urquattrogus
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Starting the search.
If anyone is thinking of selling please feel free to get in touch.
Thanks
If anyone is thinking of selling please feel free to get in touch.
Thanks
Gransport Wanted; 15-25k depending upon condition
- Thread starter urquattrogus
- Start date
He’s sold it Scaf
jasst
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Was going to sell mine last year https://www.sportsmaserati.com/index.php?threads/gransport-for-sale.35812/ but decided to keep it, of course if the price is right I may reconsider, but I won't be giving it away.
urquattrogus
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Thanks I'll have a look
urquattrogus
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Enquired about a couple more, must remember to do my work this week and not fixate on buying cars
DLax69
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Bah!Enquired about a couple more, must remember to do my work this week and not fixate on buying cars
urquattrogus
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Maybe it's just me but I do get it bad when I have money burning a hole in my pocket, I start to get a bit obsessed! Patience and all of that......
DLax69
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Cut from the same cloth, my friend. If you can think about anything other than what you are pursuing this week, you're better than I.
HTAFC4200
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I got obsessed looking for mine. Refreshing autotrader, pistonheads etc etc every few mins. Then it's obsession with how I can make it better, little jobs etc I can afford right now to do. The plan was sell MR2 then buy replacement.... I got the order slightly the wrong way round
urquattrogus
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So it's three I've looked at now. I was at a conference in Birmingham and spotted there was one just 7 miles away so popped in for a look on my way back. It was OK, good early history but no servicing since 2018 and pretty much not driven since then. 72k miles so higher than average miles, looked like it had had two clutch changes so far. Think I can do better... It all helps to form an opinion of what a good one is so nothing ventured nothing gained. The dealer said he'd had it since 2020 and was in "no rush to sell" because it will go up in value
Was it this one by any chance
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35466378...-bdae-3284312e2df4|iid:1|vlpname:vlp_homepage
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35466378...-bdae-3284312e2df4|iid:1|vlpname:vlp_homepage
urquattrogus
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No this one, not necessarily a bad car, previously sold by Nuvola London, lots of old invoices from Meridian Modena and others. Streets ahead of the ADG blue one for example.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...ars&sort=distance&postcode=cm96qq&radius=1500
In fairness it was only a 25 minute look as I had to be off home and had a 2.5 hour journ ahead of me.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...ars&sort=distance&postcode=cm96qq&radius=1500
In fairness it was only a 25 minute look as I had to be off home and had a 2.5 hour journ ahead of me.
DLax69
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Sounds like it will still be there when (if) you go back.
urquattrogus
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Not rushing back
urquattrogus
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After going looking at 4 now I have a few questions.
1) Control arms, it looks like these can now be refubished by VPS? Has anyone had this done sucessfully?
What is most likely to go bad, it looks like the bushes dry out and wear out, and someone else said the bolts can get seized.
The ball joints are built in and can't be replaced easily? Do some people just replace the bushings if the ball joints are ok?
www.vps-eu.com
2) Brake discs, are these still being supplied on the forum?? Or where is the best supplier?
3) Cam cover gaskets, are these really £500 a set? Guess maybe its not so bad, looks like a lot of cars do leak and or have been badly re sealed with sealant becuase of this?
4) One I looked at did have a small rattle/ticking sound a minute or so after cold start, maybe also just when I engaged the air con compressor, Cam Variators are a risk? Is there any info on how to spot if going bad, and is that a big expensive job to put right?
5) Corrosion, most will have some kind of surface rust/paint bubbleing on the subframes by now? The two I have looked at on a ramp did.
6) Wheels, I notice that at least one car I have looked at has an invoice for "straightening the wheels", the GS wheels are quite soft and prone to not being round? Another I looked at definitely had one that needs re balancing at least. If the wheels are beyond re-furb I'll need to get some more wheels, are they scarce on the S/H market or new?
Many Thanks, trying to balance which car is best and weigh up the costs of work.
I am going to get a PPI inspection of one car I have looked at even though I've driven it and had up on the ramp etc.
Most work I would undertake myself.
1) Control arms, it looks like these can now be refubished by VPS? Has anyone had this done sucessfully?
What is most likely to go bad, it looks like the bushes dry out and wear out, and someone else said the bolts can get seized.
The ball joints are built in and can't be replaced easily? Do some people just replace the bushings if the ball joints are ok?
MASERATI - 3200 / 4200 - COMPLETE CONTROL ARMS REBUILD | Vpseu
Complete control arms rebuild for Maserati 3200 / 4200. This renewal features 8x new ball joints, 16x new bushings, 8x abrasive blasting, 8x powder coating and assembling of control arms. You send the old parts in for a rebuild and we send you completely rebuilt assembly back. In this procedure...
www.vps-eu.com
2) Brake discs, are these still being supplied on the forum?? Or where is the best supplier?
3) Cam cover gaskets, are these really £500 a set? Guess maybe its not so bad, looks like a lot of cars do leak and or have been badly re sealed with sealant becuase of this?
4) One I looked at did have a small rattle/ticking sound a minute or so after cold start, maybe also just when I engaged the air con compressor, Cam Variators are a risk? Is there any info on how to spot if going bad, and is that a big expensive job to put right?
5) Corrosion, most will have some kind of surface rust/paint bubbleing on the subframes by now? The two I have looked at on a ramp did.
6) Wheels, I notice that at least one car I have looked at has an invoice for "straightening the wheels", the GS wheels are quite soft and prone to not being round? Another I looked at definitely had one that needs re balancing at least. If the wheels are beyond re-furb I'll need to get some more wheels, are they scarce on the S/H market or new?
Many Thanks, trying to balance which car is best and weigh up the costs of work.
I am going to get a PPI inspection of one car I have looked at even though I've driven it and had up on the ramp etc.
Most work I would undertake myself.
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cheshiremaserati
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All your questions will be answered by a PPI. There is a low-end market of cars with high mileage and ropey service history carried out by unknown specialists.
Then there is the high-end of low mileage cars with strong service history carried out by well known reputable specialists.
Buy at the high-end, buy a car where the advisories in an annual vehicle health check were carried out. Skipping advisories leads owners to a point there is a much larger list of work needed at a major service and the cars are moved on for the next mug to pick up all the missed work and dig deep into his pocket.
You obviously highlight a few concerns.
These cars are not cheap to keep in tip-top condition. That is why I suggest you search at the higher end (price wise) of the market to look for a good car with no issues at point of purchase.
Alternatively, speak to Richard Grace to source you a clean tidy car. He had a couple of GS cars a few weeks back. But it seems he has sold them. He can find you a good example. I bought mine from him 7 years ago.
Then there is the high-end of low mileage cars with strong service history carried out by well known reputable specialists.
Buy at the high-end, buy a car where the advisories in an annual vehicle health check were carried out. Skipping advisories leads owners to a point there is a much larger list of work needed at a major service and the cars are moved on for the next mug to pick up all the missed work and dig deep into his pocket.
You obviously highlight a few concerns.
These cars are not cheap to keep in tip-top condition. That is why I suggest you search at the higher end (price wise) of the market to look for a good car with no issues at point of purchase.
Alternatively, speak to Richard Grace to source you a clean tidy car. He had a couple of GS cars a few weeks back. But it seems he has sold them. He can find you a good example. I bought mine from him 7 years ago.
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urquattrogus
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I don't disagree with you about looking for the better maintained cars, however, these cars are now starting to be almost 20 years old, I'm starting to treat them like a young timer classic. I also want to find the right colour and spec combination for me. There is defintely some ropey stuff out there.
I think It's quite possible to have one in "top condition" that still has bushes that are starting to dry out/perish, shocks that are by there very nature past their best, not necessarily by lack of servicing just be nature of a few miles and being old. I would hate to end up buying a `'top condition`" one that still needs re-freshing to drive at it's best.
This happened when I was looking to buy a Z3M coupe, I was going to buy a 30k one, but ended up getting a good condition 20k one that needed some re-freshing, I then had a car that I knew was bang on, and even sold it later on for the 31k, breaking even just about on my costs. The 30K BMW was a low miles queen that had been flipped from place the place, it was in great nick, but it had never had a major re fresh, which after 23 years it did actually need to drive optimally despite being in great condition.
For this car I don't personally see the value in a £30k mint low miles garage queen though, I want to be able to use it. Plus (I must be asking for punishment) there might be nothing to do with it project wise.
Another thing that has surprised me is that after dismissing tech cloth cars, if you get the right two tone colour combo it can look and feel pretty special. All black leather in a black car is actually quite boring to me, also it seems a lot of the leather headlings, something that I have sought, are slightly creased and or sagging.
PS, already spoken to Richard whom has been very helpful as ever.
I think It's quite possible to have one in "top condition" that still has bushes that are starting to dry out/perish, shocks that are by there very nature past their best, not necessarily by lack of servicing just be nature of a few miles and being old. I would hate to end up buying a `'top condition`" one that still needs re-freshing to drive at it's best.
This happened when I was looking to buy a Z3M coupe, I was going to buy a 30k one, but ended up getting a good condition 20k one that needed some re-freshing, I then had a car that I knew was bang on, and even sold it later on for the 31k, breaking even just about on my costs. The 30K BMW was a low miles queen that had been flipped from place the place, it was in great nick, but it had never had a major re fresh, which after 23 years it did actually need to drive optimally despite being in great condition.
For this car I don't personally see the value in a £30k mint low miles garage queen though, I want to be able to use it. Plus (I must be asking for punishment) there might be nothing to do with it project wise.
Another thing that has surprised me is that after dismissing tech cloth cars, if you get the right two tone colour combo it can look and feel pretty special. All black leather in a black car is actually quite boring to me, also it seems a lot of the leather headlings, something that I have sought, are slightly creased and or sagging.
PS, already spoken to Richard whom has been very helpful as ever.