FAQ
What was done to remedy these issues?
The LHM leak was traced to a hard metal line on the rear subframe and that line was replaced with a new copper nickel line. Both front brake calipers were rebuilt and all six caliper hydraulic lines have been replaced with performance SS braided hoses coated black for original appearance. All the LHM fluid currently onboard is from this brake overhaul.
The Citroen hydraulics in this car scare me? Should I be afraid?
I knew absolutely zero about this system when I purchased the car, however it really is not that difficult to understand and wrench on. There is a wealth of information on Ferrarichat.com. Parts are available from MIE Maserati.net, or from any of the many Citroen vendors in Europe. In general the spheres, and rebuild kits are a bit cheaper from those overseas vendors. Bleeding the system is easy - theres one bolt on the pressure regulator that needs to be cracked open with the engine running. A whistling noise indicates the bleeding has commenced - its all internal no oil drains out of the system. After a few seconds tighten that up and then proceed to bleed the four brake calipers. LHM is not cheap but it also does not absorb water and the system components therefore do not experience the corrosion found in normal brake fluid system cars.
Does everything on the car work properly?
I've made it a point to completely sort out all issues, firstly so I could have a fully functional Maserati to bring to car shows and enjoy myself, and secondly so that when it came time to sell I could offer a fully sorted car to a potential buyer. I see cars offered for sale where a window is missing or doesn't work, the a/c doesn't work, tires are well expired beyond safe driving limits, etc. Every knob, button and switch in this car is currently functioning with the exception of the choke which needs a new cable. It really is ready to drive and enjoy right now.
What service and routine maintenance items need attention?
None-it is fully serviced and ready to enjoy. The following routine maintenance items were handled first half 2025 at 37,XXX miles:
- engine oil and filter (per manual to be changed every 5,000 miles) - changed twice
- transaxle oil (per manual to be changed every 12,000 miles)
- radiator coolant with DEI Radiator ReliefTM additive (coolant should be changed every 2 years)
- new tires x 5 and front end alignment
- clutch fluid flushed and bled
- and as mentioned prior, brakes flushed and bled. (per manual LHM to be replaced every 18,000 miles)
- air filter changed
- all 3 fuel filters changed
- clutch hydraulic reservoir, master cylinder, slave cylinder and pressure hose replaced
How was the interior restored?
The door panels, seats and carpets were removed. Carpets were deep cleaned and extracted and reattached. The drivers left bolster had a tear and the foam was completely crushed - something that is almost inevitable with this model vehicle. The seat cover was carefully removed, the torn seam re-sewn with automotive upholstery thread and the foam bolster recreated with high density foam. The cover was reattached and then a deep cleaning and redye job was performed. The supplies for the interior redye came from Colourlock, a German company recently acquired by Koch-Chemie detailing supply company. A rigorous 10-step process including deep cleaning, deodorizing, dyeing and top coating was performed. This is not the usual consumer sponge-on leather dye nor a spray on vinyl paint like SEM. A new swatch of correct Connolley 1603 PAC red leather was obtained from UK and used to color match and provide the proper sheen to be emulated. The custom blended dye was sprayed on using an air brush and protected with a cross linked top coat. The end result is as close to new as can be achieved without resorting to all new hides.
Does the car have the original Blaupunkt radio?
Yes the original radio remains. It has been upgraded with Aurora Designs replacement circuit boards which provide a superior FM tuner and a more powerful amplifier section as well as bluetooth capability. Once your phone is linked to the bluetooth, you can easily stream audio from your phones music library, Pandora, Sirius XM, etc. just by playing any tune on your phone. The radio will detect the music and switch the input to bluetooth. The door speakers were replaced with the best 4" speakers I could find vis a vis frequency response and sensitivity. But lets be honest they are 4" speakers. I felt a modest subwoofer was necessary and I mounted a powered subwoofer under the glove box where it is out of the way and not taking up any cabin space. Overall the system sounds good and a quantum better than factory but of course the real music is the sound of the dual overhead cam hemi head Maserati V8 sitting inches behind you.
What other issues have been sorted during your ownership?
Although the car ran cool during the winter months in Orlando as temperatures went into the 80s the water temperature guage creeped up. A prior owner had installed Spaal fans and a 160 amp Delco alternator to power those. Unfortunately there were a few issues that became apparent with continued driving. First was that the battery would discharge while driving. Thats because the alternator was wired incorrectly. These alternators have four wires besides the charging terminal. When those are not attached correctly, the alternator senses voltage at the output terminal. However in this car the battery is a 10' cable away from the starter. On a car like this a sensing lead needs to be run to the battery + terminal to let the alternator know what the voltage is at the load not at the alternator terminal. In addition the wire from the alternator to the starter was a small wire about 8g and thats just too small for 160amps. I replaced that inadequate wire with a 1/0 guage wire and I ran a sense lead to the battery + terminal. Now the battery charged properly. I also noticed that the right cooling fan pulled a lot less air than the left. It also drew more current. It was dying. I replace both fans with Perma-Cool 2800 CFM fans. Lastly, the prior owner wired their Spaal fans to the existing wiring which was not designed for that load. I rewired the fans with new relays directly off the battery. The only load now on the factory wiring is my relays and the car once again runs cool even in Orlando heat.
After the epic 138 mile Celebration Exotic Car Festival Rally (which the car completed uneventfully) we stopped for lunch. Afterwords due to heat soak the car had vapor lock for the first time. While this may have been totally due to the aforementioned failing fan, some remediation was done. The solutions were to insulate the fuel lines and to switch to ethanol free gas which has a higher boiling point. That was the only time the car experienced vapor lock.
How often is this car driven?
I take the car out weekly, usually in a 10 mile loop around Southwest Orlando. I also take it to the Celebration Exotic cars and coffee monthly meet. As of today (May 30, 2025) the odometer shows 37,712 miles and have driven the car 544 miles since my purchase in late October of 2024. Excluding the 140 mile rally thats about 14 miles per week on average. After the initial sorting of the brakes and routine servicing the car has had only one fault and that was a single issue of vapor lock, see above for details.
I can say with confidence that all the usual problems associated with Bora ownership have now been sorted and the car is ready to drive and enjoy. Although there are Boras for sale for slightly less money, this car is truly sorted and ready to drive now without the headache and expense involved to make it so. When I bought this car, the tires were 10 years old, brake line leaked, caliper leaked, battery died and was replaced due to incorrectly wired alternator, a tie rod end was notably sloppy, one of the cooling fans barely worked, and the interior was stained, beyond filthy and smelled like a locker room. And the best part is this motor has just 3000 miles on the rebuild and the hydraulic spheres are just a couple years old with a service life of around 8 years. If you're looking for a Bora to drive and enjoy, this is the one!