The BORA

Most likely a bad ignition switch. Disconnect the switch connector under the steering column, if light turns off you have a bad switch.

Ivan

 

https://www.artcurial.com/fr/lot-1974-maserati-bora-47l-m1086-157

1974 Maserati Bora 4.7L
Titre de circulation français
Châssis n° AM117*324
Moteur n° AM107/07/47*888*

 

Scroll down, the description in English is below the one in French. Essentially it sat for 20 years inside a private collection with zero use.

 

Seems 60+ cars from the Guikas collection are going to be crossing the block at RM Le Castellet in Nov including Bora #288, all at no reserve. The Thepenier Bora was not listed.

 

Top of estimate is 100,000 Euro? I'm amazed that these things are not bringing in a lot more than that.

 

A good Bora is Euro 180K or thereabouts and this sleeping beauty will need a very costly thorough awakening, which is why it is estimated so cheap.

The bill will be well into the five figures.

 

https://rmsothebys.com/en/home/lots/jg21

 

Fabulous collection.. the Bora is a 77, not a 72.. Interesting to see the German vehicle tag list the total weight of 1850kg with 1020 front and 1020 rear axle loads.

 

According to these:
Chassis No.
Engine No.
AM117/288
AM107/07/47 288

This is an approx. September 1972 production Euro spec Bora.
The front vent remains a mystery.

 

Interesting point - I thought maybe the vents might have comes as a mid-modelyear change over, but having looked online I see the first modelyear for the vented hood vents was 1975... I never realized the vents came so late.
Cheers,
- Art

 

Didn’t we do a discussion on the hood vents a couple of months ago? They seemed to have coincided with a similar vent on DeTomaso Panteras around the time frame of DeTomaso’s take over of Maserati. I could be wrong but wasn’t there a coalition of the hood vents and the moving of the hinges of the front truck from the windshield base to between the headlights?


There isn’t a photo of #288 with the hood open.

 

The vents happened many years before the hinges were moved. I have only seen 1977 models with the hinges in the front while vents can be seen since 1974.

Ivan

 

The 288 chassis number seems early, but the German vehicle tag lists its build year as 1977 - which would be consistent with the vented hood and lack of 'disc' wheel covers.
- Art

 

IS early.
I own 258.
July 1972 production according to my Build Sheet.
No idea what the Germans may be on about.
And irrelevant.
Confirm w/Classiche.

 

It wouldn't be the first time Maserati reused chassis numbers on export cars.. Remember the discussion on the 14 duplicate Ghibli numbers discovered to date?
- A

 

What tyred did the Bora fit?

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classic-car-tyres/maserati/bora.html

was it Michelin XWX?

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/michelin-classic-tyres/xwx.html

With so many cars like this the perception is that they were originally XWX. but often that is because for some time it was one of the only tyres in these sizes, with a proper period carcass.

However now we have the Pirlli CN12 https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/pirelli-collezione/cinturato-cn12.html 1972 and fitted by loads of Maser and Lambo.

the even the P5 https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/pirelli-collezione/p5.html a very late 1970s tyre.

 

Have had your CN12s on my 1972 for about 3 years now.
The best tyres I have had on the Bora in the 34 years I have owned her.
Thanks.

 

Your website list Boras as originally fitted with 205/70x15 for the front and 215/70x15 for the rear which I believe is in error. It was 215/70x15 all around. Please refer to page 73 of the user manual which is available on this webpage:
https://www.thecarnut.com/useandmaintenance/

Also, Michelin is listed as standard with Pirelli as optional.

Ivan

 

Cheers Ivan

I do really want this sort of thing to be correct so more feed back on this would be greatfully appreciated, because if i'm frank Maserati are a bit of a pain in the bum when it comes to tyre fitment and pressures so any more fitment guides and evidence to clarify what happened and in what year would be greatfully accepted.

I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours.

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However also worth considering that what was fitted in Europeland is not necessarily the same as what happened in the States.

So in Europeland progressive handling was more critical than ride in the States. So to make them handle better they would often have thinnner tyres in Europeland and to give a softer more floaty like ride in the States they had bigger tyres.

It looks like the later cars they fitted smaller tyres on the front to make the steering faster and more precise, or to diminish oversteer.

I'd love your help. i do really want my site to be correct.

However having said all that it looks like i have got the fitment the wrong way round on my web site like a plonker. Doh!

I'll fix it. but please let me know if you think these fitments are wrong.

 

What is the source of your documents? I would only rely on official Maserati manuals/decals and even those can have errors. The Bora user manual which is posted on my manual is in Italian and English and as far as I know is the manual that came with the Bora's delivered in all countries, not just the USA. There might be another user manual that came with the very early Boars but I have never seen it.

By law, USA cars need to have a decal that specifies tire size and pressure. This photo is from a 1978 US Bora and as you can see it was fitted with 215/70 VR 15 all around. I do not believe Euro cars had a similar decal. We need someone with an early Euro Bora, that perhaps has a different user manual, to provide input.

Ivan
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FYI:

 

One more Maserati factory source that points to 215VR15 on all four tires. Enclosed is a sales brochure for an Euro Bora. No vents on the hood and square headlight covers indicates it is an early car.

I think this makes me the winner Just kidding, just want to get the information correct since I am a frequent buyer on your excellent website.

Ivan

 

Why doesn't pose the question to Fabio Collina and see what he has on file?

 

Same as boralogist - I have a recent set of your CN12's on our Bora and they are fantastic.. although I'd love to try another set of fresh P4000s, I loved those too.

 

Lots of msconceptions in this post. Im on my phone todatpy due to abroken leg so i cant elaborate very much right now but my USA spec and last of the line Bora had the 215 70 VR 15 XWXs which I immediately swapped out for XGTs 60 profile tires to get both better handling as well as a smoother ride. That was circa 1989 - 1990. I can't offer anything on the Ghibli and earlier cars but gosh is Maserati realy more confusing than Lamborghini?

My 71 Espada came with 80 series tires but everyone now uses 215 70 15 tires.