Buying a 3200

[LDM 3200]

I have now looked at three cars the first two were at garages (one specialist and one general) and the 3rd from a private seller. All the cars had ther good points.

The first car had the cleanest paint and was being offered by a specialist. I do not think it is the right colour combination for me and so despite it looking to be a good car is a no.

The second car form a sales forecourt/garage had a nice colour combination verde mistral / mushroom interior which i thought looked fantastic. This car was £1000 more than the previous and had almost double the mileage at 64000 there were also more marks to the paint (still a nice looking car). All things considered I have decided this one is also a no, the cost was too high in my opinion and I had a few other niggles that I was not totally happy with.

The 3rd car from a private seller had a similar colour combination to the 2nd car, verde mistral with a grey/green/mushroom interior, for me the exterior looks subtle and sophiticated and the interior luxurious with a hint of being not quite the norm. and the price was obviously less than the two dealership cars. Visually the condition fell directly between the two dealership cars and although not perfect looked clean and honest. This could well end up being the car for me (subject to another look and an independant inspection).

Before I make a decision there is one more car I want to look at. The asking price for the last car is higher and I am not convinced the colour combination is right for me, although I saw the same colour combination when the car was new and loved it at the time. I need to have a look over this car and decide if it is something that still appeals before deciding what to do next. The cost seems reasonable enough depending on the condition of the car but it is quite a bit more than the 3rd car which I really liked so I guess that will influence what I decide.

I have to admit it is quite difficult to choose when it comes to actually spending the money, before i started looking seriously I thought I had a clear idea of what i wanted. It is easy to look at cars and think I like that but choosing one that is right..........

I have never been an impulsive buyer so I guess that is probably a good thing when it comes to buying one of these.

Regards
Lee

 

[lozcb]

One thing to take note of Lee , is that with the 3200 's , 68K mileage is not only cam belt time but cam chain time aswell , this is the biggy ££££££s wise and will cost in the region of £1200-£1500 , so either get the lower mileage one or price that in when making an offer


regards loz

 

[RossWA]

Good luck Lee,

I spent 6 months looking at 3200's before finding my car. The more you look the easier it becomes to recognise the colour combinations that appeal to you, be patient and don't rush, there are plenty of good cars out there, yours just might not be on sale yet!. AND be sure to have it thoroughly checked by a Maserati specialist, or your dream could become a nightmare. Also, drive cars built in different years because they are not all the same!

Ross

 

[NickP]

Ha! Very true. Cars built on the same day aren't the same!

 

[dunnah01]

or your dream could become a nightmare

Prices to service & repair aren't that much more than mainstream cars but you'll get a better job due to the expertise of the specialists rather than the speed of the Kwik Fit *hitter. Don't be too worried about tales of astronomical bills - there's a good supply of parts at reasonable prices and ownership isn't the mad gamble it used to be. Take the plunge and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. Like lots of older cars some bits of trim and bodywork are harder to come by but if you can avoid the hedges and lamposts this shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Andyk]

Good luck lee...Sounds like you are taking you time finding the car for you....Best way...

 

[dem maser]

Whats your budget??

Would you go to 18k for an AC? Pibbows one is available

 

[Emtee]

Hi Lee, Welcome to the forum and all the best in your search. Loz makes a good point regarding the 68K service. To supplement that I would urge you to consider the general service history of any car you consider (apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs). All the stamps from known dealers / indi's are a very good indicator of a well cared for car.

Regards, Miles.

 

[LDM 3200]

I like the idea of an AC but I would prefer a car with a light interior and don't think I want any of the exterior colours that the AC came in. Don't get me wrong I think the cars look great but just don't suit what I am looking for.

 

[LDM 3200]

Well despite being quiet on here for a while, the search continued and resulted in me picking up my 3200 last night!
Thanks to you all for the advice. In the end I went for a colour that had not been on my list initially but liked the colour scheme and the look of the car. Lets just hope ownership gives more pleasure than trauma!

Thanks to Arnie for the help and advice.

 

[LeeH]

Well despite being quiet on here for a while, the search continued and resulted in me picking up my 3200 last night!
Thanks to you all for the advice. In the end I went for a colour that had not been on my list initially but liked the colour scheme and the look of the car. Lets just hope ownership gives more pleasure than trauma!

Thanks to Arnie for the help and advice.

Piccies piccies please of the new toy ;-)

 

[dickygrace]

Congratulations and hope you enjoy your new Maserati.

 

[Andyk]

Great news...look forward to hearing your views and maybe seeing some pictures of your Maserati..