My inspection report

B

barefoot

New Member
Messages
12
So what do you think guys on the red soft top I posted I am interested in?


Air conditioning Requires re gassing
Heater controls OK
Instruments Window switches sticky, paint coming off
Bonnet lights N/A
Handbrake Handle on lever loose
Clutch wear/Clearance Clutch wear 39.30%
Gearbox OK
Engine oil leaks Front cover
Engine Misfire - no particular cylinder

Compression test ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹ ¹⁰ ¹¹ ¹²
Steering rack/bushes Nearside track rod end rubber split
Suspension Front Coil springs corroded
Rear Play in track control arms
Tyres OSF- 4mm OSR- 4mm NSF- 4mm NSR- 6mm
Final Drive
Brake pads Front OK
Rear OK
Brake discs Front Vent holes blocked
Rear Vent holes blocked
Brake hoses OK
Brake fluid condition OK
Cooling system/hoses OK
Water leaks No leaks
Exhaust system Nearside back box excessive movement
Seats Cracked leather and hole in drivers seat
Seat belts Not retracting correctly
General condition Poor all round
Bumpers Scratches front and rear
Paintwork Swirls all over car
Number plates OK
Tool kit present OK
Accessories
TOTAL
Remarks and observations:
Leather on drivers airbag deformed
Centre arm rest hinge broken
Leather on centre console scratched and cracking
Nearside centre air vent broken away from dash
Red piping around glove box cracking
Black leather on dash top above glove box cracking
Chrome trims around airvents cracking
Red piping on offside door cracking
Leather on offside door ripped
Centre air vent on top of dash sticky
Mirror corroded on nearside sun visor
Offside door mirror corroded
Wiring loom sleeve unravelled above pedals
Leather on passenger air bag bleached
Icons on buttons in glove box not white
Leather on passenger door cracked
Crack in passenger door speaker cover
Dent in leather of passenger door arm rest
Lacquar peeling from nearside mirror
Scratch on nearside A pillar trim
Dent in nearside A pillar trim
Boot trim missing inside
Chrome trim on boot lid corroded
Scratches on offside rear quarter
Scratches around fuel cap
Scratches on black surround roof sits on
Scratches on drivers door
Scratches on nearside front wing
Scratches on nearside door
Fuel cap rubber corroding
Dent in outer window channel offside
Maserati badge at front of car corroded
Both nearside wheels marked
Offside rear wheel marked
Hole in roof offside rear
Stone chips in windscreen
Wind deflector come away from nearside roll bar
Leather cracking on trim behind seats
Mould inside roof boot
Paint flaking on both rocker covers
Nearside headlight rubber surround come away
All wheel bolts rusty
Discs vent holes blocked
Split in wall of near side rear tyre
Chunk missing in wall of offside rear tyre
Play in rear track arm bushes
Front subframe corroded
Front anti roll bar corroded
Front coil springs corroded
Oil tank corroded
Oil leak from front cover
Rear subframe corroded
Rear anti roll bar corroded
Rear anti roll bar links siezed
Rear anti roll bar bushes cracking
3 bolts missing from undertray
1 bolt missing from nearside inner arch liner
Central locking doesnt unlock with button on key
Key damaged
Suspension light on dashboard
Errors are; speed signal (deleted) and Lefthand front acceleration sensor (will not delete)
No service book in car
Bolts in engine bay panels missing and incorrect
Heat shields missing from starter motor
Engine previously removed, wiring looms and hoses not routed properly
 
Dyer3200

Dyer3200

Member
Messages
569
Run forest run .....

A very detailed report if you don't mind who carried out the inspection ?
 
adam01

adam01

Member
Messages
1,079
Lets put it this way, to set this car right u will be walking around in bare feet fo quite s ome time
 
MrPea

MrPea

Member
Messages
3,015
Dyer3200 said:
Run forest run .....
Click to expand...

Whs!

Even taking out the cosmetic things that happen over time to these cars anyway, you're looking at a LOT of money to put it right. Just be patient and your perfect car will turn up, even if you have to wait a few months (I was waiting 9 months for my first spyder).
 
redsonnylee

redsonnylee

Member
Messages
1,550
That's a very long list esp the mechanicals and corrosion, for me it's a obvious no, you're definitely better waiting for a car that has been looked after. Plus you will be enjoying it as soon as you have it.
 
MrPea

MrPea

Member
Messages
3,015
Hi Barefoot!
To add to my previous comment... I decided to go and look up the car you're looking at, because I had a sneaky suspicion I might know more about it than I first thought, and I think I do.

IF I am correct the "personalised number plate" is of the 4 digits and 3 letters (maybe ending SCZ or similar, from memory). If I'm completely wrong, then ignore the rest of this post!

This car has been doing the rounds of a few dealers over the last year and a half. I went to look at it when the previous owner was looking to get £15k for it because Mercedes had offered him a part ex value of £13k towards a SL500. I think, in the end, it was taken as part ex and various dealers have been passing it around unable to sell for over a year. Almost certainly because of the poor condition! When I saw it, I was immediately sad that someone had allowed a Maserati to be as uncared for as this one. Not only that, but with the colour specifications, it should have been particularly sumptuous. The owner had indeed had it since it was 3 years old, and he told me he'd had it serviced every year, but only the standard fluids etc. Nothing preventative. As you can see from your inspection report, a specialist will really be thorough with your car in recommending potential work (I recall my first from Emblem for my first Spyder!)
The owner, at the time, had none of the history or receipts to hand, and only when I stressed to him how important they would be did he realise he needed to find them. I'm pleased he did.
I said to him that it's not a car for a Maserati enthusiast, but would appeal to someone looking for a left-field option for an interesting sports-car they could use as a runabout. He immediately said that had been the type of car he'd had it as for the previous 8 years. The only non "regular service" item he'd had done was the roof replacement.
Also, it was a car that was mostly used for commuting into the Hammersmith area from either Slough or Reading. It had also spent most of its life parked on the side of the street.

I hope that information is helpful for you to have your eyes wide open on this one.

Even more so, I hope that you end up with a beautiful car very soon, that you'll absolutely love, and that we'll get to see you with it sometime.
 
VMSRTI

VMSRTI

Member
Messages
1,704
I certainly would not contemplate this.
Have you spoken to Richard Grace about a car?
 
Zep

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,332
The thing for me is that the engine has been out before. Is there any evidence of this in the history as to why? Does the engine number match the V5?

Subframe surface corrosion is pretty standard as is ARB, wire brush and hammerite is the usual resolution, if it has serious rust then walk away. Corroded springs again are fairly common and not stupidly expensive (although fitting is a pain) Acceleration sensor is probably a simple repair (they fall apart inside and can be repaired). Rear track arm bushes are £15 each (unless you go for a spherical bearing upgrade).

The tyres are an issue as is the key and the list of cosmetics is long and costly to fix.

If you want a concours car, this is not it. If you get a good price and are happy to spend time and money sorting things out over time then it could be an option - if you know why the engine came out.
 
allandwf

allandwf

Member
Messages
11,018
The story of an unloved car. Once the small things mount up they can become very expensive to rectify. Explains why it has been for sale for so long, you would need to be buying that as a project, and at a project price, that said it is one of the cheapest spyders around.
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,947
Zep said:
The thing for me is that the engine has been out before. Is there any evidence of this in the history as to why? Does the engine number match the V5?

Subframe surface corrosion is pretty standard as is ARB, wire brush and hammerite is the usual resolution, if it has serious rust then walk away. Corroded springs again are fairly common and not stupidly expensive (although fitting is a pain) Acceleration sensor is probably a simple repair (they fall apart inside and can be repaired). Rear track arm bushes are £15 each (unless you go for a spherical bearing upgrade).

The tyres are an issue as is the key and the list of cosmetics is long and costly to fix.

If you want a concours car, this is not it. If you get a good price and are happy to spend time and money sorting things out over time then it could be an option - if you know why the engine came out.
Click to expand...

This is why some of these reports can be a little OTT. How bad is the corrosion, for example? I would be concerned about the misfire, the oil leak and why has the engine been out.

C
 
Contigo

Contigo

Sponsor
Messages
18,376
Walk away unless you have £5k+ and lots of patience and inclination to fix those things yourself.
 
jluis

jluis

Member
Messages
1,703
With that report, you need to ask the seller how much is he going to pay you to take the car.

Some of the items on the list are normal wear items you will find on almost all cars (sticky buttons, chrome flaking from the vents, leather issues on the airbag and dashboard)
But others are just down to poor use and maintenance like the pipping, ripped off leather, wires over the pedal, etc
 
You must log in or register to reply here.