The BORA

1975 Bora chassis #904.. the very one that first ignited my interest and led to my purchase of #932 from Ivan. For sale at Car Collection Wittner in Dietachdorf, Austria..

Long-term prior owner was Peter Perry, Sr. of Loudonville, NY. US spec, original "Giallo" or "Fly Yellow" here in the States. Black interior. Very well caretaken, featured in Hemmings around 2010. Brokered to Europe in 2015 not long before values spiked.
I am mystified why the Austrian owner(s) decided to remove and refinish the paint. It had some flaws, but they were few, and it was ORIGINAL. The Austrian(s) took the effort to get down to bare metal, glass out. Yet they didn't remove the US marker lights or correct the rear lower valence to achieve full Euro spec.

198,000 Euros and it's yours.

https://carcollection.at/fahrzeugdetails/?id=108&fbclid=IwAR1mEMMm5QsMueZlW4iFSRns5BK2w861ROdeM9Q3A__gkWzKuybBUj9Piwo

 

Plenty left to be done and at that price no money to do it.

Original paint is quite fragile by today's standards.
Getting rid of the rear valence is a big deal but changing the side markers isn't.
Seat side bolsters need redoing. Mine had collapsed on the driver's side @ 3000 miles! I rebuilt them with layered density foam and that worked great. Not that big a deal.
I wonder where that spare rim comes from? Might be worth asking ...

 

That is the mythical Khamsin spare some owners are willing to sacrifice their first born for!
As recently found and eventually extracted from under my K in never used condition w/full pressure after God knows how many decades:

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Looks quite ready to roll ...

I have to wonder how a good condition tire would work?

I have staggered sized tires on my Bora. I also have them on my 2005 Jaguar S-Type R. It doesn't like riding with a skinny space saver spare on the back.

 

Standard 911 protocol applies.
In case of rear puncture a front is moved to back; spare is then fitted in front.

In short, such spares can only be used up front!

 

For my Jag I hit a monster pothole filled with water so I couldn't see it on a dark and wet winter night. I blew out both tires and bent both rims on one side and got flat bedded home. I had to buy and second space saver rim & tire just to get the car to the tire shop.
That really drove funny but I made it. One reason to fit same tire on all four rims on the Bora. But the only flat I've had on that car was due to a porosity leak on an original rim.

 

The prior owner says it was sold, and left the US, with the full-size OEM spare in the zippered vinyl cover like any other Bora...

 

Maybe he had the same problem I did? That was 30 years ago and I've learned a lot more about rims since then.

I think I might have it x-rayed to see if there's a serious underlying condition or if it's just a casting porosity issue that's not a serious structural concern. I've had bead sealing issues on my 3pc rims that were misdiagnosed twice by a very good shop. Once we used that all issues disappeared.

Internal corrosion is a serious concern with magnesium wheels. I'm not sure if the alloy used in Campagnolos of that era are as worrisome as pure race level wheels.

After doing a complete restoration on my Espada's rims which looked great I learned a lot about just how poorly the Campagnolo rims were manufactured during that time frame. I was able to refinish them including anti-corrosion treatments WO going for perfection in appearance but it was a lot of work. A good thick single stage enamel seals them pretty well. But at that time, I'd have spent a lot less time and money just buying the Eurospares aluminum replica rims and other than the blasting I did all the labor! It look a long time to properly blast each wheel because of the design.

Concours restorers have told me that for Miura wheels they buy the aluminum ones, beat them up somewhat to make them look more authentic and then respray them. The originals are a far rougher looking wheel that the Bora's is.

 

interesting Bob. Given what's been done with this Bora maybe that decision is within the realm of the owner's thinking...

...but I'd question whether concern for structural integrity is a sound reason to discard an OEM spare and its storage cover on an otherwise unmolested, original Bora - and to choose to substitute it with an at least equally unreliable spare tire due to 45 year old rubber, on a rim that is meant for a different car and useless without the spacer plate - when the majority of Europe has reliable roadside services, and when it is being offered for sale at the higher end of its price range... ?

I remain mystified. Could have gotten lost or walked away from the shop.
Cheers,
- Art

 

What ever happened to it wasn't a good move for the car. Then again I never replaced mine and ran all of my long excursions throughout the west including to the Area 51 region with no spare. The car fit right in ...

 

45 years apart and born in two different continents, these two mid-engine cars face each other. Bora #892 has 11,300 original miles and will be available for sale soon (runs great!).

Ivan

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One of them clearly got the air flow issues done right the other ... but my heart belongs to Alfieri anyway ...

 

I'm biased but the Bora does more for me than the MC20 visually. The bora seems to flow from from to rear is a much smoother way even if the design is less aerodynamic. The Bora has held up well for a 50 year old design.

 

This one's sportin' a bowtie and not a Trident but they are quite similar looking.

 

FIFY;-)....

Ahah Robert NOW I understand you better....I will keep at a safe distance when we meet

 

Would be interesting to see them (the Bora - and the Merak - and the MC20) side-a-side. I think it would be a though decision choosing between them in terms of aesthetics.

 

I agree. It would be an apt comparison to show the three designs, or maybe, two and a half designs for the only true production mid-engine cars Maserati has made in the last 50 years. I'd be interested to see comments from professional in the auto design business about them. I know time moves on but there are certain cars that have been called the icons of design that are decades old. I'm not sure I would go that far for either but as I said, I think the Bora/Merak has held up well over the years.

 

Stay classy Marc.

 

Just a harmless joke in case area 51 made you radioactive

 

When I visited your site (http://thecarnut.com/permanentcollection.html) some time ago I was surprised to see that 2020 Corvette!

 

A bit different from what I normally have. I am amazed at all the technology and performance they packed into that Corvette; at a very reasonable price. Something tells me I will eventually navigate towards a MC20. What the Corvette lacks is the Maserati sound. Not sure how the MC20 will differentiate itself when it goes electric.

Ivan

 

Took 1044 for a longer shakedown ride after fitting new XWX’s, just to get a bit more acclimated. After reading this thread, I was keeping my eye on the temperature gauge to make sure I didn’t have a run of bad luck. But Ivan is right about the car, it’s really a great driver as well as a looker.

 

Glad to hear you’re enjoying the car, as an FYI not that it means anything #1044 is the latest production built bora currently on the road. #1046 and #1048 are not.

 

Out of curiosity, where are 1046 and 1048 ? Undergoing restoration ? Museum ? Garage ? Accident ?