LM002 RHD Rolling restoration.. will be updated regularly

Some misconfigured sensor wiring , this is like doing a NASA launch with italian electrical components thrown in for fun.

 

One step closer ... the radiator is bolted in this evening
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everything looks great and I'm exited to see that monster of a 4x4 up and running! my longest resto one one of my cars was 8 months(ish) and later on I regreted not waiting some more time/spending some more money to make it as close to perfect as one can...

...good luck and keep the pics coming for us to drool !

 

It's one of those projects where the more we pulled apart the more we found worn out or had been messed with.

Taffy then decided to pull it right down and 3 to 6 months work has turned into a year so far.

Our biggest concern now is the ECUs , prior to the work starting the LM got harder and harder to start so if the ECU or ECUs are toast it will be another 2 months to order , deliver and re-engineer some non OEM replacements.

The devil is in the detail , a quality car has thought and workmanship in every corner where you look, something I do like about performance German cars, there's very little you can fault. This is where Lamborghini fails certainly in this time of their history (late 80's early 90's), there was a lot of botch engineering and poor finishing in areas that you can't normally see (which we dubbed 'Lambrusco engineering' where the work was rushed to run off to an early Lambrusco fueled long lunch).

It's getting close though , once the engine is running ok it's onto the instrument and interior wiring and re-install the re-upholstered interior , I would say 80% done so far if the ECUs work.

Credit to the two aircraft engineers working on the job, they've done a great job so far and we have a really good team spirit thrashing out ideas together , the toughest call was to rewire the whole vehicle as we knew it would be a huge job BUT we also knew there was a lot of hard to find faults and changes in the original wiring.

Even from new I think the wiring layout is the achilles heel of the LM. For example IF you ever took an LM off road who would put the ECUs under the SEAT ? That's the first thing to get wet and they did anyway due to a windscreen leak (the ECUs were suspended above a pool of water getting all the water vapor resulting in a lot of case corrosion and all the ECU wiring immersed in water)

I'm really hanging out to hear the new exhaust system attached to the V12 (which is a work of art)

The 2 techs put in 12 hours each today and there's noticeable progress , I think we'll be in a position to try and fire the engine up next Thursday (public holiday here) or Saturday.

 

Have a lot of warm cup of coffee and be optimistic. There is a light at the end of every tunnel

 

Get that fram filter off of that engine..

 

ECUs: if you have issues with ECUs have Taffy e mail me
i think i could have a solution

 

Open to suggestions on the oil filter , we want to change the oil filter to a remote mounted unit so it's accessible without having to pull out the radiator

 

I have been reading this whole thread for the last 5-6 hours while nursing a fever myself.

I can't be more impressed with the level of thought and work put into such a rare car.

Can I be there when you guys fire the engine for the first time in a year?

 

Getting closer , wiring 85% done.

ECUs have been moved into the bin under the RHS rear passenger seat, this bin will be sealed off at floor level so it's water tight in the event that the LM is ever caught in Jakarta's floods (up to floor level).

All the braided stainless steel lines need to be tidied up with spacer blocks and mounts so they're not rubbing on each other or the chassis or other components.
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It should be ok , we'll take some temperature readings once the LM is running.

Easy to move or ventilate if we need to , the fusebox won't generate much heat.

 

Awesome progress.

 

The team got together a few months ago and we decided there was some free horsepower if we substituted the fixed LM cooling fan for a clutch type cooling fan.

The replacement fan is an 11 blade plastic unit and clutch from a BMW E34 M5 which will cut out when 2,500rpm is reached.

This clutch fan will also reduce cooling fan noise.

An adapter was machined up using part of the hub from an old M5 water pump we had sitting around.

Weight saving on the fan is half a kilogram which is a fair bit when spinning at 7,000rpm
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First engine turn over on the starter motor today to check for fuel and coolant leaks and prime the oil system etc , getting closer to firing the engine up which we'll video ...

Taffy , which reminds me we want to have the oil pressure gauge (at least) hooked up before we do a test start.

 

What are the little blue bottles on each side?

 

Hydraulic accumulators for the front shock absorbers

 

correction - front hydraulic bump stops which are additional protection for hard landings