New (to me) 512BBI and need some advice

Must have got it bad earlier this year I bought a 355 Spider and fell in love. Now, I just bought an '83 512BBI. I am going to have the engine freshened and the belts done. Does anybody have any suggestions of things that should be done to the car to make it better or avoid trouble? Additionally, the seats show wear and the shop suggested dyeing them. Does that work, do they look right afterward? Lastly, I saw an advertisement for Leatherique and read their claims. Has anybody used their stuff, and does it work as claimed? Thanks.

 

I would keep everything original. I would not dye the seats. That is just me.

Congrats on the car.

 

I wouldn't "freshen" the engine unless you have some known problem with it, as it can be prohibitively expensive and time consuming, but it is worthwhile changing the valves. Search the archives for full info, but the exhaust valves are sodium filled and they can break. Fit stainless valves and seats (and new guides) and you can then use premium unleaded fuel for better performance, without concern about seat damage too....

Any decent engine shop with relevant experience can do this work and make all the parts for you, you do not need to be scared off by Ferrari prices for valve gear, but having said that, F-UK seem to offer excellent prices for genuine parts anyway.....

Get the water pump tell tale inspected, if any sign of leaking, replace the seal. Replace the water hoses while the engine's out if more than 10 years old or unknown/looking bad.

Before you begin this work, drive it for 1000 miles to get to know it and shake any bugs out first.

The leather can be dyed, but it will wear again at some point, if you plan to use the car a lot, do a re-trim but get someone who has done at least 5 Boxers to do it! Get proof.

Biggest factor in the way the car feels are tyres, shock absorbers and wheel alignment. Chjeck the date code on the tyres and replace if more than 3 years old for best results, but 5 years is probably ok too. Get the shocks overhauled by a Koni agent, and get a full 4 wheel alignment done. keep the tyre pressures topped up too. (Placard on the windscreen or in the owners book)

 

Hi...........

Have a list of problem areas for Boxers, which I can forward to you when I regain access to e-mail through normal channels.

From memory, watch for:

1) clutch slippage
2) ignition module malfunction
3) dashboard leather contraction
4) fuse block melt-down with radiator fan failure

Let the transaxle lubricant warm up before any rapid shifts into second gear. Beware of off-throttle oversteer during "spirited driving" on- or off-track.

Have fun with the "rocketship" !!!!!!

Frank.....23005
www.masiarz.net/bb_resource

 

Thanks for the advice, I will be interested to see what others think.

 

Thank you for the good advice, I will speak with the shop.

 

I can't wait to have fun with the "rocketship". I hope to do so before it snows.

I had the clutch checked, and the dashboard is a mess. I did not know about the fuse block and the ignition issues.


Thank you very much. Everybody on this site is unbelievable. It is much better being a Ferrari owner than I ever imagined.

 

Apart from the above, brake lines, caliper rebuild and disks sorted. Although pedal presure is high the car can should stop amazingingly well. Engine out should include belts hoses waterpump rebuild and very important service the distributor, make sure it is clean and advance weights work properly.

 

Couple of things:

1.Have all of your fuel injectors checked for proper spray pattern/flow. The original steel ones tend to corrode over time and will start leaking. I've had all of mine replaced with newer "brass" Bosch injectors.

2. A must do (like Boxerman suggested) - Check to make sure the centrifugal advance weights/mechanism on the distributor is working properly. They tend to get stuck closed, if the car hasn't been driven much and won't advance. Your timing should fully advance at around 5K rpm.

 

Thanks for the help. I will call the shop and go over these areas.

 

Thanks, it is added to the shop list. I will probably be driving these guys crazy. I'm sure they will happily charge me for the "love".

 

Leatherique does work as we claim and then some. Search "LEATHERIQUE" on this forum and you will see the good and bad comments.

 

The Leather Healer from www.swissol.com is a great leather dye that you rub on with a sponge which looks much better than the spray on type dyes. Plus, it feels like the OEM vat dye whereas the spray on dyes make the leather feel dry and gritty.

 

The information that you can RUB or WIPE DYE is a good comment. Most of the dye that turns dry and gritty where of the old Lacquer base. The other problem is that some people used SHOE DYE or SHOE POLISH so they would not have to spend the money to use the proper dye. With the good water based dye (ours of course) you can wipe dye or brush or spray.
My $.02 from leatherique.