Countach, the ultimate supercar

Thanks Joe.

 

I really enjoy the different power plants that people use. Yeah, the BBC is a great boat engine. I'll tell you a funny story. Years ago I found a jet boat with a V drive powered by a 440 Mopar. I was pretty sure I was going to buy it, so I arranged to take it out on the river. The owner, myself & two friends came along. I ended up sitting in the back, (it was around 18' long), where my elbow was sitting basically on the bell housing. The owner idled it out into the clear water & then mashed the pedal (had a gas pedal like a car). The boat instantly planed out. It was quick. It ran about 100 yards & then went nose first into the water. The owner turned around and, without saying a word, dove off the boat...disappearing. We were puzzled. Then he popped up behind the transom & started yelling for us to remove the tunnel cover (a V drive boat has a driveshaft that runs off of the engine to a transfer case near the driver & then back to the prop). The coupling had broke. The prop shaft hit the rudder & now the boat was taking on water. We managed to "fish" the shaft back into place & stop the leak, but it was broke. Another boat kindly towed us back.

 

Fully agree, but consider also the time this was done. There is also a reason why Lamborghini began to dedicatly build offshore race engine with proofed with several Worldchampionship their strength.

 

Thanks for posting, Yes interesting indeed, i have been around these motors, My Friend Steve Curtis raced them for many years,still do.probably won most of their trophys, They where originally developed for Desert attack vehicles,the program failed,then they ended up in boats,Great race engines,one race at the time,once Lamborghini scrapped the project,the Arab teams took over and re developed a ton uf stuff,not shure whats left of the original engine,at this point, they are still beenig raced today,,(nothing to do with the Countach engine,completly different much bigger castings). Also a few made it inn to recreational boating market,but to complicated and underpowered in comparison to big supercharged Chevy based engines, (Mercury did a short marketing joint venture with Lamborghini mid 80s,but pulled out due to unreliability,also their own 575hp v8 had more power than the 630 hp Lambo in the real world,in the boat)fun stuff, sexy motors,just not for boating ,as we know it,in the US, also our (US)racing allowed supercharged v8 in the big class( rules changed all the time) wich gave a huge advantage to the American V8,

 

This is a really interesting and cool element of Lamborghini history, in my opinion. Was the desert engine the same as derived for the LM002, or for another project? Thanks for the history!

 

Yes very interesting, afaik,the lm 002 was using the automotive qv engine,fi or dd,. the military,offroad big 8,2-9,3 litre was originally an offroad engine only, not ever intended for highway use,that beeing said,would it not be amazing if they ever developed a bad ass off road vehicle,road legal,with this big amazing engine.or better yet,a Lamborghini big dually,9,3 v12 4x4, crew cab,awesome,we could all pull our boats and classic cars around. All jokes aside,here in the US,it would probably outsell every existing Current model out there, knowing how we love pick up trucks, or how about a Raptor killer? Sky is the limit.

 

I knew the marine engines were bigger, but I assumed closer to a LM002 engine & I thought it was more of an external casting thing. 8200 - 9300cc!!

 

Absolutly,agree, it is really cool that this big 4 valve engine came to good use,also the fact that the basic engine and castings where already paid for from another project ,wich was scrapped, nobody in their right mind would develope this engine for the marine racing industry, unless you got Mercury/Brunswick money and reputation. Boat racing is a non profit hobby,for shure,if we ever saw one. To become a millionaire in boat racing,you will have to begin as a billionaire, also lets not confuse Feruccio s Riva,Car engine set up,(most of these Rivas had Chevy Engines as standard) with the big military engine development, they where done,to no use,great ide to sell them to race guys.also all engines wich where used for racing where fuel injected. probably the prettiest sexiest engines ever.

 

ladies and gentlemen, here you are a world premiere: the first images of the Countach VIN 1120001 restored interior, almost completed. Some details still to be done, like the speakers perforations. This has been possible thanks to the books I gave the restorer and (above all) thanks to info given by several forum members here (a special thank to member RaymondQV) in February, this year. The car interior has been redone based on what I told and showed the restorer: and that comes from books and from you all as said. The first LP400 prototype will shine againg at Lamborghini Factory Museum (after another step still to be done, a wiring harness full restore), with the correct interior shape and colors.

I want to tell you that the restorer found a small piece of the original interior concealed in the car and I want to share with you that it was exactly of the greenish color, you can see it on the Countach roof, in the last picture: well done.

Pictures Copyright : me and Nuova Automobili Lamborghini.

I cannot post Hi-rez pictures, sorry, nor the complete interior, just some details to give an idea of the final result of this great restore.

Thank you all again.

ciao

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Ciao Alberto,
I'm very happy I could help, please let me know if they plan something special at the facory Museum, would love to join.

 

Very nice Alberto!!!!

Mike

 

Ciao Alberto, great post. From memory did you not use to own a black on red Countach?

Joe and others, will a 700hp marine engine fit in my QV

 

Never, unless you cut your car in two half and widen her about 10inches

 

I think Harald (Sinatra Miura amongst others) in Norway. Just bought a single engine old Italian boat with a carbed marine Lambo engine.

 

Yes I did. The L804 engine (I think the last four valves offshore engine name was that, I'm going by memories, maybe I'm wrong) is a "big block " that won't ever fit your Lamborghini.

Ciao

 

We are great thanks. Looking forward to our British winter ( Not )

What a stunning coffee table base that would make!

Give my best to Mrs M Sackey, She has great taste!

R

 

Hi Albert, your 5000s was an absolute stunning example. I loved that car. Please do keep us updated on the progress of the little green car

Ciao