The BORA

Agree completely..

As a teenager in the 80's lusting after Italian Exotics and collecting lots of them in a library of contemporary coffee table books, I was never, ever fond of the Bora's I'd see in photographs.

Over time I began seeing some of the exotics "in the flesh" - an Iso Grifo S1 at a young age, a DeTomaso Mangusta in my teens, my first Miura was at Oliver Kuttner's in VA (a whole nuther story goes with that road trip), got to test drive an Espada at age 25 - they were all beautiful designs..

Then in 2011 I got to actually see a Bora. It was Peter Perry Sr's yellow US spec #1044 at the Hemmings Sports & Exotic show Saratoga Springs. What a revelation. Marvelous design. So much better in person than any photo I'd ever seen. Kept in touch with Peter and about a year later I bought mine from Ivan.

I'd certainly love to restore it inside & out, go over it from soup to nuts, take care of the myriad niggling flaws, but it is SUCH a glorious car to drive... I couldn't stomach the down time... took me 6 years to resto my Satellite.

..now, if I can find a shop that'll give me a loaner...
LOL, - Art

 

Was driving Bora today, and 2 or 3 times the left red warning light (of the three in the center behind the steering wheel) illuminated. The manual says insufficient hydraulic pressure and parking brake on.

Has anyone seen this light intermittently illuminate before? And, if so, what action was taken?

It has been a number of years since I had the accumulators rebuilt.

Thanx
Mark

 

Mark run the car through the at home tests that any numnuts can do. It's in one of the threads on here as outlined nicely by Ivan.

Basically you start the car up and shut it off after the pump stops cycling. If it's cycling continuously or a lot then at a minimum you need a new main accumulator. That's very easy to do yourself. The others are far more difficult and may involve new special fittings and or a special hydraulic fitting sealer compound from Loctite.

Once the pump stops turn it off and there are certain number (found in that thread) of headlight lifts it should be able to do with the engine not running. That's main accumulator test.

Next test is for the brakes. Same drill only this time you're count eh number of brake applications that actually occur after the engine is off.

No tools required except for your brain!

It really is an amazing car.

 

Hi---
Unless you have a slow LHM leak, unlikely that this is a hydraulics issue.
They don't go like that.
I would check the handbrake warning light circuit; sounds like an intermittent contact problem at the handbrake itself.
Let us know.
Regards.

 

Thanx for the inputs...

Manual for US cars says:
right light (26) brake system failure warning light
center light (39) front brake pads warning light
left light (27) hand brake and insufficient pressure in hyd system

Found Ivan's thread and conducted tests. With engine off, headlamps went up and down 10+ times (albeit pretty slowly toward the end). And after 5 min, brake pumping was good at 20+ pumps.

Did discover my hand brake/insufficient press is the center light and most probably the front pad warning light (which came on intermittently when I hit the brakes) appears to be the left light. The right light never illuminated.

However, did raise question, is there a lights test switch somewhere that will turn all three lights on to test the bulbs?

 

My three lights are:

Left = Handbrake on.
Middle = LHM low pressure.
Right = Front brake pads worn.

There isn't a switch that tests all three lights.
- Art

 

Your accumulators are fine. I think I'd go down Boralogist's list now and check your pads. Pantera pads on the front though maybe not with the wear sensor wires? I always preferred the original pads the best and gave my last set set away to a fellow Bora trackmate and got the Pantera ones in return.

In any event you're safe for hydraulic pressure.

 

Hello Art (71Satisfaction)...

I was just perusing the recent edition of Hemmings Sports & Exotics, reading an article
about their recent Sports & Exotic Car Show held in Saratoga Springs.. I don't know if
anyone has mentioned this yet, but I believe 'CONGRATULATIONS' are in order for your
Bora award !!! Please let us all know that it was you that took the 'Favorite Italian'
award...

If it is you, WELL DONE!!!

Mike

 

Why yes, indeed - Thank You - that was us.. the Bora took it.
Worth noting only 4 years ago I bought it from Ivan having been off the road for 22 years.
I heard Bearded Mug also carried some photos of it on their coverage of the event..

The Hemmings guys are such nice people - a journalist asked a ton of questions about the history and technology of the Bora, asked about every aspect of ownership - listened to every response, took a ton of notes and remarked that they try to emphasize owners who know their own cars deeply. Wow I was impressed. It wasn't just a handshake and Hey Can You Pose For A Picture.

Thanks again,
- Art

 

Art,

That car could have not gone to a better home. Congratulations on your well deserved award!

Ivan

 

Cheers and Thank you, Ivan!
The people one gets to know is the best part of this hobby.
Best,
- Art

 

How about some pics from the event?

 

LOL, I took hardly any myself - way too busy talking with the amazing owners of other cars.. so much fun.

I found this online Hemmings piece with some pics, nothing dedicated to the Bora, but in the background..
https://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2016/08/08/scenes-from-the-2016-hemmings-sports-exotic-car-show/comment-page-1/#comment-10166661

Bearded Mug posted this gallery of the event, I'm in there (checking the electric fuel pump), if you scroll down a ways.
2016 Hemmings S&E PT2 ? Bearded Mug Media

Cheers,
- Art

 

Looks great. Thanks for sharing Art!

 

Finally found one pic after the awards ceremony...
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A beauty! Thanks for sharing.

 

Hello---

As good as the 1985 (and her only) repaint was from 10 ft, its age was becoming more and more apparent every time I looked closely!
So...decided to go back to bare metal for a respray.

Thankfully,not a speck of rust anywhere!

Regards.
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Are you doing this yourself?

 

No.
She is at a friend's shop.

 

Hello---

Bora's repaint proceeding roughly according to plan!
Will soon have to make final decision on which current formulation of Rame metallic (Salchi 106R49) to use...

Regards.
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Just an FYI, Maserati is using Rame metallic again for the levante.

 

Thanks for the heads up.
Will check it out!

Regards.

 

I'm watching this with great interest. Looks like you're leaving the SS trim on?

I remember Claus's paint job woes years ago. He removed the roof. Oy vey!

I have cracks in the lead at base of the A pillar into the cowl at the top of trunk opening corners. A friend of mine had them there as well and did some sort of special welding to prevent a re-occurrence. He sold the car too soon afterwards to find out if that worked?

I also have lots of hairline seam(?) cracks in the hatch. It's coming up on 40 years so ...

 

I had these hairline cracks in my Merak and ignored them thinking that they were a sign of flexing in the day when the sills were not strong. Within weeks of painting the car they were back which was devastating!
My Ghibli restoration showed similar cracks around sharp corners and this time all the lead was melted out and replaced, so no repeat this time I'm sure!
I didn't want to spend the money and find that the same issues came back

Julian
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Could you show me where your cracks are / were?