Traumatic Bond with a Lamborghini Urraco
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- Опубликовано: 26 авг 2024
- If you’ve ever rescued an abused animal, nursing it back to health and vicariously experiencing its suffering as the two of you build a lasting bond, then you’ll know how Gene Ondrusek feels about his 1975 Lamborghini Urraco.
Ondrusek first spotted the Urraco for sale in a Dallas Morning News classified advertisement in 1987. The listing described the car as a solid runner with a mere 40,000 miles, and while the interior was, to put it mildly, in rough shape, Ondrusek figured that the market for classic Italian cars was such that he could foot the bill for a cosmetic restoration and still come out ahead.
Originally intended as “the workingman’s Lamborghini,” the Urraco’s 1975 price tag of $22,500 (approximately $98,000 in 2014 dollars) meant that the cars often ended up in the hands of people who could afford to buy them but couldn't keep up with the maintenance costs of an Italian exotic. Ondrusek would soon learn this firsthand.
He had driven a mere twenty-five miles when the timing belt snapped as he was pulling away from a stop sign. As it turned out, the car’s engine had been rebuilt previously and the mechanic had failed to tension the timing belt correctly, causing the V8 to eat four of its sixteen valves. This project, Ondrusek quickly realized, had suddenly gone far beyond the realm of a cosmetic restoration. This Urraco was a ticking time bomb.
Thus began a full deconstruction of Ondrusek’s Urraco-and of his bank account. Reupholstering the suede dash alone required, in Ondrusek’s words, an entire cow. Even today, Ondrusek insists that passengers remove their shoes before sliding into the Urraco’s interior. As he explains, carpet-like everything else on a Lamborghini-is expensive and he has no interest in writing that check again.
This Urraco, however, is no garage queen. As Ondrusek puts it, you can either run the car and things will break, or you can leave it sitting and things will break, so he might as well enjoy breaking it on the open road.
Drive Tastefully®
Petrolicious.com
/ petrolicious
Right, now the the battery is discharging. The oil temperature is very high, the oil pressure is very low. The engine temperature is off the end of the scale, I'm running out of petrol, but the clock is correct.
Get out.
:D
first thing I thought about when I started watching. well done sir!
Where did you see that?
Or are you stating an obvious fact of Lamborghinis?
kennethj1956 Top Gear UK - Budget Supercars. It is here, on youtube. He was using a quote from that episode as it is featuring the same car, among the others
Priceless! "You can either run the car and things will break, or you can leave it sitting and things will break, so you might as well enjoy breaking it on the open road."
I'm in a similar place with my Jalpa. I'm restoring it and bringing it back to life. It makes me happy to see someone who loves the v8 Lamborghinis so much. Nice work on preserving it and enjoying it! BEAUTIFUL example.
the guy looks like that uncle who comes every thanksgiving still stuck in the 70's
Donald Sutherland imposter
Perfect owner/car combo - respect!
Knowing the car and its owner you have brought the story across very realistically. Great work Petrolicious.
Your passion and commitment show. Enjoy, I certainly enjoyed the journey you took us on.
+Malcolm Gay I agree. The more you listen to him, the more he sounds like a reasonable guy, not some d-head braggart car enthusiast.
The retro shots and music gives me chills. Rewatched it so many times just to hear the music
Very engaging owner, great story, beautiful car! Thanks PL
"Traumatic Bonding",.... I'm going to start using that term; I've had a lot of "Traumatic Bonding" projects.
I used to call it "emotional investment".....
something about Lamborghinis from back then that makes me feel like I'm 12 again, what a nice video
Wow, the level of commitment this guy has in keeping this beautiful rare Lambo running and in great, close to original condition.
Gorgeous car and a great story.
One of THE best episodes from Petrolicious, this guys attitude is awesome
That's one beautiful car,man I can't stop staring at the wheels lol
Those same wheels came on the first gen Countach LP400.
What I like about this channel (besides no ads) is that they let the owner tell their story. I just get wrapped up in the story and it kind of puts me there.
you can either run the car and things would break or you can leave the car sitting and things would break" This guy is awesome lol
Great stuff. Thanks for preserving this beauty for us all, Mr. Ondrusek.
my fav lambo, beautifull design
This guy looks like the perfect person to drive this car
The Urraco is a great looking car......small correction, the Pantera, I got one of those, was designed by Tom Tjaarda.
I have to say, being a car enthusiast I knew very little about this car even though I remember seeing one parked on a driveway on my way to high school for a while. I think it looks great, and it definitely has a sweet sounding V-8! It’s good to see that the car found an owner that wants to spend the appropriate amount of time taking care of and driving the vehicle as it should be!
Beautiful car and a great car owner. I really enjoyed his honest appreciation and love for the car and his perspective on the experiences he has enjoyed over the years. Great video!
It's always been my favourite Lamborghini since seeing one as a teenager in the 70s. It still is... but one realises you have to have the passion to keep it running. I take my hat off to you for maintaining this beauty - I hope you have enjoyed sometime behind the wheel for your efforts.
Traumatic bonding. Well said. I get it. A labor of love. Beautiful car and beautiful sounds!
Great video and interview! Thanks for uploading.
Great videos as always, but sometimes 7minutes ar not enough.
Cant get enough of this channel
I fucking love this channel, these people understand why we grind to keep shit going...
Eh? No it's not a kit car, it's a Lamborghini. Philistine.
- Captain Slow
Mohammed Hussain love Top Gear
Bravo Sir! Best looking Lambo made in my opinion.
The mechanic who didn't aligned the timing belt correctly needs to be kicked in the nuts.
ilcool90 well this mechanic did and the engine is still running. That's me lifting the body over the engine 25-26 years ago. Gene did an amazing job maintains the condition of the vehicle for all this time.
Screw those who dislike this car for whatever reasons. I love this car.
This is amazing! I can only imagine the blood, sweat and tears that he put into this gorgeous, one of a kind car.. I just hope that one day I'm able to do the same.
Man. That smile on his face with the mild sadness in his eyes. I feel like I just stopped by to check in on a friend who happens to be in a relationship with a gorgeous, yet very moody and abusive woman.😅
this car breaths with soul... amazing machine.
I love that these videos are always of such high quality :D keep up the great work Petrolicious !
Ahhhh he lives near Lake Hodges, nice. I'll be keeping an eye out for this car at Cruisin Grand in Esco!!!
From the way he talks, he seems very intelligent. He is very fluent with his mind and speaking.
Fantastic video - Gene seems like a great guy, car is awesome.
I really enjoyed it too and would love to sit down and chat with Gene. Laughed at first when he was talking about carpeting, but after all he has done and will continue to do, he has the right to set that rule. probably the best Urraco alive in the world. Bravo, Gene!
Nice guy, awesome car. Thanks!
Found this guy super articulate. He should write for an automobile mag if he doesn't already. Guess I'm curious to know how makes his living. I had a 1971 e-type (the V12) for a number of years given to me by my dad. I understand the notion of "traumatic bond." And things breaking down whether you drive it or it sits.
Love the design of the Urraco and always have. The proportions are so beautifully worked out. But dude; work on wearing those safety belts. You'll feel more connected to the car and the road, believe me.
for those of us who understand what it means to have a bond with a car. I say great job restoring a unique vehicle. I have restored a mid engine car (mr2) that was not of the same caliber or class level. But working in a tight trunk on your engine is an epic experience.
"it's a process" very true.
Thank you as always!
Awesome!
The sound the car makes is spectacular.
Beautiful video. Thanks
Such a beautiful video. And channel too. Got to love this classic cars that are restored or kept as original as possible.
Very nice car and complete devotion to its existence. Congratulations
thanks for the video - you could make a 3 hour version too...;-)
The guy rolls out of his driveway onto that road everyday, wow.
It is a fantastic looking and sounding car. Miura and Countach are fantastic and storied but this is my favorite
What a likeable man! Wonderful car. Thanks!
nice car, i remember these from school "top trumps" what an awesome sound, fair play to your man for sticking with it and i like the most appropriate phrase he has coined there too
I saw one a few days ago, just driving around town in the small part of North Carolina where I live. I said “That looks like a classic Lamborghini, but around here maybe it’s some sort of AMC Javelin or something.”
It turned out to be a blue Urraco, such a sight to see! But the poor 40-year-old woman driving didn’t even know how to drive the thing. She spent almost 10 seconds each shift grinding around the gears… I can only imagine how much a trans rebuild with full gear replacement would cost in a vintage Lambo like that… 🤦🏻♂️
$12,000 ENGINE REBUILD SON!!!!!!!!!
-Mr Regular, of Regular Car Reviews
3PAC SON!!!!
12 grand well spent.
The half-assed disco-jazz at beginning perfectly represents this car. Beautiful, incredibly sexy car.
Very nice car, one of my favorite Lamborghinis is the Jalpa, this one reminds me of it too.
Beautiful video as always, i can only imagine the patience needed to rebuild that engine.
Wow. The passion of the owners you guys find is just incredible. I think that is a key point for Petrolicious and one of the reasons why I truly love and appreciate this channel. I didn't even like this car when it first started, its not very striking to me. But now I love it and I love its owner and I want one. I want to move to Italy and eat pasta.
Thanks for the uploads and keep the perfection coming!
Awesome to see how much Howard Hesseman loves his Urraco!
Restoration is indeed a process... great video, great car, great guy!
Just think,one day far into the future there will come a time when this car and other magnificent cars like it will no longer exist on this planet.That will be a sad day for sure.
"You can either run the car and things will break, or you can leave it sitting and things will break". This is what it's all about, at the end of the day it's a car made to be enjoyed on the roads. These kind of love/hate relationships based on "traumatic bonding" is why I follow this channel, and why a brand new sports car can never have quite the same appeal as these classics to me. I'd love to own one someday, even if it will cause me an endless stream of grievance. Until then, this is where I get my fix.
bring back the wedge
Awesome vid.
Blood, sweat & tears.
I'd rather have one of these over a newer one, based on style alone! Not overstated!
Gorgeous, thank you!
Great job !
Beautiful car! Never even heard of it before. Nice work!
Nothing touches the carpet but air? This guys needs to meet Magnus Walker... LOL
Bertone did NOT do the Pantera. It was designed by Tom Tjarda who at the time worked for Ghia, which was owned by DeTomaso (DeTomaso Pantera). Look at behind the front wheels of any Pantera and you'll see the Ghia emblem.
Correction for us car design fans: the original Pantera was designed by Ghia's Tom Tjaarda not Bertone. However, Bertone's master designer Marcello Gandini did do the 1990 Pantera facelift, as well as the Urraco, Ferrari 308GT4 (rare Ferrari not penned by Pininfarina) along with almost every key Lambo like the Miura & Countach, the Lancia Stratos, Iso Lele, Maserati Khamsin, Alfa Montreal, Citroen BX + numerous other classics & influential concept cars like the Bravo (almost produced), Stratos concept, Sibilo, Marzal, Carabo etc. Bravo Gandini!!
How dare you not show us the headlights popping up?
5:24 "...You could either run the car and things would break, or let the car sit and things would break..." :D
Nice car and I like hearing the stories behind the rides....
"Shoes are never allowed in the car." Love it. LOL.
Beautiful car, one of my all time favorites.
Beautiful
I can imagine italy in the '70s. Nonetheless, the Urraco is beautiful.
Beautiful car and great video
I drive a Jeep so I am very familiar with "traumatic bonding"
Try a military tank!
Better keep it running! Great car and great video + article!
Great video. Well spoken!
Designer: Marcello Gandini at Bertone. Gandini designed the Miura and Countach
The Maserati Khamsin and Ferrari Dino 308 GTB too....
This was the car that got me interested in expensive Italian cars.
Bravo, Petrolicious, for another superb video.
I also have a traumatic bond...with Red Winged Blackbirds. It all began when I was a kid.
Not an event a process!
Love it,Italian cars😂
Great video!
that is a classy looking watch, would love to have one
Great car my man!
Very nice, I wasn't even aware of the Urraco.
The only thing nice on this car is it's engine sound. Damn that engine sounds amazing
Great last thought Gene. Your car is cool, and extra props that you're a DIY Lamborghini owner, which is probably pretty rare.
Beautiful alloys
Pantera was ghia
Those were the days...
I wonder if people with current gen lamborghinis have the same passion and interest as these owners with the historic models.
They don't. Most buy as just speculators.
awesome video!!
Loved this. Thanks, Petrolicious.