Just thought I'd let you all know............... I was talking to Mike up at Norwood today and he mentioned they had a set of 4 Borrani wires wheels, the knockoffs, and the hubs that they were trying to find a new home for. He said they wanted 2k for the set. Seems like a super deal to me in case anyone wants to get away from TRX's.
Hell, at two thousand they weren't stolen...they're a gift! It took me a couple of years and nearly eight grand to purchase and restore a full set for my 330. I keep'em in a vault.
Wonder what a 400i looks like with Borrani wire wheels as I've never seen that. Not sure that mixing a 70's/more modern design car with wheels more suited to cars from the 50's and 60's would look right to me. Anyone got photos? Post 'em if you got 'em! Thanks!
I agree with Mr. Ashman. I'd love to see a set of Borrani's on a 400/412 just to see how they look. Photoshop anyone?
I don't know if any of these are Borrani's but here are a few pictures of cars with wire wheels. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Personal preference is the 5 spoke wheels look better with the angled lines of the car, but that's just me.
The seller of my 365 had Boranni's fitted....I did not purchase them. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sorry to be a spoilsport and they look ok BUT Wire wheels are beautifull on a curvy 250 etc but way wrong for the 400 series wrong decade. The 5 spokes are an integral part of the angular 400 design Even if the boranis were free they wouldnt ever be right for this car.
angles wings on a Sherman tank. perhaps you are right. keeping the cars as they were produced should be a goal worth pursuing. owning both coupe and convertible i have become more to consider the coupe as worth maintaining. that was a reason for selling one of the convertibles
Keep in mind that the borrani wire wheels were a factory option for the 365 GT4 2+2 - although a rarely chosen one . Perhaps they might have been optional on the later 400 or 400i series if they hadn't changed to the 5-bolt hub design. Which brings me to my questions: Are the hubs the only parts that would need to be changed to use these wheels on a 5-bolt hub car (for example, a 400i), or are there other parts that would need to be changed as well? Are these hubs relatively easy to find, parts wise? What would you estimate the current value for a set of these splined hubs would be? Finally, after seeing the pictures above, any idea how many poor cars have been converted into a stretch limousine? Thanks, Michael Payne
RW4075 7 1/2 x 15 42 MM are the correct wheel for the 365 GT4 2+2. They are also correct for the 365 GTB/4- 365 GTC4 2+2 and 365GT 2+2(Queen). They also fit 365 and 512 Boxers. All these cars came with Rudge Whitworth center lock 42MM spline drive hubs. They also built similar versions in 8 and 9 inch wide widths, intended for Daytonas and Boxers. For the 400 series they built RW 4326. These are what is called "kit transfer". It is Borranis answer to conversion to the rudge center lock system. It includes a hub machined out of a single piece of steel that bolts onto the 400/400i, then the wire wheel is held onto the hub with a traditional knock off. The spline is 52MM and the knock off is 42MM. They are threaded for each side of the car R & L as normal. All of these wheels are available then and now from Borrani. They were offered as dealer installed options and appeared mostly on the older cars. All of the cars pictured in the previous post are wearing Borranis. The 400 cabriolet has the RW 4326 kit transfer and I think they look GREAT! There are other independent suppliers who build hubs that could provide custom parts to install RW 4075 (42MM spline and 42MM hub) wheels on your 400/400i and non ABS 412 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I believe that the wheels go straight on to the car with the bolt on adaptor. I don't think the 'transform kit' would be at all easy to find. If you find the bolt on hubs then the special RW4326 42/52 wheels are essential. My company has been restoring Borranis in UK for 30 years and we've never seen these. Personally I would make new 42mm hubs to replace the bolt-on hubs on a 400/412 and then Borrani 4075s can be used, or (and I would say this!) new Turrino wheels with stainless centres & spokes & polished alloy rims at 2/3 the price. Will
Thanks for all of the great information guys, this was just what I was looking for. Both posters above mention having hubs made in order to use the original type RW4075 Borrani wire wheels on a 400/400i. I am curious if this could also be done, for example, using original hubs/parts from a 365 GT4 2+2 donor car? If so, would these parts be available new? I am trying to determine if people are recommending having hubs made because this is necessary to fit the hubs/wheels, the hubs/parts are hard to find/unavailable used or new, or if it is simply more economical to have the hubs made than to stay with original parts? Thanks again for your help! Michael Payne
Dear All It is all fun and as admited the Borranis look good actually on just about anything! nevertheless please allow me to have my purist whinge! Borrani make (made) wheels for every car on the planet including 365, 400, Fiat, Ford, Lamborghini etc etc. Pininfarina designed wheels specifically for the 365 400 brilliantly suited to the angular design. Totally unique. Why one would want to exchange that integral part of the cars design is beyond me from a purist 400 point of view though if your into customising etc why not. Regards Alastair
If you can find original hubs from a 365GT4 2+2 they are interchangeable with the 400 hubs. I did it on my car. As far the economics go it all depends what price you can get a set for if you can find one... Also you have the option to use the 5 star knock on wheels which are easy to find as well as the wires.
First-The hubs on a 365GTC/4 2+2 are also interchangeable as these cars have identical parts to the 365GT/4 2+2. Second-The wheels on a 365/400 were not "totally unique" to this series. They were designed by Pininfarina (mostly built by Chromodora) in the middle 1960's They first appeared on the 330P prototype series, the 206P, and the 365P (2 built central driver 3 seat road cars). They showed up in 7 1/2 x 15 form on the 365GTB/4 (Daytona). The same wheels were "on the shelf" and available, so they were also used on the C/4 and later the GT/4 2+2. Ferrari had them revised to a 5 bolt pattern when they brought out the 400GT,to save money. Third- Why do so many of you guys cry "Bloody Murder" when you see, or hear of talk of wire wheels on these later cars. They were dealer installed options and authorised by Ferrari. When you guys see a Daytona or a C/4 with Borranis "its OK", you love them. Most of them were not delivered as such. The body lines of a C/4 or a Daytona are straight and angular, more like the later 365/400/412 cars. So why are wire wheels not acceptable on the later cars? It might be because you guys are not use to seeing them. In my eyes, cutting the top off one is creating "Porcheria", but not installing the correct Borrani wire wheels. The following photo shows the prototype 365 GT/4 2+2 #15897, which is wearing RW4075 Borranis Image Unavailable, Please Login