RE: Yuppie-tastic Maserati BiTurbo Spyder for sale

[Turbobanana]

ducnick said:

Athlon said:

The Hypno-Toad said:

Lots of photos.

None with the roof up.

Interesting fact about the roof, it was this roof that Aston Martin Zagato used on the 80's V8!

Same goes for the doors. Shared with the AM Zagato that was built at the same time.

Also, I read once that the headlights cost about £750 each from Maserati but had the same part number as those for a FIAT 127.

I've been away for the weekend so missed the early part of this thread. Reading it through now neatly divides PH into 2 camps:

1. Those who would run a mile from this because a BMW / Mercedes is a far "safer" bet
2. Those brave enough to buy it, who appreciate its character and want to stand out from the herd above

Having owned Italian cars I'd fall into the latter, although this is too rich for my pay grade. I've heard that these cars, more than many others, benefit from regular use and cost no more to run if used as intended than ones sitting in garages for large parts of the year, so anyone thinking "weekend toy" may want to consider that.

Regarding the issue of spontaneous combustion: my own car flambé history involves one Italian (an Alfasud ti) but also a 2CV and a Mk1 Golf GTI, so it's not limited to Italians electrics.

[nismo48]

Turbobanana said:

ducnick said:

Athlon said:

The Hypno-Toad said:

Lots of photos.

None with the roof up.

Interesting fact about the roof, it was this roof that Aston Martin Zagato used on the 80's V8!

Same goes for the doors. Shared with the AM Zagato that was built at the same time.

Also, I read once that the headlights cost about £750 each from Maserati but had the same part number as those for a FIAT 127.

I've been away for the weekend so missed the early part of this thread. Reading it through now neatly divides PH into 2 camps:

1. Those who would run a mile from this because a BMW / Mercedes is a far "safer" bet
2. Those brave enough to buy it, who appreciate its character and want to stand out from the herd above

Having owned Italian cars I'd fall into the latter, although this is too rich for my pay grade. I've heard that these cars, more than many others, benefit from regular use and cost no more to run if used as intended than ones sitting in garages for large parts of the year, so anyone thinking "weekend toy" may want to consider that.

Regarding the issue of spontaneous combustion: my own car flambé history involves one Italian (an Alfasud ti) but also a 2CV and a Mk1 Golf GTI, so it's not limited to Italians electrics.

+1 I'm with you on running this particular Italian classic.
Owned a few Italian cars over the years with varying degrees of unreliability!!
But nevertheless great fun otherwise

[biggbn]

Turbobanana said:

ducnick said:

Athlon said:

The Hypno-Toad said:

Lots of photos.

None with the roof up.

Interesting fact about the roof, it was this roof that Aston Martin Zagato used on the 80's V8!

Same goes for the doors. Shared with the AM Zagato that was built at the same time.

Also, I read once that the headlights cost about £750 each from Maserati but had the same part number as those for a FIAT 127.

I've been away for the weekend so missed the early part of this thread. Reading it through now neatly divides PH into 2 camps:

1. Those who would run a mile from this because a BMW / Mercedes is a far "safer" bet
2. Those brave enough to buy it, who appreciate its character and want to stand out from the herd above

Having owned Italian cars I'd fall into the latter, although this is too rich for my pay grade. I've heard that these cars, more than many others, benefit from regular use and cost no more to run if used as intended than ones sitting in garages for large parts of the year, so anyone thinking "weekend toy" may want to consider that.

Regarding the issue of spontaneous combustion: my own car flambé history involves one Italian (an Alfasud ti) but also a 2CV and a Mk1 Golf GTI, so it's not limited to Italians electrics.

Remember the CAR story 'escargot flambe' when ex toleman guy Richard Wilsher converted a 2cv for the CAR magazine guys and they managed to get it to burst into flames? I can vividly remember myself and my mate having citroen Dyanes and his going on fire; the oil soaked cardboard heat exchangers from memory, and his three passengers leaping out and pissing on the engine...haply days

[IMI A]

easytiger123 said:

I owned this car back in the day. Not the one in the ad, but an E reg Biturbo spyder. It was a piece of st. An absolute money pit that never, not even once, worked properly. There was always a problem ranging from not that much fun (electric windows and wipers breaking frequently) to incredibly inconvenient (a persistent refusal to start when warm), to life-threatening (everything cutting out while driving on the M4 and just about managing to get it to the hard shoulder). Do not touch unless you have both very deep pockets and a decent idea about how to work on cars yourself.

Listen to this past owner. he's actually being quite nice about the 2.5! Whole new level of flambe. More like a flame thrower. If this was £4995 I'd quietly walk past it. I would look back though for a second look as I still love them even the 2.5

[IMI A]

GTRene said:

I remember my dad bought a second hand Maserati Biturbo back in the days, not a cabrio though, but hey, it was a Maserati his first one, years later be bought an even nicer Maserati.

ah here are they both from back in the day, long time ago, scanned in pictures, and yes the later one he bought was a Shamal, which was way cooler, looked wide in the real world and special/different.

sub zero cool Dad

[DonkeyApple]

Turbobanana said:

Also, I read once that the headlights cost about £750 each from Maserati but had the same part number as those for a FIAT 127.

That might be the Carello Ferrari Dino curse?

I bought a rare grille for an early Rangie that was made back in the 70s by an Italian coachbuilders which had a pair of 5 and a bit inch round lamps, one broken.

And thus, I found myself in the mad world or Carello lamps and the ones that cost 10p and the ones that had once had a sniff of Ferrari and cost £500. The Fiat 127 was one of those shockers and the one I needed.

[TopTrump]

I think this is cool as heck. 25k can't get you much really these days in the classic scene. Rare, good looking and cool.

[GTRene]

IMI A said:

GTRene said:

I remember my dad bought a second hand Maserati Biturbo back in the days, not a cabrio though, but hey, it was a Maserati his first one, years later be bought an even nicer Maserati.

ah here are they both from back in the day, long time ago, scanned in pictures, and yes the later one he bought was a Shamal, which was way cooler, looked wide in the real world and special/different.

sub zero cool Dad

Thanks he was indeed, not in clothing or status, he did not care about that, he liked cars and humor :-)

[Tall_martin]

I wanted one of these. Saw one trundling around and it looked fantastic.

The second one I saw was on fire at the side of the motorway. Not just a little bit of smoke, flames bellowing round it.

It's the only car I've ever seen on fire (as opposed to thr aftermath) and it put me right off.

[Turbobanana]

Tall_martin said:

I wanted one of these. Saw one trundling around and it looked fantastic.

The second one I saw was on fire at the side of the motorway. Not just a little bit of smoke, flames billowing round it.

It's the only car I've ever seen on fire (as opposed to the aftermath) and it put me right off.

Seems an odd reaction. Do you know what caused the fire? Catastrophic meltdown of some electrical component? Binding brakes? Fuel leak?

Or did the owner drop a lit cigarette into the deep pile? I guess you'll never know.

[smilo996]

Funny looking thing. A bit BMW 3 series from the rear, Lady Penelope from the front and over sprung from the side.
However all that Italian soul and character (unreliability and scarse parts), it will be loved by someone.

[Azzurrinick]

Such negativity for a wonderful car, although I am biased as an owner of one, currently there are only 16 Spyder 2.8 currently on the road in the UK. I use mine for the summer weekends, fantastic for wafting to the coast. Like all 35 year old classics, they can rust, they can break down, they need regular TLC. I have not experienced any problems with reliability, starts first time, no worries about getting to my destination. Yes the gauges work when they want to, it is Italian, you get used to this. It is not a sports car, more of a tourer, super comfortable, very smooth and quiet.
The biggest issue is parts, everything just takes so long to get and costs a fortune, only a problem when it breaks down but this can be managed if you carry out the preventative maintenance over the winter.
It does love to drink the 99, especially when both turbo's engage. There was a rare sight this weekend where 2 Spyders were at the same event, early one and a later model.

[Om]

So much negativity here. Yes it will likely not be reliable, will definitely cost a fortune to run, probably won't do 185, and perhaps you will die in a fire at the side of the M25, but who cares. It's a 1980s twin-turbo, convertible Maserati with THAT clock.

A car for which the term 'pyrrhic victory' was possibly coined...

[Mr Tidy]

Om said:

So much negativity here. Yes it will likely not be reliable, will definitely cost a fortune to run, probably won't do 185, and perhaps you will die in a fire at the side of the M25, but who cares. It's a 1980s twin-turbo, convertible Maserati with THAT clock.

A car for which the term 'pyrrhic victory' was possibly coined...