Man bought one-of-one Saudi Prince’s neglected 1983 Ferrari 512BBi for $100K and years later is still trying to save automotive masterpiece

This YouTuber is bringing a Ferrari that has been parked for 16 years back to life.

The Ferrari 512 BBi is a rare gem, with only over 1,007 units ever built.

It’s taken three years to restore, as the new owner is determined for the finished car to be in the exact condition it left the factory in.

So, how is he getting on?

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A barn find fit for a prince

Scott Chivers, the face behind YouTube channel Ratarossa has a reputation for being a Ferrari purist.

One of his ongoing passion projects is restoring a 512 BBi with a unique backstory.

In 2020, he received a call from an unnamed famous DJ who told him about an abandoned Ferrari in the area.

Chivers went to chat with the owner, who told him that it had been sitting unused for 16 years and had previously been owned by a Saudi Prince.

The car was covered in dirt and moss, having been exposed to the elements for over a decade.

The owner offered to sell it for $100,000, which Chivers hustled up by quickly selling his Ferrari 355.

As you do.

Chivers knew that this wasn’t just any barn find: it was one of 1,007 512 BBi models ever produced and one of only 42 right-hand drive models.

To top it off, it’s the only right-hand drive white model, making it a truly rare piece of automotive history, and almost as rare as the three-seater Ferrari with central steering wheel.

With only 6,420 miles on the odometer, he’s aiming to get this car back to like-new condition.

Freshening up the abandoned Ferrari

Chivers has spent the past few years slowly restoring his 512 BBi to a factory state.

One of his main tasks was removing all the screens, made harder by Ferrari’s super-strength sealant.

Every window had a huge amount of build-up, caused by years of sitting abandoned outside.

He spent $6,255 on this task, a far cry from the man who spent $100,000 on his junkyard Ferrari.

He then had to reconnect the electric mechanism of the windows and reinstall the back grill and spoiler.

Chivers is a perfectionist, making sure everything up to the paint of the rivets is exactly the same as it was in the 1980s when this car first rolled out of the factory.

Now that the exterior is nearly done, he’ll be turning his attention to the interior and attempting to restore the seats to their leather glory.