My friends think I'm mad

[JDM]

Hi there, had a look around the forum and it looks pretty lively and helpful, already had many of my questions answered but thought I'd introduce myself as I'm considering a 3200...

Things have changed for me recently, in my early twenties I have been buying cars for a few grand, often running more than one at a time and looking for things with tuning potential. I've now hit my thirties and can't be bothered with tweaking engines and suspension and want something out the box that I'll adore.

The 3200 is the sort of car I never thought twice about, as its a super pricey Italian sports car from new but seem to have depreciated to the point where they fall on my radar. Other things I have considered are BMW M3, Monaro, 350z. How does a 3200 compare and perform to these?

I currently have a 2001 BMW E46 convertible, a heavily tuned Nissan 200sx and a classic Mini Cooper sportpack, all very different but great in their own way. I want to get rid of them all and get a 3200 as I've convinced myself it'll do what my current 3 cars do, reliable daily, all-out performance car and a timeless classic. My budget from selling what i have will be circa £9-10k.

If you've read this far, thanks for being patient

So my questions are

Will the 3200 satisfy me and be reliable? I'm struggling to find reports of owners being stranded, more limp home mode and leccy gremlins. What about head gaskets, turbo/gearbox failure?

Are they hard to work on and service yourself? I'm not afraid to tinker, I'm no pro by trade, but as hobby I feel pretty competent and understand how things work.

Finally, can they be tuned or am I blaspheming now! It's more curiosity as a twin turbo v8 should be capable of well over 400bhp, I've had 2 litre turbos reliably push that all day long.

Any other tips or advice much appreciated.

 

[Parisien]

JDm...welcome to our esteemed forum........I will let the boomerang gang pass by and fill you in....


P

 

[EnzoMC]

Will the 3200 satisfy me and be reliable?.

hi and welcome, only bit I can help with is.....satisy....oh yes, it just looks great, boomrang lights are a big hit on here and the pickup from the turbos and the sound of these engines will make it all worth it.

reliable - from what I've seen on here as you have not many have reported major issue but I'm sure the 3200 guys will be along to answer.

good luck

 

[philw696]

A warm welcome to you and you are in the right place I'm a 4200 cambio corsa boy and been totally smitten for over 2 years been the most reliable car in a long time and mine is over a 100,000 miles.
A proper 4 seater with a boot far better than a lot of other Coupes in the Super Car League.
Enjoy looking.
Phil.

 

[2b1ask1]

Hi JDM,

Welcome to the forum.

Another 4200 flappy paddle here; as far as tunig up a 3200 is concerned - my 2p worth is it doesn't need it and you are talking all of these are 10 years old + they are settled in their ways and if you start pushing more from them you will be poping hoses and all sorts avery time you rag it. Both the 3200 and 4200 have plenty of oomph (masive torque as well as ample BHP) and it is very well matched to the big body and handling characteristics. There have been people on here that are well experienced and have still been caught out and found themselves filling out insurance papers after being reminded what a big V8 can dish out!

If you want silly dial up turbos buy yourself a skyline and get it wound up to 700bhp, it won't be drivable but hey it will win top trumps in the pub!

If you want subtle style and plenty of adiring coments every time you are fillling up or in a carpark you are in the right place. These beasties give you a fixed grin for the right reasons....

 

[allandwf]

Hi, I've had mine since April. Come via an Alfa 3.0 GTV, TVR Cerbera, and TVR Tuscan, all good cars, but 3200 is something different again. I love mine, wish I'd bought it sooner. Being a manual it can be a bit of a handfull in the town, but no much more than the Cerbera was. You should get one for that budget, but remember they have the ability to bite you hard if your unlucky, so have a few 1000 in reserve.

 

[cobratwin]

Welcome to the four mate, I'll let the other boys tell you what u want to know as I agent found the right Italian mistress yet,
But you will be glad you got one even though the good times and bad

 

[JDM]

Thanks for the replies chaps. Don't get me wrong, I come from a background of tuning, it's fun and satisfying, at least it used to be. It has only ever been a hobby, but I just can't be bothered anymore. In the last month I've had to do a clutch, turbo, camshaft and now gearbox on the Nissan and its tipped me over the edge.

I guess I'm also here because I'm looking for a car that I'll really enjoy from the factory rather than trying to build the car I want. Maseratis are obviously cars to savour as they are. I'm pretty sold, I think I've got the bug...

 

[allandwf]

Never really had the tuning bug, I always thought it was better to save what I could throw at a car to make it quicker, and buy something quicker in the 1st place. But thats just my opinion.

 

[Parisien]

....and theres no cure....once on the Maserati slippery slope...........................you have to go all the way......

One thing, regardless of how nice it looks, how it goes or whatever.....spend £200 odd quid and get an indie inspection.........even a few small things needing put right can cost


P

 

[JDM]

I have a couple of questions about 3200GT. I’m test driving one at the weekend and also just curious about a couple of things

Does anyone know what kind of LSD they have fitted?
What turbos are on these and are they both the same size?
Is it easy to tell if a car has the contactless pedal pot, is it easy to spot?
Same for the upgraded throttle body, is there anything to show it has been upgraded?
Is an auto as much a drivers car as a manual? What are the autoboxes like?
Where is the obd2 connector? And how do I know it’s not an obd1?

 

[Andyk]

A big welcome to the forum JDM........................I had a 3200 back in 2007....Fast car and sounds brilliant...Can bit you if you don't treat her with respect..Especially in the wet.......Its a real experience ever time you drive one and its such a lovely place to sit..................The turbos give it a real raw edge.......but then if you are used to tuning you will no doubt have driven some very fast tuned cars. I currently have an E46 M3 and for everyday driving its hard to beat....I would get out a drive a 3200 and see what you think.

 

[JDM]

Thanks Andy, I'm expecting it to be powerful and wafty, and yep, I'm used to rubbish handling cars with too much power for the chassis, so will treat it with upmost respect. Not saying thats what im expecting mind!

I've always thought that if you fear it, you'll respect it and you should be alright

How does a 3200 compare to e46 m3? They were on my hitlist.

 

[hodroyd]

JDM,
A warm welcome to the forum, glad to have you.
3200's a terrific car, if it is looked after it will give excellent service and is fast. The auto is quick and effortless, stick it in sport mode, boot it and the kickdown with the turbo's in full swing is an adrenalin rush. As Parisien says, if you are looking seriously at a specific car, definitely get an independant inspection done, it will cost around £150 to £300, but it's well worth it. There is a list of Independent Maserati Specialists on another thread, around the country. You could also contact such as Dicky Grace Cars, a member on here, who has good cars, or he might be able to find you something. Service history is vital, not from Jo Bloggs corner garage, but independents or dealers, a shady history could be hiding all sorts of issues which will cost to put right.
These are different cars, everybody looks at them with envy and they are not just another BMW of which there are thousands and nobody really gives a second glance, you know what I mean??
If you need advice we are all here to try and help the best we can. Good luck in your search..!!
Cheers
R

 

[hodroyd]

JDM,

http://www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/showthread.php/8284-Independent-maserati-specialists

By the way, the 3200 is just as fast as the beamer off the mark and has a much higher top speed.

 

[rotorheadcase]

Contactless pedal pots are not common. As far as I'm aware only Boomerang and Davy are producing them. Boomerang aka Luuk, uses the original body so it's not easy to tell without removing the body from the car but Davy's is a machined metal body so easy to tell.

Turbos are by IHI and are the same both sides.

Upgraded throttle bodies are easier to tell, the end caps that cover the resistor plates will have been changed. I believe they have Sacer or XenomodeX stamped on them... Or something similar.

I would suggest that neither the manual or the auto is a "drivers" car in comparison to a true sports car. but as a grand tourer they are excellent and in my opinion the auto suits the turbos as you have an abundance of torque underfoot and it makes for easy city driving. I use sport mode all the time and the slight stiffening of the suspension along with the different shift points make the auto more than capable of making very fast progress in traffic or on the open road. The manual has a heavy clutch (in comparison to my 911) and for me it did not offer anything more than the auto. Others will have differing opinions but at the end of the day you have to drive both yourself and decide what you like.

Regards,

Neil

 

[lozcb]

Could be worth a quick look

,http://www.copart.co.uk/c2/onSaleRe...10s2&lotId=18515792&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS


should go for so,ewhere in the region of 60% of the Pav price



regards loz

 

[Andyk]

Thanks Andy, I'm expecting it to be powerful and wafty, and yep, I'm used to rubbish handling cars with too much power for the chassis, so will treat it with upmost respect. Not saying thats what im expecting mind!

I've always thought that if you fear it, you'll respect it and you should be alright

How does a 3200 compare to e46 m3? They were on my hitlist.

Without upsetting any of my Maserati friends I would say the E46 is a better handling car and a better everyday prospect....I used my 3200 everyday.......Its more of a sports car than the 3200 but then the 3200 is a GT not a sports car.......But the 3200 is more of an event and a much better place to be........ Performance ...the M3 is quicker than the Auto but the manual 3200 is slightly quicker than the M3 but in the real world there isn't much in it if you look at the figures.............But where the 3200 should have an M3 licked is in the mid range because of the turbo's......you have to work an M3 to get the most out of it. I had a manual 3200 and most will tell you the Auto is better because you do get drive line shunt with a manual in first when in traffic......Me, I still wouldn't have an Auto and still go manual but thats just me...I like to change gear..............

The M3 and 3200 are two very different performance machines and the only way to decide is to get out there and drive a few...............................WHat ever you choose they will both make you smile but as you are used to turbo power I think the rare 3200 will drag you in more than the M3 as the M3 is a very polished car plus it's a great all rounder.......................3200 is very secial and will turn heads where ever you go......

 

[dem maser]

Im with you on that andy.....

3200 is more a tourer so cant compare.....id also have a runaround if you have a 3200 as i feel you will need it whereas other makes you can use as your daily

 

[JDM]

I test drove my first 3200 today and I've got mixed opinions now. I went to see a 51 plate in manual. It has been sitting for a couple of months and had below 13v reading when I fired it up, the trader said this is why the engine light was on.

Took it for a test drive and throttle was ridiculously sensitive. I put that down to the fly by wire issues. Disregarding that, it did have some oomph and went quite well but not as aggressive as I was expecting for nearly 400bhp. You could feel the turbos kick in but it almost felt a little held back at the top of the rev range.

The condition was representative of the 70k miles on the clock and there was slight surface rust on all corners of the wheel arches. The clutch was heavy and the pedal had an annoying creek.

My other concern was how the oil pressure guage would slightly dip below 5bar when pressing the clutch in neutral at a standstill. I wouldn't normally regard that as an issue but suspect crank float after reading up on it.

The trader was keen to get it gone and would have accepted a silly low offer, but regardless of this it just wasnt enough to make me get the cheque book out.

I can see why some say the auto suits it, so my next port of call is to find an auto to go see and compare. I'm not looking for a B road blaster really but do want something aggressive. It does feel like there is a lot of potential improvement to be done to the dynamics and handling. The engine almost feels too much for the chassis, it's difficult to tell but that could just be the crazy sensitive throttle distorting my perspective.

Overall though, super stylish, nice place to be inside and the engine tone and power delivery was impressive and what I am looking for. I also liked the relative simplicity under the hood. I'll take my time and haven't been deterred. I rarely get excited about a particular model of car but the 3200gt is still teasing me. the mechanical recipe, overall package, style and image has genuinely got me hooked right now.