2008-2009 GT Buying advice needed

Notorious · Nov 18, 2017

Hi guys!

I'm looking into buying a GT as a weekend cruiser. I currently have a 458 Italia in the garage, so I was looking for something that's more of a cruiser with rear seats.

I've been looking through numerous classifieds and reputable dealers and have seen decent 40k'ish miles 4.2's advertised around 29-35k, and a few 4.7's around 37k and up. The question here is these cars are now nearly 10 years old. What kind of prices do these deals actually close at/are realistic? Also are there any big issues to look out for in the older cars? I've heard of variation issues on the 4.2's. Is it better to pay a slightly higher price and go with a reputed dealer i.e. Nuvola?

Also looking to upgrade to Larini cats + X-Pipe. Anyone know any good garages in London where I can get this done?

Thanks guys.

Notorious

Contigo · Nov 18, 2017

Hi Notorious and Welcome

Yes you are right there seems to be no point in buying a 4.2 these days around the Â£30k mark as for an extra 5 or 6 bags you can get into a 4.7 S/MCS. You just missed a bargain on here Hewbies MC Shift at Â£35k private for a quick sale. These cars don't come up often and you would pay nearer to the Â£40k from a reputable specialist with a warranty. You can get into a leggy 4.2 for around the Â£25k mark privately, a few on here have proof of that. My advice would be to drive both the 4.2 and 4.7 as they are poles apart especially the MC Shift and later Sport variants. A specialist does give you that extra piece of mind for warranty work and you do need them in the first few months in my experience.

Larini Cats on mine with H pipe and it is pretty insane so good shout on that one. If you do go 4.2 you need to sort out the back boxes as believe it or not with the standard mufflers on adding those upgrades won't give you much increased volume. You can buy the S boxes on Ebay for not much more than Â£200 when they do appear but they are usually stored in the same cupboard as "rocking horse manure" and "hen's teeth"

You need to source the parts first and then have them fit at any garage really or someone like Joe Macari, AV Engineering or Grimaldi.

Andyk · Nov 18, 2017

Nuvola have a great reputation .... Being London prices may be slightly higher but you will get a great car......Richard Grace is a dealer that you should give a ca ol to as again gas a great reputation and a number have members have bought cars off him.....Either way you will not go far wrong with both...If you can stretch to a 4.7 then do it as its worth it........A big warm welcome by the way.

safrane · Nov 18, 2017

Look at the suspension and bushes on older or higher miles cars as they wear due to the large curb weight.

Any failed start ups of the sat nav screen may point to a failed hard drive.

A 100% battery is req to stop warnings and electric faults

Brakes on 4.7 S models are expensive compared to the 4.2 so make sure there is lots of life left...only 2mm of wear to factory specs.

There are 100s for sale so get the best you can afford.

Notorious · Nov 18, 2017

Contigo said:
Hi Notorious and Welcome

Yes you are right there seems to be no point in buying a 4.2 these days around the Â£30k mark as for an extra 5 or 6 bags you can get into a 4.7 S/MCS. You just missed a bargain on here Hewbies MC Shift at Â£35k private for a quick sale. These cars don't come up often and you would pay nearer to the Â£40k from a reputable specialist with a warranty. You can get into a leggy 4.2 for around the Â£25k mark privately, a few on here have proof of that. My advice would be to drive both the 4.2 and 4.7 as they are poles apart especially the MC Shift and later Sport variants. A specialist does give you that extra piece of mind for warranty work and you do need them in the first few months in my experience.

Larini Cats on mine with H pipe and it is pretty insane so good shout on that one. If you do go 4.2 you need to sort out the back boxes as believe it or not with the standard mufflers on adding those upgrades won't give you much increased volume. You can buy the S boxes on Ebay for not much more than Â£200 when they do appear but they are usually stored in the same cupboard as "rocking horse manure" and "hen's teeth"

You need to source the parts first and then have them fit at any garage really or someone like Joe Macari, AV Engineering or Grimaldi.

Exactly the 4.2 nearly makes no sense if a good deal can be had on a 4.7 for a few thousand extra.

I was actually thinking of going the whole 9 yards and doing the Larini cats, x pipe and muffler. I'm only worried it might be a bit too loud and have too much of a drone inside the car. But I'm looking for the high pitch Ferrari sound so maybe?

Andyk said:
Nuvola have a great reputation .... Being London prices may be slightly higher but you will get a great car......Richard Grace is a dealer that you should give a ca ol to as again gas a great reputation and a number have members have bought cars off him.....Either way you will not go far wrong with both...If you can stretch to a 4.7 then do it as its worth it........A big warm welcome by the way.

How much can you generally bargain off the asking price from a place like Nuvola? I'm guessing not too much, as you might consider it a cost for saving a headache later on?

safrane said:
Look at the suspension and bushes on older or higher miles cars as they wear due to the large curb weight.

Any failed start ups of the sat nav screen may point to a failed hard drive.

A 100% battery is req to stop warnings and electric faults

Brakes on 4.7 S models are expensive compared to the 4.2 so make sure there is lots of life left...only 2mm of wear to factory specs.

There are 100s for sale so get the best you can afford.

Will definitely look out for all of that. Maybe get it checked from a specialist too. Thanks!

Felonious Crud · Nov 18, 2017

Hi, Notorious. Welcome to the forum and to what most of is on here think is probably one of the best gamily of cars on the planet. We're right, too!

A GTS as companion to a 458 sounds like a fantastic best of both worlds. Our GTS managed 4 of us, 2 1/2 weeks of luggage and a 2.5k mile trip through France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands without breaking sweat. These cars are just phenomenal.

Despite that, and despite being hopelessly besotted with mine, this weekend I decided to finally sell it after six years of happy and hilarious ownership. It's a 2009 / 58 plate GTS MC Shift with just under 51k miles on the clock, an x-pipe (original also available), in Grigio Alfieri and with black / Alcantara (including headlining), piano black trim and Bose. I haven't worked out how much to sell it for but I'm in no desparate panic to sell so will happily wait for a fair price. I'm thinking Â£35k is fair but doubtless the 'crowd-estimating' nature of forums means that those who know the car well will shout that down or declare it to be perfectly ok. Let's see.

Anyway, it looks like this:

PM me if you're interested. Or ask on here what the SM population think of it. Hopefully they'll say positive things!

Andyk · Nov 18, 2017

Just a stunning GTS .....and what a car for 35k.....

GeoffCapes · Nov 18, 2017

Look no further Notorious. Adams car is mint.

Can't believe you're actually selling it to be honest.

phills1 · Nov 18, 2017

You must have something interesting in mind for the replacement though.....

Felonious Crud said:
Hi, Notorious. Welcome to the forum and to what most of is on here think is probably one of the best gamily of cars on the planet. We're right, too!

A GTS as companion to a 458 sounds like a fantastic best of both worlds. Our GTS managed 4 of us, 2 1/2 weeks of luggage and a 2.5k mile trip through France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands without breaking sweat. These cars are just phenomenal.

Despite that, and despite being hopelessly besotted with mine, this weekend I decided to finally sell it after six years of happy and hilarious ownership. It's a 2009 / 58 plate GTS MC Shift with just under 51k miles on the clock, an x-pipe (original also available), in Grigio Alfieri and with black / Alcantara (including headlining), piano black trim and Bose. I haven't worked out how much to sell it for but I'm in no desparate panic to sell so will happily wait for a fair price. I'm thinking Â£35k is fair but doubtless the 'crowd-estimating' nature of forums means that those who know the car well will shout that down or declare it to be perfectly ok. Let's see.

Anyway, it looks like this:

View attachment 46194

PM me if you're interested. Or ask on here what the SM population think of it. Hopefully they'll say positive things!

Contigo · Nov 18, 2017

Notorious do it! Adam's car wants for nothing!!!! I'm gutted you are leaving the fold Adam but understand what is calling.....

iainw · Nov 18, 2017

Contigo said:
Notorious do it! Adam's car wants for nothing!!!! I'm gutted you are leaving the fold Adam but understand what is calling.....

I can vouch for it. It drove into the Lambo / Mclaren Dealership on Friday and the kids outside were smiling when they heard it... I could hear it from around 5 miles away.

Its in perfect condition for its age, nice use of alcantara , is a great colour combo and well looked after.

BuckRog64 · Nov 18, 2017

Is Frank's GTS MC Shift still for sale? Supercar Rooms are advertising it and there was an option of a private deal, which was great value indeed if you like black on black.

Notorious, I assume you are aware that the GTS (4.7) came in both Auto and MC Shift (F1) forms. Plenty of threads explaining the differences but, in summary, consensus is Auto as a daily but MC Shift for maximum weekend driving pleasure.

Notorious · Nov 18, 2017

Felonious Crud said:
Hi, Notorious. Welcome to the forum and to what most of is on here think is probably one of the best gamily of cars on the planet. We're right, too!

A GTS as companion to a 458 sounds like a fantastic best of both worlds. Our GTS managed 4 of us, 2 1/2 weeks of luggage and a 2.5k mile trip through France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands without breaking sweat. These cars are just phenomenal.

Despite that, and despite being hopelessly besotted with mine, this weekend I decided to finally sell it after six years of happy and hilarious ownership. It's a 2009 / 58 plate GTS MC Shift with just under 51k miles on the clock, an x-pipe (original also available), in Grigio Alfieri and with black / Alcantara (including headlining), piano black trim and Bose. I haven't worked out how much to sell it for but I'm in no desparate panic to sell so will happily wait for a fair price. I'm thinking Â£35k is fair but doubtless the 'crowd-estimating' nature of forums means that those who know the car well will shout that down or declare it to be perfectly ok. Let's see.

Anyway, it looks like this:

View attachment 46194

PM me if you're interested. Or ask on here what the SM population think of it. Hopefully they'll say positive things!

Thank a lot buddy! Definitely interested in this. Going to PM you now

GeoffCapes said:
Look no further Notorious. Adams car is mint.

Can't believe you're actually selling it to be honest.

Contigo said:
Notorious do it! Adam's car wants for nothing!!!! I'm gutted you are leaving the fold Adam but understand what is calling.....

iainw said:
I can vouch for it. It drove into the Lambo / Mclaren Dealership on Friday and the kids outside were smiling when they heard it... I could hear it from around 5 miles away.

Its in perfect condition for its age, nice use of alcantara , is a great colour combo and well looked after.

Thanks for the positive feedback guys, really appreciate it!

BuckRog64 said:
Is Frank's GTS MC Shift still for sale? Supercar Rooms are advertising it and there was an option of a private deal, which was great value indeed if you like black on black.

Notorious, I assume you are aware that the GTS (4.7) came in both Auto and MC Shift (F1) forms. Plenty of threads explaining the differences but, in summary, consensus is Auto as a daily but MC Shift for maximum weekend driving pleasure.

Yes I am aware of the two transmission options, with the MC Shift being the more extreme. But is the MC Shift always operated through the paddle shifters or does it still have a traditional auto mode?

Would anyone be so kind as to give a crash course on the differences between both the transmissions to a Maserati newbie like me? Would be really appreciated!

Thanks!

CatmanV2 · Nov 19, 2017

****
Me

I would have Adam's hand of like a shot if it was 2019

C

D Walker · Nov 19, 2017

Â£35k? Wtf. Even as a prospective buyer, that's good bye.

Ewan · Nov 19, 2017

The MC Shift does have an auto mode. But using the paddles is better and takes zero effort. Unless you buy the car to sit in traffic jams, the MC Shift is the one to have. And Â£35k for a 50k mile car is good value.

The MC-Shift sounds fantastic as is, but an X pipe adds more pops on the downshifts. Add sports cats if you want it even louder. But it'll never scream like a high pitched Fezza - the Maser engine is far deeper chested, louder and more satisfying. Everyone at my office prefers the sound of my (standard) MC-Shift over the 550 and 599, both of which have factory fitted Fezza sports exhausts.

Contigo · Nov 19, 2017

Exactly Ewan, I think you summed it up, mine is as loud as a stock GTS with the valves closed

! Are you getting the X-pipe for Xmas?

Felonious Crud · Nov 19, 2017

Thanks for the positive comments on mine.

In terms of what's next, I'm not 100% sure. I do know that while I still have mine I'll never get round to ctaually making a decision but will just lose days on AutoTrader. I'd far rather lose days driving and drooling over something new. So I'll sell what I've got and put myself in a position where I can actually make a decision and act on it.

Something smaller is important - these are big cars and I don't really need something that big now. A 2+2 or even a two-seater would be fine. A big engine and a sense of driver engagement conbined with decent comfort is key. And a good noise.

One thing I've come to love about the MC 'box on the GTS is how engaged you feel with the car - you need to actually drive it, to think about the gears, where you want the power and how to use the 'box to hit the points where you want to maximise torque, traction or outright grunt. I don't get the sense that more modern dual-clutch cars, whilst being more technically advanced, offer that level of engagement. For me the MC is a perfect mid-point between a manual and the 'lazy' ease of a full auto.

The shortlist is probably something like an F-Type V8 (but it loses out on the 'box and it doesn't sound as good), an Aston V12 Vantage S (but the bloody things are expensive to the point where it could cause domestic turbulence) or something I haven't though of yet. Or a Strad, with two seats.

iainw · Nov 19, 2017

Felonious Crud said:
Thanks for the positive comments on mine.

In terms of what's next, I'm not 100% sure. I do know that while I still have mine I'll never get round to ctaually making a decision but will just lose days on AutoTrader. I'd far rather lose days driving and drooling over something new. So I'll sell what I've got and put myself in a position where I can actually make a decision and act on it.

Something smaller is important - these are big cars and I don't really need something that big now. A 2+2 or even a two-seater would be fine. A big engine and a sense of driver engagement conbined with decent comfort is key. And a good noise.

One thing I've come to love about the MC 'box on the GTS is how engaged you feel with the car - you need to actually drive it, to think about the gears, where you want the power and how to use the 'box to hit the points where you want to maximise torque, traction or outright grunt. I don't get the sense that more modern dual-clutch cars, whilst being more technically advanced, offer that level of engagement. For me the MC is a perfect mid-point between a manual and the 'lazy' ease of a full auto.

The shortlist is probably something like an F-Type V8 (but it loses out on the 'box and it doesn't sound as good), an Aston V12 Vantage S (but the bloody things are expensive to the point where it could cause domestic turbulence) or something I haven't though of yet. Or a Strad, with two seats.

The good thing about turbulence is that it’s only a bit hairy for a very short time, you get through it ,everyone forgets about it then the flight is smooth until final destination.

Get the Aston Bought

Notorious · Nov 19, 2017

My only concern with the MC box is that the car is going to be used in London. The 458 feels like overkill in the traffic, not sure how this would be.

2008-2009 GT Buying advice needed

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