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Go Mifune

Lambo Owner
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    93
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  • Location
    Rockville, MD
  • Interests
    Cars, Planes, Music
  1. I have accumulated a fair amount of seat time in my SE30 (US Spec) and had a bit of time in my friend's SV. The SE30 is clearly a more sharp, nimble driver's car and the brakes are not terrible (definately better than even the most optimized QV Countach, which I had for years). That said, the Brakes on the SV are definately noticeably better, and the euro SV maybe a bit more trim than the US Spec that I drove. In general the SV is probably a great compromise between weight / tossability and comfort & features, but don't underestimate how much sharper an SE30 is as a pure driver's car.
  2. All this is true, indeed......... BUT.... I have come to realize that most Countach aren't actually too well set up unless someone knowledgable has been through them and properly set cam timing, valve adjustment, etc. HUGE difference in my car before and after doing this.... The wing cetainly has a drag value. It most certainly DOES improve high speed stability under braking and sideloads (140 mph + ). A euro downdraft Countach is capable of much better than 170 if, again, properaly set up (which I think most are not right from the assembly line). I have video in mine in the mid 160's (unreliable instrumentation keeps that number vague) and video of a buddy's downdraft with the wing on bouncing off the rev limiter in 5th (around 185mph) which we later verified to be cutting out at 7450 or so.... a tad premature. We always used methods other than speedos or tachs to figure true speed as they're so unreliable and inaccurate in Lambos of that era (sure wish we had GPS back then !!!!). Bottom line on the wing for me was the braking and lateral stability in the higher speed regimes were noticable, and I thought it looked cool. I would love to have felt the acceleration without it, even if just once.
  3. They're ATE, same size as original Diablo (older, but with larger pistons, and different pad compounds - I think). Placid's Jota has the brake set up from the McLaren F1, which are also brembo calipers..... I'm very curious about that setup. I was thinking about just putting the Brembo setup from later Diablos on, but if you're going to bother changing you might as well explore all the options. There's a lot less mass to stop on an SE than other Diablos, so I'm not sure that not having the later set up hurts it as much comparitively as one might think.... but the one time I drove an SV I could tell immediately that the brakes had more bite.
  4. Don't worry - it'll be that way again one day soon.
  5. Hahaha !! yes - good guess ! I don't know who came up with that, it just showed up on my posts one day (pretty hilarious, if you know about the Diablo) - I've never uploaded an avatar. The car is my old Countach, taken from a photo I posted. One of these days soon, we'll have the paint done on the Diablo so it's back to it's plain purple, but I wanted the mechanicals done first so the dolphins are still there for the moment.
  6. Extremely different. Every bit of fat has been stripped out.... actual weights varying from just under 3200 (with US exhaust replaced with aftermarket) to 3300 (I haven't scaled mine yet). Early 2wd Diablos, 3550lbs or so, later VT's 3700 or so. Roadsters.... 3900 lbs. Engine is a 91-93 Diablo block, pistons cranks & flywheel are lightweight version (compression is same as normal Diablo). Valves are larger and are titanium. Upper engine bits (intake plenum, cam covers) are magnesium. My engine builder (who went through mine pretty thoroughly) guestimates high 500's at the crank. All of it is in the last 2000 rpm, so you have to wind it up to get the juice. Long list of other little differences, mostly in the weight saving department. Brakes are decent... much better than standard older Diablo, but not as powerful as later Brembo version (though you have less mass to stop). Cockpit adjustable rear sway bar and traction control for different driving conditions. Car is lightning fast, and very long-legged. Acceleration pretty much the same at 140 as at 80... builds speed terrifyingly fast. Feels very light and nimble.
  7. I observed about 3 mpg at a sustained 150-160 mph over 100 miles (emptied a full tank).
  8. Always amusing to see that stuff. I do think that guys like this aren't really drivers, and I have also noticed that journalists spend just enough time with a car to see faults, and don't ever get used to the machine. I had my Countach for a year or two before I really melted in to it and felt like I could throw it around. The more and more I drove it hard, the better and better it felt. I would have dumped it in a heartbeat if it were a good looking dud that was not terrific on the road. This guy and his like would complain about making love to a supermodel because his ass cheeks were getting a cool draft (forgive me, any tender ears out there.....).
  9. You're not likely to get it to smooth out too much - that's what you get with lightweight flywheels and lightweight internals. It's a good thing.... like the lopey idle of a hot cam or something. Unless its really rough, I'd check out another SE30 to compare it with and see if it's just the way they are. Mine is noticeably rougher than other cars at idle, and it's exactly what I'd expect with a lightened flywheel and racing pistons.
  10. YES - There is DEFINATELY a difference. BTW, mine was stiff too before it was lubed a little bit. Then it was not as stiff, and would slide okay if you were gentle and not forcing it. When in the position back toward you it makes your rear a little wobbly from softer stance, but allowed to slide forward it makes everything more sensitive and creates uncontrollable shudders with your rear end dancing all about...... OH - You mean the rear anti-roll adjustment !!!!! oops..... hahaha - above all applies..... basically the rear position is the softest with the rear end exhibiting a little more body roll, forward stiffens up the back end and creates sharper turn in at the expense of snap oversteer if you aren't good at managing it. Middle position I find to be the best nuetral spot and produces slight understeer with the ability to provoke the right amount of tail movement and oversteer. When it's wet or raining, I run the lever back and turn up the traction control. BTW I wasn't kidding about lubing it up - that freed up mine a bit but I still have to let the car run and the grease on the cable warm up a bit brfore I can move it too easily.
  11. I will dig around one of these days and see if I can't find some of my old notes. To consider: - When I was shopping, though it took a couple of years to do it I compiled a list of about 7 or 8 (not all of which were ovetly for sale, mind you). After I bought mine, a few more popped up that I kept some notes on (and even helped some friends of mine buy). - Through Mike and George (see post above by Mike), I know of some that have passed through Evans shop - MIke's count in at about 40 that he has seen. Extrapolating from the above, plus the random photos or acounts I have seen over the years (many of which I did not keep record of) I am guessing near 100. There definately are some that were brought in via the "midnight ways and means commision" and will likely stay under wraps until the 25 year limit expires on DoT and EPA.
  12. I followed this sorta close when I had my downdraft (and when I spent years shopping, too). There are a great many more than 14 in the States. My guess is between 50 and 100 (and probably closer to 100). I don't know if I have any of the notes any more, but I personally knew of over 30 of them. That still is a pretty slim market, so they are still exceptionally rare. The whole story of the "original 12" or 14, or whatever the number was that were the only ones to make it into the USA was never founded in any kind of truth whatsoever. Nastasi grey-marketed 12 of them, as did lots of others that brought them in. Somehow everyone got the idea that the Nastasi cars were the only ones, or were factory official, or something like that. My old downdraft (and KenQV's too for that matter), are completely US legal cars that were grey-marketed by folks other than Nastasi. I am finding it's a whole lot easier to track the SE30 's !!!! Thee are only 23 or 24 of those left in the States.....
  13. What up Steve??

    Hope to see you & Lisa sometime soon...

    -- Fellippe

  14. Beyond fantastic! I have fallen totally in love with that thing. Mike up at Evans' shop went through the drivetrain, and it is a monster.
  15. Udo - The gentleman who now owns your old Countach wants to learn its history.... I'm having technical problems wiht the member search function. Can you drop me a PM ? Thanks
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