Differences in parts between QV FI and QV DD engines?

My argument has never been about which motor is the pinnacle, which motor was made for the car etc, you guys can argue about that among yourselves. My argument has only been about performance, and those who think there is a vast difference between the two.

Any Countach, is good Countach.

 

A1 agreed, my enthusiasme reg the lp 400 is a fantastic memory from my childhood , beeing addicted to design, it is The purest ever, with the chock factor of the Air inntakes/ shoe boxes pooking up to interupt the perfect arch,Brilliant,

 

The LP400 is very important for being the first iteration of the Countach, the purest version, so there is no doubt that it is important.

However, these are sports cars, and the Downdraft is indisputably the Most Powerful Production Countach bar none, so in the end, I think thatattribute will matter most and ultimately make it the most sought-after variant.

 

Very competent, Emilio. Maybe you could add the corresponding decades.

50s: 300 SL (and the Ferrari 250 Series)
60s: Miura
70s: Countach (primarily LP400, developed to LP400S towards the end of the decade)
80s: F40
90s: F1 (I prefer the EB110 but it's only second here IMO)
00s: Veyron (I prefer other cars from that decade but Veyron is the most significant IMO)

These are the pinnacle supercars of their time.

Maybe you could add that the DD/QV's body was altered ("highbody"). Without a doubt, the design of the early "lowbody" LP400S, still being quite close to the very pure, breathtaking and groundbreaking original design of the LP400, is superior to the design of the later "highbody" Countach.

If there are any doubts that a "lowbody" Countach is a nicer car than a "highbody" Countach, I highly recommend to compare a LP400S series one or series two to a DD/QV side by side.

Although the Countach was a very "technical" car from the beginning, its most important property ever has been its overwhelming design, When speaking about a Countach, people always start with the design.

As a DD/QV does, by no means, have the original dimensions, it lacks - more than slightly - the design qualities of the first Countach series. This is a central point for denying that a DD/QV belongs in the row mentioned above. Another reasion is that, during its time of production, new goundbreaking and more powerful cars like the F40 appeared. Maybe I'd prefer a DD/QV to a F40, nonetheless (I don't know).

Conclusion: the QV/DD is a desirable Countach version. It is very desirable. But it is not as important as "Fish Joe" suggests. Joe is interested in selling his DD at the best possible price. However, I don't see any understandable reason for acting like a fish seller on a fish market regarding his DD GLA12997. I remember that Joe always has been active, and maybe "loud", but his behaviour in recent times irritates. I hope that GLA12997 sells quickly and at a high price, in order to restore calm.

Clarification: I'd also take a "highbody" Countach but not mainly for reasons of design. These cars have other advantages. There are no reasons for bashing any Countach variants, including the so called "Fuelies" with DOT modifications.

 

I also agree that the Series 1 and Series 2 low body LP400S' stance and presence are the most breathtaking of the lot - when I was in the market to purchase a Countach the low body was actually my first choice - I was so disappointed that being a tad over 6 feet in height I could not comfortably sit in a Series 1 or 2 without tilting my head otherwise it would hit the roof. In my DD I have about 1 1/2 inches of clearance in the higher body cars so the true headroom difference must be 3 inches or so.

 

"Maybe I'd prefer a DD/QV to a F40, nonetheless (I don't know)." I think that when the F40 twin turbos kick in the rush must be exhilarating - that in itself would make me choose for the F40. I agree that the CF finish is not up to par - it probably was not a priority and I could accept that fact.

 

If we are talking power...DD

If we are talking design... Lowbody

And the 4l is a great motor that makes fantastic sounds .

Added all together, I'll take the Lowbody . But I wouldn't kick a DD or any Countach out of the garage .

 

Everyone has a different opinion on THE Countach to own.



Power ?

...don't mess with the latest hot Mustang .

 

Ciao
Emilio,

I like your thinking. When I was in High School I asked my father to buy a used 300SL Gullwing. He choose to purchase the Mercedes 4-door diesel - 300SD, at about $5,000 less than the Gullwing driver . During the early 80's, it was not difficult to find advertised 300SL Gullwing drivers for sale, at approximately $30K. The roadster was $10K less. The best Gullwing examples were priced less than $50K. At the same time, a new Corvette was priced around $14K.

The train departed the station years ago .

 

When I was buying a Countach it had to be a 5000S or S3. I did not like the humps on the back of the QV hood, low body was a concern for city driving and cabin space.

FI vs. carb was not a concern. As you pointed out there are many cars that are faster so I wasn't looking for the highest power.

I did come close to buying a DD early in the search, but as I learned more about these cars I really wanted a 5000S or S3.

 

I fit in everything. I say make them even more compact and unfriendly .

I almost wanted to go krazy, after driving for hours in a Miura, on a local fun run. No need to apply the 'sculpted' tush down into the seat and pull the knees up to the steering wheel. Head turning is reserved exclusively for the opposite sex. Unfortunately, I could only apply two parallel fingers between the hair and the inside of the headliner . Three fingers would not fit.

 

I havent owned a Downdraft for over 25 years till I bought the current car, and in the interim I owned 3 LP400 and 3 LP400S S1s. Although I am 6' 2", I made it work with some slouching. Then I drove a Downdraft again and I realized how much I missed those extra few inches.

 

I have been called worse so no offense taken, but, you are assuming I am selling if you are right, then calm should quickly be restored but if you are wrong, we could be in for a long wait

 

I knew it.

 

How could you possibly argue the DD is not a pinnacle of the supercar? There are 600 of these carbd racing engines, FIA homologated in existence. The DD has the best overall mix of looks, performance, practicality and provenance of all the Countachs. These are facts and Joe was not the only or the first car guy to really appreciate them upon some reflection.... his car is simply stunning. Someone already paid a million for a DD. Joes car needs no elaborate marketing program to sell I can assure you that.

 

And you are consistently singing the same song, again and again. Counting valves per cylinder, carbs, number of cylinders, praising the car that you own yourself.

"carbd racing engines" - that is new to me. How comes? Please don't argue with QVX.

"How could you possibly argue the DD is not a pinnacle of the supercar?" - see my post #204. F40.

"Best provenance" - I really don't get it.

Better provenance than a LP400 has (only 150 made, by the way)? I heard that someone already paid a million for such a car but is that an argument?

Better provenance than a LP400S Series One has (only 50 made, by the way, hereof only very few early cars with SW gauges and LP400 steering wheel)?

"The DD has the best overall mix"... "These are facts" - I agree that a DD is a quite desirable variant of the Countach but calling the "best overall mix" a "fact" reminds me of your new president. I say "quite desirable" because I would "go for design" and take, without any doubts, an early variant of the Countach.

"Joes car needs no elaborate marketing program to sell I can assure you that" - Certainly I did not ask for your comment on that.

 

Same for me, maybe. Better let's stop thinking about Ferrari's best... (best is not a "fact", it's my opinion) There are only few cars that I'd prefer to a Ferrari F40 and, fortunately, two Lamborghini amongst my preferred cars.

 

Good answer.

 

This thread...oh boy...

 

The "fishmobile"is beautiful and will sell itselves, the ultimate Countach. Is the first one. I will take mine in lime Or orange Thanks.

 

Drive-line horse power loss varies from car to car and most are happy with a 15-20% loss to the wheels, splitting the difference at 17%

The factory was being honest about the power of the Downdraft @ 455HP at the flywheel
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Tony how does that compare to what a 4 liter or 5000s should do?
We just ran a 1995 Porsche 911 on the Dyno and it had only a 10% loss to the wheels so I'm still learning what the correct % of drive line loss is for different cars.

Then there are the car manufactures that under or over state their HP numbers so calculating the percentage off an incorrect number can be tricky.

When Ford got in trouble in the 90's for overstating the Mustang Cobra HP, they made up for it with the 05 & 06 Ford GT with a stated 550HP that was closer to 600HP

Fortunately I have other Countachs here and will build a data base so we will know for sure the Countach % so owners can know when their cars are really running right.

This is based off the most accurate dyno on the market the DynoJet brand chassis dyno set at the ASE Correction Factor.

Going by the 17% number:

311 WHP..........LP400.............45DCOE
311 WHP..........LP400S1/2.......45DCOE
293 WHP..........LP400S3..........40DCOE
311 WHP..........5000S.............45DCOE
270 WHP..........5000S....................F.I.
348 WHP..........5000QV..................F.I.
377 WHP..........5000QV...........44DCNF

(Both of the last posts were from the Countach thread, done by Tony Ieradii, post 6857 & 6860)

 

As someone who has been on a 30-year Countach journey spanning all the variants, I say that much is indisputable.

So too is the fact that the Downdraft is the ONLY Countach variant that the factory took the time to FIA Homologate.

Those that understand the implications of this amongst various manufacturers such as Ferrari & Porsche will know why this latter attribute bestowed upon the Downdraft is so special. It conveys without question that the maker itself viewed this variant as the ultimate sporting car that they had created, period.

 

Let's get this fine thread back on track.

Differences.

DaniT drew our attention to a comparison between a Downdraft crankshaft (top) and the Fuelie crankshaft (bottom).

See the difference?
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The difference between the crankshafts is in the oil channel system, note the groove on the later Fuelie crankshaft (right).
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