Potential buying advice for a 2008 Quattroporte (ZF)

Kyle4200

Kyle4200

Junior Member
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251
I'm after for some buying advice and common faults or things to look out for on the 2007/2008 Automatica's.

I currently have a 4200 Cambiocorsa so I'm not interested in getting a DuoSelect version, I need 4 doors for the family and the V8 power for myself... I was looking around at Audi S6/S8 (2009/2010) or Jaguar XFR/XJ (2008/2011) so the Quattroporte will fit in nicely within that price range and model years, I've seen one on Autotrader for just under £16,000 for the ZF transmission which is pretty decent.

I heard a few people mention the trouble on a cold start, some oil solenoids making a racket?
 
ChrisQP09

ChrisQP09

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2,996
I would say if you can bag a ZF with <35k miles and negotiate a decent price, you can save for any future variation trouble. >40k+ mileage cars often experience the rattles but might not!
 
ChrisQP09

ChrisQP09

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2,996
I would say if you can bag a ZF with <35k miles and negotiate a decent price, you can save for any future variation trouble. >40k+ mileage cars often experience the rattles but might not!
 
Keano

Keano

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287
BULLETIN 07-09 QP & GT.jpg

If they do play up it can be fixed by an independent like Shiltech and it is not a terminal cost - allow £1500. Check the engine number to establish if you are more at risk of the Variators playing up. Engine numbers prior to 148697 are most affected by this. Bulletin attached is only official notification i have seen and i don't have page 2 :) Mine was done and no problems 30K miles later and counting
 
rockits

rockits

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9,172
I understood variator fix/replacement is 2k-2.5k. My 2007/57 QP Exec GT had variators done just before I bought it.

What QP you looking for? Base AB4 or Exec/Sport GT? Budget?
 
Kyle4200

Kyle4200

Junior Member
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251
rockits said:
I understood variator fix/replacement is 2k-2.5k. My 2007/57 QP Exec GT had variators done just before I bought it.

What QP you looking for? Base AB4 or Exec/Sport GT? Budget?
Click to expand...

My current budget is between £16k-17k. There's a Sport GT available (2007) from just under £16k with the ZF Auto. I also read that with reference to the Variator's, although noisy - it isn't fatal to the engine? I don't know how accurate that statement may be, so to be sure if I were to get one I would make sure it had already been done before purchase, as I don't really want to spend £££'£ more on my 'new' car straight away, the main reason of getting an Auto over the F1 Box, so this seems to be the only real concern with the Quattroporte - I'll be ready for all the usual Italian electrics issues but other than that they seem very robust, the main things I look for on any car now are clutch/DMF issues (no worry there), cambelt replacements (no worry there either) and general engine issues such as carbon build up in the engine or failing cats, everything else is wear and tear items.
 
Ewan

Ewan

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6,801
The two seconds or so of rattle that some cars get on cold start-up is not damaging to the engine. So you only need to fix it if it bothers you. Some cars get it, some don't. Some people fix it, some don't. It tends to show up at maybe 40 to 50k miles or so. But its far more important to buy a good car in your preferred spec and colour. You can't realistically change the colour of a car, or its spec, or make its mileage lower or the service history better - but you can easily have the variators changed if necessary. So personally, I'd not worry about this at all. Concentrate on buying the right car, and if it just happens to be that its variators have been done, treat that as a bonus.
 
Contigo

Contigo

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18,376
That's not entirely true depends if wet sump or dry, not fixing rattling variators can cause engine issues further down the line. Rattles could be many things too on these engines.
 
rockits

rockits

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9,172
To give you an idea I bought a 2007/57 Exec GT ZF auto with top spec and variators just done for just under 17k.
 
rockits

rockits

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9,172
Couple of pics
65eae74376853c3392948cf5b6f9288a.jpg
1905b31011febcdc454bc44b69191b16.jpg
a5f01ce69c6f44367b76adf6bc64174f.jpg
24c752bb05ca7bf25a06c6cd354c3b5d.jpg
 
rockits

rockits

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9,172
They are fantastic VFM without doubt. The interior sold this one to me. Very unique & not seen any similar yet.

The ZF & 2007-on QP's have the advantage of 2 year service intervals for lower used cars.

There isn't much better VFM out there than a QP but have been trying to buy a CLS55 AMG recently as well as do like them & again they are cracking VFM.
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

Chief pedant
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8,897
rockits said:
To give you an idea I bought a 2007/57 Exec GT ZF auto with top spec and variators just done for just under 17k.
Click to expand...

....which had been originally listed at £20,995 pre-variators! For my next car, I'm just going to ask rockits to do the deal for me.
 
rockits

rockits

Member
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9,172
My commissions eyewatering though

I have had to make, shape and find great deals all my life & my poor little businesses depend on it. We wouldn't survive otherwise so have to make & stretch every penny out of every deal we can. Gets tiresome after a while and many years. If I had some proper money & was loaded I wouldn't need to bother. This time next year Rodney!
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

Chief pedant
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8,897
Gp79 said:
Rust
Click to expand...

Yes, although there is serious rust and cosmetic rust. I have some surface rust on coils and plates, which Dick Lovett in Swindon suggested needed fixing, but Ftech in Exeter reassured me were really just cosmetic. It depends how perfectionist you want to be. Fernando would have replaced the entire underside of the car, but my QP is a daily driver that just has to be functional.
http://www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/sho...-worried-about?p=547595&viewfull=1#post547595
 
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