Ferrari Sales and Service San Francisco - Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer Buying Tips - San Francisco Motorsports San Rafael

What to look for when buying a Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer





Good

• The engine is very flexible and robust
• When properly serviced, it is reliable
• Body rust is not a problem
• Good a/c on later cars

Bad

• Clutches can be problematice
• Interior and paint wears quickly on earlier cars
• Carbureted cars are expensive and difficult to smog
• High center of gravity makes for twichy handling at the limit
• As this was never a US model, you can find shoddy EPA and DOT work
• If improperly maintainted, it can be expensive to repair

Buyer's Check list

Green Flags

• Worn paint and interior doesn't mean a car is mechanically shoddy
• All smog equipemtn is in place and working
• A straight frame
• Documented, under 50,000 miles on the odometer
• Service records that verify milaage claims
• Current California BAR sticker in the door jam

Red Flags

• Weak clutch
• Second gear synchro and transaxle problems (especially on 365s)
• No smog, EPA and/or DOT releases
• Chassis with crimped or kinked frame rails
• No service records to verify mileage
• Excessive smoke out the tail pipes on cold start

source:  Forza 9, February 1998
by Winston Goodfellow