A Dream Come True

[Six-cylinder]

For quite a number of years my wife and I have wanted a Maserati Bi Turbo saloon, with only budget for a bottom end car we have made offers but never quite managed to buy one. Now we are struggling to find parking for the cars we have, there had to be a “Buy It Now†on ebay last week, I was quick because it was the cheapest I had ever seen and a MOTed running car.

 

We have got a solid 58,000 mile 425 Bi Turbo manual RHD saloon. The car was respayed at the cost of £2500 in 1997 and has a few marks around the car but is tidy to look at. The interior is also in good condition. The engine is a gem, sounds healthy, goes well and does not smoke. The gearbox is good. There are some bad bits but all minor stuff we can sort out in time.

 

[Station]

That is lovely, was it expensive?

 

Why is there a picture of Charles Fort on the front wing?

 

[stuboy]

very nice !!!

[skattrd]

That looks great, I've been tempted by these myself, but have only viewed crusty ones with no MOT and disintegrating sills/floors. Yours even has the clock in tact, the seats in these do look spectacularly comfortable ... top bombing I say

 

What could possible go wrong.

[Six-cylinder]

That is lovely, was it expensive?

 

Why is there a picture of Charles Fort on the front wing?

 

 

It's Nikolaus Otto, the inventor of... well the Otto cycle... it's a sticker that was put on for a magazine article a few months ago. Don't know why! I will take it off as soon as I can find the hairdryer.

[Six-cylinder]

That looks great, I've been tempted by these myself, but have only viewed crusty ones with no MOT and disintegrating sills/floors. Yours even has the clock in tact, the seats in these do look spectacularly comfortable ... top bombing I say

 

What could possible go wrong.

 

Yes... I have looked at a few of those too! This one was, remarkably, a lot less expensive. Note the 'was'... as who who knows what the future will bring?

[500tops]

£1295! savagely cheap.

[Six-cylinder]

£1295! savagely cheap.

 

Yes but how did you know?

[skattrd]

£1295! savagely cheap.

 

Yes but how did you know?

 

Completed listings search .... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Maserati-425- ... 7675.l2557

[Six-cylinder]

Yes but how did you know?

 

Completed listings search .... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Maserati-425- ... 7675.l2557

 

I don't think it had been listed many minutes when I found it and hit the "Buy it Now" button and looked to see if anybody had listed it in the eBay thread.

[Spiny Norman]

Superb shed for the money. Wish I was that brave.

[wuvvum]

That does look bloody nice for the money. My Biturbo was just under £900 with T&T, but that was a left-hooker carb'd 420 in rather scruffier condition - yours looks even better value if anything. If you ever find yourself in need of an offside rear door, complete with glass and electric window mechanism, I've got one sat in my shed.

[hairnet]

bolox will be well jel he'll be down perving over that

[Lord Sterling]

Wow! Another epic buy. 2 in one day in Autoshite, I think I'm going to need a lie down.

 

That car looks great. So great, I'm actually jealous.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

That’s pretty flipping ace for 1300 quid. Certainly makes mine look like a complete waste of time and effort anyway!

 

The interior looks far nicer than mine especially.

 

These things defo cannot get any cheaper, I reckon they are at the point where usable running ones are going to start climbing in value.

[dollywobbler]

I'd be very interested to read your report on what it's actually like to tool about in. The looks are about as unappealing as Italian cars get. It's not even quirkyugly, just bland really. Prime Autoshite though!

[Six-cylinder]

That’s pretty flipping ace for 1300 quid. Certainly makes mine look like a complete waste of time and effort anyway!

 

The interior looks far nicer than mine especially.

 

These things defo cannot get any cheaper, I reckon they are at the point where usable running ones are going to start climbing in value.

Mr B now you now why I kept asking you about your Bi turbo, I have had designs on owning one for some years. My wife loves it and has even been driving it, so if you ever need a reference car I think it will be a keeper for us.

 

I think this one was very under valued, the last one I went to see about 2 year ago was admittedly a 430 but had more rust, more faults and the seller turned me down at £2000. Turns out rightly as it made £3000 on an ebay Auction. The first one we looked at in about 1995 was a 116k miles well sorted everyday use car but with more rust, for that the seller wanted £1700 and was £100 short. I am afraid my good fortune in the buying price will be swallowed up when we start to do some work on it! So for now we are going to enjoy it.

 

Know faults:

Crack in windscreen

Driver’s window will not lower

Passenger front window needs help to rise

Heater only sends air to windscreen

Brakes pull left a bit

Boot lock needs adjustment

Grill has broken fixing one end

Alloy wheels scruffy

Internal lock buttons missing

Small rust hole in bottom of driver’s door

 

I think the true value of this car should have been £2500-£3000 although if you had found all the faults by viewing and test driving first you may have wanted to knock this back to £2000. I don’t think you should use mind as a guide to current value and I was prepared for a much worse car before I would have rejected it as miss described. The future not sure, the badge is great, the engine feels special but the saloon body is a bit dull, so I guess there will be some rise in value but not huge.

 

Not so confident about collecting the Maserati as the Rover so spent £58 on petrol having a friend escort me back instead of £32 train fare!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Mine was the cheapest I’ve seen on eBay for a complete runner, I think it was about £450. However, I reckon I paid too much!!!!

 

I was cheered up when I went to see some dude who was breaking one for spares, his was bloody awful and he’d paid £850 off the bay for it.

[Mash]

Nice one, I always liked these. Can't believe you can buy a Maserati for this kind of money. Mind you, it's not exactly a Ghibli!!

[Skizzer]

Brilliant purchase. Good luck

[garethj]

Nice one, I always liked these. Can't believe you can buy a Maserati for this kind of money. Mind you, it's not exactly a Ghibli!!

And a Porsche (924) for £700, plenty of Jaguars for the same money too. I predict the Bugatti Veyron will be worth £600 in a few years

[Partridge]

Beautiful car. Congratulations.

[Six-cylinder]

We have now done 430 miles trouble free miles in the Maserati at 20.4mpg including this trip to Lincolnshire to meet “Just Jane†so Claire could have a Taxi ride around the airfield, I bet the fuel consumption was even worse!

 

[Guest]

Can we haz MOAR picz of the pimpy interior, pliz?

[Six-cylinder]

Can we haz MOAR picz of the pimpy interior, pliz?

 

 

 

[Guest]

Ooooooooooooohya, pimpatron tastic! Thanks!

[Spiny Norman]

I love the full blown leather interiors of those cars, that really does look like the most excellent place to sit while waiting for the AA.

[Pillock]

That interior looks perfect. It's quite easy to imagine my arse squeaking around on the seats!

[John F]

...

[garethj]

That interior of that Maser is beautiful. The seats may be uncomfortable but I don't care.

 

This must be how women feel about shoes