found my car from its previous life lol

[beau]

so i was round my friends house and he had 2 auto italia magazines from 2009, and just flicked through them, and spotted a 3200 for sale in the classifieds, thought i recognise that registration from somewhere... so took a picture of it so i remembered.



looked at it again and thought hmmmmmm maybe, just maybe....so dug out my history for the car last night, and i was right! it is mine



so emailed him and got a reply!

Dear Beau

Yes, I was the owner of the Maserati 3200 GT, with registration W828 SBC. I did wonder what happened to it.

I bought the car in September 2004, from Graypaul in Nottingham, and I sold it in November 2009, to Monks Heath Motors, Cheshire.

The car was standard and no modifications were done to it. All work on the car was carried out by Auto Shield in Manchester, who are a very well regarded independent Maserati specialist. There were two major problems that were corrected by Auto Shield and they were: The clutch assembly (not just the clutch plate)needed replacing and the crank shaft thrust bearings needed replacing.

I am of the view the two above problems were related to how I was starting the car; I was starting the car with clutch disengaged i.e. My foot was pressing the clutch pedal to the floor, when I should have been starting it with the clutch engaged and in neutral. The suspicion was that the extra play along the crank shaft, when the clutch was disengaged, was causing excessive wear in the thrust bearings, which also meant the clutch was not being disengaged correctly, which damaged the clutch diaphragm spring. You will know when the thrust bearing has worn, when the engine will not turn when starting, giving the impression of a faulty battery or starter motor, but the car will start very easily if you 'bump' start it. If you have been starting the car in neutral, you should not see the problem.

I hope you enjoy the Maserati as much as I did.

Best regards

well happy im so glad when i did the engine work i decided to leave the bottom end alone now

 

[2b1ask1]

That's great Beau; always nice to uncover a bit of the history and also he has the knowledge the car is still alive and doing very well

 

[Parisien]

Well done, nice to create a provenance of your pride and hoy


P

 

[Chrisbassett]

Lovely story, and great to find the car is still remembered fondly.

 

[Andyk]

Thats nice....still it in the history file...Always good to show anyone you sell to...

 

[TridentTested]

I am of the view the two above problems were related to how I was starting the car; I was starting the car with clutch disengaged i.e. My foot was pressing the clutch pedal to the floor, when I should have been starting it with the clutch engaged and in neutral. The suspicion was that the extra play along the crank shaft, when the clutch was disengaged, was causing excessive wear in the thrust bearings, which also meant the clutch was not being disengaged correctly, which damaged the clutch diaphragm spring. You will know when the thrust bearing has worn, when the engine will not turn when starting, giving the impression of a faulty battery or starter motor, but the car will start very easily if you 'bump' start it. If you have been starting the car in neutral, you should not see the problem.

Interesting find and interesting story about starting with the clutch pedal depressed. I always start manual cars (and my motorbikes) with the clutch disengaged as it takes the 'weight' of the gearbox's cold oil off the starter motor and battery.

Maybe it's only a factor on transaxle gearboxes.

 

[CatmanV2]

I've seen it discussed on other forums with no definitive answer. I was always taught to do the same, and still do in Mrs Catman's 147

C

 

[Contigo]

You mean always start it in Neutral? I always wait for the self check and just fire it up with feet well back from any of the pedals.

 

[bigbob]

He means foot down on clutch so it doesn't matter what gear - if any - you are in.

I was taught this way as well but I was also taught to park in gear in case the handbrake fails - useful in a 3200/4200.

 

[CatmanV2]

He means foot down on clutch so it doesn't matter what gear - if any - you are in.

I was taught this way as well but I was also taught to park in gear in case the handbrake fails - useful in a 3200/4200.

I wasn't taught to park in gear, but I do in the 4200. Or it beeps at me

C

 

[bigbob]

I wasn't taught to park in gear, but I do in the 4200. Or it beeps at me

C

See the car knows its handbrake will fail!

It always amazes me in Edinburgh when I see lots of cars parked on steep hills in neutral without the wheels turned a tad in. One ran away once and nearly hit my kids nursery group out on a walk.

 

[CatmanV2]

See the car knows its handbrake will fail!

It always amazes me in Edinburgh when I see lots of cars parked on steep hills in neutral without the wheels turned a tad in. One ran away once and nearly hit my kids nursery group out on a walk.

I've always been amused about that beep as well We're not really taught to park with the wheels turned in dooon here. On the other hand, its unlikeley that a runaway will hit anything than another car, you see. Roads are more crowded

C

 

[Contigo]

One failed round here and took a little girl about 200 yard underneath it

Air ambulance came and took her away and she recovered thankfully!