Hy ID Plate from the Blue Espada Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks a lot, that car was in Vienna after it came from US. Are you sure the pictures are from Switzerland?
Hello, does anyone have maybe a photo of an Urraco or Espada in the following color: Blue Metallic PPG Italver Code 2.463.643 Kind regards Zdenek
Hi Have i dropped a note on here to let you guys know that the 205VR15 CN72 that was fitted to the early Espada. https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/205-r-15-pirelli-cinturato-cn72.html I think the Espada fitted the 205VR15 CN72 untill 1972 when it had power steering as standard, and they also fitted a wider wheel rim, to take the benefit of the 215/70VR15 CN12 (which we should be having back in stock again soon.) couple of questions for you experts: When did the Espada fit power steering? (i think it might have been an option earlier, but standard on the series 3.) Did they fit 215/70R15 CN12 before 1972. I know 70% profile tyres came out in 1968. but it does seem that Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini didn't start fitting them on their current models untill the new technology had got a few years under its belt. Also with models like the Espada for instance they made a few tweeks to the car, ie power steering and wider rims, but i might also guess a bit more caster? maybe different springs? (subtle adjustments to the geometry) I flog a set of these to mate a few years ago who compared the handling of his early Espada to a lter car that was on 215/70R15. he thought the 215/70R15 cave more stable handling at cruising speeds. My suspicion is he could be on to something, however there is more to it than just the tyre. the wider rim will stablise a tyre, and less overall diameter makes for a stabler tyre, I'm guessing the extra camber, but that improves directional stability. Fitting a 215/70R15 onto a car that was originally on a full profile 205R15 will loose some diameter, and comfort, and therefore ability to absorb the shocks on the road, so the car works a bit harder to make up for the tyres lack of side wall. they don't look right because they don't fill the wheel arches, gearing, speedo and fuel consumption will be a little out of wack. a big one is the steering load, hence the question about the power steering and caster. The advantages of a wider more modern 215/70R15 tyre will not be fully taken advantage of if you don't have the subtle adjustments that are made to geometry (specially the wider rims). What do you think? Horses for courses i say.
My SII Espada is not a very early one but it's also not one of the later ones that came with power steering. One of the original tires was still on the spare rim and was quite worn out. It was a Pirelli tune tire and still had the original Pirelli high speed rate tub inside with a threaded valve stem. That tire even though quite worn was much larger in diameter than a 215/70VR15. I remember being very puzzled by this and began a discussion about this topic on the VLG forum with Jack Ridell owner of the highest mileage 400GT on the planet. He and the car were honored in August in Monterey @ Conourso Italiano. I believe he has close to 200K miles on the car. He drove there from San Diego. His car is no Monterey trailer queen. I also had my long term and well known tire dealer EuroTire in Fairfield NJ research the tire. I'm sorry I don't remember what it was but the tire designations were different back when this tire was fitted. One of the brothers in that business now works for Pirelli in the USA for their racing support. That was not a 70 series tire it was larger than that. Early Lamborghini info can be quite murky. Jack has the most excellent contacts with all of the early Lamborghini people still alive and has had for many decades. If you'd like a contact for him to help run some of this information to ground I can supply that privately but don't wait he's now 85. Or you could join The Vintage Lamborghini Group forum. My car had Pirelli P4000 tires with 225/70s on the rear when I got it but the PO was aa moron and had tubes inside them with non secured valve stems that were all crooked as hell in the rims. When I restore those rims I went tubeless but originally the car came with tube tires.
personally in search of a concorso condition (restored or original) Espada. PM me if you have or know of one. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
9312 is now in the Ferrucio Museum in Funo Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
just as a note. when we come back after christmas i am expecting a lorry from Pirelli on the 3rd with a load of 215/70VR15 CN12 in it. https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/pirelli-collezione/cinturato-cn12/215-70wr15-pirelli-cinturato-cn12.html they were OE on loads of Classic Lambo including the series 3 Espada.
HI Yes the CN12 for the series 3 cars is now on the shelf https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/pirelli-collezione/cinturato-cn12/215-70wr15-pirelli-cinturato-cn12.html
I'm restoring my SIII and I'm in the home stretch. Working on the dash now. Can anyone explain what this polished metal is and how to restore it? Thanks for all your time..
Thought I would post this here for my Jarama since not all Espada people read the Jarama thread. Had no response from the VLG yet and thought I would throw this question out there: 2 questions: First, Where is the location of the intermittent relay for the wipers? And the wiring to it? The diagram does not show but I have not compared the diagram to what is on here. Second, I think the left blinker bulb is out on the dash. Is there an easy way to get to it OR does the dash need to come apart? Could it be something else that is common problem? My friend at the shop says, the dash, it may snap out but believes there is something else holding it in place. If we have to go in, this was his message to me: "So the whole top of the dash looks like it has 3 hooks, like you would pull the whole top of the dash (the vinyl part) towards the inside of the car. The driver side of it feels pretty loose already but seems like something in the middle of the dash is holding it" But tell me there is an easy way
LOL, yeah sure ... it's a Lamborghini ... My Espada is still all apart for what began as new seat leather 5 years ago. Dang the dash and Master brake and clutch cylinder access in my earl SIII is a truly evil design. I hope your Jarama is much easier. Sometimes responses for help take a while on VLG. There's a retired Lawyer, Bernhard, in Germany who sold his Espada and is now focusing on his Jarama. He might have your answer.
That taller tyre if it was an original tyre was the 205VR15 Pirelli Cinturato CN72 https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classic-car-tyres/lamborghini/espada/205vr15-pirelli-cinturato-cn72.html We have managed to get pretty accurate with Lamborghini stuff partly because of discussions we have had on here with you guys, but through Pirrelli them selves, and we are now supplying these tyres to Lamborghini heritage themselves to get there cars absolutley spot on. and of course for the early stuff we also are the Borrani agents for the UK. https://www.borrani.com/lamborghini-wheels/espada.html If anyone has P4000 on there car now i should ditch them they are at least 13 years old https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/pirelli-collezione/p4000.html Also they are wrong for your cars. They had the wrong kind of carcass for your cars. It was a Jag tyre that Jag adjusted its suspention to fit. its not right for you guys, but all too old now anyway, and you are fotunate to have the 205VR15 CN72 for the early cars with 7" wheels and no power steering and the 215/7-VR15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 for the series 3 with power steering to overcome the effects of the wide wheels and tyres.
Yeah they're way too old now and my car is not running so it's not an issue but I thought the tire was great for the ride of that car, it's not high performance car like the Countach or Miura. My Miura style rims (narrow) were fully restored and there are no jagged edges nor corrosion on them now but those are the worst castings of a rim I've ever seem. The forged aluminum reproduction rims are far better but heavier and WO all the flaws why ... then they aren't original looking! Some people think that way so they take the repros and beat them up a bit and refinish them but you can't duplicate the sorts of flaws I encountered such as bent fins. Different strokes for different folks ... The guy with the highest mileage 400GT has wires on his car and uses low cost H rate off brand tires and is perfectly happy. He doesn't drive his car over 100 MPH let alone 130. He could care less about winning a concours he just loves his car.
Indeed i agree but i think there are a lot of other things to consider other than speed rating and cost. i bet his H rated tyres were Van tyres? i have had a few discussions with rally preparers about the consequences of fitting over speced tyres on a car. The tyre will be too robust, and the shocks of the road which should be absorbed by the tyres is simply passed on to the cars chassis and wheels. it is a bit like using a rusty nail because your fuse just keeps blowing. https://www.borrani.com/lamborghini-wheels/400-gt-2-2.html i think those 400s are gorgeous i must say. i already really liked them and then i sat in one a while ago and liked it even more. then of course it has just the right amount of cylinders as well. But when it comes to tyres you would just fit the CN72 Pirelli 205VR15. it is right. there is an Avon 205R15 tyre, but that is a bit more Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. if you want a bit wider and lower, then 215/70VR15 Pirelli Cinturato CN12 or Michelin XWX are really the only tyres you would consider. everything else is just too much unessecary compromise to save money
It's passenger car tire and he's 85 ish. He's done his share of driving that car, obviously. So he has a good feel for the car's chassis and how the tires are performing. With respect to vintage Lamborghinis usually it's the mechanical bits that fail and not the tires, especially on long trips! He led a road trip from SD to Billings Montana one year and I flew out early and did the Glacier park (Canadian & USA) down to Grand Tetons and then into Yellowstone. From there we joined the event in Billings and every one had a great time. He grew up there so he had a lot of long time local connections to make things very nice for us all. However his engine developed a mechanical issue well before he reached Billings which required it to be towed back to SD and he got a ride in an Espada. These kinds of things happen a lot to the guys of VLG on their way to Monterey each year, if they actually drive their cars! If they're just showing their cars at one of those events then of course they'd get the tires you suggest.
Peter: I am doing this from a poor memory, but my Jarama has two bolts that pass through the firewall with nuts on the engine side, high up, back under the hood opening. Take off the two nuts and the dash just lifts off from the interior. Stupid easy.
Here are a few Espadas that I haven´t been able to identify. Any help is much appreciated! First up is this green one on French plates 883QGN75. Seen during the 2009 Tour Auto (France): Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Next is this red one seen in the Autoworld Museum in Brussels (Belgium), 2022: Image Unavailable, Please Login Another red one, seen at Techno Classica in Essen (Germany) in 2012: Image Unavailable, Please Login Also seen at Techno Classica, but in 2023, this silver one: Image Unavailable, Please Login And the last one, a long shot because no visible license plate: this yellow one spotted at the Coys International Historic Festival at Silverstone (UK) in 1998: Image Unavailable, Please Login
The silver one in Essen is: 9488 X750X1056X 1974 41329 Argento Rosso Originally to Willemin in Switzerland on 28 Sept 1974. 2023: for sale at Lukas Hüni, then Niki Hasler
I inspected 9488 at Niki Hasler in 2023 and took pictures of all tags, body numbers, its the only silver/Rosso S3 Espada to Switzerland.
