Couple Test Drives this morning 365BB, 512BBi, 308 Glass GTB

Can someone say who is selling the 365BB?

 

I would be interested in the 365bb as well. It looks to be quite an early one judging from the seats...

Edit add:
Although just looking at it, it seems to be a 'pure' Euro car devoid of all US required safety lights, bumpers, etc. May need to be sure the EPA/DOT paperwork is in order and a call to Mr Richard Merritt at DOT...
I do like the 8 track.

 

Are these cars being offered by RPM out of vergennes Vt?

 

that 365bb is "IT" ! i even like the fact its "NOT RED" . yep..... i would buy it .

 

The cars seem nice. Now starts the deducing and questioning.

365
pros: ultra rare, (seems in) excellent shape, 12 cylinders.
consarts (harder to find and expensive), maintenance (more expensive than a 308).

512i
pros: rare (compared to the availability of 308's, 328's...), less tempermental & easier to service that a carbed Boxer, 12 cylinders.
cons: same as 365.

308
pros: (fiberglass) THE most desireable of the 308's, less prone to rust, more HP, parts & maintenance (more available and less costly, when compared to a Boxer).
cons: interior looks a little tired, 8 cylinders (I'm gonna get flamed for this!), not as fast or exclusive as a Boxer.

In the end...it's up to you. Like I once told you, there is a Ferrari out there to satisfy every need and every budget.

 

Are you sure all these pics of the blue 365 are of the same car??
Radio different from shot to shot, carpet different colors, filter covers different colors, gas caps different???

 

I have all the above cars, but unfortunately the 365 is the kind with the motor in the front and the kids in the back. I've driven a few carb and injected Boxers and I much prefer the carb cars. Better sounds, better throttle response, and more top end power, no question. They are also currently slightly cheaper, which I attribute primarily to the fear factor on emissions issues and secondarily to the fact that they are older and on average in poorer condition. My carb 512 is an 81, black/bordeaux and in excellent condition. My 308 is a '77 glass euro spec (dry sump, single dist, etc) black/tan, also excellent. Simply put, although I consider my type of 308 the best of the series, it doesn't compare to the Boxer- it is a good handler, but requires a lot more work to drive fast and is pretty slow over 100mph by comparison. A Boxer is a much more serious proposition, and while you can toodle around in town pretty well due to all the torque, I guarantee you'll find yourself going way too fast, even insanely fast, on B roads. The Boxer is fine on the freeway, but really very boring. If you want to absolutely fall in love with the car, drive it on a windy road where most corners can be made in the 50-100 mph range. It doesn't feel as planted as a modern car, but that's mostly due to the overall liveliness of the feedback and the skinny tires. The back end can feel a little loose and even borderline scary at times, but ultimately the grip is there and you have to be pretty stupid to lose the car (I sure hope I don't ever have to live that last sentence down). I'm sure a lot of people remember the first time they drove a 308 and how nasty and awkward the gearshift felt. After subsequent drives, you learn the car and the rhythms required for flawless shifts and all of a sudden you just love that nasty gearshift, and nothing else seems quite as much fun. The Boxer is just like that, only more so, if that makes any sense. When you first drive one it feels fast, big, almost unwieldy. With time, it shrinks around you and starts to feel almost delicate. The engine is just amazing for its flexibility, considering its lack of variable cam timing, variable intake runners, etc- all the things that we now take for granted. For me, it is not just about going fast, as there are many newer cars, including cheap ones, that are a lot faster. It's about the whole experience and the Boxer delivers the goods.
I note that the pictures of the cars here appear to present more than one car as a single car, and some pictures (many?) are available elsewhere on the net, so I'm not sure how serious this thread is, but if you ARE serious about buying one of these cars, I think you can't go wrong buying any decent Boxer. I'll even stick my neck out and say that if you buy one and keep it, eventually people will actually think you were pretty smart to do so.

 

At ease there Ghyslain. I recognized Steve's place from one of your interior Boxer shots.

 

Actually...it's the wall that sparked my memory,as well the silver-grey hue of the hood.

 

GLH : sorry about the skeptacism here on this board. You do not have to "prove" anything to anyone. I was met with the same by some and my thoughts are F them , I know what I have.

 

What's up with those seats in the 365BB. Tell me those are Not stock seats. Is that what they origanally came with!

 

In fact, the June 1975 issue of Road & Track mentiones that the 365BB seats were upholstered in some sort of burlap-like cloth.

 

The dark blue 365BB is fantastic.

I believe the reason carbed 512BBs are worth less than BBis has to do with the difficulty of registering them in California. California is probably the largest single market for Boxers, and if you have to eliminate all California buyers you are greatly narrowing the field. Fewer buyers = lower prices.

Boxers are wonderful cars. Totally impractical, in any rational sense, but that's half the fun.

 

I posted earlier and I still love the blue 365bb. Now I've got a reason to go visit my mom too - she remarried and lives in Newport VT so I gotta get up there and then pop down for a ride in that boat!!!

Good luck on choosing - I stand by my earlier post that my 348 would be history in a heartbeat if I could bring that dark blue 365bb home.

Cheers
Kevin

 

I have owned both a 512BBi and my current 365 BB (S/N 18745). I will second what some of the people have said on this thread. The 365 is a raw, loud car that is very exciting to drive. However, it needs to be driven at higher revs to develop its power potential. The 512BBi is somewhat more refined and with more mid-range power, making it easier to drive on the streets. I am attracted to the 365BB because I like its cleaner styling (without the front spoiler, NACA ducts, wide dished rear wheels) and I love the sounds that it makes.

By the way, the seat coverings in that blue 365BB are not original. There were only three types of seats on 365BBs: The early 365s had one piece seats (fixed seatbacks) with cloth (very few early cars) or with leather (almost all of them). The later 365s had two piece seats (adjustable seatbacks) with only leather surfaces. It appears that the seats in the blue 365 have been re-covered with non-original style leather.

 

Out of curiosity, what is the market $$$ for a 365? What might that dark blue one be worth????

In all honesty, I did not know that the 512 had a predocessor, i.e. the 365...

 

According to the Mercato section in Cavallino magazine: between 50 & 100K, depending on condition, demand...

 

I actually go often to Burlington and northern Vermont with the wife, so I may just take up your offer and gather up a few of my Ferrari buddies this time.

I agree, a waste of valuable dash space. Those radios have to work harder that Ricky Martin's girlfriend...Heyooooooo!!!!!!!!