the last classic e sport cars article ends with "i want a countach" .... as said it is a matter of taste
Sheehan is cleary wrong on the number of Boxers made....Ferrari made a total of 2323 Boxers, not 3623...387 365GT4/BBs; 929 BB512s and 1007 BB512is...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_Berlinetta_Boxer
ralph...he has actually brokered several that i know of including the yellow motec converted car owned by "super x" of our board (nice car btw). i know of three others he has brokered so in as much as he is really just a used car salesman he does know these cars well. his idea of concourse and mine are different...but that is another story!!
Peter Dennis has owned his car for quite some time. Has he sold any L cars, since Dennis purchased his ? If you look at his past sales record, he has sold very few L cars. Their is no way the belt service, just slipped his mind, when he wrote that article.
OK.... Sheehan is....shall we say a dyed-in-the-wool Ferrari man through-and-through. He specialises in Ferraris. He writes about Ferraris. He sells (mainly) Ferraris. He has that outdated stereotypical mentality of: Ferrari = good, fast etc. Lamborghini = bad, slow etc. There is no way that anything he has to say on the subject of Lamborghinis is not tainted with 'Maranello Rosso'. Ergo, any Ferrari/Lamborghini analysis by the esteemed Ferraristi has to viewed as extremely biased, to say the very least. In my view, his analysis was interesting, humorous, and entertaining. But balanced and objective? Not in the least.... Joe www.lamborghiniregistry.com
Last Saturday I was lucky enough to get a ride in a Countach; 1984, on a 2+ hour rally. At 6'1" and a longer type torso it was almost torture. My back still hurts and that rally was 4 days ago. Sitting in one before was the decision maker for not getting one awhile back, but my race car has a poured in seat which may work on a Countach so one would sit on the floor and have the seat poured around you with an expanding foam in a bag. That shell can be used to make a permanent mold for a fiberglass seat. The car just looks so fantastic. That owner said the clutch had been replaced twice. Once with a stock unit which didnt last and the second time with a composite clutch which did. Bye-Bye clutch changes.
Although, to be fair, Sheehan OFTEN says negative things about Boxers, especially about their market value. If you look at some of the past threads in this section, it's not hard to find ones bashing on Sheehan for something he's written.
ralph, i think that is an accurate statement. btw, i am far from a sheehan fan as he has wasted my time (5 hours on a plane...each way) and money. he is not a good judge of any car and is really a used exotic pusher. he has seen all of the blue chip cars and does have substantial seat time in them as well. that was my only point that he may have some basis for his claims. to be fair, i am a big lambo fan and will soon add a ct to my garage. i write this now from starbucks where i am also looking out at my boxer parked right in front...what a freakin kewel machine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Clutch replacement will cost anywhere from 7.5K to 12K depending on the model of the Countach and the shop rates. The time to replace the clutch, is less on the early models, without all of the pollution hoses and connections etc... The clutch can be protected, by launching the car between 1K-1.5K rpms. You can also drive the car around town, in a manner quite similar to a truck. Try to anticipate the stop light, and attempt to make the light, by looking ahead of the car. - Trust me, it works ! The other approach, is to also run red signs, at a very low speed. Like any Italian car from that time period, it will be reliable, once it is set up properly, and used on a regular basis. The early 4 liter car (74-81), have less maintainance issues, in relation to the U.S. F.I. QV cars.
Your tricks to extend the clutch life is much the same as what I am doing with my 308, and we have all done with cars about to need a new clutch. Does the Countach have a clutch pack rather than a single disk? What ferrari's have clutch packs, and are they a expensive to replace? How much is the clutch replacement parts if you are a DIY
http://www.dpccars.com/car-movies/10-29-06page-Classic-supercar-battle.htm I think this adds something to the debate. Notice the countach has modern rubber wheras the boxer is still running antique crap, wonder whast a boxer will do to a countach with modern rubber?
The contest is nice for nostalgic reasons. However on a more serious note, their are issues to be considered. Driver's skill State of tune of the car (How competent is the mechanic, that services the car) / is the car in factory spec ? Modifications to the car ? Driver's willingness to risk a crash, for the sake of a fun race If anything J.P., should be very happy, with another proven example, of the Lamborghini satisfactory lubrication system.
X-post from the General forum: An interview with Bob Wallace, by Ken Gross of the Automobile magazine. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=136194177#post136194177
Oh yes, the randomly-selected equally talented professional drivers were driving at the limit, waving to each other, pointing out landmarks around the track, laughing, giggling and generally "horsing" around ;-) As for the state of tune and specification of the cars, who knows?? Joe
What kind of dumba$$ design is this? What do you Boxer guys pay for a clutch? Holy moronic engineering, batman...
What kind of dumba$$ design is this? What do you Countach guys pay for a Belt service? Holy moronic engineering, batman...
?? I don't know whether a Countach has a timing belt or chain, if that was what you meant (?) Or are you saying that because the Boxer requires an expensive timing belt service that the Countach clutch at $12K is OK? I don't recall hearing that Boxer clutches were that expensive or hard to do.
A Countach does not have belts. No Lamborghini cars have belts. The cost of the clutch service, should include additional services, while the engine and transmission are out of the car. The mechanic performing the work, should suggest replacing (r and r) certain hoses and aux components etc... The service can be performed for less money, if you simply want to take the engine and transmission out, and drop in the new clutch. Most owners who usually perform a belt service on a flat 12 F car, and a clutch service on a V 12 L car, usually want the entire car gone over, while the engine and transmission is out of the car. A Boxer clutch is generally a 4K service. It can cost less, and it can cost more. The Boxer belt service, is generally suggested to be performed every five-six years. That service cost runs approx 7,500-12K. The cost depends on the additional items that are replaced and repaired, how far you want the mechanic to check items, shop rates, time of year, and most likely which part of the country you are located in. The Countach engine out clutch service costs, are very similar to the cost, of an engine out Boxer belt service.