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#1601
12-29-2009, 01:03 PM
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Quote:
Bob S. Last edited by staatsof; 12-29-2009 at 01:04 PM. 
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#1602
12-30-2009, 07:32 AM
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I thought you had the black Cadillac XLR after the Bora, and then the Lotus. You should also mention that before the Bora there was an 02 Maserati Spider. Very few people go through as many different types of cars as you! Since this is a Khamsin thread, I would be interested in your perpective as to how the Khamsin compares with the other cars you have owned. Ivan
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#1603
12-30-2009, 07:53 AM
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Quote:
They are the best bang for the buck out there. They are rare and draw a crowd where ever you go. They handle like they are on rails but don't jar your teeth out over bumps. The performance will take your breath away (both acceleration and deceleration). They are less costly to maintain than other super cars (Ferraris, Lambos, Maseratis) They also have a usable trunk and American A/C and my V8 would get 30mpg on the hwy! Their weight (or lack thereof) makes the car feel skiddish and darty, never feel "planted". The small cockpit can be a bit closterphobic from time to time, has NO and I mean NO storage and the quality doesn't hold up to the competition. There were a few squeaks and rattles that got on my nerves. Steering was point and shoot and the power assist was a Godsend coming from the Bora. The brakes were unreal do in a large part to the lack of weight of the car. They never complained no matter how hard you ran the car. Coming close to matching the breaking G force the acceleration would take your breath away. Mine had been moded a little so we were looking at a 2850lb car with 400hp and 380lb.ft of tork , , , yikes! First gear was useless, second about the same for the first half then you got traction. Third hooked up and away you went. Oh, and as a side note, the little turbos took no time to spool. The car absolutely needed positraction. Through all this 400hp fury with spinning tires, banging gears and the whites of my eyes visible from the Space Shuttle, the engine sounds awful. It's hard to believe that a 3.5 ltr. flat crank V8 could be so monotone, with lots of vibration . . .. almost 4 cylinder buzzy. Not what you would expect from a V8. At the car shows the car gathered most interest from the younger crowd. They loved the scoops and rear wing and the overall stance of the car. For me however the Lotus came in 3rd in this group. I bought the Bora about 4 years before the Lotus. This in itself is amazing . . .I NEVER keep a car 4 years. But the Bora had something that made me appreciate the total package. It was a 74 but very advanced for it's day. I've alway liked the shape and the middle ground it captured . . . kind of a sports car . . .kind of a luxury car. Comparing the Bora and Lotus to women you would have Sophia Loren vs Lady Gaga (I hope that's not too harsh). The Bora was a significant piece of history with its mid-engine and good use of space. But it was a 74 and as such had 1974 issues, a very hot car, engine cooling issues, passenger cooling issues (A/C in name only), It was heavy and the performance suffered for it. Acceleration and breaking were OK for it's day but more effort was put into luxury. The interior was elegant as was the use of stainless on the outside. You weren't going to the track in the Bora, you were going on a mountain drive to a fine restaraunt (not in the summer though). As old as it was the Bora had zero squeeks or rattles and rode exceptionally well. At the car shows the amount of people stopping and asking questions about the car was incredible. And the fact that mine was probably one of the only Boras they would ever see in real life made the car even more special. People would thank me for bringing it to a show so they could see it or sit in it. The sound of the V8 was beautiful as was the sight of the 4 Webers sitting on top of the manifold. So that's why the Bora came in ahead of the Lotus. It's unique, well built, sounds great and it give you a feeling that it was built with a passion for automobiles. The Aston V8 Vantage was something altogether different . . . LUST. The shape of that car is amazing. From any angle, in any light, simply beautiful. When I first saw it at the 06 Atlanta Auto Show I fell in love and thought "I gotta get one of those". In 2008 I found one that was very reasonably priced, sold the Lotus and bought it. Mind you I had never been to a dealer to look at one, never drove one, never even sat in one . . . and I bought one. It is a masterpiece inside and out. The body lines are exquisite, the fit and finish superb and the performance is . . .well . . . OK. If there is a fall down point it would be the power. Had Aston put a supercharger on the car it would have been stellar. The body / frame are carved from a piece of rock. No twists no flexing just solid. The steering dynamics give the driver an unbelievable sense of security. I felt much more in control of the Aston than the Lotus and knew when it was reaching to edge. The engine sounded terrific but only played hard above the 5000 rpm mark. The Aston was elegant, fast, comfortable, unique and I'd still have it today if I had another garage and a few more sheckles in the bank account. I is a lovely automotive work but I wanted to try a Khamsin and when this one came up for sale I couldn't pass it up. I can always go back to an Aston but the Khamsin is getting very scarce.
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#1604
12-30-2009, 09:40 AM
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Hi Rick,
Very nicely written. The car is beautiful, one of my favorite colors. If you are out for a long ride on I-285, swing by Loganville, [must be something about those villes] stop in, and we'll talk over old times! Ciao, George
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#1605
12-30-2009, 01:19 PM
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That was great Rick. Much appreciated! So what model years were the Aston and Lotus?
You had the V8 and not the 4 cylinder Lotus correct? Bob S.
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#1606
12-30-2009, 02:37 PM
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#1607
12-30-2009, 02:46 PM
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I'll take a few notes on how the Khamsin compares but to date I've only put 30 mile on it.
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#1608
12-30-2009, 04:13 PM
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You've got the car disease bad dude. That or you're really just a dealer ... ;>)
Some nice ones too! There's eons of technological development between that Aston and the Bora & Khamsin not to mention the fit & finish improvements. I would expect the Lotus to be much more of a sports car as all the others are heavier GT cars so I'm not surprised it felt less planted than the front engined cars. But did you ever try and get a super alignment on that Lotus? Bob S.
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#1609
12-30-2009, 05:54 PM
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I never drove the Lotus at the limit 'cause I never felt comfortable with it. It didn't telegraph what it was about to do. It seemed like I could drive the Aston harder and quicker even with the weight and HP advantage on the Lotus side. Could be the driver. 
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#1610
01-01-2010, 09:44 AM
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Hello all
Great thread! I have an original Khamsin owner's handbook, thought you may like to see it! Regards p.s. Happy New Year!!
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#1611
01-01-2010, 04:43 PM
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Quote:
Now, even if we're in a Khamsin thread, your 33 Stradale handle wakes me up. Certainly one of the cars I'd desire most in this world. Tell???
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#1612
01-03-2010, 09:20 AM
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Well, imo the best looking car EVER. Unfortunately, for now it is only something in the distance to aspire to...
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#1613
01-04-2010, 11:38 AM
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33 Stradale Wait and see
Hard to say something with out getting in to trouble, but 2010 will be interesting.
Quote:
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#1614
01-10-2010, 05:22 AM
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Quote: "I am slowly falling in love again with these edgy cars... theres something so attractive and timeless about it."
See: http://flaviendachet.blogspot.com/20...i-khamsin.html
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#1615
01-10-2010, 05:33 AM
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Hello all :
Happy new year to you with many Khamsin miles! This ad came out long ago in VCM: very cute. I needed a break as I was more than a bit overworked with severe eye strain and am writing from snowed in Burgundy, it is like Siberia here as you can see! So is anybody brave enough to take some Khamsin in the snow photos? here is an example sent by Bart! Some news on individual cars: -AM120US1302 which was previously in Lebanon after spending years in storage near New York city is now in an important Belgian collection. Thanks to Jack K for the info. -AM120307 in Australia, the one and only Khamsin with a non Maserati engine (Chevrolet Corvette) was just sold by its Sydney owner to someone who owns a Lamborghini Diablo. -The original engine of 307 is owned and being slowly rebuilt by a third person so maybe it and the car can be reunited eventually. Thanks to Graeme (who is now enjoying the English blizzard until tomorrow when he flies back to Australia: can I come along?!:-)) -AM120US1054 a car I knew very well, navy blue tan extensively restored with Euro bumpers partial new interior and new paint has now finished its journey from Fort Lauderdale Florida to Zurich Switzerland, joining the owners Bora in his stable. So that is one more of the 100 US market 5 speed Khamsins now in Europe. Congratulations and welcome to Rick who wisely bought AM120US1266 some weeks ago, one of the best Khamsins in the world. The message oozing from all of the above is to those who sit on the fence: don’t. The supply in the US is very limited so accept that prices have gone up and act before it is too late. In Europe there are some cars on the market and in my humble opinion the asking prices, or at least the level of offers which actually get accepted should become a bit more reasonable this year, however they will not go down to the undervalued days. A new offering has appeared on the market: AM120US1298, an extremely late US car which was with Mr Menasce in New York had been restored by Gary Bobileff in San Diego in recent years (Gary is one of the best, it is Miura central there). The car is with Matthew L de Garmo in new England, not cheap but worth it. I have no connection with its sale. By the way who is coming to Retromobile in Paris? I will be there the Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd of this month: PM me if you are coming. Best regards, Marc PS: can I just ask for one little thing: please let us keep this little thread on topic: there are threads on all the rest elsewhere in this forum: thanks:-) PPS: AMLC: hello! Interesting...
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#1616
01-10-2010, 05:36 AM
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The photos
Pushed the button too soon lack of practice or my fingers are frozen:-)
The chassis number of the red Khamsin in the snow is unknown for now. best regards, Marc
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#1617
01-10-2010, 08:20 AM
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I took mine out again today for a warm through as don't really want to drive it out on the roads with all the salt they are meant to throw on our roads, but havent allegedly as they have run out of it! Just imagine snow and ice in Scotland in winter!! Who would have thought!!
Hope all you guys are well and thriving Paul xxx
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#1618
01-10-2010, 12:42 PM
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Re-piping
Well the weather here in Georgia has been awful but it does make for good "get aquainted" time for myself and the new addition, #1266. Since the car only had 200 miles put on it in the last 4 years there were many leaking / weeping areas associated with the rubber return lines in the hydraulic system. I decided to address any and all LHM leaks while the weather was bad and I wasn't tempted to take the car out. I'm down to my last 2 sections of hose, one will be finished today but the high pressure hose that runs from the pump to the regulator had to be sent to MIE so they could have it reproduced. Stuart said it should take about 10 days and that would finish my hose project. However, I did find another leak. It's in the reservoir where the sight tube pushes into the bottom grommet. Does anyone know if there is a replacement grommet (I don't see it in the parts catalog) for the tank? I guess I could just seal it since the sight tube is not really needed.
Thx, Rick . . . .
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#1619
01-10-2010, 08:52 PM
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Hi Rick,
Well I know on my Bora the tank had two L shaped metal tubes coming out of the tank (top & bottom) that pointed towards each other. I can't tell on the diagram for the Khamsin http://www.eurospares.co.uk/userImag...ge/127_023.gif Part #1 is the tank??? But on mine I replaced that piece of hose between the two tubes with a piece of Tigon? tubing from McMaster.com that was more heat resistant and I put a simple small hose clamp on each end. It worked great. It does serve an important purpose. You should check the fluid level frequently as it will identify the presence of any leaking components. Bob S. Last edited by staatsof; 01-10-2010 at 08:53 PM.
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#1620
01-11-2010, 02:15 AM
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Hello Paul:
Your car looks great as always, definitely one of my favorites! Rick: That is typical as the seller and or his agent did not drive the car enough during the time between the end of restorarion and your purchase, directly causing the issues you are dealing with now. The ex owner did a wonderful job restoring it, all the way down to correct European sidelights as opposed to the four big Ralf Nader pimples of US versions but then did not drive it...that is endemic in the concours mentality of those who have forgotten that cars need to be driven to stay sorted. This is a severe problem: I have seen many classic cars of all makes restored at great expense for concours trophy hunters, they do a "season" or two then are left idle and not driven for years: pity the buyer who then has to sort such a car. These people forget they are cars not Fabergé eggs. Conversely cars that are not perfect cosmetically but are driven often are much happier, run much better. best of luck with the work there are more mechanically inclined people here to help you with your specific questions as Bob already did and your "neighbor" Ivan is an excellent source of technical help. One tiny bit of technical advice I can give: never modify anything mechanical or hydraulic. Re-engineering as a number of top mechanics specializing in these cars have told me only leads to different more serious problems. If something is there and built in a certain way there is a reason that may not immediately clear. The one thing that is a good idea is a battery cut off switch for when you leave it for extended periods as some Khamsins have an untreacable electrical drain on the battery. Once it is ready you know what the best medecine is: aim for the Apalacchian trail or whatever your favorite backroad is:-)! best regards, Marc Last edited by Nembo1777; 01-11-2010 at 02:24 AM.
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