Countach Driving Tips

Hi Gerald, nice to see you finally got your car.

I've been where you are now.

I would strongly suggest you not drive your car thinking it's going to get better and have someone HIGHLY QUALIFIED that has worked on COUNTACH take a look at it before you end up spending a fortune.

 

After 200 miles of driving over the last two days I didn’t experience any difference either way. Within a few minutes it’s easy to change clutch/throttle/shift timing to be "relatively" smooth.

I also don’t experience any problems shifting into 2nd when it’s cold as I do in vintage Ferraris.

 

especially in the summer, wipe down the seat with a damp cloth every time you drive the car. The salt in presperation will damage the leather over time.

 

+1!

ciao

 

Now i think i was very lucky with the gearbox: i can shift into 2nd gear without any (bigger) effort also when the oil is cold. I have an '87 Porsche 911 and i can tell you the Countach gearbox works by far better even if it requires a bigger force to move the shifter lever.

ciao

 

Hi All,
Looking to buy an early Countach Periscope and want to drive the car on standard city roads and would like to change lanes when needed, There are so many blind spots and it could be somewhat dangerous. Was thinking about getting a few Suction-Cup type temporary mirrors to help me with lane changes.
Any ideas?

 

There are not a ton of blind spots. Only one and that is the rear 3 quarter (like on most cars) and the most important. The problem is not the ability to see, it is usually that lurker that is sitting there looking at the car at speed, I think we've all experienced that.

The early mirrors, it's not that bad. Once set, the center rear view mirror has a wide enough view. The side mirrors, you get them in the best position possible. To use them you will have to move you head around a little to catch where you want to see. Again, it really is not that bad once you get used to it.
Hey, if you can find cool suction mirrors that work for you....any addition will help. Post photos if you get the car and the mirrors.

And then you have the periscope, use that

Hey we should be happy we have 2 mirrors. 2 of my Lamborghinis have one a drivers side. What a pain in the ass

 

I have the little convex mirrors stuck to the mirror. Generally what I do is either slow down, or more likely speed up to get a better view before committing. Peter is correct, the car sitting beside the rear 1/4 panel is what you have to watch for.

 

I have two examples (both 2 valve carb cars) and have done quite a few km in them over many years without issue. No clutches, crank bearings or synchro replacements.

Run GL4 and not GL5 spec oil in the gearbox; the brass parts in there will thank you.

Carbs can gum up if you leave the car sitting too long. Then it will not idle or pick up revs smoothly, which means you need to rev it a bit when you move it from a standstill, up an incline, etc. Which is hard on the clutch. I pull the jets from the DCOEs and clean them each spring.

Don't let the thing just idle at really low rpm to warm up. While a well tuned car can idle at remarkably low rpm, oil pressure will drop which is no good. Once it starts and the oil pressure light goes out, put a toe on the pedal, let it warm up at 1100 or so rpm, ideally until you see the needle move.

All the examples I have driven have a hesitation if you floor it from low rpm (carbs). I have been told that can be ironed out, but have not yet played around with the stock jetting, accelerator pump bypass, etc.

Once warm and moving, it shifts well; I don't try shifting with the clutch half way in. I also never rush shifts.

Brakes stop well (ish), once, maybe twice.

I run modern Spal fans on my Lp5000s which helps cooling and draws less current. Even with the original electric fan motors in place on my LP400S, neither car has heat issues in traffic. They run 80c on the highway, 90c in traffic.

When it comes to parking and maneuvering, just do it slowly, open the door if you need to, look at how far you are, etc. Measure twice, cut once. Nobody seems to mind waiting while watching you park. My Lp400s only has one mirror, but you get used to it.

If you want an easy to use Countach, buy a Diablo. I am driving mine a lot these days because it is so comparatively easy to use but also huge fun. Like a cross between a Countach and a Testarossa.

 

I own a Diablo and it is still an issue where 180 degrees of the car has bad visibility.

I live in a place (Houston Texas) where most intersections and merge points are not at 90 degree angles. I have found that I really need to be careful not to pull up very close to the line because the moment I pull up too far where the other traffic is in the side 3/4 view (can't see them through the passenger window and don't fall into the side mirror view) I am blind to them.

Has made for some scary moments at times....