Cat D 4.2 Grantourismo

[Dave.]

Hi all

I've been trawling the forum for the last week or so and just introduced myself on the Newbies section.

I'm looking for the cheapest decent 4.2 I can find and I'm considering a tidy looking 2008 car that has only done 27,000 miles and is for sale online.

It has a full service history with 2010, 2012 and 2014 being done by Maserati main dealerships



and 2015 and 2016 being done by a non-specialist independent (BBZ Autos via Servicing Stop http://www.servicingstop.co.uk/)





It's MOT history and mileage checks out against the service history with passes every year.

I'm aware of the potential for the variator issue and the car is a category D after an accident 2-3 years ago but neither of these things bother me so long as I get it for the right price (£25k is being asked) and it passes muster during a proper inspection - I'm planning to get these folk onto it later this week http://www.carinspections.co.uk/

The level of expertise on here is awesome, so I'm wondering if anyone has any pearls of wisdom to offer on this potential purchase before I go and see the car myself at the weekend.

Thanks

 

[iainw]

Surely 25 for a cat D is too much. Cat cars should be 20-25% cheaper a time least than non cat.
Non cat Decent 4.2s can be had easily for 25 ish nowadays

 

[Ewan]

If your budget is £25k or less, give the GT a miss. It'll ruin you. For that money, get a good QP or a GS or a 4200, etc. For a GT that might not bankrupt you, think of a budget of towards the £30k mark. And forget any Cat registered car, especially at that price!

 

[allandwf]

Cat cars can be a cheap way into something you would not normally afford, not an issue if well repaired and we'll maintained. Buy cheap sell cheap. I would think £22ish would be nearer the mark, yes there are non cat cars around the £25-28 mark, but they may easily be hiding big bills. I would have it inspected by someone who knows the marque, and take it from there. Although buying at the cheaper end please ensure you keep a few thousand in the war chest.Go for it and enjoy if you can.

 

[Wack61]

Forget the generic inspection , where is the car , somebody on here will recommend someone local , if they don't want to take it there walk away

 

[safrane]

4.2 GT does not have a clutch, its a full auto.

 

[CatmanV2]

£25 is too much for a Cat D I feel, *but* if that's your budget and you really want a 4.2 and are prepared to spend some more, it might be the only way.

No recommendations of those inspectors, or indeed the servicing people.

Where is the car? Link?

C

 

[Wack61]

4.2 GT does not have a clutch, its a full auto.

Of course it is oops

 

[Dave.]

Surely 25 for a cat D is too much. Cat cars should be 20-25% cheaper a time least than non cat.
Non cat Decent 4.2s can be had easily for 25 ish nowadays

All 4.2s at that kind of price are 2007 cars with a lot more mileage. This is a 2008 and only has 27,000 miles. Similar non Cat-D cars are being advertised at well over £30k. I still plan to haggle ******* price though


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[Dave.]

Forget the generic inspection , where is the car , somebody on here will recommend someone local , if they don't want to take it there walk away

I've picked up the following potential issues from posts on this forum, but they all seem to be things that are unlikely on a 27,000 mile car and would be picked-up by any inspection if they are present ...

Variators
AC compressors go bang
Exhaust manifolds tend to crack
Drop links wear out
Springs seem to break
Alternators
ABS sensors fail

I'm looking into an inspection from a Maserati specialist but are there any of these (or any others) that you think a generic prestige car inspection would be unlikely to find?


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[CatmanV2]

All of the, frankly. Except maybe the ABS sensors if the lights are on, and the broken springs.

Problem is the others are tough to spot if they are not causing an issue at the time.

I'd not bother with the non-independent inspection but YMMV. The specialist will have the correct diagnostic kit.

C

 

[highlander]

Eyes need to be even more wide open if buying a cat car.
Indy check the place to start. Also Check what damage caused the cat and the quality of repair and who did it. if you have one eye on future selling, I'm not sure a cat is the way to go because it will always be that bit more difficult to shift and never achieve comparative sale value.

 

[ratbag]

Just a thought- It won't be the cheapest 2008 out there but it will be the best- but my 58 plate 23k miles is currently at Nuvola but I will be taking it back at the end of this month and will be repricing it VERY sensibly for a private sale...otherwise I will trading for a GTS
http://www.nuvolalondon.com/cars-for-sale/maserati-granturismo-v8-2dr-coupe-29/

 

[Needamaser]

Just a thought- It won't be the cheapest 2008 out there but it will be the best- but my 58 plate 23k miles is currently at Nuvola but I will be taking it back at the end of this month and will be repricing it VERY sensibly for a private sale...otherwise I will trading for a GTS
http://www.nuvolalondon.com/cars-for-sale/maserati-granturismo-v8-2dr-coupe-29/

Seems to me GT prices are squeezed in that there isn't a huge difference between poor examples and good low mileage/newer ones.
To save a few k on the purchase for a Cat car doesn't make sense to me especially when you are going to struggle to sell the car at the end.
OP would be better to buy likes of your car. If Nuvola were selling it then there won't be much wrong with it as Nareman is very fastidious. Like your interior. Nice change from black and contrast with exterior.

 

[Dave.]

Just a thought- It won't be the cheapest 2008 out there but it will be the best- but my 58 plate 23k miles is currently at Nuvola but I will be taking it back at the end of this month and will be repricing it VERY sensibly for a private sale...otherwise I will trading for a GTS
http://www.nuvolalondon.com/cars-for-sale/maserati-granturismo-v8-2dr-coupe-29/

These Nuvola examples are good illustrations of the economics. They are both the same year as the Cat D car and both have a similarly low mileage (one 3,000 more and one 3,000 less) and they both have sticker prices of £37K - 50% higher than the private sale Cat D car.


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[Dave.]

All of the, frankly. Except maybe the ABS sensors if the lights are on, and the broken springs.

Problem is the others are tough to spot if they are not causing an issue at the time.

I'd not bother with the non-independent inspection but YMMV. The specialist will have the correct diagnostic kit.

C

This is kind of my point.

Variators
AC compressors go bang
Exhaust manifolds tend to crack
Drop links wear out
Springs seem to break
Alternators
ABS sensors fail

If any of these problems are present then any good generic inspection will spot them. Does anyone know what tests a specialist would be able to do with their diagnostic kit that I wouldn't get with a good generic inspection? I'm finding it impossible to get it booked in with a specialist.


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[CatmanV2]

This is kind of my point. If any of these problems are present then any good generic inspection will spot them. Does anyone know what tests a specialist would be able to do with their diagnostic kit that I wouldn't with a good generic inspection?


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Stored errors and out of parameter operations historical over temperature of gear box and over voltage are two that spring to mind, but my point was that I rather doubt a generic inspection would pick up most of the issues you've mentioned. I know (for example) many people looked at my car and didn't notice the cracked manifold. The drops links need to be tested in a specific way (is my understanding) and the ABS sensors tend to throw a load of warnings at the same time.

So without the software it's not possible to diagnose it as the sensor specifically. If you know what warnings you get, you can make a guess, but is your generic going to know those warnings?

If it was me, I'd not bother with a generic inspection, and go straight to a specialist. YMMV of course.

C

 

[Wack61]

Op it sounds to me you're letting your heart rule your head, you only have to be on this forum a few months to hear of an expensive failure on what was a perfect car.

Having read some of the costs involved in fixing said cars unless it was stupid cheap and I'm talking under 20k I wouldn't buy a cat maserati

At the very least you need to see pictures pre damage and know who fixed it , you're buying a prestige high performance car , you need to know parts replaced were new and done properly not on somebody's drive.

The £300 or so you spend on a specialist nspection could be the best money you'll ever spend, especially on a cat car

Also bear in mind in a private sale if it throws up a 5k bill it'll be you paying it , on finance from a dealer it probably won't.

Personally I'd be very unlikely to spend 25k in a private sale on a maserati unless it was from a well respected member of this forum because of all the consumer protection buying from a dealer gives you.

 

[GeoffCapes]

Personally I wouldn't go anywhere near a CAT car.

I actually looked at a CAT D GS when I was first looking. And made an offer on it. Which was fortunately rejected.
When I walked away I knew it was my heart ruling my head. I'm glad I did as the owner has subsequently decided to keep the Cat D GS and has unearthed an absolute shed load of issues which must be costing a fortune to address.
And even when they have been addressed it will still be a CAT car that is worth 25% less than market value.

With a 25k budget I'd be looking at a GS. But if your heart is set on a GT, keep looking, sometimes bargains to come up if someone needs a quick sale.
Although they're more likely in the winter months IMHO.

 

[Needamaser]

These Nuvola examples are good illustrations of the economics. They are both the same year as the Cat D car and both have a similarly low mileage (one 3,000 more and one 3,000 less) and they both have sticker prices of £37K - 50% higher than the private sale Cat D car.


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Dealers have their profit and they also have comprehensive warranties and likes of Nuvola and Richard Grace have their preparation costs and reputations to maintain. Take these costs off and it isnt 50%. They don't sell rubbish. Richard has said he wouldn't touch a Cat car.
Maseratis tend to be slow sellers at the best of times. Numerous cars come up here with people saying they are great bargains and will sell quickly. They don't.
Folk on here are enthusiasts and have considerable experience of the marque and if they are saying they wouldn't touch this car at anything like this price then you really should take notice. "Geoff" is correct in that you are letting your heart rule.
A good Maserati is unbeatable value for money but a bad one will break the bank and sour you for life.
Ratbag has said his car will be "VERY" sensibly priced. Ping him a pm for details would be my suggestion. If you are still determined to go ahead then at the very least follow Catman's advice. Like Wack unless it was way under £20k I wouldn't give it a second thought. There are times when you shouldn't use man maths.;-)