Whipping the Prancing Pony

When it comes to older Ferraris, what once was supercar performance is now dated, and speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?

by Michael Sheehan

There’s always been a direct connection between how much fun your sports car is, and how fast it goes. Best of all is a machine that makes all the right noises, and few cars do that better a 12-cylinder Ferrari.

Alas, when it comes to older Ferraris, what was once supercar performance is now dated, so there is a small “tuner” world of Ferrari owners and specialized Ferrari shops that apply modern technology and racing knowledge to upgrade older Ferraris.

Beefing up a Boxer

In November 2006, I sold 1981 Ferrari 512 BB, s/n 35411, an interesting Boxer in that it had one owner over 30,000 miles, yet never had its cam belts changed (See February, “Serpentine Issue, Straight Answer,” p. 46). The new owner, Lee Jolley is a mechanical engineer and a diehard enthusiast. After purchasing this 512 BB he wrote, “The first time...