512BB ownership?

Mel Nichols berlinetta boxer is a great book, there are others but its tough to find a specific book on the road version boxer. I have a BBi and love it. The clutch takes getting used to, not a car you want to lend out to a friend unless you like buying clutches. Going from the 308 into the boxer I can say its very much like a heavy 308 but with gobs more power and thrust from behind. ive driven 360's, 355's, they dont do it like the boxer does in sound or feel. The fact the boxer is the very last hand formed body from ferrari and its aluminum for the most part makes it very special. The car is heavy, not a great track car but the experience is unforgettable, the rush I get from the flat 12 blows my mind every time. Ive had the car 2+ years and still pee myself when im in it. Get one.

 

I like to start mine, take a quick shower and then go for a sunday drive. The water temps come up pretty quick but the oil takes a long time and if you want to shift reasonably ok figuer 7-10mins warmup. The car can be driven slowly sooner but forget about 2nd gear for a while. The first part of the drive after warmup another 3-5 mins is to bring oil up to a reasonable temp. Even after a 15 min drive the gearbox does not shift as smoothly as say after a 30 minute romp.

The clutch is not japanese light but less than a vette or porche gt3, in other words very managable.
The car can be pooled around town with no problem but feels a bit of a pain. Boxers have 3 speeds, slow which is work. Fast which is fun and a bit more work and already feels very fast and then very fast where you grab the car by the scruff of the neck and really drive. Thing is a boxer can feel rewarding on small road at 50 mph where a modern bmw would feel boring, or you can turn up the wick and really go, but then you have to concentrate like a fighter pilot.

I think these cars are rewarding to drive like a porche 911 is, there iare a lot of signals and feedback, they will punish someone hamfisted and there is tremendous pleasure in getting it right. Alternatively on a BBI you can just go slow drive around but you wil, still have to work at it so it is not relaxing. A boxer was once described as a great 7-9/10ths car as in without having to go all out you really have fun feedback and occasion, the moderns may have more performance but the fun is only to really be had at the limit.

A boxer is old school ferrari, it makes demmands is designed for beauty not by the wind trunnel, is tempremental etc, unlike the previous ferraris it can handle and be driven ok in traffic, kinda the best of both worlds. A few weeks ago we took a ferrari run wiuth some moderns, on the street being driven briskly none of the new cars had mor go than us, we probably had a lot more fun though as just doing the drive in the boxer and getting it right is an experience.

Unlike nearly every mid engined car it will tighten its line as poer is added and at the limit can bite really quickly. However before the limit is reached the steering start going real light and there is lots of warning, the problem is if you have overcooked or have to ease off at this point it is going to snap. On a road you know and have practiced nudging up on the limit under power at the apex is a rare reward probably not attainable ina modern. The other thing is these cars have so much torque that going in a bit slow means you can ride the wave of power and slingshot out, whereas a 36o needs to keep momentum the whole way through.

Once warmed they shift great and shift best closer to the redline, there is also torque to just leave it in a gear.

Problems,

Overall the cars are robust, but a boxer is a unique beast and must be serviced by someone who knows boxers as there are a lot of nuances to the car. It is also really hard to find a properly running boxer, so it is best to start with a very sound car and have it gone through and sorted. The brakesif operating properly are more than fine for the street especially with some of the modern pads available. The biggest drawback to the car is the tires, they are crap. On a BBI you have metric wheels which means you choice is crap tires which belong on a sedan not a midengined tail heavy car or getting some new rims and modern rubber. Modern rubber total transforms the car and makes it really predicatble.

Oh yes the ac only really works when there is no sun, as the windsheild is so large that it is like being in a greenhouse, also the coolant hoses are in the sills and the rad does a great heatsink job through the front bulkhead, a really sweaty proposition on a hot sunny day. Boxers are best served on a cool day early in the morning with no traffic on smmoth sweeping roads.

In look feel and experince imagine an early 70's can am/le mans car for the road and that is the essence of the boxer.

One last point the stats for performance vary. In reality the shift from 1st to 2nd is a dogleg and slow, the clutches dont handle burtnouts so 0-60 times are misleading. A boxer has in gear accelertaion say 3rd gear and 4th(70-130mph) superior to a 355 and close to that of a 360, well running thewy may be a little quicker than that.

Figure 8-15k over 5 years to run it properly including the engine out, significantly less if you do the work. Somehow this car will every year need something, like hoses window switches brakes fans not to mention the 5 year engine out. Yes one year may just be a fluid cahnge but the next will require something more.

 

The air isnt the best, correct but there are things that can be done to improve it like make sure the system is serviced and working properly and verify the cooling fans are actually pulling to spec or better yet put better fans on it. The coolant pipes run up the center of the car under the console (in the tunnel of the floor actually) but I dont find they contribute to the cabin heat. The hot air from the front rad flows over the hood, windshield and then wraps around entering the cabin at the trailing edge of the side window opening. I get very uncomfortable at times because of that design flaw but only on very hot days. On a cool day the heat actually keeps you warm with the window open.

 

First time I drove a Boxer was a let down. Seating/steering/pedal alignment felt weird.
I thought I was going to be more "modern". It is not.
The good news; one gets used to it and it becomes natural.
This is my favorite Ferrari other than the F-40. In some ways it is better.
The cars just looks so damn hot as is and with the clam shells open.
It is already accelerating in value and will continue to go up as it is just so special, limited production, and hand made.
At 100k it is a bargain considering a 360 is about the same.
I am one of those people that analyse a problem ( car choice ) from every angle then take my time to make sure that the right purchase is made. After 2 years of hunting and watching prices go up, I bagged one.
This may be the last "special" collectible Ferrari made other than the Supercars : F-40/50 Etc.

 

They are just great road cars. Not fun to drive to the store unless you want to impress. Steering is a chore parking, and it is a bit hard to look cool when grunting while executing a 3 point turn! The good news is that whoever may be looking is admiring the car and won't notice the perspiration.

Get this beauty out on a great road, stretch her legs, and all the ills are forgotton. Challenging, rewarding, thrilling.

The only other downside is that you can't have the view from the outside while you enjoy blasting down the road from the inside.

It's a keeper.

 

Paul,

Pee is bad for the seat leather

Regards,

Art S.

 

I lay plastic down first

 

When I bought my 512BB, I didn't buy it because I was looking for a Boxer, or even particularly wanted a Boxer. It just happened that this one was local to me, had been on the market for a long time, and seemed cheap. When I went and looked at it, it was so clearly a good example that it was hard to resist. So, I figured I would buy it, own it for a few years, experience it, and sell it.

Now, I've owned it for about three years, and it continues to grow on me. Every time I drive it-- which I do more often than I figured at the time I purchased it-- I'm blown away by how much fun it is, and how well it works. I've taken it in city traffic, highways, etc., and surprisingly, I could happily use it as a daily driver if I didn't need one more seat for taking the kids to school.

Mine is carbuerated, and once I had the carbs rebuilt and everything put into good order it fires right up on cold mornings (after a bit of throttle pumping), and can be driven off docilely. It can sit in traffic and not overheat (the engine, anyway), the clutch is reasonable, you can see out of it.

Aside from a complete lack of trunk space (partially remedied by removing the spare tire), it's quite usable. Oh and the air conditioning is marginal in any sort of hot weather.

But did I mention the sound it makes? That's worth the price of admission right there!

 

I love my carb BB512

 

go for it. A real kick ass car
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torque to us about your BB365 Greg?

 

click

 

aftermarket wheel choices are very few, there has been talk here of having some made but we need to do a group buy of a minimum number to keep the cost less than the hope diamond. Norwoods in texas might be a starting place to locate a boxer, there have also been boxers posted here in this section that pop up at various dealers.

 

I can Torque about my BB512 carb,all day.

 

deduct 30% torque seeing as though your BB is WHITE

 

whom fitted your front chin spoiler "Mitre Ten" when selling her how did you explain the Torque issue?

 

be meticulous but do yourself a favor...do not expect porsche fit and finish.

bb's are true hand made machines and even new...far, far, far from perfect! that is supposed to be part of the allure. as a long time porsche person, it was very hard for me to accept the boxer finish and only after a year looking did i succumb.

you may not want to wait too long as we are in strange economic times. as long as the value of the dollar continues to drop when compared to all other currencies...prices will continue to go up. the cars are getting pricey!

ownership is pretty special to those of us that have them. ask newman about trying to sell...the thought of him selling probably kept him up at night!!! hard machines to sell as there is really little to replace it with.

pcb

 

I know a good paintshop that could spray over you undercoat. They can't fix your coughing, spluttering engine though

 

thankyou,but I will keep to the orginal colour,I have a good spanner,been working on these cars for about 50 years.

 

Amazing that it always comes back to Rims & Rubber.

If you're not a purist, then Carobu has a great rims/rubber/brakes combo for the Boxer:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=136782091&postcount=39

And I wouldn't mind better brakes. I had to do a quick stop from 60mph on Sunday -- and I mean quick -- and boy did the brakes just rot compared to the modern enormous 8 pot god-knows-what on the MB CL55.

If you are a purist and seek the same look and period profile in a modern tire, there's nothing commercially available.

 

I bought my car in Houston and it had gotten its 'MAJOR major' service at Vintage Motorcars, on Kempwood just west of Hempstead Highway. You want to speak to Ferda. If you actually want to understand him, you should warm up by watching at least two vintage Schwarzenegger films.

Ferda was at FOH for 14 years or so, during the Boxer's time, and he was disposed to all sorts of interesting locations to get - and keep - them 'right'. His shop and schedule stay full for a reason. Tell him hello.