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MaseratiForumMaserati Cars3200GT, 4200 Coupe/Spyder, GranSport G'day All

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12/1/2012 4:15:51  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 12/1/2012
Status: offline 		Hi all, My name is Tim, I am from Australia....I have joined Aussie Exotics recently, and have found no help what so ever. My situation is that I am 23, I have owned old Italian machinery all of my life and I love them to bits. I have decided to buy myself a toy soon and I am doing a bit of research into it at the moment. I am looking at a Maserati 3200 gt....and my question is this; What are they like to own, what are they like to drive? In town and out, through bumpy roads and smooth corners? What modifications should be done to them to make them just 'right'??? As per usual with these sorts of car's, I would assume that Maintenance is Key. I would have thought it be critical to keep ontop of it all....and that's not what worries me. I see lots of reviews saying that pump's go for no reason, but they also say the same thing's about alfa's....it's just not true, I find that the people coming out with these sorts of things usually take it to Midas to get serviced who have no idea with what they are dealing with. Anyway any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers Tim
12/1/2012 7:08:15  

Posts: 49
Since: 26/8/2010
Region: Williamstown
Status: offline 		G'Day, Now is the time to pounce on a 3200,the prices have dropped dramatically,which means I paid too much for mine 18 months ago. I think the first thing is to ensure you get one with a complete service history as some of them have been treated unsympathetically and not serviced correctly. If you are in Melbourne I can recommend service for which you won't get ripped off. I have a fully equipped garage & service all my cars. The 3200 is not a sports car,it's a GT,so you shouldn't expect razor sharp,nimble handling like my two Lotus cars. I have a manual and would strongly advise against the auto box. If you enjoy driving the auto isn't for you. The ZF gearbox is hard to select 1st.,2nd.,and reverse cold,gets OK when warm. Remember that the accelerator pedal settings are learned,so don't depress when starting and regularly do a reset as detailed in the owner's manual. The throttle bodies are prone to failure but can be refurbished. Use the car regularly as you'll get all sorts of strange things happening and a former owner was faced with replacement of a rear main oil seal because he didn't use it often enough. Mine still has an erratic idle occasionally,but I know how to deal with a temperamental Italian ! Do not buy an imported car. I personally know about the ones on the market and they are far worse than you could possibly imagine. The body steel is a thin galvanised type which requires expert repair. In fact be careful,as leaning on the body can leave a permanent depression. The body has no seams so repainting requires an entire body respray - check that bodgy repairs haven't been done on any you think of buying. Also bare metal must be sprayed with two pak epoxy under the primer to prevent corrosion,so repairs are expensive,check cars carefully. I love my Maser most of the time,so I say get a good one and go for it ! Check carefully underneath or on a hoist to see how much abuse the car has undergone. Strangely,the steering rack is the lowest part of the car and should have an intact fibreglass shroud. It's worth getting a car with good leather of which there's enough to clothe a big herd of cows,and get busy with the hide treatment as most cars are never maintained. Anyway,keep us informed and best of luck.

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I thought I saw my name on a loaf of bread this morning,however it just said "thick cut"
12/1/2012 10:13:03  

Posts: 102
Since: 20/6/2010
Region: Perth
Status: online 		G'day Tim, I guess the question is what you are looking to get out of the car? As posted, the 3200 is by no means a sports car so you should not expect it to perform like one. I bought mine for touring as I have a hard core 911 and went for the auto because it perfectly suits the broad power delivery of the twin turb engine. Yes it's a fairly agricultural 4 speed box and is a tad slower on paper compared to the manual but in reality it can outperform the manual consistently in real world traffic. I would never consider tracking the car as it will only disappoint and I think you would be better off with a Ghibli or an Alfa if that is your intent. If you are happy to drive the car for its designed purpose then you should be well pleased if you find a good example. The imports are a bit hit and miss as many of them have seen harsh UK winters and salted roads. The only real advice that I would give is make sure you can afford surprise bills. I did my due diligence and bought a mint example and still have had to replace both lambda probes, refurbished the throttle body, replace a door lock actuator and have a split coolant hose replaced. This last item cost me $3000 as it required the lower sub frame be dropped to access the hose. First years ownership has cost me just over $5000 in unforeseen maintenance. The cars may be selling for good money but that's just the entry price to play supercars. Good luck and let us know how you get on. regards, Neil

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Leave me here in my, stark-raving, sick, sad, little world...
12/1/2012 19:27:07  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 12/1/2012
Status: offline 		Hey guys, Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Mr Richards....sorry mate, I dont know your name....I live in QLD at present, and will have the car in Brisbane, Having said that, I dont know of many places that will work on the car, I had a bit of a blue with Euro Marque the other day, (Our maserati dealer) As I was waiting for just over 40 mins to get someone to talk to me and when he did he was quite rude. Anyway, I am looking for someone to look after it and if driving to Melb is the go, well then I will just pack my bags for a dirty weekend in Melb. I won't be using the car on the track, it will be my special car, a car to drive down the highway on my week off to see the old boy in NSW, and then to have a bit of fun with on the mountain, then drive home (It's a 7 hour drive)....as you said Neil, the Alfa is my track day toy, I am doing up an old 33 which I plan on tracking.....so yeah. I will also be taking it out for a nice Sunday breakfast and also a nice Sunday mountain run when I'm in Brisbane The reason I have gone down this path is that I am young and single, I was talking to my dad about the prospect of a new car before too much longer as all my friends have got their 80k Comodore's and things like that, so I was originally thinking of a Alfa Giulietta as my new car, when I saw them for 49,990 I thought well I could have a 3200 gt for that price so why not??? As for the handling of these car's, they're not a track day toy, but you'd be able to have a bit of fun up a mountain wouldn't you?? The other thing too, these car's are typically Italian by the sounds of it, need to be driven to survive....what are they like to drive in Daily traffic? A bit of a pig....as I said I want a manual....Infact here is a link to the car I'm looking at.... http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/maserati-3200gt-2000-11353469?vertical=Car&cr=0&eapi=2&__N=1216%201246%201247%201252%201282%204294965360%204294964988&distance=25&silo=Stock&Range=Price:Min,Max~1&sort=default How hard are the throttle bodies to get out to get re-furbed....or is it one of those Dealer jobs? The thing that also keeps coming out is that the costs are very high....Im lucky in the job I have, but I think I will need to have a credit card just for the car..... Cheers Tim
13/1/2012 0:32:38  
 

Posts: 52
Since: 20/6/2010
Region: melbourne mcv#128
Status: offline 		Thats @ IMG - most likley an UK import

Put up further details as in VIN or old regio and someone may recognise the car
13/1/2012 1:58:53  

Posts: 102
Since: 20/6/2010
Region: Perth
Status: online 		They are fantastic through a twisty mountain road and have all the comfort of a luxury tourer. I would strongly recommend driving bot a manual and an auto before buying. The auto is an absolute doddle in traffic and can deal with anything city driving throws at you. I drove a manual through the city lunchtime traffic and that made up my mind. The clutch on the example I drove was heavy and unfriendly and that's in comparison to my air cooled 911 so make sure that the manual is indeed the car for you. Throttle bodies are a 5 minute job to unbolt and cost around $800 including shipping, to have refurbished to contactless. There are a couple of members on this site who offer the service but no one in Oz can do it. If you have the means to maintain the car and you are aware of the limitations that a 12 year old car presents then personally I think they cannot be beaten for value, performance and sheer drama when driving. No one will give your mates commodores and falcons a second glance but the sight of your Masser gliding down the road will always turn heads. Regards, Neil

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Leave me here in my, stark-raving, sick, sad, little world...
14/1/2012 10:09:38  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 12/1/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: adam01 Thats @ IMG - most likley an UK import Put up further details as in VIN or old regio and someone may recognise the car
I dont know that it is a Import....I could be wrong, and more than usual I am. I was going to call them up and ask for a bit of information on the car but I haven't had time in the last few days as I've been without internet and with a Gran =( I will find out soon enough though and get back to ya!
14/1/2012 10:12:07  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 12/1/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: rotorheadcase They are fantastic through a twisty mountain road and have all the comfort of a luxury tourer. I would strongly recommend driving bot a manual and an auto before buying. The auto is an absolute doddle in traffic and can deal with anything city driving throws at you. I drove a manual through the city lunchtime traffic and that made up my mind. The clutch on the example I drove was heavy and unfriendly and that's in comparison to my air cooled 911 so make sure that the manual is indeed the car for you. Throttle bodies are a 5 minute job to unbolt and cost around $800 including shipping, to have refurbished to contactless. There are a couple of members on this site who offer the service but no one in Oz can do it. If you have the means to maintain the car and you are aware of the limitations that a 12 year old car presents then personally I think they cannot be beaten for value, performance and sheer drama when driving. No one will give your mates commodores and falcons a second glance but the sight of your Masser gliding down the road will always turn heads. Regards, Neil
Thanks Neil, That's my thought's exactly, funnily enough one of my mates I was talking to last night was considering one, until I told him that these things needed to be maintained by competent people. He is still fairly new to that concept and was horrified when he started doing a little research into prices. Thanks again though, it's been good to get your views on the car, I think I will most certainly be getting one soon enough =) I cant wait.... Cheers Tim
15/1/2012 0:35:39  

Posts: 43
Since: 27/10/2010
Region: cardiff
Status: offline 		Hello, just to second what the guys have said really and hopefully you will make the right choice for your needs. At present i own both a manual and an automatic 3200 [ dont ask!]. The auto will be for sale shortly, not because shes a bad car infact the mileage is half that of the manual. I use the auto every day and its great but for me it does lack excitement, its a little too civilised, effortless even around town. The manual however is a pig to live with day to day in the city, the clutch and gears are stiff and if your not smooth enough your rewarded with a clunk from the drive train, but your involved and she feels like a drivers car, it feels alot quicker too. The pedals and foot rest on both cars are a bit strange . i have a size 9 foot [43 i think] which i think is about avereage and i struggle on times, in the auto under braking  your rested foot can interfere with the moving pedal and the manual pedals are very close and the foot rest  location is a little off the mark. The mechanical side of things ive had no issues really apart from a leaky shock and a upper ball joint . You may need a good autoelecy as ive had a few glitches here. throttle body issues[ £600 refurb from bill on the forum] , throttle pot [300plus vat euro car parts], suspension actuator [ £ 170 second hand],  knock sensors [X2 £50 each] . If you do consider importing id say nows a good time as ive seen a few on ebay which can be had for under 8k! id expect a few undisclosed issues for that money but cheap al lthe same. good luck.
15/1/2012 1:15:29  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 12/1/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: DARCANGELO Hello, just to second what the guys have said really and hopefully you will make the right choice for your needs. At present i own both a manual and an automatic 3200 [ dont ask!]. The auto will be for sale shortly, not because shes a bad car infact the mileage is half that of the manual. I use the auto every day and its great but for me it does lack excitement, its a little too civilised, effortless even around town. The manual however is a pig to live with day to day in the city, the clutch and gears are stiff and if your not smooth enough your rewarded with a clunk from the drive train, but your involved and she feels like a drivers car, it feels alot quicker too. The pedals and foot rest on both cars are a bit strange . i have a size 9 foot [43 i think] which i think is about avereage and i struggle on times, in the auto under braking  your rested foot can interfere with the moving pedal and the manual pedals are very close and the foot rest  location is a little off the mark. The mechanical side of things ive had no issues really apart from a leaky shock and a upper ball joint . You may need a good autoelecy as ive had a few glitches here. throttle body issues[ £600 refurb from bill on the forum] , throttle pot [300plus vat euro car parts], suspension actuator [ £ 170 second hand],  knock sensors [X2 £50 each] . If you do consider importing id say nows a good time as ive seen a few on ebay which can be had for under 8k! id expect a few undisclosed issues for that money but cheap al lthe same. good luck.
Thanks for the advice mate, I am looking at everything at the moment, but I am trying to steer clear of the imports as you really don't get any real history unless someone know's the car. My little alfa romeo is the same as you describe, as is the MV Agusta now I think about it, when it comes to town driving, the car and bike both get the s**ts up because they wern't really designed for it, but the thing really rewards you when you hit the mountains and driving it like it's supposed to be driven, this is the other reason Im moving back to the Italian machinery, the german stuff while very good....lacks that excitement that the italian's provide so well. There is a strange lunacy about the italians and it just seems to work! Thanks again Tim
17/1/2012 13:15:59  

Posts: 186
Since: 5/6/2009
Region: Aberdeen
Status: offline 		I have a 3200GTA and moved to it after 7 years of TVR's. The 3200 is not hard work on bumpy roads and the auto is good in the city. I like the auto box as you can leave it in drive and poodle about or drive it like a manual and its is fine since it has a lock up torque converter and will allow manual operation. I have not seen any problems with gear shift, being difficult to select, but i might have been lucky? I find sliding the selector though the gears is reasonably rewarding. Most of all the 3200 is a car you can live with, its comfortable and very stylish, and can be pretty quick if you want it to and easy too. I am driving mine around on icy roads and still passing every thing on the road with no problems so its well enough behaved. it can suffer a lot of niggly problems, its Italian, so as long as you are prepared for oddities and unexplainable failures it will be fine. When its going it takes about 20 seconds for you to forget the frustration and annoyance when it broke down! Personally i think the twin turbo V8 is a truly theatrical engine, its a pure grin every time.

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keepin it running
17/1/2012 21:51:03  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 12/1/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: davy83 I have a 3200GTA and moved to it after 7 years of TVR's. The 3200 is not hard work on bumpy roads and the auto is good in the city. I like the auto box as you can leave it in drive and poodle about or drive it like a manual and its is fine since it has a lock up torque converter and will allow manual operation. I have not seen any problems with gear shift, being difficult to select, but i might have been lucky? I find sliding the selector though the gears is reasonably rewarding. Most of all the 3200 is a car you can live with, its comfortable and very stylish, and can be pretty quick if you want it to and easy too. I am driving mine around on icy roads and still passing every thing on the road with no problems so its well enough behaved. it can suffer a lot of niggly problems, its Italian, so as long as you are prepared for oddities and unexplainable failures it will be fine. When its going it takes about 20 seconds for you to forget the frustration and annoyance when it broke down! Personally i think the twin turbo V8 is a truly theatrical engine, its a pure grin every time.
By the sounds of this car, its a bit like the MV agusta's....especially the Brutale range, I own a 750, renowned for its snatchy throttle, poor fuel consumption and generally being a difficult ride, The 910, 1078 and 1090 brute's are much more refined, but god I have some fun on my bike. It's a lout who enjoys going very quickly and gets very grumpy in town. Same thing with the niggles.....it's all forgiven though when you hit a set of corners and everyone else falls behind.....It was quite funny doing that to an RSV-1000 R Aprilia up in Brisbane once.... Thanks for all the advice guys....now I just have to get my job sorted out and I think I will be adding one to the Garage very soon!

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Options are wonderful, Decisions are a pain in the a**e
18/1/2012 0:02:11  

Posts: 208
Since: 8/3/2008
Status: offline 		Tim Had an MV 750 in the workshop running like a bag of nails. Did a proper service, including clearances and fuel filter,balanced the throttlebodies reset the TPS the guy thought I swapped his bike for another. Moral: Italian metal is like women difficult until you pay some attention to them! Cheers
18/1/2012 1:21:13  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 12/1/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: bill Tim Had an MV 750 in the workshop running like a bag of nails. Did a proper service, including clearances and fuel filter,balanced the throttlebodies reset the TPS the guy thought I swapped his bike for another. Moral: Italian metal is like women difficult until you pay some attention to them! Cheers
Sounds like them! haha....You need two things I believe to own an Italian, Love and a sense of humour....You have to make sure you go out of your way to make sure she/he is happy or else life becomes very difficult =P
18/1/2012 18:23:49  
 

Posts: 39
Since: 13/5/2011
Region: West Yorkshire
Status: offline 		Hi Tim,

Welcome to the forum. A 3200GT will be a great car for you, a good drive, fast, good looking and with a presence not many other cars have. Like any sports car, on really bumpy roads you will feel the bumps. On a normal drive they are exquisite with very good manners. You will turn heads!!
Hope you find your dream, you will not be dissapointed, the grin stays with you for hours after a drive.

Cheers
H

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02 3200 GTA Assetto Corsa 75/75, 550 Discs & Pagid Race Pads
5/2/2012 5:07:52  
 

Posts: 4
Since: 4/9/2010
Status: offline 		Hi Tim

Just FYI, Automotion in Brisbane (centrally-based just off Kingsford Smith Drive in Albion) will happily deal with your Maserati servicing. Both the guys there are ex-factory and worked at Euromarque so have been fully trained in Alfa, Maserati and Ferrari (both done the courses in Italy) and also do Lamoborghini and Lotus as well. I believe they are one of (if not the only) Brisbane-based independent who have invested heavily in the necessary hardware and software for all types of SD testing for the Italian cars.They have always serviced my succession of Alfa's and do a great job and good prices. They will be my key to Maserati ownership as and when the time comes that's for sure!!!

Cheers

Gary
5/2/2012 20:23:03  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 12/1/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Hopefully

Hi Tim,

Welcome to the forum. A 3200GT will be a great car for you, a good drive, fast, good looking and with a presence not many other cars have. Like any sports car, on really bumpy roads you will feel the bumps. On a normal drive they are exquisite with very good manners. You will turn heads!!
Hope you find your dream, you will not be dissapointed, the grin stays with you for hours after a drive.

Cheers
H


Thanks for that. I have just taken a new job at Gladstone in QLD, and now the Maser has to be put on the back burners for a few months till I get set up with a rental and a house which I need to buy  Im not too happy about it, but I suppose I do need to prioritise.....Although I may be able to wrangle something.

If Im getting it for up here, the scope of the work may have to change for it though, it will be alot more on the touring side now, going up and down the highway for a few hours to get to the twisties....ohwell more hours will make us friends quicker I suppose =)

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Options are wonderful, Decisions are a pain in the a**e
5/2/2012 20:24:05  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 12/1/2012
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Gary687

Hi Tim

Just FYI, Automotion in Brisbane (centrally-based just off Kingsford Smith Drive in Albion) will happily deal with your Maserati servicing. Both the guys there are ex-factory and worked at Euromarque so have been fully trained in Alfa, Maserati and Ferrari (both done the courses in Italy) and also do Lamoborghini and Lotus as well. I believe they are one of (if not the only) Brisbane-based independent who have invested heavily in the necessary hardware and software for all types of SD testing for the Italian cars.They have always serviced my succession of Alfa's and do a great job and good prices. They will be my key to Maserati ownership as and when the time comes that's for sure!!!

Cheers

Gary


Cheers Gary,

I will have to get onto them soon then, as I said in my above post, it's been put back a little while, but I will remember that, thanks for your help hey.

How are they on pricing....or is that a stupid question considering its a massa

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Options are wonderful, Decisions are a pain in the a**e
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