Seems Like a Good Replica? COUNTACH Twin Turbo

[Grenade]

This is right down the street from my house. I don't have the money for it, or I would absolutely take this on.

Read this ad-



https://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/5283176263.html


Here's an excerpt- check this out:
I have 4 large binders filled with much, if not all the information on the build of this car from the beginning of the build. It includes the original brochures and receipts from HiTech Mfg as well as many diagrams, prints of the body, chassis, suspension and all related parts. There are many receipts, photos, letters of documentation, all parts break outs and correspondence letters. It also shows that when the original owner sold the car in 1992 to the owner of the estate in Detroit he had well over $40,000 invested in the car. It was stated when I purchased the car that it was last running and driving in 1997 prior to going into storage.

[Grenade]

I just popped over to Fleabay and saw this on sale:



He's asking forty grand and it's a FIERO in a frock! This thing above, the unfinished one? Man, it's a twin turbo V8 Chevy 350 with a tubular chassis and a real Lambo windshield.
If he's getting 30+ for a Fiero, what mush the V8 replica be worth??

Here's the fleabay link on the fiero based unit:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Replica-Kit-...m=252138637429

[Grenade]

I've put a call in to see this car. I might have a trick or two up my sleeve...

It's a twin turbo V8 with a Pantera transaxle FFS!

[Grenade]

Ok- it's a twin turbo 350. It's got a Pantera Transaxle and it's properly put together, what is actually put together at this point. The side window glass has been sold. He got $8,000 USD for the side windows. Hell, I would have sold them too. No big deal, you could use plexiglass/Perspex for those.

The tires are toast, needs new on all four corners and the rears look expensive. The coilovers are from 1986/88 and are probably too old to service, need replacing. The interior needs professional re-trimming, probably $2500-$4500 depending. The engine needs pulled, to be thoroughly gone through. The turbos need to be checked and the fuel system fully cleaned out. The carb needs rebuilt. In my opinion, it needs to be an EFI system on this engine and it would be much better off. A new wiring harness for the small block Chevy 350 and the new EFI system. This car was never completed from conception. It changed hands and then the owner passed away. It sat since he bought it in the early 90's.

Near as I can tell, it comes with crates and cases of parts, books, notes etc. The headlight assemblies- it looks like it's all there. I say get it cheap, take it all apart and check everything out and clean & recondition everything and then put it all back together again, paint it white or red. It was all new and never really driven. It's never been road legal. I want this car.

Someone stop me, I must be nuts.

[Goldy]

Could be an interesting project, looks like it needs a lot of work and reading between the lines the current owner doesn't have the skills or time to finish it!

[Grenade]

I spent an hour with the guy. He has no idea how turbos work. Wiring? He knows even less than I do. He might have at one time possessed the skills to paint it but now I think he got most of his money back on the glass and just wants out of it. I would tow it home, blow it all apart, inspect everything and see what's what. He started at 11 grand and is now- after spending an hour with me, well under that number.
The age of the kit is what troubles me. It's never going to be a high dollar replica, but what it can be is a working replica with a 600BHP rear wheel drive manual trans. I estimate about 8k additional on top of purchase price, plus paint.

Can a decent but not perfect replica bring 25k? I just don't know. Something tells me yes. Who is the resident expert in the replica arena?

[Grenade]

I've been looking around at replicas. I found this exact car on fleabay (he did mention it was there). I think it's a bit too old to start at the number he wants. I'd like to get it and part it out.

"If it seems too good to be true, it probably is".

[Goldy]

Offer the guy 5k? It's got to be worth that in bits alone. I think you could easily spend 10-15k getting it up to a standard that you can sell it on for?

[Grenade]

He was moving toward 8k. I think 5 is fair. I've looked around and if I had a total of 20K in this car over a couple years, I'd be lucky to sell it for what I'd have in it. For 20-30K, you can get ones that are mint with power windows and air con. This is a money pit.
Cooler than hell, but it's a money pit. I've already let it go.
There's no denying that anything mid engine, twin turbo and V8 RWD isn't totally awesome. This just isn't the one. Bummed out a little bit, just owning the chassis and engine would be really cool.

[Jiff Lemon]

I spent an hour with the guy. He has no idea how turbos work. Wiring? He knows even less than I do.

And its at this point, that you walk away.... Remember the "fun" of the lexus? Now repeat it - Without a wiring diagram or people to help you.
It'd be like a blind man, trying to locate a black labrador at the end of very dark cave.