Considering A Countach

My personal experience is getting to know the knowledgeable people on this forum. Over the past few years, the Countach thread has split into more specific threads with a plethora of answered questions in each. Its an amazing encyclopedia of information. Everyone on these threads are more than happy to help with any problem. With the advent of Polo Storico, as well as a higher intensity of older Lamborghinis getting in-depth restorations, Lamborghini themselves are starting to produce parts. Again, buying through Lamborghini is one of many parts alternatives.

Most importantly....get the Countach. It's a life changer

 

Yes, Lamborghini do offer most consumable items. It is however important to realize that what you get from them may not be identical in appearance to what was originally fitted to your car. Most of the correct items used in the period that were not made by Lamborghini itself are available via cross reference. Many correct items Lamborghini used in period are available from Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, Inoccenti, Maserati, Ferrari, Ducati, and Moto Guzzi parts shelves (to name a few). Most items that were hand fabricated by Lamborghini will require a skilled fabricator. Most machined items will require a skilled machinist. Key is to start with the most unmolested car to begin with.

 

I can tell you, from recent experience, that this is not true. I attempted to source a Miura flywheel from the factory and they simply told me they are not in stock and do not know when or if more will be available. I was lucky to be able to source a NOS one elsewhere otherwise I would have had to have one made, which I was looking into.

 

This, more than anything.

The old adage of 'find the best car you can and buy that one' rings particularly true for the Countach

 

R-E-A-D through the threads. I can't stress this enough. We've spent YEARS discussing EVERYTHING.

Also, lots of restoration have been done in recent years and quite a few are in the process. That should tell you that parts are available. Just how far and how much you want to spend.

Buy the most complete car you can.

 

My thoughts would, Buy a car that's un-restored,never painted so you can see the history

 

I purchased my 1985 Contact in 1987. I have put about 5,000 miles on it and if I can remember I will list all of my maintenance issues.
Clutch was going bad when I purchased it $5,000
Ignition had to be replaced roughly 1989 Approx $1,700
Had spark plug issues for many years If I remember correctly I switched to a different type and problem went away.
Around 2005 engine out at George Evans approx $20,000 Included carb rebuild, heads off, MSD ignition, and cosmetics.
Marker light disintegrated and was replaced with some sort of foreign car I had never heard of about $80.00
2 sets of tires due to age sorry can't remember amount.
Numerous batteries
About 1.5 inch piece of metal was found on the floor and apparently came from the clutch pedal spring. No need to fix as I haven't noticed any issues
Small suspension piece was bent slightly when transporting I decided to not repair as I don't notice it.
Wing has bubbled. I had it fixed and it is doing it again. Approx $1,000
Left door lock got stuck I fixed it myself but it was overly complicated to repair.
Glove box won't open I don't know why

I am worried shocks will be needed soon but since I only drive it about 3 times a year it may be a few more years.

I think there is a lot of information for parts from the original manufacturer (not Lamborghini) I believe my keys are from Fiat.

I don't think this is too bad for over 31 years of ownership.

 

Lamborghini does offer many parts for the Countach, but not everything.

However, I think an important consideration will be who, or what entity will be maintaining your @ 30-year-old Countach.

They will primarily be responsible for procuring your parts, and they will likely use a combination of Lamborghini SpA plus a cottage-industry of other independent sources, such as, Eurospares, Ricambi Toro, Euroatoricambi, Bullstuff, Emilio Parts, Re-Originals, and a whole host of others I can't remember right now.

All that said, the adage of buying the best car always applies, because then you'll have less to worry about as far as parts are concerned.

Also, a car that does not require modification is an important consideration.

 

I think some of the prices you list here are way outdated today...

 

Probably true on old prices. Clutch was 31 years ago

My guess is to double the cost of the clutched and add maybe 25% for the rest

Even still I think the cost to own and the availability of parts from the original supplier (when not Lamborghini) is pretty good for as Exotic like the Countach.

So figure at least for me 20 to 25K every 20 to 25 years for an engine out and restore, 10 to 15K for a clutch (if not done at the engine out) every 5 to 8,000 miles.

And 2 to 5,000 in between.

 

I've been reading as much as I can for months now, but some threads are over 1000 pages long - there's a lot of information if you can find it. Lots of specific questions are hard to find - for example, if I was looking at a US model but wanted to convert it to Euro bumpers, are there any recommended shops in Austin, or even in Texas, or who would you recommend I send it to that doesn't have a 2 year waiting list? Searching for that sort of information is hard - on here, or on Google. Who can I get to do a PPI near a given town or in a state? Feels like despite all the information, there's a lot of questions that either have to be asked or are hard to find. But I have also bookmarked various threads or posts to come back to later because of the information contained - there is a wealth of knowledge on here and it's much appreciated!

 

Folks, don't sweat the clutch issue. That was sooooo 25yrs ago. The kits available last a long time, aka Kevlar etc. However, beat the snot out of any clutch and you'll be replacing more often than not.

 

WAY OUTDATED. I have checked with Lamborghini on some parts that have tripled in price over the past 5 years. Again, buying parts requires a lot of due diligence. Some outlets have friendlier prices than others. Some ship much faster than others. etc, etc.

 

I recommend to take an expert with when you inspect a car. This will pay off in the end.

I would pay a lot of attention to the originality of the car. Many Countachs were modified during the years, this can start with small things like the shift knob and radio to bigger parts like the side skirts, brakes, rims etc. Finding and buying these parts again can be tricky and expensive.

A weak spot are the joints of the suspension. To replace them all requires quite a bit of labour, same is valid to adjust the valve clearance. Also make sure the air con is running. It can be expensive to make it work again in case some hardware is damaged. A well documented maintenance history (service booklet plus invoices) from a real specialist can prevent you from some unexpected repairs.

The engine is very solid and usually doesn't make any problems if you take care of it. My last trip was a 1'500 miles one to Italy during quite hot weather and the car run perfectly. No issues with the water or oil temperature etc.

 

New clutch every 5 to 8000 miles? That has certainly not been my experience. Youd either be really beating the snot out of the car, or you really cant drive for that to happen.

 

I think you're jumping to conclusions that he's either abusing the car or can't drive, perhaps it's neither of those things.

As he says, the last time he changed the clutch was 31 years ago, hardly an indication of abuse or the inability to drive. Although I've owned Countachs with 30,000 miles that still had a perfectly-working original clutch, if I could have a guarantee that I wouldn't have to change the clutch in 30 years, I'd be very happy with that timeframe because it's better than generally expected.

Meanwhile 5,000 to 8,000 miles sounds like the distance he has travelled over 30 years, so he is simply giving an estimate in order to manage expectations to be helpful the prospective buyer OP of this thread, he's hardly suggesting you can only drive that distance on a single clutch. That said, if you live in a relatively hilly city, or encounter steep driveways regularly in the course of using or parking the car, that mileage might be normal for a single clutch.

As an aside, having driven a few different Countachs, I have encountered cars whose owners said the clutch was "working perfectly", but in fact it was not, and the reason for this judgment on their part was the fact that their car was the only Countach they have ever driven. The point here is that some Countach owners think that their clutch is working perfectly when in fact it's time for a change.

Personally, I think that if you own a Countach for long enough and actually use it often, you will change the clutch, and I would advise any prospective buyer to expect this and budget accordingly. If they end up never having to change the clutch in their ownership, then that's a bonus.

Out of curiosity, how many miles did your Countach have before Evans put in a new clutch, and how many miles have you driven it since then?

 

My clutch was replaced not due to necessity, but since we had everything a part we changed it to a Kevlar clutch. I don't know how many miles I've put on mine as Im waiting on Valentino to come drive the car so he can tell me if anything is wrong.. I figure I'm still in the test driver phase so I should be ok.

He specificly said "10 to 15K for a clutch (if not done at the engine out) every 5 to 8,000 miles." My point is that a Countach clutch will last much longer than that if driven correctly.

 

The countach is a car you borrow. Not own. You are the care taker of the car for the next person in line. It is up to you to maintain it at a level that is acceptable to the market.

They are expensive and can be bothersome. Just like a wife. However you deal with the ups and downs. If not prepared for such adventure, I would suggest to cross the countach off your list.

 

Hmm. I'm representing one now owned by the same man since 91 and it's cost him fluid changes. He turns the key and enjoys the car.

 

Good news is once you have them tuned and a few things replaced that die from old age as on any car they seem pretty tough.. i spend a lot of time around 3 of them and this is my experience. All 4 valve cars i will add.. 2 of which each have approx 35,000miles on their current clutch.