maserati is it possible?
Discussion
I have always loved the maserati 3200gt since the day they released but always in my eyes a super car and not something i would ever own and only being 15 years old at the time didn't help.
now i have been talking to the other half and hopefully to to far away i intend buing one of these great cars.
i have drive my uncles grandsport and thought it was exellent and stunning to look at but i like my power delivery a bit more brute like and i love the boomerang lights and grills in the bonnet of the 3200gt.
main qestions then i will hopefully have between £11000 and £14000 to spend on one so i hope i wouldn't be scraping the barrel at that budget? i wan't a manual as i don't like torque convertor autos! id want a dark colour like gun metal or black or maybe the deep metalic blue that my uncles grandsport is in. I i don't really want blue interior so either sand or grey or black?
running costs on the car? i know its 10+ year old maserati and isn't going to be cheap at all. I i don't mind using indies for work if proven good or things like brakes, suspension and so on being a engineer i am quite happy tackling myself.
I have about £650-750 a month to run the car including fuel but its a weekend car and this year my mazda done 4000 miles and next year i perdict it will be alot less. i have a hateful eco box as a company car so it can be off the road for a while if need be and if im doing a long trip il take the eco box unless im feeling flush. so is this a possible budget to run such a car?
problems i might encounter with the car? is there any likely or troublesome areas i need to look for?
power? am i likely to get bored of the car as i have normally had cars with over 400bhp and even then found i want more or is the maserati one of those cars that just feels so right at there power output?
thanks for reading guys.
now i have been talking to the other half and hopefully to to far away i intend buing one of these great cars.
i have drive my uncles grandsport and thought it was exellent and stunning to look at but i like my power delivery a bit more brute like and i love the boomerang lights and grills in the bonnet of the 3200gt.
main qestions then i will hopefully have between £11000 and £14000 to spend on one so i hope i wouldn't be scraping the barrel at that budget? i wan't a manual as i don't like torque convertor autos! id want a dark colour like gun metal or black or maybe the deep metalic blue that my uncles grandsport is in. I i don't really want blue interior so either sand or grey or black?
running costs on the car? i know its 10+ year old maserati and isn't going to be cheap at all. I i don't mind using indies for work if proven good or things like brakes, suspension and so on being a engineer i am quite happy tackling myself.
I have about £650-750 a month to run the car including fuel but its a weekend car and this year my mazda done 4000 miles and next year i perdict it will be alot less. i have a hateful eco box as a company car so it can be off the road for a while if need be and if im doing a long trip il take the eco box unless im feeling flush. so is this a possible budget to run such a car?
problems i might encounter with the car? is there any likely or troublesome areas i need to look for?
power? am i likely to get bored of the car as i have normally had cars with over 400bhp and even then found i want more or is the maserati one of those cars that just feels so right at there power output?
thanks for reading guys.
They are a nest of vipers but I must say that the Auto does eliminate some of the major problems. The clutches and flywheels can be a pain and there is a seal from the box to the engine that goes causing big probs - I'm sure other phers can give a more accurate description of this. The throttle response/clutch action on the manual can also be a bit tricky.
so really they are likely to be a major pain in the back side? i have also started reading reviews and most say they are a nice looking car that handle pants and are pretty unreliable.
i really would love one but if the £700 a month won't run one then its to rich for me and maybe better looking at a m3 or 911 ?
i really would love one but if the £700 a month won't run one then its to rich for me and maybe better looking at a m3 or 911 ?
As always when the subject of 3200's come up the first to reply are those who don't or haven't actually owned one.
I've had mine for 10 years now and it is perfectly reliable and costs approx £500 for an annual service.
To call them a nest of vipers is total b
ks. Go for an auto, ensure it has a good service history and the red key and enjoy!
The thottle response concerns is a simple 30 second reset procedure which can easily be done by the owner. It should be done when serviced but often gets overlooked.
I've had mine for 10 years now and it is perfectly reliable and costs approx £500 for an annual service.
To call them a nest of vipers is total b
ks. Go for an auto, ensure it has a good service history and the red key and enjoy!The thottle response concerns is a simple 30 second reset procedure which can easily be done by the owner. It should be done when serviced but often gets overlooked.
Edited by 3200gt on Sunday 14th August 22:21
I have to agree. As with any high performance car you need to budget for issues that will undoubtedly come up. It is important to find a car that has been well maintained as these cars do not respond well to neglect.
Mine is an auto and is an absolute joy to drive to the point whe the 911 sadly spends most of it's time in the garage.
You need to budget on replacing the throttle body with a contactless version, around 500 euro and also be aware that there will be niggling electrics issues from time to time that most good indies will be able to fix because by now most of the potential problems have been identified. It is critical to get whichever indie you plan on using to do a thorough pre purchase inspection and depending on the report, give you bargaining room with the seller.
They really are a beautiful car and though I looked at 4200s I had my heart set on the 3200 because of the looks and the huge rush when the turbos spool up.
Best of luck!
Neil
Mine is an auto and is an absolute joy to drive to the point whe the 911 sadly spends most of it's time in the garage.
You need to budget on replacing the throttle body with a contactless version, around 500 euro and also be aware that there will be niggling electrics issues from time to time that most good indies will be able to fix because by now most of the potential problems have been identified. It is critical to get whichever indie you plan on using to do a thorough pre purchase inspection and depending on the report, give you bargaining room with the seller.
They really are a beautiful car and though I looked at 4200s I had my heart set on the 3200 because of the looks and the huge rush when the turbos spool up.
Best of luck!
Neil
3200gt said:
As always when the subject of 3200's come up the first to reply are those who don't or haven't actually owned one.
I've had mine for 10 years now and it is perfectly reliable and costs approx £500 for an annual service.
To call them a nest of vipers is total bks. Go for an auto, ensure it has a good service history and the red key and enjoy!
The thottle response concerns is a simple 30 second reset procedure which can easily be done by the owner. It should be done when serviced but often gets overlooked.
To say they can't be a huge nest of very large vipers is also total bI've had mine for 10 years now and it is perfectly reliable and costs approx £500 for an annual service.
To call them a nest of vipers is total b
ks. Go for an auto, ensure it has a good service history and the red key and enjoy!The thottle response concerns is a simple 30 second reset procedure which can easily be done by the owner. It should be done when serviced but often gets overlooked.
ks.For sure, they generally aren't as bad as people think but that image is reflected in the price.
The reset isn't always sufficient and you have been lucky in relation to that.
While yours has been perfectly reliable, one swallow etc.
And auto sort of defeats the object
To the OP - they can be cracking cars at great value but go into it with eyes wide open.
pitbull
I was in the same boat as you, talk to current and former owners. Listen to then ignore the whsipering masses who wish they'd got one, but did domething else instead.
Do plenty of research, decide what you must have and what is nice to have. Go and see a few, drive them if possible. It is entirely possible to spend £10,000 in your first year if you buy a pig in knickers. Try a 4200 by all means, but no turbos and difficult to find a manual gearbox.
I am not bored of the power delivery yet, or the entertaining handling. The 3200 does not drive like a lotus elise, or even a 911 but not like an XKR either. It does look and feel amazing every time I go anywhere, and makes me smile just looking at it. I still pick up trident key over any of the others at home.
Owned mine for 5 years and addes more than 30,000 miles. Only done routine servicing, tyres, brakes and replaced rotten mild steel (factory standard) silencers until this year. Needed rear suspension alignment so fitted one new lower wishbone while the other was repaired.
I HAVE done countless resets on throttle pot, easy seat entry and CEL warning lights. Not a single failed components, contrary to even more countless "advice" both face to face and online.
I was in the same boat as you, talk to current and former owners. Listen to then ignore the whsipering masses who wish they'd got one, but did domething else instead.
Do plenty of research, decide what you must have and what is nice to have. Go and see a few, drive them if possible. It is entirely possible to spend £10,000 in your first year if you buy a pig in knickers. Try a 4200 by all means, but no turbos and difficult to find a manual gearbox.
I am not bored of the power delivery yet, or the entertaining handling. The 3200 does not drive like a lotus elise, or even a 911 but not like an XKR either. It does look and feel amazing every time I go anywhere, and makes me smile just looking at it. I still pick up trident key over any of the others at home.
Owned mine for 5 years and addes more than 30,000 miles. Only done routine servicing, tyres, brakes and replaced rotten mild steel (factory standard) silencers until this year. Needed rear suspension alignment so fitted one new lower wishbone while the other was repaired.
I HAVE done countless resets on throttle pot, easy seat entry and CEL warning lights. Not a single failed components, contrary to even more countless "advice" both face to face and online.
Edited by rs48635 on Monday 15th August 11:49
pork911 said:
To say they can't be a huge nest of very large vipers is also total bks.
You can say that about any make/model. By your reasoning, Gallardo's are are all "a nest of vipers" because a few have had engine bay fires?ks.pork911 said:
And auto sort of defeats the object
Having driven many 32's, both auto and manual I can say that the auto is far more suited to the car than a manual box. It is a GT after all. If its an out and out sports car you want then get an atom or a 7.I stand by what I said having owned a 2000/X Manual for 2 years from 2002 to 2004, then a 2001/X Manual from 2007 and 2009. I've also owned a 4200 GT for 4 years and now have a Quattroporte. I've also had 3 3200 GT's pass through my hands in the trade, so to call me unqualified to comment patently isn't true.
to be fair i have run 600+ bhp turbo cars on less than £750 a month while only doing say 4-5k a year milage, over 8k in running cost a year and if it cost more than that then to be fair i think il get a alterinative.
my uncle has had his grandsport for 3 years not and 45k on the clock and nothing has gone wrong and just servicing even if was from super expensive marenellos!
i just find n/a car a touch boring and love turbo rush so was hoping for a 3200 manual but maybe saving for a grandsport or decent 4200 would be better? would 15k get a good 4200 do you think?
my uncle has had his grandsport for 3 years not and 45k on the clock and nothing has gone wrong and just servicing even if was from super expensive marenellos!
i just find n/a car a touch boring and love turbo rush so was hoping for a 3200 manual but maybe saving for a grandsport or decent 4200 would be better? would 15k get a good 4200 do you think?
crostonian said:
I stand by what I said having owned a 2000/X Manual for 2 years from 2002 to 2004, then a 2001/X Manual from 2007 and 2009. I've also owned a 4200 GT for 4 years and now have a Quattroporte. I've also had 3 3200 GT's pass through my hands in the trade, so to call me unqualified to comment patently isn't true.
Begs the question, why would you expose yourself to such a nest of vipers so frequently then?pitbull turbo said:
thats what i thought to be fair, is the 4200 better to drive than the 3200gt or is the turbo rush more fun?
I drove all three when I bought, 3200, and Spyder (4200) in manual and CC guise. CC was the boy for me, although others will undoubtedly disagree. I didn't like the manual at all.Really is personal preference. Get out there test driving man!
3200gt said:
Begs the question, why would you expose yourself to such a nest of vipers so frequently then?
From experience the 4200 seems to be a big advance over the 3200, if all the 3200s out there had ownership history such as yours then the buying advice would be much simpler unfortunately many of them have gone through many owners, been bodged and the person buying them in recent years is less likely to have the means to run them properly. Cars like yours are becoming impossible to find, my comments relate to my experience with all the 3200s I have owned, the 4200s/QP have been virtually trouble free. I did point out that many of the probs I have had have related to the Manual gearbox, yours is obviously immune from these problems being an Auto. My point to the OP was basically stating that buying a Maser 3200 GT is akin to entering a 'nest of vipers', my advice would be to buy the newest car with the fewest number of owners.If you want one, buy one. Worry about the running costs after. Don't be the one who stands in the pub saying i nearly bought one once.
As long as you buy one with good history and look after it, it will look after you.
3200s handle lovely - bad drivers say they don't handle and once those blowers spool up you just ride out the tail slide in style!
I can't imagine an M3 or a 911 will hit the spot.
As long as you buy one with good history and look after it, it will look after you.
3200s handle lovely - bad drivers say they don't handle and once those blowers spool up you just ride out the tail slide in style!
I can't imagine an M3 or a 911 will hit the spot.
3200gt said:
pork911 said:
To say they can't be a huge nest of very large vipers is also total bks.
You can say that about any make/model. By your reasoning, Gallardo's are are all "a nest of vipers" because a few have had engine bay fires?ks.pork911 said:
And auto sort of defeats the object
Having driven many 32's, both auto and manual I can say that the auto is far more suited to the car than a manual box. It is a GT after all. If its an out and out sports car you want then get an atom or a 7.Is it deserved? Probably not totally but it would be disingenuous to try and say they're wholly reliable.
Even the basic reset, if it works - is a pain (unless your used to handcranking).
Should a 'GT' car start on demand? Should it never go into limp mode when you have a continent to cross?
Even if we accept a GT car should be an auto, your assertion this car suits it or even that it is a GT car
- how much grand touring is the OP actually going to do?
If an auto suits you, that's all well and good.
Edited by pork911 on Monday 15th August 22:06
pork911 said:
They have a fearful reputation for many hence the OP's thread.
Is it deserved? Probably not totally but it would be disingenuous to try and say they're wholly reliable.
I don't think they do. I wouldn't say they are any less reliable than Ferrari or pre Audi lambo's or any other Italian cars come to that. What you do get is that unique undefinable Italianess soul which is missing in most other marques.Is it deserved? Probably not totally but it would be disingenuous to try and say they're wholly reliable.
pork911 said:
Even the basic reset, if it works - is a pain (unless your used to handcranking).
I think we must be talking at cross purposes here. The throttle reset is just ignition key and throttle pedal movements. No less painful than getting in and going for a 30 second drive.pork911 said:
Should a 'GT' car start on demand? Should it never go into limp mode when you have a continent to cross?
Every car should start on demand regardless of target market. I've never heard of them not starting. They only go into limp mode for a reason, and I'd rather that than not and break/burn/destroy/bugger something exspensive. I also have to mention that the majority of electrical/dash light/limp mode issues I have ever heard about about are mainly caused by operator error.pork911 said:
Even if we accept a GT car should be an auto, your assertion this car suits it or even that it is a GT car
- how much grand touring is the OP actually going to do?
I don't think you can question if it is a GT, its in the name! Regarding how much touring the OP intends, only he can answer that. But having stated that he would like a 3200GT, I'm guessing some.- how much grand touring is the OP actually going to do?
The bit which niggles me about statements like "they are a nest of vipers" is that presumably a nest of vipers is inhabited by vipers and vipers alone, which infers every 3200 is trouble. This is simply not true. Yes there are a few which have had problems occur but show me a make which hasn't. Even German cars have their issues, ask any BMW owner who tried to get cracked rims replaced under warranty on cars which were only six months old. The list goes on and on.
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