Long time lurker

[BRR]

Hi All,

Thought i should introduce myself as i've been reading the forum for quite a while and at some point in 2013 i'll be looking to buy my first Maserati

I've fancied a Gransport since one of my friends Dad bought a stunning mediterraneo blue one in 2005, then last year after finally becoming sick of having to use my commuting car (a Diesel Golf) for going out with anyone other than just the Mrs due to my fun car only having two seats (Boxster S, great car BTW) i decided i need to find something fun that can seat 4. My first thoughts were M3, RS4, C63 and the unrealistic dream car of the Gransport. I started reading this forum to get an idea of running costs and reliability and soon realised that the costs aren't too dissimilar to that of the Germans and when i factor in that the GS will probably depreciate less it's starts to actually look like the sensible purchase, at least with my man maths anyway

I'm doing a bit of travelling around Asia in March but when i come back i'll be taking my search more seriously and though i won't be in any rush as having the Boxster through the summer is no great chore i'll be looking to buy the right car as and when it becomes available and to be honest that may not be the easiest find as by looking at how prices have gone up recently i'll be looking at the lower end of the market

until then i'll keep reading all the great information you guys post and may pop up with the occasional question and i'll let you know as and when i find a potential purchase

Cheers

Brett

 

[2b1ask1]

Hi and welcome to the posting world on this great forum. To be honest if you are coming from a Boxter a 4200 classic will be all the car you need and depreciation is pretty much finished with them now. You can pick up a peach and Dicky will find one for you no problem. Better a peach of a 4200 classic than a mutt of a GranSport (don't think there are many GS mutts though) IMHO... Have fun with the travels and keep posting!

 

[BRR]

Hi, Thanks for the welcome

I do like the 4200 and appreciate that it's probably 95% of a GS for 60% of the price and in terms of performance and pretty much everything it would probably be all i need. however I've lusted after the GS for so long that it just holds that extra appeal, i prefer the styling and the slightly more focused nature of the drive. I'll be looking to spend about 22k so hope that will be enough to keep me away from the rougher cars, though i may have to compromise on colour/spec/miles etc

 

[Woody]

Welcome to the forum.

I'm sure you will get a GS for that kind of budget, particularly if you're OK with miles.

Good luck in the hunt, keep us posted. If you find one you're interested in, post on here, someone will likely know somehting....

 

[Andyk]

Hi Brett and a big warm welcome to the forum.....Great car the GS ....Hope you find what you are looking for...

 

[BRR]

Cheers Woody & Andyk, I have noticed that someone on here always seems to know any of the cars for sale which should help me weed out some of the rubbish

 

[Brendan]

Welcome. Dicky is Mr Maserati and is very friendly. When you are ready give him a call

 

[conaero]

Hi, Thanks for the welcome

I do like the 4200 and appreciate that it's probably 95% of a GS for 60% of the price and in terms of performance and pretty much everything it would probably be all i need. however I've lusted after the GS for so long that it just holds that extra appeal, i prefer the styling and the slightly more focused nature of the drive. I'll be looking to spend about 22k so hope that will be enough to keep me away from the rougher cars, though i may have to compromise on colour/spec/miles etc

Welcome mate, I have had all three, 3200, 4200 and GS, its GS all the way for me mate and worth every penny. Dont get me wrong, the others are fantastic in their own right, but like anything Italian, the latest incarnations are always the best and have all the problems ironed out.

All you have to worry about with the F1 grearbox is the clutch. They are £1500 so its worth paying a bit more and buying one with low mileage on it.

You won't go far wrong with a GS, just make sure you have it inspected independently, buy from Dicky/ADG or other trusted vendor or take one of us with you on the inspection.

 

[BRR]

Thanks Brendan / Conaero, i notice the clutch seems to be the item which causes the big expense, though running costs are something i'm used to as the Boxster has cost me about 7.5k over the 3 years i've had it, though it's now in better condition than when i bought it and hopefully see some of that money back by suffering less depreciation than if i had let the car continue declining

I notice that anything Dicky sells appears to be spot on, though most are for more than i can afford, i see some cheaper ones appear i.e. the Nero one currently with VVS but a quick google of them puts me off

 

[hodroyd]

Hi Brett,
Welcome to our wonderful forum. Your choice of a GS is excellent, a close alternative if you get stuck is the 4200 Facelift, very close technically, the same in many respects. If you go to Dicky in Cheshire, the price of the car will also include a full going over and repair if required, by Autoshield in Manchester, who are also excellent. When to get your car then, you should not be faced with any major expense, unless it is pointed out to you at the point of sale. Lot's of car sellers would not go that far and just clean it, Dicky goes that bit further to ensure the car is right.
The very best of luck in your search for the car of choice.
Cheers
R

 

[Emtee]

Hi Brett, Welcome to the forum and thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself. Don't be afraid to ask what may seem like trivial questions, as each and every one of us have been there and we've all benefitted from the collective knowledge and experience along the way, so we're all committed to passing it on to those now joining the marque.

There's a lot to be said for the facelift 4200, though I came to the Gransport from a pre-facelift 4200, so the decision was easier, but I have to agree with you that there is something just that little bit extra with the GS (ducks to avoid incoming flack )

The clutch is the biggy in terms of cost (heavy on parts and labour), but please recognise these cars may be reasonable value to buy (bang for buck), but they ain't cheep to keep on the road. You're probably not far off with what you've spent on your Boxster over the past three years, but you'll be lucky if it's any less. Over the past 5 years I've driven Maser's I reckon I've averaged £3k a year in servicing, consumables and unforeseens, though to be fair I had what turned out to be a bit of an ailing 4200 which required some TLC, and my GS is now redressing that balance a little. I've included tyres in that also.

For your purchase budget, which I'd say is towards the bottom end of current offer prices (though maybe not purchase prices), I'd give yourself time to find the right car and take all the advise you can get. As others have mentioned Dicky is A1 in this regard, but also check out your local indi's and let them know you're in the market. Plenty of cars are traded through the dealers as well, so if they know you're in the market, they'll keep you in mind rather than passing it straight to the trade.

Don't be scared of mileage either, go for history. A car with a good history, either dealer or a combination of dealer and indi is worth it's weight in gold. Even the best examples are 6 plus years old know, so they need to have been well tended to, irrespective of mileage.

Watch out for clutch readings and try to back it up with invoice dates relating to the fitment and mileage since. It's possible to manipulate the wear reading, so eyes wide open. Trackers are giving up the ghost increasingly now as their batteries fail, which will cause a drain on the main battery, so keep an eye on that also. I've just had mine removed today for that reason, as it was beginning to pull juice in this cold weather. The GS's tend to have them behind the rear seats either on the parcel shelf or in the rear wing to the side of the rear seats.

Skyhook suspension can be a pain, not expensive, but a pain to diagnose if you start to get error lights, so one to watch out for also.

That's all I can think of at the moment and to be honest the GS is pretty sound in general. Get an inspection, as it'll potentially save you loads of grief, but after that HAPPY HUNTING!

Regards, Miles.

 

[dickygrace]

Brett, welcome to the forum. There is loads of info on here regards what to look for and where to get it.
Thanks as always for the recommendations from forum members, it means a lot and I will continue to do it the way I do and ensure the cars are all spot on. The 4200 facelift is amazing value for money, a Gransport an amazing car in its own right. I'm sure you'll find the right car when it's time. Happy hunting.

 

[BRR]

Hodroyd, Miles, Dicky

Thanks again for the warm welcome and all the information, it really is appreciated. I think when it comes to it if I need to spend more than my original budget for the right car then that's what I'll do, I'd rather spend the bit extra and get the one I want as if I'm going to be sensible then where does the sensibleness stop? Hopefully before a diesel Kia etc

Dicky the Grigirio car you have for sale looks great, I liked it when it was up private too, if for some strange reason you still have it when I'm back in the uk at the end of March it looks a great buy, though I'm sure you'll have sold it by then

Thanks again

 

[dickygrace]

I probably will have sold it by then as Facelift 4200's are pretty rare. It wasn't for sale privately, there was a similar interior on one that had loads of threads a few months back. I have sold this one before but it was sourced so never listed in my gallery on my site. Definitely a different car, it has been looked after by Autoshield for the last 4 years.

 

[BRR]

Sorry I was referring to the Grigio Touring GS, same thing applies though as I'm sure it'll be sold by the time I'm ready to buy

 

[dickygrace]

Sorry I was referring to the Grigio Touring GS, same thing applies though as I'm sure it'll be sold by the time I'm ready to buy

Ah yes, apologies, it was listed privately. I'm amazed it hasn't sold already but it will probably go before March. If it does, there will always be another one.

 

[Parisien]

Dicky are you finding now....having been doing this for a while, reputation growing...getting well known in Maserati circles......the guys you've sold cars too are coming back to you for re-sale etc....I suppose truly its a small pool of cars to work from in reality


P

 

[dickygrace]

It's a small world Frank, all sorts if people who know people etc. I've had quite a few repeat customers so hope it continues.

 

[Parisien]

Excellent..........keep up the good work.......hope you've a great 2013!

P

 

[hodroyd]

And so say all of us...!!!