You will usually find the mileage is quite low year for year compared
to say a Mercedes. The Biturbo is a pleasant and sporty car to own with a classic badge for relatively low money. The performance is excellent, the handling good exceptionally good on the Ghibli Cup. Prices vary and are starting to creep up. Total restoration cases from £1,000 but should really be avoided. A four door model in useable order from about £2,500. A two door coupe early ones on carburettors for again about £2,500 upwards and on injection from about £3,500. Spyders, Ghiblis and Karifs are more expensive starting from about £6,000 and going up to about £15,000. More for a Ghibli Cup in good condition with history.
Condition is everything. These cars were designed to be a competitor to the 3 series BMW and the 190 Mercedes Cosworth. They sold more of them than any other previous Maserati but never approached German quality or reliability. They were designed under the guidance of the new owner Alexandro DeTomaso and were constantly modified and steadily improved throughout the production. I have found the 2.8 injection cars built from 1988 and imported from 1989 onwards to be the most reliable.
 When buying one, whichever model, certain problems are common. The clock is usually missing. This is a particular feature and even second hand will command £200. Rot is always a problem especially on the pre 1990 cars and can be extremely expensive to repair. Check under the plastic sill guards, the rear wheel arches, front and rear sub frame mountings in particular. Cars which have been repaired and re-sprayed should be checked to make sure the work has been properly done by one of the Maserati experts.
The interior is originally a beautiful combination of leather and suede. It is prone to scuffing. Re-upholstery can be undertaken but requires specialist attention due to the suede/leather combination. A tatty interior usually indicates a careless owner and high mileage. Re-upholstery costs are approximately £300 a seat. Always check if all make sure the work has been properly done by one of the Maserati experts.
Aleays check if all the instruments are working. It is rare on the older cars if they are. They are prone to electrical problems especially on the oil pressure gauge due to amateur servicing knocking the wires off when changing the filter. They are also prone on speedo and rev counters to the needles curling up and causing sticking or violent fluctuation. This
requires stripping and replacing of the needles. The mechanics of the car are ok providing it has been regularly serviced. Always check when the cam belts were last changed and that the engine is not leaking oil. When the car is stationary and running depress the clutch, if a steady rattling subsides you know you have the common clutch release bearing problem. The bearings are getting scarce and labour to change it will be £300/£400. The cars are also prone to track rod end problems. The racks as I stated in my previous article are not ZF, the right hand drive cars are usually TRW. They are close to the ground
the pinion end and the pinion casing can get rubbed away by constant use on bad roads.
 Brakes and suspension are fairly simple, front hub bearings should be checked as with wider tyres on some of the models they
tend to give problems. Check the underside of the car for damage, you can often find the anti roll bars are damaged and dents on the underside of the car due to rough roads and amateur servicing jacking up in wrong places.
If the mileage is high, more than an average 5,000/6,000 a year, be particularly careful and check service records and for play in the transmission. Check the oil pressure when hot; if it falls low on the gauge on tick over when hot walk quietly away. Engine and transmission rebuilds are highly expensive.
So if you have found your Biturbo and done a deal bearing in mind all the points or bought a really good one which you share with your tame Swiss Banker you have acquired a small piece of modern motoring history. You can look forward to exciting motoring with a unique flavour and interesting club activities. In a future article I will be giving you a list of parts suppliers and helpful service information. In the next issue the history and what to look for with a Classic V8 Maserati.
William J Riley. |
