Project Lamb
Yes, by the way, if you’re asking if it's a kit car you’d be right. No, if you think that just because it's a kit car it loses all validity and purpose of discussion, let’s get that out of the way to start. I think the fact that this is a kit means a lot more than if it was a real Countach, and at the end of this series of articles I am hoping you would feel the same way too.
As a Bajan, I attest to the fact that if there was a really interesting car ever made in the world, there’s probably one in Barbados. This little gem in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is home to some incredible car enthusiasts.
Does anyone remember when the screenshot of this image went viral in all the car groups in Barbados a few years ago? Everyone claimed they knew the person that made it, and a ton of discussion was started about where it came from, if it was real, and basically who had the sauce on this iconic machine. Well, along with SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc. Sleeper Forest was given the opportunity to serve up the much-desired sauce on this very spicy topic.
Yes, by the way, if you’re asking if it's a kit car you’d be right. No, if you think that just because it's a kit car it loses all validity and purpose of discussion, let’s get that out of the way to start. I think the fact that this is a kit means a lot more than if it was a real Countach, and at the end of this series of articles I am hoping you would feel the same way too.
The Dream
All great projects start with a dream, in fact, the brand Lamborghini started with a dream when the owner of a Ferrari was not given the dream car he wanted. So he built it himself. This is my first point of argument regarding this car being a kit car, and why that matters. Kit cars are made with similar if not the same passion as the original car it’s based on. There are many levels that are ultimately determined by budget at which to pursue replicas but at the end of the day, the joy spans from building, and driving. We have examples in California where resto-mod cars are being recreated by Singer Vehicle Design, which specializes in Porsche.
Let’s take a look at this car here though. The kit was created by a UK company called Mirage. Legend has it that it was made through very nefarious means. A Countach was rented and all the panels were copied and molds were made of them, the Countach was then returned after the deed was done. This means that the standard of replication was incredibly high. I am sure the designer of the Countach was rubbing his ears all weekend when that happened, however, this cannot be confirmed. The production of this clone was definitely different from what was standard at the point of time, where a Pontiac Fiero was used as a donor car, it was extended and random panels slapped on it, and it was shipped off as an “Umborghini Countach”
This specific kit was imported to Barbados in 1996 by Evolution Cars in Six Roads. Specializing in Moke conversions, specifically the Suzuki Maruti moke and the fiberglass-bodied mokes. They even had one that was dubbed the Limoke as it was a stretched version. This Kit utilizes Lambo OEM parts, and in definite Lambo fashion, those parts came from other car companies. As you can see…. A Lamborghini is a kit car itself, assembled in Italy. Indicators and headlights from Fiat, locks from Mercedes, you get the idea. Knowing this goes a long way when building or repairing the kit. When the Kit was fully assembled it was presented to its first owner, he would drive it once or twice and then it sat. He sadly took ill and passed away eventually. The car was in storage for many years until it was found again, and the opportunity to restore it came up.
The powerplant of this kit car used an American 350 cubit small block V8. It was carbureted. This was mated to a Renault UN15 gearbox, something you would find in a Lotus Espirit, another rear-mid-engined car. After its maiden voyage with new ownership, it was clear this car was going to need some work and lots of it. It was definitely no Lamborghini. The suspension was shagged! And with windows that don’t go down more than a crack air-conditioning was imperative. The small block V8 left much to be desired to feel like a supercar, shifting gears felt like stirring soup and with those ultra-wide tires, steering was going to need some kind of mechanical assistance.
These fundamental points needed to be addressed if this car had any hope of being anything enjoyable to drive. Now that we have introduced you to “Project Lamb”, we will finally go in-depth, on how this project was reimagined, into someone’s dream car. The next article is coming soon, so stay tuned! Happy Motoring!
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It's still stock
Nothing major, it's still stock. The car is pushing 19 years or so of age, it just needs some sprucing up. The first quality of life mod I did was install some GlowShift gauges I got from Chris at Redline Barbados who is, by the way, building an amazing 280Z, check out the article we posted a little while ago.
Since we last left off my Subaru GC8 WRX has been through quite a bit of what I would call...quality of life mods.
Nothing major, it's still stock. The car is pushing 19 years or so of age, it just needs some sprucing up. The first quality of life mod I did was install some GlowShift gauges I got from Chris at Redline Barbados who is, by the way, building an amazing 280Z, check out the article we posted a little while ago.
I got a Boost Gauge, an Air/Fuel wide band gauge and an oil temperature gauge, maybe I'll get one or two more but I got these to monitor the health of my car. The gauge pod I got from eBay, it didn't fit right though, so I got it sanded down a bit.
Old car problems.
Now I can maybe wrench a bit but I'm completely lost when it comes to electrical work on cars. So I gave a man a call who is probably one of the best automotive electricians on the island, Randy Brewster, he owns a little company called BossTech Auto, he does amazing work. As the car is old though while installing the gauges and the pod, the centre console piece just shattered on us. Nothing a little super glue can't fix.
Fixed.
She Lives.
While I was there I did an oil change as well, since we installed an oil filter sandwitch plate so we could get an oil temperature reading. An oil change I can do.
The next mod to the car was upgrading the cooling system. I first upgraded the cooling hoses with silicone hoses because they were old and looked like they were about to burst. I assume the radiator was that old because not long after that it actually gave out on me, so I decided to get a decent Mishimoto radiator. It dropped right in, factory fans bolted right on. I just had to bend the housing of the left fan back a bit so it wouldn't foul on the power steering belt. Good stuff.
As is my luck sometime between doing all of this my hood scoop decided to detach itself and blew away on the highway. So i found this company called RPG Carbon, they make fiberglass and carbon fibre parts for a bunch of different cars. So i ordered a new scoop from them and here's how the car sits now.
CHAPTER 2
Working on a car takes some time. It's been a while since this happened, and my parts came. A few were to just fix the problems with the car, things that broke when we worked on her putting in the cluster, the time for another oil change came around as well, and she's been running like a dream.
I started using LIQUI MOLY 10W-40 supplied by the guys at TDK Auto Supplies. Works really well with my engine and turbo charger.
Project Ford in the rear
Some external mods were needed too. JDM yellow fog lights just bring the nostalgia back from the 90's. You probably spotted the change of the indicators to the amber ones as well, really just bringing together the feel of the car.
New center console came as well, fresh from E bay, feels good to have it coming together slowly but surely. I did a small induction Mod solely for the sound, I removed the factory snorkel which up through the side fender, I am pretty satisfied with the sound it makes now when I'm driving.
The next step will be some engine work, big things to come guys. - Maurice
The Phoenix
The lancer shell is pretty rusty but the EVO 3 shell though not perfect is in good shape. Every weekend he's been transferring parts he can use from the Lancer to the EVO, control arms, brake and fuel lines, drive shaft etc.
The 90's were an amazing time in the Japanese automotive industry, it is often referred to as JDM's golden era and with good reason.
In the 90's, it can be argued that cars such as the Honda NSX, the Toyota Supra, the Subaru Impreza WRX STI, the Mitsubishi Galant VR4, the civic and Integra Type-R, the Mazda RX-7, the Nissan Skyline GTR and of course the Mitsubishi Evolution were in their stride. These offered a more hands-on approach to driving than their later iterations.
I got to spend some time with a friend of mine. He owns a project car. He's restoring a Mitsubishi Evolution 3. His name is Mark and although this isn't his first project car it's certainly one of the most interesting. Mark has been around cars a long time he learned all he knew about working on cars from his father and other "old heads" he hung around, after that it was easy to apply what he learned.
Humble Beginnings
His first project was a 1991 Toyota Starlet Soleil it was automatic and had a 4efe engine. He converted it into a GT Turbo Starlet. He replaced all the body panels, interior trims, and lights with those of the GT Turbo model. The build was pretty extensive. Later he got an LSD manual gearbox, converted the car to manual, turbocharged the stock 4efe engine and ran it at 7psi of boost. From there Mark had to make a decision on what his next step was going to be with the car. Originally he was going to swap the engine with a fully built 5efe engine and add some boost but he then decided to do something different and take a 4agze from an ae101 Toyota Levin. This engine was supercharged and that was causing some problems while mounting the engine so the decision was made to turbocharge it with a td05 turbine.Supporting moods were then made so it could actually handle this power. For suspension, he used Buddy club coil overs, for brakes at the front bigger hubs were fitted then 10" slotted StopTech rotors, attached to those were 4 pot Wilwood calipers and at the rear stock GT Turbo calipers were used. I'm sure I missed some stuff but as you can see it was an ambitious build.His next project would be a bit more challenging. Due to his love for 90s cars he ended up restoring a Mitsubishi Evolution 3, one of the few in the island. The build hasn't been going on for very long but it's shaping up nicely.
The Phoenix
Mark has given the car the name The Phoenix and in order to raise it from the ashes, he has been using two rolling shells, a 1996 lancer GLX shell, and the EVO 3 shell. The lancer shell is pretty rusty but the EVO 3 shell though not perfect is in good shape. Every weekend he's been transferring parts he can use from the Lancer to the EVO, control arms, brake and fuel lines, drive shaft etc. When I got there he was in the process of removing the fuel tank and drive shaft.
Life as a donor car is hard.
Mark does the majority of the work on his project on his own, he's the type that believes if something needs to be done it's best to do it yourself, although, when he runs into trouble he'll be the first to admit he needs help or that he doesn't know what he's doing. It's all a learning experience after all and project cars tend to teach us a lot.
The goal for the car right now is to get it running but Mark does have big plans for it in the future. He wants to do a full build on the engine, fully forge it, bigger turbo etc. The end goal though is to get the car into the 6-second bracket on the 1/8 mile drag strip (we don't have a 1/4 mile strip here). This goal is very obtainable the stock 4G63T makes about 270bhp stock in a chassis weighing 1260 kgs or so, the same weight as my Subaru GC8 WRX, it'll be mighty quick.
This build really resonates with me as we both own 90s cars, rival cars of the same golden era. Also, the first cars we put a lot of work into were both Toyota Starlets. Watching this build I'm living vicariously through Mark and I hope he meets his goal of finishing the car this year.
Oringal Momo wheel
A good days work.
Building a car is all about passion, project cars test you in every way imaginable and they may not be for everyone but if you have the drive, there isn't a more rewarding experience.
We will be keeping you up to date with this build, until next time.
-Maurice