| |
 |
|
A Maserati for £3,000 - Surely investing in a used Maserati is the last word in car-buying idiocy? Sometimes, but they don't have to require a bottomless pit of cash, says Colin Goodwin after talking to the experts.
'The 3.2-litre Quattroporte had 325bhp. Very fast, very sideways, very understated.'
|
Biturbo Spyder
228
Karif
222E
430
Quattroporte IV
Ghibli GT | |
Autocar
Maserati. What a wonderful name. Fangio, Moss, Taruffi and dozens of other legends drove them. Vastly more competition pedigree than Aston Martin and at one time a greater racing force than Ferrari. And you can have that trident badge on your driveway for under a grand.
'Wait for it,' you say, 'Goodwin is about to suggest that we all go out and buy a Maserati Biturbo. A legend of a car. The symbol of Italian unreliability. In short, the ultimate dog.'
Well hold your fire and hold off the men in white coats for just a minute. I, like you, am well aware of Maserati's desperate reputation. However, much of that reputation grew out of experiences of the cars when they were new. If you stepped out of a Mercedes or BMW and into a Maserati Biturbo you expected at least a vaguely similar level of quality and reliability with the added glamour of a classic Italian badge. Instead you got missed meetings, ruined holidays and a reputation as a person who couldn’t spot a winner if the result was announced before the start of the race.
Furthermore, the frightening reputation has also been built up over the years by misinformation. Take the Biturbo's twin turbochargers. I'd always heard that these units are extremely unreliable, especially the early ones that didn’t have water cooling.
'That’s not really true,' says Andrew Heywood, proprietor of Bill McGrath Maserati in Hertfordshire (Heywood bought the business when Bill McGrath retired a few years ago). 'For a start, the turbos are Japanese IHI units. The trouble was that people would thrash up the motorway for hours and just switch off the engine. Both the air-cooled and water-cooled turbos are reliable if looked after.'
THE BITURBO
The first right-hand-drive Biturbos arrived in the UK in 1986. The Coupe, 425 and Spyder were all powered by a 192bhp 2.5-litre V6 with three-valve combustion chambers (two inlet, one exhaust) and a twin-choke Weber carburettor. All these cars have water-cooled turbochargers, so any car you see that’s pre-’86 is an import and will have air-cooled turbos.
'The carburettor cars are tricky to tune and can be a real problem to start when hot,’ says Heywood. ‘They also suffer badly from vapour lock in hot weather. Maserati tried to cure it by fitting a little electric fan that vented the plenum chamber of fumes but it didn’t really work. You just have to know the knack of starting them. You can imagine that a customer coming from a sophisticated German luxury car would not be too impressed about having to pump the throttle three times before he attempted to start the engine.'
From 1989 onwards the cars used Weber Marelli fuel injection on engines that now displaced 2.8 litres and produced a very interesting 245 bhp.
'These cars were a vast improvement on the carburettor cars,' says Heywood. 'There was no need for a pre-flight check as you could just turn the key and it would start. The build quality was better, too, and the cars were fitted with ventilated front discs which meant that, unlike the earlier ones,you could actually stop them.'
'Both carburettor and fuel-injected engines — they're essentially the same apart from fuel system and capacity - are pretty reliable. The same bottom end was used right up to and including the 330bhp Ghibli Cup so it's tough. The engines run with a very high oil pressure so oil leaks are common and can, if they run onto the clutch, be the cause of further problems.'
Maserati can supply virtually all parts for cars from 1982 onwards. Prices are surprisingly reasonable especially, fortunately, for body panels.
'It used to be mechanical problems that would kill a Biturbo,' reports Heywood, 'but now it's more likely to be rotting panels. A bonnet is £368; wings £200 each and a complete door £550. However, once the bulkhead starts to go it's pretty much game over, unless it can be patched up.
'New, the injection cars were much better. However, today you really need to go on overall condition of the cars. In other words, you’re much better off with a really sound carburettor car that's been well looked after than a ropey fuel-injected car.'
I'm getting quite excited. My Porsche 911, my Merc estate and a Maserati. Yes, that would be a nice collection. And then the phone rings. The Cunninghams were on their way to a Maserati rally in Antibes in their 228, a big coupe based on the standard car’s shell and using all the same running gear and power train - only 30 were imported to the UK. Now they’re on the back of a low-loader on their way to Unit 8, Claggy Lane, Kimpton, Hertfordshire, where people with sick Maseratis go.
THE QUATTROPORTE
In his workshops Heywood has an example of almost every Maserati made in the last 30 years. There's even one of the eccentric-looking Quattroportes built between 1995 and 2000.
The QP was launched with a V6 engine also used in the Ghibli, with the same bottom end as the Biturbo engine but with twin cams and four-valve heads. Its 2.8 litres produced 285bhp and in 1997 it was replaced by a 3.2-litre twin-turbo V8 that had 325bhp. I remember the car well. Very fast, very sideways and very understated.
'You’re moving into a different era with these cars,' says Heywood. 'The engines are still reliable — including the sophisticated electronics — the problem is the cost of a major service. One camshaft is turned by a toothed belt on the front of the engine but this cam in turn drives the other via a chain at the back of the engine. The front belt is easy to change and should be done every 24,000 miles. The chains should be changed at 48,000 miles and it’s an engine-out job. You're looking at £2000 for this service. We tend to carefully inspect them and leave their replacement a bit longer if they're okay. If possible go for a later, post-Ferrari takeover, V8 as they had a better oil-filtration system — the earlier type can damage big ends. Parts prices for the QPs are dearer, but rust shouldn't be a problem. Remember, however, that you're buying a car that was £60,000 new and with that comes £60,000 car service costs.
THE GHIBLI
Heywood also has a Ghibli Cup in the workshop, probably the first modem Maserati to attract the attention of the mainstream performance nut, with 330bhp from a 2.0-litre V6. 'These cars are becoming collectable,' says Heywood. 'Not many were made and they're great fun to drive. As with the Quattroporte, parts are not cheap. A headlamp is £400, for example. Worse, they use roller bearing turbos that cost £4000 each. However, the standard turbo — at £1200 - will do the job well enough so we use them on the rare occasions that one fails.'
The standard Ghibli was introduced in 1994 and used the same 285bhp V6 as the Quattroporte as well as the same running gear. As with the Quattroporte, you’re entering a different bracket from the Biturbo.
CHOOSE CAREFULLY
- 'Search hard, and find a really well-maintained and tidy Biturbo, and the risk is not that great'
The Cunninghams' 228 has arrived. It takes Paul Molyneux, who's worked at Bill McGrath’s even longer than Heywood and who has a vast knowledge of all models, just a few minutes to fix the problem. 'It was just a water temperature sender,' reports Molyneux. 'Used on dozens of different Fiats. When it fails the fuel injection ECU has no idea of how warm the engine is and the fuelling goes all over the place.'
Molyneux reckons that this 228 has other problems on the horizon that will need fixing, such as a blowing exhaust manifold. 'That's an engine out job. Worth it though, because if you really go over them carefully and catch problems before they happen, these early cars can be made reliable.'
And here Molyneux has hit the key point in owning a bargain Maserati. Search hard - the owners club is a good place to start - and find yourself a really well-maintained and tidy Biturbo and the risk is not that great The cars are relatively simple and parts not expensive. Move up to the later Ghiblis and Quattroportes and you’re playing a different game. It’s essential to start with a very sound car tha thas been meticulously maintained. It might not be a bargain to buy, but it will save you a fortune in the long run. Although Heywood doesn’t sell Maseratis, he will carry out a pre-purchase inspection if you can get the carto his workshop.
Goodwin's tip? From the early cars I'd go for a Spyder with the 2.8 engine and 245bhp. They were nice cars. Next, a V8 Quattroporte, but only an immaculate one with an impeccable service history. Fast and classy. Lastly, a Ghibli Cup. Sutcliffe and I put one of these against an M3 and preferred it to the German car because of the thrill it delivered. I can see these cars holding their value.
And what would I buy? A cheap, sound, injected Biturbo for under two grand. It's not a lot for a Maserati, is it?
AUTOCAR
This article first appeared in the March 29th issue of Autocar that also featured a full road test (six pages) on the new Quattroporte.
The 330bhp Ghibli Cup
BACK TO MORE ARTICLES
|
|
