Hey, I got a Maserati!

I wasn't planning to buy a Maserati this summer, but this one just sort of fell into my lap, and I figure nothing good can come from fighting Fate!

It's a 1987 Biturbo Spyder, fuel injected with a 5-speed. As of yesterday, it's licensed and insured...the adventure begins. Not much seat time yet, obviously, but so far it's been a blast!

For what it's worth, I think I have a pretty good idea what I'm getting into with this... I intend to do the Maserati equivalent of a 30K Major Service on it within the next few months, which should be interesting and educational. By most accounts, these cars, like their other Italian brethren, are solid and reliable as long as they get regular maintenance and vigorous exercise. This one may have a little bit of garage queen syndrome, but it's in quite good shape and I got a pretty good deal on it, so I don't mind spending some time and money getting it sorted out.

This should not significantly affect my intermediate-range plans to get a Ferrari, although now that I have this one for top-down cruising I may focus on a 308GT4 instead of a Mondial cab.

Chuck King
Chicago, IL
86 Alfa Romeo Graduate
87 Maserati Biturbo Spyder
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Yes, that was me. I got quite a bit of good advice, too.

Here's a shot of the interior. It's missing the stock analog clock, but at least it was replaced with the digital clock used in earlier Biturbos. And frankly, that shiny gold clock sitting in the dash would be a disincentive to parking it with the top down...no worries now on that score. Otherwise, it's in very good shape for its age.
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Asking prices for nice ones are in the $10-15K range, but, I got this one through an eBay auction for $5900. It has emissions issues, which I think scared some prospective buyers away, but I have a friend who's something of a fuel injection guru and he's confident that we can deal with that. And its due for a new cam belt and valve adjustment, but I'm going to do those myself. Since it needs that stuff, objectively it might not have been a bargain, but since none of that bothers me, subjectively it was a steal. The things I would have been worried about---rust, interior deterioration, cosmetic stuff like that---are fine. Even electrical gremlins are minimal!

 

Here's a shot of the engine. It's a 2.5-liter V6 with (of course) twin turbochargers. It has 3 valves per cylinder: a large exhaust valve and two differently-sized intake valves, which I understand contributes to beneficial air flow in the chamber. Supposedly it produces 187 hp at 5500 rpm and 240 lb-ft of torque at 3000 rpm.

I spent a lot of time driving the car this past weekend, and it seems to be running well. It's definitely quick. And, with the turbos howling heading up a ramp onto the expressway, it sounds like a jet taking off.

It's really an amazingly civilized car. It putters around town comfortably with nary a complaint--just an omnipresent pleasant rumble from the exhaust, to remind you that this is not your average car--but get the revs up a bit and its like being lauched from a catapult.
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