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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.
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!!
Graham R wrote:
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!
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.
... 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.
Graham R wrote:
... 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.
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.
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.
hi Dave, I have attached a couple of pics from a local Countach with a un1, the owner builder also had problems with the mounting of the slave cylinder and this was his solution the engine is a 1uz and a un1 25T, this was his second to last car build, and he built close to 50 cars for export so I guess he had it pretty well sorted by then.
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?
Hi Graham, Unfortunately the builder had a serious auto accident some years ago, and was unable to continue building his Countess cars. There is this car for sale very cheap over here http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/other/auction-687668819.htm
It looks like a Tron replica that was made in nz in the early 90s a mate built one of these and it was finished, this is a very good price for a shell and chassis and it was reasonably accurate, you would have to have the flairs made up but it's not impossible. or if you feeling rich there is also a Countess Moldings finished car here. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/lamborghini/auction-696900614.htm it is basically a Prova copy.
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?
hi Graham R , when my mate built his car from that chassis and frame his was the first car built, and he ended up paying most of the development costs , and it was over 200k nz, he could have bought a real car for the same money back then, but his had a jag v12, zf , koni shocks and leather etc all the goodies, I would think today if you did most of it yourself you would be looking at between 30-40k nz. I found some old pics of that car when finished, they were taken from poster pictures he had made at the time, but it gives you a idea how it could turn out.
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.
HI Graham R, Unfortunately the car was sold to Japan some years ago, my mate did not build it himself, he too could not drive a spanner, that's why it cost over 200k to build.
Can you import a real car given that its a classic car , even in NZ the imports are limited to 7 yrs I think but if its a classic Countach that's a different matter. 3yrs ago you could pick up a Countach a rough one for 80-100k but they have now all gone to 150-200k and there are few that come up for sale,until the next global financial meltdown, and then they will again get sold off cheap, so maybe just save all your pennies and wait till that happens and the way things are going it can only be 5-6 yrs away.
I think that is the best way to go if you don't have the skills to build a replica, I have been building my Prova Countach replica for 27 yrs and its a very difficult car to build, very little room under the dash for all the components, I have a shed full of parts brought home from a Pickapart, that wont fit together where you want them to go ,and I have been mucking around all over cars for 50yrs and it is not a cheap car to build.
Best Regards
Graeme
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.
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
hi GrahamR it was built on the same space frame and body that I linked on trademe, can you supply details of the refit in 2007, I would be very interested in that, it was sold to japan and the last I heard had an not uncommon jag engine fire while in japan, that burnt out the entire engine cover etc ,any details of its refit would be much appreciated, I did do some work on that car as it was being built in the early 90's and I always wondered what happened to it, please reply on PM
thanks
Graeme
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
Hi GrahamR Must have been a senior moment at my end, I was a little confused by your comment of a refit in 2007 I suspect you mean the red one @70k I thought you were referring to the finished white car in the posters, I would like to find that white car if its still alive, have not seen it since 1990.
best regards
Graeme
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
hi Graham R, I did a little digging on the red car at 70k and it looks like it may not be registered, http://www.carjam.co.nz/car/?plate=agm461 but has still done over 10,000km in the last year, I also noticed the price has dropped in the last few days on the body and shell its now 2k down from 2.5k, you have to be really careful how much you sink into a replica as my mate found out it cost him over 200k to build, he only started his build because he saw mine being built, then when his marriage fell apart some years later, it took nearly 5 yrs to sell it for close to 30k, because everyone said its only a replica, a very good one but still a replica, it had a Kevlar body not fiberglass and the best of everything but still only got 30k for it, he did not care about the loss it was a company car and was written off against the tax.
A unknown side effect of these builds is they can destroy your marriage, it happened to both me and my mate, women think you are spending all your money and time on a car, and they seriously don't like it, both my mates exwife and mine both grew to hate the Countach with a passion.
best regards
Graeme
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
GrahamR I you go to the bottom of this trademe add http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/lamborghini/auction-696900614.htm
there is an blue email button you can contact him with, also there is a cell number there also just give him a call. he has had that car for sale for about 18months so you could make him an offer like 55k nz and see what happens, the car was built and reg in 1989 so you still have the 5 yr problem and its done 39k which is well over the 15km your allowed, I just worked out that the white car in the u tube is a prova exactly like mine, and looked very yummy indeed, do you know what motor it had in it the white one comes out at about $52nz.
best regards
graeme
