Lamborghini countach anniversary
Discussion
I was having a conversation with a colleague yesterday, about ownership of cars we had on posters on our bedroom walls, when we were younger. My favourite was always the white Lamborghini countach anniversary. I wonder if any knowledgeable, current or former owners could enlighten me, as to the rough costs involved in ownership of one of these. What would a reasonable purchase price be, for a well cared for, low mileage minter? Are there any expected issues with parts availability? Would a decent indy specialist still be able to look after one of these? Any help would be appreciated.
Gwagon111 said:
I was having a conversation with a colleague yesterday, about ownership of cars we had on posters on our bedroom walls, when we were younger. My favourite was always the white Lamborghini countach anniversary. I wonder if any knowledgeable, current or former owners could enlighten me, as to the rough costs involved in ownership of one of these. What would a reasonable purchase price be, for a well cared for, low mileage minter? Are there any expected issues with parts availability? Would a decent indy specialist still be able to look after one of these? Any help would be appreciated.
Purchase price.. somewhere between 60 and 100k ishBuy the best car you can afford and DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!! ask questions on here and of the Lamborghini club. nearly all of the UK cars WILL be known to us!
Yes - the indys can look after these cars. In my opinion, they will do a better job! The two obvious choices are Grimaldi and Carrera sport.
Running costs - this is a hard one. just assuming NO repairs and Just servicing costs. £1700 should see you through.
However you will always have repair costs to keep it in top condition.
A clutch plate inc labour will set you back around £1700.
Rear tyres £700
There's a load of old b****x and myths out there re Countach's - usually by people who have never owned one!! The classic is if you are more than 5ft you won't fit in one - I'm 6ft 1inch tall and fitted in mine fine. Dominic is 6ft 4!!! and he never had any problems getting in/out of his!!
Mine never failed to put a huge smile on my face and I regret selling her!
If looked after - they are also a pretty good investment!!
If you want chapter and verse pm me your contact details and I'll give you a call.
Edited by ianqv on Tuesday 23 November 14:01
Thanks for that. I don't need chapter and verse just yet. I can't help but feel some super temptations whenever I see a nice one come up for sale however. It's nice to get a handle on the costs involved without the customary s
t storm that comes along everytime you mention an old Lambo 
t storm that comes along everytime you mention an old Lambo ChrisFitz said:
jdwcd said:
Yes - the indys can look after these cars. In my opinion, they will do a better job! The two obvious choices are Grimaldi and Carrera sport.
Sorry but I have to disagree there
Errr, why exactly would you say that?Sorry but I have to disagree there
You can even go to the point of saying I do not have a full service book due to the fact someone will not return emails.
And to add if it carries on then who knows, but im getting very peed off.
you'll need to pm people for honest opinions on servicing i won't say what i think on the forum, i had a qv for 8 years it was virtually trouble free and with a few indies around shouldn't break the bank to run, i'm so glad i had one, as someone said to me once "you'll regret more the things you don't do" if you're thinking about a countach do it before they get out of reach, i sold mine for 40k 8 years ag now look at them.
Owned one for a while now, Just amazing to look at every time i see it. Makes me grin still even though she can have expensive tastes! Lots of work you can do yourself. It helps you to understand the car and makes you understand why simple jobs can cost a lot. The cars were hand built and each one is slightly different- even if not intended! These cars are now 20 years old or more and even if they are described as mint, few will be. 20 year old italian rubber, you will find, is not at its best now and your task will be to continue to improve the life of the car. This is on top of annual maintenance. Some years will be really cheap and others not. Owners will give a rough idea if you ask. Many Main dealers will be unlikely to have the pratical knowledge to work on these cars. They don't see enough of them-if any and they require more patience and ingenuity to work on.Indies would be the way, they still have the passion, but that doesn't mean cheap-just cheaper.If you've never driven one, prepare your self for the brakes. 180mph, 1500Kg, 15"wheels - do the maths! But one AMAZING car even today. If you want one,as said, try to get the best you can find for your money, but be sure you'll have enough left to feed it!. Many owners will have gathered useful knowledge along the way and will help answer questions.Don't believe the myths about them, especially the visibility one. If you can drive a car and use mirrors there are no more blind spots than your family saloon. Few people on the planet get to really drive these things, in fact few owners as well. With some of the milages you see on sale cars, even the owner couldn't tell you what it was REALLY like to drive!
Edited by Lamchop on Tuesday 23 November 20:08
Colin clarke also does old Lambos and looks after my cars. Depends on where in the country you are! I dont mind driving 400 miles to get major work done there
Ian's quote on the clutch is very light!
Great cars. main thing is just drive them as often as you can. is the best thing for them
Paul
Ian's quote on the clutch is very light!
Great cars. main thing is just drive them as often as you can. is the best thing for them
Paul
The Ferrari Centre do a fantastic job of looking after mine! They look after a few and Roger who owns the place has even owned his own Countach. As for the car itself it is simply awesome! It is an event even if I just get it out to clean it. As for running it a couple of grand seems to cover it most years. If you have a problem you can bet you're not the first and there is always someone on here or in the club that can help out.
jdwcd said:
ChrisFitz said:
jdwcd said:
Yes - the indys can look after these cars. In my opinion, they will do a better job! The two obvious choices are Grimaldi and Carrera sport.
Sorry but I have to disagree there
Errr, why exactly would you say that?Sorry but I have to disagree there
You can even go to the point of saying I do not have a full service book due to the fact someone will not return emails.
And to add if it carries on then who knows, but im getting very peed off.
ChrisFitz said:
jdwcd said:
ChrisFitz said:
jdwcd said:
Yes - the indys can look after these cars. In my opinion, they will do a better job! The two obvious choices are Grimaldi and Carrera sport.
Sorry but I have to disagree there
Errr, why exactly would you say that?Sorry but I have to disagree there
You can even go to the point of saying I do not have a full service book due to the fact someone will not return emails.
And to add if it carries on then who knows, but im getting very peed off.
I've owned my Anniversary since May 2007, and my car was actually used by Athena for one of their Countach posters (I have one of them on my garage wall). I agree with most of what has been said. I do my own servicing up to a point. I change all the fluids, and will soon be changing the brake and clutch lines for braided plus new pads in a bid to improve the braking. I've had very few issues with mine and sorted them all myself. All minor stuff such as a weak gas ram on one door, replaced the clutch slave cylinder, sorted a fault with seat adjustment etc.
I think it's running rich at the moment and so I plan to have the carbs set up shortly, and have found a garage locally that can do that. I live a long way from the specialist independants, but if I required proper specialist work such as a clutch change or valve adjustments then I would send it to a specialist. Otherwise they really aren't that complicated if you're reasonably handy with a spanner. I was quoted around £700 for an annual service from a well respected Indy, but spent almost that on fluids and parts to do it myself, so suspect I will either do more or use better oils etc. That said, I also changed the plugs for Iridium ones which weren't cheap, and use fully synthetic oils everywhere, including diff and transmission, but these items will only need replacing occasionally. I would strongly advise using the well known parts supplier as a last resort for service items though. I was recently charged around £70 for air filters, only to find the exact same ones were available from Opie oils for about £28 for the pair. The other supplier couldn't care less and totally dismissed any sort of price matching, stating they are cheaper than main dealers only. Similarly I bought the correct gas ram for the door (part number and manufacturer as original) from an ebay supplier in the US for £40 as opposed to £140 from the UK specialist parts people (no naming allowed, PM me and I'll tell you if you don't know who I mean).
Basically, they are strong and reliable cars, and a good one should not be a regular wallet buster if you have some DIY skills. I will get some big bills during my ownership I'm sure, I'm well aware of that and will pay them when I do, but year by year it hasn't cost me a lot at all. I do keep a good record of everything I do though: dates, work carried out, parts used and all receipts.
The main issue for me is the incredibly stiff throttle. I have stripped mine and found the cause to be a design fault. I have a redesign in mind and have spoken to an engineering company who can make a new bespoke part for me, so that will be done this winter. The original design makes the pedal stiff to get moving and therefore difficult to be smooth at low speed, and I'm sure it can be improved. If my idea works then it will make the car perfect for me.
Bottom line, if it's your dream then go for it. I did and don't regret it for a moment. Price wise, I would expect IRO £90-95K for mine nowadays if I were selling, but it is in fantastic conditon, has only about 3700 miles on it and needs no recommissioning. They can be had for less, and I've seen them advertised for more (don't know if they sold though), so the range is pretty large.
I think it's running rich at the moment and so I plan to have the carbs set up shortly, and have found a garage locally that can do that. I live a long way from the specialist independants, but if I required proper specialist work such as a clutch change or valve adjustments then I would send it to a specialist. Otherwise they really aren't that complicated if you're reasonably handy with a spanner. I was quoted around £700 for an annual service from a well respected Indy, but spent almost that on fluids and parts to do it myself, so suspect I will either do more or use better oils etc. That said, I also changed the plugs for Iridium ones which weren't cheap, and use fully synthetic oils everywhere, including diff and transmission, but these items will only need replacing occasionally. I would strongly advise using the well known parts supplier as a last resort for service items though. I was recently charged around £70 for air filters, only to find the exact same ones were available from Opie oils for about £28 for the pair. The other supplier couldn't care less and totally dismissed any sort of price matching, stating they are cheaper than main dealers only. Similarly I bought the correct gas ram for the door (part number and manufacturer as original) from an ebay supplier in the US for £40 as opposed to £140 from the UK specialist parts people (no naming allowed, PM me and I'll tell you if you don't know who I mean).
Basically, they are strong and reliable cars, and a good one should not be a regular wallet buster if you have some DIY skills. I will get some big bills during my ownership I'm sure, I'm well aware of that and will pay them when I do, but year by year it hasn't cost me a lot at all. I do keep a good record of everything I do though: dates, work carried out, parts used and all receipts.
The main issue for me is the incredibly stiff throttle. I have stripped mine and found the cause to be a design fault. I have a redesign in mind and have spoken to an engineering company who can make a new bespoke part for me, so that will be done this winter. The original design makes the pedal stiff to get moving and therefore difficult to be smooth at low speed, and I'm sure it can be improved. If my idea works then it will make the car perfect for me.
Bottom line, if it's your dream then go for it. I did and don't regret it for a moment. Price wise, I would expect IRO £90-95K for mine nowadays if I were selling, but it is in fantastic conditon, has only about 3700 miles on it and needs no recommissioning. They can be had for less, and I've seen them advertised for more (don't know if they sold though), so the range is pretty large.
Edited by RedBull on Friday 26th November 18:53
I doff my cap to you for getting your hands dirty on such a car, I would do myself too if my budget allowed ownership of my dream car!
But regardng the throttle stiffness, I have heard from knowledgable people that this was only an issue on right hand drive cars, so possibly rectifiable with a re-designed cable...?
But regardng the throttle stiffness, I have heard from knowledgable people that this was only an issue on right hand drive cars, so possibly rectifiable with a re-designed cable...?
ROOODBOY said:
I doff my cap to you for getting your hands dirty on such a car, I would do myself too if my budget allowed ownership of my dream car!
But regardng the throttle stiffness, I have heard from knowledgable people that this was only an issue on right hand drive cars, so possibly rectifiable with a re-designed cable...?
You're quite right, it is only a problem on RHD cars. The cable isn't the issue, it's the mechanism between the cable and the pedal. Basically, the cable is in the gear tunnel (right of the box on RHD, left on LHD), there is a tube bolted to the floor with a steel bar inside which runs between cable and pedal. At each end of the bar is a sort of cam. One end connects to the cable, the other to the throttle. There is resistance generated between the bar and the tube which has to be overcome before the cable is moved. This results in the pedal moving suddenly when the resistance is increased. I have a simple redesign in mind which should eliminate that. The result will still be a heavy pedal, as the resistance from the 6 carbs is high, but with a smooth and controllable action, making it a much nicer drive. The LHD cars only have a very short distance between pedal and cable so the problem is greatly decreased. But regardng the throttle stiffness, I have heard from knowledgable people that this was only an issue on right hand drive cars, so possibly rectifiable with a re-designed cable...?
As for the home maintenance, I only do the relatively simple stuff. Filters, oils, coolant, brake/clutch fluids etc. I take my time and make absolutely sure everything is right, no risks. Anything I am unsure of I will farm out. My logic when talking myself in to going for it is that, when all said and done, it's just a car (although obviously to me it is much, much more than that
). So basic maintenance is the same as for any car, except access can be a PITA.Edited by RedBull on Saturday 27th November 01:16
RedBull said:
The cable isn't the issue, it's the mechanism between the cable and the pedal. Basically, the cable is in the gear tunnel (right of the box on RHD, left on LHD), there is a tube bolted to the floor with a steel bar inside which runs between cable and pedal. At each end of the bar is a sort of cam. One end connects to the cable, the other to the throttle. There is resistance generated between the bar and the tube which has to be overcome before the cable is moved. This results in the pedal moving suddenly when the resistance is increased. I have a simple redesign in mind which should eliminate that. The result will still be a heavy pedal, as the resistance from the 6 carbs is high, but with a smooth and controllable action, making it a much nicer drive. The LHD cars only have a very short distance between pedal and cable so the problem is greatly decreased.
Sounds pretty similar to the Jalpa setup. Any situation where you may need to move the throttle a small amount is a nightmare. You soon end up looking very stoopid.I'm curious about your modification. Care to share any additional info?
Thanks James, did you get my reply to your email?
Simon, if my modification works I will post a thread about it and possibly offer it to other owners. I'd prefer to get it made and tested before saying too much though, in case it doesn't work. It's very simple though, and I'd be surprised if no-one has thought of it before, but it will involve the remanufacturing of a part. I've no experience of the Jalpa, but looking at the parts diagram on Eurospares site it might be very similar. I plan to get it sorted over the winter.
Simon, if my modification works I will post a thread about it and possibly offer it to other owners. I'd prefer to get it made and tested before saying too much though, in case it doesn't work. It's very simple though, and I'd be surprised if no-one has thought of it before, but it will involve the remanufacturing of a part. I've no experience of the Jalpa, but looking at the parts diagram on Eurospares site it might be very similar. I plan to get it sorted over the winter.
Edited by RedBull on Sunday 28th November 15:16
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