Tell me something about the Maserati 3500GT and Sebring

Having owned 11 Ferraris over the years, and the current owner of a 1971 365 GTC/4, I have always found the 3500/Sebring series to be beautiful cars.
Having never driven one, and understanding the bodywork construction, lack of parts, etc I would appreciate some candid comments from owners here on Fchat. Seems like prices are down on these cars, from beaters to supposed really nice cars. I don't look forward to traveling through the country to look at one (particularly Astoria. NY), and hope maybe to locate one in the southwest.
I did speak to GW 4 years ago about the 3500 GTi located in Fresno, California (it's still on ebay). They claimed it ran and drove OK. I then spoke to the "caretaker" in Fresno, who stated the car did not run and drive, had fuel delivery problems and stuck brakes. Hardly worth a trip there from Phoenix, AZ to view a cosmetically decent car that didn't run.
Any comments are welcome. I am not a novice with Ferrari and just haven't owned or driven this Maserati series of cars.
Thank you in advance.

 

Hi Zanny 1,
My '61 3500 GT was my first foreign car; I was into '50s style Hot Rods & customs and especially flat head V8s my whole life before this, although I am way too young to have been with them in their Day. (I was born in the last week of '59). Being a red-blooded American, I never even paid attention to anything ferrin, until I saw my 3500 GT in an apartment building driveway. It appeared abandoned, as patina had completely taken this gem over. I thought it was gorgeous, so I left notes on it for 10 years!!!!!!!!! Then one day the car disapeared, and my little dream bubble of owing a Maserati popped. But 5 after, the owner called me out of the blue! I managed to score the car, but knew NOTHING about it. To me, the valves were upside down!
After all the usual re-conditoning of a car that sat outside for some 30 years, I managed to get it going. I was afraid of the triple Webers (they were in trunk), so I farmed them out to Pierce Manifold. Now I'm not so scared of them. The dual ignition was perplexing, but I simply became the guenae pig for Pertronix to convert the distributor. I was proud of myself for diagnosing timing chain slap (remember, I'm a flat head guy), so I dove into changing the chain of DOHC. It wasn't that bad actually. I find the timing chain on my Jag XK 120 much more difficult.
All in all, the 3500 GT is a comfortable car that is actually not too sufficticated. Brake & suspension parts are sourced from Jaguar suppliers. The most complicated item is the ZF transmission. I've heard of nightmares with the old Lucas fuel injection units. There are 2 types. But I understand that they have overcome any of the old issues with modern technology now.
My Maser opened the door to other ferrin cars now; Jag, Ferrari, Bentley, and even Fiat 124 Spiders! The 3500 is comfortable and easy to work on, and most of the vintage Maser guys are genuine enthusiasts who do most of their own work.

 

Zanny1,

its further worth to note that there are 2 versions of the Sebring:

1. double headlamps with a small notch on top between both glasses and vertical rear headlamps.
Most of these cars came with the 3.5-liter motor.

2. double headlamps but now without the notch and smaller but horizontal rear headlamps.
Most of these cars came with the 3.7- and then the 4.0-liter engine.

There are also more minor small differences between both versions.

Both cars are pure touring cars and so don`t compare them with the V12 in your Ferraris...

 

Thanks to all for the kind remarks.
I realize there is no comparison vs. a V12 Ferrari other than cool factor, appearance and driving experience.
I spoke yesterday to a gentleman in Oregon, who has several 3500, Sebring and Mistral examples he wants to sell. Unfortunately, most are some stage of repair and do not currently run. Still, it was great to speak with him for 40 minutes and learn a few important things about these cars.

Anyone know of an inspector in the Astoria New York area that could check out a car at Gull Wing? Given my experience with them in the past (I've never bought a car from them), it is not worth a flight up there from Phoenix to look at a car but I would pay for someone to check out a car they have. Not exactly the most open and truthful descriptions has been my experience, although I understand their business plan.
Thanks again for the help.

 

Bought this one... a 1963 Series 1 car, that had been idle for 3 years. Got the fan clutch working, changed all the fluids (engine oil STUNK of gas), fixed the broken hood release cable, fixed some electrical gremlins, just went over the car front to back and now it seems to be working pretty well. Has the Lucas FI unit which is incredibly cold blooded without use of the "enrichener" knob, and the car appears to be running rich as there is quite a bit of carbon coming out of the exhaust on start-up but no black smoke. Maybe just build up in the exhaust system having not been used much over the years. I need to pull the plugs and have a look at them. I don't want to fiddle withe FI unit at this time.
I have driven the car 100 miles or so.... wonderful road car. As with so many Italian GT car, the faster it is driven, the better it feels. Seems happy at 75 MPH but will easily go much faster.
Much to learn about this car, but so far I am pleased with my first foray into the Maserati realm. A few websites available but Fchat seems to have more information than any of the other sites. The adventure continues.

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Very nice! Keep an eye on the oil and always check it for the smell of gasoline. The early (wet) FI will sometimes leak gasoline into the oil.

Ivan

 

Thank you, Ivan. The previous owner installed a fuel pressure gauge in the center console, which sits right at 100 psi, which I am told is correct for the fuel pumps. It does bleed off overnight and must be primed back up to the 90-100# range to start the car, so I have no idea where the fuel goes but perhaps past the seals in the FI unit. Yes, I have read that fuel contamination in the sump is common on these cars. When I bought the car, I could not smell gas on the dipstick, but was concerned about the low oil pressure. Changed the oil, and now the oil pressure seems fine BUT the old oil smelled of gasoline. I'll have to keep an eye on it. Annual oil changes should be a must.... maybe more frequent. I don't really know how to tell other than watching the oil pressure gauge.
Good news is that Kinsler rebuilt the FI unit in 2012 per the records I received.
Now if I could just get the carbon buildup out of the exhaust.
Mike

 

The 3500/Sebring series are lovely cars, but they do demand patience. Parts can be tricky, especially for running gear and brakes, so a “cosmetically nice” car that won’t run can be a big headache. If you’re looking in the southwest, try connecting with local Ferrari/Maserati clubs, members often know cars that aren’t publicly listed. Personally, I’d focus on a car that drives well; restoration on a non-runner can quickly become more work than it’s worth.

 

The wet type FI, like in your engine, uses engine oil to lubricate the fuel distributor. I do not know how exactly how it works but the oil pressure inside the distributor needs to be higher than the fuel pressure. Even with new seals some fuel will mix with the oil every time you start the car before the oil pressure build up. This FI was designed for race cars where constantly starting and engine is not an issue. The later Lucas FI (dry type) uses gasoline to lubricate the distributor which eliminates this issue.
One way to minimize the transfer of gasoline to oil while starting is to install a switch inside the car for the fuel pump. Crank the engine for a few seconds in order to build up oil pressure and then turn on the fuel pump. Just make sure to check your oil on a regular basis to make sure it does not have a gasoline smell and that the oil level is going up, and everything will be fine. My first Maserati was a Sebring and it was the car that got me hooked!

Ivan

 

Great tips Ivan. I always made sure the seals were doing their job, and would change the engine oil quite often. If you drain the engine oil sump every 1,500 miles, you don't have to change the filter, and use Delo Diesel oil; it's affordable and has a very high Zinc content and detergent. I also used a pint of STP for good measure,...it worked well for me,...I am a bit overzealous, but hey,...it's a Maserati.

Congratulations on your new Sebring. I had a eye on your car a few years ago. I liked the fact that it had been regularly used. Some of the custom Rosso paint touches were a bit much for me, but to each their own. It sounds like you are already enjoying it...brilliant!

 

Great choice on the series one Sebring. The styling is sublime and so well-proportioned with great details. I have had a series 1 for 12 years that I fully restored and love looking at it and driving it. The series one models were the last Maserati model designed by Michelotti for Vignale in 1960 - 61 along with the Vignale spyder and the 5000 Alemano GT. After that Michelotti left Vignale in 1962 and Frua got involved with the car design for a while with the series 2 Sebring , the Quattroporte 1 and the Mistral, and in my humble opinion the car designs were not as resolved or pure like the Sebring. Michelotti had been the go to free lance designer for Vignale for over a decade but the coachbuilder was growing very (too) fast in 1963, and set up a design studio with Virginio Vairo as design chief and that was the end of the classic Maserati with exception of the Ghibli by Bertone. Like the Mexico and Indy of the late 60's, they were great cars but not quite as elegant as the early cars. I have always held the Sebring as equals in design to the Ferrari Lusso, and Aston Martin DB4 at only a fraction of the current price. I hope you really enjoy your new Maserati and drive it often!
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Michelotti working in his small studio. Photograph taken 1955.