RE: Maserati 3200 GT: Spotted
Discussion
So much BS spouted in this article and by those who have not owned one, or perhaps had one when near new before jobs could be done cheaper.
I had an Assetto Corsa that I sold just under 2 years ago, felt very special and was quite well behaved reliability wise although despite all of the upgrades, all new sensors etc the throttle was still problematic.
The 4200 and Gransport are a bit naff in comparison in my opinion, lovely as they can be.
I had an Assetto Corsa that I sold just under 2 years ago, felt very special and was quite well behaved reliability wise although despite all of the upgrades, all new sensors etc the throttle was still problematic.
The 4200 and Gransport are a bit naff in comparison in my opinion, lovely as they can be.
Edited by urquattroGus on Sunday 25th November 22:31
Once our children have finished Uni in a few years time I'm definitely buying a 3200, just my sort of car.
I've used Mike Roberts (really great bloke and highly recommended) for a few years for various Fiat and Alfa jobs as he is literally 100 metres from my in laws (and a couple of miles away from our house). With a safety net like that for jobs I can't do myself it seems a relatively sane choice of car.
I listened to the stories of borkage when I bought my Fiat Coupe, that ended up being the most reliable and favourite car I've ever owned. Got a feeling that buying a 3200 could if bought carefully be similar fun albeit a few scales of expense higher.
Interestingly chatting to Mike about the 3200/4200 he is increasingly struggling to find alternatives for non available 4200 parts whereas the 3200 is a lot easier to source (or make) elsewhere. Might actually make the 3200 the better bet in the very long term.
Yes I like them and please keep talking the reliability down so they don't "do an integrale" before I'm in a position to buy one.
I've used Mike Roberts (really great bloke and highly recommended) for a few years for various Fiat and Alfa jobs as he is literally 100 metres from my in laws (and a couple of miles away from our house). With a safety net like that for jobs I can't do myself it seems a relatively sane choice of car.
I listened to the stories of borkage when I bought my Fiat Coupe, that ended up being the most reliable and favourite car I've ever owned. Got a feeling that buying a 3200 could if bought carefully be similar fun albeit a few scales of expense higher.
Interestingly chatting to Mike about the 3200/4200 he is increasingly struggling to find alternatives for non available 4200 parts whereas the 3200 is a lot easier to source (or make) elsewhere. Might actually make the 3200 the better bet in the very long term.
Yes I like them and please keep talking the reliability down so they don't "do an integrale" before I'm in a position to buy one.
urquattroGus said:
I think what might surprise some people is how raw these can feel, with the twin turbo's the power arrives in an addictive hit and I've driven much more powerful cars, but the 3200 really does keep you on your toes.
When you're driving it hard it feels pretty hairy (in a good way!!)
Looking at the performance figures, it doesnt seem that quick on paper, 13 ish seconds to 100 mph, a second or two slower, sometimes more than most current fast hatches, but we dont drive on paper, we drive on roads.When you're driving it hard it feels pretty hairy (in a good way!!)
Say a Golf R does 11 secs to 100, a lot of that is power obviously, they are a fast car, but some of it is 4wd traction, ESP and TCS involved and some more is the witchcraft employed to change gear compared to more traditional gearboxes, where something like this will need a lot more driver input to achieve that time, a couple of seconds and some additional force wont be noticed as much as the fact you are given a bit more to do as part of the proceedings.
This is the problem with performance figures, only part of the very complex equation but easy to boil down and conflate lower numbers equals better or more enjoyable, doesnt take into account anything else.
I was looking to buy one of these 10 years ago - but ended up with a similar vintage CL500 instead on the advice of my friendly garage.
Wish I had gone for the Mazzer - the CL was a complete money pit & was worthless after 5 years.
Even if the Mazzer would have been a money pit at least it would have worth a few grand in parts.
Still regret it to this date...
Wish I had gone for the Mazzer - the CL was a complete money pit & was worthless after 5 years.
Even if the Mazzer would have been a money pit at least it would have worth a few grand in parts.
Still regret it to this date...
I've had mine for 5 years, best thing I every did... had a proper service and cambelt when I bought it with all new brakes, cost me pretty much £300 per year servicing until this year when things needed changing again, brakes cambelt and some other bits and pieces... very reliable car...
J4CKO said:
Looking at the performance figures, it doesnt seem that quick on paper, 13 ish seconds to 100 mph, a second or two slower, sometimes more than most current fast hatches, but we dont drive on paper, we drive on roads.
Say a Golf R does 11 secs to 100, a lot of that is power obviously, they are a fast car, but some of it is 4wd traction, ESP and TCS involved and some more is the witchcraft employed to change gear compared to more traditional gearboxes, where something like this will need a lot more driver input to achieve that time, a couple of seconds and some additional force wont be noticed as much as the fact you are given a bit more to do as part of the proceedings.
This is the problem with performance figures, only part of the very complex equation but easy to boil down and conflate lower numbers equals better or more enjoyable, doesnt take into account anything else.
It also depends on what other cars you have. For work and everyday use out of necessity I have a boring, but useful diesel, not a Golf Type R, so a Maserati will feel much quicker (and much more special) than that.Say a Golf R does 11 secs to 100, a lot of that is power obviously, they are a fast car, but some of it is 4wd traction, ESP and TCS involved and some more is the witchcraft employed to change gear compared to more traditional gearboxes, where something like this will need a lot more driver input to achieve that time, a couple of seconds and some additional force wont be noticed as much as the fact you are given a bit more to do as part of the proceedings.
This is the problem with performance figures, only part of the very complex equation but easy to boil down and conflate lower numbers equals better or more enjoyable, doesnt take into account anything else.
J4CKO said:
Chap I know bought one, he is in the trade, it was a torrid tale. He crashed it as the throttle jammed open, I smelt BS but the throttle is definitely and issue on these.
He got the bits slowly and rebuilt it on a farm where he borrowed some space, when it was nearly ready, a dog chased a rat into the interior and proceeded to go mental, causing a lot of damage.
He got it sorted and back on the road and it threw up yet more faults.
Lovely, but you need to have the right disposition, skills and tolerance, and a few quid to one side.
He crashed itHe got the bits slowly and rebuilt it on a farm where he borrowed some space, when it was nearly ready, a dog chased a rat into the interior and proceeded to go mental, causing a lot of damage.
He got it sorted and back on the road and it threw up yet more faults.
Lovely, but you need to have the right disposition, skills and tolerance, and a few quid to one side.
His dog ate it
It cost money to fix it
I don't think any car would have survived either!
In my opinion, they are one of nicest set of rear lights ever fitted to a car - they look stunning and much better than the 4200 models.
I was once told that one of the reasons they changed to the more regular lights was due to the cost of replacing the boomerang lights in the event of damage? Could have been told utter lies, so no idea if that is factual or not!
Would love one, but not in white. Darker shades look nicer and suit this shape better. Been tempted, but never gone though with it (definitely one to own before they get to silly money).
I was once told that one of the reasons they changed to the more regular lights was due to the cost of replacing the boomerang lights in the event of damage? Could have been told utter lies, so no idea if that is factual or not!
Would love one, but not in white. Darker shades look nicer and suit this shape better. Been tempted, but never gone though with it (definitely one to own before they get to silly money).
TCruise said:
J4CKO said:
Chap I know bought one, he is in the trade, it was a torrid tale. He crashed it as the throttle jammed open, I smelt BS but the throttle is definitely and issue on these.
He got the bits slowly and rebuilt it on a farm where he borrowed some space, when it was nearly ready, a dog chased a rat into the interior and proceeded to go mental, causing a lot of damage.
He got it sorted and back on the road and it threw up yet more faults.
Lovely, but you need to have the right disposition, skills and tolerance, and a few quid to one side.
He crashed itHe got the bits slowly and rebuilt it on a farm where he borrowed some space, when it was nearly ready, a dog chased a rat into the interior and proceeded to go mental, causing a lot of damage.
He got it sorted and back on the road and it threw up yet more faults.
Lovely, but you need to have the right disposition, skills and tolerance, and a few quid to one side.
His dog ate it
It cost money to fix it
I don't think any car would have survived either!
A.G. said:
To those already attempting to apply any logic in terms of a potential cheap Maserati purchase, don't waste your time. Sadly, the fact is you will never get to own one if you insist on inviting logic to the meeting .
The purchase process is a full on man maths / laa laa laa I'm not listening operation. Ownership requires this behaviour to be ongoing and unwavering. And never, never, absolutely NEVER google "Maserati Problems" or it is game over.
Not wanting to appear devoid of any common sense whatsoever, I hedged my bets in borkage potential terms to some extent, in buying a 4200 Cambiocorsa.
To demonstrate the total absence of logic required, this is how it works.
I found it an absolute prerequisite to actively ignore any sound advice given in good faith, by anyone who knows what they are talking about. Once this has been achieved, you will feel an enormous sense of liberation. So.....
1. I searched lowest price first on PH
2. I then bought the cheapest one
3. I bought the first one I went to see
4. I bought a high mileage car (80k)
5. I bought a car with no history
6. I chose not to have a pre-purchase inspection
7. It was for sale as seller was emigrating to Jamaica that very week
Everything semed in order then.
The best £9250 I have ever spent. Cost nothing like the 3k mentioned a year to maintain . In fact it cost no more over 3.5 years than the wifes low mileage 986 Boxster during the same period.
To prove I still had some ragged remnants of common sense left, I invested in a sub-grand diesel snotter for daily duties. I felt a wierd sense of comfort, as my now, highly developed man math calculation abilities allowed me to bathe in the smugness that the Maser was actually "probably" worth as much in parts, should the worst happen.
Shat its clutch in year 2 (ouch!!), which was a 2.5k job but otherwise no major dramas. Eventually sold it for 4k more than I paid for it.
That then gentlemen, is almost a free Maserati in my book.
Could I have afforded it to go totally tits up? No I couldn't.
Could I have afforded to miss out on owning a Maserati when an affordable sub-10k opportunity arose? No f
king way!
"Shall we take the Maserati?" Priceless in itself, surely.
Downsides:
Economy - 16mpg no matter what I did with it. (so what)
Gearbox - They weren't spetacularly good when new and have dated badly. To be fair, they make more sense at 130 than 30mph.
Fear - Lifting the bonnet with the engine running revealed a symphony of vaguely concerning mechanical noises.
(This is apparently quite normal and is actively discourged).
I wager there will be those on here though,who in 10-15 years time, will be having "if only" twinges, whilst sat in a 50 Amp milk-floatmobile in some autonomous, smart motorway traffic jam.
This guy is a PH hero.The purchase process is a full on man maths / laa laa laa I'm not listening operation. Ownership requires this behaviour to be ongoing and unwavering. And never, never, absolutely NEVER google "Maserati Problems" or it is game over.
Not wanting to appear devoid of any common sense whatsoever, I hedged my bets in borkage potential terms to some extent, in buying a 4200 Cambiocorsa.
To demonstrate the total absence of logic required, this is how it works.
I found it an absolute prerequisite to actively ignore any sound advice given in good faith, by anyone who knows what they are talking about. Once this has been achieved, you will feel an enormous sense of liberation. So.....
1. I searched lowest price first on PH
2. I then bought the cheapest one
3. I bought the first one I went to see
4. I bought a high mileage car (80k)
5. I bought a car with no history
6. I chose not to have a pre-purchase inspection
7. It was for sale as seller was emigrating to Jamaica that very week
Everything semed in order then.
The best £9250 I have ever spent. Cost nothing like the 3k mentioned a year to maintain . In fact it cost no more over 3.5 years than the wifes low mileage 986 Boxster during the same period.
To prove I still had some ragged remnants of common sense left, I invested in a sub-grand diesel snotter for daily duties. I felt a wierd sense of comfort, as my now, highly developed man math calculation abilities allowed me to bathe in the smugness that the Maser was actually "probably" worth as much in parts, should the worst happen.
Shat its clutch in year 2 (ouch!!), which was a 2.5k job but otherwise no major dramas. Eventually sold it for 4k more than I paid for it.
That then gentlemen, is almost a free Maserati in my book.
Could I have afforded it to go totally tits up? No I couldn't.
Could I have afforded to miss out on owning a Maserati when an affordable sub-10k opportunity arose? No f
king way!"Shall we take the Maserati?" Priceless in itself, surely.
Downsides:
Economy - 16mpg no matter what I did with it. (so what)
Gearbox - They weren't spetacularly good when new and have dated badly. To be fair, they make more sense at 130 than 30mph.
Fear - Lifting the bonnet with the engine running revealed a symphony of vaguely concerning mechanical noises.
(This is apparently quite normal and is actively discourged).
I wager there will be those on here though,who in 10-15 years time, will be having "if only" twinges, whilst sat in a 50 Amp milk-floatmobile in some autonomous, smart motorway traffic jam.
Edited by A.G. on Saturday 24th November 14:47
Read and learn Pussies.
I'm contemplating one of these as a 'stick it in the garage while they're 10k and make sure it's lovely in 5-7 years time' cars - but I can't decide. Part of me thinks they're also ripe for falling off the radar as the cost of repair outstrips the value of the car when they dip to 6k because everyone has been put off them.
But then - the S2K did that and now they're mega money even for a shady one.
But then - the S2K did that and now they're mega money even for a shady one.
Greetings from the Colonies,
Run a 2007 Quattroporte Automatica as a daily and currently have 130K miles on it with very, very few problems in several years of ownership and driving in all weather from 100 degrees F in July to 15 degrees F in January. Fit my Nokian Hakkapelitta snows every winter and no problems, even through our Ohio snowstorms. Granted, fuel economy isn't stellar, but isn't horrific either, averaging about 20mpg (US) between highway and city driving and that's on our cheap $3/gallon premium unleaded 93 octane
Also have a '99 456M/GTA which has been nearly 100% trouble free since I acquired it, although the "Ferrari tax" on some parts is obscene. It definitely pays to spend some time researching parts vendors and even buying overseas has saved me a fair bit of coin. I tend to purchase almost all of my Ferrari bits from Superformance over there in the UK or else Maranello Concessionaires and even with the exchange rate, saves me money versus buying from an F dealer here.
Run a 2007 Quattroporte Automatica as a daily and currently have 130K miles on it with very, very few problems in several years of ownership and driving in all weather from 100 degrees F in July to 15 degrees F in January. Fit my Nokian Hakkapelitta snows every winter and no problems, even through our Ohio snowstorms. Granted, fuel economy isn't stellar, but isn't horrific either, averaging about 20mpg (US) between highway and city driving and that's on our cheap $3/gallon premium unleaded 93 octane
Also have a '99 456M/GTA which has been nearly 100% trouble free since I acquired it, although the "Ferrari tax" on some parts is obscene. It definitely pays to spend some time researching parts vendors and even buying overseas has saved me a fair bit of coin. I tend to purchase almost all of my Ferrari bits from Superformance over there in the UK or else Maranello Concessionaires and even with the exchange rate, saves me money versus buying from an F dealer here.
I have had one I bought reasonably cheap 12 years ago and its a great car.
Most of the scary stories are not as bad when you get to them, the dreaded throttle body and twitchy fly by wire can all be upgraded at reasonable cost, and the CAM belt is no harder to keep up to date than any other car.
If you want a safe reliable car that will never give you any trouble then walk away. If you want a driving experience and a car which oozes style and is a lot quicker than the books suggest (typical rolling road tests on standard cars produce over 400 BHP) then these are truly great cars with a lot of character.
As to £3k regardless of miles I suspect that may be a little bit of an exaggeration, but yes they do need a lot of attention, and thats not a bad budget.
To simply disregard these cars because they need a bit of care and attention is to ignore what they are, which is a nicely finished (all Italian leather interior) beautiful looking fast GT car which can seriously eat miles. I have driven across Europe twice in my car in its a fabulous tourer, very comfortable and capable, and it you dont press on all the time you can get 25 MPG out if it.
Drive one before you dedide its not for you, much harder to dismiss once driven :-)
Most of the scary stories are not as bad when you get to them, the dreaded throttle body and twitchy fly by wire can all be upgraded at reasonable cost, and the CAM belt is no harder to keep up to date than any other car.
If you want a safe reliable car that will never give you any trouble then walk away. If you want a driving experience and a car which oozes style and is a lot quicker than the books suggest (typical rolling road tests on standard cars produce over 400 BHP) then these are truly great cars with a lot of character.
As to £3k regardless of miles I suspect that may be a little bit of an exaggeration, but yes they do need a lot of attention, and thats not a bad budget.
To simply disregard these cars because they need a bit of care and attention is to ignore what they are, which is a nicely finished (all Italian leather interior) beautiful looking fast GT car which can seriously eat miles. I have driven across Europe twice in my car in its a fabulous tourer, very comfortable and capable, and it you dont press on all the time you can get 25 MPG out if it.
Drive one before you dedide its not for you, much harder to dismiss once driven :-)
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