Newbie from the Highlands of Scotland, potential 3200 buyer

G

Grays

Junior Member
Messages
26
Hi all,

My name is Brett and I own a garage in Kingussie in the Highlands of Scotland. I very nearly bought a Maserati 3200 back in 2007 but lost my nerve at the last moment and bought a CLK55 instead. I've wanted to scratch the 3200 itch ever since and now find myself in a position to potentially do just that.

<edit> I'm not wedded to the 3200 idea....Coupe or Granturismo could become an option but like many, I love the boomerang lights... </edit>

Looking forward to researching more on here...

Cheers,
Brett
 
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allandwf

allandwf

Member
Messages
10,987
Welcome. I'm a bit further south, near Kirriemuir. There are a few of us up in Scotland, I'm sure some more will be along soon to say hi soon. Good luck with the search.
 
Gogs253

Gogs253

Member
Messages
132
Welcome to the forum. I'm a bit further South than Alan, in Fife. I've had mine for about six years and they are a hoot to drive. She is cared for by the same person as Alans and is off for her annual service and a belt change, next week. Tales of unreliability are grossly exaggerated and she has yet to let me down ( touch wood ). They do, how ever, have the ability to present you with eye watering bills, so I would buy the best you can afford and probably choose a manual one to enjoy the best driving experience. After the service I plan to offer her for sale here and will really miss her but I'm hoping to continue my Maserati adventure with a different model. I've just moved house and don't have the space to store another car or she would be going nowhere.
 
G

Grays

Junior Member
Messages
26
allandwf said:
Welcome. I'm a bit further south, near Kirriemuir. There are a few of us up in Scotland, I'm sure some more will be along soon to say hi soon. Good luck with the search.
Click to expand...

Cheers :)

I notice from your footer you currently have a Brera. Lovely looking cars. I currently have two Alfa Spiders and a GTV (all 916s), two of which will probably be sold to buy something else.
 
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G

Grays

Junior Member
Messages
26
Gogs253 said:
Welcome to the forum. I'm a bit further South than Alan, in Fife. I've had mine for about six years and they are a hoot to drive. She is cared for by the same person as Alans and is off for her annual service and a belt change, next week. Tales of unreliability are grossly exaggerated and she has yet to let me down ( touch wood ). They do, how ever, have the ability to present you with eye watering bills, so I would buy the best you can afford and probably choose a manual one to enjoy the best driving experience. After the service I plan to offer her for sale here and will really miss her but I'm hoping to continue my Maserati adventure with a different model. I've just moved house and don't have the space to store another car or she would be going nowhere.
Click to expand...

Thankfully I own a garage and therefore labour isn't as big an issue as it could be, but parts availability and pricing will always be the same challenge. I'm in no rush to buy, pricing seems all over the place on these so will take some time to find the right car.

I moved to the Highlands from Fife; we used to live in a farm cottage between Burntisland and Aberdour.
 
F

flexwing

Member
Messages
256
Hi Brett, welcome to the forum. I live in Edinburgh and currently have a Gransport. I have recently owned a couple of facelifted 4200s, a manual 3200 and a previous Gransport.
I can honestly say I preferred the 3200 and it is the most exciting of the breed in my opinion. As mad as a bucket full of soapy frogs!
The manual is a handful and difficult to drive, particularly in traffic, unless it is set up properly. Combination of heavy clutch and hair trigger throttle. Then you have to maintain it in this state!
You definitely need to drive one first. If you go for a post 2001 with OBD2 it helps. Parts are becoming difficult to source and finding an indie who can support it is also difficult, although it sounds you will be fine.
This forum is essential to obtain the advice and parts you will need.
Good luck!
 
G

Grays

Junior Member
Messages
26
flexwing said:
Hi Brett, welcome to the forum. I live in Edinburgh and currently have a Gransport. I have recently owned a couple of facelifted 4200s, a manual 3200 and a previous Gransport.
I can honestly say I preferred the 3200 and it is the most exciting of the breed in my opinion. As mad as a bucket full of soapy frogs!
The manual is a handful and difficult to drive, particularly in traffic, unless it is set up properly. Combination of heavy clutch and hair trigger throttle. Then you have to maintain it in this state!
You definitely need to drive one first. If you go for a post 2001 with OBD2 it helps. Parts are becoming difficult to source and finding an indie who can support it is also difficult, although it sounds you will be fine.
This forum is essential to obtain the advice and parts you will need.
Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks - I exchanged messages with someone on messenger earlier this year who described the 3200 using similar words :-D

I'd read about the difficulty of driving the manual in traffic and I have a slightly dodgy left knee, so I'd already dismissed the manual as an option. They also mentioned the ODB port and throttle body as things to consider when buying. The thing that puts me off the 4200 is the Cambiocorsa gearbox; again I've heard that it can be a bit of a pain to master, so really a conventional automatic is my current preferred option...
 
F

flexwing

Member
Messages
256
The CC gearbox is absolutely fine. I used my 4200 as a daily driver in Edinburgh city centre and I also have a dodgy left knee.
Parts availabilty is the main issue. The cars are not particularly robust and even with the Gransport there are problems. Trim is another one and having access to good upholstery people is important as well. Dying skills. Happy to discuss off line.
 
UlstermanAbroad

UlstermanAbroad

Member
Messages
1,687
A very warm welcome Grays. I'm a wee bit further south again. Being back in N.I. for now. On the north coast near Dunluce Castle. Yours is a very nice part of the world. When I lived in Edinburgh, several years ago, I used to drive up the coast to St Andrews and Perth etc. Stopped off in Aberdour Castle a couple of times and because I was the only one there, I got chatting to the guide for ages. Turned out, we'd served in some of the same places. But at different times.
If there's a get together this Spring/Summer north of the border, I'd be very tempted to come across in the Granturismo, if I still have it. Good luck with your search. You might just find that one falls into your lap unexpectedly.
 
allandwf

allandwf

Member
Messages
10,987
Grays said:
Cheers :)

I notice from your footer you currently have a Brera. Lovely looking cars. I currently have two Alfa Spiders and a GTV (all 916s), two of which will probably be sold to buy something else.
Click to expand...
Yes, the tatty daily hack on 153k miles V6 don't believe all you read lol. Done the 916s had 2 V6 Spiders 2 V6 GTVs and a jts spider over the years.
 
G

Grays

Junior Member
Messages
26
flexwing said:
The CC gearbox is absolutely fine. I used my 4200 as a daily driver in Edinburgh city centre and I also have a dodgy left knee.
Parts availabilty is the main issue. The cars are not particularly robust and even with the Gransport there are problems. Trim is another one and having access to good upholstery people is important as well. Dying skills. Happy to discuss off line.
Click to expand...

Cheers, thankfully three miles from my garage is a guy that used to be the lead upholsterer for TVR...
 
G

Grays

Junior Member
Messages
26
UlstermanAbroad said:
A very warm welcome Grays. I'm a wee bit further south again. Being back in N.I. for now. On the north coast near Dunluce Castle. Yours is a very nice part of the world. When I lived in Edinburgh, several years ago, I used to drive up the coast to St Andrews and Perth etc. Stopped off in Aberdour Castle a couple of times and because I was the only one there, I got chatting to the guide for ages. Turned out, we'd served in some of the same places. But at different times.
If there's a get together this Spring/Summer north of the border, I'd be very tempted to come across in the Granturismo, if I still have it. Good luck with your search. You might just find that one falls into your lap unexpectedly.
Click to expand...

Love the Granturismo...I've not dismissed one as an option.
 
B

bigbob

Member
Messages
8,965
Grays said:
Hi all,

My name is Brett and I own a garage in Kingussie in the Highlands of Scotland. I very nearly bought a Maserati 3200 back in 2007 but lost my nerve at the last moment and bought a CLK55 instead. I've wanted to scratch the 3200 itch ever since and now find myself in a position to potentially do just that.

<edit> I'm not wedded to the 3200 idea....Coupe or Granturismo could become an option but like many, I love the boomerang lights... </edit>

Looking forward to researching more on here...

Cheers,
Brett
Click to expand...
Welcome Brett, had to remind myself that Kingussie is in the Highlands as it never seems that far up the A9. I’m just down the road near Perth so we could have a meet up when you get something.
 
G

Grays

Junior Member
Messages
26
bigbob said:
Welcome Brett, had to remind myself that Kingussie is in the Highlands as it never seems that far up the A9. I’m just down the road near Perth so we could have a meet up when you get something.
Click to expand...

Excellent, sounds great.
 
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