Maserati Khamsin

Update on rearview mirror:
The VHB double-stick tape for a 1979 Porsche 911SC arrived from Pelican today and everything went well. See separate thread for write-up.
- Art

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Best of all worlds

 

Nice, I see that he posted some new photos on Facebook (and IG) of the Khamsin, very impressive.

Don't see the VIN on the photos, not many clues also, yes I think it's LHD, and the hood appears to have the extra brace.

 

It really could have benefitted from a super detail.

 

It is a car that sat in Calabria, stored in very poor condition for decades, possibly a mafioso's discarded toy, who else down in the foot of Italy had the means?

It is one of very few K's sold new with luggage but they are long gone.

It was bought by a mechanic in Nice, France.
He had begun some tinkering on it...then suddenly had a major rethinking and entrusted Sebastien Mialet with an extremely thorough body resto. It is a 200 something chassis will post it tomorrow.

Sebastien is clearly very talented and driven, I would love to go visit his shop but it is very far for me with no easy itinerary, in France roads are like a spider web with the center high up above the middle of the map: Paris.
If your start or destination is on that web, fine, otherwise endless trip.

 

Reminds me of when the Alfa Dealer in SF knocked the rear view mirror off of my GTV6 and it took a chunk of the windshield with it. Gawd they were awful. Martin Swig's mega dealership where Seals Stadium used to be. Of course British Motors on Van Ness who were the Maserati distributorship and where I bought my Biturbo blew the hood back om my Biturbo shortly after I got it ... Then when they became an Infiniti dealer they cracked my Q45's windshield in the process of replacing a failed dash that had developed dimples all over the dash.

They called me Mr. Lucky ...

 

Just back from a shakedown cruise... some minor issues, but always lovely to look at..

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Thanks for that. Yes your right, the rotisserie is a little more elaborate than I was envisaging but it is a beautiful set up

 

Looks GREAT Art !!!!!

Mike

 

On the inside rearview mirrors, I do recall now when I first purchased #1226 (35 years ago) it had a glass mounted mirror, that came off. I replaced it with the roof mounted mirror from the parts book.

the roof mounted mirror is smaller than the glass mounted, be interesting to see if the glass mounted mirror cars are US spec only. It may be part of the same regulations that dictated the 5mph bumpers.

 

Yes that would be interesting, the chassis number.

Do you know the original colour(s) of the car?

 

See the brochure with the large photo of the yellow Khamsin.
I think I see at least one photo in that brochure where the mirror is not attached to the glass.

 

There were some questions about the steering wheel on #341 earlier, but as far as I know that's the same wheel as on most RHD cars.

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Do you mean the US produced Khamsin Road Test brochure?

 

This one, and then the photo of the light interior on the left

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Voilà your van der information Sir

322, dark blue.

 

I wonder why they did that? That's all they had left or UK regulations? I like both styles just fine.

 

Hi Roberto, I have most UK Khamsins that still exist in my Registry database and just checked; not a single one has the Euro wheel, all have the US version so it was a deliberate factory decision. It does not mean there aren't one or three with Euro wheel but I believe that would be after a change by the owner.

 

Aesthetics issue aside (which is huge for me!), literally impossible to see the warning lights etc in a K w/the padded center wheel while driving!

 

Not my experience on the Bora. Is it different on the Khamsin?

 

The question is why? Were the RH ones produced late or maybe they had ordered too many of those style steering wheels and needed to use them up?

 

RHD cars began a little later, about the time cars for the new world began being produced so maybe they were lumped together, other than that who knows...and who cares, it is what it is. Right, time for a very late lunch here!

 

Thank you!

Great to see their (Sebastien Mialet's and the owner's) determination to save this car.
The body will probably be as good as (or even better than) new.

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Yes I never before saw anyone go that deep, very admirable.

 

..it is literally possible for me to see every gauge, every warning light, every switch.. w/the padded center wheel while driving. - LOL, go figure..