Maserati Ghibli buying advice

[pphillpot]

Hello all,

I recently test drove this Ghibli:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1440590.htm

And what a stunning car it is, I'm smitten ;o) however before I dive in and do something stupid, I wonder if anyone here could help out with a few queries I have.

I've had a search around on here and found a bit of advice regarding cam belts and the price of headlight glass (one of which is actually broken on this car, the dealer says they will replace) but is there anything else common to this model that I should be particularly careful of?

It has a pretty comprehensive service/maintenance history which is reassuring and the bodywork seems in good condition with the exception of some small bubbling on the drivers side front wing which again , the dealer said they would repair. Are there any other potentially hidden common rot-spots I should be aware of?

Driving the car, everything seemed ok. The car felt very smooth under way although the engine did seem to 'hunt' a little at idle. Also the throttle pedal felt very stiff, is this normal?

It's a fantastic car, so understated, but I don't want to rush in and potentially bankrupt myself!

Thanks in advance.

[AndrewW-G]

Rot spots are pretty much everywhere that you cant see, its a very good idea to get the car in the air and check the sils as the rot hides behind the plastic extensions

As for headlights............... as of about 2 years ago, there were no NOS RHD drivers side headlights left, if you've searched posts here, you'll find one from me on this subject, in the end I had to cobble one good headlight out of two!

The first time the check engine light comes on, you will st yourself, as long as the temps and pressures are ok, it will just be the light comming on to say hello, in the past I've just restarted the car and the light goes away

ETA

You may also want to check that the battery charge warning light on the dash comes on before you start the motor............if the LED doesnt light up, then the charging system isnt working and the battery will go flat quickly!

Edited by AndrewW-G on Monday 12th April 18:37

[3200gt]

http://web.onetel.net.uk/~davidaskew/maserati/cont...
Give David a shout, he may be able to help with the parts you need

[dnomyar]

You will not believe how complete and rewarding these are to drive.

However, beware of rust.

An old wine drinking buddy had a Ghibli Cup (very rare) it had more filler than metal!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pphillpot]

Thanks for replies, useful stuff!

The area I was most concerned with actually, was the stiffness of the throttle, it really did feel like trying to squeeze a rock under your foot! Surely that can't be normal?

Other than that as you say, it really is a stunning car to drive.

[pphillpot]

The dealer did say that they had sourced replacement glass for the headlight btw - at £1000, ouch!

It seems the bonnet catch is in a prime position to smash the headlight if the bonnet is dropped onto it.

[AndrewW-G]

pphillpot said:

The area I was most concerned with actually, was the stiffness of the throttle, it really did feel like trying to squeeze a rock under your foot! Surely that can't be normal?.

yep, the dealers mechanics should have a cable oiler, which will help, or you can have a replacement cable made with a none stick super slippy PTFE linning.

Not sure how the bonnet catches could smash a hed light, unless the bonnet wasnt attached to the rest of the car at the time there are two peg type catches that go into the slam panel, the safety catch pull rod(or should it be catch push rod) is the only thing near to the headlights and that again is fixed into place (and a bugger to use if it isnt kept lubbed or the knob snaps off!)

Either way all very small niggles for a car that is great fun to drive and very practical to live with (my 60 something year old mother has borrowed Ghiblis I've had and was perfectly happy tootling to the shops etc in them)

ETA - Under bonnet pic of a Dribbli GT Auto, note cracked offside headlight

Edited by AndrewW-G on Tuesday 13th April 12:26

Edited by AndrewW-G on Tuesday 13th April 12:28

[pphillpot]

Thanks again Andrew. It is a stunning looking engine isn't it.

[bryn_p]

pphillpot said:

Thanks again Andrew. It is a stunning looking engine isn't it.

The RAC guy who came to rescue my mate when I lent him a Ghibli certainly looked stunned when he opened the bonnet

And no, he didn't even attempt to fix it!

Cheers,
Bryn.