BBi checklist

Hey ChefRobear-

I don't have the answer to your question - I just want to know if you are selling your beautiful silver 1985 308. Really an awesome color. BTW there was or is a silver BBi on ebay.

During my recent flirtation with a Boxer, degarmo, the fellow who sold you the 308 was very helpful.

Good luck.

 

Forza has a buyer's guide in issue #9, Feb. 1998.

To paraphrase the "BAD":
clutches can be problematic
Interior and paint wears quickly on early cars
carb cars are expensive and difficult to smog
high center of gravity makes for twitchy handling at the limit
can be shoddy EPA and DOT work
poorly maintained = expensive to fix

RED FLAGS:
weak clutch
second gear synchro and transaxle problems (especially on 365's)
no smog epa/dot
crimped or kinked frame rails
no service records
excessive smoke on cold start

so standard Fcar stuff.

Not an owner yet, but hear/see that:
the hood often cracks around the front headlights
415mm tires are often original and $390USD each at Coker
the electricals can be "strange", but fairly easy to fix
a lot thirsty for fuel - but no real numbers to work with yet
leather seems to shrink often on the dash

I'm also BBi searching and any hints or advice appreciated!

 

Before you do anything on a Boxer, call Dick Fritz at the DOT in Washington,DC with the last 5 digits of the VIN and confirm that the car is DOT and EPA legal. Dick will fax you a copy of the DOT and EPA letter for a small copy fee. Don't trust DOT and/or EPA letters from the seller as there are a lot of fake ones out there. Only then do you pay for a PPI.

 

I have had a number of ferraris and a few Boxers..the Biggest peice of advise I can give is walk away from a 20 yr old Ferrari that has no service records or paperwork of ownership from Day one...Ferraris can be an asset or a Liability . This is why the testarossa market is so depressed. not yet a collectable and costly to maintain.Boxers are very variable in price within mileage concerns..An 82/83/84 boxer can range from a dog with 50,000 miles to a concours peice with 4000 miles.Some unscrupulous people may have set back odometers or had them turned off for a time. Especially during the americanization process...Heavy paperwork will alleviate those concerns...According to ferrari market lettter the range of recently sold 512 bbis is 65K at low and 100K at high.There are also tell tale signs on the boxer of age.Look at seat side bolsters and cushion supports, if they are original they all wear progressively with the ingress and egress of entry.Unless all the drivers were 90 lb. weaklings a 15000 mile car will show collapsed condition......Inside side window felt wipe strips will show what percentage of the cars life the car was garaged as the sun fades and cracks these mouldings quikly.Boxers are notorious for paint crazing..anyone that doesn't have it has been resprayed..Hopefully it was taken down to bare metal or it will reappear.Dont even think of purchasing a car that has been altered in any means unless you can bring it back to original relatively easily.ie different radio, wheels, exhaust, as time will tell Ferraris over 20 years old are most valuable in original formation...My motto is if it was good enough for enzo and Pinninfarina .its good enough for me! Never ever mess with perfection! Good Luck with your Quest.. Heres a pic of my 512 bb. It took me 5 months to find the right one.
BTW.. I have found a private collectors Boxer since I bought mine That is in even better condition Than mine that I would take in a heartbeat! If I could sell mine. However it is extremly expensive as is Mine.

Michael

 

Be sure a major service has been done in the last year or so by someone who knows Ferraris. And, try to find one that has been brought back to euro-spec as the car looks much better without those ugly rectangular side marker lights and rubber bumpers. Also, unless you want to haul your car on a trailer every where you go, buy one with at least 15k to 20k miles or so . Otherwise, you will be plaqued with problems with leaking seals and gaskets, hydrolic leaks, electrical gemlins and other problems associated with a car sitting up and not being used. While a garage queen may be great to look at, they are a nightmare to own.

 

So, what's the thoughts on the '79 carb 512 with 108K miles? Wouldn't go past $35K on ebay last month?

Seemed a well maintained runner to me. I'm not going to mothball it, I'd use it up!!

Of course I know a good carb man, otherwise I'd not contemplate it......