Buying a Murci - help appreciated
Discussion
Hi All,
I've been following the threads for a while regarding Murcielagos. I've been looking for a Murcielago for about 9 months and have seen a few. Some good, some not so good.
Particularly fancy a LP640. I like the roadster (personal choice that's all). E Gear.
Looking at all the threads, I know there was a recall (2010?) for fuel tanks, and I've read about the niggles specifically for the known Murci issues, clunky 1st gear (e-gear) suspension, oil leaks at hoses, valve clearances at major service etc and all the other things you guys seem to be able to point out (likely weak spots). Hence I wanted to know if there's a particular Murci specialist? to go through a car with a dose of salts? Independant or a dealer specialist?
I'm also trying to get a handle on values. I know there are some minters at Indies/dealers that are top money, but I also wanted your views on whether a cheaper car thats say a little rough around the edges can be brought back upto a minter if you throw a little money at it. If it's worth it?
I'm quite anal with my cars & mine are currently minters, (2 Gallardos & Ferrari F355) and I'm not normally hesitant about whether a car is worth buying or not, however on this occasion I thought I'd enlist some help from you guys and hopefully any help I can get will aid my buying process.
I've been following the threads for a while regarding Murcielagos. I've been looking for a Murcielago for about 9 months and have seen a few. Some good, some not so good.
Particularly fancy a LP640. I like the roadster (personal choice that's all). E Gear.
Looking at all the threads, I know there was a recall (2010?) for fuel tanks, and I've read about the niggles specifically for the known Murci issues, clunky 1st gear (e-gear) suspension, oil leaks at hoses, valve clearances at major service etc and all the other things you guys seem to be able to point out (likely weak spots). Hence I wanted to know if there's a particular Murci specialist? to go through a car with a dose of salts? Independant or a dealer specialist?
I'm also trying to get a handle on values. I know there are some minters at Indies/dealers that are top money, but I also wanted your views on whether a cheaper car thats say a little rough around the edges can be brought back upto a minter if you throw a little money at it. If it's worth it?
I'm quite anal with my cars & mine are currently minters, (2 Gallardos & Ferrari F355) and I'm not normally hesitant about whether a car is worth buying or not, however on this occasion I thought I'd enlist some help from you guys and hopefully any help I can get will aid my buying process.
Have a read of this.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Carlos at Top Gear in scotland is a known good guy.
South is Mike Pullen at Carrerasport.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Carlos at Top Gear in scotland is a known good guy.
South is Mike Pullen at Carrerasport.
TISPKJ said:
Have a read of this.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Carlos at Top Gear in scotland is a known good guy.
South is Mike Pullen at Carrerasport.
Thanks... I've read Dels thread & PM'd him.http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Carlos at Top Gear in scotland is a known good guy.
South is Mike Pullen at Carrerasport.
Cheers
MarkyL said:
TISPKJ said:
If I were buying I would give Mike or Carlos a call and see if they know of anything coming up.
I would also probably get them to PPI any potential car for me if possible.
Grimaldi's (Essex) is the nearest 'Murci specialist' which I've read is good, but its always difficult & awkward to get the seller to agree to a 3rd party going over the car like a 'dose of salts' especially if it reveals a few scary bits that will either result in the car not being worth what he's asking for it, or it will make me walk away.I would also probably get them to PPI any potential car for me if possible.
Edited by MarkyL on Monday 4th January 17:01
It's odd that so many Murci's seem to have a story but I guess if you search online there are plenty of Aventadors who have been owned by idiots and driven/crashed badly.
They also seem to be extremely rare, you just never ever see them on the road and very few are available for sale, ignore the wave of LP670 SV's that opportunists bought 18 months ago for profit and still have struggled to turn them over (when people like me who would use them daily if I'd come to the market about 6 months before they took a big jump then miss out)
Best of luck with the hunt for a nice roadster. I see there is a LP650 1 of 50 on the market for a hefty 300k
They also seem to be extremely rare, you just never ever see them on the road and very few are available for sale, ignore the wave of LP670 SV's that opportunists bought 18 months ago for profit and still have struggled to turn them over (when people like me who would use them daily if I'd come to the market about 6 months before they took a big jump then miss out)
Best of luck with the hunt for a nice roadster. I see there is a LP650 1 of 50 on the market for a hefty 300k
My money went with Craig at Pangbourne. David in service is the guy to go to on anything Murcielago. Cannot fault anything they have done. Buying a Murcie is a long and extremely frustrating process and took me a year and a lot of luck along the way. Don't discount the earlier 6.2 roadsters either from your list. I think egear are more prone to issues but the pool of cars from which to choose from is bigger and prices long term 5-7 years are only going one way...so you have to bite the bullet at some point and pray the gearbox gods are on your side.
First of all I have to say they are fantastic cars and get a lot of love from everyone who sees it, a surprising amount in fact. Looking at what other cars are currently selling for I think they are comparatively under appreciated.
For me there were too many unknowns in buying a car which was a little rougher and doing it up and I was advised against this approach. As such I would caution against going down this route and instead buy a car in good condition and one which had been driven regularly and not parked up for extended periods.
I bought my car through Carlo which belonged to a fellow pistonheads member and had been serviced by Mike Pullen. For me it was important to have the reassurance of trusted people. Carlo has a great knowledge of the market and told me a few stories about cars being advertised - as has been said a surprising amount of them seem to have a murky past.
On a separate note I was also advised against buying a roadster as the car was never designed to be a convertible and was told it did not make a good one. For me a Murcielago is an old school supercar so I wanted a manual both for that reason and for the additional driver involvement (it is liekyl to be the last manual car I ever own). Obviously that is just my personal experience/thoughts and there is no 'wrong' Murcielago!!
Good luck with the search.
For me there were too many unknowns in buying a car which was a little rougher and doing it up and I was advised against this approach. As such I would caution against going down this route and instead buy a car in good condition and one which had been driven regularly and not parked up for extended periods.
I bought my car through Carlo which belonged to a fellow pistonheads member and had been serviced by Mike Pullen. For me it was important to have the reassurance of trusted people. Carlo has a great knowledge of the market and told me a few stories about cars being advertised - as has been said a surprising amount of them seem to have a murky past.
On a separate note I was also advised against buying a roadster as the car was never designed to be a convertible and was told it did not make a good one. For me a Murcielago is an old school supercar so I wanted a manual both for that reason and for the additional driver involvement (it is liekyl to be the last manual car I ever own). Obviously that is just my personal experience/thoughts and there is no 'wrong' Murcielago!!
Good luck with the search.
As one of the very few world wide (3 that I know of) who does such major work as a major service or clutch change at home as a DIY proposition, I'd like to say the following:
1. leaking rubber hoses- these are old cars now, and the engine bays are insanely hot- in traffic (I live in central london) the engine oil temp will hit 125+ deg C; thats considered track day temps. This heat degrades rubber hoses fast.. causing oil and vacuum leaks. Most people think the basic service bills (e.g. £4200 for a clutch change from an independent, £5K from lambo) mean that preventative maintenance is nearly never done- only repairs when malfunctions arise (whereas I simply replaced every rubber hose when i changed the clutch- as thats when things are most accessible when the engine is out- not to mention the major service is an engine out job).
-note a fix for the oil temp is an a fan fitted to the oil cooler (and i upgraded to the LP640 (larger) oil cooler, AND fitted a fan.
2. Talking of the major service, yes there is a 9 hour labour charge for the cam follower clearance- but really it takes far less time than that when the engine is out, and I'm not even a mechanic (lawyer/investment banker).
They are simple old buses- VERY simple really, they really are old school. To put this in prospective, back in my teens my big block chev (454) had mechanical lifters and had to be clearanced every 5000 miles or so; more frequently if drag racing often- i did it monthly- ok there was only 16 valves not 48 so it was quicker to do on the old v8, but the same process exactly.
The e-gear- its not a jerky first gear- its the fact that the clutch bite point (full take up) is about 1300rpm; it can be raised and the engagement softened, but this wears the clutch faster. The issue is in heavy traffic- if you are at 1500 rpm you're at the speed limit; in stop/start traffic you never get full engagement (the idea is to leave a big gap when traffic moves, so that you can drive forward properly, and fully engage the clutch, and then pull back to neutral again- but this never happens as people just merge into the space you're trying to make ahead of you)
If you live in central london and drive it daily in traffic on a regular clutch, i'd doubt you'd see 5000 miles out of a standard clutch. If you rarely see traffic, i'd say 15,000 miles may well be possible. I've just installed a kevlar clutch and am hoping to get 8000-10,000 miles out of it...time will tell..
In short, these are mechanically very robust if maintained well; the issue is people skimp on maintenance. If you face heavy traffic, i'd go the manual for sure (i've accumulated most parts to convert my e-gear to manual, and may do so next clutch change if I don't get 8000 miles).
I've yet to have leaky dampers, and I have 60,000 miles on my original ones; i suggest people don't drive aggressively over speed humps with the front shock in lift mode... There is a more robust solution available for the front lift mechanism if required that allows the use of KW or bilstein shocks if required, and its cheaper than the original solution (though not yet needed this).
1. leaking rubber hoses- these are old cars now, and the engine bays are insanely hot- in traffic (I live in central london) the engine oil temp will hit 125+ deg C; thats considered track day temps. This heat degrades rubber hoses fast.. causing oil and vacuum leaks. Most people think the basic service bills (e.g. £4200 for a clutch change from an independent, £5K from lambo) mean that preventative maintenance is nearly never done- only repairs when malfunctions arise (whereas I simply replaced every rubber hose when i changed the clutch- as thats when things are most accessible when the engine is out- not to mention the major service is an engine out job).
-note a fix for the oil temp is an a fan fitted to the oil cooler (and i upgraded to the LP640 (larger) oil cooler, AND fitted a fan.
2. Talking of the major service, yes there is a 9 hour labour charge for the cam follower clearance- but really it takes far less time than that when the engine is out, and I'm not even a mechanic (lawyer/investment banker).
They are simple old buses- VERY simple really, they really are old school. To put this in prospective, back in my teens my big block chev (454) had mechanical lifters and had to be clearanced every 5000 miles or so; more frequently if drag racing often- i did it monthly- ok there was only 16 valves not 48 so it was quicker to do on the old v8, but the same process exactly.
The e-gear- its not a jerky first gear- its the fact that the clutch bite point (full take up) is about 1300rpm; it can be raised and the engagement softened, but this wears the clutch faster. The issue is in heavy traffic- if you are at 1500 rpm you're at the speed limit; in stop/start traffic you never get full engagement (the idea is to leave a big gap when traffic moves, so that you can drive forward properly, and fully engage the clutch, and then pull back to neutral again- but this never happens as people just merge into the space you're trying to make ahead of you)
If you live in central london and drive it daily in traffic on a regular clutch, i'd doubt you'd see 5000 miles out of a standard clutch. If you rarely see traffic, i'd say 15,000 miles may well be possible. I've just installed a kevlar clutch and am hoping to get 8000-10,000 miles out of it...time will tell..
In short, these are mechanically very robust if maintained well; the issue is people skimp on maintenance. If you face heavy traffic, i'd go the manual for sure (i've accumulated most parts to convert my e-gear to manual, and may do so next clutch change if I don't get 8000 miles).
I've yet to have leaky dampers, and I have 60,000 miles on my original ones; i suggest people don't drive aggressively over speed humps with the front shock in lift mode... There is a more robust solution available for the front lift mechanism if required that allows the use of KW or bilstein shocks if required, and its cheaper than the original solution (though not yet needed this).
SydneySE said:
As one of the very few world wide (3 that I know of) who does such major work as a major service or clutch change at home as a DIY proposition, I'd like to say the following:
1. leaking rubber hoses- these are old cars now, and the engine bays are insanely hot- in traffic (I live in central london) the engine oil temp will hit 125+ deg C; thats considered track day temps. This heat degrades rubber hoses fast.. causing oil and vacuum leaks. Most people think the basic service bills (e.g. £4200 for a clutch change from an independent, £5K from lambo) mean that preventative maintenance is nearly never done- only repairs when malfunctions arise (whereas I simply replaced every rubber hose when i changed the clutch- as thats when things are most accessible when the engine is out- not to mention the major service is an engine out job).
-note a fix for the oil temp is an a fan fitted to the oil cooler (and i upgraded to the LP640 (larger) oil cooler, AND fitted a fan.
2. Talking of the major service, yes there is a 9 hour labour charge for the cam follower clearance- but really it takes far less time than that when the engine is out, and I'm not even a mechanic (lawyer/investment banker).
They are simple old buses- VERY simple really, they really are old school. To put this in prospective, back in my teens my big block chev (454) had mechanical lifters and had to be clearanced every 5000 miles or so; more frequently if drag racing often- i did it monthly- ok there was only 16 valves not 48 so it was quicker to do on the old v8, but the same process exactly.
The e-gear- its not a jerky first gear- its the fact that the clutch bite point (full take up) is about 1300rpm; it can be raised and the engagement softened, but this wears the clutch faster. The issue is in heavy traffic- if you are at 1500 rpm you're at the speed limit; in stop/start traffic you never get full engagement (the idea is to leave a big gap when traffic moves, so that you can drive forward properly, and fully engage the clutch, and then pull back to neutral again- but this never happens as people just merge into the space you're trying to make ahead of you)
If you live in central london and drive it daily in traffic on a regular clutch, i'd doubt you'd see 5000 miles out of a standard clutch. If you rarely see traffic, i'd say 15,000 miles may well be possible. I've just installed a kevlar clutch and am hoping to get 8000-10,000 miles out of it...time will tell..
In short, these are mechanically very robust if maintained well; the issue is people skimp on maintenance. If you face heavy traffic, i'd go the manual for sure (i've accumulated most parts to convert my e-gear to manual, and may do so next clutch change if I don't get 8000 miles).
I've yet to have leaky dampers, and I have 60,000 miles on my original ones; i suggest people don't drive aggressively over speed humps with the front shock in lift mode... There is a more robust solution available for the front lift mechanism if required that allows the use of KW or bilstein shocks if required, and its cheaper than the original solution (though not yet needed this).
Thanks for your input. I've PM'd you.1. leaking rubber hoses- these are old cars now, and the engine bays are insanely hot- in traffic (I live in central london) the engine oil temp will hit 125+ deg C; thats considered track day temps. This heat degrades rubber hoses fast.. causing oil and vacuum leaks. Most people think the basic service bills (e.g. £4200 for a clutch change from an independent, £5K from lambo) mean that preventative maintenance is nearly never done- only repairs when malfunctions arise (whereas I simply replaced every rubber hose when i changed the clutch- as thats when things are most accessible when the engine is out- not to mention the major service is an engine out job).
-note a fix for the oil temp is an a fan fitted to the oil cooler (and i upgraded to the LP640 (larger) oil cooler, AND fitted a fan.
2. Talking of the major service, yes there is a 9 hour labour charge for the cam follower clearance- but really it takes far less time than that when the engine is out, and I'm not even a mechanic (lawyer/investment banker).
They are simple old buses- VERY simple really, they really are old school. To put this in prospective, back in my teens my big block chev (454) had mechanical lifters and had to be clearanced every 5000 miles or so; more frequently if drag racing often- i did it monthly- ok there was only 16 valves not 48 so it was quicker to do on the old v8, but the same process exactly.
The e-gear- its not a jerky first gear- its the fact that the clutch bite point (full take up) is about 1300rpm; it can be raised and the engagement softened, but this wears the clutch faster. The issue is in heavy traffic- if you are at 1500 rpm you're at the speed limit; in stop/start traffic you never get full engagement (the idea is to leave a big gap when traffic moves, so that you can drive forward properly, and fully engage the clutch, and then pull back to neutral again- but this never happens as people just merge into the space you're trying to make ahead of you)
If you live in central london and drive it daily in traffic on a regular clutch, i'd doubt you'd see 5000 miles out of a standard clutch. If you rarely see traffic, i'd say 15,000 miles may well be possible. I've just installed a kevlar clutch and am hoping to get 8000-10,000 miles out of it...time will tell..
In short, these are mechanically very robust if maintained well; the issue is people skimp on maintenance. If you face heavy traffic, i'd go the manual for sure (i've accumulated most parts to convert my e-gear to manual, and may do so next clutch change if I don't get 8000 miles).
I've yet to have leaky dampers, and I have 60,000 miles on my original ones; i suggest people don't drive aggressively over speed humps with the front shock in lift mode... There is a more robust solution available for the front lift mechanism if required that allows the use of KW or bilstein shocks if required, and its cheaper than the original solution (though not yet needed this).
Juber said:
Just out of interest, typically how long does the clutch on a Murci last for on normal town/motorway driving (LP640) ?
1: On a Manual
2: On E Gear
(not on the SV models)
on a manual- it comes down to driving style; on an e-gear, 1st and reverse wear the clutch aggressively (true for Ferrari F1 as well- same control equipment by magnetti marelli), motorway driving will extend the clutch life, city driving is worse; but heavy traffic like in central london, is literally a real drag...1: On a Manual
2: On E Gear
(not on the SV models)
Eleander said:
First of all I have to say they are fantastic cars and get a lot of love from everyone who sees it, a surprising amount in fact. Looking at what other cars are currently selling for I think they are comparatively under appreciated.
For me there were too many unknowns in buying a car which was a little rougher and doing it up and I was advised against this approach. As such I would caution against going down this route and instead buy a car in good condition and one which had been driven regularly and not parked up for extended periods.
I bought my car through Carlo which belonged to a fellow pistonheads member and had been serviced by Mike Pullen. For me it was important to have the reassurance of trusted people. Carlo has a great knowledge of the market and told me a few stories about cars being advertised - as has been said a surprising amount of them seem to have a murky past.
On a separate note I was also advised against buying a roadster as the car was never designed to be a convertible and was told it did not make a good one. For me a Murcielago is an old school supercar so I wanted a manual both for that reason and for the additional driver involvement (it is liekyl to be the last manual car I ever own). Obviously that is just my personal experience/thoughts and there is no 'wrong' Murcielago!!
Good luck with the search.
Appreciate the input Eleander. I'll let you know how I get on. I may send you a PM once I proceed. Cheers. MFor me there were too many unknowns in buying a car which was a little rougher and doing it up and I was advised against this approach. As such I would caution against going down this route and instead buy a car in good condition and one which had been driven regularly and not parked up for extended periods.
I bought my car through Carlo which belonged to a fellow pistonheads member and had been serviced by Mike Pullen. For me it was important to have the reassurance of trusted people. Carlo has a great knowledge of the market and told me a few stories about cars being advertised - as has been said a surprising amount of them seem to have a murky past.
On a separate note I was also advised against buying a roadster as the car was never designed to be a convertible and was told it did not make a good one. For me a Murcielago is an old school supercar so I wanted a manual both for that reason and for the additional driver involvement (it is liekyl to be the last manual car I ever own). Obviously that is just my personal experience/thoughts and there is no 'wrong' Murcielago!!
Good luck with the search.
Well I decided to take the plunge, on a RHD 2007 640 Roadster. (being sold privately)
I did have a chat with a few Indies who gave me some sterling advise following your recommendations, and in taking on board your comments in the thread... I discussed with the owner about getting the car to a specialist for a 'dose of salts' overview. Its not that he was reluctant, (he wasn't afraid of any inspection revealing anything) moreseo the logistics of getting the car there and getting back, and indeed re-collecting the car etc.
I eventually got the current owner to agree to me having the car inspected at Lamborghini Birmingham. I know the guys there, who have looked after my Gallardo's, and I got negotiated a price whereas they would collect the car and re-deliver it back to the current owner.
I had a " VHC and 154 Check". VHC being a Vehicle Health Check, includes Road-Test, Static checks & also on the ramp. The 154 Check is also a service they offer that is Lamborghini's own list of 154 checks they do on a pre-owned car before they put it for sale in their showroom (so one would assume a fairly thorough affair). As belt & braces I also asked them to do an geometry check and get it on their laser rig.
Result being a comprehensive report and also a Video which shows their technicians walking around the car pointing out a summary of all the points they identified in the VHC & 154 check.
The upshot being no horror stories & no major heart surgery required :-) Just the usual niggles. Cple of warning lights (Oxy Sensors & Air-bag) Brake pads, and the rest are all 'caution' issues to keep an eye on such as a cple of hoses, wishbone bushes, paintwork/bodywork (few door dinks in panels from other car doors, and looks like its had a touch up under the front bumper) and other minor ancillary stuff.
Needless to say, based upon the outcome of the checks, I negotiated a price with the seller before Lambo Birmingham delivered the car back. A deal was done, and whilst Lambo Birmingham still had the vehicle I got a price from them to undertake some of the bits. (Oxygen sensors & Air-bag warning light, which I know from Murci blogs.. can be a bugger to clear)
A day later & a clean bill of health (well almost), its ready to collect :-)
I'm collecting the car tomorrow & taking it to PF Autos in Stoke (a few friends of mine have had their XJ220 & F40 re-sprayed there & done a concourse job). I sent Paul @ PF Autos the Video Link, and the report of the VHC & 154 check and he has confirmed that he can easily do all the other ancillary stuff while its stripped for a re-spray.
Thanks to all of you in this thread for your help and advice and useful contacts.
I'll give you update once Paul @ PF Autos does his own visual & his interpretation after tomorrow.
I did have a chat with a few Indies who gave me some sterling advise following your recommendations, and in taking on board your comments in the thread... I discussed with the owner about getting the car to a specialist for a 'dose of salts' overview. Its not that he was reluctant, (he wasn't afraid of any inspection revealing anything) moreseo the logistics of getting the car there and getting back, and indeed re-collecting the car etc.
I eventually got the current owner to agree to me having the car inspected at Lamborghini Birmingham. I know the guys there, who have looked after my Gallardo's, and I got negotiated a price whereas they would collect the car and re-deliver it back to the current owner.
I had a " VHC and 154 Check". VHC being a Vehicle Health Check, includes Road-Test, Static checks & also on the ramp. The 154 Check is also a service they offer that is Lamborghini's own list of 154 checks they do on a pre-owned car before they put it for sale in their showroom (so one would assume a fairly thorough affair). As belt & braces I also asked them to do an geometry check and get it on their laser rig.
Result being a comprehensive report and also a Video which shows their technicians walking around the car pointing out a summary of all the points they identified in the VHC & 154 check.
The upshot being no horror stories & no major heart surgery required :-) Just the usual niggles. Cple of warning lights (Oxy Sensors & Air-bag) Brake pads, and the rest are all 'caution' issues to keep an eye on such as a cple of hoses, wishbone bushes, paintwork/bodywork (few door dinks in panels from other car doors, and looks like its had a touch up under the front bumper) and other minor ancillary stuff.
Needless to say, based upon the outcome of the checks, I negotiated a price with the seller before Lambo Birmingham delivered the car back. A deal was done, and whilst Lambo Birmingham still had the vehicle I got a price from them to undertake some of the bits. (Oxygen sensors & Air-bag warning light, which I know from Murci blogs.. can be a bugger to clear)
A day later & a clean bill of health (well almost), its ready to collect :-)
I'm collecting the car tomorrow & taking it to PF Autos in Stoke (a few friends of mine have had their XJ220 & F40 re-sprayed there & done a concourse job). I sent Paul @ PF Autos the Video Link, and the report of the VHC & 154 check and he has confirmed that he can easily do all the other ancillary stuff while its stripped for a re-spray.
Thanks to all of you in this thread for your help and advice and useful contacts.
I'll give you update once Paul @ PF Autos does his own visual & his interpretation after tomorrow.
MarkyL said:
Well I decided to take the plunge, on a RHD 2007 640 Roadster. (being sold privately)
I did have a chat with a few Indies who gave me some sterling advise following your recommendations, and in taking on board your comments in the thread... I discussed with the owner about getting the car to a specialist for a 'dose of salts' overview. Its not that he was reluctant, (he wasn't afraid of any inspection revealing anything) moreseo the logistics of getting the car there and getting back, and indeed re-collecting the car etc.
I eventually got the current owner to agree to me having the car inspected at Lamborghini Birmingham. I know the guys there, who have looked after my Gallardo's, and I got negotiated a price whereas they would collect the car and re-deliver it back to the current owner.
I had a " VHC and 154 Check". VHC being a Vehicle Health Check, includes Road-Test, Static checks & also on the ramp. The 154 Check is also a service they offer that is Lamborghini's own list of 154 checks they do on a pre-owned car before they put it for sale in their showroom (so one would assume a fairly thorough affair). As belt & braces I also asked them to do an geometry check and get it on their laser rig.
Result being a comprehensive report and also a Video which shows their technicians walking around the car pointing out a summary of all the points they identified in the VHC & 154 check.
The upshot being no horror stories & no major heart surgery required :-) Just the usual niggles. Cple of warning lights (Oxy Sensors & Air-bag) Brake pads, and the rest are all 'caution' issues to keep an eye on such as a cple of hoses, wishbone bushes, paintwork/bodywork (few door dinks in panels from other car doors, and looks like its had a touch up under the front bumper) and other minor ancillary stuff.
Needless to say, based upon the outcome of the checks, I negotiated a price with the seller before Lambo Birmingham delivered the car back. A deal was done, and whilst Lambo Birmingham still had the vehicle I got a price from them to undertake some of the bits. (Oxygen sensors & Air-bag warning light, which I know from Murci blogs.. can be a bugger to clear)
A day later & a clean bill of health (well almost), its ready to collect :-)
I'm collecting the car tomorrow & taking it to PF Autos in Stoke (a few friends of mine have had their XJ220 & F40 re-sprayed there & done a concourse job). I sent Paul @ PF Autos the Video Link, and the report of the VHC & 154 check and he has confirmed that he can easily do all the other ancillary stuff while its stripped for a re-spray.
Thanks to all of you in this thread for your help and advice and useful contacts.
I'll give you update once Paul @ PF Autos does his own visual & his interpretation after tomorrow.
Great news well done you!! That's 2 Murcis in and around Cambridge! I sense a few early morning runs in the summer.. Sent you a dm .I did have a chat with a few Indies who gave me some sterling advise following your recommendations, and in taking on board your comments in the thread... I discussed with the owner about getting the car to a specialist for a 'dose of salts' overview. Its not that he was reluctant, (he wasn't afraid of any inspection revealing anything) moreseo the logistics of getting the car there and getting back, and indeed re-collecting the car etc.
I eventually got the current owner to agree to me having the car inspected at Lamborghini Birmingham. I know the guys there, who have looked after my Gallardo's, and I got negotiated a price whereas they would collect the car and re-deliver it back to the current owner.
I had a " VHC and 154 Check". VHC being a Vehicle Health Check, includes Road-Test, Static checks & also on the ramp. The 154 Check is also a service they offer that is Lamborghini's own list of 154 checks they do on a pre-owned car before they put it for sale in their showroom (so one would assume a fairly thorough affair). As belt & braces I also asked them to do an geometry check and get it on their laser rig.
Result being a comprehensive report and also a Video which shows their technicians walking around the car pointing out a summary of all the points they identified in the VHC & 154 check.
The upshot being no horror stories & no major heart surgery required :-) Just the usual niggles. Cple of warning lights (Oxy Sensors & Air-bag) Brake pads, and the rest are all 'caution' issues to keep an eye on such as a cple of hoses, wishbone bushes, paintwork/bodywork (few door dinks in panels from other car doors, and looks like its had a touch up under the front bumper) and other minor ancillary stuff.
Needless to say, based upon the outcome of the checks, I negotiated a price with the seller before Lambo Birmingham delivered the car back. A deal was done, and whilst Lambo Birmingham still had the vehicle I got a price from them to undertake some of the bits. (Oxygen sensors & Air-bag warning light, which I know from Murci blogs.. can be a bugger to clear)
A day later & a clean bill of health (well almost), its ready to collect :-)
I'm collecting the car tomorrow & taking it to PF Autos in Stoke (a few friends of mine have had their XJ220 & F40 re-sprayed there & done a concourse job). I sent Paul @ PF Autos the Video Link, and the report of the VHC & 154 check and he has confirmed that he can easily do all the other ancillary stuff while its stripped for a re-spray.
Thanks to all of you in this thread for your help and advice and useful contacts.
I'll give you update once Paul @ PF Autos does his own visual & his interpretation after tomorrow.
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