newbie 4200 pita Qs

[highlander]

hi all
first off, wonderfully active and welcoming forum, so kudos to you all. I am an admin on another forum (not car related I hasten to add!) and always like to see an active and welcoming group, trust me, all forums are not so welcoming!
I have been lurking here and the maseratiforum for quite a while now trying to not become "obsessed" with the downsides of owning a maserati because owning the thinking man's car has always been a dream but searching forums, no matter the forum subject, it is almost inevitable that you will get pulled into the "watch out for.......and ........check this first....." whirlpool of worry threads
I have reached the stage that I feel ready to take the next step and go forward with serious searching in March when I get back from hols and much as I absolutely love the looks of a QP (they are without doubt the best looking 4 door out there) I really want a 2 door so since my budget will not stretch to a GS I am looking more at a 4200.
I expect to do less than 10k per year mostly duel carriageway with some cross town driving.

now to the newbie pita Qs.
1 excuse me if I have missed anything but in relation to the car link (which is one of the colour combos I would really like) pending any inspection report, can I expect to have to replace any more really obvious stuff given the mileage other than the clutch in the near future? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...w,new/model/4200/radius/1500/page/1?logcode=p
2 stupid Q I know, but given I stay 30 miles north of inverness (so not really central but does have some real classic roads within 30 min so not going to moan too much!) I was thinking about probably identifying a few potential cars and taking a long weekend to go down and see them before deciding on which to have inspected. is there a better way of managing this?
3 do 42s sell fast, and if so, any advice on how can someone like me who is not centrally located handle testing and arranging inspections so as not to lose out?
regards
greg

 

[philw696]

Welcome and it looks good value for a facelift. Others will say its high mileage but they are good for it as mine is nearly on 110,000 and used in anger. Get it inspected and if ok buy and fly down having fun with the cambio corsa box on the way back. Phil.

 

[Parisien]

Very good of you too join Highlander....pull up a seat, enjoy the banter and more importantly tracking down that QP that ticks all the boxes.

Plenty of good 'uns out there, test drive a few, narrow it down and get it indie inspected.

Buy the best you can afford/need to spend and you'll love 'em!

Best examples sell faster, especially if reasonably priced, those for sale for months on end need closer scrutiny


P

 

[highlander]

Very good of you too join Highlander....pull up a seat, enjoy the banter and more importantly tracking down that QP that ticks all the boxes.

Plenty of good 'uns out there, test drive a few, narrow it down and get it indie inspected.

Buy the best you can afford/need to spend and you'll love 'em!

Best examples sell faster, especially if reasonably priced, those for sale for months on end need closer scrutiny


P

not looking for a QP.........but thanks for welcome lol!

 

[alfettafan]

Try giving Phil Kyle a call at PK Supercars in Prestonpans (just south of Edinburgh). Phil owns and runs an independent Maserati garage and is highly regarded by those (including me) who use his services. He may well know of a car (or cars) that might fit the bill for you.

http://www.pksupercars.com

 

[highlander]

Try giving Phil Kyle a call at PK Supercars in Prestonpans (just south of Edinburgh). Phil owns and runs an independent Maserati garage and is highly regarded by those (including me) who use his services. He may well know of a car (or cars) that might fit the bill for you.

http://www.pksupercars.com

cheers. have already looked at his site and unfortunately the 42s he has are out my reach but do expect whatever I get will be going to him for service etc

 

[safrane]

Having owned two 4200s I can confirm they are great cars.

re selling fast...if its good it will fly if mid quality a little longer. Im in the market for my third 42/GS for aboit 25k max and have been watching the market and know the advert history of most on Auto Trader P/heads.

whats your budget? and I may be able to give you some idea of whats out there and how long its been for sale.

 

[highlander]

Having owned two 4200s I can confirm they are great cars.

re selling fast...if its good it will fly if mid quality a little longer. Im in the market for my third 42/GS for aboit 25k max and have been watching the market and know the advert history of most on Auto Trader P/heads.

whats your budget? and I may be able to give you some idea of whats out there and how long its been for sale.

cheers
will have 17k but prefer to keep as close to 3k as possible for "sundries" post purchase so buying budget is up to 14k, hence link to colour combo I like at under 14k

 

[Parisien]

not looking for a QP.........but thanks for welcome lol!

....never say never.........they have a few common factors......


P

 

[Parisien]

cheers
will have 17k but prefer to keep as close to 3k as possible for "sundries" post purchase so buying budget is up to 14k, hence link to colour combo I like at under 14k

You'd be better off buying a lower mileage car to max out your budget that passes an inspection.

Higher mileage means more wear and tear...then the bills can mount up unless a thick sheaf of bills come with it





P

 

[outrun]

Still call Phil as alfettafan advises. The cars on his site may not fit the bill but he knows just about every Maserati in Scotland and it may be the case that he has a client looking to sell etc. My 3200 is with him right now!

 

[safrane]

Give Richard Grace a call. He has a car that may fit the bill and it will be first class...he sorted me with my second.

 

[highlander]

Give Richard Grace a call. He has a car that may fit the bill and it will be first class...he sorted me with my second.

richard grace?

 

[Chrisbassett]

He's a sponsor member of the forum, look in the classifieds section for contact details.

 

[Andyk]

A very big welcome to the forum Highlander.......

Do 4200's sell fast - The only answer is no............ALl depends I suppose but face lifts seem to be more desirable than say an 2002 car due to upgrades....It all depends who wants one at the time but to be honest most Maserati due to the what they are...expensive to run, big engines, have in the past had an that reliability image...(not always true).....but that is the perception of the masses, and as such they do tend to sit around unsold for some time as a very limited market....The later car you buy the better but when buying due to age you really need to go for Condition and history...

The car in the link looks a good price for a face lift car even with 60k up.....Most face lift cars are over 15k.....That car is worth a look and an inspection...

 

[Phil H]

Fair comment in most respects Andy, although I'm still not convinced of the pre/post facelift argument. I think that genuinely good cars with decent histories do sell if priced correctly.

My 4200 is a pre-facelift, and I would suggest that you are better off and safer with a very good, well-documented, pre-facelift than a not so good facelift with a patchy history. Similarly, a very good 3200 might be better than a lesser 4200, assuming that both models appeal to a prospective buyer. The trick is finding the best of either, which is where folk like Richard and Nareman come in.

There are of course buyers who have the competence to take on lesser cars and bring them up to scratch, but that usually needs experience which few folk have for Maserati work, and £'s which might make you wish you'd bought a good car in the first place.

It took 3 months to find the 'right' car for me, and it wasn't for lack of trying.

PH

 

[safrane]

richard grace?

http://www.richardgracecars.co.uk/stock-list/

 

[hodroyd]

Greg,
If you are looking for a 4200, get the latest you can in the best condition you can..!! History is important and if you are buying from either private, or dealer, pay the few hundred it costs for an inspection, it's well worth it..!! There is a list of "Independent Maserati Specialists" on here, just put that in search..!! I had an 07 4200 Facelift and due to it's condition and history, I sold it within a week and that had 61K miles on..!!
Cheers
R

 

[highlander]

thanks for all the replies and advice so far, it is appreciated.
still about a month before I seriously start searching since I am waiting till I get back from holiday but was wondering what members thoughts were on a really good example of a 3200 instead of a 4200?
as in most things, buying a car the normal advice is get as young as you can right? but tbh, age not a worry for me, condition/maintenance and therefore reliability more to the fore in my thinking. yes a 4200 seems the obvious choice given my budget but although there are undoubtedly developmental improvements over the 3200 the 4200s do not have those simply gorgeous rear lights! (stupid point I know, but it is the "little things" that turn your head about a car, not the big things imo)
so a couple of Q for those that have owned good examples of both what is the significant differences in keeping them on the road? would you account for a similar slush fund?

 

[Max Swell]

thanks for all the replies and advice so far, it is appreciated.
still about a month before I seriously start searching since I am waiting till I get back from holiday but was wondering what members thoughts were on a really good example of a 3200 instead of a 4200?
as in most things, buying a car the normal advice is get as young as you can right? but tbh, age not a worry for me, condition/maintenance and therefore reliability more to the fore in my thinking. yes a 4200 seems the obvious choice given my budget but although there are undoubtedly developmental improvements over the 3200 the 4200s do not have those simply gorgeous rear lights! (stupid point I know, but it is the "little things" that turn your head about a car, not the big things imo)
so a couple of Q for those that have owned good examples of both what is the significant differences in keeping them on the road? would you account for a similar slush fund?

Welcome Highlander, I bought a 4200 spyder from Richard Grace in Chester and have had no issues at all they are excellent cars if you treat them like a princess (not Austin). I have done 5000 miles in the first year including a trip to Spa with no hiccups. Buy from a dealer and get a warranty would be my advice once through the first 1000 miles you will know the car.

The boomerangs are nice but the 4200 is the better motor and that trident always turns heads anyway!

Good luck