Guess what car graced the walls of my room when I was a pre-teen? That’s right, the Lamborghini Diablo! All I knew was that it could top 200 miles per hour and that it looked amazing doing so. I read any material about the car that I could find and it was even the first real super car I remember seeing in person. I can still picture that day when a bright red Diablo pulled in front of a hotel that my family and I were walking by. As I marveled, the door popped up and the valet hopped in. “What a lucky guy”, I thought. Since that day I’ve dreamed of owning one. Well, this could finally be my chance! This one here on eBay might actually go cheap enough that I could afford it, but it’s not exactly how I envisioned it…
This poor Lambo suffered a fire before being stripped of its sexy skin and wonderful V12 engine. So, it doesn’t quite look like that beautiful example I remember reading about in my copy of duPont Registry. There’s still some hope, right? The suspension is there and the chassis has been treated to prevent rust. There’s apparently no VIN though and there’s definitely no title. Unfortunately, this isn’t the kind of project I could realistically take on. It’s a shame too because I still dream of pulling up that scissor hinged door and climbing inside. Maybe someday. But hey, if exotic cars were easy to get than they wouldn’t be worth getting!
Since it has no title or VIN this might be candidate to hang an inexpensive fiberglass replica body on. Title as a homebuilt. A kitcar with a genuine chassis!
I’m curious where you would find a replica body for an exotic that fit a factory chassis? Most of those kits are designed to fit ‘something else’ and share no critical dimensions with the car they are modeled after. I’ve never seen a replica of a semi modern exotic (Ferrari/Lambo) that wasn’t obviously a replica from 50 feet away….
Looked interesting untiI l saw where it was: FLORIDA, the world’s capital for crooked used-car dealers.
I find it fascinating this shyster knows all about these cars, except the “chassis VIN tag”. I have never seen any motor vehicle which ever had a VIN tag affixed to the chassis – which may be why he claims “he can’t find it”, as VINs on chassis are usually stamped.
Don’t worry, this liar knows the story on the title, but he isn’t sharing, probably because the true owner isn’t available.
This guy’s unabashed arrogance alone would drive me away from giving him a dime.
So, the guy’s got 100% feedback on eBay, doesn’t appear to be a dealer at all, and seems quite honest & upfront about the title, or lack thereof…says the expert on arrogance (oops, unabashed arrogance)
Lots of assumptions there Jason.
Voting: NON Constructing Comment
From: a Honest Florida resident.
Jason, I’m a respected business owner and Spaghetti-flavored car enthusiast and the seller of the chassis. I vintage race an Alfa Giulia. Look me up for yourself. I bought this project as is and without any VIN tag knowing its limitations.
Please find some time to go to the gym and work off some of that pre-Holiday stress. Oh, BTW, I am an instructor of submission grappling here in Orlando so if you still feel the need to bash people that you do not know, come by for your first lesson, for free!
Steven, Can I stop by and watch you turn a Jason into a Diablo?
I bet if enough folks paid to watch, you could offer Jason a “show-up” fee.
I expect Jason to show up poste haste to offer up an apology.
Hint hint.
LOL,Steven.
I am local at Orlando, do I get a resident discount to watch the show? Lol
OMG this is the funniest thing I’ve seen on this site to date. Do Jason Diablo’s come in pretzel shapes?
Yeah, I was thinking cool replicar, or throw some wheels on it and drive it bare, but yeah, I guarantee the vin is there and the truth ain’t pretty
“Ran When Parked…Minor Restoration Required…Missing a few Parts…”
Build your own Lamborghini Skeletor Lightweight.
I’d rather have the dog.
LOL!! I had the same thought.
Put a vw diesel in it :-D
by the time you fixed it up you could of bought 1 with a real title. Most of what is left needs to be replaced anyway because of the heat of the fire. To add everything up: $0.60/lbs is all I see.
The trouble with using a Lamborghini for a kit car is it will cost a small fortune to do any maintenance work in the future, and your corner parts store won’t have what your looking for. If you already have a Lamborghini chances are you can afford to pay for service work and you won’t want this one, even for parts. I say it’s time to hit it with the crusher, and call it done.
“our corner parts store won’t have what your looking for”
That is an outdated statement. My corner parts store doesn’t have anything I need for my 1969 chevy either. Last week I tried to buy .001″ main bearings for a SBC and they had to order. I asked for Plastigauge and they looked at me like I was from space (counter kid never heard of it). Unless it is oil, wiper blades for a current model or hand soap the corner auto parts store isn’t going to have it on the shelf anymore. With Ebay and Amazon I can get any part to any 50 year old Ferrari or Lambo in 3 days delivered to my door. That is not a valid argument in the age of the internet anymore.
You must have a crappy parts store near you. I have at least two that I buy from regularly, they have been able to supply me every time for both our vehicles. They are nineties models and my restoration car is a 1951 they have been able to get part for that too. I also buy parts on line but the current exchange rate between Canada and the US are making it not worth while to buy on line right now. Even if your buying Lamborghini part on line they are still going to be very expensive, more so than most other US built car parts.
I’m with Jim on this one…
Why do so many supercars catch fire?
Hmmm, at $2K presently, looks like a reasonable roller – media blast it, paint it, drop your favorite rat rod engine in it, some sort of wheels – wide whites for that matter – the tackier the better. Don’t think Lambo – think good (?) foundation for a rat rod. New wiring harness, keep it all rat rod simple. Make a big joke out of the whole thing, but you can say it’s at least partly Lambo. It could be fun. I got no money, so just imagining is all I can do right now. But I could have fun with it.
A/C needs charging.
It may no longer need A/C, as the ventilation system is very adequate.
You might could put the door mechanism on another kit car.
Someone up there got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. (Jason)
Wasn’t there a kit body for one of these for sale recently?
Was a guy in St. Louis that had 2 of them sitting in front of some Mini Storage units…
Maybe some parts from this one would fit??
http://barnfinds.com/abandoned-diablo-at-repair-shop/
Bare frame bikes are a thing, even factory built that way. Go “Bare Diablo!”
RatRod Lambo?
The Diablo is in the details…
LamboRatRodghini.
Not everything is worth saving, this is one example. No engine, no glass, no interior, and a fire doesn’t affect the integrity of the metal? No thanks.
Future sand rail?????
Ian, future sand rail is the best idea yet!
Re: Exotic parts from the corner parts store . . . hmmm, maybe my old Cobra and even older Bentley aren’t really exotic . . . but they ain’t Vegas and Pintos either and I can get quite a few things at the corner auto parts store . . . ok, at least the store can order them. Did you know the Cobra and TR3 share disc brake calipers?? Or the master cylinder repair kit for a ’39 Chrysler will fit my ’53 Bentley?? For that matter the distributor cap on a ’49 Frazer-Nash also fits the Bentley . . .
Looks like a Ranchero and a Chevelle in the background of picture two.
Lemons racing? Too bad Speedy Cop picked up a copter for this years project
Seems tempting but steel usually doesn’t take fire without giving up strength. It might not be compromised, but the only way to know is a torsional rigidity test. GLWTS.