Buying 3200/4200/Gransport

wuzzer037

New Member
Messages
2
Hello everyone

After registering some months ago I've finally got round to 'posting a thread'. Truth be told - I wasn't sure how to until Conaero told me how to do it. Thanks for that!

Anyway, I'm now in the market to purchase a Maser, mainly for the joy of ownership and potential long term ownership.

I've been looking at the above cars for some months now, and built up quite a bit of reading material, but have finally settled on the 4200.

With this in mind can anybody out there give me a little advice on what to look out for regarding a prospective purchase, ownership and maintenance. I would also like to be aware of any known reliability issues. For instance, clutch, F1 pump and ball joint's.

If I'm going to take the plunge I want to go into it with my eyes wide open. So owner experience views/opinions greatly appreciated.

Look forward to your replies.

Cheers
 

davy83

Member
Messages
2,809
apart from the obvious statement that the 3200 is by far the most character you will get from any of these cars (I am a little biased!), the general opinion is that for performance and generally being well sorted, the Gransport is the one to own and probably the best investment, and no surprise the most expensive to buy. i think with all of these cars whether the car has been cared for properly is quite important as there is a list of major cost problems that you can encounter. some one with a 4200 will come along shortly and help no doubt.
I would also suggest you search this site as well since this question has been asked before and there are buying guides for all three of these cars here, as well as many threads on the biggest issues you might encounter.
Most important, go drive them all. These cars are about grin factor and you don't get that from a web site, once you have driven the car of your dreams you will know which one suits you best.
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,747
Welcome, and congratulations on the prospective choices.

I have had three, two 4200CC and more lately a GS.

All three suffer from the same issues;
Check for services by the book ie one per year - that is a FSH not missing years due to little use.
Check for wet carpets- it could be an easy fix or a dash out matrix replacement
Rust under rear lights
Clutch wear % - this is how much has been used not remaining
If you hear a 'hoot' from the transmission when changing gear then the spigot is worn. Clutch around 2 - 2.4k
GS tend to snap their tangs at 45% but it can also impact on 4200 models.
Noisy tappets at cold start - Accumulator or valve issues
Weaping cam covers
Work wishbones 8 of them and about £500 each.

The latter 4200s are as good as a GS but give a more compliant ride on bad roads.

Try a specialist like Richard Grace for an impartial advice.
 

philw696

Member
Messages
25,113
I'm a 4200 man and Love them in my opinion one of the Best Grand Tourers full stop for the money.
 

highlander

Member
Messages
5,214
Like Davy I am obviously bias but you will not be disappointed with a 42, they are good cars and will give years of enjoyment.......the odd bit if wallet pain, but then so will all 3 of the old girls ;) as suggested, look for a cared example, get it checked for surprises and you will leave happy!
 

StuartW

Member
Messages
9,306
Good luck in your search and if you can, buy from an enthusiast such as a member of standing on here, or a well known specialist & look to get an independent inspection carried out too.

I only have first hand experience of the 3200 but when they're working as they should, they are very special indeed
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Hey wuzzer welcome. Good choice imo the 4200 is the best value for the amount of car you are getting for the money with the reliability... the 4200 is a strong car with a few weaknesses which have been mentioned for the most part but here is my list of experiences with my car

Brake discs, pads and feel of break pedal... these cars were under braked but that is no excuse for appauling brakes that have not been bled forever
All Bushes
Track rod ends
Tyre wear uneven tyre wear will take a few hours labour to adjust camber as there are shims on the wishbones rather than adjusters so it takes some time
Oil leaks - main oil feed line - pas system - cam covers
Check AUX belt if it has cracks in it you can bet the car has either missed major services or the dealer/specialist has neglected to do their job
Rust on wheel arches, under rear lights boot lid underside particularly f+r sub frame
Water ingress - pollen filter - rain drains clogging - heater matrix - windscreen seal... tip on if the heater matrix the windscreen will fog up and will have a soapy texture and smell like screen wash due to the antifreeze.
Blown ceramic cats - they have a short shelf life - if you hear rattling like tivkimg from the middle of the car it could mean they are breaking up, if the exhaust is popping and banging and is totally standard then there are no cats left
Check condition of coolant and PS radiator through front grille
Smell of fuel in cabin and boot - thankfully not one I've had to deal with
Check everything on dash works electrics wise and appropriate lights illuminate on buttons/dash when pressed
window actuators work properly at full speed
Oil pressure sensor once engine fully oil pressure should drop slightly on idle
F1 transmission - clutch wear etc. I have a manual so cannot comment but manual while a little clunky it seems to be more reliable with potentially longer clutch life
Lights, indicators make sure the headlights work properly xenon or halogen. Make sure indicators look good changing these bulbs is a few hours labour


As others have said buy a car from an enthusiast on the forum or one of the good specialists like Richard Grace. If you are buying and are nit sure then pay for an indipendant specialist inspection or at least take a SM former who has some experience... if I knew what I do now when I bought mine I would have either haggled more money off or walked. To be fair the vat majority is age related wear and tear rathe than design weakness
 

Vampyrebat

Member
Messages
3,117
Hi Wuzzer and welcome!

All of the above is correct. I think the most common one I have seen on here and could be very time consuming or expensive is the heater matrix (I know)! Check below the drivers/passengers car mats for dampness, if there is and it is a bit sticky and sweet tasting then it's probably that. The parts are not that expensive it's getting to it that costs..............Good luck and let us know how you get on.
 

Gp79

Member
Messages
1,393
Good choice of car.

I've had my GS 3 years now, ensure annual oil changes and check for rust, they all look shiny on top but check underside carefully.

Regardless they are all over 10 years old now so check like any other 10yr old car, but remember the parts price of Maserati is much much higher.

Find a good one (I prefer private sales from an enthusiast / someone who could really afford to own and run) and they are a joy to own and work on!

Can't see me selling mine unless wife allows a F430 / F458... so I will be keeping it a long time then...
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
I took a while to pick my first Maser & decided a facelift 4200 was the best option for me. There was about nearly 10k difference from the 4200 I bought to a similar miles GS at the time. I didn't think it was worth it as they are almost the same car give or take & were almost the same price new give or take. My car was about 75k new & I bought on 11k miles from 1st private owner. It never goes out in the wet & garaged all its life from 1st owner to me. A late 2007 car & the best I could find by some margin at the time.

As always buy the best you can afford & find one that has been looked after & had proper money spent on it. A cheaper less well looked after car will start to cost more quick enough.

I prefer the facelift 4200 to the Classico but others will disagree. We are all different & some like the 3200 or GS more than the 4200. IMHO the 4200 is less hassle & more reliable than a 3200 in general. I didn't find the GS offered much more than if anything than a facelift 4200 but was a fair bit more cash. Each to their own as no right or wrong. I went 2007/07 facelift 4200 then bought a 2007/57 QP Exec GT for daily.

Enjoy the search & feel free to keep asking the forum questions. There is much to. learn. Good luck
 

wink

Junior Member
Messages
85
Most important, go drive them all. These cars are about grin factor and you don't get that from a web site, once you have driven the car of your dreams you will know which one suits you best.
Seconded - really, make the effort to drive a 3200, 4200 and GS, then decide. All supercars are a bit marmite - personally as soon as I drove the 3200 I loved the switchable character from fast GT in normal mode to brutal beast in Sport mode. After that, a 4200 seemed bland. But others find the 3200 too raw, and you must get in the car before you'll know which is for you - reviews are only a starting point.
 
Messages
1,117
I bought a 2007 Gransport LE in September last year. I went through the same considerations - 3200, 4200 Coupe Manual, 4200 Coupe Facelift and Gransport. In the end I saw a nice Gransport and bought it. I agree that it is good to test drive them all - but I found this easier said than done. How many dealers would you have to visit to try and get a test drive of all of them?

I had one test drive and bought the only car I test drove. There is big price difference between a 4200 and a Gransport but in the end the Gransport ticked the one box that had a disproportionate influence on my purchase decision - scarcity in numbers, climbing back up in price after hitting the bottom of the depreciation curve a couple of years earlier and desirability even though the 4200 Facelift and Gransport have much in common.

I wish you luck whatever you choose. But a PPI is a must or buy from a reputable specialist that has the car inspected and rectifies whatever is thrown up in the PPI.

The 4200 Facelift/non-facelift is a good car as is a Gransport.
 

wink

Junior Member
Messages
85
Yes, whichever car you choose, get the vendor to have an inspection report done by a Maserati specialist - any of the forum sponsors will help - before you buy.
 

highlander

Member
Messages
5,214
If I'm not mistaken the OP has made his mind up to go for a 42, probably late model, and is looking for advice on what to look out for? We can go round in circles debating the boring old 32 v 42/GS debate (boring so long as Monsieur banjo does not poke his nose in ;)) but reality is, they are all good cars if you get a good one and it suits what you want.
 

alfatwo

Member
Messages
5,517
If I'm not mistaken the OP has made his mind up to go for a 42, probably late model, and is looking for advice on what to look out for? We can go round in circles debating the boring old 32 v 42/GS debate (boring so long as Monsieur banjo does not poke his nose in ;)) but reality is, they are all good cars if you get a good one and it suits what you want.

Yea, but if your an old school Maserati purist with a built in hooligan streak there only one car to choose ;)


Dave
 

Ewan

Member
Messages
6,756
Which is that Dave? Is it the GS (i.e. a car with a thumping normally aspirated V8 as per virtually every Maserati built from the 50's up until the 80's)?