Fitting power steering to my Countach QV

I dropped my '87 Countach QV off at EZ Power Steering's workshop near Leerdam in Holland yesterday, as they are about to fit one of their electric power steering systems to the car. http://www.ezpowersteering.nl/index.php?p=0

The process will take a couple of weeks and having looked round their workshop yesterday, I can understand why. It seems every car out there has a different configuration of steering column, so each one needs a dedicated kit to be designed. Some cars are easy to convert (911 being one) but others, like the Maserati Ghibli are a nightmare.

Even though they convert around 600 cars a year, they've never done a Countach before but they have fitted electric power steering to a number of Miuras, 400GT and early Diablos. Effectively, they need to insert a new section within the existing steering column (about 10 inches long), containing a torque sensor to monitor the torque being applied by the driver and a small electric motor (contained within this new section) to assist the steering via a worm drive fitted to the column when required.

It's incredibly clever and has its own dedicated computer to control both steering damping and the amount of assistance it gives according to the speed of the car (more assistance at parking speeds, less as speed rises), which is also adjustable. The whole system can be turned off completely, returning it just how it was originally, should you so wish.

As with all their kits, the system to be almost undetectable to the eye, as it's tucked up under the dash, so unless you shine a torch up into the area above the drivers feet, you'd never be able to see if the car has the system or not. They told me there are a quite a few race cars out there running the system illegally, as scrutineers have never spotted it's been fitted to the car!

I've only heard good things from friends who have fitted on of EZ's systems to their cars (one with a Daytona and another with a DB5), hence why I wanted the Countach done too.

My aim is to make the Countach as usable as I can, that's I've already replaced the standard brake pads with Pagid RS4 pads (which has revolutionised the braking power), then lightened the throttle weighting by changing the springs on the carburettors (I'm also fitting a lighter spring to the throttle pedal return spring to complete the process) and fitting power steering is the next stage.

I'd be interested to hear what others think to having this conversion done, is it sacrilege or taking advantage of new technology to improve a fabulous supercar icon? For me, I see it as owning a Scottish Castle and having central heating fitted, in order to make it more habitable but I know others might not see it this way!

I'll let you know the result in a few weeks time!

 

Power Steering? Lightened the throttle? I think you are missing the point with a Countach.

It would be more acceptable if you went to a gym and worked those muscles instead.

 

I read a car owners blog, a 911 I think, as he described installing this system so that his wife could drive the Porsche and now that he was getting on in years he wanted it too. It was a good read and I can see how that makes sense.
You can tune it's operation in other ways as well.

I was thinking this might be a great way to make the earlier Espadas much more user friendly but I wonder if all the stuff required would fit under that dash without looking horrible or worse causing you to loose foot or leg room?

With the 911 it's all contained in the front trunk.

I'm looking forward to hearing about how this comes out.

 

What's next, replacing the 5-speed with a PowerGlide?

Trailer hitch?

 

I think owners should feel free to do whatever they wish with their cars, including making them more easy to use if so desired. I would not consider any changes sacrilege if they can be undone without any permanent damage. And if the alterations are not visible, then all the better!

 

We dopnt need central heating in Scotland! It's warm enough for us locals!!

Interesting idea you have!

Let us know how it works out

Regards

Paul
Chief of the Scottish QV clan!

 

Breaking open the concrete floor and lay down in-slab radiant heat. Then you will not have to butcher the walls and ceiling of a Castle to run the duct

 

Really though, the steering in a Countach is not that bad. Relatively light. Would never have thought anyone would require PS.
Ditto with the pedal.

Maybe you will relax your arms and right foot but what about the left leg?

 

It would be nice to see pictures of the completed conversion.

Whilst any improvement that makes the car more drive-able is interesting, I think the Countach steering at correct tire-pressures is not at all hard and in fact is very solid & reassuring. I like the weighted feel and you'll have to be careful not to upset the car's balance with sudden inputs that would normally have been counteracted with the car's normal steering setting. Ditto the throttle: you may experience some unintended acceleration (!!!) until you get used to the new softer pedal travel.

By the way, I thought Countachs came with power steering anyway. As I recall its the Arm-strong system

 

If it translates into you driving and enjoying the car more often, then i say go it...
Mods that make it better for an individual driver i think are great as long as it doesn't change the look plus you have the option of turning it off completely so if you ever sell the car you might not even have to remove it to satisfy the next owner. I like the cars "hard core" as intended, but i can certainly see someone needing to "lighten" things up, especially if they drive it far distances or are getting older in age. Good Luck with it.

 

Ha! I thought this might stir up some reactions.

Whilst I agree the heavy steering is all part of living with a Countach, I'm still fascinated to find out what it will be like to drive one fitted with powered steering. Having done various routes in Europe, including the Route Napoleon and various Alpine passes, I find the heavy steering can become a real problem at times.

I know my car is particularly heavy to steer because I've got some semi trackday tyres fitted on the front, as there were no Pirelli front tyres available in Europe at the time I did that story with Valentino in evo and because we intended doing some high speed running, I wanted new tyres all round (the rears date from 2009). In the end, I didn't go over 170mph on the trip but even do, it was still reassuring to know I had new tyres underneath me at the time.

At evo we do a few trackdays during the year and the Countach is always a bit of a favourite with readers (now there's a surprise) but the heavy steering is incredibly wearing after a few laps, so that's another reason for having this conversion done.

I feel the tweaks I've been making to the Countach are similar to the ones which Eagle make to the Jaguar E-Type. There are ways to do this sort of stuff, which only enhances the driving experience and that's all I'm trying to do here. I could live with the heavy steering but I actually think I will enjoy the drive even more once the EZ power steering conversion is fitted.

My friends who have had this conversion done to their cars have found they have been using their cars way more often than they ever used to and that can only be a good thing. The one telling comment EZ made to me when I left the car with them yesterday was, the one thing all their customers have in common is they love driving. I find that very telling.

I got this photo from EZ today, which shows the very early stages of the conversion and where the unit will fit, as you can see it's tiny and if you didn't know, you'd never be able to spot it.

To be continued..
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That thing really tucks right in there, almost as if it was an option.

 

I've had one of these systems fitted on my 1962 Alvis Graber which was as heavy as a truck at rest. It transformed the car, and I understand why power steering was a popular option on those cars. The job done is very neat and very professional and I truly can recommend this product. On top of that, everything was made so that it didn't damage the car and it is fully reversible. My car instantly became user-friendly and I enjoy it twice as much as before!

However I didn't do it to my Islero since I don't feel it is heavy at all, being solid and reassuring just as Joe mentionned for the Countach.

 

I don't think that would help its overall value in terms of selling it later. It's like putting a sunroof in... not meant to be.

 

Very interesting, I also curious to know the final price.

 

I think i best explain something for our non UK friends on here.

The O/P is not Scottish and could come from that lesser part of the UK , England!

If you lived in Scotland, that would explain everything!

I thought I recognised the O/P when he mentioned brake pads!

Will be interesting to see how this modification works and perhaps when we eventually get to meet with our cars it will be interesting to drive them back to back with and without the steering and see if it makes a difference! I do have a pair of new Pirelli fronts if you want to borrow them on the same conditions Harry?

Paul

 

Good to see all the comments coming in and Paul328, you're right, I really must bring the Countach up to Scotland at some point, that would be a fantastic experience. and thanks for the offer of front tyres (again), you have already been incredibly generous loaning me the rear tyre but I'm told by Pirelli that new Countach tyres will be produced over the next few months, so I should be okay...

just a couple of points;

"AIR4C 1 I don't think that would help its overall value in terms of selling it later. It's like putting a sunroof in... not meant to be."

If you feel like this, then I haven't explained the process correctly. Fitting EZ power steering is a 'bolt in' operation, so if you were to sell a car with it fitted and were concerned as to how buyers might react, you could;
a) Disconnect it, as then 99% of buyers would never discover it was ever fitted.
b) Spend 2-3hrs hours taking it out and put the original column components back in again
c) Get the buyer to drive the car and see if he wants it to remain installed.

I should also add that anyone else thinking of having it fitted to their car wouldn't have to take their car to Holland. My car is only there because I agreed for it to be treated as a guinea-pig and once they've designed the kit required, they will be able to ship it out to any of their worldwide agents for local fitting. Having said that, many European customers visit the company directly, so they can get a bespoke job done.

The Countach looks like being a fairly simple installation but it's too early to say what the cost will be; EZ power steering kits start at around 1500 euros (for a Mini or MGB) and rise up to 7500 euros for something like a pre-war Mercedes or Roll Royce Silver Ghost. I'm expecting something at the lower end, cost wise but we'll see.

 

I am normally a stickler for originality but this has not stopped me from fitting fully adjustable gas filled damper inserts to the front and rear of my Silhouette. The transformation is spectacular!

 

I'll give a to if they produce a 205.

 

Drive a Testarossa... when you get back into a Countach you will think you had power steering. I think the steering in a CT is rather effortless as it is. I dont get it

 

I agree.

The car makes sense, when it is driven at fun speeds.

 

My smiles were because I have heard Pirelli promise production of Countach tires many times in the past 20 years but only rarely have they come through. I think you'll get what you get when they feel like it...

 

i think depending on what type of geography you reside power steering might make sense as at parking lot speeds since the steering on the CT is quite heavy. Being if you are on tight roads with slow speeds, power steering may come in handy. Or if you have to turn to navigate in a tighter space. But at higher speeds, the ct steering is very good. Most U.S parking lots are huge compare to some of tighter spots in europe and asia. Thats why its not as big of an issue here. If power steering is in play only for parking and tapers off at 20mph that might be a good benefit. that way you lose none of the steering feel at speed but offers the added easy of maneuverability in tight spots.

 

EZ power steering rang me yesterday to say they've installed the system in my car now and have started doing road trials but they are concerned about the speedo drive on my car (needed so they can make the amount of power assistance speed related), because they are not getting a 'smooth' signal.

I've had the speedo drive on the front wheel fixed a couple of times in 2011 after the speedo stopped working and I noticed the speedo needle was jumping around again on the drive over to Holland last week.

EZ want to know if this is a common problem with all Countach, or is my car an exception?

Using the original speedo drive is a much cheaper option for future customers of this system than EZ adding a separate, electronic speed monitoring device but there's no point using the Countach speedo drive if it's this unreliable.