Looking for a Boxer and I would like everyone's opinion on what to look for to narrow things down. Like FI or Carbs. Or model years. I understand that TRX tires are a pain so does that mean no car with them? Anything else that could be a problem or show stopper? I'm not too interested in what to look for mechanically here. I'm trying to figure out what I should be searching for, then look mechanically.
depends on what you like, how you're going to use it, and what your budget is. the carb cars don't have TRX tires. 365BB is hard to find. 512BBi is certainly the easiest to find in the US. 512BB falls between the two.
Ethanol is the issue with both carb and injected cars get non ethanol fuel There looks to be a decent 512BB owned by a mystery celebrity on Ebay now
Wow. A good question. A driver. But, condition can very important because I plan to do "some" work-- but not full restoration. Not interested in trailer show car. I'm so tired of cars that people car about mileage and depreciation! Let's just drive for heaven's sake.
curious why a boxer and why now? do you see writing on the wall? is the boxer the next dino? love to hear your thoughts. pcb
A very good question. I never buy cars as "investments". I have always loved the boxer. It's the most affordable (at least to buy) 12 cyl mid engine F car out there. It's also beautiful. I know it has it's problems. But, it's no Countach either. I had a Dino and I cannot explain to you why anyone would pay $250K for a car that's worth $120K. For that, you have to ask Dino purchasers. I hate to tell them this but... the Boxer is better looking. (shhh! blasphemy!).
False. My carb Boxer has been running on modern gas for, well, as long as modern gas has been around. Now, I did rebuild the carbs about 7-8 years ago, so maybe that makes a difference. My choice is the 512BB-- you get the carb sounds and throttle response, with various improvements over the 365. However the market seems to prefer the 365, so take that for what it's worth.
This is where I have been leaning. To me, Carbs are just a bit more interesting if you're going classic.
i hope you do in fact make a great investment and hope that the market wakes up to these great flat 12's. i have had mine for 11 years this month. i love the bespoke nature of these cars. last of the breed. good luck to you and keep us posted. pcb
you would be a welcome addition to the Boxer forum as an owner. Nice to hear your impetus is driving and not investing. You seem to have impeccable Ferrari pedigree, but, if you haven't, you have to drive them all to know. They are sisters raised in the same house, but only you know if the enigmatic redhead, sultry brunette, or saucy blonde is going to float your boat. Pluses and minuses for each. Wheels/tires, exhaust are probably the 2 best enhancements while keeping the car largely original. But you can do those on your own and at your discretion once you get past the subtle aesthetic and mechanical differences between the variants. Whichever BB you choose, I suggest finding the best mechanical example you can find. We could fashion a reality show out of this search. "Which Boxer will seduce the Mayor?" Two hour season finale to settle the ultimate unanswered question, lol!
The one on eBay for $155,000 "buy it now" is a nice looking car but with 2 questionable characteristics. 1) Why does the car have the incorrect (BBi) mirrors? 2) Why does the car have the incorrect lower rear valence? The rear is not supposed to have the lights next to the exhaust, that's a BBi lower rear valence. Because this was a late BB, the dealer could have ordered the BBi bits to move the car off the showroom floor faster as customers were awaiting the BBi during that time. Or else did an owner do it somewhere? Was it hit in the rear end? If it's a no accident car and the new buyer doesn't mind the BBi bits, it looks like a great car and was well looked after.
Agree completely. This coming September will be 30 years of ownership with my 365bb. Very few issues, overall...A truly incredible car to experience!
The car had a repaint. My guess is being an american car it was DOT certified at one point. The carbed rear bumper is hard to find vs the readily available BBi so if (speculation here) it had the beautifully designed picnic table bumpers in the past that could explain the bumper change. The mirrors, who knows but a nice pair of BBi mirrors sells for over $2K alone vs the $100 specials the BB's came with. You could sell the mirrors and almost pay for a new set of XWX's!
Theres no right answer, its whatever you prefer. Both cause headaches at times. Both are hot in the cabin so count on a 10 degree hotter climate in the car vs outside temps which is mainly due to the hot air from the rad outlet entering the cabin behind your head when the windows are down. Carbs or injected, both have expensive repair costs. If you are looking for a carb car the carb shaft condition and carb body color would be on the top of my list of concerns as well as rust in the front frame tubes. I recently (two weeks ago) looked at a set of 4 mint BB512 carbs for $12K! I was considering them as spares just because or to use them on the 76 BB resto job but I passed and ill probably regret it some day. The reason I mention this is if you ever want to restore the car you'll wish your carbs have not been rebuilt and blasted in the past forever taking that OEM finish away. If you need to rebuild them its costly and very time consuming. Injected cars are cleaner and easier to find but with more complex fuel systems but parts are not hard to find or rebuild when the time comes. Todays cars run closed fuel systems, I think the biggest problem with any old car is the systems are open to the atmosphere running a fuel designed to be in a sealed system with fuel injection.
paul, just curious...in lieu of the webers, could you use pmo's in place and save the webers for concourse events? just curious as to your thoughts? pcb
Speaking of carbs.... In my search for some 512 Weber parts, a brand spanking new 365bb carb was found in the process. It will fit the 7-9 bank (RR). Drop me a PM if any one is interested....
Whats a pmo? I would just put the carbs aside and go EFI with stacks. Tune with a laptop and no more monkey business.
PMO....A replica three-barrel carb, better in some respects, worse in others. Very popular with the Porsche folks. Been around for about 10+ years, maybe more... http://www.pmocarb.com/pmo_story.htm
