Autoffiscina on Crack?

[dem maser]

I bid more than that for it when it was on ebay but it was below the reserve.

ebay is bad, not doing it again

 

[Simonfryan]

Lol - you must know me, I rewrote that post three times, even after I read your most recent threads, my (cheap) car's window is busted, my (cheap) car's engine runs at 1000 bar oil pressure etc.

I think I did really well not explaining the difference between a well sorted looked after example, priced correctly and a 'cheap' car.

I did well I think?

I walked right in to that one really didn't I..?! Game on!

I'd be surprised if any of these cars at 6+ years old and 40,000+ miles on the clock didn't have a few niggles or quirks that pop up and need to be addressed. After all, they're Italian cars with Italian electrics - which is where (I think) the gremlins in mine seem to arise from. In all other ways the car is sound, has been garaged all its life under a cover and maintained by main dealers.

None of the niggles I'm experiencing seem to be costly issues, so if you think that paying £21k for my car makes it cheap, then I'm glad I got a bargain. I'd accept that a lower mileage car might be worth paying more for, but paying more for a GS of equivalent age/mileage won't give you any guarantees that an Italian car of this age won't develop similar issues a week, a month or a year after driving the car away from the dealer.

 

[MAF260]

I walked right in to that one really didn't I..?! Game on!

I'd be surprised if any of these cars at 6+ years old and 40,000+ miles on the clock didn't have a few niggles or quirks that pop up and need to be addressed. After all, they're Italian cars with Italian electrics - which is where (I think) the gremlins in mine seem to arise from. In all other ways the car is sound, has been garaged all its life under a cover and maintained by main dealers.

None of the niggles I'm experiencing seem to be costly issues, so if you think that paying £21k for my car makes it cheap, then I'm glad I got a bargain. I'd accept that a lower mileage car might be worth paying more for, but paying more for a GS of equivalent age/mileage won't give you any guarantees that an Italian car of this age won't develop similar issues a week, a month or a year after driving the car away from the dealer.

Simon, I think you got a bargain. You bought a later car with sensible miles for a stonking price. Sure, you may/will need to spend a few quid to fix niggles and pay for repairs, but every owner faces whatever their car throws at them. I believed that my GS had a new clutch fitted when I bought (and paid the according price). Within 6 months I had a £3k bill for a complete new clutch, flywheel and other odds and s0ds. As long as people buy their cars with their eyes open and are aware they could face some chunky bills then no tears should be shed. At least you won't panic about every mile you clock up and I reckon you could potentially sell for a profit (excluding repairs & running costs) if you keep her for a while.

 

[DonnyMac]

I walked right in to that one really didn't I..?! Game on!

You did, but you took it well too

When your car is fully sorted, all niggles done with associated paperwork, latest clutch, discs, pads etc why should it not appreciate in value as the next owner would have to pay far more to get a cheap one and then do these things themselves making a 'cheap' car a false economy.

Many of my old TVR buddies learnt this at great cost, there is very rarely a stand-out 'cheap' car without a reason.

Sounds like you're getting on top of your niggles, sounds like a £30k+ car for sure

Has Matt got one yet?

 

[Simonfryan]

Simon, I think you got a bargain. You bought a later car with sensible miles for a stonking price. Sure, you may/will need to spend a few quid to fix niggles and pay for repairs, but every owner faces whatever their car throws at them. I believed that my GS had a new clutch fitted when I bought (and paid the according price). Within 6 months I had a £3k bill for a complete new clutch, flywheel and other odds and s0ds. As long as people buy their cars with their eyes open and are aware they could face some chunky bills then no tears should be shed. At least you won't panic about every mile you clock up and I reckon you could potentially sell for a profit (excluding repairs & running costs) if you keep her for a while.

Thanks MAF. Personally I think I got a fair car at a fair price. I looked at others that were older and cheaper and looked older and cheaper, and likewise maybe I could've probably got a marginally better example by spending another £5k, but to me that's not a small amount of money and I wasn't prepared to compromise on the other things I enjoy in life - holidays etc - to finance a more expensive car.

I bought the car expecting to have to spend a few quid on it in my ownership and equally I expect the value of the car to go down, not up. Personally I think that if you look at car ownership that way you won't find yourself too disappointed.

I don't intend on selling any time soon, but who knows - if some of the predictions being made on this forum come true then when I do eventually sell I'll be able to use the profit to finance a mansion in Monaco and a fleet of supercars

 

[Simonfryan]

Anyway off to buy a clay bar kit in prep for several coats of polish and some new batteries for the spare key now...!

 

[bigbob]

Thanks MAF. Personally I think I got a fair car at a fair price. I looked at others that were older and cheaper and looked older and cheaper, and likewise maybe I could've probably got a marginally better example by spending another £5k, but to me that's not a small amount of money and I wasn't prepared to compromise on the other things I enjoy in life - holidays etc - to finance a more expensive car.

I bought the car expecting to have to spend a few quid on it in my ownership and equally I expect the value of the car to go down, not up. Personally I think that if you look at car ownership that way you won't find yourself too disappointed.

I don't intend on selling any time soon, but who knows - if some of the predictions being made on this forum come true then when I do eventually sell I'll be able to use the profit to finance a mansion in Monaco and a fleet of supercars

Only one mansion in Monaco.

 

[Bobby Dandruff]

I must admit, I don't know much about this bunch but am quickly forming an opinion.

Not only did they seem to think that a 35k miler GS is worth £33k, now they have purchased Donny Macs GS for £26k, washed it, put on £5k and put it up for £31k.

In my eyes, they are the most deluded dealer out there.

Does anyone have anything positive to say about them?

I bought a Gran Turismo before Christmas from a mainline Maserati dealer and wanted a few things done like have front parking sensors fitted. Autoficina are just round the corner from my house, so dead handy.

I emailed them and got no response. I called them and spoken to a nice chap who never rang me back, and then emailed them again without any response, which is all rather disappointing as everyone else in the Maserati community has been superb.

Make of that what you will, but I won't be going there again any time soon!

 

[conaero]

Shame Bobby D, I don't get it either?

All things bring equal I do know that Pat/MaserSod gets on very well with them, plus they are also one of the few who will repair the dual skinned coupe manifolds, rather than replacing them.

Just appears they are well out of wack with the real GS world.