How long can our cars last?

bigbob

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8,952
Trudged to the supermarket the other day and saw a DB9 parked up. It looked beautiful with the length that a good coupe needs - and the GranTurismo has - to look perfect. I knew enough to recognise it was not a mk II or whatever the post Virage DB9s are called but was taken aback after a quick check to find out it was a 2004 with 98k miles at its last MOT.

This made me reassess what my GranTurismo can do and how long it can last. I've managed 55k miles in nine years which is nothing really. I've thought about selling it but whenever I drive it it feels, just, really special - noise, looks, power delivery, smell. I've had a lot of the remedial suspension work done and it will need new brakes sometime in 2021/22 but I guess it must be a keeper. I've got some other cars including two bang up to date daily drivers but modern cars are becoming a tad tedious so for me Maserati will become a historic brand that I will cherish. Best of luck to them with the modern stuff but the GranTurismo is old school and feels better for it.
 
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Hawk13

Member
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1,471
6,000 miles a year is good going and, IMO, what the GT was designed to do. There is no reason why engine and drivetrain will not do well over 100k without serious work and likewise the rest of the car.

I can see me always needing a 4 seater and, like you, despite having modern cars, always choose the GT for duties in the summer. And there is nothing compelling me to change.
 

bigbob

Member
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8,952
As long as parts are made (economically) they can last forever.

Lets hope spares are still available and we can by liquid that can burn.

Indeed, I appreciate that parts for 3200 and older cars are difficult to source at times. Thankfully the GranTurismo was made in large volumes so fingers crossed! I will only need 150 galls of petrol pa for the Maser so might need to use my rationing coupons for this and drive a Leaf.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
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9,033
Interestingly more GranTourismo where made (approx 40K incl cabrio) than say my Triumph Stag (just less than 26K).
It's 50 years ago this year that they where first sold, can still easily run them and buy parts.
I'm not so sure the same will apply to the GT (or other modern Maserati from say 2000), in 2050!!
I think a lot will change in legislation in the next 30 years, unlike the previous 30 years.
 

Hawk13

Member
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1,471
Interestingly more GranTourismo where made (approx 40K incl cabrio) than say my Triumph Stag (just less than 26K).
It's 50 years ago this year that they where first sold, can still easily run them and buy parts.
I'm not so sure the same will apply to the GT (or other modern Maserati from say 2000), in 2050!!
I think a lot will change in legislation in the next 30 years, unlike the previous 30 years.

Agreed. I have a TR6 which you can buy virtually every part for brand new still.
 

highlander

Member
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5,214
Lol. Have been around here too long obviously, remember lots of comments when I first joined from GT owners referring to the 32 as old school so what goes around comes around I guess!
It has all been said, the GT is a sorted, reliable and smile enducing car with a soundbox to die for......but 4 months into ownership and I still have not got comfortable enough with it to call it by name or even called it her yet! Not sure what that says about me and where I go from here because I miss the feeling and anticipation I had with marci......who was real old school lol
 

bigbob

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8,952
Lol. Have been around here too long obviously, remember lots of comments when I first joined from GT owners referring to the 32 as old school so what goes around comes around I guess!
It has all been said, the GT is a sorted, reliable and smile enducing car with a soundbox to die for......but 4 months into ownership and I still have not got comfortable enough with it to call it by name or even called it her yet! Not sure what that says about me and where I go from here because I miss the feeling and anticipation I had with marci......who was real old school lol

I've had 20 years in a 3200, 4200 and then a GTS. All have had strengths and weaknesses and they were all production cars when I bought them but none of them were contemporary even when they should have been. I never got on with my 3200 as I hated the steering whereas the 4200 was near perfect apart from some strange electronics at times. The GranTurismo seems to have nailed the faults of past Maseratis' and I still smile every time I drive it. Perhaps they should realise that what they do best is not take the Germans on head on but offer aspects which are different a bit like the Aston Martin model? I test drove an M4 last year. It was better than my GranTurismo on most metrics and they were doing £20k off pre-reg cars but I still walked away.

I don't understand naming cars but that's personal so crack on if you want to.
 

Felonious Crud

Administrator
Staff member
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21,013
My Vantage is a similar beast, Bob. Just makes me smile. I spent some time today washing it, and just love the lines, the look of the thing the smell of the leather. And that's before I drive anywhere, which is just a huge grin-fest. There are a few things I quite fancy getting done - equal length headers and Apple CarPlay are top of a very short list. Just feels like a keeper to me.
 

jemgee

Member
Messages
379
If and I repeat IF your Triumph (in my case TR6 owned since 2003) breaks down it's either ignition or fuel, happened only once and the AA guy was able get me home after 30 minutes. No lights and it's the bullet connectors. No ECU's to worry about !
 

Oishi

Member
Messages
825
Cut my car teeth on Triumphs as a young'un. TR3. 4A IRS (with a Judson supercharger!) 6, and a GT6+, graduated to Jags, '64 E-type roadster (3.8) '73 V12 roadster. Would love to have any of them back.
So my question is, has anyone managed to wear an F136 engine out? I've seen them damaged (Loz), or repaired variators, but has anyone driven one enough to actually need a rebuild? I ask because as I wrote in my intro. I intend to keep this one forever, and pass it on to my son. To that end, I have been collecting internal engine parts as they come available with the plan of swapping out motors, rebuilding the original and storing it for later. Any thoughts?
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
Driven normally with no unlucky failures, it should be fine. I have heard of broken rings scoring a bore, hydro locking, silicone or crud (not the felonious type) causing damage, but just driven until worn, not really. When we were at the factory last year they told us about a visitor they had from Eastern Europe who had 400,000 km on a QP 4.2 DS, original engine.
 

Oishi

Member
Messages
825
So, is there a specific type of filter used to keep felonious crud from causing damage? ;)
Edit: I shouldn't pick on the Felonious One, he has to wear that cone of shame. I wonder how much that guy from eastern europe spent in clutches to go 400K?
 
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mjheathcote

Centenary Club
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9,033
If and I repeat IF your Triumph (in my case TR6 owned since 2003) breaks down it's either ignition or fuel, happened only once and the AA guy was able get me home after 30 minutes. No lights and it's the bullet connectors. No ECU's to worry about !

I've broken down three times in my Stag over the last 34 years of ownership.
First was ignition, the condenser came loose in the base of the distributor. Got home by using a trim screw and bit of insulating tape to secure it back in position.
Second was broken throttle cable. Got home by removing my laces from my trainers, tied together to the carburetor linkage, and threaded it through a hole in the firewall as a hand throttle!
Both those were late 80's, no mobile phones to call for help!
Third was only last year, actually on classic car drive it day with this forum, when the battery failed at first stop, it had volts but no amps to even engage the starter solenoid. Lithium ion battery jump pack saved the day, getting her started over half a dozen times at each stop throughout the day.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
I/we have only seen one premature failure, a 4.7 GTS that crudded up and oil starved itself. IMHO the V8 is a hardly lump, well engineered and daily driven at low stress so it should be good for well over 200k miles. I feel the rust/body/subframes will be the killer of these cars, not the engines.