to back out of the garage, and get things settled for the drive ahead. I close the choke as soon as I have the Khamsin underway. Our Bora (modified Euro exhaust) has the same engine, same carbs, but the choke is disabled. I use the exact same process as above, but without the choke. It fires right up and settles into a smooth idle hot or cold. Subjectively, I feel the Bora's 4.9 starts more smoothly than the Khamsins. Cheers, - Art Photo for attention.. LOL. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The only time I ever need the choke on my Bora was one Christmas when we traveled to my inlaws. We started the Bora in my garage in SF so no choke needed there but once I got to "Oh Lord stuck in Lodi again" yes that Lodi from CCR it got a lot colder. At least we were spared the Tule fog often found in California's San Joaquin which is quite often a great hazard that time of year.The next morning it was 28F outdoors and I had promised my young niece a ride in her uncle's exotic Maserati. With choke in for a while for strating and until it ran smoothly I then turned it back to normal. But the big surprise at those temps was how the XGT 235/60 & 245/60 ZR-15 tires reacted to the cold. I honeslty thought something was wrong with the car. It's unbelievably darty. We returned back to my inlaws and did the ride on another day when it was warmer.
I use the functioning chokes if your Khamsin doesn't start quickly or idle well when cold. I use the chokes on our two Khamsins, mostly because they are there, and they seem to cold-idle better. I don't use it more than a couple minutes, I push the choke off once I get underway. Our Bora has a disabled choke and I don't use it.Oddly enough, my subjective sense is the Bora starts and cold-idles better than the Khamsins. No rational reason why. They all have the same 4.9 and 42DCNF Webers. - Art
OK, that was weird - - my page refresh didn't show my previous reply, so I thought it had disappeared into the webvoid. So I wrote it again. Sigh. - Art
Thank you for the nice K pictures. I contacted pftcars.ch and autoscout24.ch, but by now unfortunately didn't got a response. So I attach here my story to the current owner and this community. Sorry, it's in German. As I'm currently living in Vietnam, I don't have any access to further pictures and documents. They are still in my apartment in Switzerland. Kind regards Thomas Image Unavailable, Please Login
Good morning Vietnam ((sorry could not resist;-))! Thank you Thomas for the photo and your story which I enjoyed, I will translate it when I have a minute (rare now). It is the first time I hear of the cast aluminum clutch lever on the gearbox housing breaking (unless others have seen that happen, anyone?) but Modena was the very best place for that to happen to you Reminds me of when I took a 924 Turbo from Florida to Europe and it developed a problem...when I visited the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen;-)! If you have other anecdotes we will welcome them very much, likewise photos when you travel back home and can delve in your archives. I assume you emailed the dealer since you are in a very different time zone, I will call them today for you, calls work best in such cases, i.e. when there is no profit involved for a dealer it helps convince them to actually....act.
Hello Thomas Could it be that the dentist was a Mr Sclabas? His brother sold K396, I was interested at the time, and I had a longer telephone conversation with him, he also mentioned that his brother hat another K in Silver, but in much worse condition according to him, and that he may also be willing to sell. Eventually both cars were sold throught dealers, who both made a huge profit on them it seems. Would be interesting to hear if the car is still in Switzerland, I am near Schaffhausen, but lived for 15 years in Zurich. Best regards Roger
Hi Marc Finally I got some answers but not so satisfying: Autoscout24.ch wrote that they are not able to restore their ad of 2017. Pftcar.ch reply "Es muss sich um eine Verwechslung handeln! Unser Khamsin hat eine andere Chassienummer und war auch nie im Netz!" So all I can do now is to ask you what you remember about the ad in 2017: what was the car's color (original and during my ownership was silver with black leather interior, carpets in a pale/grayed beige)? In what condition it was? etc. Thomas
Hi Roger I don't remember the name of the buyer but Sclabas sounds somehow familiar to me... Thanks anyway for information Thomas
Hello Thomas, Roger, There is info online about a zahnarzt (dentist) called Dario Sclabas in eastern Switzerland. Re the 2017 ad the car was still silver grey. I am sorry I did not save the photos, I normally do, must have been busy. I did keep one photo they posted though : the chassis plate so it proves they had it, see below. What is bizarre and totally unusual is the little motore plate...and the number on it which is nothing like the AM120-316 it should be. Here are my notes about the ad: "In September 2017 advertised on Autoscout 24 at 43100km and CHF 219K looking very nice. Offered by: PFT Car AG Weinfelderstrasse 94a 8580 Amriswil PFT Car AG Plan de situation et itinéraire Mobile 078 859 38 70 Mobile 079 949 96 66 Entreprise 071 411 18 18 Fax 071 411 18 18" Interesting that they seem to have or have had another K; Switzerland has had a lot of them! -There is a mystery grey Khamsin being advertised by a private seller in Switzerland now but it is not your ex #316; it is a US car.
Great!!! Thanks for your information. Now I'm at least absolutely sure it was mine. I remember exactly the Motore plate and the additional German chassis plate. Still hope to get more pictures after these post. Kind regards Thomas
The chap you spoke with might be a new employee or he forgot or is confused or or or...? In any case I think it is worth a second phone call, email them the chassis plate photo, then call one minute later so you can tell him to look at his email. Any dealer has files with documents and photos...
Hello Thomas and hello Marc, maybe this could help a little bit Kind regards Zdenek Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here are some photos I downloaded Best regards Roger Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Khamsin AM120-323 at the Antwerp, Belgium, concours yesterday, in the Gandini class which was very well supported in tribute to him. 323 is one of two right hand drive K's based on the continent. Photos courtesy Philippe M. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you so much Zdenek and Roger!! It's a great pleasure to see my friend again. Greetings from Vietnam Thomas
thanks for the response much appreciated and sorry for my slow response. I talked to the previous owner who said in 30 years he had never used a choke so I’m encouraged by that , especially as he lives in the North of England and I’m on the ( sunnier) south coast!
Chaps, could I continue quizzing you? I’ve decided to renovate the interior of my Khamsin and the upholsterer has asked me how difficult it is to get the dash top cover off . Has anyone done this and could offer some advice. Thank you everyone I am so pleased to have you all helping me get to grips with this fabulous car. Gary
Hello Gary... You may want to search through this thread.. I believe Ivan Ruiz posted info about removing the dash top! Mike
