Maserati Indy 4.9

Hi there,

I have been offered to buy a Maserati Indy 4.9 from 1974 (must be one of the last ones produced). The car is very complete and original, nothing missing, but hasn´t been moved for a long time (1 owner car). The owner says that the engine needs to be repaired (he says performs ok at high revs but badly at low revs), also the electric wiring isn´t good. The painting is fine but has some cracks at the front. The leather looks like new, but needs to be softened. The drivers seat has some craks. The rpm clock doesn´t work. The car passed recently the MOT test.

I know that Indys are not very valuable Maseraty cars, but I would like to know what is in your opinion the value for good Indys and how much should I pay for this car. What would be your estimated cost to repair it?

Many thanks in advance for your help!!

 

Azul,

The very last Indy had Citroen brakes. Is this one of them?

I am not familiar in what it takes to pass MOT but how can an engine that needs work and runs badly at low RPMs pass MOT?

Ivan

 

Hi Ivan,

That' s right, it has Citroen brakes. Regarding the Mot, if you have a contact there, you can pass it even if the car is in bad shape.

 

Azul, the Indy is a beautiful car and drives quite nicely for its age. Very comfortable.

Unfortunately it has little value: 30,000 to 40,000 euros depending on its condition and even those prices are optimistic because very few people would buy an Indy. Most would go for the more popular (and more expensive) Ghibli and others would prefer the sportier Khamsin at the same price.

Spare parts are rare and expensive (for originals). Work has to be done by a Maserati specialist who knows what he is doing and will cost a lot to fix the car, which will bring the total cost of ownership very high, not really worth spending on an Indy.

My suggestion is to find the best possible car you can buy, instead of buying one that needs fixing, unless you are a mechanic yourself.

 

Many thanks for your valuable comments. Anyone knows the chassis numbers of the Indys? I think this car must be one of the last made. I imagine this might add value to the car.....or not?

 

well, hard to say if it adds any value. The right question would be: does it matter to the buyer if it is one of the last made? If it matters then he may pay something extra.

I think it matters on some models only. For example, I personally prefer the later/last models of the Merak because they don't have any Citroen stuff in them, they are "purer" in my eyes (others of course will disagree).

I don't know if it makes any difference in the Indy or not. Since it is not an expensive car, even if it is one of the last made, it won't have any significant value.

Ask your self the same question, does it make any difference to you? If not, then it probably won't make a difference to others

If you are buying as an investment, then you are definitely buying the wrong car.

 

I owned AM116/49 2036 for a very short time. In addition to the 4.9 liter engine and Citroen brakes, the car you are looking at probably has ZF power steering and 15" starburst wheels (just like the Khamsin). Most Indy have 14" wheels that for me look a bit awkward. Another difference is the dash layout and a third hood scoop. I find this dash layout quite attractive. The gearbox I believe is the same as the Khamsin and so is the shift knob.

The hydraulic fluid is not used for the seat or headlights, so no Bosch hydraulics to worry. I do not recall if the clutch is assisted by the Citroen system. I hope it is as I really like the clutch assistance on the Khamsin.

For me a very late Indy would be more desirable, hence worth some premium. Do you have photos of the car you are considering?

Ivan
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Uhmm, that´s an interesting point of view! Thanks for that!

 

Hi Ivan,

Yes, the car is just like yours, same dash layout, power steering, three hood scoops......but a little newer, this one is AM116/49 2082. Find attached some pics. What do you think of it?

Cheers!
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Very nice! Looks like a time capsule

Interesting that it has black bumpers. Is that original?

Cheers,
Gabriel

 

I can provide no substantive input other than that I love these cars and have lusted after one ever since a neighbour owned a 4.9 in the very same colour scheme many years ago while I was an impressionable teenager.

An engine rebuild seems to be manageable in terms of cost, based on comments here.

BUY IT to fix, drive and enjoy, and let others worry about the Cheney clamps on their classic Ferraris.

 

Looks great, I like the color combo!

Before you buy, ask a Maserati professional to check the car and tell you how much it would cost to fix all the problems. It will be a good indicator to know how much work it needs.

 

Does not look too bad. The radiator fans have been replaced, also the relays, speakers on the door panels, and a few other minor things. Of course the engine could be an issue. See if you can get the owner to do a compression test.

I like the color combination. I am a terrible person to ask about price and value as I have been known to plunge into buying a car and then later asking questions. It might be more prudent to ask questions before you buy but there is something exiting about getting a car purely on gut instinct.

My advice ... if it feels right, buy it, if it doesn't, walk away.

Ivan

 

From the photos it is a very nice looking car. These cars do indeed look much better with the starburst wheels. And it is "azul".

 

Everything that's been written is correct.
There are a few 4,9L Indys around in Europe, which are priced in the mid 30ies EUR, but probably are in better shape than this Spanish car. See e.g. http://www.maserati-alfieri.co.uk/alfieri00a.htm
Owning a substantially later car (in fact one of the last), with many specifis not seen on other Indys (such as factory steel sun roof), I can only concur with Ivan:
They are wonderfully underrated cars, beautiful to drive, but cost of course the same to fix like any other Maserati GT, however, reward more and seat 4 comfortably. Having driven her just yesterday, I love the sophistication of these cars.
Looking at the pics, I gathered that #2082 has the much sought after boot cover in the roll. There are some glitches, though (horrible loudspeakers, shifter bag in black), but if you do not mind, that is not hampering the value of the car considerably.
Good luck!
Peter

 

I'm with Ivan: Trust your gut feeling. A car either talks to you, or it doesn't, and I can see why this one would.

I didn't know that the last Indy's were different in the ways described, but so they appear to be the pick of the bunch. The dash is a god-sent.

The Indy is a beautiful machine, I have always admired the sophisticated styling, unassuming, yet exciting and very different from anything else.

They are relatively in-expensive to buy, but, as stated, to keep one up costs the same as any other Maser V-8. If all prices go up, they will be last, simply because it is a 4-seater.

If you like the car, and you buy it for you, not for profit, it'd make a very tempting proposition.

Good luck!

 

Many thanks to you all for sharing with me your valuable expertise and opinions!

Cheers!

 

An Indy on offer here in Australia. Looks pretty tidy

Maserati Indy in Sydney, NSW | eBay
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Blue / Tan IS THE color for the car. And a late 4.9 too.

GLWTP.

 

six Indy's to Maseratisource Dec. 7. two dual Pod. a 4.7 and two 4.9's. the last was the late version. I charged him $20,000 for it and I sold the other 5 for $25,000 total the late car had a new interior and paint. needed only brake(green stuff)

 

Is that a glove box? I did not know that it was offered. Nice.

 

Hi,

A slight off the wall question. We have an Indy here (Iran) which apprently is ex-Shah of Iran (aren't they all). However, this one has a high probability of being legit as it was sold in local auction when some of the Shah's other (verifiable) cars were being sold off. The car has been in storage for over a decade, so there is no access to it ( I will try to dig up up older photo's).

This car has a sunroof, and I am told that only three Indy's came equipped with factory sunroofs, one being a special order for the Shah.

Is this urban legend or is there some truth to this ?

Would appreciate it if someone could shed light on this.

Best Wishes,

Ramin

 

Hi
Its very funny to look back and read old threads!
Today a fine 4900 Indy cost about Euro 70-90000 and is still going up.
Reliable and solid car with a very good and rare V8 with plenty of power, even today, so my advice will be "buy one before they become to expensive.