Lamborghini Espada is back with Iain Tyrrell in search for more power. Plus Marcello Gandini tribute

The Lamborghini Espada is back with Iain Tyrrell in the search for more power. Post rebuild, it had great mid-range punch but lacked top-end sparkle. In this video you find out why..
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[@westers1514]

That lime green Miura is utterly gorgeous

[@gordonsimpson3235]

Yep, they look so much better with the rear arches filled out, too.

[@dancarter482]

@@gordonsimpson3235 Wide-glide phat front rubber would ice that cake!

[@gordonsimpson3235]

@@dancarter482 True, but then the car wouldn't turn into a corner.

[@dancarter482]

@@gordonsimpson3235 What, like Grand Prix cars can't? Nah, it's just that when those cars were designed tire tech wasn't advanced enough and now the purists insist on keeping skinny wheels for authenticity.

[@gordonsimpson3235]

@@dancarter482 ....right

[@Selmerpilot]

Harry, many years ago I spoke with Bob Wallace about these very engines and Miura engines. Bob confirmed even the higher compression engines made a maximum of 325hp on a good day. They were also tested with different exhaust manifolds which were dyno testing only manifolds so who knows how the standard espada manifolds would actually perform. It’s also highly likely the pipes coming off the headers are further choking things. Note Miura engines were never tested as they did not have a dyno that rotated in the opposite direction. Bob had stated all v12 engines of this era from Lamborghini had exhaust ports and systems in general that were just too small for the amount of air the intakes were gulping. The high back pressure you’re seeing is also from small exhaust ports squeezing out a lot of air at very high velocity, thus a high reading. The ‘fix’ is a deep one is it involves opening the ports, which Lamborghini had tested along with larger headers and gained a lot of power. Note Lamborghini boat motors had much larger exhaust ports and manifolds etc. That said, a healthy espada ‘should’ make about 230-240 max at the wheels though. Lots of power is lost through that gearbox and rear end. Dyno tuning with a wideband. Make sure the choke size in the carbs is correct! I’ve seen smaller chokes (28mm, stock is supposed to be 30mm) installed in these things as it does give a bit more torque and pedal response at low and mid rpm but it chokes power up high. You can go 32-34mm and they run just fine after appropriate jetting changes, and they rev up high a good bit better and make more power.

[@AB-80X]

Yep. If you go back and look at the video where they dissembled the heads, you will see that both intake and exhaust ports are tiny. The primaries are also fairly long and small in diameter, which absolutely does nothing to favour an increase in displacement and larger cams. They should really look into what's possible in terms of opening up those ports and add flow. The other thing that strikes me as very odd, is the mentioning of increasing overlap. Decreasing LSA, i.e increasing overlap almost always favours mid range torque and punch. Running a wider LSA softens the bottom end, but it also moves the peak power point up. There's definitely a lot more to this than a restrictive exhaust. Doubt there is much to gain unless those heads are opened up.

[@Selmerpilot]

@@AB-80X With these small per cylinder displacement Italian engines, the opposite is almost entirely true when it comes to LSA compared to say large Ford or Chevy V8s for example. Ferrari/Lambo/Maser, in stock form they all like very tight LSA (100-104 is common) with lots of overlap, and for whatever reason, they still peak at very high rpm. The always come 'on cam' around 3500 and stay there through 7-8000.

[@bobolulu7615]

Bob Wallace! How did you get on/find the man?

[@Selmerpilot]

Bob lived in Arizona and had a repair shop for many many years where he worked on all things Italian. He was very available to get hold of. Bob was actually responsible for the well known parts expert, Bill, of GT Car Parts getting started literally just next door. Bill was sort of Bob’s official parts guy for many years, and Bill is still there doing it

[@ericsbuell]

Wow, great recall chief from, as you say "many years ago" Sometimes these videos trigger a moment from years ago which makes YOU take time to share it at the same time smiling as your brain starts fizzing with the memories. Re. Choke sizes. How did this work. I would have thought that for optimal gas flow ideally the inlet ports and carb size should be matched as in my Rickman Trident. Standard inlets 27mm carb and inlet port. Mine 30mm both to shift power to high RPM where it can pull a long top gear with exhaust configured to "fill in" mid range and a Quaife c/r gearbox to keep it at high RPM. Thanks 🙏

[@edmundhodgson2572]

Nice to see you boys together again, its an enthusiasm overload. x

[@seanduddy3895]

It appears there is an excellent cottage industry of vintage car experts in England as demonstrated by the restorations of the, Espada, XJ12, Lancia, testerossa, RR etc. But you demonstrate such grace and patience as it has proven to be rather difficult to sort these cars out and get them to run as intended. I think you provide a valuable service to enthusiasts who want to own ( and use) these fantastic 50+ year old cars what they are getting themselves into in terms of time and money!

[@judgetk8327]

Do like we do Harry. Headers, pair of thrush glass packs and a couple 3in. pipes and that should solve your problems. Take those cats off put them in the barn or to the cottage. Lol. Love the video buddy and drive safe.

[@judgetk8327]

Dam it I replied instead of commenting.

[@Tracertme]

Not only an excellent cottage industry but the best in the world, much like Formula 1, in fact it’s been that way for many decades. ❤

[@unoliljedahl7518]

Great video. Even I understand

[@colinrunciman5166]

Your not joking!

[@gafrers]

Harry + Tyrrell is Perfection

[@patrickm4566]

I always look forward to a new HG video, but the ones that include Iain are so fun. Seeing these two pulling the mufflers off their car to see if it makes the car faster, like a couple of teenagers made me smile. I think true car guys, regardless of their age, regardless of the cars they love and regardless of their financial abilities, are all essentially the same exact type of person.

[@SledgeFox]

👍

[@MdvK13979]

Absolutely!

[@adamhenderson4318]

Those young people with their loud exhausts - boy racer gauges everywhere in the car and always chasing power; this channel has gone all Max Power magazine and I love it. Next episode is fitting louder audio and cutting springs for lowering.

[@dancarter482]

Gotta drill some holes in the air-box and wind a bit of octane booster into the fuel tank!

[@Porkycheun]

Exactly what I thought! 🤣🤣

[@johnandrews3568]

Need some neon lights under the car too, to complete the effect.

[@JoshuaC923]

Espada with pulsing neon under body lights, totally tasteless but freaking cool😂😂😂

[@Phuc_Yhou]

Splitter like an IKEA cabinet door with adjustable rose joint hangers FTW

[@Rjhs001]

These two gentlemen are just wonderful. Experienced, knowledgeable and so modest. I love them both.

[@eieghn]

On some of our engines during my days at Chrysler as an Engine Test Engineer, we would run about 4.5 psi exhaust back pressure on our more "high performance" engines with a full vehicle exhaust installed in the test cell. One would see even better gains with as low as 1.5psi - try not to go much lower, as you risk ruining the exhaust valves with inversion pulses (colder gases thermal shocking the valves).

[@niosanfrancisco]

Both of you gentlemen are truly treasures. Thank you.

[@ryantaggart5642]

Harry's Garage is a highlight of my Sundays!

[@stephen300o6]

Is this a call for help?

[@HyperBiker]

This is great. It reminds me of the days when my mates and I were trying to get every last BHP out of our MKiii Cortina's. Except these are mature adults doing the same, only with Lamborghini's. Class act and top content. Broadcast TV will never better this sort of thing.

[@alanhunter2009]

The Iso grifo in the garage is what caught my eye. A really beautiful car, perfect from every angle.

[@ThomasMulhall]

The back end of that car and the Aston DBS 68-72 are absolutely the best.

[@petergardner5002]

My number 1 dream car

[@toffvs]

Tyrrell made a lovely video on it! Search for: "Iso Grifo: The Italian Stallion with an American Heart | Tyrrell's Classic Workshop" ❤

[@911engineguy]

I guess you could always run just the open headers on the dyno, just to see how much more power there is, without the restriction of the muffler system. Would be handy to eliminate (or isolate?) one of the variables.

[@C.Fecteau-AU-MJ13]

The Espada is my favourite Lamborghini... I think it's what Feruccio had in mind for the company, a big front engined V12 gentleman's express, for the discerning Playboy of the time. I saw a white one at a car show not long ago and I grew extra hair on my chest just looking at it.

[@ThomasMulhall]

I saw the Marzal in Italy at Bertone in 1988. Good God! Still my favourite.

[@ineedthatcar7169]

The perfect Espada in pursuit of more power! These are great times as we mourn the loss of cylinders and displacement. Long live the V12.

[@johnbewick1443]

I can appreciate the back pressure issue as I had a similar problem on a motorcycle many years ago I had only just bought the Suzuki 550 when it was about 2 years old and was immaculate but seemed to run out of power at higher revs but was ok mid range. I took it back to the dealership several times with no improvement.On one visit a mechanic suggested it could be an exhaust problem(standard pipes were fitted) and drilled a couple of holes in the end plate…instant improvement so they removed both pipes and the baffles inside had basically dissolved into a pile of pieces which were being forced into the end of the pipe at higher revs.As new standard pipes were an horrendous price they fitted a 4 into 1 pipe and rejected the bike and it completely transformed the bike…a bit of a long winded story but an example of back pressure causing performance loss…love the channel and enjoy Iain’s channel too 👍

[@davidfoster3814]

Sundays aren’t Sundays without Harry .

[@rajjy1976]

Harry Seacombe

[@notrut]

@@rajjy1976 ... and Harry Belafonte disagreed?

[@rajjy1976]

@@notrut Oh possible. But in the UK, Harry Seacombe presented a tv show with hymns on a Sunday night. Growing up that’s when you remembered you had school the next day 😭😭😭

[@monkeymansean2]

Monday mornings here in NZ ☕

[@RobertRedford77]

They said the same when the Cosby Show was on....and Spitting Image......and London's Burning....

[@jehl1963]

Interesting documentation of the impact of back-pressure. But back-pressure is only (the easy) half of the subject. You'll also need to look at the harmonics of the system if you want to get the best out of it. The lengths and diameters of the different sections matter. In the past I modelled the harmonics of the early 911's intakes and (to a degree) the exhausts. The difficulty with modelling exhausts is the temperature. As the gasses and the pipes heat-up, the tuning changes. If you know that the Jarama with the same engine performs better, installing one of those systems will most likely be your easiest improvement. In a nutshell, the harmonics tend to go in-and-out of tune as the RPMs increase. Anyone who plays a brass instrument will appreciate that it's very difficult to "lip" an entire scale without adjusting the length of the instrument (usually by valves or a slide). The trick is to not have the entire system suddenly go out of tune just when the engine is trying to achieve peak HP or torque. If you want a wide torque curve, you design the exhaust system to never be fully in-, or out-of-tune at any point on the rev range. This also works well with engines with modest valve overlap. Alternatively, if you're designing a system for a full-on race engine with a lot of overlap and with a narrow rev band, you'll design the system to be fully in-tune at peak HP which will result in a strong extraction effect over the peak HP RPM, but will be decidedly out of tune ~ 500 RPM below that point, and above it A. Graham Bell's "4-Stroke Performance Tuning" has a good discussion on the basics and some reasonable "rules of thumb" . Smith and Morrison's "Scientific Design of Exhausts and Intake Systems" has a more detailed discussion. It will be interesting to see the change with an alternate system.

[@DonAl9114]

Your patience with these old cars is really unique. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😊🇩🇪

[@manfredschmalbach9023]

You gotta pamper these things just like in their younger days. Italian cars (and motorcycles...) used to be labour-intensive, touchy (... b*tchy 😄) Divas back in the days, but they rewarded the owner that loved 'em enough to put up with their touchiness until everything was perfect tremendously - just like the Italian girlfriends of that era.

[@richardhawkins3021]

So what was causing the fuel leak? Video seems to skip straight to the exhaust issue.

[@Martin_in_Cheltenham]

Yes I watched it twice as I thought I missed that. Amazing insight into back pressure! Thank you.

[@tkffin]

Classic distraction The cause of no power but cough sone more it’s the exhaust

[@frankchan5547]

The continuity sequence suggested it was thrown on the dyno without first fixing the petrol leak🚩 yikes!!

[@harrysgarage]

The fuel leak turned out to be a tiny bit of debris in one of the carburettor float needle valves. It was so minor and was quickly discovered a few weeks earlier, we forgot to mention it.

[@GT380man]

@@harrysgarageIt’s common, isn’t it, for something like that to happen? I go to my 1977 bikes and if they’ve not run for a few weeks, I do occasionally get a leak from a float chamber, which generally stops if I tap them gently with a wide bladed screwdriver.

[@samueldowney2806]

That must be the coolest group of cars I've ever seen in a workshop garage. Just unreal. "A Daytona sounds like a bag of spanners at idle!" - Such a great Iain quote!

[@stevestone4346]

The espada has been my all time favourite since I was a kid, that has never left me.

[@MultiVitoralmeida]

The front of Espada remember the agressive front American muscle car...

[@jonw9417]

It was my pick out of the book 'Supercars of the 70s'.

[@johnnyboy1586]

Dodge cuda?​@@MultiVitoralmeida

[@MultiVitoralmeida]

@@johnnyboy1586 Challenger 1970, Plymouth GTX ROADRUNNER...

[@MultiVitoralmeida]

@@johnnyboy1586 Plymouth 1971 Roadrunner.

[@placeyplacey]

The best video on You Tube is any with Harry and Iain - perfezione! 👌

[@robinfoster7597]

Great video Harry, good to see an update on the Espada. You had me chuckling with delight when you said you, "want more sound, more noise, more go"! Yes Harry, we want it too. :)

What a great video, and such a cherished relationship. Greatly appreciated Harry.

[@stephenkayll5241]

I had all those editions of Motor magazine, bought it every week since 1968. I hated it when it was no longer publishing, incorporated into Autocar. Its great you have collected them amongst others.

[@lamarw9901]

Love seeing two men driving around pulling the exhaust off a classic Lamborghini like 20 something Aemricans in a V8 pony car but with more science in their experimentation. Harry and Iain is always a fun educational time. As an American who has played with primary size in the tubular exhaust manifold (header), mid pipe between the manifold and over axle pipe on a Corvette. My last Corvette had the best power band on the dyno with an over axle pipe that was smaller than the mid pipe vs the same size all the way back. We went from dual 3inch to 2.5 inch after an x pipe making the reduction almost in the center of the car before the over axle section. It turned effectively the same peak HP number as another car with almost the exact same mods with dual 3 inch ending just before the axle. He was drag race oriented and I was building for track events. The smaller full length exhaust added 20 more ft lbs of torque at peak, some areas it was more. Same dyno, same day. The 2 of you likely know but the theory being as the exhaust cools further down the pipe, it condenses and needs a smaller tube to keep exhaust velocity up. Higher velocity helps scavenge the cylinder. Some back pressure also helps when natueally aspirated. I have also tested with dual 3 inch all the way out to the bumper but that was a more agressive build and didn't fit very well. What little I have done gives me great appreciation for engineers who built racecars, and balance cam timing/design, tube lengths, merges and diameters to create the best powerband for their platform. It is all a system working together and takes a birlliant mind to optimize.

[@TheChannel1978]

These videos are such a pleasure to watch, so 'cultured' for lack of a better word. I wished I knew a mechanic like Iain. Maybe that is the joy that comes with owning a classic car, over time you find like-minded people that work on these cars and share the journey with them.

[@dinispaulino7512]

I love this type of episodes. The enthusiasm both of you show is absolutely contagious!

[@brunonjezic6208]

I love the amount of enthusiasm here. So happy there is new video about espada work

[@oldanslo]

Another task that Harry can consider doing is a dyno pull with the exhaust system behind the headers removed. That will give an idea of what the engine could do with an ideal exhaust system. Also, the engine will need to be re-tuned (jetting, ignition, cam timing) to take full benefit of the reduced back pressure.

[@TachyonDriver]

Apologies if this has been mentioned before, but perhaps the real elephant in the room is the fact that the exhaust pipe enters into that rear box without a curve to take ot through 90 degrees. It just enters the box then a couple of inches further hits the side of the box, a metaphorical brick wall perpendicular to the gases entering..

[@christopherjensen5007]

I absolutely love you two-talking shop! I'd love to see you two gentlemen go on a European tour together......Charlie too! 😊

[@RoadUser100]

I remember seeing a RHD Lamborghini Espada in a carpark in Ramsgate some time in the early 1970s. I was car-mad and probably about 8 years old. It was the only Lamborghini I'd ever seen, other than in pictures. Seeing one at that time was far more of an event than it is nowadays.

[@esr243]

Two of the best together - That is a double whammy !

[@alfagtvjan]

Happy days another Harry video

[@mnetjes9520]

Veloce

[@93455Driver]

These two should a show "Proper Top Gear". Great episode, look forward to seeing what kind of solution works and the new engine sound.

[@pj9375]

I love this. Modifying my 200sx s14a exhaust restriction was the first thing I looked at. From standard double catalytic converters flowing through pea shooters to a 3inch HKS hipower Silent system decatted it released the engines potential without being obtrusive. Massive improvement 😊

[@Margot_est_douce.]

Your efforts and modesty are reflected in every video. Congratulations.

[@TheAslakVind]

Well spoken, I agree Harry is a person we can learn from.

[@kings3803]

Yer always a great video and learn something everytime.

[@vibingwithvinyl]

Scam bot, beware.

[@AB-80X]

Here's a few thoughts. Increasing overlap, i.e decreasing LSA, tends to favour mid range punch, not add rpm. Increasing lobe separation angle adds high rpm power, but also softens the bottom. So definitely set that back to stock if not add 2 degrees of separation if the piston to valve clearance allows. Additionally, consider shortening the primaries when the new exhaust is done. Long runners favour torque, where shorter tubes favour high rpm power. It does not have to be by much, maybe 5-7 cm. The last bit is the heads. I recall the video where the heads were disassembled and looked at, and they are definitely not large port heads. Adding bigger cams and increasing displacement is all fine and good, but only if the heads can support the flow. When an engine is out of steam up high, that is more often than not the tell-tale sign of an engine that is running out of head, carb or intake. Maybe get them on a flow bench and see what's what. Yes back pressure will take some power, but less than one might think. I've seen 2" exhausts support 500+ hp with little issue. Stepping up to ta 3" did not matter much. But sure, get a good exhaust, that's definitely a starting point. But the rest has to support the whole combination. Top end can suffer for a lot of reasons aside from a restrictive exhaust. There's also the carb size and the intake design to consider.

[@martinrussellhughes2963]

I had a similar issue with an Audi quattro UR when the exhaust was changed on one occasion the car was flat out at 70 mph so I took it back only to find the wrong system had been fitted. Just a couple of part numbers different. The system fitted had baffles in the silencer boxes but the correct exhaust was an absorption type where the pipes run straight through the silencers with mesh pipes surrounded with sound deadening. Car was then back to its usual performance and fantastic 5 cylinder warbler 😊

[@PJWoodbury-Speed]

Not an exhaust issue that I had 20 years ago with my Series 2b model Espada but the original fuel line was rubber and ran under the carpet in side the car. With the new fuel being used in NZ at the time it caused the rubber to leak like a sieve and nearly set the car on fire !! Watching with much interest your progress with such a fantastic model Lamborghini.

[@bertramspielt]

The Espada is such a beautiful car... From the outside like on the inside. Had the chance to drive an example and it was glorious! The sound, at low speed you could separate the different parts - and open it up it went to an italian opera. Phantastic. And one curiousity is forever in my memory: the gearlever. This movement, up and down, was something very special... Quite easy to drive, very refined - and (it sounds silly, I know) a very friendly car. I will never forget this experience. Maybe the microphones couldn't catch the sound - but on the video, I wasn't able to hear a big difference between the two testdrives... Great video - hope to see (and hear!) the Espada with the New exaust! Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹!

[@piuthemagicman]

Oh wow, beautiful story Bertram 🤩😊 Cheers from Finland!

[@Racerman27410]

Probably the only Espada that regularly gets to see redline... Well done Harry for wanting all the horses to play with. It's not a bad thing that Iain also wants them to arrive as promised . Can't wait to hear the new exhaust i know it will be incredible. Cheers!

[@butterfliesandtape]

I hope I am not the only one with fond memories of a mark2 polo, another Gandini design, my first car which i camped in as a lad! great video Harry!!!! Keep it up!!!

[@Morgan_Sandoval]

I do so love the sound of DCOEs singing.

[@ThomasMulhall]

I am charmed by the tic-tic-tic that they sing when cold.

[@loopy7776]

You guys make me smile.

[@hodgie5321]

What an absolute pleasure to watch - two knowledgeable experienced drivers

[@davroshalfbeard8368]

Harry at Iain's garage perfect Sunday evening viewing cheers.

[@manfredschmalbach9023]

Miuras and Countaches and Espadas all in a plural plethora together under that roof .... What an extraordinary place Mr Tyrell runs!

[@pete540Z]

One of your best videos in quite a while!

[@paulelverstone8677]

The bit when you were both discussing whether to remove the back boxes or not. That was every one of us screaming YES!!!... :o)

[@bluetitan20]

When I seen Iain removing the left hand side rear silencer, I thought this will sound bloody epic...really surprised it stayed basically the same!! If I was able to get my nose into Iain's workshop, I wouldn't leave it for at least a week 😂 That green Miura.....Oh Lord!! 😎

[@BEGGARWOOD1]

I am always surprised how much patience you need to own these Italian cars. “We shot for the stars building this engine” it’s not been right since !

[@garethmcrae668]

Agreed. I suspect the exhaust ports might well need opened out next. A Dyno run exhaustless would establish if the engine is somewhat choking itself. This will only surface after a whole new exhaust system has been fashioned and fitted. All good fun.😊

[@CR-di1lg]

This was a cool episode. Again show how difficult it is to restore old cars where other people have worked on them too.

[@markjohnson8352]

Thank you! Every day an education with you two! Always a good watch,, always appreciated.

[@trendytuft]

Two grown men getting very excited like a couple of teenagers messing around with their exhaust, all be it on an Espada. Great enthusiasm as usual, thank you for your fabulous channel.

[@Renzsu]

Always nice when you can solve a problem with another fancy performance part instead of painful repairs :)

[@richardcoates4471]

If all your cars the Espada is my favourite - so civilised, a gentleman’s express. Lovely to see it again.

[@AledPritchard]

Fantastic video, as always. A fitting tribute to the Great Gandini. RIP ❤

[@shankarbalan3813]

Truly. Nothing quite like a video where Harry and Iain Collaborate. Simply Superb!

[@ratman9802]

I'm sure I'm not alone in looking forward to the next installment on this. I enjoy Harry's videos on the classic machinery much more than the reviews of modern stuff.

[@robertallen3441]

A pipe each side exiting by the door will sort the back pressure, just need a pair of ear defenders or a loud radio.

[@dhmallet]

My brother had an Espada briefly back in the 80s, bought for $20k. It was a great drive despite its size, and pulled lustfully to an indicated 130 mph. It wass replaced by a Urraco P300. What a sound!

[@ruaraidhmcdonald-walker9524]

Excellent!! More old classic resto work! The system breaking down to 12-2 half way along the car is the problem rather than 12-4 of the standard system all the way to the tailpipes. Great stuff!

[@Gozar111]

Keen to see the next video! You have the best mechanic in the business. What an absolute legend.

[@bobproxmire3637]

I enjoyed the visceral presentation used to express power in both an interesting and useful way. A bit like watching two engineers operating a steam locomotive with its Byzantine labyrinth of gauges and pressures. I loved it 🥰

[@Rockport1911]

Not all tuning parts are craeted equal. The former owner wanted anice stainless system thats not too loud but unfortunately its very restrictive. Great find :)

[@stephenwilliams926]

I bet to insure that workshop is eye watering 😮

[@andrewnichols1023]

Must be an insane price

[@Lemingtona-x5g]

its up to the car owners to have insurance lol

[@andrewnichols1023]

@@Lemingtona-x5g But as a business having mad expensive cars in your possession, you need insurance as well as the owner.

[@andrewnichols1023]

@@Lemingtona-x5g it definitely is in the UK you need that it’s a must

[@petergardner5002]

Should be OK as long as they don't get an EV.

[@andrewjohnson9896]

You two are a wonderful double act, could listen for hours. Another wonderful video guys.

[@tonyosullivan2382]

I bet Iain rolls his eyes when he sees Harry's number pop up on his phone 😆

[@Wargasm54]

😂

[@stephen300o6]

Dollar signs pop up, cha ching!

[@tomling9310]

I bet he doesn’t, more likely thinks, where shall we go on holiday again, 😂

[@antonoat]

Fascinating discovery, can't wait to see how it develops form here, more noise too potentially Yipee!!!

[@davidlambeth5368]

When I was a kid, in the '70s, I would share lifts to school in the back an Espada, reg no '123 FAB', then owned by Roy Shepherd, father of my school-mate Mark Shepherd, RIP. He also had a Daimler Double-Six and a V8 Range Rover. I was also friends with Simon Nearn, son of Graham Nearn, both of Caterham fame. I vaguely remember going sailing once with Simon, getting there with Simon and I both shoved in the passenger seat of 'KAR 120C', probably without seatbelts. On other occasions, it was the back of Graham's Elan 2+2. At the time, my Dad had a Mk1 and Mk3 Triumph GT6, which was still considered pretty cool!

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Thank you for the insight into how a dedicated car guy thinks about things.

[@Punisher9419]

I removed some restrictions from my XKR's exahust, there is a crushed section near the rear to make it easier for the exhaust to be isntalled at the factory but to me it looks very crushed so I repalced it with a full sized tubular section and removed 4 of the silencers. It still has the center box so it's not too noisey but I figure it should help the top end a lot. I would probbaly ditch the whole exhaust and have a whole new system made for it that's just smoother with less restrictions. They have a silly right angle bend into that last box at the back which can't help, having it straight will help a lot I think.

[@tonywillans7556]

Lucky Harry has this Espada always needing work so he can keep visiting Tyrrell's workshop and admiring all the other broken Italian stuff.

[@simonelliott5956]

My favourite of all your cars is the Espada, it’s definitely my bucket list car! Always good to see it featured and even better to see Iain work his magic with it.

[@mathiasserneels9857]

Nice test, very learnful! Had a similar experience with an R107 SL on which a previous owner mounted a wrong exhaust causing powerloss.

[@MBSLC]

Had the same experience with my 450 SLC. The exhaust headers are tuned, to permit somewhat efficient scavenging, to work with the tuned exhaust to create a good compromise between the low - end torque and mid to high end horsepower. The "H" crossover pipe was missing and the whole system was a hodge - podge weld patchwork. Stock spec exhaust fixed the problem.

[@russellsmith1375]

Wonderful video...two masters of the art!

[@iainwilliams4226]

A real treat to see to fellow northerners with a passion for very special cars and an engineer at the top of his game 😊

[@NeoJ4K3]

I always love the Espada videos, always an instant watch for me

[@echassin]

It perhaps could go without saying, but another dyno run on the follow-up video would be top on my list of things to see. Are we to expect 350 crank minus about 20%, so about 280 at the wheels? Also, did I miss what caused the gas spillage into the engine bay?

[@buggerlugz6753]

It running too rich due to the back pressure.

[@piuthemagicman]

​@@buggerlugz6753lol no it was't. running rich only causes grey/black exhaust which smells like gas + bad running, not spillage to the engine bay...

[@AB-80X]

@@buggerlugz6753 That's impossible to say for sure. An engine can also run lean due to back pressure. The back pressure can have some interesting effects on how the air is pulled though the carb venturi which can cause it to draw less fuel. It can also mess with the scavenging effect and cause all sorts of fun issues with reversion.

[@andrewward3752]

Debris in one of the carb jets, according to one of Harry's replies

[@jdtseventyfour]

As always a very informative video. A lot of people wouldn't ever have heard of exhaust back pressure but its actually a critical part of exhaust design. When I worked as an exhaust engineer we were given back pressure targets to achieve so as not to affect engine performance. But at the same time you need to meet pesky noise regulations but also have a sound that matches the car its fitted to ie sporty rasp for a sports car but a sedate burble for a executive saloon. A lot of people go on about BHP but its just a function of Torque and engine RPM (Horsepower = Torque x RPM / 5,252). Torque is what makes you accelerate and is amplified when put though a gearbox hence why your car accelerates harder in lower gears as the lower gearing multiply's the engine torque at the wheels. Looking forward to seeing what the new exhaust unleashes on the BHP and Torque scales! Video's with both of these chaps are always a joy to watch as you can see the excitement and enthusiasm about cars in general. I also loved the quick 'lets take the back box off' test before it rains. Pure joy to watch. Thanks for sharing

[@Omegaman1969]

When you leave carbs for a long time the fuel tends to evaporate, leaving the floats at full extension. When you go to use the car after a long break, the floats can stick and flood the carb….my Esprit does this if I leave it for a while.

[@Surestick88]

Marvel Mystery Oil at their suggested ratio or 500:1 of TC-W3 two stroke oil in ethanol free fuel prior to storage can help with this. It works on my lawn equipment and my motorcycles. TC-W3 is the spec for two stroke watercraft and is ashless so it's not going to harm anything with a catalytic converter either, and at 500:1 it doesn't affect fuel injection systems or cause carbon buildup.

[@Omegaman1969]

@@Surestick88 Thanks for the tip. I usually just tap the top of each carb with a screwdriver handle if it's been stood for a while.

[@GT380man]

@@Omegaman1969posted identical information a moment ago.

[@GT380man]

@@Surestick88”We don’t know what’s in it. It’s a mystery”. Derek Bieri - Vise Grip Garage.

[@Omegaman1969]

@@GT380man 👍🏻 Is your name after a Suzuki ? Nice bike, my brother has one.

[@kiwi335d]

Exiting times for you and the Espada Harry. Can’t wait to see the next Espada video demonstrating what will be, the shiny new performance exhaust system.

[@colingreen2320]

So why was the fuel leaking from the carbs???

[@Welwynnick]

Very interesting. There's a good comparison to be made between the Espada and the mildly tuned Jaguar XJ12 coupe, which I think made 350 bhp.

[@confederatenationalist7283]

Firstly the 4.0 litre Lambo V12 seems to have predictably inflated factory power claims. While Harry's XJ12 coupe has an easy 450 bhp potential with some larger bore liners and 78 mm stroke crankshaft warmer cams and ITB induction modifications.All that with single cam heads.

[@jim99west46]

This workshop is just amazing.

[@chrisbanks5925]

Nice to be able to consult Iain Tyrrell for your automotive needs whenever you want.

[@ArnoldWinters]

What was the leaking petrol coming from?

[@steadfastandyx4947]

Yes?

[@rapido2963]

A tiny bit of debris in the needle valve apparently. Harry forgot to mention it.

[@user-ih7gc7dt9l]

We were little boys when these designs were released on the public so I remember them with that childhood excitement.

[@theblackhand6485]

Unwanted back pressure: add a H or X bridge to connect both pipes. It needs to be welded in just in the middle of the exhaust. This will limit back pressure and give a huge power gain.

[@richardmosley4549]

I could listen to these two all night! Another great video Harry - look forward to the (successful?) sequel!

[@Blessedmantoday]

Fantastic, to hear the engine breeth better

[@phillm156]

Love that old school hot rod test & tune strategy😂

[@davids9960]

This is an interesting situation. First Italian and many other HP figures of the late 1960s are known to be very optimistic. 10% losses aren't unheard of at the gearbox and rear axle. Dyno tests of that period are almost always done without the driven accessories, such as alternator, power steering, fans etc. Probably another 15 HP. Using 350 HP this would make it between 265 and 270 at the rear wheels, but 350 HP was very likely optimistic. So don't be too disappointed if the gains are small, unless you open up the exhaust ports in the heads. But how will that effect the glorious torque curve?

[@kellymorgan1447]

Hey great work Harry & Ian enjoyed the trouble shooting aspect!!

[@TheMrTomkennedy]

You two fanboying over Marcello Gandini made my day!!

[@sorenstirling8795]

Posted 24 seconds ago - hey, happy to see the Espada again and Iain's magic workshop! Its got to be worth the repair bills just to visit the place and see whats new in the garage