Countach Relay Box

As most of you know, Lamborghini in their infinite wisdom decided to house the relays and fuses for the starter, radiator fans, ignition, etc.. in a plastic box (with no vent holes) and screw a lid down on top of it for the early 5000QV's with fuel injection up until 1987 (when they switched over to a vented metal box).

This is what happens to plastic when heat can't vent out, and cool air can't circulate. As you can see from this photo, the original owner tried in vain to run new fuses, etc. but that didn't eliminate the issue. Some of the wires were so hot, you can see how they had burned. Most of the wires I removed were so stiff it was like solid core copper wire you would find in a house!!!

I ordered new wire and even kept it matching the original wiring (Red w/black stripe to red w/black stripe, pink to pink, blue to blue, etc...). I went with the American style fuse block which allows the glass fuses to make more contact and doesn't restrict the flow of the voltage or amps (which was causing all the heat issues in the old box).

Brand new Aluminum box that is lined on the bottom and sides with "PC Board" type material just to keep any wires that might chaff down the road from shorting out against it.

Anyhow, things are running much "cooler" back there now!!
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The wiring is one of the dicey parts on those cars. They were sort of making it up as they went along. The plastic box wasn't their brightest moment.

Looks like a big improvement.

 

Bravo! I had to do similar things with the wiring in the engine compartment for my Bora after the nuclear (thermal) reactors just about melted everything in site.

But I do have to smile just a bit. As an owner of Lamborghini & Maserati (Gt & Biturbo era) cars it's funny how Biturbos got so much shiat for their fuseboxes (they can be modified) and cars like the Lamborghini and Ferrari were "above it all".

Ok, I can read the various threads about 308-328 and other electical issues. Hmmm seems more like an Italian issues does it not?

Way to go Mike.

 

Beautiful Job!!!

 

nice work mike you're the best owner that car could ask for .

 

+ 1. Sometimes a car falls into great hands. Very nice work.

 

+1 !

 

+1 Mike, terrific job sorting what could have potentially become a much bigger problem.