Hi Marc, Yes if you could find out the paint code I would appreciate it. It gives me something to go on. As for the Whalley car, you are right in that I've never heard much about it since the restoration. Maybe he put it into storage/minimal use as suggested in those articles. Paul Thanks for sending the disc, I look forward to it assuming the postal service is working. Cheers Bal
The story was published before, but it is now online and with more photos: http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/features/octane_features/243355/driven_maserati_khamsin.html
Paul: email sent. I had the phone number of Tom in the database so I hardly qualify as Sherlock H. in this case My activity right now here in Burgundy is essentially doing the Maserati the Citroen years book and some articles when I have time. I have a plan for after that and yes it involves a Khamsin, again, in the garage but I certainly will not leave it there too often, it will spend most of its time on challenging backroads! Bal: Will email Dean for his paint code today and get back to you asap. AMLC: thanks for the link: that article was, like the recent article in Classic cars October issue, a rarity: an article by a journalist who actually understood the car. For decades it seemed only LJK Sethright -complete with his quirks!- could understand Khamsins. Maybe IQ's are going up after all... It is AM120389 in the Octane article, bought by Michael Q, a Brit living in Monaco or the south of France who was in touch a couple of years ago. He bought it at a London auction, it is the former car of a Mike Oldfields of a band called Tubular bells. Michael is smart, he has the car in the south of France on British plates: like a diplomatic pass in some -not all, not any longer- cases with les Gendarmes best regards, Marc
Here is a quiz: what is missing in this photo? I must say I was very surprised. It is AM120192 in Chicago (yes the seats are redone wrongly and the color combination is unfortunate: it wasn't born that way). Paul: I got your disc: thank you very much stunning photos and what a setting! best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login
Marc, Item(s) missing in photo; Rear seat backrest and centre dash, no dividing panels for the lower controls ? Paul, Echo Marc's comments, thanks for the cd the photos are great Bal
Nice craftmanship on those seats ... Are those JC Whitney seat covers? Yes, what happended to the useless back seat? Bob S.
There is an article on the Khamsin in Octane: http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/features/octane_features/243355/driven_maserati_khamsin.html
Bal, Bob: good answers The question is whether the back seat was removed or whether someone asked for a car without it (will add this to my Cozza questions but nothing of the sort came up when I asked him for the details of this car about 18 months ago when approached by the dealer selling it: here is the bio sent by Cozza and a photo of the trunk bare. Does it seem different to you in terms of where the floor of the trunk stops? It seems to me that the floor goes further forward...what do you think? Could the special construction be the answer? If so it would be unique as far as I know, perhaps made for a tall person. Hello any-1: thank you for your photos and for the mention of the article we actually just discussed it a day or two ago. best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
On 23.Oct I visit the vintage car and motorcycle show Padua and found there 2 Khamsins are for sale: #040, red/black,manual, Euro 87.000,-, offered by: http://www.mistraldreams.com #1258, silver/red, manual, 38000 km, Euro 74.000,-,offered by:http://www.mirbach.de/ The show was perfect. http://www.autoemotodepoca.com/ Regards, Helmut Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Just as an aside, with those pictures of the internals posted it is interesting to note some of the same stupid technical choices utilized on both cars. I believe the Khamsin can suffer from exhaust fumes being sucked in because of improper sealing somewhere aroiund the rear? Espada does the same and it also lets moisture form under the gas tanks because of this opening on BOTH sides! Plus ... there's no drainage in said area. Hopefully Maserati wasn't so silly as to have a rubber hose fuel line running through the passenger compartment???? Hard to believe that one no? ;>)
OK so this is about Maserati but since most of us on this thread are Gandini fans I thought some might appreciate it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXxvq18KrcU&feature=related I don't understand Japanese and very little Italian but what the heck. A touch of Detomaso as well ... Bob S.
Hi Marc, I think it may be an illusion as to where the floor stops. It was a couple of years back when I took my interior out to sort out the leather so I can't be sure, but glanicing at my car I don't think the position of the floor is further forwards. Also I think there was a panel (carpeted) that fitted to the rear of the topmost portion of the seat back that over hangs onto the boot floor because the top of the seat back curves over. I suppose without proper measurements it's not going to be easy to say if it is a special or not. Though I suspect the latter. Bal
It would have to be someone extremely tall then. I´m 197 cm and fit perfectly in a standard Khamsin (ok, there is not much leg room left in the back seat, but I doubt anyone would want to sit there anyway...). Regards /Henrik
Hello all: Sorry for the late response had a hectic couple of days. Thank you Helmut for the Padova photos. I was convinced Marcel Roks in Holland now had 1258 (owned or consigned but apparently not...) Bob you observations on the rubber fuel hose is unfortunately spot on...ah the charms of Italian cars...as an excuse for them it was a very hectic time and turning the Khamsin into a ready for production car obviously involved far more challenges than anything except the creation of the Bora and they may have been a little overwhelmed to give proper thought to such issues, perceived as minor. Re the portion of Gandini interview they cut off the video too soon but he is very hard to interview and dislikes the process, luckily I was able to get 90 minutes with him at home and I soon felt that you had to very very gently bring him out of his shell and then he gave interesting answers (I discussed this at or near post 500 in this thread). Bal and Henrik: Thank you for your observations you are right I was probably over analyzing...the rear bench may have gotten lost or left out at some point and obvioiusly the seats are pushed back alllll the way in those photos....and yes I carried two passengers on occasion including a very pretty girl who, wedged sideways in the back said she felt like she was in a washing machine needless to say we did not go far like that! best regards, Marc
Looking at those prices and the recent publications regarding the Khamsin, it appears that it finally gains the respect and therewith desirablity it deserves. Mark, I received the pages from the recent big article in Classic Cars(?), in which you were named several times. If that write-up is anything to go by, the Khamsin is the front-engined supercar of supercars, better to drive than Aston Vantage and Daytona. Wow!
Hello Jack! Well I have never been in a Vantage, just standard Aston V8's but gather that like the Volantes I drove they are heavy and brutish a la Daytona. I remember an article which I have in my boxes in Florida which compares the Khamsin and the Vantage it was in Motor or Car and ridiculously biased as though produced by Aston's marketing dept, still handling wise no comparison. The only advantage they have is proper rear seats but as Henrik just pointed out who uses the rear seats in these cars...plus passengers always ask you to slow down. In all seriousness and to no one's surprise yes I believe the Khamsin to be the ultimate front engined macchina of its time and you have to go quite a few years after its production ended to find better. When you then consider that it was conceived in 1970, shown as a prototype in 72 and then unveiled 35 years ago it is hugely impressive. The only improvements I would wish are better side support in the seats to keep you firmly in place when cornering hard, a 6th gear and one of those modern exhausts which bypasses the silencers at high rpm best regards, Marc
I just purchased Khamsin #1232 in a package deal with a 73 Bora. I prefer to offer the Khamsin "as is" as I have too many projects. Khamsin is black/tan, auto, only 17,900 original miles, US bumpers, straight and rust free body, good paint, dirty original interior, hydraulics all work but there are a few leaks, very healthy engine with great oil pressure. Price is $29,000 (Euro 19.500). If interested, please contact me at [email protected]. Ivan
Hello Ivan: Thank you for your email the other day. So do you have photos for us yet and history, i.e. where it lived major work done etc? Thanks in advance, best regards, Marc
Marc, Astons are nice once you are up to speed; going slow they are a bag of bolts. Like you, |I don't have experience with a Vantage, but had a ride once in a Lagonda with a factory fitted Vantage engine. Talk about causing commotion. If you'd want your Khamsin geared longer, there are plenty Jag diffs to choose from, up to 2.88:1 ratio. What does a standard Euro Khamsin have? I agree with you that an indicated theoretical top speed is a joke, as you'd be redlining that V-8 all the way to the workshop who will repair or replace it for you. Many Ferrari's are the same, you run out of allowed revs before finding the floor under your accellerator Frustrating! Soon, Jack.
Hello Jack: Point taken. Lagondas certainly have an arresting shape... It would definitely be fun to experiment with diffs, that is something I have long wanted to do. I don't have the diff ratios in mind right now, I am sure someone will but as mentioned before US cars have a lower ratio for acceleration whereas Euro cars have one set with high speeds in mind so feel a bit longer legged. On the same topic US cars have timing set more for torque whereas Euro cars are timed for peak power so all that does change the character a little bit. I still am lusting for a chance to go on the Autobahn with a Euro 5 speed! I can try anytime I want near Grenoble in the French Alps with AM120132 owned by a friend there but...right in that area former F1 driver Olivier Panis lost his drivers licence for...ever when being caught in a Ferrari at 212kmh a few months ago...he drives a small licence free electric vehicle while his Diablo gathers dust so I will try maybe in Italy or Germany but not France! On another topic here is one of several splendid shots of AM120082 in Sweden as sent by Fchatter any_1: tack! Will post more tomorrow. Good night! Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login
Marc, From the on-line published owners' manual I find the following final gear ratio's (no idea if they are US or Euro spec) 5-speed: 3.31:1 Auto: 3.07:1 These are numbers well known in Jaguar circles. The manual car red-lines at 236km/h, with a theoretical top of 268 or so. My suggestion would then be to run the manual car on a 3.07 final drive, that is, if it would actually climb to 6500rpm to achieve the theoretical top. Max power is @ 5500, which should co-incide with the top speed. Your red-line top would then be close to 260km/h. There are longer Jag-diffs, up to 2.88 for the 300hp V-12 (auto-box)
Hello Jack: from your numbers those have got to be US spec diffs. Also there were very few automatic Khamsins sold in Europe, practically all of them right hand drive. Two thirds of the thirty or so cars sold to Japan were automatic. As I have mentioned before there is practically a 50kmh difference between top spedd for a US auto and a Euro 5 speed. Of course it is all pretty academic, not the most important of considerations nowadays. Here is another photo of AM12082 in Sweden. I find it very attractive and it looks very nice with the slat free nose even though I prefer them with slats. best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login
Those are Euro spec ratios. US spec 5 speed Khamsins used a 3.77:1 final drive, which limited US top speed to around 130 MPH at 5000. So the next time someone tells you their US spec car will do 150 know that they are full of it. A simple look at the owners manual RPM:Gear chart will tell you what the car is capable of doing at any given rpm in what gear with OEM tires. Joe
Thanks Joe. You mention 5000rpm that is not red line which is at 5500rpm. What is the speed for the briefly allowed 6250 or 6500rpm? http://www.maseratikhamsinregistry.com/art_104.html If you go to the above link you will see on the bottom right of the page an rpm (horizontal) versus speed in kmh (vertical). This article in Auto Motor und Sport (and another in Motor Revue part of the same media group based on the same test of the same car) shows a top speed of 272.7kph at 6400 rpm which is about 170MPH. I acknowledge the fact that Walter has affirmed that this was a journalist special car. Maybe he is right but few European magazines measured the top speed of Khamsins as the politcal social climate was not really favorable. Emerson Fittipaldi in his test for Quattroruote drove it at the Casale circuit but did not do formal top speed tests mentioning that on the Autostrada he never had a chance to go beyond an indicated 260kph. I remain convinced top speed is much higher than the numbers you remain convinced are correct. I think we agree on two things: they are undergeared which is why I am very curious as to what one will do in ideal circumstances and...there are MUCH more important aspects to these cars. Here is the final photo I received of AM120082 a couple of days ago. best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login
