BB512i and other Boxer owners ?

Frank,

Try a search from the old board there was a member Lee Sanders with a 512bb who kept track of them I beleive. His engine is soo clean you could eat off it.

 

does he throw dinner parties on it regularly?

doody.

 

Yes, but last I heard he stopped, as the aggregate party-throwing was killing his engine mounts. I think the last party he threw on it did the job and he found the engine on the floor.

--Dan

 

frank,

another boxer guy out here ...again. guys, this new web site seems like a giant step backward.

how is your car frank? as you know i have been enduring a long repair and had moved from north carolina to san diego. i am back in nc this week and have been getting the shop to finish the repairs. being reunited w/ my car has been great. it has been covered and is safe and spotless! even w/ engine out...the boxer has unreal pressence!

hope all is well frank.

peter

 

Hello!

 

Hi Frank,

As you know I have a carbed BB512.

Did you ever go ahead and get the 4 post lift. Every once and a while I start looking at lifts but have never pulled the trigger.

Drew Altemara

 

Hello Everyone,

1984 BB512i here in Boston. Just spent the weekend getting it ready for hibernation.

 

castex: you should complete your profile or at least say something about your beautiful 365 gt4/bb

 

Hi Trevi,

How's that?

 

great!

 

No hibernation for mine. I don't see the point. We won't be having too many snowy days around here...I can just imagine the intense frustration of realising on a perfect, sunny winter's day that I can't go for a blast because I took the wheels off and hung them on the wall, or filled the interior with expanding polystyrene foam, or whatever it is that bedding-down a bb would involve. Care to enlighten me, Joel?

 

Ok, you asked......I remove the wheels and clean them, the leather is treated with a three stage process, the finish is taken down to the paint. I use detailing clay, a polish, and the "Buffalo Milk" wax, which I highly reccommend. All the other bits and pieces are detailed, fluids topped off, gas stabilizer added, and since the garage was built in 1928, the car is put in an inflatable "bubble". This is a bubble that inflates and not only filters dust and keeps humidity constant, but as there is a 1meter aircushion around the car, anything under 4 kilos that may fall, like concrete from the ceiling, will not hit the Boxer. so there.........


And yes, it drives me nuts not to drive her for about 5 months!!!!

 

That's fascinating, thanks!

 

I put my car in a garage, with a cover when not in use. I also like to have the ability to go for a ride should weather permit. I was wondering if letting the car sit all winter is better for it than running it. I dont know if its the best thing for the car, but I have been using the car all over town. This includes dinner out with my wife and a quick blast to the 24 hour store. I also took it for a quick run up the turnpike to Classic Coach to have Onofrio check it out. He is a great guy and told me what a good deal I got, of course I wouldnt expect him to say otherwise since I already own it. I did get it up to 105 and drove it quite a way at between 80-90. Hopefully that counteracted the stop and go driving I did. I do have a post on general discussion which I would appreciate some feedback on. I had one other question. I noticed that both sides of the rear frame supports had been cut out with a torch. The previous owner told me that they did this when DOT converted to conform to crush zone regs.. The car was converted by Amerispec which I thought was one of the better companies, but the cut outs are pretty sloppy. Anyone have any experience with this issue? Thanks
Charlie

 

Coingratulations on the Boxer, they are great. I have always been told that it does no good to run the engine a short time over the winter. This is because things heat up and cool down causing condensation, also something about the temp changes not being good for certain metal sin the engine. This advice came from Algar in Philly. I have never seen a boxer w/o eared spinners. It was my understanding that the octagonal non-eared spinners were from early TR's.

I think it is best to either drive it or not. If you drive it, run it long enough for everything to get to operating temps at least. You mentioned you needed a grill ornament? Do you mean the horse or the "BB512" script on the back?

For what its worth, my boxer does not have anything cut out, and it is a consistent platinum winner so that doesn't sound right. Anyway, good luck and if you have any questions please let me know.

 

Joel,
Thanks for the info. The emblem I need is the horse from the front grill.
I wondered about the cut outs. I think I will try to have a piece welded in and smoothed out if they arent supposed to be there. The trouble I foresee is matching the flat black that the frame is painted. I will remember that if I take the car out in the winter I will make sure to take it for a nice long run.

Thanks,
Charlie

 

1976 365 Boxer here, in London. Mine has been put away for teh winter too, nice and safe in a carcoon. I miss her ......

 

1978 512BB. This past weekend was nice and the car saw a couple hundred miles down the coast. Always a fun car to drive.

 

I just noticed this thread, so I thought I would chime in as a Boxer owner too. I just recently (11/06) bought a 512BBi. It was advertised, and was/is titled as a 1984, but it was really built in July 1983 (#46189) and it wasn't Federalized and titled until Feb-1984. So, I guess I should really call it a '83. Other than that, I am very pleased with the car. It's my first 12-cylinder, I've had two 308s prior.

 

You know its funny. My Boxer has a VIN in the 4800 range, so it sounds like a '83, but the title is '84. My guess is that when it was imported, the importer placed a model year on it, so if it came in june of '83 its called an '83, but if it came in Nov. of '83, then its called an'84 since in the states '84's were out in late '83. Who knows?

 

Beginning about 1980 or so I think (when the 17 digit VIN came into use) in the U.S., the government started the concept of "model years" based on the long-standing tradition where manufacturers introduced the new, next year's model each September. As a consequence, I think that there is an arbitrary cutoff date after which a car moves into the next model year.

For the Euro Ferraris that were never imported to the U.S. officially, we get some mismatches between the European system of dating a car based on its manufacturing date (i.e. within a calendar year) and the U.S. federal system based on "model years".

At least that's what I have heard.

John
1983 400i 5 speed, registered as a 1984

 

Boxers are known for torn cv boots. As the axles spin the boots expand and come into contact with the exhaust headers. FCA had a quick cure, place a tie wrap in each boot valley, only tighten until it comes in contact with the boot- this will keep them from expanding.