Boxer questions & thoughts

Welcome to the Boxer Forum.....

Watch out slamming them over Daytonas though, Boxers have a LOOOONG way to go to reach Daytona money..

You are right about appreciation though, spot on reasoning there, compared to 360s.........

3 years on belts is current Ferrari recommendation, do the water pump while you are there, and check alternators...

I can't speak to your other questions, I have 308GTBs......LOL!

ttyl...........

 

Lots of knowledge here on car histories, the only way I KNOW to check colors is to register at Factory Site with the VIN, they will confirm original colors...

 

cost does not mean better, a dino is a perfect example

 

Its awesome to drive a boxer, the push from behind along with the sound of the flat-12 provides a rush thats hard to beat.

Biggest issue is the records/history. Its easy to throw $20K into a boxer so be prepared and pay the extra to get a great one.

 

1) Its pretty close to a 70's vintage race car for the street as you can get.

2a) First, make sure it sits right/straight. Drive it and make sure it pulls and shifts well. After that, make sure the frame is straight, do a compression test and check the shock and suspension bushings.

2b) I'm a 5 to 7 year belt change guy for this type of car with weekend use. It will set you back round ballpark $5,000 to have a good independent garage do it.

3) The differentials have been known to bust which can be very expensive; say $15-$20K and there have been some comments about sodium filled valves as problems. Finding a car that has had the differential redone is a definate plus. I don't know about the valves. There have been some failures but whether these are out of the ordinary I just do not know.

4) You will need to have someone who is familiar with these cars look. There is no substitute for experience. As a rough primmer you might log onto Ferraris-on-line and looks at the cars sold section. Look at the pics of boxer interiors.

Good Luck.

 

best thing you will ever do .

 

What kind of Boxer can you get for $100k and what's the likely budget the first week you own it? I think a $100k budget is better spent on a 360 unless you just want to OWN a Boxer.

Ken

 

I paid less than $100K cdn for mine almost 2 years ago and have changed fluids, added air to the tires and made AFR adjustments, oh yes, plugs as well. The car is great and a 360 lacks character and emotion like an older ferrari IMO and having driven both I can say I wouldnt take a 360 over any boxer, even one in baskets.

 

Ken, I stole my '83 for under $60,000 18 months ago. Had 19,000 miles, all the tool kits, was missing the original radio, equalizer and steering wheel. Carobu's PPI was the final selling point. I am pretty certain I can get 100% of my investment back if I had to sell today. It has cost me about $3500 in repairs during this period.

Certainly a 360 is more reliable, less expensive to repair, has better A/C and power steering. Compared to sitting in the Boxer, the 360 cabin is like being in a living room. And the shift pattern of the Boxer from 1st to 2nd, is weird.

But even in tainted south Florida, specifically Boca Raton, I see 3-4 360's on the road everyday, everyday mind you, but the only Boxer I see is the one in which I am sitting. And when you exit the Boxer, and have someone say to you that this car is one of the last real Ferraris, you understand why owning a Boxer is better than owning a 360. Keep in mind that someone who wants and owns a Boxer, buys it because they understand what it is, not that it will impress anyone. I can not say that for the typical 360 owner that I have met.

If MountainMan is OK with the potential maintenance expense of the Boxer, buy a Boxer, be one of the exclusive 2000, not one of the 6000+.

 

A 360 drives easier, shifts easier, parks easier. It is almost a daily driver. But it doesn't sound like a Boxer, doesn't look like a Boxer, and it just isn't a Boxer. Event the name "Boxer", has a much better tone than saying "360", "430", etc.

If you can deal with the potential problems of a car that is over 22 years old, buy a Boxer.

 

360 or a Boxer?
Apples to oranges.
But I love apples and oranges.
I love my Boxer and cruising in it is great but when I really want to hit the twistys my 360 is the choice.
It quickly shows you just how old school a Boxer really is.
Question should be: How are you going to use your Ferrari?

 

And most of all ........Enzo's favorite car .
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LMAO you have too much time on your hands.

 

I own a Boxer as well as a 360. I prefer driving the 360 to the Boxer...it is quicker, lots of fun with the F1 tranny, a modern car, very comfortable and very good looking.

The Boxer is an older car, not as powerful or as quick, not as "tossable", but definitely a collectable. It will increase in value, though its successor, the testarossa may keep boxer values down.

I had quite a bit of trouble with the ignition on the Boxer, and the two alternators probably should be rebuilt every few years. Their output is anemic and that affects the way the car drives.

It is very difficult to drive a Boxer in the middle of the day when the sun is shining and high in the sky. I have a leather tan dash and I cant see much under those circumstances. The front windshield is quite large and raked quite steeply...no such problem with the 360.

Each has its own character. Buy the car that you will enjoy and I personally dont want to worry about depreciation. Life is too short.

 

That's actually David driving his Boxer.
He moonlights as a singing Enzo impersonator.
It's kinda weird when he just suddenly belts out That's Amore at a car show.

 

i like the coach and respect his comments. the 512 and 360 are very different cars for very different reasons.

i cannot comment too much on the 360 as i do not own one. i can comment on the box and would say that it is a super engaging car. if you are a fan of race cars from the 70's or glory imsa days, the boxer is as close as you can get short of buying a vintage racer. everything you do to drive the car from starting , up-shifting and heel n toeing...it is all so deliberate and rhythmic. great up-shifts and downshifts are like conducting an orchestra!! you simply cannot get that from a modern machine w/ all the recent tech wizzardry.

when driving the boxer...it is not so much that you are driving an exotic...it is more the feeling of driving an "important" car that you create a moment to remember each time you drive it!!

 

Drove my BB the other day after letting it sit for awhile, kind of gave me a good perspective on the car vs modern such as my 355, the shifter and steering require much more deliberate actions than the 355, you kind of man handle the car, just getting on the cara bit on some back roads I found myself with a huge grin ear to ear, while my 355 does everything so well its just not the same intense rush I get from the BB so I'll find myself flipping on the stereo in the 355 unless hitting some tight twistys in it were the handling comes alive

When getting on the car it seems you can hear and feel each of the 12 cylinders fire, the whole car vibrates from it, newer V8s are so smooth you don't get that same feeling but keep in mind the BB is 5 litres vs 3.5 for the 8s so that is a contributing factor, BB seem to be more of a Italian muscle car in this respect.

The BB is an old school Ferrari, very much like a race car, when you wake one up they are kind of grumpy and may spit and sputter a bit and shift stiff until the car warms up which takes awhile, the moden V8s have electronics to help them run good till warm and a trans cooler heat exchanger to heat the trans oil quicker, they are more hop in and go vs a BB which is an event.

Get one you wont regret it, had mine parked along the road and got out and still am stunned by the cars lines 3 years later, even when I was having mine painted a few years ago both the bodyshop owner and I would agree the car belongs in a museum.

 

Pete,

This statement of yours is so true...Candidly, I didn't think Ferrari made any "real" cars after the Boxer...HA!

Happy Holidays,
David

 

I have owned six Ferrari's and my BB512i is by far my favorite...only my 330GTC comes close to the visceral experience you get on a nice Sunday drive. Once you find a Boxer you like, call Dick Merritt at the DOT in Washington, D.C. and give him the serial number and he can confirm whether or not the car is in the USA legally. If so, he will fax you a copy of the original DOT compliance letter. Dick will also transfer you over to the EPA to check on EPA compliance where you can obtain a copy of the EPA compliance letter as well. Then, call Gerald Roush at The Ferrari Market Letter and he will be able to get you info on prior owners and sales so you can be sure the mileage over the years appears consistence. Only if all that checks out, then pay for a thorough PPI by someone familiar with Boxers...which is almost always NOT a dealer since they deal with newer cars...a good independent is best IMHO...

 

If you study David's picture closely, you will see 3 white splashes in the blue Pacific ocean behind the car. These splashes were created by the larger pieces of his transaxle hitting the water at high speed.

Jim S.

 

Reading this thread really makes me regret selling my Boxer. I should have kept it and bought a 550 for more daily use. Just bring the Boxer out for a pretty weekend drive. Good luck in your search -