Decided this month I’d finally live out my Lambo dream without selling my kidney, so went hunting for Countach kits. My garage is big enough but my wallet ain’t, you know? Started trawling forums midnight till dawn drinking cheap coffee.
The Research Phase
Dove straight into comparing fiberglass thickness specs like it mattered. Reality check: most kits come from the same three factories regardless of what sellers claim. Looked at chassis options too – tube frames vs space frames made my head spin. Finally narrowed down to two contenders after seeing horror pics of kits arriving with cracks.
Key things I checked:
- Door hinge strength (saw YouTube fails)
- Wheel well clearance for tires
- Dash mold sharpness (hate fuzzy details)
The Buying Mistake
Got excited when some Ohio guy offered “last one in stock”. Transferred deposit immediately – big error. Kit showed up missing the friggin’ windshield frame! Seller ghosted me for two weeks until I threatened small claims. Ended up having my buddy weld custom frame from scrap metal.
The Build Struggle
Assembly instructions looked like they’d been translated through five languages. When I test-fit the body to chassis, the wheel arches sat crooked. Had to remount the whole rear section using bottle jacks and prayers. Oh, and the seats? Found out they were actually Pontiac Fiero rejects recut poorly.
Currently looks half-drunk Countach, half Frankenstein. But when the late afternoon sun hits that wonky fiberglass just right? Pure magic. Saved maybe $200k doing this, though gained fifty new gray hairs. Totally worth it.