BB512 Spider Conversion

Edvar,
thanks very much for the clarification of 512BB Spider and for the great pics from Cavallino Classic. That looks like a great event.
Regards.

 

Maybe to stay at the Mar -a-Lago.....? I'd travel half way round the World for that too-and to see the Ferrari's , of course!

 

Here's some further info on 512BB-----------------------------------------


Mechanical Scpecification

Engine: Horizontally opposed 12 cylinder. 82 x 78mm. 4942cc. 340bhp @ 6000rpm. Twin overhead camshafts per bank. BOSCH K-Jetronic fuel injection
Gearbox: Five speed syncromesh with reverse
Chassis: Tubular steel chassis - type F102B
Steering: Rack and pinion

Weights and Dimensions

Length: 173"
Width: 72"
Height: 44"
Brakes: Ventilated disc brakes all round with servo assistance
Wheels: CROMODORA 215 x 15 front
CROMODORA 225 x 15 rear
Tyres: MICHELIN TRX 240/55 VR front and rear

Production: 42 Right Hand Drive imported between 1982-1984

History:

Whilst the 365 Boxer was not seriously threatened by its rivals in terms of performance or market penetration, it was necessary to review its future in the face of ever more restrictive legislation concerned with pollution and noise. The feeling at Ferrari was that too much would be lost by trying to amend the 4.4 litre engine. A better solution would be to increase the engine capacity to 4942 cc through increasing both the bore and stroke dimensions. The larger engine meant lower maximum revs with the inevitable loss of some power but a gain in torque - 331 lbs./ft at 4300 rpm compared to 311 lbs./ft at 4500 for the smaller engine.

With the 5-litre engine came a change to dry-sump lubrication to counteract any oil surge problems that might arise from the increased cornering power of the bigger car. The original 9.5 in. single-plate clutch was replaced with an 8.5 in. twin-plate and the final drive ratio was changed from 3.46:1 to 3.2:1 to offset the lower maximum revs and keep the speeds in the gears close to those of the earlier model.

On the 365 version the tyre sizes front and rear had been the same. For the 512 Boxer those at the back were increased to 225/70VR15 on 9 in. rims instead of the 215/70VR15 on 7.5 in. rims.

At the front the nose was lowered and redesigned to incorporate a spoiler to overcome the moderate amount of lift at high speed encountered on the 365 model. Another notable feature was the introduction of NASA ducts in the flanks to feed air to the rear brakes. At the back of the car the 6 round lights were reduced to 4. A modification to the exhaust system cut the number of tail pipes back from 6 (in 2 groups of 3) to 4 (in 2 groups of 2).

In contrast to the treatment accorded the 365 Boxer, more attention was paid to the preparation of competition versions.

For the 1978 running of the Le Mans 24-Hour Race 3 cars - 2 for the French concessionaire Charles Pozzi and 12 for Luigi Chinetti - were prepared with factory assistance. Their weight was reduced to about 2425lbs, and, with careful tuning and assemble, engine power was raised to some 460bhp. To cope with aerodynamic effects a larger spoiler was fitted; there was an aerodynamic duct on the front deck and a Formula 1-type front wing was fitted at the back. A fourth car was prepared at Garage Francorchamps for Jean Beurlys. It was to the same general specification but had its own aerodynamic arrangements. By being faster through the curves than the Daytona's of previous years, it set appreciably better times than those earlier cars. In the race it suffered from gearbox problems.

A second series of cars, more extensively prepared was put in hand. The use of fuel injection brought the power up to around 480bhp at 7200rpm along with an even greater gain in torque. The transmission was strengthened and its lubrication improved by the use of an independent oil radiator. Brakes and suspension were worked on. The aerodynamics were improved through wind tunnel studies which gave a new front end and a long rear on which the wing was carried by 2 fins. The car's weight was down to around 2370lbs.

The 3 cars produced - 2 for Pozzi, 1 for NART - were entered for the Daytona 24-Hour Race of 1979 but serious tyre problems resulted in all of them retiring. At Le Mans later in the year they were joined by a fourth car, that of Jean Beurlys, which was identical to the first 3. The 2 French entered cars were in peak condition but one, driven at the time by Michel Leclere, was in collision with a slower car shortly after 7am and the other, driven by Jean-Claude Andruet/Spartaco Dino, had got as high as third when it was forced into retirement around 9am with lubrication failure. Efforts have continued in the years since then but still without any notable success.

During 1981 there was a further development of the series through the introduction of fuel injection by the Bosch K Jetronic system already in use on other Ferrari models. Once again the move had come about as a result of increasing legislation affecting the automobile world. Fuel injection made it easier to meet the new regulations without any serious loss of power.

The most notable exterior changes were at the front where a smaller grille stopped short of the fog lights on each side and parking lights were let into the front bumper. At the rear red fog lights were set into the bumper.

Taken from The Complete Ferrari, by Godfrey Eaton