DaveCymrus' Countach thread :D

[davecymru]

Quick update as I'm knackered.

Gearbox is back on.
Driveshafts attached.
Exhaust surround repainted (Satin Black! )

Hopefully, all going well, i can have all the rest of the rear end reassembled tomorrow night.

There a small bit of water in the valley on the V8, but i expect this is either one of the 2 pipes to the water pump or the thermostat housing gasket. Should be easy to sort. (famous last words?)

If i can get it drivable by the weekend and finish bleeding the new braking system then possibly.... just possibly... i can get it booked in for an MOT in a week or so and you never know, i may just make Stoneleigh!!


What's that..... a deadline.... oh dear

[davecymru]

New water pump hoses have turned up along with a new thermostat seal, so i'll get those on this weekend and hopefully that'll be the water leak sorted.

Then it's a double check of the new clutch down the lane (private rd!) as it was juddering a bit, but a few people have said that may just be due to it not being bedded in yet?

fingers crossed.

[Graham R]

Hi Dave,
I have just come across your story on this site and I was hoping you may be able to help me due to the fact you know your way around cars very well.

I am a brit living in Peru South America. A few months ago I was hoping to buy a rep V12 countach in England and export it here. Unfortunately due to Peruvian import laws only cars up to five years old can be imported and most rep countachs seem well over 5 years old.

My question is it possible on space frame cars to re-register to a newer year or what would the rough cost be to transplant a kit body onto a newer donor car? also do you know of any person or company who could do it at a reasonable cost?

The other question is why does it seem that of all the advertisements I have seen and owners I have been in contact with not when will give any performance figures for there cars. Just matter-fores like " it goes like stink and its quick" Why? Is it that these cars are mostly for looks and a ford escort is quicker?

When I was in the UK I had different sports cars from lotus turbos to e-type jags whose owner were quick to tell me the performance of their cars. Repro owners say nothing. Why is this do you think?

Graham R

[chris gittins]

Dave,
I see that you are selling the car but still have slight clutch problems. You appear to have done the right things so far and are running an identical system to me i.e. Rover V8, rover flywheel and clutch cover with a Renault friction plate and UN1 gearbox. There should be no reason at all for you to have any judder at all. Judder is normally caused by oil contamination on the friction plate and there appears none on yours.
To cut to the chase...from the photos your slave cylinder appears to be mounted/reinforced with a home made bracket. The angle the cylinder is mounted at is critical to the correct operation of the clutch fork and if there is any movement at all in the cylinder mounting this will cause judder.
Alternatively and at the risk of boring you (and everyone else) the other none standard part you will have is a Renault clutch fork mated with a Rover release bearing. If they have not been mated perfectly straight then the bearing will not contact the clutch cover completely "flat" performing on pulling away as if you are repeatedly de-clutching. The only other option is that you are still running with the Renault release bearing that is simply to small in diameter to match the Rover clutch cover and will never operate smoothly.
Sorry for all the detail but I have had lots of experience with this and through months of trial and error my Noble P4 now has a silky smooth clutch operation.
Good luck with the sale.

[davecymru]

Hi Chris,

I am listing the car up for sale but only if it can sell by this weekend as i've had an interesting offer that i'm keeping to myself for the moment! But if it doesn't sell, then i'll keep it for a while longer and try and get everything sorted myself.

Many, many thanks for your detailed response, it is greatly appreciated!
Until i changed the plate, the 200+ miles i've done in the car never threw up any problems like this so i'm hopeful that it's nothing serious.
I've only taken it in/out of the garage once since doing the clutch, so if i do keep it i now know how to strip it down easily enough (even in my ikkle garage!) it's just that i have _very_ limited free time recently and things seem to drag on for ever..

[oxford1360]

I would second all of Chris' points. We had a very similar problem on a UVA M6 years ago and the problem was the movement of the clutch fork extending beyond the tolerances of the seat for the release bearing. Hence, when fully extended, the release bearing was being forced off-centre, and it would judder like hell. A bit of attention to the geometry of slave, fork and release bearing "should" solve it. And, it is SO rewarding when you go for that first drive once it is sorted.

[davecymru]

Originally Posted by Graham R

My question is it possible on space frame cars to re-register to a newer year or what would the rough cost be to transplant a kit body onto a newer donor car? also do you know of any person or company who could do it at a reasonable cost?

Sadly re-registering would be illegal in the UK, unless you are using the car as a donor for another vehicle, and even then i imagine that it's still a legal minefield if what you start off with was a kit car to begin with!!

Originally Posted by Graham R

The other question is why does it seem that of all the advertisements I have seen and owners I have been in contact with not when will give any performance figures for there cars. Just matter-fores like " it goes like stink and its quick" Why? Is it that these cars are mostly for looks and a ford escort is quicker?

When I was in the UK I had different sports cars from lotus turbos to e-type jags whose owner were quick to tell me the performance of their cars. Repro owners say nothing. Why is this do you think?

Graham R

I would suggest that performance is just a very personal area for someone who's spent x months building their car, especially for the British who are legendarily understated! That coupled with maybe not actually knowing?

Personally i have no idea how fast the MasterCo is 0-60 or top speed. But it only weights ~1 ton and it's got ~200BHP from the current Rover V8 (well. somewhere between 175 and 200 best guess) so i'd state that it's not slow. But as it's a kit car that could easily be changed by altering carb setup or changing to a bigder one, tinkering with the cams etc, air filter selection, changing the gearbox or even completely changing the engine for a newer and bigger Rover unit! I suppose that's one of the joys of a kit car, is that you're in total control of what's in it

On the subject of "are these cars mostly for looks" i would say.... partly and i've got no shame in saying that! But... Unless it's a Beetle based car then a lightweight chassis and big V8 is never going to be "slow" and even the MR2 Turbo based Murci replicas are _very_ quick, at least in a straight line!

I hope that sort-of helps?

Rgds

Dave

[Graham R]

Hi Dave,
Thanks for the info. Is there a company that still makes the countach body and parts? Or would I have to look at later models due to Puru's 5 year max on used imports. Or any other suggestions? There is an American company that build diablos but the end cost is almost the same as a real one.

Your thoughts about the performance figures are interesting, but to me rather strange because why would anyone try and copy a high performance car in every detail then not be that bothered about its performance?

As I said all the cars that are advertised both in the UK and the States not one says anything about performance is it that builders/sellers are worried about the car falling apart at speed?

The only repro car I have ever had was a Porsche engine Nova that I was worried about going over 90 due to the rattles and shudders at that speed.

Hope you or any other member help me in my quest.

Graham R

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by davecymru

... I am listing the car up for sale but only if it can sell by this weekend as i've had an interesting offer that i'm keeping to myself for the moment! ...

Dave - Finger crossed that everything work out for you this time.

Originally Posted by Graham R

... all the cars that are advertised both in the UK and the States not one says anything about performance...

Graham - Welcome to the forum, sorry I can't help you with your Peru / Countach questions.
But I would suggest you start your own thread in one of the forum's "General" sections with Peru in the title.
That should give you a wider audience to find someone with experience of Peru's import rules.

Finally, to answer your performance question, have the owners of these cars been to a track day / autobaun?
If not, how can they confirm top speed without admitting to illegal speeding on a public road?
My avatar photo is my Triumph motorcycle at Cadwell Park race track, I also went to Snetterton on it.
So I can happily claim to have taken the bike up to around 160mph legally on Snetterton's back straight with no problems.
But it would be very foolish to admit travelling over 70 mph on a public road.

Cheers, Paul.

[~dan~]

Originally Posted by Graham R

Hi Dave,
Thanks for the info. Is there a company that still makes the countach body and parts? Or would I have to look at later models due to Puru's 5 year max on used imports. Or any other suggestions? There is an American company that build diablos but the end cost is almost the same as a real one.

Your thoughts about the performance figures are interesting, but to me rather strange because why would anyone try and copy a high performance car in every detail then not be that bothered about its performance?

As I said all the cars that are advertised both in the UK and the States not one says anything about performance is it that builders/sellers are worried about the car falling apart at speed?

The only repro car I have ever had was a Porsche engine Nova that I was worried about going over 90 due to the rattles and shudders at that speed.

Hope you or any other member help me in my quest.

Graham R

'DC supercars' UK make countach bodies new. Have a look on their website.

[Graham R]

Dave,

Thanks for the advice about my own thread but I know the import restrictions into Peru being nothing over 5 years old and 10-15000 kilometers on the clock and only left hand drive cars, although they can be changed once here. Someone has told me this law is due to be changed sometime this year. But knowing Peru I won't hold my breath.

As for the performance figures, I think that is a "cop out" no disrespect are you telling me that all owner of replica cars are afraid of a knock on the door from the police, or have I been out of the country too long, if they advertise their cars performance when selling it. What about 0-60 ?

Anyway, I really do appreciate you taking the time in answering my questions. also thank you to Dan for the site I will have a look. I hope they are not too expensive.

Regards

Graham R

[Graham R]

Hi Lambo,
I saw your reply to dave, in it you mentioned someone you know who builds lamb's for export. Does he still build them if so can you post his e-mail so I can contact him please?

Graham R

[Graham R]

Hi Lambo,
Thanks for the sites.

The finished car looks good, but at a $70.000 price tag seems a lot plus the shipping and tax costs on top. The problem is that for me to import into Peru the car must not be more then 5 years old, with 10.000 k on the clock and left hand drive, that could be done over here.

The shell car maybe more interesting, in your oppinion, or any other members, what would be the proximate finished cost using a used V10 or V12 engine?

Await your reply.

Regards

Graham R

[Graham R]

Hi Lambo,

What happened to the car has he still got it?

My problem is that I have no idea how to hold a spanner let alone build a car. Changing the oil is about it. I wouldn't even trust a mechanic here to do it properly. What you you think a cost for someone else to build it there or the UK or States would be? Or would it be cheaper to buy a real one?

As I have already stated because Peru has this 5 year max on imported cars that takes out most of the used cars that I have seen for sale in different countries. So the only way, if not too expensive, is build from scratch. Also I have to take into account the cost of taxes and shipping getting it here.

Await your thoughts

Graham R

[Graham R]

Hi Lambo,

I think you maybe are right? Im "done" either way. It seems I can't find a newer countach build that's 5 years or under or to build one from scratch that will cost as much as a real one, I thought that was the idea have a replica $200,000 car for $35-$60.000 not the same price as a real one and the problems when you try and sell it later down the line. Is that what happened to your friend's car? He almost gave it away?

Or maybe I can get another "newer model " replica although I don't like the look of them as much as a countach. I don't know?

When I was living in the UK I had lotus esprit turbos, including the Essex model,among the other makes a replica Porsche engined nova, but I have the same problem of esprits not being a max of 5 years or younger. Bloody Peruvian law.

Thanks for your time giving me your ideas

Graham R

[Graham R]

Hi Lambo,
Do you know much about the finished car that you sent? I see it had a refit in 2007.Do you think it could be re-registered? Is it on a space frame or donor car?
Cheers
Graham R

[Graham R]

Hi Lambo,
I asked you about the refit I no nothing about this car apart from what you have told me.
Regards
Graham R

[Graham R]

Lambo,
Yes it was the red one I was talking about. The site that you posted regarding a company that still makes them haven't bothered to reply to my e-mail although by want you say the cost would be about the same as buying a real one, As I have already said I thought the idea was to have a $200.000 replica at a fraction of the cost of a real one not to pay the same price as I see the other problem would be when you tried to sell it.

There is a real lambo gallardo that will be for sale complete with AK bullet holes down one side after its drug dealer owner was murdered in it. If its cheap enough maybe?

I presume registration of the red one would be illegal unless you put it onto a new frame?

I see you have the same first name as me but different spelling

Regards

Graham R

[Graham R]

Hi Lambo,
Lucky I can't hold a spanner I would like to stay married.
As I thought replica's seem hard to sell how ever good yjey are unless you "give them away".
Here are a couple of youtub vid's of the car I nearly bought in the UK until I found out about the 5 year max on imported cars. You may have seen them already

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YbwFuvoqkk

http://youtu.be/eZbixBD_xPQ


youtube.com/watch?v=qNyGq916ON8

It was 28 UK pounds but went down to 19 UK pounds

It looks like he sold it.


How do I contact with owner of the red car do you know?

Regards

Graham R

[Graham R]

Lambo,

Thats 28 thousand UK pounds

Graham R