Wow ... so much activity! Great stories are being told here ... I love hearing more about the history of different cars out there. This just makes me want to drive the K again ... (It's only another 4 months)
Yes it does! @f308jack: unfortunately I can't educate you about the steering rack, what I read in Andy's article ("Vino verde") was new to me too. @fenivision: four months, why is that? I will drive mine next week, I hope. Here's a 1975 Khamsin for sale: www.mroks.com
Because I'm in California (school) and the Khamsin and Ghibli SS are in Vienna, Austria. I only go home for the summer and for christmas. Oh and the weather would be so perfect for them out here ... I'd drive them every day.
I agree with Marc Khamsins and may exotics can be almost a product of the previous owner than the Factory and and early Lotus's especially. Cars which are of lesser market value tend to be modified to suit the owner. My Khamsin was just that be fore the restoration. I had so many things put back to original I would need to write a thesis. One comment about older Maseratis and older cars in general that dont get used and especially sit around in museums, is that they will need an extensive service. Filters, oils, LHM flush, Cam shims coolant. and as often happens Head gaskets. I just had a freind with AM120 361 drop over for a visit. He has bought this car and is slowly debugging it. I have known this car for twenty Five years and the last owner of 25 years raved about how it didnt need touching. All goood but now all that preventitive maintenance is showing up as needing to be done and more. After driving the car it is amazing Just how different they all are supporting previous comments on this thread. If I can comment on Meraks all RHD cars in Australia are LHM based with Citroen Gearboxes. A fun things the steering rack is a cut and shut Austin 1800 unit!!!. They are great cars and look much better today than the 308 GT4 and the Urraco. Found this Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/Markhamsin#play/all/favorites-all/1/3bBnS4PsMnI Worth a look just for sound. Cheers Graeme
Yup ... that's mine It's 096 being driven around the backroads in Vienna. Too bad I'll have to wait until christmas to make another video.
Well done on the video we need more of these. My daughter is a budding Producer and I will she if will help with some more Khamsin Video. I was just on the phone to a friend with AM 120 315 and we are discussing a Khamsin get togther for pics and a Video. That will be chassis 315 361 403(mine) and I think 355 These car need more exposure and you tube would be good. Marc whats the situation with the Khamsin Register and getting it up and running again? Regards Graeme
I'd love to make more videos, but I'm always at the mercy of the weather in Vienna. This summer I had quite a production planned, but we only had 2 partial rain-free days out of three weeks. Next summer I'm planning on a multiple camera video with separate audio, to capture the true sound of the Khamsin. There will be plenty of camera angles and a very spirited drive. Here is a video where the sound comes out a lot better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUAQcP8qn_8 (It's slightly out of sync though) Here it is being put back into the garage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymfLhZyJ7A0 Just gotta love that blue.
Graeme: Great news on the video but watch out for Roos when you do your top speed runs;-) Regarding your question about the registry (prefer that more correct word to register) all it is is a database: just have this overwhelming curiosity to find as many Khamsins as possible and to encourage their use and enjoyment, to get more people to become familiar with them and to assist owners (though I am not very technical but there are other posters here with great hands on knowledge). The actual website is not active because as I have mentioned here many times before my webmaster in Fort Lauderdale Florida was very slow and expensive when I sat next to him guiding him with the updates and predictably proved as comatose as a Koala when I tried to get him to do updates from Europe. I will remedy that eventually but I can't just take over the website and give it to another webmaster as the current one has it in his own system and I have other prioirites right now. Still it is a good tool for Khamsin owners and enthusiasts to contact me by email. The database itself is very active as I keep finding cars with the help of owners and enthusiasts telling me about cars, for example the great surprise of the car in Tehran, Iran some weeks ago or owners contacting me from Australia like you and others, Brazil, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sri Lanka (no contact with that one yet) and of course all over the US and Europe from Miami to Seattle and Barcelona to Stockholm. I am currently reuniting the photo files and the text files into one master file: I had them separately up to now: silly of me and when I finish I will be able to instantly know how many cars I have info on: I just noticed that the number of cars I have info on in the #300 to #400 chassis range amongst Euro left and right hand drive cars is a huge percentage, whereas on the earliest it is comparatively very weak. I hasten to say as I have mentioned many times in the past that I don't do this for commercial reasons (though I did get a commission on a sale and sell two parts last month, both first ever occurences of the sort for me -4,5 years after starting the registry- but I think I deserved them considering the work put in) I would have to be, to put it in Australian terms, a right wallaby to hope to make money on Khamsins as those who appreciate them are all too rare. Hopefully the website and this thread will encourage others to learn more about them: that is the idea! The database is however open to individual enquiries about single cars. I might make a presentation at some event someday when I feel I have found all there is to be found but firstly there is no such plan and secondly I feel there is still a lot to be found! With best regards, Marc www.maseratikhamsinregistry.com
Thanks Magnus: do you know which one it is amongst those we discussed a few months ago, chassis number and history? best regards, Marc
Just out of curiosity: do they all have the Bora dashboard (and not the SM dashboard)? About the Khamsin at www.mroks.com, here are more pictures: http://www.carandclassic.com/car/C110570/
Before I bought my car I noticed the accumualtor seemed to reset with the click every time i stopped. It seems to be clciking very frequently now and I suspect that menas it is on it's way out? I had planned to replace it anyway. Does this indicate that it is about to expire? If so does anyone know a source for these in the UK? Can they easily and quikly be overhauled? Secondly were the windscreens originaly bonded in without a rubber? Mine appears bonded and is leaking a bit. Would like to know if it's original 70's bonding as materials used are different to todays and removal can vary depending on whats used? Thirdly, been adding oil a bit at a time and doesnt seem to make much impact on the dipstick. There are no oil leaks or blue smoke. Handbook says check when idling for a few minutes. Any tips or guidance? Dont want to overfill, so being very cautious Fourhtly, anyone in UK had a stainless Exhaust made up for them? If so who did it? Do they have a pattern? Recomended? Fifthy, any experiences of greasing the point behind the front Pulleys? Hav a slight noise there and may be the issue? Paul chassis 381 Scotland UK
Easily and quickly? You bought a classic Maserati!! But seriously, as I have said before I don't hear any clicks at all in my car, and my system is in good working order, so maybe you are right and it is on its way out. I had my car checked and serviced extensively by a specialist, and I really advice you to do the same. Same about the oil, this car carries a lot of oil (an oil change takes 12 litres) so maybe you need a few litres, but I find it difficult to say from a distance. The windscreen is bonded. The Khamsin might be the first Maserati to have a bonded windscreen, by the way. I know a Dutch firm for stainless exhausts, see www.uitlaten.com.
Hi No I didn't easily and quickly buy a classic maser! This is the 5th or 6th Khamsin that I have been after over about 4 years! I saw her about 6 weeks ago and then did a deeal last week to buy her. I have other old Italian cars and know how daunting another can be! It is my first maser though! I have loved the shape of the Khamsin since I saw my first one in 1977 and have alwys wanted one. It has been very interesting this weekend with the car just going over it and learning about it and checking things over. I have a hydraulic leak which has got worse so not driving it until I get it fixed and a few other things sorted. From other cars I know it is a long process and usually very expensive. However I believe I have bought one of the best RHD cars about and one of the most original, bieng the ex Maserati Heritage Collection car. It needs a lot of things done to get it the way i like my cars. For me it is usuability and mechanical competence so that I can drve it like it was intended to be drven. Cosmetics ar far less important to me although this car is in amazing condition! There are a few things needing done but nothing like what is usual on a Khamsin! Looking for advice, tips and guidance form anyone who can offer it. I intend to use the car and at least put 3000 miles per annum on her ( I do have a few other old cars and need to use them all!) So please feel free to comment and advise! Paul xx
Hello Paul... Congrats on the K purchase.... They are truly amazing cars... You will find some people love the hydraulics and other people hate them... In the end, it probably isn't worth debating... Regarding the hydraulic system and rebuilding there should be other posts (some by me) in this forum. I'm pretty sure they touch on replacing the main accumulator and rebuilding the brake spheres.. It is not that difficult of a job... You can figure on doing this work about every 10 years or so.. Take a look at some of the past entries, and let us know how we can help!!! Mike D.
Yes they do. Its very interesting as MIE were not aware of it. It is also interesting that even the very late Meraks ( gear driven jack shaft car only 1 I am aware off) here have the SM geraboxes.
Hi Marc Thanks for the update,great that the cars are starting to surface. I think I have mentioned that there is about 16 Khamsins in Australia. The Gentleman that had all the info of there where about sadly and suddenly passed away 10 or so years ago and the info he had has since been lost. Shame the list contained Chassis numbers! Regards Graeme
Hi Graeme: you have a pm. If there is any way we can get history and photos for those other Khamsins you mentioned it would be much appreciated! best regards, Marc PS: here is something I stumbled on on the net... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Marc the white one for sale in the UK reg EHR 7 was an australian car. Was imported here in the 80's if I recall correctly. Is an auto and currently for sale but lost track of who is selling it! I understnad Australian cars can be easily idnetified as they didn't have tinted windows which was apparently not legal in Austria in the 70's. Not enough sun perhaps! Paul
Hi Marc, I had some feedback from Clive the previous owner of the red Khamsin. "Think it was chassis 389, can't recall now, sold it in 2005 to Gerald Wellsley I believe his name was. I found these pictures (when I had it registered under MAZ 222A) reverted to original plate when I sold it. I recall the plate was WWL 637T - Maserati red over black leather, about 60k miles when sold to Gerald, but he did write an article about his journey in it to Italy a few years back in one of the classic car mags." The article he refers to was in Classic & Sportscar a couple of years back in the owners/ our cars section. I've tried to attach some pictures and have high-res versions available if you need them. I'll do a write up on my car soon. Cheers Bal Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
A friend of mine has a 1980 Merak SS with the same color scheme, he swears that that is the original factory paint. I posted it on the Merak thread. I have never see that paint scheme on another Maserati till I saw this two-tone picture. His Merak SS, I believe is the last one brought into the U.S. [ Production date- Dec. 1980]. Ciao, George
Hi Graeme, Yours is still one of the most intense Khamsins on the planet. Looking forward to seeing some under chassis and engine pictures. I remember receiving an email from Jim Reark [1978 Merak SS - Australia] and he complained about the difficulties of negotiating the LMH braking system during the Targa Tasmania Rally. However the SS models that were shipped to the U.S. 1976 -1980 IIRC. All had Bora interiors and Girling brakes. Ciao, George
Hi, grease nipple is for the water pump, and it is a good idea to flush with grease as it has probably not been done for a long time, since it is hard to reach. On my car I have changed the nipple to an angled, to be able to reach it easier with a greas pump.
Hello Paul: It is AM120365 advertised in the site of the UK Maserati club and elsewhere by Andy Lerry. I did not know it was an Australian car nor did Andy Heywood's notes mention that: thank you for the info. best regards, Marc Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
