Cautionary tale of woe
Discussion
OK, as promised, here is the story of my Maserati ownership to date. It isn't a short post, but it wouldn't have the same impact without the detail:
I have been wanting a 3200GT since I first pulled up behind one at traffic lights and was confronted by the best looking tail lights of all time, and in the last couple of years I have been able to make the dream a reality.
Australia doesn't have a dirth of Maseratis, so in order to find the right car, I had to take a flight to Sydney (from Perth. I guess it is like going from England to Russia distance-wise) to have a look at what looked like the perfect car. Upon arrival, I teed up a time to meet the owner and have a look. It was a black 1999 manual, with Ivory leather and a bluetooth kit. I was pretty much cooked when I saw it, but it wasn't until he started her up that I realised it had a Tubi exhaust (silly owner had forgotten to mention that, although at that stage it wouldn't have meant much to me anyway). My girlfriend let out a whimper - I nearly collapsed.
He took me for a spin, and due to the fact that I am fairly young and was in holiday clothes, he really never thought I was anything other than a tyre-kicker, so I was quite surprised when he pulled over and gave me a go. I was very timid with her, and really never got an idea of the power, but it didn't matter anyway - I was a gonner.
Getting back to Perth, I organised the finance at my end, and a week later, to the absolute shock of the owner, rang him and told him to expect the money in his bank in a couple of days. I organised a transporter, and than began the hardest part of the process - waiting 3 weeks for the truck to get it to me. In the meantime, I scoured high and low, just trying to catch a glimpse of one in Perth to satisfy my hunger, but the 3 weeks went by without a single sighting.
3 weeks up, and she arrived. I was ecstatic, and got ready to take her over the pits the next day (when you tranfer a car from one state to the next, you have to have it inspected). I was somewhat concerned that the Tubi would meet with disapproval as it was too loud, and sure enough, after waiting in line at the pits for 4 hours on a Friday afternoon, three inspectors gathered around the back of the car and gave their opninions of the noise - "that sounds f**king awesome!". A quick rubber stamp later, and I had my plates and was ready for the weekend. The weekend was spent taking friends and fillies out in it, and repeated journeys through Perth's one and only tunnel.
Monday morning I went to work and turned all my coworkers green, and generally had a great day.
Tuesday morning I woke up and found I had left the front door open, which I didn't remember doing, but didn't think much of. Got ready for work, walked outside, and found a small pile of glass. I was far more shattered than the window, and immediately ran inside to look at the footage (I had installed a security camera while the car was in transit). The process of sitting there and watching something that you can't change is quite disturbing, and left me only able to hurl obsenities at my innocent tv.
I pulled myself together and called the police, who informed me that they had already had the car reported stolen (the upside to being in a place where Maseratis are rarely seen), and through the course of the morning it was all over the radio. By 1pm it had been recovered, and although no accident damage, it was going to be off the road for a while getting nicks and scratches sorted.
The guy had broken into my car to steal my radar detector, and while inside, had taken anything he could get, including a set of keys for my house. He vanished for 10 mins, and then realised what he had, came back, let himself in and stole my car keys (and a very nice watch), walked outside and nicked the car (after stalling it twice - t
t). It had never struck me as particularly stupid to keep a spare house key in my car, but it has been an expensive lesson.
The theft was in mid November, the bill from the panel beater is $21,000 (covered by insurance thankfully), and I am probably still another 3 weeks away from getting her back. In a total of 3 months ownership, I have had her for just 4 days.
Anyway, apologies for the length of the post - well done if you got this far through it, and of you are someone who leaves a spare house key in their car, think again.
Incidentally, if anyone is interested in seeing how easily a little turd can gain entry to your car with just a screwdriver, let me know. I have video of it, but I don't know how to post links - can email it if anyone interested.
Oh, and in the last 2 months I have seen more 3200s driving around Perth than ever before - typical.
I have been wanting a 3200GT since I first pulled up behind one at traffic lights and was confronted by the best looking tail lights of all time, and in the last couple of years I have been able to make the dream a reality.
Australia doesn't have a dirth of Maseratis, so in order to find the right car, I had to take a flight to Sydney (from Perth. I guess it is like going from England to Russia distance-wise) to have a look at what looked like the perfect car. Upon arrival, I teed up a time to meet the owner and have a look. It was a black 1999 manual, with Ivory leather and a bluetooth kit. I was pretty much cooked when I saw it, but it wasn't until he started her up that I realised it had a Tubi exhaust (silly owner had forgotten to mention that, although at that stage it wouldn't have meant much to me anyway). My girlfriend let out a whimper - I nearly collapsed.
He took me for a spin, and due to the fact that I am fairly young and was in holiday clothes, he really never thought I was anything other than a tyre-kicker, so I was quite surprised when he pulled over and gave me a go. I was very timid with her, and really never got an idea of the power, but it didn't matter anyway - I was a gonner.
Getting back to Perth, I organised the finance at my end, and a week later, to the absolute shock of the owner, rang him and told him to expect the money in his bank in a couple of days. I organised a transporter, and than began the hardest part of the process - waiting 3 weeks for the truck to get it to me. In the meantime, I scoured high and low, just trying to catch a glimpse of one in Perth to satisfy my hunger, but the 3 weeks went by without a single sighting.
3 weeks up, and she arrived. I was ecstatic, and got ready to take her over the pits the next day (when you tranfer a car from one state to the next, you have to have it inspected). I was somewhat concerned that the Tubi would meet with disapproval as it was too loud, and sure enough, after waiting in line at the pits for 4 hours on a Friday afternoon, three inspectors gathered around the back of the car and gave their opninions of the noise - "that sounds f**king awesome!". A quick rubber stamp later, and I had my plates and was ready for the weekend. The weekend was spent taking friends and fillies out in it, and repeated journeys through Perth's one and only tunnel.
Monday morning I went to work and turned all my coworkers green, and generally had a great day.
Tuesday morning I woke up and found I had left the front door open, which I didn't remember doing, but didn't think much of. Got ready for work, walked outside, and found a small pile of glass. I was far more shattered than the window, and immediately ran inside to look at the footage (I had installed a security camera while the car was in transit). The process of sitting there and watching something that you can't change is quite disturbing, and left me only able to hurl obsenities at my innocent tv.
I pulled myself together and called the police, who informed me that they had already had the car reported stolen (the upside to being in a place where Maseratis are rarely seen), and through the course of the morning it was all over the radio. By 1pm it had been recovered, and although no accident damage, it was going to be off the road for a while getting nicks and scratches sorted.
The guy had broken into my car to steal my radar detector, and while inside, had taken anything he could get, including a set of keys for my house. He vanished for 10 mins, and then realised what he had, came back, let himself in and stole my car keys (and a very nice watch), walked outside and nicked the car (after stalling it twice - t
t). It had never struck me as particularly stupid to keep a spare house key in my car, but it has been an expensive lesson. The theft was in mid November, the bill from the panel beater is $21,000 (covered by insurance thankfully), and I am probably still another 3 weeks away from getting her back. In a total of 3 months ownership, I have had her for just 4 days.
Anyway, apologies for the length of the post - well done if you got this far through it, and of you are someone who leaves a spare house key in their car, think again.
Incidentally, if anyone is interested in seeing how easily a little turd can gain entry to your car with just a screwdriver, let me know. I have video of it, but I don't know how to post links - can email it if anyone interested.
Oh, and in the last 2 months I have seen more 3200s driving around Perth than ever before - typical.
Thats a real shame mate but look at he upside of it all.
You have got the car back and learnt a valuable lesson. At least the little scrote didn't harm you or your family and got caught.
Its when bas**rds like this are around that you think some of the saudi laws should be followed, cut their hands off so they cant steal again !
Hope you have got it back soon and are enjoying driving her around
You have got the car back and learnt a valuable lesson. At least the little scrote didn't harm you or your family and got caught.
Its when bas**rds like this are around that you think some of the saudi laws should be followed, cut their hands off so they cant steal again !
Hope you have got it back soon and are enjoying driving her around
Edited by rviant on Thursday 18th January 10:50
Edited by rviant on Thursday 18th January 10:50
Thanks for the best wishes everyone - took me a long time to get my head around it, but it is all in the past now, and getting my baby back is not too far in the future.
Another snippit that you may find interesting: The little prick that nicked it was out on parole, and already in a stolen car when he decided to upgrade to mine. He then used mine as a getaway car for some till snatches. He appeared in court last week, pled guilty, and got 12 months. Is it just me, or does that seem a little light-on?
Another snippit that you may find interesting: The little prick that nicked it was out on parole, and already in a stolen car when he decided to upgrade to mine. He then used mine as a getaway car for some till snatches. He appeared in court last week, pled guilty, and got 12 months. Is it just me, or does that seem a little light-on?
johnny - trackers are not big here, but I will be investing in an alarm when she comes back, and in her absence, my front garden is undergoing a major makeover which will make it extremely difficult for it to happen again. If anyone steals it again, they will have put so much effort in that they will pretty much have earned it.
nightmare mate!!
anyway if it's beiong sorted out then thats good you'll have it in tip top shape when it's back and will make the deelivery twice as special!!
I just traded a 4200 Spyder F1 for the Murci and it had a TUBI, it was mega so I knwo how you feel!!
Enjoy, and get some pics up when you can!!
Paul
anyway if it's beiong sorted out then thats good you'll have it in tip top shape when it's back and will make the deelivery twice as special!!
I just traded a 4200 Spyder F1 for the Murci and it had a TUBI, it was mega so I knwo how you feel!!
Enjoy, and get some pics up when you can!!
Paul
Edited by CUE99T on Thursday 18th January 15:51
My sympathies with you for losing your car so soon after getting it. For what it's worth the colour/trim sounds like a lovely combo, do post up some pics when you get it back.
$21000 australian is about £8500 GBP, so not that bad, certainly not a write off!
Polarbert said:
Shocking that the car wasn't written off with that amount of damage. Although I don't know if insurance works differently over there.
$21000 australian is about £8500 GBP, so not that bad, certainly not a write off!
It is a bit for a few nicks and scratches, but I was very careful to make sure the insurance company is paying for all the stone chips to the front, light scratches, and stretched handbrake cable, which were obviously done whilst in the possession of the theif, and could not possibly have been there prior 
That and the brand new set of Michelin Pilot Sports that will replace the "tip top" set it had before going missing. Nothing too dodgy, but you have to make as much of a bad situation as possible - it will look like a new one when it comes back.
That and the brand new set of Michelin Pilot Sports that will replace the "tip top" set it had before going missing. Nothing too dodgy, but you have to make as much of a bad situation as possible - it will look like a new one when it comes back. Edited by Mattserati on Friday 19th January 02:14
Mattserati said:
and stretched handbrake cable,
It may not be the handbrake cable it could be the handbrake shoes being badly worn. Both give the handbrake a spongy feel. They are easily adjustable but also prone to disintigration if abused. So get the rear hubs off and check the linings whilst they have it for new tyres.
Mattserati said:
It is a bit for a few nicks and scratches, but I was very careful to make sure the insurance company is paying for all the stone chips to the front, light scratches, and stretched handbrake cable, which were obviously done whilst in the possession of the theif, and could not possibly have been there prior That and the brand new set of Michelin Pilot Sports that will replace the "tip top" set it had before going missing. Nothing too dodgy, but you have to make as much of a bad situation as possible - it will look like a new one when it comes back.
That and the brand new set of Michelin Pilot Sports that will replace the "tip top" set it had before going missing. Nothing too dodgy, but you have to make as much of a bad situation as possible - it will look like a new one when it comes back. Edited by Mattserati on Friday 19th January 02:14
Completely understand.
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