Boxer Buyers Guide

They were black.

 

I’ve never seen them painted.

 

Hi Xavier,
Excellent point indeed that I never pointed out.
My BBi as all those I saw has black Vitaloni mirrors (I am located in France).
To double check, I just looked in an original commercial Ferrari brochure dedicated to the 512 BBi: it appears clearly painted body colour, as on F website.
Probably Newman could tell you because I have no explanation at all (maybe early cars where painted, then black later on?), Image Unavailable, Please Login sorry.
Jean-Paul

 

Interesting… and no right mirror.

 

Shows the mirrors body coloured in the BB512i Owners' Manual too. See here.

Snip from the Manual below:
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mine comes from Toulouse and yours is near Bordeaux, Argento, right ??

 

Correct!
FYI, RH power mirror was an option with wiring already set within the door.

 

On F-Chat many years ago in the states :

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Hello,
I come back on this thread about the 512BBi's tool bag pouch leather strap.
I have a 512BBI, year 82, with the soft tool bag pouch.
The car has been extremely well restored 2 years ago but there is actually no black leather strap on the RH in the front lid.
Since this strap was designated to the tool briefcase, rigid, mostly for the 512, it is nearly of the no use for the soft pouch.
So I wonder whether the BBIs delivered with soft pouch were delivered with this strap, or not at all?
Could some Fchatter who has knowledge about (I think to Paul...) could avise me so that I order (or make it with exact roll buckle) such a strap or not.
Thanks a lot,
Jean-Paul

 

I'm sure you'll get more input, but I'll share what I believe is correct on the BBi's:

The soft tool pouch goes into a zippered leather pouch which is supposed to be color coordinated with the dash (tan or black). There is a belt arrangement with buckle which ties the assembly down and there is a welded in bracket which looks to be better suited for a hard briefcase. Here's where it gets fuzzy to me and interested to hear what others add. The belt setup on the soft tool bag does not seem very secure, but is adequate. I think it would feel more secure with the hard briefcase tool kit.

 

Dear "2dinos",
thanks for your answer which is the only one at the moment, unfortunately.
Indeed, your reminder is correct.
Since the strap was definitely suited for the tool briefcase, and nearly useless with the pouch (it stays secure against RH wing without anything), my question is just to know whether Ferrari decided to carry on with this strap when switching to the pouch, or not?
May be nobody knows?
BTW, about the soft zippered leather pouch you describe, if somebody gets one, in black, I would be interested.
Cheers,
Jean-Paul

 

Mine is a late 82, soft pouch in interior color, marrone. It has the strap. Ive owned my car since 93, it was a very clean car orgional and has never been restored.
20K kms, even has metal wiper blade fixture

Mirrors are black with the horsey logo and all the electrics still work on them, as do the electric door locks..

 

Dear Sean,
Thanks a lot since your answer is very precise.
NB: my 512 BBi is #41507, April 82.
So, as reported on all pictures we can see on the net, you confirm that the tool bag's strap was maintained by F when switching to soft pouch.
So I will have the strap redone with right leather, roll buckle and dimensions copying my existing strap for spare wheel (over battery cover).
Cheers,
Jean-Paul

 

Tool kit is black for a BB.

 

BB and BBi mirrors were always unpainted black plastic. I ordered several dozen cars in 4 colors and all were the same, unpainted and black.

 

Hi,
I plug on this thread to ask how the radio antenna is set on a 512BBi, since it can enrich the 512BBi knowledge?
Because the car I bought had a Sony modern radio deck with external amplifier device (35W, located behind the relay's plate), no Equalizer and Sony modern loudspeakers.
It has been overhauled in Italy in 2020 putting back this Sony radio, aged 1990 circa, has it had been installed when the Pioneer failed, I supposed.
Perfect sound but not as original!
So, my purpose is to install original KE-4300 radio with AD-30 Equalizer and Pioneer loudspeakers that I gathered recently.
But when extracting the Sony deck I discovered that, for the antenna, instead of the traditional male 75 Ohm coaxial wire and plug, there was a "spoke" (as a bicycle spoke) inserted in the female plug and all wrapped with insulating tape.
When moving this spoke, it came to my hand and is 25cm long, bended on the other extremity, bare?
Curious DIY amateur job...
At the moment I cannot see more since the RH relay's plate which hides all that behind cannot be removed without disposing the central console, ungluing mattes, etc...
Even with a camera/endoscope, I couldn't see any antenna wire from the windshield since the BBi is supposed to have the antenna inserted in.
Indeed, when looking closely to the windshield, there is a small wire inserted in 2 peripherical squares LH and RH.

To try to understand, I looked from the front lid to the firewall and under the windshield and saw 2 things:
- there 2 electrical lugs 9mm (pic attached) which are like 2 contacts for a defrost wire in the windshield rather than an antenna device?
I add that all glasses are marked "Saint Gobain Vitrage" while the windshield is not.
So does the original windshield with antenna has been replaced by a windshield with defrost (decided not to be connected since no ad hoc switch).
- there is another free wire (pic attached) , length 20cm, connected in the dash (horizontal part, under windshield) as an earth connection which could be an "antenna like" to be connected to the radio.

Is there any specialist who could comment about these findings and tell me how the antenna wire is set to the windshield? In case, pic welcomed.
When looking to the very interesting threads of Paul and Peter I see nothing about.
I am afraid that I will have to install a new antenna.
In your opinion, does an "electronic antenna" that I could dissimulate behind the dash or at the bottom of footwell could duly operate?
Otherwise with the bloody Amplifier and Equalizer cancelation they practiced, I must re-wire all that mess since the LS wires and switched power now should come from EQ place, but this is another story, fastidious (since full as an egg) but easy.
I thank you in advance for your insights and contribution.
Cheers,
Jean-Paul
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Hello Jean,

Going from memory.... I don't have pictures of this. I replaced my W/S with an original glass. I recall the W/S had a small wire coming from the bottom center. They were very delicate, and the installer was able to keep them intact during the process. There was a connection mount similar to what you showed above, but I could not reattach it, so I fashioned another mount which I secured to (most likely) the stud shown in your first picture. The antenna function is only ok. I know it does something because what little reception I get completely goes away if I disconnect.

Do you know if your antenna provides a signal if tested as I described above (no contact vs contact with antenna connector)? Again, it helps but is not great.

 

Dear 2dinos,
Thanks for your answer and advice.
My windshield is a replacement shield mounted in the past (when?) since no "Saint Gobain Vitrage" engraving as for the other windows of the 512.
Since there are 2 lugs of big size (9mm instead of usual 6,3mm) generally used for high Amps, I conclude it is a defrost device. An antenna connection would be a single one.
Anyway, as you suggest, I will try it thru one lug to connect it to the antenna 75 Ohm female socket of radio, not conventional but worth the trying.
It will be quite difficult since there is little room to access to the lugs on bottom of windshield behind the big brake servo drum: with long nose pliers...
Otherwise, I will connect a cheap dipole "windshield antenna" hidden under the dash , if it works with all steel and cables around...
Thanks again,
Jean-Paul

 

#2dinos,
Follow up: I just connected the windshield bottom lug to antenna socket to compare the signal with on ordinary 30cm cable plugged in it.
No audible change. Radio waves are always a mystery for non-electronicians!
So, iI will put a 25cm stick or a cheap dipole antenna, all under the dash.
Cheers
Jean-Paul

 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1984-ferrari-512-bbi-21/#comments
Gorgeous boxer. Take a look at the tools. Is the tool case period correct for an 84’?

 

scudF1,
About the tool kit, there are couple of threads on the matter, as:
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/512-bb-tool-kit-briefcase.483314/#post-143916738
It appears that for a BBI the suitcase is not the right one (for BB).
For BBi, there was a soft pouch, PVC like material, wrapped in a soft canvas F embossed pouch.
Hope it helps,
paul

 

I have the black soft pouch for my 84’ bbi. The leather straps and the handle should match the color of the interior.