Just wanted to let people know that the bare metal respray of my car is officially underway! Because I'm almost at my limit for posting pics here, and to increase visits to my blog by other QP3 and Maserati owners, I've decided to host the pictures there and simply post updates here as things happen. The tear down began today, and Al says so far there are no surprises. I would hope not, he only removed the bumpers! ;-) I'll do my best to answer any questions I'm able to. The new color will match the old color, Blu Sera metallic. Apparently there are several shades, I'm going for the rich, deep version. No pinstripe this time around. You can find the blog here: quattroporte3.wordpress.com
Hey, interesting blog. So tell me why did you go with the same colour - it does suit the car but it is much more on the understated side. Mine is blu sera metalic also but I am struggling with keeping it original or going with another colour. They were promoting the silver but not really a fan. I do like the smoke grey I saw recently on a new Bentley and thought that would be amazing for this car but it is not what was on the car and not even Maserati colour. I will need to decide asap as the minor metalwork required on the car is almost done.
Hi William, I went with the color for several reasons. First is that Blu Sera is my cars original factory color. Second I really like the understated look, where the car rolls by and it takes a while before people say "what the **** was that?" Thirdly, IMHO the car looks best in dark - but not black - colors. My personal favorites being dark blue, dark burgundy, dark grey and dark bronze. As nice as Arwed's car is, I think black is a bit too hard/harsh or contrasty for the car. A white QP3 makes it looks like you just got out of an 80's Miami Vice episode, the lighter colors (silver, beige/tan) don't seem to show off the body as well and imho don't suit the behemoth/beast nature this car has. Imagine Schwarzenegger in Terminator wearing a white linen suit and pastel t-shirt. It just causes too much cognitive dissonance. I've never seen one in green, although it might suit the car well depending on the shade. The dark bronze one you bought in the US is one of the nicest colors I've seen. My choice came down to being between it and dark metallic grey and blu sera. Blue vs grey, well the weather here is already too grey and dark as it is, and everyone has black, grey or silver cars. No color at all. So I crossed grey off the list, leaving dark bronze and blu sera. As much as I love the dark bronze, and as perfect as it is for the period this car is from, I have a slight suspicion that it's only going to be popular for a short while, before fading back into the 70's. Additionally, it's something of a fad color at the moment and I see it everywhere, which to me is another reason to avoid it (unless it offers something the others don't, or is a shade or color that really differs from the one being used today on modern cars). Blu sera is a nice deep and rich color, and the metallic flakes give it added dimension and character, and it suits the understated nature of the car, while the car's stance and those dual exhaust pipes let people know the car is anything but a sedate cruiser ;-). One of my favorite Maserati colors is Celeste Chiaro (light blue metallic), but it wouldn't look right on a QP3 imho. I'll have to wait until I get a Mistral, Mexico or similar model to have it painted in that color ;-). I think a dark metallic grey would look great on the car. Silver, not so much, but it's really a very personal preference.
I agree Thor. The colour of my car is dark aquamarine (Italver: 2.873.381), which seems to be a bit greener than blue sera, and I think it suits the car very well.
I also love the lighter blue. Interesting I was considering a dark grey metallic and blu sera also. Here is a pic of the lighter blue Image Unavailable, Please Login
As much as I love the color, it's just too big of a car for it. The color signifies lightness, spritely-ness, quickness, boldness. None of those adjectives really fit the car. Just my 2 cents...
Looks good in that color. I always loved the garnet red metallic color as well. It was pretty rare over here in the USA.
Thor, on your blog you mention your A/C has been converted to use R134A. What is the conversion exactly about? I am asking because I have my York out and consider the conversion too. Any idea how much oil (not the gas) and which grade of oil the pump needs?
Love the garnet red/burgundy too on the QP3! Igino, the PO made the actual conversion, but it seems to be a straightforward procedure. When I had the system recharged it used 850g R134A. More details here: Air Conditioning | quattroporte3
Have you decided on a colour, William? I'm really interested in hearing what you end up going with, and why. Regardless, I'm sure your car will look beautiful when done!
Quick question, as I don't have my car close to check it myself, what headlights does the US QP3 use? They're sealed, and I found one here: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wag-h4656/overview/make/maserati/model/quattroporte Are halogen lights correct for this car? I thought they were blueish and weren't used until much later cars. Thanks for any info!
Found the answer: H4656 for the low/high beams (outer pair) and H4651 for he high beams (inner pair). Both are available for very little money, however they don't output a whole lot of light. Wondering if there may be good upgrade options that can fit, look original, yet provide better illumination. Found several places that offer both Hella, Cibie and Bosch lights, including H4/H1 conversions. Has anyone tried any of these? Comments/experiences/advice?
I have the Euro spec with H4 bulbs (low and high beam) which standard give sufficient light but I would always recommend H4 PIAAs, at least for the low beam. They have a LOT more output. The downside is that they are expensive. So if you are considering a conversion I'm convinced that this would give you a satisfactory result.
Thanks Igino, from what I've read, the only obstacle to converting the sealed beams to H4s is clearance behind the assembly to house the bulb holder and wiring. I'll ask the garage to have a look (they have a Euro and US spec QP3 now) and see if the headlight buckets are identical. If so I think it should be possible to convert, and will have a look for those PIAA H4 bulbs you recommend.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/maserati/328560-quattroporte-iii-catch-all-thread-13.html This is the link for the pictures of the Euro and US light. Different in the front but not sure about the back. The US surround is different also to the Europe version. Would be good to improve the lights without causing more issues!
45.300 EUR MwSt. nicht ausweisbar Limousine, Oldtimer EZ 12/1983 98.300 km Benzin 208 kW (283 PS) Schaltgetriebe Weiterempfehlen Beanstanden Drucken Parken http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/showDetails.html?id=145483263&__lp=17&scopeId=C&sortOption.sortBy=specifics.firstRegistration&makeModelVariant1.makeId=16600&makeModelVariant1.modelId=20&makeModelVariant1.searchInFreetext=false&makeModelVariant2.searchInFreetext=false&makeModelVariant3.searchInFreetext=false&negativeFeatures=EXPORT&lang=de&pageNumber=1
Impressive restoration but for that figure they could mount a couple of decent fog lights, period Carello's for example. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Check these out: Can anybody give me some mounting suggestions? The brackets as described in the spare parts manual are no longer available. They look easy enough to make myself out of some flat stock but I'm not exactly sure where they attach to the car. TIA Tony Image Unavailable, Please Login
Google for PIAA H4 night tech. These are high yield bulbs with the yellowish (period?) colour, not the extreme whites that are supposed to mimic the hideous HIDs. They are 3600 Kelvin. For colour temperatures check this out: PIAA application guide
Thanks Igino, I really wanted to avoid drilling holes. Maybe somehow I can create brackets that will use the existing bumper bolts. I've had these lights for like a year. You can't rush into these things. ;-) Tony
Wasn't this the way the factory mounted the fog lamps? Mine are in exactly the same position and the wiring seems original factory wiring.
