Classic Maseratis...

[P5BNij]

I can imagine your relief now that it has arrived!

Another Indy with the same rear lights as yours, this one is a 1970 RHD manual which is currently for sale...

[TR4man]

I wonder if there were updates during the Indy production?

For example, the light blue one above and yours have reflectors above the exhausts as well as different rear light units. Perhaps the green one is an earlier model?

[P5BNij]

I think there must have been an overlap of 'model year' changeover period around the end of 1970 / into 1971, the blue car I posted above is a 1970 built car with the original style 'hexagonal' dash layout, this was replaced with a much plainer looking dash similar to the Ghibli, I'm guessing the rear lights were changed on an ad hoc basis as cars came down the production line around the same time. Typically Italian really!

[P5BNij]

Early Indy dash, 1969 / 70 model year...



Later version, 1970 / 71 onwards...

[slurpysi]

Mine is a late 1971 year ( dvla issued me a 'K' plate) but has the hex dashboard....

Sounds like typical Italian inconsistency, but I much prefer the early dashboard so not complaining !

[P5BNij]

I'd happily sit there all day long...!

[slurpysi]

Finally got the Indy out over the weekend

All seems well, touch wood. Takes a few minutes to clear its throat and pops and bangs a bit on the overrun, but probably needs a long drive. It had just received a full service before i bought it.

It does need big inputs, the clutch, throttle and gearlever all need work. It does seem a big car around the lanes of Kent but is easy to place, and does have a good turn of speed. I'm not a fan of power steering but this system is not too light.

It doesn't overheat but the fan does come on often, not sure if this is normal or not. I hope the front plate isn't blocking airflow, perhaps I will get a smaller one.

The worst aspect is the ride - hard, crashy, and fluttery. Admittely Kent County Council are 80% to blame with the despicable state of our roads but my Lamborghini Urracos rode them perfectly and I suppose if I wanted comfort I should have kept my XJS !

It is a nice place to be and I think the Indy looks stunning in an understated way.

[P5BNij]

You should move to Warwickshire, we've got some great roads up here! My envy has also gone up a notch reading that you've had Urracos in the past too, I'd love one of those some day... . Were they RHD...?

[slurpysi]

I do think we get a bad deal on the roads in Kent, and they are not getting any better.

I have owned 2 Urracos, both RHD. A blue P300


And a silver P250


Both had fantastic gearchanges, ride, and handling, steering, and were surprisingly practical. Dare I say old GTs such as the Indy are like buses in comparison, although they are not directly comparable. Bit of a buzzbox tho, own a Urraco when you are 40, an Indy when you are 50 and your back has gone !

[P5BNij]

I recognise both of those Urracos, very nice! My love for the Indy stems from having the Airfix kit as a nipper, my uncle worked in the Airfix factory at the time and brought a box full of damaged kits round for Christmas for me to build. Seeing these cars at the NEC shows every year is quite an eyeful, they still look exotic even now.

[Helicopter123]

I hadn't appreciated just how many stunning cars are in the Maserati back catalogue.

Growing up in the 80s, the "bi-turbo" era just about killed the brand, which is such a shame.

Should be another Ferrari/Lambo today, IMO, or the Italian Aston?

[P5BNij]

You could also say (perversely, granted) that the bi-turbo era kept Maserati from disappearing altogether, before being taken under Ferrari's wing in the late '90s. I see what you're getting at with the Aston tag, Maserati were always 'apart' from all the other Italian firms somewhere, not quite sure how to define it but that's my take on it.

[Church of Noise]

slurpysi said:

...

The worst aspect is the ride - hard, crashy, and fluttery. Admittely Kent County Council are 80% to blame with the despicable state of our roads but my

...

Are they supposed to be that way?
Having owned and driven a couple of 60s and 70s cars (not in the same league as Lamborghinis or Maseratis btw), I've learned that between cars of the same model and vintage, revamped suspension is probably the largest factor impacting driving fun and comfort.

Lovely looking car by the way! I

[slurpysi]

I will defer to Motor magazines road test of an early Indy, which seems to imply the ride isn't great. But point taken, I will have a look at the suspension. The tyres are not the best and haven't checked the pressures yet.

[P5BNij]

At the Goodwood Revival last month...

One of the seven RHD Quattroporte 1s, photos really don't do these cars justice - in two dimensional images they can look awkward from some angles but in the metal, well, this one fair took my breath away...

[neutral 3]

P5BNij said:

At the Goodwood Revival last month...

One of the seven RHD Quattroporte 1s, photos really don't do these cars justice - in two dimensional images they can look awkward from some angles but in the metal, well, this one fair took my breath away...

In the mid 1970s, someone in Station Rd, Nth Chingford, owned a mid Metalic blue Quatraporte. It used to be parked out side one of the grand old Edwardian houses just down from the Royal Forest Hotel. I think ? That it was LHD. Often wondered what happened to it.
Is there a Register for these ?

[P5BNij]

I'd imagine there's a register in the Maserati Club, they only built 759 of them between 1963 and 1969 with only seven in RHD. I believe all seven are still about and there are still a fair number of LHD ones in the UK. Google images brings up photos of lots of different cars on UK plates.

[PigletGN]

do you guys know about this

https://www.lucasclassictires.com/600-16-PIRELLI-S...

Pirelli Stella Bianca an early Maser cross ply tyre

this tyre https://www.lucasclassictires.com/205VR15-PIRELLI-...

was is now produced by Pirelli again.

this is what Maserati fitted from 1964 untill the early 1970s

[slurpysi]

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1172760

Talking of the 1960's Quattroportes, they are lovely things - i looked at one before buying the Indy. This one is cheap, but who would fancy taking it on !?

[P5BNij]

That'll be a fantastic project for somebody, I hope it finds a good home. Was the QP that you looked at the silver one with a black roof near Market Harborough...?