Unrestored, Unmolested 1973 Maserati Bora

This Bora is a generally unmolested and UNRESTORED, original 1973 s/n AM117/49632 with its share of plusses and minuses.

This is not a general description of a Maserati Bora. I assume a buyer will already know about the model, its features, history, production numbers, etc.

I've never driven another Bora, so I can't compare, but...

This car is a really wonderful driver... smooth, solid, reliable, comfortable, tractable, stable at triple digit speeds, visceral, makes beautiful noises, really wide torque band, a real pleasure. A friend who owns a 330 GTC (OK, not a GREAT car, but nice) drove it and cackled with glee... he just couldn't help himself. Between cackles he muttered "lovely... just lovely... smoother than the 330 (a V-12)..." All who see it and drive it are really blown away. I had a friend offer me his new M3 convertible in trade! (shoulda’…)

So... it would be best to sell to a buyer who can inspect and drive this car before purchasing.

Buying a car though the Internet can be difficult, so I make full disclosure of all warts on a really wonderful car. I’ll take more pictures for serious buyers. Ask for what you want to see and I’ll send it to you.

Be sure and see the extensive pictures further down!

Plusses:

• Original (but tired) paint that still can look really good (see pics)
• Never driven in the rain, or even on wet streets.
• Michelin Sport XGT 235/60 VR 15's on the front 245/60 VR 15's on the back. Decent tread left in front, serviceable tread in back, especially if never driven in the wet. Last of the "big" speed-rated rubber. Guess people are using p4000e’s now.
• Silicon backing on brake pads. No squeeks!
• Alignment sorted out and drives very straight, very smooth.
• 4.9 motor
• Engine is very smooth, very tractable, and not a trace of smoke.
• Synthetic oil used exclusively.
• European exhaust cam timing.
• European headers... sounds really wonderful at all speeds. Fun to drive gently and just listen.
• Tasty quad tip chrome exhaust
• Original wrinkle paint on valve covers.
• Cooling system sorted out and works very well even with the air conditioner running. This specific car's cooling system was discussed in a June 16^th 2002 posting in Yahoo's “maserati” group as an example of a “reasonably” successful cooling mod project. See http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/maserati/message/10034. I’ve found it to be VERY successful.
• Air conditioner can blow 30 degrees (see pic). Honestly, usually more like 35. Has never had to be recharged in the 9 years of my ownership.
• no catalytics
• no smog pump
• smog exempt
• no ugly hood vent
• no DOT mandated rubber-baby-buggy-bumpers. Has nice chrome bumpers.
• Near perfect tan interior with perfect leather dash
• Dash top is perfect original suede
• Interior smells great!

Minuses:

• Tired (but original) paint. See pics of stress cracks, one large chip on front right headlight cover. There are a few small dimples. The paint is thin. Some edges are worn through to primer. I am unable to get photos of them because I covered them with a black marker pen last year. Original owner buffed it out every week!
• Silicon backing on brake pads. No track duty without re-doing them!
• Some fluid leaks over the years, though seems to be dry now. Many hoses have been replaced. Have receipts.
• Engine doesn't like warm starts... runs rough for a while.
• Slow syncho into 2nd gear when cold. Notice it if not gentle for first 1 or 2 shifts. Never notice it if you let it warm up for 5 minutes before driving.
• A little clutch chatter... sometimes... no chatter if driven smoothly.
• Stainless steel top is pitted. I tried to get one of the biggest in a pic with a dime, but difficult. The pic doesn't look that bad. Actually looks worse in person. But beautiful and gleaming from more than 3 feet away.
• Door sill rubber worn by “lazy feet” on driver’s side.

PAYMENT:

If you can’t let your check (personnal OR cashier’s) clear before delivery, then let’s use an escrow service linked to eBay. I don’t trust money orders, cashier’s checks or unknown escrow companies. I’ll take them but they must clear before delivery. A wire transfer can work too. I make no set demands on payment timing but good faith prompt payment is expected. I expect that the winning bidder will be serious. If not, on to the next!

The buyer arranges and pays for any shipping.

UPDATE (7/22):

I’ve gotten lots of questions and figure I should post them for all to see. I also added some more pictures to the Web site… headliner, trunk and one more paint issue.

Some History:

I bought this car from George Marin in 1995. George bought the car in Sept of 1976 from its original owner with 10,000 miles on the odometer. The paint was definitely original then... just 3 years old. But he pointed out that he thinks the small rear deck just behind the big rear glass was repainted (in lacquer). He is suspicious because he remembers seeing tape marks. He told me where to find them and now I see them too. There are two. I have included a picture of the right one of these marks. The left one is identical. (See pics below.)

George also thought the lower panel behind the rear wheel well on the passenger side always looked "funny". He couldn't really elaborate on that and I don't see it. Whatever it is won't show in a photo.

The original owner had the leather interior re-done in calf-leather. It was originally another color too. Anyway, I think this is a very nice color and a very high quality job done sometime before 1976. But, it's not original.

This is a very well known car. It was quite the celebrity the first year I brought it to Concourso Italiano. It had missed a few years since George sold it and people were worried about what had happened to it! They told me how lucky I was to have gotten a hold of it. George really sorted it out in all ways.

Some more specifics:

The hydraulics don't leak. I've never had the accumulators charged. I've never had the main sphere replaced. Stepping on the brake about 8 times causes the pump to run again, if that tells you anything. It certainly doesn't run every time you use the brakes... nowhere near.

This Bora has a mechanical oil pressure gauge mounted in the engine compartment as well as the electrical one in the dash. It's viewed in the rear view mirror. At normal operating temperature (Water Temp: 160 deg F, Oil Temp: 145 deg F):

rpm electrical mechanical

500 just over 40 40

1200 midpoint 70

2000 just over 100 100

2500 just over 100 120

3000 just over 100 120

I can’t find the original manual. I’m still looking.

I do have the original tool kit and jack and their satchels.

One strut is missing from the trunk lid. I have the other but it doesn’t fit. I think MIE sent me the wrong one. It’s different… a little shorter. The single strut holds the lid open (barely, as long as there’s no wind) so I never pursued it. I’ll order a new strut tomorrow, so if it’s not here by delivery, it soon will be.

PICTURES:

Click on the pics to view super, SUPER sized pics. I figure you want the detail and the wait is worth it.

The good stuff:

Notice good overall appearance of paint. Remember, this is original paint.

Though this is under “Good Stuff” I should point out you can see a couple of dimples in the large version. Close ups of these are in the “Bad Stuff” section later. There’s one just ahead of the rear fender well and another behind the door handle on the next section back from the door. Anyone ever try Dent-Pros for this kind of thing?

This side and the back have no dimples.

No dimples up front either, just that big chip on the headlight cover.

The biggest paint flaw is visible from the front. It is on the upper part of the right hand (left in the picture) headlight cover.

You can kind of see the relatively skimpy tread left on the 245’s. It sure looks good from the back with the chrome bumper, quad exhaust tips and the 245’s!

I have never used the CB and that’s a thermometer sticking out of the center console vent.

Definitely used but nowhere near falling apart

Passenger side much less used.

Thermometer shows AC blowing 30 degrees and temp a touch lower than normal. Its needle usually exactly hides the ‘0’ of ‘70’. The clock works too.

Note Mileage. I just noticed speedometer stuck on 10. Have to look into that. It does go higher so I never noticed it before.

Note 500 rpm idle. I don’t know if that’s normal. Seems low, but it’s very smooth and never misses a beat when throttle cracks open. A custom AC fan control is mounted under the dash that adds 3 more speeds to the normal “LOW” setting. There’s also the antenna coupler so the CB and AM/FM radio can work with the same antenna. Then to the left of the coupler are two very important switches… the manual radiator fan control switches. If they are on, overheating is a real rarity, requiring 95 degree heat and stop-and-go traffic. It has happened… accident on hwy 17 during a heat wave.

Note perfect suede dash and custom raised vents that blow more air.

Center console is in great shape!

Headliner’s perfect

Please pardon the duster…

Trunk

The engine bay has not been cleaned or detailed. Note nice wrinkle paint and lack of gas leaks. Note also the worn cable rubber. I just noticed that myself.

As I say: not cleaned, not detailed.

The Not So Good Stuff:

A pit in the stainless steel top. It’s one of the biggest of many. It’s difficult to photograph. Looks worse in person, but disappears at about 3 foot distance.

Lazy feet on the driver’s side. Passenger side is still perfect.

A tape mark at back of rear window. This is the right side. There’s another one on the right. Think it means rear deck has been repainted. See “UPDATE” text above.

A dimple

Another dimple

Stress cracks. Camera was focusing on me. Sorry! But you get the idea.

A crack in the paint. Again, camera got confused. A testimate to the polish job, anyway!

And, that flaw on the headlight cover. Sorry there’s not more detail on this one. The camera really had a hard time with it. I’ll try again and maybe get something better (worse?) up.