I am looking to start a Countach build and am looking for advice relating to the chassis. I am on a budget with this build so I am limited on where I budget money for this build. The car will have a 600hp ls engine in it. Would a stretched fiero be able to handle that kind of power without twisting or is a tube chassis necessary for this application? I have some experience welding, are there any plans for the countach chassis floating around that I could use to build my own frame?
Originally Posted by WisconsinKnight
Usually 2 routes for this... 1. the stretched fiero... whether it can handle 600hp would depend on how well you re-enforce/cage it... tube frame also depends on how well its built both done poorly won't handle 200hp, both done right could handle 600hp... 76MX just sold one frame today for a song http://www.madmechanics.com/forum/sh...373#post231373... if you look you can sometimes find a used tube frame already built for 2-5k on a half finished project
I'm going a different route "been done once on here already" I'm using a porsche 914 frame... has exact countach wheel base, no stretching required, 911 suspension and brakes will bolt in, no custom suspension or exact alignment fabrication required. tons of aftermarket racing upgrades in suspension and brake department which should be on par or better with a real lambo... bolt in v8 kit available factory transaxle is a little weak but renegade hybrids will beef it up for $2500 or you can go the bolt in boxster tranny route from renegade which would be required for 600hp .. many 914 frame re-enforcement's available mail order already stamped and ready to weld in plus a 6-8 point cage and i should be good to go.. I'm only planning on 400hp but 600hp might just require additional bracing... all depends on what you define as a"budget "
Not sure if there are still pics up of the work done by a fellow builder motoracer838 (Joe) on here. He took a Fiero chassis and cut the back off and made a custom rear frame for a longitudinal engine setup that would probably be a good starting place if thinking about a Fiero starting point. Fiero chassis give you a couple problems do to shape and configuration. Countach is one of the first real cab forward designs and the Fiero chassis is not. When using a Fiero with standard front end configuration, the dash ends up being quite far back into the cockpit so tends to make getting in and out of an already hard in and out vehicle, that much more of an adventure. Joe fixed that with his design but it did end up putting a lot of work into moving the front suspension back a few inches. The other issue is the location of the upper rear frame rails on the Fiero being in the way of the radiator locations for the Countach. Custom rear frame also fixes that but it means cutting the Fiero frame off and building a new one. No easy answers for any of these.
My biggest notice in your post though was "I am on a budget" but you are looking for 600 hp and want to build a Countach....... Neither of these, I believe, are cheap? I know building a Countach properly is not but not so sure about 600 hp part in the States. Here in Canada it would be more expensive. Go in with open eyes on what it really takes to build these as they do not tend to be very friendly to "on a budget builders"......Just sayin'.
That being said, enjoy the journey.
Don
308 Ferrari replica
Prova Countach 5000QV
Everything they said and one more point. Your original question was about the Fiero chassis handling 600HP. Short answer is yes absolutely. The force is always smarter than the engineer and it will always destroy the weak link first time every time. You have many many thousands of dollars worth of weak links in the drivetrain that need to be fixed before your concern of twisting the chassis will ever become an issue.
You're welcome.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote