Countach, the ultimate supercar | Page 1063 | FerrariChat

Countach, the ultimate supercar

Discussion in 'LamborghiniChat.com' started by joe sackey, Aug 21, 2007.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    #26551 joe sackey, Dec 17, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2022
    Tu160bomber likes this.
  2. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    #26552 joe sackey, Dec 17, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2022
    Yes I know you were hands-on with that car so if you say it had parallel-links we can only conclude that it was perhaps an earlier attempt with shorter dimensions resulting in a narrower rear track.

    I have also always wondered why the car exhibited negative camber under hard cornering, parallel-linked suspension should eliminate this.

    Anyway, as you can see both 1120148 (even though it was said to be wishbone suspension) and 1120202 and all the rest of the factory parallel-linked cars had a wider rear track where the wheels extruded from the body and fit snugly under the wheel arches

    Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    Modulo_B, Lambocars666 and cnpapa24 like this.
  3. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    #26553 joe sackey, Dec 18, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2022
    Torre Loizaga is in the Basque mountains about 30 minutes inland of Bilbao, it is here that Miquel de la Via restored the 13th Century Tower of Loyzaga and, in buildings surrounding his Estate, gathered a collection of cars that include over 40 Rolls Royce.

    And a totally original Giallo Countach LP500S.

    Senor de la Via passed away about 10 years ago and there is very little information about him in the public domain, it is obvious that he was one of the richest men in the Basque Country and Spain.

    His collection is open to the public only on Sundays and Bank Holidays but it is worth the effort to get there

    Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    Modulo_B, mt_jt, Ciro Izzo and 5 others like this.
  4. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
  5. raymondQV

    raymondQV F1 Rookie

    Aug 22, 2007
    4,061
    Switzerland
    Full Name:
    Raymond S.
    I think this is the yellow Pace car of Monaco GP 1982.
     
    joe sackey likes this.
  6. Lel

    Lel Formula Junior

    Oct 11, 2007
    295
    I have also always wondered why the car exhibited negative camber under hard cornering, parallel-linked suspension should eliminate this.


    How?

    L-E
     
  7. vfinaldi

    vfinaldi Formula Junior

    Looking for a 1986 or earlier Countach in parts car/needs restoration/basket case condition. Any of the series pre-1987 will do. Friend in Europe is looking. Any leads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
     
  8. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    #26558 joe sackey, Dec 18, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2022
    Sorry I meant to say positive camber, long day yesterday!

    I thought parallel-linked suspension eliminated the tendency of play in the car's camber setting based on the linkage as seen below, either way 1120022's suspension always looked a bit strange to me both at standstill and under cornering load

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    Lambocars666 likes this.
  9. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    I think so also, it is in fact an early LP500S
     
  10. Lambocars666

    Lambocars666 Formula Junior

    Mar 19, 2010
    571
    FR, CH, CN
    Full Name:
    Victor
    Thanks, LEL and Joe for your inputs.
    1120022 was indeed a bit different than the other Countach Speciale.

    That gorgeous yellow 5000S in Spain is indeed the '82 Monaco GP pace car, #CLA12477.
     
    Spyder-Man and joe sackey like this.
  11. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    I think this is the point I'm trying to share.
     
    Lambocars666 likes this.
  12. #26562 EarlyCat, Dec 19, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2022
    Lambocars666 likes this.
  13. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    #26563 joe sackey, Dec 19, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2022
    Lambocars666 and EarlyCat like this.
  14. Lambocars666

    Lambocars666 Formula Junior

    Mar 19, 2010
    571
    FR, CH, CN
    Full Name:
    Victor
    Here's the ultimate story - from WHEELS magazine, January 1980 - to prove one is never too tall to fit in a Countach LP400

    [...] The salesmen told Paul there was no way he'd comfortably accomodate his 190cm (6 ft 3 in) frame in the car but he had other ideas. Paul bought the car and took it to Henry Nehrybecki who went to work making the car fit its owner. "No-one over 6 foot owns a Countach because there is just no room in them. But Henry found that if you take the seat runners out you gain an inch and if you cut the floor out you gain three. When it still wasn't comfortable, he cut down the pedals and put in a sunroof. I think it's been fairly successful." Paul is comfortable but tall passengers have the wind in their hair whether they like it or not: the space saving didn't extend to the passenger side. [...]

    And I shall add: To prevent his forehead from hitting the edge of the cut-out roof, Paul Halstead drove his Countach LP400 #1120272 wearing a helmet!
     
    Ciro Izzo and EarlyCat like this.
  15. That's a neat story. He was certainly determined!
     
  16. cnpapa24

    cnpapa24 F1 Rookie

    Jan 19, 2014
    3,659
    NOLA
    Full Name:
    Chris
    Hilarious! I love it. Thanks for sharing.
     
  17. vfinaldi

    vfinaldi Formula Junior

  18. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    This statement applies to the 4-liter Countachs up to LP400S S2.

    Patrick Mimran probably read those remarks and decided to do something about it.

    Anyway, I'm a tad over 6' 2" and I'm comfortable in any 5-liter Countach FWIW.
     
    Lambocars666 likes this.
  19. #26569 EarlyCat, Dec 20, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2022
    Peter K., Lambocars666 and S_AGATA like this.
  20. sp1der

    sp1der F1 Rookie

    Jan 10, 2009
    3,007
    UK
    Full Name:
    Simon Ashley
    Smooth sump on that engine interesting it was changed.
     
  21. Peter K.

    Peter K. F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 9, 2004
    4,448
    Connecticut
    Full Name:
    Peter K.
  22. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    #26572 joe sackey, Dec 21, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2022
    Probably the Ad which Rod Stewart saw whilst on tour in Australia in February 1977 that motivated him to buy an LP400, 1120262 was delivered to him in the summer of 1977

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  23. #26573 EarlyCat, Dec 22, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2022
    Any idea if he got the targa idea from Halstead? Or the other way around?



    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    Modulo_B likes this.
  24. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
    57,525
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Joe Sackey
    Rod's car was not cut by Mardikian until the early 80s I think which would be after the Halstead car had already been modified.
     
    EarlyCat likes this.
  25. #26575 EarlyCat, Dec 22, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 25, 2022
    Spyder-Man, Peter K. and S_AGATA like this.

Share This Page