Quattroporte III catch-all thread

Hi I went through some of the brochures I have collected and got some interesting details I will post.

First picture is the detail on the centre console are armrest from the brochure posted above. Note the arrangement of the switches by the gearshift lever, the knob in the middle of the armrest, rotary dials and wood top on the dash. (sorry for the poor photo)
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Actually a picture from the January 1980 Road and Track article. Note red wires on US style air intake, normal switches around the gearshift, the other picture has rotary dials and normal wheels. The pictured car was an auto. Also note the red label on the oil cap. A second picture that looks like the same was from a brown cover Maserati brochure - note this one has intake trumpets and the labelling is a bit different on the cover.
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I have a later white version of the Maserati brochure and in this one there are no rotary dials but the push button lever version. In this brochure the motor pictured is the version with black wires, no air cleaner, and the Maserati on the valve covers unpainted.
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http://www.collectorcarads.com/Maserati-Quattroporte/42591

OK $30000 is the right price for a nice car but this one has no motor -- or what looks like an old GM in the middle. Done right it might be fun but a Maserati with no Maserati motor is a (*)&(&)(

 

http://www.anamera.com/en/detail/car/181752/index.html?no_cache=1&ret=63

5 speed for sale in Italy. 1980 vin 0330 (I think). I have inquired as to price (Euro 14k) but it looks like a saveable car but faded out everywhere.

 

I laughed out loud when I saw that! I'm in the process of "upgrading" my stereo but I will NOT make any permanent changes to ANYTHING. I'm keeping the original AM/FM “pull to set station” radio in there and adding an amp and a disc changer in the trunk. I'm even going to try tactile transducers under the front seats.
I did replace the speakers as they are common sizes but am keeping the originals aside. They are 2 ohm wired in series so no Fade option. Unfortunately the rear speaker grills were so brittle they just fell apart. Are original grills available anywhere? I had some old Jensen covers from a ‘74 Duster I owned as a kid. I'll use them for now. At least the time period is close.
It all will be done without cutting any wires.

I might replace the radio if I don’t like the sound. But keep the original aside.
Tony

 

http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-page/174159/1986-maserati-quattroporte/

This one is for sale for Euro 15,000 and sounds like it needs the motor rebuilt. Special price.

 

Also something drilled into the dash beside the clock and I have never seen those floor mats on a QPIII either. Still a 5 speed for the price of the Auto in Germany that needs a motor rebuild.

Definitely worth getting if there was some room.

 

The mirror is not missing on this. The early Euro cars did not have a passenger mirror. See the Maserati brochure pictured earlier but the car had only the drivers mirror and an earlier style of wheels.
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Charles, who did the job for you?

 

Mine has no passenger side mirror either. I keep looking there while driving as I'm so used to doing so.
Thanks for the JoeDro Speaker Grill tip.
Tony
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Tony. My 81 had a replacement radio so I have carte blanche. Can you give me a step by step on the speakers etc? I am in the market for the original radio from 1981 if anyone can help. Also I need to put a new one in the 81 that fits and is modern but retro. Can anyone help.

ciao

 

The speakers were fairly straight forward.
The fronts are standard 4x6 ovals. To get to the passenger side you only need to remove the two lower screws (closest to you if you’re sitting in the passenger’s seat.) on the glove box. Let the glove box swing down on the rear brackets.

On the driver’s side I removed the instrument cluster. For some reason it’s a lot easier in my car than it shows in the manual or from what I’ve heard in previous postings. There are no bolts/screws under the dash close to the firewall. I simply removed a few very small screws left and right of the steering wheel then firmly grasp the cluster and pull toward me. All while sitting in the driver seat and never even looking under the dash. Once that’s out the speaker is right there.

The rears are standard 5 1/4 round. These are completely accessible from inside the car. No need to even remove the fuel tank compartment panel in the trunk.

This might not apply to you if the radio has been replaced but I’ll go on for others:
My radio is a Blaupunkt AM/FM non digital type with the pull to set preset buttons. Two AM and three FM. I guess it’s original and I want to keep it. It has great sound at low volume levels. It’s only 2 channel stereo, so to accommodate 4 speakers they wired them in series. There is no fade (front to rear balance adjustment) for this radio. The wiring diagram in the electrical manual shows one of the speakers wired out of phase (+ and – reversed). I guess that’s a misprint. Mine were all in phase.

Because the speakers are wired in series you don’t need to cut any factory wiring. You need to short each of the existing front speaker wires together. (Unplug the + and – wires from the speaker and attach them together by making simple male to male crimp adapters.) I know that might sound crazy to some but the series wiring allows you to do that. BE SURE YOUR RADIO IS WIRED THIS WAY FIRST. Chances are if you have no fade option and if you unplug a wire from the front speaker and your corresponding rear speaker goes dead then it’s wired in series.

To add an amplifier in the trunk - at the rear speakers remove the wires from both speakers and attach them to a High to Low (speaker level to RCA level) converter with built in on/off amp signal (blue wire). Of course now you’ll need to remove the fuel tank compartment panel in the trunk and partial rear seating. Run a 4 awg fused power wire from the battery to the trunk with a 1 farad capacitor. That last step is a little easier said than done. There are existing grommets that have ample room so no drilling is needed. One in the fire wall near the battery accessible from the wheel well. One behind the rear passenger seat next to the gas tank.
Now you have all you need to connect an amplifier. Just run new speaker wires from the amp to each speaker.

Some pictures for the power wire pull are here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.489936154350273.116754.100000016783240&type=3

Tony

 

It was:
National Transmissions - 1918 Lomita Boulevard Lomita, CA 90717


(310) 539-9252

 

That's happened several times with cars over here.

I just wait until all of those loose bearings settle to the bottom of the pan and then it drives & sounds just great! LOL

 

Another image. No trumpets and red wires. Car looks rough but solid. Advertised at 10,000 pounds.
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Hi

I have decided the centre console wood needs done like the doors.

1. how to take the knob off the auto gearstick - twist?
2. How do the window switches come off and how do you lift the panel as it does not appear to be screwed down.

Thanks

 

Will do I have got the books and will try to find the reference.