What DRIVES better a 512BB or BBi?

I am thinking of buying a 512 BB this year. The only thing I know for sure is that it won't be red on the outside. I already have a Testarossa and a 458 with Rosso Corsa exterior and I think something different would be better.

If I am not mistaken production between the BB and BBi are pretty similar? Is there any changes in exterior/interior design?
Would one be easier to maintain than the other?

Most important... Has anybody drove both of them in order to compare its performance?

Thank you very much!

 

Bbi drives better

 

If you want it to start and run like a modern car then get an injected version. Both are quick and both sound best with aftermarket mufflers. The injected car is better built than a carb'd car. Ive owned both and had both versions down to the frames during restorations and I can say with certainty that better materials and techniques were used on injected cars vs carb'd ones. Its also easier to find a clean injected car vs a carb'd car because by the time the injected cars came out people decided that these should be parked more than driven compared to the mentality in the 70's with the BB.

 

Very helpful answer, thank you. You mentioned a very important point that will help me decide: BBi is built better than BB

Thanks!

 

why is the BBi built any different then the BB?

I like the rawness of the BB compared to the BBi.

 

Long list of changes. Off the top of my head:

Better door shells, more substantial
Additional door frame seals as well as quarter glass seals
Door bottom lights
Door checks
Floor of cabin uses modern seam sealer
Raised seatbelt retractor upper mounts (81 introduced that)
Improved antenna connector on windshield
Better fender lip seals
In period it had better tires in my opinion
Revised radiator, lowered and tilted with better fans including a/c fan
Additional alternator but no more options than a BB with a radio
Overhead console with lamps
Improved speedo pulse generator
Factory radio
Steel cam gears, some BBs had composite (hit and miss)
Cleaner emissions
Better fuel economy
Separate fuel pump fuse blocks
Starts easy, no monkey business.

The cold drivability and ease of starting like a modern car make it more attractive to some.

As for rawness I think we're splitting hairs really. They're both great cars that provide an amazing rush.

An injected car sounds more solid, better sealed.

 

I suggest that you need to drive and inspect good examples of both to make a determination. And good examples are vastly different then the many deferred/under maintained BB's you will find in many ads.

 

I forgot! The mirrors are better too.

 

I have a BB, and have driven a very nice BBi.

Driving sensations:
The BBi pulls better off idle, while the carb car pulls harder in the top of the rev range. The sound of the carb car at full chat is wonderful, about half intake and half exhaust noise. The BBi sound is more muted. Carbs on the BB need to be cleaned and rebuilt occasionally, but then again, so does the fuel injection metering unit On the BBi. They're both fabulous cars, and much more similar than different. Take your time and find one in good condition.

Good luck!

 

John, I was shocked to hear a BB at my mechanic with no airboxes while he was tuning the carbs. The induction sound at idle was impressive, if I put my hand too close I thought I would lose it, lol! You can actually hear intake valve chatter.

 

daniel,
if you are more a sport typ then take a BB, if more a relaxing type take the BBi
the main negative thing at the BB are the both outside mirrors, with speed over 130 km/h you see nearly nothing. I use only the inside mirror, for parking backwards I need the outside mirrors sometimes

 

The chatter was probably the worn shafts in the carbs allowing the throttle plates to click at idle. Common on the 3 barrel webers.

 

Not for nothing, but if I was you - you already have a testarossa I would go for the bb carb.
If only to complete the set of a carb and fi 12 banger Ferrari ........ The bbi maybe a wash , if it were me, as I already have a tr I would do the carb, just my personal unbiased opinion.

 

The big difference to me is the drive. The injected car has more low end torque. It is faster in the vast majority of modern US driving, and feels faster to most drivers "trained" in the US. To me, it gets breathless right about where Ferraris should be singing - around 6000 rpm. That's likely a combination of fuel delivery and cam timing changes with the BBi. The carb'd cars shine from 5000-7500rpm (especially the smaller-displacement 365, which is not the subject here), but how much of your driving do you do there? The throttle response in the carb car is sharper anywhere over idle with the carbs in good shape, well-tuned, and setup/synchronized correctly. Overall I agree with John B: all the Boxers are more similar than they are different. They are all wonderful period cars, and, in my opinion, the best representatives of the innovative period F1-style horizontally-opposed 12. Finding one in good shape is important. But don't simply buy a carb car in good shape if you want an injected car, and vice versa. Definitely go out for drives (or at least rides) in both - you'll find what you like and all this verbiage is no substitute for experience. Fortunately for you, there are a number of BB's coming up in Scottsdale and Paris, and, with time and a few phone calls to the auction houses, you can almost certainly secure nearly back-to-back rides in any variant you choose. Enjoy the chase.

 

The Bbi looks so much more impressive with the lid open. Those beautifully cast intake plenums are pure art.

 

I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, I'll take carbs any day.
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6 of one...

both configs are impressive to anyone who takes a look!!!

 

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I went with a Black BBi back in 2004 and never looked back for many of the same reasons Paul pointed out earlier. If you can, grab a ride in both and make your decision from there.

 

Thank you to everyone!

I am glad I could get all these points of view. I will certainly get a very good example and not the first/cheapest that comes in my way.

 

we welcome you to the fraternity!

 

I'll just chime in having had the extraordinary privilege to have driven a few of each. There's so few out there of either, and they both are sooo awesome that I'd not discount either if one comes up you like. I noticed some differences between the two which Paul has already mentioned, but I didn't have the good fortune to purvey an offering of Boxers when I was looking. I just went for the best condition as a starting point. This is a very important point because restoration costs are like remodeling a house!

And after that, the one you buy will be the best one

Good luck with your hunt.

 

BB all the way.!! Nothing beats having smelly close after a nice drive,!
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