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View Full Version : I know what I want: a Bora


BigFoot
10-02-2008, 06:12 AM
One of the fellow Maserati Club Japan members who works near my office has one (together with 3 other Maseratis!): a beautiful red, EU spec (no ugly bumpers) model http://www.repartocorse2.com/users/45/25/84/smiles/318797.gif


I want one too :D

I just checked prices and these cars cost a bomb! http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/images/smilies/eek.gif


Dream over ... http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/images/smilies/cry2.gif

xraygun
10-02-2008, 07:04 AM
Come on, how much were they?

BigFoot
10-02-2008, 07:20 AM
Indicative valuations range between EUR 60k (for 4.7l models) to EUR 70k (for 4.9l models).

johnei
10-02-2008, 12:20 PM
You know these are much more refined and usable than any other supercar from that period right?

Besides you need to price it against a 512 Boxer or the Miura/Countach and then it will look cheap. Also old cars don't depreciate as much but there is the maintenance.

BigFoot
10-02-2008, 12:44 PM
I hear you, and having seen one up close at a recent Maserati Club Japan event, I realised how cool it is :cool:

Let's see. If all goes ok on the job front, rather than upgrade the GS, I might keep it and delve into a classic ...

xraygun
10-02-2008, 07:11 PM
I'm rooting for the job front okness. You need a Bora.
I need a Ghibli. :)

BigFoot
10-03-2008, 05:21 AM
Thanks and hope you get a Ghibli. We had 3 at the latest Maserati Club Japan event and they are awesome cars :D

BigFoot
10-07-2008, 01:49 AM
Are there good websites that you'd recommend to check offerings of old classic cars?

I have only found this one: http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/index.php

Thanks! :)

xraygun
10-07-2008, 03:52 PM
I think the best stuff is found through brokers.

johnei
10-07-2008, 04:07 PM
You might try

http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/find/4100_results.asp?bSubmit=true&lManufacturer=10080

BigFoot
10-07-2008, 11:11 PM
Thanks guys :)

xraygun
10-08-2008, 01:22 AM
You definitely don't want a fixer upper. Good Hunting!

BigFoot
10-08-2008, 01:38 AM
Saw a couple on the web... maybe thinking it's be better to buy a beat up one and get it restored...

xraygun
10-08-2008, 02:02 AM
Better talk to some experts on the car. You'll find you will end up spending waaaay more that way and not be enjoying the car. It's one thing if it's YOUR hobby, but if you just want the car, that's a very tragic road to follow.

BigFoot
10-08-2008, 02:08 AM
Probably right mate, wise words.

By the way, since you are interested in a Ghibli, here is a shot to wet your appetite ;)

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l295/mraffone/GS/MCJ%2015Sep08/P1030862.jpg

xraygun
10-08-2008, 05:07 AM
Thanks! That blue is superb. Since I have a Coupe I think I'd need a Ghibli Spider. I just need an extra 2 or 3 hundred grand...

BigFoot
10-08-2008, 05:14 AM
A Ghibli Spyder?? http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/images/smilies/eek.gif


Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude, and I thought my dream Bora was expensive!

xraygun
10-08-2008, 05:27 AM
Well otherwise what's the difference between the cars? Same designer and all. They are basically the same car in purpose. A man can dream can't he? It's cheaper than a Miura!
I guess if I found a nice Ghibli coupe I could trade the 06 coupe for a Quattroporte. I think I need a much larger garage. Fit an Islero and an Iso Griffo in there too.
MUCH LARGER.

BigFoot
10-08-2008, 05:44 AM
Well the Bora is RR, Ghibli FR.

BigFoot
10-08-2008, 05:56 AM
Or maybe a Merak, 2+2, V6 rather than V8 … and about half the cost of a Bora … http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Thinking/thinking-020.gif

xraygun
10-08-2008, 06:01 AM
I meant the difference between my Coupe and the Ghibli.

I wonder if a Merak is a disappointment power wise?

BigFoot
10-08-2008, 06:23 AM
I meant the difference between my Coupe and the Ghibli.

I wonder if a Merak is a disappointment power wise?

I'd say, seriously, that a modern and a classic would form a perfect partnership ;)

Say, things go well, I'd probably keep the GS and then add a classic, rather than just upgrade to a GT S (though I do love the GT S).


Regarding the Merak, you're right, the power difference to a Ghibli or Bora is big (~100+hp).

Coops
10-08-2008, 07:43 AM
Are there good websites that you'd recommend to check

Morning Gents, saw your thread and just wanted to point you towards Octane Magazine in case you haven't seen these already, their 'cars for sale' section usually pulls in a few good cars from around the world. searches on Bora and Ghibli brought up the following;

http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/front_website/octane_interact/carsforsale.php?make=Maserati&model=Ghibli&search=Search+words

http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/front_website/octane_interact/carsforsale.php?make=Maserati&model=Bora&search=Search+words

Some nice 3500 GT's too. Hope you find something, as you say a perfect combo of old and new. I'd love to have another modern QP some day but can't afford both at the moment.

Apologies for muscling in on your conversation but I hope you both find what your looking for.

Coops.

BigFoot
10-08-2008, 07:47 AM
No apologies at all mate, appreciate the links provided :)

BTW, if you have some pics of your Ghibli, it'd be nice to see them in the Garage section :)

Coops
10-08-2008, 08:05 AM
I'll get right on it. :)

xraygun
10-08-2008, 07:51 PM
Cool links thanks!

The Head
10-09-2008, 02:13 PM
My recent classic dream has been a euro spec Kamsin that glass rear panel is so beautiful

BigFoot
10-09-2008, 02:27 PM
Ok, so we've got so far:

xraygun: Ghibli Spyder

The Head: Khamsin

BigFoot: Bora


Anyone else? ;) :D

johnei
10-09-2008, 08:14 PM
Put me down for a 5000 GT. I'll park it next to my 450S.

BigFoot
10-09-2008, 11:43 PM
Done ;)

xraygun
10-09-2008, 11:59 PM
As long as you are at it, make mine an SS.:)

BigFoot
10-10-2008, 12:04 AM
You like the bigger displacement huh?! ;)

Alright, here we go:

xraygun: Ghibli SS Spyder

The Head: Khamsin

johnei: 5000 GT

BigFoot: Bora


Nice garage http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

Coops
10-10-2008, 07:54 AM
Put me down for a 3500 Vignale Spider please :)

BigFoot
10-10-2008, 08:16 AM
Here we go:

xraygun: Ghibli SS Spyder

The Head: Khamsin

johnei: 5000 GT

Coops: 3500 Vignale Spyder

BigFoot: Bora


Now, who's gonna give us some financing? :D :D :D

Boxer
10-10-2008, 10:39 AM
Are there good websites that you'd recommend to check offerings of old classic cars?

I have only found this one: http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/index.php

Thanks! :)

Try:

http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/find/4100.asp?action=advanced%5Fsearch

http://www.anamera.com/

Boxer
10-10-2008, 10:41 AM
Ok, so we've got so far:

xraygun: Ghibli Spyder

The Head: Khamsin

BigFoot: Bora


Anyone else? ;) :D

Put me down for a Mistral Spider.

BigFoot
10-10-2008, 12:59 PM
Try:

http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/find/4100.asp?action=advanced%5Fsearch

http://www.anamera.com/


Thanks, will have a look :)

Put me down for a Mistral Spider.

xraygun: Ghibli SS Spyder

The Head: Khamsin

johnei: 5000 GT

Coops: 3500 Vignale Spyder

Boxer: Mistral Spyder

BigFoot: Bora

The garage is shaping up quite nicely ;)

Niteroi
10-11-2008, 03:30 AM
Ok, that's what I want:

1953 A6GCS53 Coupe

Boxer
10-11-2008, 07:55 AM
Ok, that's what I want:

1953 A6GCS53 Coupe

Not exactly the low budget choice. Have you ever driven a 50's Maser?

Beautiful Maserati.

Niteroi
10-11-2008, 03:53 PM
Boxer,

to be honest with you, I'm not into vintage cars. I've never driven a 50's car, but years ago I drove an 86 Ferrari 328(far from being vintage) and didn't like it at all. Even though I think it's one of the most beautiful cars, I wouldn't buy one because of that.

So I know I wouldn't like to own a 50's car, or a 60's, 70's, 80's... Unless of course I was wealthy enough to have a collection, museum kind of, to admire the beauty of those cars.

IMO owning an older car is only worth if you're either rich or know how to do the maintenance yourself. If we already get upset with the reliability and cost of maintenance of our Coupes and GSs, it doesn't make sense to own something that is even worse.

Not for me...

feni-vienna
10-12-2008, 03:31 AM
Ok .. you can all go play with your toys and I'll just take my 250F for a spin :D (That and the 450S)

Boxer
10-12-2008, 07:54 AM
Boxer,

to be honest with you, I'm not into vintage cars. I've never driven a 50's car, but years ago I drove an 86 Ferrari 328(far from being vintage) and didn't like it at all. Even though I think it's one of the most beautiful cars, I wouldn't buy one because of that.

So I know I wouldn't like to own a 50's car, or a 60's, 70's, 80's... Unless of course I was wealthy enough to have a collection, museum kind of, to admire the beauty of those cars.

IMO owning an older car is only worth if you're either rich or know how to do the maintenance yourself. If we already get upset with the reliability and cost of maintenance of our Coupes and GSs, it doesn't make sense to own something that is even worse.

Not for me...

In terms of maintenace, having owned both modern and a few Ferraris from the 70s, I have found thhe older cars to be just as reliable (or more so in one case) then the modenr cars. It all comes down to how they are maintained and used. Running costs are about the same.

From a driving perspective, it really is something you need to do several times to get used to and comfortable with the older cars.

BigFoot
10-12-2008, 01:00 PM
I've never driven a vintage car but I'd buy a Bora, not because of its performance and/or comfort, but simply because of what it is :)

feni-vienna
10-12-2008, 01:48 PM
I'll chime in here, if I may.

From my experience with the Khamsin and the Ghibli SS that I used to drive regularly before I moved to the US, I really have to say that everytime I took them out, I needed a small rest after taking them for a spin. Especially when I took them into downtown Vienna. These cars in my opinion are quite some work in cities with smaller roads. Out on cross-country roads on the other hand - pure enjoyment.

After a day with the Masers, getting back into a modern day car feels boring (even a XKR). The only car I've owned so far, where I didn't get that feeling was the Z3 M Coupe (Euro spec) I had - that was work too, but it was rewarding :D

Would I want to have them as daily drivers? Hell no! (Then again, if I weighed 80 pounds less - I would probably reconsider my answer ;))

Niteroi
10-12-2008, 04:45 PM
[QUOTE=Boxer;44182]In terms of maintenace, having owned both modern and a few Ferraris from the 70s, I have found thhe older cars to be just as reliable (or more so in one case) then the modenr cars. It all comes down to how they are maintained and used. Running costs are about the same.QUOTE]

This thread scared me. $1,000/month?!

http://www.maseratilife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1766

Boxer
10-12-2008, 06:51 PM
[quote=Boxer;44182]In terms of maintenace, having owned both modern and a few Ferraris from the 70s, I have found thhe older cars to be just as reliable (or more so in one case) then the modenr cars. It all comes down to how they are maintained and used. Running costs are about the same.QUOTE]

This thread scared me. $1,000/month?!

http://www.maseratilife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1766

I have owned several 70's era Ferraris - a 365BB, 512BB, and a 308 GTB. Annual maintenance cost ran about $1-5k depending on if the car needed just a regular annual service or the major with a cambelt change (engine out job on the 365BB and 512BB). $1k a month seems very very high.

johnei
10-12-2008, 08:17 PM
Buying a car in great mechanical shape and well sorted is probably the difference between owning a usable car that requires upkeep and owning an unreliable car with huge repair bills.

feni-vienna
10-12-2008, 09:56 PM
It just also depends on whether you drive it very regularly or not. Especially the Khamsin will cost you that much because of its hydraulic system.

The 1k I stated in the other thread included insurance, gas and maintenance costs - so it's real running costs. If you for instance can tune the carbs yourself, then you can save a lot. (But from what I know they are a bitch to tune). That also includes unforseen events - so it's basically a worst case scenario, since from a fincancial standpoint it's always better to base one's decision on the worst case scenario.

Boxer
10-13-2008, 05:33 AM
It just also depends on whether you drive it very regularly or not. Especially the Khamsin will cost you that much because of its hydraulic system.

The 1k I stated in the other thread included insurance, gas and maintenance costs - so it's real running costs. If you for instance can tune the carbs yourself, then you can save a lot. (But from what I know they are a bitch to tune). That also includes unforseen events - so it's basically a worst case scenario, since from a fincancial standpoint it's always better to base one's decision on the worst case scenario.

My experience has been you can get very reasonable insurance for classics in both the US and UK. Cost is about a 1/3rd what you would pay for a modern Ferrari/Maserati of similar value. Only catch is the mileage limitation (3-5k per year) and the restriction against using it to commute to work.

feni-vienna
10-13-2008, 05:59 AM
I don't know about insurance for classic cars in the US/UK as the two Masers are in Austria - there insurance is based on a mix of make/current value and horsepower. In other words: Not cheap.

jaev
10-16-2008, 02:21 AM
Put me down for a Ghibli SS Coupe.

Here's a nice one (at least judging by the pics):

http://www.thecarnut.com/Ghibli72Black.html


I agree with the sentiment about buying an older car as close to fully restored / fully sorted as possible. There is no way you'll ever recover your money on paying someone to restore a car (and it will be much more expensive in the end), so unless you want to do it as a hobby (and I actually think that would be fun, if I had the garage space and time), it isn't worth it.

But one nice thing about older cars - to a certain extent you can argue that you are much more likely to be able to rebuild/restore/work on an older car yourself - the technology just isn't as daunting. Modern cars are so computerized, and the tolerances are so tight (think you can replace your coupe/spyder/GT's clutch in your garage without the Ferrari SD3?) you really have no chance of being able to do the (major) work yourself.

In theory I'm going to restore my 82 911. Or sell it. Not sure yet. If i get a ghibli I'll have to sell the Porsche for the garage space! ;)

BigFoot
10-16-2008, 02:32 AM
Expensive but the Ghibli in the links looks awesome http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

Boxer
10-16-2008, 04:17 AM
I don't know about insurance for classic cars in the US/UK as the two Masers are in Austria - there insurance is based on a mix of make/current value and horsepower. In other words: Not cheap.

In the US/UK it is based more on value, storage condition/location, and the type of usage intended.

Niteroi
10-16-2008, 04:25 AM
Expensive but the Ghibli in the links looks awesome http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

What is the price? I couldn't find it.

BigFoot
10-16-2008, 04:33 AM
I thought I read somewhere on there it was $135,000.

feni-vienna
10-16-2008, 05:25 AM
Wow! That's one clean Ghibli SS .... cleaner than "ours". (My uncles' ;) )

The engine seems to be extremely healthy with oil pressure that high at idle.

BigFoot
10-16-2008, 05:37 AM
Paint's creaking in some places though.

Coops
10-16-2008, 08:17 AM
Looks like a great car to me but values seem to be all over the place on the Ghibli at the moment. In recent months I've seen what appear to be cars in very similar condition anywhere from £60k to £120k (UK Pounds), depending on who's selling it. Some of these dealers are real chancers.

I've been trying to get a handle on values for insurance purposes and I reckon the realistic value of a good car is more like £60k -£70k. In the end, it's worth what someone is prepared to pay but the USD price of the above car (if BF is correct) is probably not far wrong.

I agree with you Jaev about the maintenance so mechanically anyway, I'll be looking after it myself. Had to get an expert on the bodywork though. That's beyond my meager talents.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

PS: The pressure gauge: my spends most of it's time waving at me from the dash, even when warm and at constant engine speeds. It's basically useless so get an external, mechanical pressure test done, just for your own POM

jaev
10-16-2008, 05:16 PM
Paint's creaking in some places though.

Supposedly its original paint, though. That's always a debate - do you keep the car as original as possible, or do you repaint and make it look closer to perfect, but lose some history and originality. Pebble Beach even has a special judging class now (the "preservation" class) to judge cars that have been left as close to original as possible.

I've never seen that car in person, and I think the decision turns on just how good (or bad) the paint is. If the paint is showing its age, but is still basically in good shape, I'd leave it if original. If its already been repainted at some point, or if the paint is in really bad shape, I'd probably want to repaint it, and would discount the price for the paint.

As far as prices go, it doesn't seem that unreasonable to me, but I do think that in general, if you're lucky enough not to have been crushed by the market, this is a good time to be buying... for any type of high end car. I was picking up my car from the shop the other day and admired a 360 that was there. My mechanic said "want to buy one? I've got 14 or 15 customers desperate to sell their cars" - seems like a lot of people are overextended.

BigFoot
10-21-2008, 07:00 AM
This one is on sale here in Tokyo: http://www.dream-auto.jp/o00017.htm


Gosh it looks great .... :D :D :D

Coops
10-21-2008, 07:58 AM
Looks beautifully understated in that dark blue. Looks just about perfect. Do you know the price BF?

BigFoot
10-21-2008, 08:07 AM
Not yet, but I've enquired about price and conditions.

It does look like it's in great nick.

johnei
10-21-2008, 11:47 AM
Local car, dark color... I think BigFoot is going to be a Bora owner soon!

Be sure to have it inspected by someone qualified, especially with those hydraulics.

xraygun
10-22-2008, 04:50 AM
I second that! Someone who knows specifically the problem areas on Boras.
Good looking car!

Niteroi
10-22-2008, 05:13 AM
Wow, beautiful car!

BigFoot
10-28-2008, 02:23 AM
They are offering it at JPY 10m, by the way.

Niteroi
10-28-2008, 03:56 AM
How much is that in US$ ?

BigFoot
10-28-2008, 04:33 AM
How much is that in US$ ?

About $110,000 at today's exchange rate, but about $90,000 at a more reasonable fx (the JPY in the last few days went into overdrive!).

Niteroi
10-28-2008, 05:55 PM
I know it's like comparing apples and oranges, but I'd rather buy a GT-S with that money.

Boxer
10-28-2008, 06:32 PM
I know it's like comparing apples and oranges, but I'd rather buy a GT-S with that money.

Personally for that money, I would go for a Ferrari 512 BB.

BigFoot
10-29-2008, 12:09 AM
I know it's like comparing apples and oranges, but I'd rather buy a GT-S with that money.

But a GT-S costs almost twice as much! (about JPY 19m here in Japan, all in).

xraygun
10-29-2008, 03:56 AM
In this world economy, make an offer man!

italiancars
10-29-2008, 08:36 PM
Put me down for a 450S (#4508 specifically) and V4 Zagato. That should send the real Maserchist scrambling for their history books on the V4 Zagato.

johnei
10-29-2008, 10:49 PM
Like this V4 Zagato? Green is an unusual color. Do you have any history on the car?

http://kimberlymacdonald.com/images/1932%20Maserati%20V4%20Zagato_jpg.jpg

BigFoot
10-30-2008, 12:22 AM
Plate says Rome, my hometown :cool:

italiancars
10-30-2008, 01:00 AM
Like this V4 Zagato? Green is an unusual color. Do you have any history on the car?

http://kimberlymacdonald.com/images/1932%20Maserati%20V4%20Zagato_jpg.jpg

It is actually the ONLY V4 Zagato, the other V16 Maseratis engine is rumored to still be around. The is owned by a well known collector. Here are photos from last year's Columbus Day Parade in Manhattan. I was driving following it in my Ghibli SS.

BigFoot
10-30-2008, 01:11 AM
I have to say Joe, you've got a FANTASTIC collection of cars.

If I am ever in your neck of the woods (which by the way I don't know where it is), I'd love to have a look at your garage ;)

johnei
08-19-2009, 12:42 AM
Cheap (44k USD)

http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?SaleCode=MO09&CarID=r268&Currency=USD

BigFoot
08-19-2009, 09:46 PM
Lovely, lovely car!


There is one over here that is tempting me but wife's not happy about buying a classic ...

JalanJalan
08-21-2009, 03:18 PM
Hey, I think that blue bora is beautiful. My dad had one when I was just a kid and he drove it every day....that is every day that it wasn't in the shop. It was truly a nightmare to keep running. I don't remember all the details but:

carbs needed to be tuned constantly, all four of them
hydraulics constantly breaking
leather seats virtually fell apart (?florida sun)
had to fly a mechanic from Italy once to get it running properly, on the test drive the hood popped open at speed and broke the windshield. Another one was sent on a boat from Italy.

He told me he sat down with a calender and bills and realized it was in the shop more than at home.

I used the (have to) wash it - indentured servitude I think it was - so I decided that I also deserved to drive it. Took it down the street doing a couple of 0-60 runs. :autofahrer: It think it was in the low 4's if I remember. Next time daddums drove the bora, the clutch was toast! He traded it in for a mercdes for like $17000. He did not kill me. apparently the bora was starting to rust so he was gonna ditch it anyways.

That's probably one of my reasons for buying a maserati - to be just like dear old dad. When I brought the coupe home, he couldn't identify it so I showed him the name on the trunklid. He looked at me, shook his head and went back inside without a comment!


Hope you enjoyed the story!
JJ

BigFoot
08-21-2009, 09:02 PM
Cool story :D


And yes, the Boras do suffer from popping hoods. My friends in Japan who own one have shown me a quick and easy fix to ensure the hood stays in its place ;)

JalanJalan
08-22-2009, 12:17 AM
almost forgot this little bit: to raise the back clamshell, there are two separate silver release levers, both of which must be lifted at the EXACT same time or the whole thing will jam (with accompanying expletives).

bluyork
08-22-2009, 12:47 AM
Great story JJ.

Boxer
08-22-2009, 08:16 AM
Cool story :D


And yes, the Boras do suffer from popping hoods. My friends in Japan who own one have shown me a quick and easy fix to ensure the hood stays in its place ;)

+1 Very cool story.

bundas
08-25-2009, 02:38 PM
i have owned my car for about five years. it was purchased from a dotcom guy that ran out of money. i paid 35 he told me he paid 140. times change. i then spent 20 on repairs, he was ripped off. then i was ripped off and had to spend another 20. Now my car starts perpect every time. runs perfect every time. of course i have not taken the thing on a trip yet. so car has about 50 miles on it in the last 2-3 years.

BigFoot
08-25-2009, 10:27 PM
$75k on a Bora. Ouch. I hope it makes up for it giving you a lot to smile about when you do get a chance to drive it :)


PS: By the way, excuse my ignorance but where is Lexington?

italiancars
08-26-2009, 03:02 PM
Hey, I think that blue bora is beautiful. My dad had one when I was just a kid and he drove it every day....that is every day that it wasn't in the shop. It was truly a nightmare to keep running. I don't remember all the details but:

carbs needed to be tuned constantly, all four of them

The problem more than likely was that whomever set up the carbs didn't know what they were doing. Set them correctly once and leave them alone (unless you're driving through Denver). Done right you should not have to touch them again for years.


hydraulics constantly breaking

The Citroen Hydraulics are very reliable an occassional drip from a junction is about all if the system is properly maintained.

leather seats virtually fell apart (?florida sun)

Then as now leather needs to be treated.

had to fly a mechanic from Italy once to get it running properly, on the test drive the hood popped open at speed and broke the windshield. Another one was sent on a boat from Italy.

Early Boras had the front hood hinged at the base of the windshield, later cars were hinged at the nose. Obviously someone didnot secure the hood.


He told me he sat down with a calender and bills and realized it was in the shop more than at home.

I used the (have to) wash it - indentured servitude I think it was - so I decided that I also deserved to drive it. Took it down the street doing a couple of 0-60 runs. :autofahrer: It think it was in the low 4's if I remember. Next time daddums drove the bora, the clutch was toast! He traded it in for a mercdes for like $17000. He did not kill me. apparently the bora was starting to rust so he was gonna ditch it anyways.

Rust was something that was common to all 70s era cars, no matter the manufacturer.

JalanJalan
08-26-2009, 05:00 PM
The story is a just a recollection from my childhood. The dealership was Orange motors in Miami. don't even know if they were any sort of official maserati dealer or if they had properly trained mechanics there.

Bottom line is despite the bad luck with that car, I bought a maserati myself. go figure. I do have this fond memory: it smelled really good in that car, the leather I mean. Nicer even than my coupe. But it did crack and stuff and looked bad pretty fast. I have a feeling my dad, who is actually not a "car guy" probably did absolutely nothing to try and keep that car in good condition, rather he drove it every day and took it in when it broke. Not a good lifestyle for a mas.

you might like this one too. He (dad) had an employer who he had drive the car in for service. A few years later this guy told me he picked it up from servicing and took it for a ride up I-95 back to my dad's office. I asked him how fast he went and told me, no joke: "as fast as it would go"! :running: He used to race cars for a hobby so I don't doubt he wrung it out pretty good.

JJ

Maserati Blue
11-30-2009, 05:40 PM
Here is another story for you:

Me and my best friend grew up together and he was lucky to own a Maserati Biturbo ('82 or something). It was a great car, enough of us kids could sit in it and drive all over the place, probably one of the fastest cars we had seen at the time. Problem was, it was too often in the garage due to engine problems. High temperature, low oil, broken engine covers, you name it.

At some point my friend realized that the car was only 5 months on the road out of 12, the rest 7 months were spent in the garage. So he sold it.

Some years later, we had grown (in age only, we didn't get any wiser), thus he got a Ghibli Cup ('96 limited edition or whatever). Great car, really fast and nice setup for doing fancy driving to scare your girlfriends.

Unfortunately, this too was always broken, it needed new turbos, high temperature, some other broken stuff that I'm forgetting. Eventually the engine was replaced with a new one and the car was sold off to some unlucky guy.

Sure, we had GREAT fun in those cars, but only because we had our regular German cars to drive everyday and didn't mind the Maserati sitting in the garage.

Eventually, he got a Porsche 996.

I waited and waited and let others play with all those broken cars, I was a Maserati at heart and soul but I didn't want to spend my days in a garage. Eventually, Maserati was taken over by Ferrari/FIAT and that was when the really good stuff started. The 3200 Coupe wasn't very reliable, the 4200 Coupe was too "soft" for my tastes and eventually I found my love in the GranSport. Reliable is the only word to describe it, never had a single problem, 30+ miles with still the original clutch and all servicing done. So far so good.

(hopefully, after writing all the above, my car won't fall into pieces within the next few minutes, hehe :D )

Anyway, I also had my way with the new GT and GT-S, great cars all of them, globalization has taken over and now a car is made of pretty much loads of stuff from all other the place, they have small issues that other car makers have as well.

ivanthecarnut
12-01-2009, 01:08 PM
If anyone is still looking for a Bora. I have a 1973, black with black interior, price is $48,500 (approx 32.170 Euro).

photos at: http://thecarnut.com/Bora73-536.html

I usually have, or know of, Ghibli coupe, Ghibli spyders, Khamsins, Merak, Bora, Indy, Mistral, etc for sale.

My website has many photos of Maserati cars from this era, and you can download the sales brochures and manuals for these cars.

www.thecarnut.com

Ivan
1968 Mistral spyder 4.0 liter
1959 3500GT Vignale spyder prototype (1st made)

BigFoot
12-01-2009, 10:09 PM
Wish you were a bit closer!

Maserati Blue
12-02-2009, 10:05 AM
Yeah, the cost of shipping it to Europe makes it too expensive, there are cheaper Boras here than that. Still, very good looking and in great condition, I'm sure it will sell quickly over there.

ivanthecarnut
12-02-2009, 12:33 PM
Yeah, the cost of shipping it to Europe makes it too expensive, there are cheaper Boras here than that. Still, very good looking and in great condition, I'm sure it will sell quickly over there.

I have sold several cars to Europe and the shipping cost is actually quite low. From Atlanta, it cost more to ship a car to California than it does to Rotterdam. You can get a price quote online from Schumacher Cargo, and they will arrange picking the car and transporting it to the port.

Of course, if you can get a nice Bora in Europe for less than 33.000 euros, then shipping my car from the USA makes little sense.

A Bora is a GREAT car and I highly recommend you own one at least once in your lifetime. I feel the same about the Ghibli, especially the Ghibli spyder. The Khamsin is another great car, which is many times misunderstood, and worth at least owning once.

Ivan

Dolle Dolf
12-09-2009, 04:58 PM
Always enjoy a look at ivan's website.

bundas
12-21-2009, 04:56 PM
in lexington my fellow Bora owner has died. He spent 12yrs. in restoring to perfection his 1977 car. may be for sale. if any interest i may ask. I know he spent over 100000 dollars on the car, partly due to a crook.