My friends think I'm mad

[conaero]

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.

Run as fast as you can from this one. It would need a second opinion but this motor sounds like it has advanced endfloat wear. Basically the crank is lunched.

The clutch is a pull type and what is happening is when you press the clutch the crank is moving in the journals and causing interruption in the pressure as the oil galleries get restricted.

Can you do us a favour and post up the advert as I don't want any of the members buying this car.

 

[Emtee]

Hi JDM and a belated welcome to the forum.

Plenty of good advice already, and as Matt says, be very wary of the one you drove.

For what little it's worth I'd say drive as many as you can, and if you can stretch the budget a little, look at circa £13 - 15K. These are truly great, charismatic cars, but they do need to be looked after properly. My concern is that your budget might limit you to the potentially ropey examples, and you'll be left with a false impression of how good a sorted 3200 can be.

Anyway, all the best in your search.

Regards, Miles.

 

[JDM]

I don't think I was unfair about what i said, but the trader didn't know anything about them which was a slight surprise as its from supervettura.com and their stock is incredible. It's on autotrader for £8950, silver with black interior.

The car is fair and honest, despite the gremlin/niggles. The main concern was the oil gauge moving when dipping the clutch, it was just a slight blip on the needle but from what I've researched enough to cause concern. I take it the needle should not budge when idling?

The trader was very friendly and honest, I didn't feel he was hiding anything and it was obvious these cars aren't part of his typical proposition.

I'm now thinking of 4200s, what are thoughts in general on this? Is the 4200 a more sorted car overall and less cause for concern?

Is it only the 3200 that has the throttle issues? That annoyed me also even though it's an easy fix, albeit a little costly for what it is.

 

[rotorheadcase]

The 4200 is not without its own issues and for me does not have the on boost rush of the 3200. I test drove manual and auto 3200s and a manual 4200 and the auto 3200 was the one that suited me. I didn't consider the CC 4200 as the box is not well enough developed to be reliable and user friendly as a daily driver. ( others may disagree)

I would caution against a cheap example as even a well cared for car will cost you up to a couple of thousand pounds a year in maintenance on average.

Neil

 

[BennyD]

I've got a 4200CC spyder and I love it; the CC box is really rather good once you have worked out how to use it. So far, over 20k miles, mine has proved to be very reliable and it gets thrashed on a regular basis. The 4200 engine isn't as fragile as the 3200 and is regarded as being generally more reliable. It is broadly the same engine as the Ferrari 430 and at 7500rpm with decent pipes, it sounds awesome. If I had to make the choice again, I would make the same choice again.

 

[conaero]

My GTS is in at the dealers and I have been smoking around in a Merc auto and I don't like it, mainly due to the gearbox.

I like a manual but my prefered box is without doubt the semi auto, CC/MC shift, they are brilliant.

I think going back to your case in point, you can sum the difference in these cars by running costs. When I had my 3200, I was told at the time that the car would cost £3k a year to run to which I thought rubbish, and I was wrong. I then had a GS and that cost less than a grand a year to run...indie service and some tyres maybe.

Looking back the 3200 is much more of a mental car, the 4200/GS is more balanced and civilised.

It depends what you want but if I were going 3200 again, I would go auto and you know my feelings about autos from above, I don't like them, but for me the throttle, clutch and endfloat issues, it makes sense.

For me though, 4200 Gransport is where I would be with the coupe, it really is that good.

 

[dem maser]

Love my 3200 but if you want better reliability from it buy an auto.....

 

[JDM]

thanks for the replies, really useful stuff.

I still want a 3200gt in auto, but i am in absolutely no rush. As a buyer, I have the bargaining power. It's unfortunate, but almost every seller I have spoken to has had their car for sale for quite some time and all have told me there is little no interest in them. What a shame, as I can see what these cars are all about and where all of the club members passion for them comes from.

I can only assume most people stay away from them because of the horror stories and are blinded by the tripe in the internet going on about unreliability and expense. You can google any car in existence and find horror stories, users will rarely post about the positives and only question communities when there is something negative.

All I can say to that is it's their loss and if anything I quite like the prospect of owning something that many would be scared of, it seems these cars a little bit of a great value and rather misunderstood secret.

By the way, this forum has been very helpful. I intend to hang around here until I hopefully get one and then fully immersing myself into the club. I suspect I may no find 'the one' until sometime next year though.

 

[2b1ask1]

That's a very healthy approach to have JDM; only fools rush in etc...

You have hit the nail on the head regarding percieved issues, sure there are some members that have had 'issues' to deal with on their cars, there have been members on here that have come on full of enthusiasm and gusto and have quickly discovered that Maseratis are not for them... Some have bought cars, spent uber amounts on upgrades to sterios and all sorts only to sell after a few weeks and be unheard of again... Most of us however the cars get under the skin; more than a few days out of the saddle and you just have to get in it and start the engine... if not rag it silly for an hour!!! the grin says it all!!!!!

 

[RossWA]

Keep hunting, there are good cars out there, I spent months looking for mine, but it was really worth it. Good cars sell quickly and the not so good hang around for a long time. If you find one that has been well looked after the throttle issues will already have been fixed. All the same be prepared to spend money on it, after all you are buying a 10 or 11 year old car. There is also a difference between early and late series cars, later cars are much smoother in acceleration and braking.

 

[hodroyd]

On the subject of the idle oil pressure, they do drop from max 5 bar, down to around the half way point, say 2.5 bar on hot idle, this is pretty normal. A sudden blip on pressure when changing gear is not normal, I have never experienced that and could be an end float issue. The later 2001 3200's have some improvements which make them a much more civilised drive than earlier models and the auto is smooth, but manic in sport..!!

 

[JDM]

I'll keep hunting, i can imagine the good ones get snapped up quickly! Saying that, the sellers I've spoken to said they have little to no interest in their cars for sale, which suits me as it gives me pick of the bunch. There will always be bad apples though.

I am hooked and after a test drive I DO WANT. The mechanical recipe of these cars is just what I'm after.

 

[hodroyd]

Best advice anybody can give, is to definitely spend the £150 to £300 on an independent specialist inspection. Find a car you feel comfortable with and there are lot's of dogs around so take care, then get it sent in, or picked up by an indie and get it checked. Service History is a must and not at Fred Blogs Garage; dealer, or indie. There is a list of indies around the country and they are used to members asking for an inspection on a car. Get the Registration and the VIN, contact Maserati Classiche and they will give you a full build history, if the car is different to that, stay clear.
Dicky Grace, a member on here has some good cars, or he will hunt for one for you, they are mechanically sound when to you get them.

 

[Parisien]

Just follow all the endless advice found on SM.....unfortunately for every good one of the 6/7/8/9 years old cars on the market...there are 3/4/5 dogs whose owners can afford to buy one, but not spend £1/2/3/4K as and when required to maintain it....buyer beware!

But smart buyer....revel in all that Maserati glory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


P

 

[JDM]

I'm putting some time aside this weekend to go see a couple of autos for sale. I do think the manual one I saw may not have been representative of what a good manual should be like so I still want to try another.

Many have said the later cars are smoother and more manageable in the way they feel, does anyone know what was done to make these improvements?

 

[hodroyd]

Yes, there were improvements to the drive by wire settings, brakes and steering geometry. Earlier cars had a tendency to have like an on/off throttle, instead of a smoth progression and the brakes were very much the same, which made smooth driving quite difficult and traffic driving quite hard work.

 

[JDM]

so a fully contactless throttle can resolve these issues on earlier cars I'm hoping?

Has anyone ever tried going for a traditional cable throttle? or would that cause too many problems with engine management?

been reading up on why the knock sensors knacker out and from what i can work out, it's from running fuel that is too low octane. Even though regular unleaded is meant to be 95 ron, it typically isn't. Shell V power has strict quality control as is pretty much guaranteed at 98/99 ron. Commiting to super unleaded should improve reliability of the knock sensors.

On all my tuned turbo cars the performance difference between regular and super unleaded is night and day

 

[dem maser]

Contactess TB all the way

 

[Rex B]

Hi

Hi
I have a manual 3200 and they are not initially easy to drive but taming the beast is part of the challenge and after a while you learn to be gentle with the throttle when you need to and enjoy the moments when you can floor it. I have had my year 2000 for 4 years, it has a contactorless Throttle Body and Pedal pot and they do help with the sensitivity issues and have also given me full reliability. The brakes and handling are fine, later cars may have been improved but Maserati were making improvemnts throughout the life of the 3200 so don't let the year put you off drive it and decide for yourself. I also prefer the manual because it give you better control but again you need to try both to find what is best for you before you make your decision. If you can get an inspection done then it certainly worth while but if you can't then at least contact the Maserati dealer or specialist who carried out the last service and they should have details of any work that was required and not done. And don't rush the right one will come along.

Best of luck
Rex B

 

[JDM]

Thanks for the advice Rex, I'll keep looking, and it seems 'the best comes to those who wait' really applies here. When I do find what I think is the right one, ill get it inspected.