need help with Maserati 430

That depends on where you're located?

 

I suggest you get in touch with themaseraticlub.com , I have been a member for 10 years and I have done a lot of work and participated in several events with them. They are a fantastic bunch of people many of whom own Biturbos. Indeed, the out-going president of TMC owns a '91 Biturbo Spyder 2.8 injection, one of the last convertibles imported to the USA! If you want to contact him privately send me a PM, I can arrange it.

I personally owned 4 of these cars (from 1992 to 2000), never a 430 but they are all fundamentally similar. The fuel-injected V6 Maseratis from '89 to '99 were generally very reliable, very fast and also well built. Points to check:

1) Bodywork rust - check the doors, behind the headlights, the sills under the chromed plate, and the underside of the car. Also check the integrity of the exhaust (they rust easily).
2) Engine oil leaks - there must be NONE
3) Turbo oil leaks - open up the air filter box and check the intake pipes: if they are streaked with oil it means the turbos are on their way out. Replacing them will cost a few thousands, so beware!
4) Catalysts - make sure they are still there if your state requires an emissions check. Many owners ditch them to gain horsepower (+25HP and lower operating temperatures, the engine runs much better without).
5) Power steering pump - sometimes they leak, and replacing them is expensive.
6) Interior - the alcantara side bolsters on the driver's seat wear out and look ugly. They can be replaced with real leather, longer lasting and looks better. Assembly quality is not great but check out for things not working (dashboard instruments, electric seats, A/C, stereo, etc.) as repairing any electric item on a Biturbo can be a total nightmare.

Driving it:

1) The engine must idle smoothly without any vibrations. A high idle (1200-1300rpm) when cold is normal. There must be no smoke on start-up and certainly no smoke when accelerating. Have a friend drive behind you to check for blue oil clouds - this means the piston rings or valve seals are on their way out. An engine rebuild would cost megabucks.
2) When warm, full acceleration should be smooth and strong without any "holes". The turbo start pushing hard around 2800-3000 rpm. Check the boost pressure indicator: at full boost the needle should go in the "yellow" zone. If it stays lower either the turbos are shot, there is an air leak (cracked intercooler, happened to me once), or simply the wastegates need calibrating. If it goes in the red back off immediately - overboost will destroy the engine very quickly!
3) The steering should be accurate and responsive, without any slack.
4) Brakes should be powerful and should keep the car straight during hard braking. Remember there's no ABS!

I wish you good luck, these cars can be source of immense joy when they run properly (as all mine did - never had a serious problem), but I know they can turn into real nightmares if they are dogs. Just beware!

 

Then that's not a special deal unless it's in superb mechanical and comestic condition. Check it very carefully as they can be expensive to fix if not properly maintained and most have not. They can be very nice cars when in good shape.

 

NO, 10K is very high unless it's very low miles and in superb condition.

Where are you looking? Offer less.

 

try www.themaseraticlub.com , it's the largest US club and there is an ads section dedicated to Maseratis. Usually there are plenty of Biturbos, and since they belong to Club members they tend to be in pretty good shape.

 

My father and I are selling our 89' 430. The car is located in Atlanta. It is in extremely good condition and we are asking 10,900 for it. It has 55K miles on it, has a 5-speed, it has very detailed records and the car has been newly painted with great attention to detail. All, and I mean all, electrical parts are fully functional. My father took the time to take out the circuit board and resolder the whole thing (he is an electrical engineer). There really is way too much for me to describe in one post and actually this is something we have recently decided to do, so I do not have all the info written down yet, and I only have a few pictures at the present time. If you are interested, just give me a little time I will tell you everything.

 

I will try and post a few pictures soon. The car is located in Cumming, GA. It is about 30+ miles north of Atlanta.