Agonising temptation!

[WLJayne]

Hey guys,

I've just been lurking on and off, soaking up the knowledge as best I can. I was looking on AT last night (I try not to too much,) and I'm now seeing three Quattroportes coming in at under 14k. That's....a lot of car for that kind of money. I'm not sure whether they're going to be sound examples at that price, but as I would be putting much less than 6000 miles a year on one I'd hope that wear and tear costs wouldn't get too scary. What sort of catches and caveats would I potentially be facing in that price bracket? I'm sure there will be things.

The facts that I'm still putting together my new business premises and we're about to move house, and we've bought a bit of a fixer upper do not help matters! I'll just have to keep the picture on my desk until all those expenses are out of the way and then maybe we'll see early next year. But still, I can definitely feel QP ownership inching steadily closer now, and it's fun to drop in here and see what everyone is up to and pick up pointers and experience. I think I'll be quite well armed to make a good decision when the opportunity presents itself.

 

[Contigo]

I sold Ewans Old car for the same price I paid for it and for me that was a fine car for not much cash, as you say a lot of car for the money. Factor in clutch costs and get one which had been well cared for and you won't go wrong. There was a forum members car on AT recently and that had been looked after by Emblem and was priced around £12k, an utter bargain if you ask me. Best to buy one from a fastidious owner or from a dealer with a decent warranty if you don't mind paying a little more.

 

[WLJayne]

Yes, much like Land Rover ownership you want to buy one from an enthusiast or a dealer with warranty like when I bought my current daily - which I'll be keeping for adventuring . I must say, after reading so much here it really doesn't seem that daunting. As long as it's got good provenance and I can spare the 1.5-3k a year in maintenance then I can't see any major chance of unpleasantness.

I was wondering whether I should wait for GT's to come down a bit more, but thinking about it I can still get on the Maserati ladder while that's happening and enjoy it.

 

[Contigo]

Try a QP and work your way through some cars, once you have had one trident you will undoubtedly want to try another

 

[WLJayne]

Ha you're not wrong! I see a few local QP's and 4200's, I consider them good luck charms now as every time I see one, something that day goes really well. Who wouldn't want to own their good luck charm ?

 

[Andyk]

You will not regret buying a QP....unless it's a ropy one of course.....they can travel with 4 up in comfort and then feel like a sports car when the mood takes you. This is not another saloon car like it and that includes the latest QP....Maserati does make a car like the 2005 QP now....

 

[zagatoes30]

Go in with yours eyes open, buy the best you can afford and budget £2k a year for maintenance and you won't be disappointed

 

[WLJayne]

Go in with yours eyes open, buy the best you can afford and budget £2k a year for maintenance and you won't be disappointed

That's the plan . I'd love to get a slightly higher price one - it depends what I can do with finance. My initial plan was to put half down as a deposit and take the rest out on finance but I don't know what would be the most sensible course of action. I've always bought cars in cash before, I'll be saving for quite a while if I go down that route. I'm still researching what's possible while I attend to the many current expenses demanding my attention.

 

[Andyk]

I can see why you would finance as personal loans are dirt cheap these days so probably the best route....At most banks at 3.3% you do pay hardly anything back over the loan on loans over 7k.....

 

[Massa in Perth]

I'm currently running a 3200GT and a 2006 QP Sport GT, so I am lucky enough to have the best of both worlds, the sublime and the ridiculous (well, bonkers anyway).

For the QP, clutches and F1 pumps are pricey and somewhat inevitable, and they eat brakes and drink like a fish. That said, I think it's not only the best looking 4 door ever made, but one of the best looking cars, period. The newer one pales in comparison. Be prepared for a stiff neck as you keep gazing at it over your shoulder when you walk away from it. oh, and with the right exhaust it will howl like a banshee. What's not to like?

 

[Wack61]

Buying private , personal loan , from a dealer take out their finance but use your loan quote and an indicator of what you want to pay.

Having read a few horror stories concerning used car salesmen and expensive repairs I wouldn't pay cash for a car from a dealer

If they lend you the money the finance company is jointly liable if it goes bang

 

[Ebenezer]

In future I'd do what jkulkin did and part finance just to get that protection. Seems a no brainer
(However I'm not one for chopping and changing though so not sure when I'd next be looking). Where else would I go, except another one....
Eb

 

[Contigo]

In future I'd do what jkulkin did and part finance just to get that protection. Seems a no brainer
(However I'm not one for chopping and changing though so not sure when I'd next be looking). Where else would I go, except another one....
Eb

A GTS of course!

 

[WLJayne]

That said, I think it's not only the best looking 4 door ever made, but one of the best looking cars, period. The newer one pales in comparison. Be prepared for a stiff neck as you keep gazing at it over your shoulder when you walk away from it. oh, and with the right exhaust it will howl like a banshee. What's not to like?

I'd agree with that assessment . My ideal would be one in Blue Emozione with a cream interior. I'm not sure if I'm a fan of wood trim but it seems almost inevitable. We shall see what there is to choose from when the time comes.

Well with any luck, they'll keep coming down in price for a few more months. I do wonder how long it will be before they bottom out completely, so I don't want to wait too long!

 

[Massa in Perth]

I'd agree with that assessment . My ideal would be one in Blue Emozione with a cream interior. I'm not sure if I'm a fan of wood trim but it seems almost inevitable. We shall see what there is to choose from when the time comes.

Well with any luck, they'll keep coming down in price for a few more months. I do wonder how long it will be before they bottom out completely, so I don't want to wait too long!

Nope, Sport GTs have carbon fibre trim. I like blue and cream too, but cream leather does show its age more. In my opinion they will get even cheaper, but those will be bought by people that can't afford to maintain them properly and will deteriorate further.

Has anyone said "there's no such thing as a cheap Maserati"? If not, I'm baggseing it.

In my opinion, buy a really tidy one now, before its fastidious owner upgrades it. At least that's what I did...

 

[WLJayne]

Has anyone said "there's no such thing as a cheap Maserati"? If not, I'm baggseing it.

In my opinion, buy a really tidy one now, before its fastidious owner upgrades it. At least that's what I did...

That's my intention. You have a really good point about the leather. I bought my Discovery with a back leather interior for this reason, a lot of the cream ones look properly ropey now. I'd be happy enough with a black interior and they seem widely available at the lower end.

Yes I certainly have no intention of cheaping out on maintenance. Partly that's why I'm budgeting at the lower end, at the moment I can realistically afford higher value or better annual maintenance - not both. I'd certainly think twice or maybe four times about some of the cheaper than 13k QP's I've seen come up on ebay. Maybe I'm wrong but the tinted windows and matte alloys furrow my brow. But there may be a bargain to be had as was mentioned earlier. I was thinking about selling my Disco 2 and buying a recent plate Disco 4 - but I'd much prefer to have the Disco for camping/hauling and a Mas for luxurious dailying in style!

With good fortune I will be in a position to buy when the enthusiasts are upgrading and the prices are low. SWMBO is fully on board with this too which is a bonus.

 

[daverichardson]

On my QP the Piano Black trim is excellent. Much better than the imitation wood and the Carbon options - in my opinion

 

[WLJayne]

On my QP the Piano Black trim is excellent. Much better than the imitation wood and the Carbon options - in my opinion

I don't think I've seen that! It sounds lovely. Could I trouble you for a photo perhaps ?

 

[Ebenezer]

Yes I was disappointed to learn from a fellow QP owner at the last ACE meet that the wood was a painted effect. He'd taken off all his wood trim, sanded and repainted gloss black. Great job too
Eb

 

[WLJayne]

Yes I was disappointed to learn from a fellow QP owner at the last ACE meet that the wood was a painted effect. He'd taken off all his wood trim, sanded and repainted gloss black. Great job too
Eb

I have strongly considered doing this too. Very soon I will have a properly extracted and filtered spray room in my studio where I'll be able to turn out top notch finishes in cellulose and acrylics. Ultra gloss black on some trim would be a piece of cake. I do worry about it hurting the value of the car, but if it's well done and looks good I can't see that being a problem.