First Drive of a 14-Year Barn Find: Victoria's Secret Lamborghini Diablo SV

The Hunt and Acquisition

• 🎯 A Lamborghini Diablo SV, originally sold from the 1998 Victoria's Secret catalog, was acquired after a 5-year hunt.
• 🔍 The car was located in an airplane hangar in Illinois by Tim Fabrigio, despite a crash in 2006 and an un-processed title.
• 🛠️ Assistance from Cannonball Garage and Arie and Stan brought the car to DC Motorworks for a comprehensive restoration.

Initial Restoration and Challenges

• ⚠️ The Diablo had been sitting for 14 years, requiring a complete overhaul, including cosmetic repairs to the paint and incorrect black accents on the bumper.
• 💥 An incident during unloading, due to non-working brakes, resulted in further damage to the front bumper, revealing poor Bondo work.
• 💡 Expert John Temerian confirmed the car's original color was likely pearlescent white, guiding the restoration.

Mechanical Revival and Surprises

• ⚡ The car was brought back to life by Cameron and Evan at DC Motorworks, involving fresh fuel, fluids, filters, and careful priming.
• ⚙️ Initial startup revealed issues with only half the motor running, leading to the replacement of fuel pumps and cleaning of injectors.
• ✍️ A significant discovery was a handwritten name, "Nenah", on the engine cover, identified as the daughter of a former Lamborghini employee.

The First Drive and Discoveries

• 🚗 The first drive commenced after the engine was running on all 12 cylinders and the brakes were bled.
• ⚠️ A major oil hemorrhage from the head gasket was discovered, likely the reason the car was parked for so long, necessitating engine removal for repair.
• 🛣️ Despite the oil leak, the car was driven a short distance to test the transmission and overall drivability, revealing a surprisingly solid and well-aligned vehicle.
• 📈 The Diablo showed minimal errors, with only the airbag light on, and a smooth transmission, far exceeding expectations for a car with such a long period of disuse.