on eBay, via Bring a Trailer http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300641206375+&viewitem= Just thought people might like to know...not my car (I wish!) Thor
Looks nice to my untrained eye. It's now at $52k with "reserve not met" What does the collective wisdom of this forum think the car will sell for?
Low (ish?) miles, euro bumpers, and it is silver; I'd be surprised if it stalls and fails to sell. But maybe. Here is the Bring a Trailer discussion of the car http://bringatrailer.com/2011/12/28/striking-1973-maserati-bora-4-9/
Yea, without even reading I feel I'm low. Sweet Bora for sure. The BAT mention is golden. Good for the seller.
It's a real nice color combination but like most Boras it hasn't been restored but kept running. So you might have to do quite a bit of work to this car if you drive it much. Head gaskets? Look at the engine compartment pictures of it and it's clear that it would need work to make it a #1 car. The XWX's have cracking on the sidewalls? Then they're junk. etc. Go drive it. Inspect it. Then ask a load of questions. Is it a legitimate good running driver or just goosed along for sale?
Yes I see it now. Looks like the doors were removed for painting and then not hung properly again. I haven't done this as yet but I understand that properly fitting the doors is a time consuming task on the Bora? If you look closely at the interior and engine bay shots it's clear that this car has had some improper carpet replacements and is kind of tired looking so expect to spend some effort there. The divers seat looks like it could use a side bolster rebuild. That's a typical issue on these cars. The foam disintegrates but it's not hard to fix reusing the original leather. The car could have befitted from a very nice detail job. Especially the interior. If they won't do that to sell the car then ...
There seems to be some dash board conditions also and the knob for the air conditioning temperature is all wrong. I suspect that even if, for some reason, the car sold at $60,000 you could have much more in costs before you had a really good car. Better to spend the big bucks on something that has already been done properly. EMS
I owned the car in question, Bora #510 in the late 1980's. I sold it to the professor and his engineering buddy from LA. Larry bought it from them. At the time it was a very tight original car. We gave it a 15K service and a clean bill of health. I saw it last year at larry's toy barn in Oregon or maybe it was the year before. It seemed to be living a very good life and was in very good condition. Larry did some repainting on the hood or perhaps it was under the front I can't remember. I suspect the new buyer will be very happy with the car. I also suspect it will require very little to make it into a very reliable cross country driver. I would not want to drive it over 140 MPH with those old tires, but lopping down the highway at 55 would not be a big deal. my 2 lira Ciao, FGM
This is unfortunate, but not unexpected. Boras, Khamsins and Meraks seem to be hung in suspended animation. I lay the blame on the 90 degree crank and the Citroen hydraulics. A flat plane crank similar to the F cars would have at least given the beast a snarl. Now before everyone gets their panties all wadded up in a knot, remember it was this author who has written at nauseam on the reliability of the Citroen system when properly maintained. It is the rumors and negative stories that perpetuate through the car world that shrinks the pool of buyers, thus creating level prices for years on end. Only inflation has kept prices moving and that as we all can see is not enough to attract investors. One anomaly to all of this is the genuine European Bora. If you can find one, buy it. Ditto with a genuine Ghibli European SS coupe, in any condition. The same can be said about the Lucas fuel injected cars. The negative stories about the problems associated with the Lucas system seem to keep those cars down. Why is a Mistral coupe selling at such a ho hum price and the Mistral Spyder should be selling at twice the price or more. I was on the phone the other day with a guy you all know very well. We spent 15 minutes trying to diagnose his Lucas run ability problems. When I hung up I thought these kinds of conversations live on and get spread around to shops and are retold by shop owners and on bar stools everywhere. It is very hard to overcome. The Sebring is less effected but still a bargain when compared to a comparable Fcar. Just my 2 lira Happy New Year to all. Ciao, FGM
Frank, because the Mistral Spyder was produced in only 125 examples! And don`t under-estimate the visual aspect: An engine with carburetors look much nicer than with the Lucas-system. Ciao! Walter
Not sure what you mean about the 125 examples? Thats not very many and yet the prices are still low. The Mistral Spy with it's short wheel base etc. is a much more civilized car to drive than the Vignale Spyder and yes more sporty that the Ghibli Spyder which IMHO is far to civilized. Yes, agree re the looks of webers vs Lucas. FGM
Frank, I meant that the fact that the Mistral-Spyder was produced in this small no`s makes it much more valuable today than the coupe although the car is much underrated in value. The big plus for the Vignale is, that the proportions of the car are much better (lower A-pillar) and the looks are more `50s "classic". Its in fact a `50s design as the Mistral is a more modern interpretation. And everything `50s is veeeery expensive with Maserati (and probably the main reason why those great Masers are not recognised by most of the members of this forum). Just my 2,5 Lira Ciao! Walter
Yeah, there a couple of people on here that like to perpetuate this stuff ... This yet another example of that.
I guess it is a matter of personal preference but I prefer how the injection engine compartment looks over the later style carbureted compartment (with the large plastic air cleaner). Plus you get a kick explaining to folks how this Lucas contraption works Ivan Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Actually Frank, I believe in the last 10 years Bora's have more than doubled in their value. The Merak and Merak SS however have not with the exception being the Euro Merak SS which are indeed becoming collectable (Walter, if you document any Meraks let it be the Euro merak SS as there are very few!). I can recall in 1999 being offered a solid US spec Bora for $33k and seeing similar cars for sale in that price range. Similar statements can be said for Ferrari Boxers although they were never that low, but now of course the earliest Boxers are really becoming collectable now. I believe you hit the nail on the head regarding the engine. They just don't sound Italian enough to really be valued with the heavy hitters in this category, namely the song of the Ferrari flat 12 and Countach V12. That being said, the Bora's are being snapped up and restored which pleases me as they are a rare special bird which are undoubtedly deserving of such treatment. They are also a much better car to drive than the Boxer and thousands of times better to drive than a Countach, then again who drives these cars all that much anyway. Only why on earth are things like Maserati V8 engine bearings still so bloody pricey? A set of F40 bearings are cheaper for crying out loud......
Ahem, it has to do with who is supplying them. Early Lambo parts have become insane. But another thing is the willingness to produce replacement parts. I have a 96 Ghibli Open Cup that unfortunately I have had to do some engine work on in the last couple of years. The engine parts for that are far more expensive that those for the current modern Maserati engine. Insane.
Ivan your choice of the word contraption is insightful. contraption |kənˈtrap sh ən| noun A machine or device that appears strange or unnecessarily complicated, and often badly made or unsafe. ORIGIN early 19th cent.: perhaps from contrive (on the pattern of pairs such as conceive, conception), by association with trap 1 . I rest my case. Ciao, FGM PS Incidently my friend and I had another conversation re his injection system which is now running fantastic!! he has dialed it in with the help of an old school mechanic. As I have always said when it works, it is really good stuff. When its not, it's the sh#*ts. FGM
As I have always said when it works, it is really good stuff. When its not, it's the sh#*ts. FGM[/QUOTE] Isn't that the case with everything? ~Ciao
Sory to reopen old link - but what do the knowledgable amongst us say about this? http://www.1974maseratibora688forsale.com/ Worth to look at it? Where are the Boras going in terms of market appreciation?
