Official Countach Value Thread

I would leave the paint untouched, IMO.
Original paintwork is worth something, remember that.

 

If a car is being fully restored, its very important they be deleted, because the very act of restoration requires a return to original, to be fully fulfilled. Once you get to the point when you think the car could benefit from restoration, that would be the time to do this.

 

Peter do you know who makes the original front ones? We'll look to see if the ones on there can be removed and if there were cut-outs behind the extension (see picture). Not even sure if those extensions may be glued on?
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I think Carello made them as well as another supplier.
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Not always.

If it is in nice and basically well-preserved condition, I agree, it can be quite valuable, and should be preserved.

But if its is cracked, pitted, blistering, peeling, tarnished etc, its time for it to be replaced.

Like any other component on the car, paint is a degradable item, especially original paint which is likely lacquer and is not durable as the glass paints which most cars are restored with.

 

I forgot to mention, I think you'll find the extensions are glued on.

 

Original were altissimo

i have few original european ones for sale...not many left.

there are some similars...but while you are at it is worth to put the right ones
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Those are awesome parts Emilio! Do you know if the later cars (1984) also didn't have the rear markers originally? the bigger type?

 

Very nice Emilio!

 

I agree with Joe. The peculiar thing with Countaches is that most of them in the US were modified by aftermarket shops with bumpers, side lights, sometimes side skirts, and other modifications. Most collectors prefer the car as it left the factory and most despise the U.S. import modifications which most consider non-original and not representative of the factory design.

The problem is reverting the car back to Euro spec and how it left from the factory is very expensive (if it is to be done properly). IMHO it is worth it, not only bc with the values as they are, it is worth it, but because IMHO the cars deserve it from an aesthetic and for collector purity. 12 years ago I embarked upon one of these restorations with the Alpine DD bc I wanted this purity. At the time I did it the restoration was more than twice the value of car. Today ,follow Joes advice for pure market value.

While all Countaches are now valuable, there is an extreme variable for exact model, spec and condition and it's a mistake to compare vaules without understanding these relative variables

 

To add to this, as all the cars are over 21 years old, the DOT modifications have now become redundant and unnecessary, which further underscores the value in returning the cars to their original guise. Plus, they look so much better!

 

I agree with some of this. I can say though with some certainty given my experience and line of work, that original cars are deemed very sought after, flaws and all. Pitting, a few bumps and bruises and even tarnished bright work are not viewed as deterrents either in sales or value. Even some of the top Concourso events have a survivor class now, giving credibility to untouched, driveable cars.

I agree that the top of the heap is the fully restored car back to factory or better specification and quality. I do feel that having the paint, interior and basic mechanicals put in place by the Artisans that built the car, very appealing, warts and all. Jay Leno's Countach QV interior is a good example of such a point.
People vote with their wallets and Barn Find cars bring huge money, while nut and bolt restorations seem to set the highwater mark. There is no wrong answer. It comes down to taste.

 

Sticking with the Countach topic:

Barn finds are in fact generally sold quite cheaply, as recently shown, as they are a symbol of neglect where Lamborghinis (Countachs especially) are concerned.

Also, the Preservation Class at prestigious events like Pebble Beach is not won by cars that are anything other than very nice examples that happen to have original paint & leather etc. They are not neglected cars. The point I am slowly coming to about neglect is this: many Countachs I come across (& I'd warrant that I encounter a few) exist in a neglected state to one degree or another. Tons of deferred maintenance. Ran on a shoestring budget. And so on & so forth. But their owners will preach: "but its all original!" as an excuse for the neglect. Well, there is nasty original, neglected original, nice original, and everything in-between.

Another point I will venture to make is that Countachs are becoming accepted as aesthetically-challenged when they have the USA side-markers still in place. You are dealing with a low-slung body comprised of steeply-raked angular & flowing lines, so a rectangular lamp stuck in the middle of the fenders, is just not a plus. Thus, most cars in the USA will at some point need to have bodywork & paint to have these deleted to be at their best, as they were designed & built.

 

^^^^^
I would say original paint, interior and overall a car that closely resembles how it left the factory is not in any way the same as deferred maintenance. Completely missed my point.

 

I got your point perfectly, but, as I pointed out, there are cars with original paint & interior, that also have deferred maintenance, and I contend from my hands-on experience that many Countachs fall under the scope of that description.

 

tks you
what rear markers ? can you post a pic?

 

What are all the modifications that these cases undertook when they came to the us, is there a general guideline? I'm sure every shop did slightly different things but 90% should be the same to meet us spec back then?

For a 79 s2 what I had found in general were:

Front wing bumper added
Rear blade bumper
Side markers added rear
Side markets enhanced front

Cumbersome exhaust used (or maybe this is the original but it's the large accordion type or whatever it's called)
Secondary injection system as shown in the rm auction car

 

can you post a pic of the exhaust?
i can tell you if original lamborghini or modified

on my car lamborghini USA (Jas Rarewala) added:
Front wing
Rear blade bumper
Side markers front and rear

no big deal...my engine has been rebuilt and both my lamborghini mechanic and i could not find any modification Vs an euro car
i thought a LOT about removing markers and wings...
honestly being a fan of cannonball run and given of the few 2 wings cars built only 3 or 4 survives today in this shape i decided tp not remove the markers and the rear boomerang bumper, i took front wing off since is easy to have access at the front compartment but is stored at home and ready to go back on the car

i know to some is horrible looking... but i find it different from the later bumpers.
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Not the best or close up photo but you can see the square marker, right?
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I think the exhaust is original Lambo (very heavy as opposed to some of the lighter options) and it's been modified for additional ports unless I'm wrong. I.e. to recirculate gases back into the ignition...

See attached for the picture.

For your car Emilio how are you running without the front wing, you still have the metal brackets stick through the hood cut-outs?

For the one I'm restoring, we decided to remove the back blade/boomerang wing since it detracts from the clean look of the car quite a bit. We repaired the cut-outs in the center valence piece just above the license plate. I think that piece is fiberglass.

We are cleaning up the black frame everywhere on the car and we cut the welded brackets that were supporting the front wing. Later we will make a clamp-on bracket set that will protrude through the original hood with the cut-outs so the front bumper can be mounted for show or low-speed driving.

I'm trying to locate or fabricate a second hood without the cut-outs to use on the car as it was originally manufactured.

Removing the glued-on side markers (front) and keeping the rear ones. The car is red so the side markers don't detract as much but still not original.
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The exhaust is certainly not an Ansa box or sport exhaust. Not original.

That is some sort of emissions legal exhaust from when it was federalized. Amerispec usually supplied these exhausts but this one looks even crazier than ones I have seen.

 

Interesting; wasn't aware of it -- I know the new sport or regular exhausts are available from Ansa or equivalent (quicksilver, etc.) but I always assumed this was an original from factory, modified by Amerispec.

Regardless, it's not going back on the car; will be stored along with the secondary emission system and a bunch of other things, rear blade bumper, etc. We'll be getting an Ansa steel or stainless, still on the fence for that one...

 

Get a stainless and and mild steel. Use the stainless so you never worry about rust as the Mild Steels will be gone shortly if you actually drive the car. Put the Mild Steel one on for when you sell the car.

 

That exaust on randomlambo's car looks like four catylitic converters. That exaust must have gotten blazing hot when those converters lit off. They probably dont even work anymore (which is a good thing) If your car is carbed, they probably did not last long