maserati gransport / 4200 advice

[Sir Snaz]

HI Chaps,

looking at the possibility of gransport (or 4200) ownership at the moment, and wondered if i could pick your collective brains?.....this would be my first foray into exotic italian teritory, so I have the usual reliability vs useabilty worries ....I live in the London 'burbs (stop start, speedhump hell) and wonder if the CC box is upto this challenge on a daily / weekly basis? I will be doing about 3-5k miles a year so am budgeting for at least one clutch change ....also if anyone knows the history of / has advice about the car for sale at ADG at the mo (Black, number plate -- WHY) I would really appreciate your feedback

thanks

snaz

[psp]

Hi Snaz

The Gransport is entirely useable everyday, I do 40 miles every day in mine, there is a knack to prolonging clutch life in stop start traffic, simply knock it into neutral when stationary or you anticipate you will be stationary. My last clutch managed 31K before replacement which i don't think is too bad really. Be careful with speed bumps, not scraped mine yet but they are low, go for it you will love it, the sound and feel good factor is imeasurable. Can't comment on the one at ADG, I have been there once many years ago and found them very knowledgeable and good guys. If its black just check 1st owner in the service book as i did look at a black one that was registered new to P1 so may have had a slightly harder life than most, there are a lot of black ones out there though!!
Hope this helps

Cheers

Scott

[Sir Snaz]

HI Scott,

thanks for that ....sounds like you have had yours a while ......any specific problems at all during your ownership? .....oh and thanks for the P1 heads up, will check that out with the dealer

Snaz

[Grimston Barr]

Can't offer any advice on the actual car you mention but I would certainly recommend ADG. I bought mine there a few years ago and Alistair was a pleasure to deal with. Giallo also share the same site and Matthew, too, has been very helpful over the years. His work, in my experience, has been top class, he's very knowlegeable and happy to offer free advice; his prices are also very fair.

Aside from (many) new tyres and the annual services I've added a Larini exhaust, and lots of miles! Mine's a manual, not CC, which I prefer. However the CCs are great, and even better on the Gransport.

Good luck with your search - they're amazing cars and at today's prices are an absolute bargain. Buy a good one to begin with and you shouldn't need to worry. As with most 'exotic' cars, they behave better the more you use them

Jules

[fade2grey]

The CC box in the gransport should be fine. It's a really easy car to live with day to day - mine's a daily driver & it's been fab. Get a good one & you'll not regret it.

Stop start traffic isn't ideal but as one of the guys above says, there's a knack - knock it into Neutral & coast or just stop & hold up the traffic a little, then go (which is what I do).

pm me if you want any more info

[Colossus]

Had a 4200 for a couple of years and also live in the London 'Burbs but it was a full manual and loved every minute. Did have a CC as a loaner for a week and it drove me round the bend, could not have lived with it on a permanant basis. That said the Gansport CC is supposed to be better than the regular CC so may be easier in town but I doubt it would have been enough for me. Good luck with the search and make sure you do your homework before pulling the trigger, it will be time well spent!