Who knows this Diablo?
Discussion
Hello everyone,
Is there anyone who can tell me a bit more about this Diablo?
I've been mailing back and forth with the owner for a while, and he's been very accomodating, but i'd love to hear opinions from people who've seen the car in the flesh...
It's this one:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/232886.htm
Thanks !!
Simon
Is there anyone who can tell me a bit more about this Diablo?
I've been mailing back and forth with the owner for a while, and he's been very accomodating, but i'd love to hear opinions from people who've seen the car in the flesh...
It's this one:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/232886.htm
Thanks !!
Simon
the owner used to rent me a garage he had some years back - my only complaint was that it was a little narrow for getting in and out of my Jarama - not a problem you ever have with a Diablo!!
the car has been a good 'un all the time I've known it, although the wing used to be silver, kind of like a streak of grey for us older chaps in some ways
Mike Pullen's work generally gets a great big thumbs up from people and the owner (hi Jonathan!) is a top geezer! My old office is yards away from those photographs but is now here in the not-so frozen north.
Also, I can vouch for the garaging of the Diablo using some hi-tech stuff as I recall...
great car, great value @ that price as well imo
Alan - where y' been lately pal??
the car has been a good 'un all the time I've known it, although the wing used to be silver, kind of like a streak of grey for us older chaps in some ways
Mike Pullen's work generally gets a great big thumbs up from people and the owner (hi Jonathan!) is a top geezer! My old office is yards away from those photographs but is now here in the not-so frozen north.
Also, I can vouch for the garaging of the Diablo using some hi-tech stuff as I recall...
great car, great value @ that price as well imo
Alan - where y' been lately pal??
Edited by XXVIII on Tuesday 18th September 20:55
Thanks for the feedback.
I must say the communication with the owner has been perfect, even as he's been very busy, he takes out the time to reply to my questions.
As i'm abroad, it's not that easy to just pop over for a look, but this appears to be the best value for money Diablo i've seen for sale the last couple of months. With your feedback, it's good to know that the car itself is known, and is legitimate.
Will keep you posted on the progress
I must say the communication with the owner has been perfect, even as he's been very busy, he takes out the time to reply to my questions.
As i'm abroad, it's not that easy to just pop over for a look, but this appears to be the best value for money Diablo i've seen for sale the last couple of months. With your feedback, it's good to know that the car itself is known, and is legitimate.
Will keep you posted on the progress
Don't know the car, but can vouch for the quality of Mike Pullens work. Car seems a fair price. Hopefully it has had a brake upgrade as well as the standard 92 brakes are pretty awful, liveable but pretty grim for a very quick car. No power steering but it's not that heavy, gear shift gate actually much nicer to use than the later cars as it is closer spaced. You'll need to wear racing type boots or shoes to drive her as the pedals are very close together, unless you have small feet. The later cars are a little better, best of luck Graeme
I've heard before that series 1 brakes can be pretty bad, but the owner hasn't changed them over to the later brembo versions, as it hasn't given him issues.
I might change them over myself later on, but i'll see how it goes first...
The car is available with some spare parts, like the silver coloured wing, i'll have to see that in the flesh and see if I want to take it too...
Does anyone know anything about Carrera Sport having a website?
I might change them over myself later on, but i'll see how it goes first...
The car is available with some spare parts, like the silver coloured wing, i'll have to see that in the flesh and see if I want to take it too...
Does anyone know anything about Carrera Sport having a website?
This is it
http://www.members.aol.com/offshore105/index.html
Its pretty out of date and not brilliant, but Mike is a busy guy and doesn't really get it updated. He is the best in the business for Lambo's in the UK next to Del Hopkins.
http://www.members.aol.com/offshore105/index.html
Its pretty out of date and not brilliant, but Mike is a busy guy and doesn't really get it updated. He is the best in the business for Lambo's in the UK next to Del Hopkins.
Forgive me but am I missing something here? This car started life as a 1992 car. It's also lhd. Yes, Mike Pullen is a good guy, but to my mind the car is a bitsa. If you tried to sell it to the trade they wouldn't buy it (OK, so 1 specialist might...).
It's a bit like buying a 1991 911 Turbo 2 and converting it to 993 GT2 look; no matter how well it's done, it still isn't the real thing.
I've seen several decent early Diablos on PH in RHD for circa £45k and the supercar market is very much a buyer's market at the moment and likely to remain so for some time.
It's a bit like buying a 1991 911 Turbo 2 and converting it to 993 GT2 look; no matter how well it's done, it still isn't the real thing.
I've seen several decent early Diablos on PH in RHD for circa £45k and the supercar market is very much a buyer's market at the moment and likely to remain so for some time.
rubystone
Checking your profile shows that you don't own a Lamborghini, don't appear to have ever owned a Lamborghini and, reading your 'contribution' here, have almost zero understanding or knowledge of the Lamborghini market in the UK...
Almost without question, especially for older Diablos in the south of England (and further afield), Carrera Sport are one of the best people to do business with.
Comparisons to any Porsches, or indeed anything much else are as irrelevant as they are odious - the Diablo in question is a good 'un, the current owner is a decent and conscientious chap and whoever buys the car will probably be as happy as some bloke called Laurence on a cheerful day I reckon...
also, whoever buys this car: JOIN LAMBORGHINI CLUB UK - you know you want to anyway and our Club life is on a constant upbeat just at the moment - you can be a part of it!!
Checking your profile shows that you don't own a Lamborghini, don't appear to have ever owned a Lamborghini and, reading your 'contribution' here, have almost zero understanding or knowledge of the Lamborghini market in the UK...
Almost without question, especially for older Diablos in the south of England (and further afield), Carrera Sport are one of the best people to do business with.
Comparisons to any Porsches, or indeed anything much else are as irrelevant as they are odious - the Diablo in question is a good 'un, the current owner is a decent and conscientious chap and whoever buys the car will probably be as happy as some bloke called Laurence on a cheerful day I reckon...
also, whoever buys this car: JOIN LAMBORGHINI CLUB UK - you know you want to anyway and our Club life is on a constant upbeat just at the moment - you can be a part of it!!
I live on the mainland so we drive on the right side of the road 
This car originates in belgium, so it's coming back home, if I buy it...
Anyone knowing a bit about Diablos knows that the series 1 cars had a lot of mechanical problems, so the modifictions done to the car (which are 99% invisible) make it a far better investment than a regular one...
People looking for a long term investment/garage queen will pass on this car, but in my case, i want to drive it, so i want it to be reliable and go like stink
Oh and if LCUK has an overseas membership, I might join in, otherwise i'll pass ;-)
This car originates in belgium, so it's coming back home, if I buy it...
Anyone knowing a bit about Diablos knows that the series 1 cars had a lot of mechanical problems, so the modifictions done to the car (which are 99% invisible) make it a far better investment than a regular one...
People looking for a long term investment/garage queen will pass on this car, but in my case, i want to drive it, so i want it to be reliable and go like stink
Oh and if LCUK has an overseas membership, I might join in, otherwise i'll pass ;-)
XXVIII said:
rubystone
Checking your profile shows that you don't own a Lamborghini, don't appear to have ever owned a Lamborghini and, reading your 'contribution' here, have almost zero understanding or knowledge of the Lamborghini market in the UK...
Almost without question, especially for older Diablos in the south of England (and further afield), Carrera Sport are one of the best people to do business with.
Comparisons to any Porsches, or indeed anything much else are as irrelevant as they are odious - the Diablo in question is a good 'un, the current owner is a decent and conscientious chap and whoever buys the car will probably be as happy as some bloke called Laurence on a cheerful day I reckon...
also, whoever buys this car: JOIN LAMBORGHINI CLUB UK - you know you want to anyway and our Club life is on a constant upbeat just at the moment - you can be a part of it!!
...this from a man who has owned a succession of exotica such as a...Volvo 360 Checking your profile shows that you don't own a Lamborghini, don't appear to have ever owned a Lamborghini and, reading your 'contribution' here, have almost zero understanding or knowledge of the Lamborghini market in the UK...
Almost without question, especially for older Diablos in the south of England (and further afield), Carrera Sport are one of the best people to do business with.
Comparisons to any Porsches, or indeed anything much else are as irrelevant as they are odious - the Diablo in question is a good 'un, the current owner is a decent and conscientious chap and whoever buys the car will probably be as happy as some bloke called Laurence on a cheerful day I reckon...
also, whoever buys this car: JOIN LAMBORGHINI CLUB UK - you know you want to anyway and our Club life is on a constant upbeat just at the moment - you can be a part of it!!
....OK. Please don't dismiss my understanding of the market, nor my knowledge about Mike Pullen's abilities. Mike is the first person I call up if I want to know about the Countaches I have been looking at; he seems to know every single example in the UK and I reckon that a call to Mike and a call to
Graham Schultz should uncover whatever there is to know about any Lamobrghini in the UK.
My experience with lamborghinis is a litle old I do admit - it goes back to when John Chappell owned the Lamborghini franchise in the UK - that'd make it 1989-ish, but I might be a year or two out. As it happens, I was more involved in the marine side of the business in those years, but you won't be interested in Class 1 Offshore will you? Have you ever come across John by the way? Admittedly, he wouldn't have been interested in your Jarama, so unlikely you'd have met him....
However. I really do not see how this could alter the fundamental fact here that the car in question is a mongrel, not a pure-bred. If I were spending £50k on a car like that, I'd want a pure breed.
I also have to say that you are a blinkered man if you believe truly that anything is "odious" in comparison to a Diablo and have done nothing to dispel my doubts about joining LCUK! Nice bit of promotion there David! I don't really get a warm and friendly feeling about it from your posting here....
Disclaimer: This in no way suggests that the vendor of this Diablo is anything other than a lovely guy who donates money to charity and offsets his carbon footpritn by recycling his newspapers every week.
rubystone said:
...this from a man who has owned a succession of exotica such as a...Volvo 360 ....
OK. Please don't dismiss my understanding of the market, nor my knowledge about Mike Pullen's abilities. Mike is the first person I call up if I want to know about the Countaches I have been looking at; he seems to know every single example in the UK and I reckon that a call to Mike ...
My experience with lamborghinis is a litle old I do admit - it goes back to when John Chappell owned the Lamborghini franchise in the UK - that'd make it 1989-ish, but I might be a year or two out. As it happens, I was more involved in the marine side of the business in those years, but you won't be interested in Class 1 Offshore will you? Have you ever come across John by the way? Admittedly, he wouldn't have been interested in your Jarama, so unlikely you'd have met him....
However. I really do not see how this could alter the fundamental fact here that the car in question is a mongrel, not a pure-bred. If I were spending £50k on a car like that, I'd want a pure breed.
I also have to say that you are a blinkered man if you believe truly that anything is "odious" in comparison to a Diablo and have done nothing to dispel my doubts about joining LCUK! Nice bit of promotion there David! I don't really get a warm and friendly feeling about it from your posting here....
Disclaimer: This in no way suggests that the vendor of this Diablo is anything other than a lovely guy who donates money to charity and offsets his carbon footpritn by recycling his newspapers every week.
I'd be the first to admit that I've have owned a number of bangers that's for sure (cheap wheels for chips, the spirit of the age!) but, after over 11 years in LCUK, I've driven at least a dozen different Lamborghinis of all ages and formats and been involved with the marque as much as many a dealer in this country. ....OK. Please don't dismiss my understanding of the market, nor my knowledge about Mike Pullen's abilities. Mike is the first person I call up if I want to know about the Countaches I have been looking at; he seems to know every single example in the UK and I reckon that a call to Mike ...
My experience with lamborghinis is a litle old I do admit - it goes back to when John Chappell owned the Lamborghini franchise in the UK - that'd make it 1989-ish, but I might be a year or two out. As it happens, I was more involved in the marine side of the business in those years, but you won't be interested in Class 1 Offshore will you? Have you ever come across John by the way? Admittedly, he wouldn't have been interested in your Jarama, so unlikely you'd have met him....
However. I really do not see how this could alter the fundamental fact here that the car in question is a mongrel, not a pure-bred. If I were spending £50k on a car like that, I'd want a pure breed.
I also have to say that you are a blinkered man if you believe truly that anything is "odious" in comparison to a Diablo and have done nothing to dispel my doubts about joining LCUK! Nice bit of promotion there David! I don't really get a warm and friendly feeling about it from your posting here....
Disclaimer: This in no way suggests that the vendor of this Diablo is anything other than a lovely guy who donates money to charity and offsets his carbon footpritn by recycling his newspapers every week.
Never heard of any official dealers much before the 1990's but have met a few who were or are official, some who are semi-official (or claim to be) and a few robber-barons who are still around, sadly. Good 'uns are gems - they shine even in the midst of the dark crud of others.
I note from Club records that Jon Chappell was a Diablo owning LCUK Member in 1994 who lived in Surrey - any relation of your friend? Whether he would have been interested in my Jarama is surely not relevant or was that just a weak effort at a swipe at me in some way?
I'm much more interested in why, exactly, you saw fit to get involved with this thread and try to mess up some matters between a serious seller and a serious buyer - what's the benefit to you or anybody in doing that? All the buyer was doing was asking for some constructive comment about the car and the current owner but it seems that you have a beef with this car and these guys of some sort?
Actually, I'm quite interested in Class 1 and once tried to get some LCUK people along to a race a few years ago after we were contacted by Steve Curtis' people. I also met Steve a couple of times at offices in Chelsea Harbour and at Sant' Agata during the 40th Anniversary celebration in 2003 - an unassuming, no-aggro kind of guy as I recall.
Warm and friendly feelings would normally apply to anyone joining or wishing to join LCUK but not so much for people dissin' a recent Member's car in public and comparing a Lamborghini to a Porsche!
Also 'mongrel' is hardly a term that applies - this isn't a ruddy kit car but is a Diablo that's made of Diablo - not too many bits of anything else - plus it sounds like SimonSays wants to have the car and... arrrrrrgggghhhh... 'now feeling exasperated' doesn't start to say what I would like to!
LCUK welcomes Members from outside the UK - we have five in the Republic of Ireland, one or two in Holland and a few in Germany, a few more in France, more still in Italy, just the one in Greece, two in Switzerland, two in Spain, the one in Cyprus has recently vanished, I think, we have lots of Members in the USA and Canada, two in Australia and one in New Zealand and so, Belgium being just next door Simon, why not pm me if you'd like to know more!
Having re-read the original poster's comment, I take your point David. This is not the right thread to debate whether or not the car in question is a mongrel or not. The poster specifically asked for comments from those who have seen the car in the flesh. For that I apologise.
John Chappell owned Portman Lamborghini in the late '80s for a short time when they were the sole UK Concessionaire for Lamborghini. He still owes me the organisation of a trackday as it happens, but that's another story connected (ironically) with Porsches.
Steve Curtis is a top man, really lovely guy who likes a beer and builds great powerboats. A multiple world champion whom not too many people know about. There were other far less savoury characters about in those days - colourful for sure but I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them.
John Chappell owned Portman Lamborghini in the late '80s for a short time when they were the sole UK Concessionaire for Lamborghini. He still owes me the organisation of a trackday as it happens, but that's another story connected (ironically) with Porsches.
Steve Curtis is a top man, really lovely guy who likes a beer and builds great powerboats. A multiple world champion whom not too many people know about. There were other far less savoury characters about in those days - colourful for sure but I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them.
rubystone
That far less savoury element are just as prevalent these days, I hear... (OK, OK, I know it is - don't get me started talking about all that!!)
I recall Steve Curtis telling me that Lamborghini were starting to become a little embarrassed a few years ago when nobody seemed to want to have anything except their engines in the C1 boats! I must admit I was bemused why they would be as it seems like a great racing set-up with everyone using a common (ha!) set of engines so that it's all down to the skills of throttleperson (hmmmm) and driver (even more hmmmm!)...
The LCUK Annual Dinner is this Saturday (as you may have noticed) and we are having a convoy to Auto Italia's event at Gaydon on Sunday morning.
It will be a very ordered affair with no hooning about like nutters, there will be no hangovers evident and no left-over bread roll fights at traffic lights. Really there won't. Really.
There will be lots of Lamborghinis of all kinds, including a certain green Jarama (probably one of the oldest cars on the whole bash!) and there will be two very famous Murciélagos involved as well, that is if you read evo magazine.
The eye-watering orangeness of some of the cars will include one of those Murciélagos and a very original LP400 Countach and there will be at least many a Diablo and Countach including a black Anniversary or two - all great fun, which is what we're about, all the time!
And also, as far as I'm concerned, no apology needed - I got your point but felt it was a bit off topic - bygones, etc - and to that end, if I was my usual Northern / Welsh abrasive sounding in my posts - well, I can't apologise for the way I was made but hope you didn't take offence!
and SimonSays - let us all know how it all goes with the Diablo!!
That far less savoury element are just as prevalent these days, I hear... (OK, OK, I know it is - don't get me started talking about all that!!)
I recall Steve Curtis telling me that Lamborghini were starting to become a little embarrassed a few years ago when nobody seemed to want to have anything except their engines in the C1 boats! I must admit I was bemused why they would be as it seems like a great racing set-up with everyone using a common (ha!) set of engines so that it's all down to the skills of throttleperson (hmmmm) and driver (even more hmmmm!)...
The LCUK Annual Dinner is this Saturday (as you may have noticed) and we are having a convoy to Auto Italia's event at Gaydon on Sunday morning.
It will be a very ordered affair with no hooning about like nutters, there will be no hangovers evident and no left-over bread roll fights at traffic lights. Really there won't. Really.
There will be lots of Lamborghinis of all kinds, including a certain green Jarama (probably one of the oldest cars on the whole bash!) and there will be two very famous Murciélagos involved as well, that is if you read evo magazine.
The eye-watering orangeness of some of the cars will include one of those Murciélagos and a very original LP400 Countach and there will be at least many a Diablo and Countach including a black Anniversary or two - all great fun, which is what we're about, all the time!
And also, as far as I'm concerned, no apology needed - I got your point but felt it was a bit off topic - bygones, etc - and to that end, if I was my usual Northern / Welsh abrasive sounding in my posts - well, I can't apologise for the way I was made but hope you didn't take offence!
and SimonSays - let us all know how it all goes with the Diablo!!
ted 191 said:
John Chappell tried selling me a 911 race car years ago, went to his place all the way from leeds,to say the car was sheit is being kind, cowboy 
that wasn't the one you bought and raced thenHow you doing you old s*d, just bought myself the very last of the proper rwd turbo's, a 98 car and air cooled. I'll let you work the rest out, love to the missus, cheers G
ted 191 said:
John Chappell tried selling me a 911 race car years ago, went to his place all the way from leeds,to say the car was sheit is being kind, cowboy
Interesting...about the same time some dodgy geezer who was rather good at driving 944s round racetracks before trying his hand at "real" Porsches flogged me some green Bilsteins at Snetterton. Bloke's names was Chris somethingorother "wheeley" I think was his surname.... XXVIII said:
Comparisons to any Porsches, or indeed anything much else are as irrelevant as they are odious -
Gotta say david, as an impartial outsider that was an odd thing to say from one enthusiast marque to another. I've had a Ferrari, I've had a 911 and loved them both. I would equally love a Lamborghini one day.Rubystone has always seemed to me to be one of the good guys on here
Anyway, did you ever have any luck getting your car up here David?
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