72 Ghibli...$89,500

+1.

Except that I know of people who do a lot of their own work and have done this on better examples so they aren't horribly underwater. If you're going to pay to have a car that needs everything by top flight restoration shops then it's going to remain a submarine operation for quite a while.

 

Hopefully the increasing Ghibli prices will also positively affect the value of its 2+2 Maserati V8 sisters; the Mexico and the Indy, which have seemingly fallen totally out of the radar...

 

De Tomaso had nothing to do with the 3200. The 3200 was made under the FIAT ownership and released to the public in 1998-2002. De Tomaso was already gone for nearly a decade (FIAT took over in 1993!).

Sorry to say, but the 3200 is only a remote cousin to the De Tomaso junk. Maybe the engine is the only remnant of that era... which is also the only real issue with the 3200 hint hint...


Yes I agree about my Merak, but the Merak was never De Tomaso's creation. He got it with the company and halted its production in 1983.

 

And I agree with that..... unfortunately.

My small collection of bikes and cars are limited to vehicles I want to keep.....so I'm not proceeding with the market in mind.

 

For the return on money yes the Lambo parts are cheaper. Miura uses a lot of Fiat parts

 

If think Lambo parts are consistently higher for the same exact sort of part being reproduced presently. Stuff like valves, guides, ball joints, pistons etc. Once you get into the only available as used stuff OMG but that IS harder to quantify since there's almost nothing available in the Lamborghini world. My Maseratis don't presently require a lot of such parts but I'd guess neither marque is any bargain.

Yeah 850 fiat headlamps and 124 door handles are such a bargain ...

 

850 door handels!

It's all expensive I can see a lot of Maserati spyder owners freshening up their cars this year.

 

Espada = 125 door handles with keys. But I've never seen one.

 

sharing parts is no big deal, all cars share components and parts, even across brands and group-brands.

anyone care to open up a Gallardo? The only thing Italian is the name. Even the engine block is stamped with VW-AUDI. The entire car is produced in Germany and then shipped to Italy for final assembly.

even the lowliest cheapest cars are now shared among brands, like in the PSA group and the various Japanese brands. Same car different badge.

so why wonder why a 30 year old car shares components with other brands of that era?

 

I don't think anyone one is wondering. We hope they do! But sometimes it's of little help and ends up screwing the guys with the cheaper cars.

 

why do you think that the guys with the cheaper cars get screwed?

wouldn't the opposite count? For example, someone who paid the price of a small house for a new Gallardo, ends up with an LCD screen in his instrument cluster from an AUDI A3 which costs peanuts in comparison? or the console buttons/switches or the stereo equipment or ermm just about half the car?

then someone who buys a Skoda, ends up with the very best of VW/AUDI at a fraction of the cost?

 

Speeeecifically, if you're a Fiat 850 owner then you're competing with Miura Millionaires for headlamp assemblies. Just one example.

 

Thats for sure.

Miura uses fiat locks, brake handle, mirrors, visors , spare tire strap, pull releases all the door components. Side and front lights, tail lights ......

 

But shouldn't there be enough headlamp assemblies? I am sure there are enough FIAT 850 left in the world, out of the 2.3 million sold...

For a Miura owner, it would be easy to just buy a few of those cars for spare parts, and in addition, there aren't enough Miuras out there to compete for the 2.3 million FIAT 850's out there.

So there should be enough FIAT 850 spare parts for everybody

 

And don`t forget that the rear lamps of Bora, Merak, Khamsin are also with Alfas. Same with the door handle of the Khamsin - very cheap looking and coming from FIAT.
Etc., etc...!

 

If you wanted to re-plate everything yes but thats difficult especially with items like locks. Then there are the lenses. Not only are these used by Miura but many other Bertone cars. As an example the Iso Grifo uses the same glove box locks, so the demand is larger than you may realize. NOS is difficult

 

Do some home work.

 

I love those FIAT door locks! My spare keys were made in walking distance from my apartment at about $3 each. My '01 Mercedes key was about $300-$400

 

Sorry, those were 72 Ghibli keys. # different ones for the entire car

 

That is 3 different keys. Ignition, glove box and fuel tanks.

 

Agree with all you said, but especially:

Makes it a pretty expensive hobby, though. You've got to do it because of your passion for the car -- not out of expectation of a quick, decent profit.

 

Are you sure, Walter? I've heard Alfa Montreal.

 

Yup - I`m shure (see the photo. © internet!)

The Alfa Montreal had it also? Whatever - it is and looks cheap!
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Can be, but we did it: nut and bolt restoration and it is very rewarding, already 35.000km of fun with the car. We drive it anywhere!

Ciao,

Bart
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Sorry Walter,

Probably another Fiat but not the X1/9.
I would have to cut quite a hole to make that one fit!

Ciao,

Bart
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