Man restoring a rare Ferrari 512BBi abandoned for unknown reason says a lucky find has just prevented a catastrophic problem
- The Ferrari 512 BBi is one of Ferrari’s most important cars
- The car, released in 1981, was the first Ferrari to use fuel injection
- Now, one is being restored – and the owner has just avoided a fatal issue
Published on Feb 19, 2025 at 6:38 PM (UTC+4)
by Keelin McNamara
Last updated on Feb 19, 2025 at 6:38 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
An abandoned Ferrari 512 BBi has been given a new lease of life.
The car, which was abandoned in a barn, was discovered by an automotive YouTube channel.
They have taken it back to their workshop to start work on restoring the car to its former glory.
And they have just saved themselves a massive headache.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Ferrari 512 BBi: First fuel-injected Ferrari
The Ferrari 512 BBi is a pretty important car.
As far as the Maranello catalogue goes, it manages to make history.
It’s the first-ever Ferrari engine to use fuel injection.
The 5.0 liter, flat 12 engine was (when new), good for a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds, and a top speed of around 174mph.
This car was actually replaced by the legendary Testarossa, with just over 1,000 units being made.
Fuel system needs examined
Scott, who runs the YouTube channel Ratarossa, is the man shaping this car up to its former glory.
Scott enjoyed a lot of initial success with the electronics (including those epic pop-up headlights).
However, he recognised that the fuel system on the Ferrari would need fixed.
The fuel system on a Ferrari 512 BBi is very complex, because it relies on three parts:
The fuel metering unit, the warm-up regulator and the cold-start valve all are vital to the smooth running of this classic supercar.
Scott notes: “if just one of these are set incorrectly or have the tiniest bit of dirt inside, then they will wreak havoc.”
Scott takes the system to Martin, an expert, to restore the system.
Fixed fuel system
Martin notes that the fuel pins on both the metering unit and the regular have both seized.
Basically, if they’d been put on straight away, the engine would have flooded. Game over, basically.
Martin reconditions the units, then tests them by hooking up the fuel injectors.
Thankfully, Martin does a wonderful job of reconditioning all of the parts.
It’s fair to say that Martin was worth his weight in gold in this instance.
If Scott had tried to start his Ferrari 512 BBi with the parts in their original state, his project would have been over before it started.
Keelin McNamara is a content writer at Supercar Blondie from Ireland, covering cars, technology, and lifestyle. Despite being a Law graduate, he discovered his passion for journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has worked in the industry ever since. Outside of work, he is an avid MotoGP fan, and is a self-confessed addict of the sport.
