[viperden]

Hi guys. I am new to this site and recently decided that I want to take the plunge on a 2002 CC Spyder. I was going to get an elise but its too impractical for everyday use. I was wonder if you guys could help me by telling me what you think I should watchout for. I know the clutches go pretty fast on the f1 system but with proper use, they can last a good 20k miles. Also, as a daily driver, how much should I be prepared to spend on a yearly basis as well as how much should I buy one for. I have seen several hovering around 50k but maybe I am missing something. Thanks for all the help.

 

[haha]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Maserati-M138-02-Spyder-Cambiocorsa-Only-12k-Miles-in-Fly-Yellow_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6313QQitemZ4573111438QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

 

[demoe]

Viperden

we seem to have similar circumstance, I too was considering the Elise, but the car was planned to share time as a Daily driver and I wanted something w/o a Stick, so I choose a 2002 Spider CC.

I bought the car with 15,800 in the car, and the clutch was 80% worn....I replaced the clutch at around 17.200 and it was completley worn. I have no idea how the prior owner drove the car, but he did live in a fairly rural area.....I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, (lots of city, stop and go driving).....I would consider yourself lucky to get 15,000 out of a CC if you live in a major city with stop and go.

in terms of maitanence, the first service is at 8000 or so, which is a basic oil change, ...I would expect to pay $350 service.

I did the 18,500 service and it cost about $1200 for filter/oil/brake flush, ..

I plan to do about 10,000 miles a yr on the car and expect it to cost me $2500 yr in maitanence/clutch ....not including tires.....

FYI, brakes are VERY expensive if purchased through a dealer, I was quoted pads at $700 per axle, ...however had someone look at the car and since we use a universal Brembo 4 piston system, there are pads which will work for about a third of the dealer cost.

In terms of cost, I watch ebay all the time, 2002 can be had for $50k with a bit more miles on them, (12-20k miles), for a bit more say, $53k-$55k, you can find some with 5000-8000 miles on the clock.

You can also find 2003 in the mid 50s,

If I were to do it all again, you may wish to find at this point a 2003, since a 2002 is likely hitting its warranty expiration point......and a breakdown could cost you an arm and a leg if on your dime.

FWIW, I paid $50k for mine with a Tubi, and 15,800...I could have gotten one off ebay for the same or slightly more $, with less miles, but I purchased mine locally...

 

[viperden]

wow thanks for the breakdown. Yeah I would only buy one if it had at least a few months of warranty in case the car needs sorting out. Mileage doesnt bother me really. The car is not that old so it will never be really high and the more mileage the better sorted out the car will be. I guess the main thing I have to see is how much clutch life is left in the car. I hear its a 4k job.

 

[demoe]

the clutch cost me $3800...I've heard the cost may vary (I have no idea why) depending on what part of the US or world you live.

 

[viperden]

do you think that this is the main thing I must look out for when buying or are there other weak points that should be checked as well?

 

[demoe]

all in all, the car is great, but you have to prepare yourself for some minor headaches, the diehards here call "italian quirks", which could also be called 'quality control" issues.

the navigation sucks, the audio system sucks,

My roof is damaged due to not openning far enough, getting stuck, closing, then breaking a guide.

I was cleaning my dash, and the towel got caught in the Maserati logo on over the ashtray cover, the logo split in two......

I would say make sure you have a warranty, have a good dealer......I good part of why my roof remains non-operable, is the downtime the car has when at the dealer.....it seems that the dealers in my area are very busy, despite the limited production numbers of these vehicles...


Again, I am just highlighting the bad, or worse case.....I love the car, and it certainly is an exclusive vehicle, which gets many thumbs ups....but in reality, if the car was as common as a Porsche, ...im not sure I would deal with its quirks....

I have a couple other cars which I have modified in terms of suspension (lowered), and chipped, etc etc....(Mercedes c43 AMG, Lotus Elan), ...both handle better than the Maserati, and both at least feel as quick (Mercedes), and one is faster (Lotus). I am thinking of adding a Supercharger to the Mercedes which will get it into the 400 hp range as well....

with that being said, this is just my opinion, ...the one thing which i feel is critical, suspension/.handling,....is the cars weakest point, I also feel it was done so for a reason as Maserati was designed to be a daily driver, therefore a higher center of gravity, not super stiff....I happened to be next to a brand new Ferrari this weekend, which was noticably lower than my Spider.

 

[viperden]

Hey thanks so much for the info. By the way, how long have you ever heard of the CC clutch lasting? My dad used to own a Vanquish so I know how to drive them without slipping the clutch (never drop below 1400 in gear, etc.) Also, I owned a 1991 elan for 7 years. It was actually my first car! What are the odds?

 

[maserati of minneapolis]

We are always happy to help find you a specific car if\when you are looking. If you want to go through a dealer, we are fairly new to Maserati, but have specialized in high end european cars for a long time. Our store has been around for over 30 years, and we make customer service our #1 priority. In under a year we have already sold 2x the number of new Maseratis than we were expected to sell, and have already moved into the top half of US dealers.

If you watch eBay for any period of time, you will definately see cars that we have for sale, and I try to keep this site's marketplace section current on our pre-owned Maseratis for sale. If we don't have one that matches your needs \ preferences, we will be happy to find one for you. We have a competent certified service staff that fully inspects and services all cars prior to delivery.

Check out our website http://www.maseratiofminneapolis.com for more information, or you can contact me here.

- Mark