This LS3-swapped 1995 Lamborghini Diablo VT (VIN# ZA9DU07G6SLA12320) started life with the factory V12, 5.7L engine, and 5-speed transmission. Sold new in Canada in Sept 1995, the Diablo ultimately suffered the fate of an engine fire in late 1999 / early 2000. It was then issued a Salvage Certificate from Canada MoT. Little is known of what happened in the subsequent years other than the car was stripped of its engine, transmission, ECUs, and interior. Imported to the US as a roller, sometime in the 2000’s, it began its restomodification in 2008. The builder, an owner of another all-original 1995 Diablo, wanted the same car but without the worry of Lamborghini service and OE parts acquisition worries. He sold his all-original Diablo to fund the LS3-swapped build. This 1995 Diablo is registered in NV with a clean US title, an agreed-value insurance policy for $200k, and currently sits at 16,500 miles since the rebuild. BODY: Body panels are OE Lamborghini on the majority of the car. The rear decklid is a later model Diablo SV replicated panel with an SV-style wing of unknown origin. The grill between the taillights is fabricated and currently serves, in part, as the exhaust outlet. During the restoration, the panels were removed when possible to assist in the comprehensive color change. Originally Diablo Rosso red, the car is now presented in Orange Pearl. The paint retains great color and is regularly polished and ceramic coated. Some notable blemishes now exist due to age and mileage since finishing. The front end has PPF on the lower forward-facing areas and there is a painted, protective band across the bottom of the splitter that can be removed if desired. Some rock chips are now present above the PPF areas and on the side mirrors as well as a few paint cracks. Paint flaws are shown in pictures with scale when possible. The windshield is covered by Clearplex protective film and remains in excellent condition. ENGINE/TRANS/COOLING: The LS3 engine was purchased new in 2008 from Don Hardy Engines. A larger cam was installed to increase hp and torque. Tuning was performed and current hp rating is 550 at the crank. Originally a V12 car with AWD, the LS3 V8 is now mated to a 5 speed Porsche G50 transaxle and is RWD. Sold by Renegade Hybrids, the heavy-duty transaxle built by California Motorsports (CMS) has a side shifter conversion, a billet nose plate, and Wavetrac LSD. Taller 4th and 5th gears were installed to make highway driving more pleasurable and lower RPMs. The drivetrain install was conducted mindful of existing mounts and load-bearing frame construction. The effort was so the car would handle and operate as close to stock as possible. The engine electricals are not integrated into the Lamborghini OE wiring harness and has their own ECU with an OBD plug in the cabin. The OE ignition mechanical operation was retained and it operates with an OE Diablo key (2 included). The car also has power steering and AC / heat. The cooling system uses factory radiator mounting and custom cooling lines. Radiators are all-aluminum, high-performance custom units built by C&R Racing of PWR, from the blueprinted factory Diablo radiators. Electric fans are mounted to radiators and are controlled by temp sensors. INTERIOR/ELECTRICAL: Lamborghini OE interior was purchased to replace the missing interior pieces whenever possible. Italian leather was procured along with matching Alcantara to provide the new interior surfaces. Deviated stitching with orange thread was added to match the exterior of the car. The custom interior fabric used on the center console, seats, doors, and dash is a show-quality finish. Accessory switches were mostly replaced with contemporary aftermarket switches. This was done for reliability and the existing OE panel was incomplete and nonfunctional. Hidden cup holders were added to the console as well as seat heaters to each seat that offer high/low settings. Door hydraulics have been upsized to OEM Murcielago spec to handle the extra weight from speakers and sound deadening. Additional sound-deadening material was placed on many surfaces under the fabric to insulate the cabin from road noise. A high-output stereo is also installed using factory and tasteful custom locations. The Diablo has an effective heater and A/C system with switches and fan controls hidden inside the ashtray. The A/C system also utilizes the OEM climate control interface. Body electric items such as exterior lighting, windows, and wipers use the original Lamborghini wiring and fuse box. Dash gauges are VDO and have been recreated with a factory appearance to integrate with the custom drivetrain ECU. Speedo also shows MPH prominently rather than KPH. This 1995 Lamborghini Diablo will arrive to it's new home with spares that include the following: OE front axels (2), extra interior fabrics, spare pre-programmed ECU, spare pre-wired fuel pump, spare radiator, OE motor mounts that were removed, among a few other extras that are proprietary to this car. The original engine, trans, and ECUs are gone with whereabouts unknown.
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