FiFTY's Manual 4200 Build

Vampyrebat

Vampyrebat

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FIFTY said:
Yes a lot has been done over the last three years. Problem with these cars is that once they are "cheap" they get bought kept a short period then shifted on often with little maintenance done in that time other than servicing. To be fair it is OK if you don't put a lot of miles on it during that time but the issues on the car will eventually pile up, this is a bit of a crucial time for these cars if they are to survive another 15 - 30 years then all of these bits will need changing... I guess that is why the market has bottomed out a bit until the rough cars are restored or parted out

Considering the car has had 5 owners I think it has worked out like this

Owner 1: from new purchased at Carrs of Exeter in Jan/Feb 2004 - strangely enough the car was registered to a owner in Torquay which is where I was born/raised and was living there a teenager going to school... It is very likely I saw the car a few times on the street back then. Car was looked after main dealer correct service intervals, etc. Car is sold in 2009

Owner 2: Seems to be an enthusiast, registered on Maserati club GB (found old decals in the car)... lots of service stamps from Autoshield car sold in 2012

Owner 3: No service stamps, no receipts, 6k miles/year sold it in 2014

Owner 4: Inherits a lot of problems from owner 3 addresses a couple of issues (new wheel hub for failed ABS sensor at a specialist indi) but part ex's after 9 months for a Maserati Spyder in 2015

Owner 5: Fernandoisfasterthanyou buys it Feb 2016 and starts a rolling restoration.

Bit of a gamble buying a Maserati with patchy history I know but as I mentioned before I am modifying it therefore do not want a garage queen as the money I will loose in depreciating the low mileage "well kept" car will be the same as replacing the heater matrix, clutch, etc. in my car (man maths yes but it has some accuracy). Luckily between me and owner the dealer put a few things right like the leaking main oil feed line, all of the suspension bushes and a few other things like the side repeater bulbs, I did hit the ground running and kept going with it... I think if the car went to someone like owner 3 then it would be ready to be parted out by now.


That is quite a recent photo of coulthard considering the company he is in, does he still have his GS, I thought he sold it(?)
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I saw it up for sale about 2 years ago for over 50k trying to justify the cost by saying it was a former DC owned car. Don't know if it actually sold for that!
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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hashluck said:
Hmmmm yes don't get me started lol
Click to expand...

I forgot to say the other difference between our cars is that while they cost the same to maintain yours is worth 4x the value... Which is what limited edition cars are about but you would expect that they would get a better life as a result!

While you know the value of your car it is unclear if the manual 4200s will raise up in value above the CC cars and head towards the GS. Based on production numbers they should but really i don't care I am going to try and keep this for a long time
 
MaserCoupe

MaserCoupe

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FIFTY said:
I forgot to say the other difference between our cars is that while they cost the same to maintain yours is worth 4x the value... Which is what limited edition cars are about but you would expect that they would get a better life as a result!

While you know the value of your car it is unclear if the manual 4200s will raise up in value above the CC cars and head towards the GS. Based on production numbers they should but really i don't care I am going to try and keep this for a long time
Click to expand...

So true, what a stonker the 4200 is as a manual, it brings a different dimension to the experience. They are a rare beast and the joy in driving with 3 pedals far exceeds value for me, then factor in that only 200 odd were made as right hookers (out of 1078 worldwide LHD/RHD) with a stick shift, that is the real cherry on top. If they go up great, if they don't who cares, but it is a great feeling knowing that you're in something special and which represents the last of a breed from Maserati. The swan song stick shift from them, now that is something to celebrate if you have one.

For so many years, undervalued, under-rated and overlooked, really when values took a nose dive, it was a Champagne lifestyle for Prosecco money car, but what a car and what a serious contender and with so much flair. As a car it has so much going for it. Yes there are better, faster and more dynamic cars out there but no one can deny the depth of its brilliance, that V8 is wow and so much soul in both Spyder and Coupe format....I just find it really hard to put a price on that. 177mph! A slouch it ain't. Brilliant and bonkers. Grazie Maserati for making it as a stick!
 
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FIFTY

FIFTY

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Lol :)

Last week I popped to AV Engineering to drop off the FD ARB kit and see my car post service but prior to the tear down to get to the clucth/flywheel. I tried the manual shifter post adjustment with the car off/stationary and it felt really slick... Almost an expensive feel as you would expect from a maserati that cost £60k in 2004. Totally different to how it was before which to be honest felt a bit loose like the bushes had worn or if the adjuster itself was loose... Turns out it was the latter.

It is nearly ready for collection AV has done a huge amount of work on it this time so it should feel like a totally different car to drive. Once i have had the car back for a few weeks i will do a write up on this stage of the cars restoration and my thoughts on the ARB kit with standard skyhook shocks+springs
 
Vampyrebat

Vampyrebat

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Before mine went into hibernation, I had new discs and pads all around as well as new suspension springs/wheel realignment and handbrake cable. The car felt so tight and so much better and pointy on the way home............I can't wait to get her back out now that the weather is getting better!!
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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Vampyrebat said:
Before mine went into hibernation, I had new discs and pads all around as well as new suspension springs/wheel realignment and handbrake cable. The car felt so tight and so much better and pointy on the way home............I can't wait to get her back out now that the weather is getting better!!
Click to expand...

Just had new handbrake cables fitted, much easier with the gearbox out apparently. Old ones were completely seized which explains why for the past year and half the handbrake only just worked.

Springs are all showing some very minor surface corrosion and they are 15 years old so I am going to replace with new at some point. I feel like taking this on myself as I have all of the tools apart from the "pickling fork" thing that is used to separate the wishbones. There is a DIY floating about,... the springs are relatively inexpensive it's just getting the rear shock towers undone and getting past any seized fastenings.

The temptation is to lower it by 10mm to facelift 4200 height but I really should leave the ride height well alone as I do not want to loose the GT-ness of the car. In Italy I had to drive a short gravel road to get to the parking for our Air B&B, with a heavily laden lowered car I would have been more worried about hitting the exhaust. Also corner weighting, set up, blah blah

20180909_170425.jpg
 
T

TimR

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FIFTY said:
The temptation is to lower it by 10mm to facelift 4200 height but I really should leave the ride height well alone as I do not want to loose the GT-ness of the car.
Click to expand...
I find this quite amusing tbh..
My facelift ride height is akin a dakar car, and it's 10mm lower than yours?
The GS is supposed to be lower still, and on the same springs...?
I think I must have my facts wrong somewhere...Adding preload to achieve ride height adjustment isnt ideal at all...
 
Zep

Zep

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FIFTY said:
Springs are all showing some very minor surface corrosion and they are 15 years old so I am going to replace with new at some point. I feel like taking this on myself as I have all of the tools apart from the "pickling fork" thing that is used to separate the wishbones. There is a DIY floating about,... the springs are relatively inexpensive it's just getting the rear shock towers undone and getting past any seized fastenings.
Click to expand...

Don’t use a pickle fork to seperate the ball joints, you could damage the joint, hub carrier or the dust cover. Get a ball joint splitter like this https://ebay.us/ZAVi2X.

You could remove the front shock without splitting the joint anyway, just unbolt the top ball joint from the top wishbone.

The rear you can just about get to the top mounts either side of the petrol tank and the shock comes out when you remove the bottom ball joint extension.
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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TimR said:
I find this quite amusing tbh..
My facelift ride height is akin a dakar car, and it's 10mm lower than yours?
The GS is supposed to be lower still, and on the same springs...?
I think I must have my facts wrong somewhere...Adding preload to achieve ride height adjustment isnt ideal at all...
Click to expand...

You are right it is a bit amusing.

Yes GS same springs yet lower again. The how to on the Google drive link i sent you a little while ago details it all. To be honest I have no idea if my ride height has been messed with but with the car unloaded I can easily wedge a shoe between the tyre-wheel arch gap... It really bothered me for a long time until I did a long road trip with the car. Also my cat pipes are fully round where yours have squished sections this makes me lose about 15mm ground clearance right there.

Anyway I fear lowering it 10-15mm is potentially opening a can of worms with corner weighting and geometry set up but it might be a necessary evil as those FD "sway bars" perform better at a lowered ride height
 
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FIFTY

FIFTY

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Zep said:
Don’t use a pickle fork to seperate the ball joints, you could damage the joint, hub carrier or the dust cover. Get a ball joint splitter like this https://ebay.us/ZAVi2X.

You could remove the front shock without splitting the joint anyway, just unbolt the top ball joint from the top wishbone.

The rear you can just about get to the top mounts either side of the petrol tank and the shock comes out when you remove the bottom ball joint extension.
Click to expand...

Thanks mate that is much cheaper than a pickling fork set too. You do recommend the best tools... I used that lambda removal tool the other day and it made life very easy

I would like to separate the wishbones so i can get to some rust on the side of the subframe which I found behind the wheel arch liners in all four corners. Another common problem apparently
 
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Vampyrebat

Vampyrebat

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TimR said:
I find this quite amusing tbh..
My facelift ride height is akin a dakar car, and it's 10mm lower than yours?
The GS is supposed to be lower still, and on the same springs...?
I think I must have my facts wrong somewhere...Adding preload to achieve ride height adjustment isnt ideal at all...
Click to expand...
I thought the same as you Tim! ............That all 42's had the same height and I know that the GS is lower with 19" wheels rather than the 42 on 18".............Shoghi, seeing pics of your 42 look the same ride height as mine!
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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@Vampyrebat @TimR

Sorry this is on me I got muddled up. I checked the how-to that I referenced and I got it wrong...

The 2002 "classico" 4200 was on a higher ride height

2003-2006 4200 are lower than the '02

GranSport - lower again

54973
54974

54975
 
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