il Nettuno - Winter 2007

iL
iL Nettuno
National Newsletter of The Maserati Club - Summer 2007
Presenting
New
GranT
anTur
urismo
New
GranT
anTur
urismo
Presenting the
the Ne
w Gr
ismo
iL Nettuno
The Maserati Club’s National Newsletter - Summer 2007
iL Nettuno is a publication of The Maserati Club · © All Contents Copyright 2006 · For information or editorial submittals contact CAC@TheMaseratiClub.com
Ne
w Website Update
New
by Gary Sisson, Chairman
It’s always embarrassing to admit a failure, but now it’s my
turn! For the past 6 months I’ve been promising (and promoting)
the new TMC web site, every chance I get. And, unfortunately,
we seem to have hit one obstacle after another. The most serious
was that Adam Perfect (our web Guru) temporarily deserted us
and found a REAL job. How cheeky! It set us back three months.
I lost both my credibility and what little hair I had left. But now, I’m
happy to announce that Adam is back and, if possible, more
Perfect than ever! We are moving forward again, and I want to
take this opportunity to let you know where things stand.
In short, we are planning to launch an abbreviated version of
the site to coordinate with our annual membership renewal
campaign in the US. As you may recall, all North American TMC
memberships expire at the end of March. Our goal is to have the
new site up and running by then.
The reason is this: If both the site and our chapters are ready,
you will be able to renew your membership on-line, through
PayPal.
Here’s what we will have on line (I think):
· Information about the club, including what’s new on the site
· The ability to join or renew on-line
· Info. provided by the TMC Chapters: membership info., event
calendars, articles, and photo galleries. (Chapters will be able to
up-date their own stuff, making it essentially an on-line newsletter
for each Chapter)
· A Year-by-Year history of Maserati, authorized by Ermanno
Cozza
· A Car-by-Car description of the Maserati road cars (A6 thru
QPV)
· The TMC Parts & Service Directory (we hope)
· iL Tridente on-line
· iL Nettuno on-line
· The TMC Store
And, here’s what is still “in the works:”
· The ability to place your own free classified ads
· The TMC Car Registry (by serial number)
· Car-by-Car Technical Forums
· Our Technical Advisor Network
· A TMC Photo Archive (where members can post “galleries”)
· Expanded info. on the car museums affiliated with TMC
What I want everyone to understand is that while this process
has taken longer than anyone wanted, we hope that the site will
be worth the wait. This is not just an update of what we already
have. It is an entirely new infrastructure for the club … A site that
is dynamic because lots of people will continue to be involved in
posting updates whenever they choose. A site that will provide
many new services to our members. A site that will help launch
our club into the 21st Century.
FRONT COVER: The unfolding of Maserati’s new Granturismo
at Geneva.
BACK COVER: The beauty of the trident tankes many forms in
Geneva!
From the Editor
by Douglas Magnon
This latest issue of Nettuno has been taken some
time to hit the e-mailboxes of our membership roster.
I can offer no excuse, except than I’ve been to busy
enjoying Maserati cars and Maserati Club events for
the last couple of months which has distracted me
from my editorship duties. In fact I am writing this
article partly en route on the InterCity Train running
from Milan and on to our mecca of Modena, where I
am sure to enjoy a hearty dish of Tortellini in Brodo!
It’s always good to be back here in Italia, it’s feels
like a second home to me. I strive to return to La
Repubblica every year for my Mediterranean fix. Having
experienced the month of May during last year’s Maser
Miglia, I vowed to return the same time this year. The
cognoscenti delle macchine know that May in Italy is
the month for car nuts like us. Events going on in the
greater region include: Centro Ore, Mille Miglia
Storica, Ville d’Este, RM Ferrari Auction at Marenello,
and a bit further west, the Grand Prix of Monaco and
the Coys and Bonham’s auctions. These many
collective events are touchstones for us car fanatics.
But I didn’t let the experience end with the amazing
events listed above, add to this tours of le carrozerrie
Pininfarina, Ital-Giugaro Design, and Zagato to the
mix. And to cap it all off, throw in three days of touring
Italian roads and highways in Maranello’s latest open
top offering – Ferrari’s 430 Spider – arranged via TMC
member Maurice Khawam.
Throw in some automotive factory tours, some car
museums, and there is so much going on in May that
it is practically impossible to do and see every car
nut thing that’s available here.
Look for my reports on some of these events in
this issue of Nettuno. Much of this latest quarterly
was assembled on Italian roads, a true Italian export!
Contents
Maserati Granturismo .................................. 3
Khamsin Driving 101 ................................... 5
Eastern Chapter News ................................. 8
Southeast Chapter News ............................ 13
Rocky Mountain Chapter News ................. 15
Ontario Chapter News ................................ 16
California Chapter News ............................ 17
Tech Tips .................................................... 20
National Classified ...................................... 21
Geneva 2007 Report: the Granturismo
By Andrea Lazarro
Maserati Granturismo. Pronounced by a
native Italian speaker, those rolling rs and the
open vowels that only a true Italian can
pronounce in that particular way evoke images
of the Mille Miglia, of heroic drives across the
Futa and Raticosa passes, of temperamental
Italian thoroughbreds from Modena and
Maranello fighting each other for supremacy
on Italy’s most scenic roads, the Tuscan hills
reverberating with the sound of Italy’s finest
V8 and V12 engines…
Geneva, Switzerland, March 5th, 2007.
Thirteen years after its take-over by Fiat, it
is inside an unassuming convention centre on
the outskirts of Geneva that Maserati is about
to start the beginning of its new course. It has
been a rough ride. The quality problems of the
past mostly overcome, the reputation of the
brand restored, the racing heritage revived
thanks to the exploits of the MC12 on the
world’s racetracks, yet Maserati still has to
post a profit. Blame some wrong strategic
choices, some over-optimistic sales forecasts
or the strength of the Euro, but despite record
sales and impressively high quality products
Maserati in 2006 was still in the red.
Something had to change, new models were
long overdue. Over the last 12 months many
rumors were heard – horror stories of a
mongrel “Alfarati” exploiting synergies with
a GM-based, front-wheel-drive, V6-engined
platform; stories of the new generation V8
Coupe and Spyder being cancelled, downsized
or simply delayed… all the fears are about to
be allayed here in Geneva. The new course of
the company led by Mr. Ronchi has been set
by Fiat Group’s strategic masters
Montezemolo and Marchionne, with the help
of one of Italy’s greatest design ateliers:
Pininfarina. The premises are good, yet
nobody outside the company has seen the car
or received confirmation that its technical
specifications remain rooted in Modena
without loss of identity.
The presentation is reserved for an exclusive
selection of customers and dealers. At first the
visitors are guided through a maze of black
curtains, behind each a different Maserati of
the past is revealed. Predictably, they are all
Pininfarina’s creations: from the gorgeous
1954 A6 to the amazing MC12 and MC12based Birdcage prototype, they represent a
small but important snapshot of past and
present Maserati history. After a seemingly
long time which the guests spend nibbling
snacks, sipping champagne and engaging in
small talk, suddenly the lights go out, the
music gets louder, the curtains are lifted and
the spotlights turned on to reveal a new,
outstandingly beautiful Maserati creation.
Welcome the Granturismo, Pininfarina’s
interpretation of the 21st century GT concept.
As the eyes adjust to the light, the most
striking feature that attracts everyone’s gaze
is the Granturismo’s amazing front end. The
large concave grille, in the middle of which a
iLiLNETTUNO
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| TMC 3 3
sizeable Trident stands proud, is a clear tribute
to the 1954 A6 while the narrow, streamlined
halogen headlights, reminiscent of the newest
Quattroporte, look meaner, more aggressively
suited to the spirit of a sports coupe. It is only
after this first, striking visual impact that the
eye gradually moves on to appreciate the
smooth, harmonious flow of the bodywork. At
4.80 m (15.74 ft) long, the Granturismo is a
very large car compared to the previous
Gransport or to a Porsche 911, yet its grace
and svelte elegance easily belie its girth. The
only car I can think of that can compete against
the Granturismo for sheer road presence and
elegance is the equally gorgeous Aston Martin
DB9. Other German bruisers – most notably,
the BMW M6 and Mercedes CL – are simply
not in the same league, styling-wise they blend
into the masses of line-produced cars without
making as much as a blip on the enthusiast’s
radar. Climbing into the Granturismo, one can
only appreciate the vast amount of space
available to the front passengers and the
acceptable size of the rear, which, although
smaller than the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti’s, is
still large enough to accommodate two adults
comfortably. The same cannot be said for the
claustrophobic Aston Martin DB9, which
barely offers enough space in the front, while
the BMW M6 fares only marginally better,
with far less rear legroom than the Maserati.
Only the Mercedes CL comes close for rearpassenger comfort. The quality of the
materials and the styling of the interior are
what we’ve been used to appreciate with the
latest generation of the Quattroporte – fine
leathers, an elegant blend of high-tech and
natural materials, and an understated, refined
styling with attention to even the smallest
details. Perhaps the Granturismo’s interior
design could be criticized for not being
adventurous enough – I personally had
expected a more driver-focused layout of the
dashboard compared to the Quattroporte.
Now to the most important point for true
enthusiasts – what lies under the bonnet. The
Granturismo is based on a shortened
Quattroporte platform, and shares most of its
mechanicals with its larger sister. The chassis
is basically identical, as is the layout of engine
and gearbox. It is important to mention that
initially the car will only be offered with the
ZF 6-speed automatic gearbox also found in
the new Quattroporte Automatic, while the
controversial Ferrari-derived “Cambiocorsa”
will initially not be available, not even as an
option. Considering how Maserati officials
were strenuously defending the Cambiocorsa
on the Quattroporte only 3 years ago, this
change of paradigm is nothing short of
revolutionary. At least, it shows that Maserati
listens to its customers and is receptive to
criticism. The engine is the well-known and
widely appreciated 4.2 litre V8, its power
output increased to 405 HP for the
Granturismo as opposed to the Quattroporte’s
400 HP. Questioned about the choice of engine
4 iL NETTUNO | TMC
when a brand new (and much more powerful)
4.7 litre V8 is already available (it’s being used
in the limited-run Alfa Romeo 8C supercar),
the official company line is that the
performance guaranteed by the tried and
tested 4.2 litre was considered “perfectly
adequate” for Maserati’s target customers.
Given the 1800 Kg weight (about 150 Kg
lighter than the Quattroporte), we can expect
lively performance from the Granturismo, if
not in the same league as the 200 Kg lighter
Gransport. While clearly not a match to the
500-HP BMW M6 and Mercedes-Benz CLAMG models, the Granturismo will
nevertheless deliver enough pace to please
most drivers.
However, this new strategy made me think
– a brand new Maserati coupe, offered only
with an automatic gearbox and admittedly with
“adequate” performance? The target market
for Maserati must have shifted considerably
from that of the Gransport, a car that not so
long ago was targeting the likes of the Porsche
997 Carrera S and GT3 as a stylish and
emotional Italian alternative to the German
domination of the intermediate sports car
sector. It is clear that the Granturismo does
not even bother to look down at Porsche,
concentrating instead on the luxury end of the
GT market –Aston Martin, Jaguar XK, BMW
6-series, Mercedes CL. The argument being
that against these players the question of 50
or 100 horsepower is not a top priority – what
customers expect from this class of cars is
style, presence, quality, good performance, a
refined ride and smooth driveability. Leave
traffic light drag-racing to gangsta-rapper
favorites such as the rather vulgar endless
iterations of 600-HP AMG and Brabus
Mercedes-Benzes. The Maserati Granturismo
is above such nonsense.
That said Maserati does recognize that there
are some performance-oriented customers –
like myself – that may feel “orphaned” by the
company’s current strategy. For them
Maserati promises that, given sufficient
market demand, a 4.7 litre version with close
to 500 HP will be introduced in the future, as
will the Cambiocorsa gearbox. I look forward
to these future developments – not that I care
about out-accelerating Snoop Dogg and his
1000HP AMG, but knowing how good the
dynamics of the Quattroporte are, I believe
that the pleasure of driving this exceptional
car on challenging roads can only be enhanced
by providing it with more power. Finally, no
mention was made of a 6-spd manual – is it
really the end of the road for the traditional
stick shift?
Looking at it from a broad perspective, the
Granturismo appears to have many winning
points against its competitors. For starters, it
is far more spacious and practical than any
Aston Martin; its distinctive and unmistakably
unique Pininfarina styling is a notch above any
of the Germans; and finally, its exclusivity and
the prestige of the Tridente badge are surely
going to be important factors for many
customers – how many would rather be seen
arriving at the Ritz Hotel in a Maserati
Granturismo rather than in an all-too-common
BMW M6?
The pricing strategy for the Granturismo
appears to be another winning factor. At an
indicative price of 115,000 Euros (140,000
US$) the Granturismo not only undercuts the
Aston DB9 by a massive margin, it also
undercuts the top versions of the massproduced Mercedes CL and BMW 6-series,
positioning itself around the same price as a
fully loaded Porsche 997 Carrera S. Thank the
synergies with Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, thank
the platform sharing with the Quattroporte, but
it seems that the Granturismo at its current
price does not have any real competition at
all. No other car in the same price range on
the market today even comes close for
exclusivity, style and performance. The new
course for Maserati has started, and the
premises look very promising indeed. I can’t
wait to drive one.
Khamsin Driving - 101
Khamsin’s
Khamsin’s are
are different
different to
to drive:
drive: here
here isis the
the why
why and
and how...
how...
The fact is that driving a Khamsin needs some
getting used to because it is somewhat different
from almost anything else on wheels due to its
hydraulic functions. The following is meant as a
“how-to” for those about to drive a very unique
and very different car for the first time.
Having been fortunate to drive a considerable
quantity of Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis,
Bizzarrini’s and other exotica from all eras on track
and on the road as a journalist and while working in
a classic car dealership, I can confirm that with the
exception of a few 1950’s and 1960’s competition
sports prototypes (375MM, 250 pontoon fendered
Testarossa, 268SP V8) and the Lamborghini Miura
my favorite most exciting and rewarding car to drive
is the Khamsin.
Khamsin’s have more personality, charisma,
excitement and more of all of those intangible, unmeasurable personality traits inherent to classic
exotic cars, a very strong dose of that je ne sais quoi
than square headed statisticians with their 5th wheel
and computers could ever understand, it is truly a
spirited car in the grandest fashion of the grandest
old days but it first needs to be understood properly.
A vast majority of test drive articles and
reviews in car magazines through the years and
throughout the world have tended to miss the
point of why Khamsin’s are different and to
highlight only that they are different and not how
brilliantly easy and precise it makes them to drive.
In so doing they have tended to intimidate
newcomers, have tended to over complicate the
reputation of, and approach to, a vehicle that is
as exciting to drive as it is easy to learn if, if you
are a decent driver and have the proper
6 iL NETTUNO
| TMCis that information.
information;
what follows
By Marc Sonnery
Your mental approach: forget any thought of it
being a 30 year old car and any preconceived
expectation of it being vague and slow: Khamsin’s
are very fast even by 2007 standards, with more
torque than a Ferrari Daytona, yet docile, and
have the most precise steering and brakes ever
engineered. Period. This is not a car to drive with
an elbow in the window. Bad drivers have been
known to dislike them and for good reason. This
aristocratic Italian lady does not suffer fools! In
contrast good drivers including professional racing
drivers love them.
Here we go: first of all disconnect your cell
phone. Switch it off. Completely. Don’t even think
about driving with it on, especially if you are
agitated or angry. Driving any car with a cell phone,
even the era piece type is dangerous and distracting,
driving a Khamsin with one would be stupid,
learning to drive it with one, or any other
telecommunications or music listening gadget
activated would be a recipe for certain disaster. You
must be able to concentrate 1000% the first few
times you drive it.
This car’s conception is very different from
anything you have driven before. Anything. Please
read carefully and it will all become second nature.
Before starting the car you need to understand
the hydraulics. Later we will review their
advantages. Actually they will become amazingly
obvious after a few miles.
The five functions run by the hydraulic system are
the brakes, the clutch, the power steering, the headlight
raising and the driver’s seat adjustment capacity.
Be aware that, until a few seconds after you
start the engine, you have none of these functions.
A dashboard warning light (and on US cars a
buzzer) will be on for the first few seconds (about
3 to 5), after which it goes silent, meaning you
now have pressure.
Therefore do not try to move the car -other than
a few feet on a flat surface- WITHOUT THE
ENGINE BEING ON AND THE PRESSURE UP
THERE ARE VIRTUALLY NO BRAKES. This is
not a car you want to push start down a San
Francisco street, unless you want to make CNN
breaking news, in half an hour.
In what way are the hydraulics different? Let’s
review this where it matters, three things; clutch,
brakes and steering.
The fact that the headlight pods and driver’s seat
also are powered by the hydraulics makes no
difference since they go up and down when you
want them to just as if they were electrical. So it is
all about the interaction between your feet, your
hands and the car.
The clutch you can also easily forget and not
worry about; it is a 100% win-win situation. While
your friend in a typical big sportscar of that era,
let’s say for example a Ferrari Daytona is getting
the mother of all cramps desperately pushing that
hugely heavy left pedal into oblivion with all the
strength he can muster and becoming seriously
frustrated in traffic, in complete contrast a Khamsin
has a clutch as light as a feather or as that of a small
modern car. It is as easy as could be.
Do however make sure you don’t ride the clutch
pedal with your foot while in gear or you will be
slipping the clutch and ruining the clutch disc. Due
to the hydraulic assistance, the weight of your foot
would be enough to depress the pedal slightly and
iL NETTUNO | TMC 5
disengage the clutch so use the footrest.
So learning to drive a Khamsin is all about two
things: learning the brakes and steering. They are
not that difficult to learn but ideally you would do
so away from too much traffic, in dry weather and
keeping your speed reasonable: you can push the
loud pedal further into the fun zone later, once you
have gotten used to the steering and brakes.
The brakes; firstly the brake pedal has virtually
no travel; it is more like a button, secondly it is very
highly assisted, pressure sensitive and needs very
little pressure: it takes a light touch. The first time
you brake you might stand the car on its front
bumper and leave the imprint of your nose on the
windshield (well almost!); make sure no other
vehicle is right behind you. (Those who have big
feet must make sure not to catch throttle and brake
at the same time).
So you have to be delicate and subtle (see what I
mean about being able to concentrate?!); it helps if
the seat is just at the right distance from the pedals
and if you brace yourself with your left foot against
the floor/bulkhead before braking; braking too hard,
since those brakes are extremely powerful, the
braking action could compound itself as while your
body mass naturally shifts forward your foot could
accidentally increase brake pressure and you will
kiss the windshield and appear to be a beginner
driver to all around you! At higher speeds, out on
the road it is easier to be subtle as the assistance
does not appear as strong, though you don’t want
to slam on the brakes in the rain of course. I was
caught in rain once or twice and the brakes were
perfectly manageable: I was more worried about
having to towel the car dry.
After a few miles you will have learned to be
subtle, even at slow speeds and enjoy the precision
with which you can dose your braking. You may be
interested to know that these brakes are both
extremely powerful and enduring, even on track or
in spirited mountain road driving in summer.
None other than Emerson Fittipaldi, then reigning
Formula one World Champion was totally amazed
by these brakes during a 1974 test drive for
Quattroruote, the main Italian car monthly . He
pushed the car very hard on a tight track and on
mountain roads during a very hot Italian summer
and could not make these brakes fade at all; in fact
he called them the safest brakes in any sportscar. It
might take you 2 miles or 20 miles but if you are a
good driver you will learn them and once you learn
them you will love them.
One other thing: when you get back into your
normal car afterwards, be prepared to brake in the
usual (or should I say primitive) way again or you
will end up in the trunk of the car in front.
The steering: there are four aspects to
understand. First of all, before we discuss the
hydraulic assistance, be aware that the steering
rack itself is very direct; only two turns lock to
lock. Also as noted above, without the engine
being on and the hydraulic pressure being up, the
steering is extremely hard and, in the event of an
extremely rare hydraulic failure, all you can do is
pull over and stop; the brakes have priority in
the case of hydraulic shutdown and the system is
set so you can stop the car from top speed
(170+mph/272kph). Such failures are extremely
rare and only happen in much neglected cars. So
remember that the rack is very direct.
Secondly the assistance is very high, meaning
that the steering effort is very light so that, like
with the brakes your first attempts at steering may
be a bit awkward: you might at first steer like a
teenage epileptic who just saw a pretty girl on the
curb, see sawing wildly at the wheel. The right way
to do it is in gentle smooth motions but after a
handful or a few dozen miles you will have learned
it and love it. t first you might even jerk the
steering a little while changing gear and take turns
in the road in sections in a succession of small
jerky tugs at the wheel but eventually you will be
smooth as a carpet salesman.
Now an obvious consequence of driving a car
with this type of very direct and highly assisted
steering is that you cannot brace yourself on the
steering wheel in turns, even though the seats don’t
offer a lot of lateral support so bear that in mind.
The third aspect is that the steering self-centers,
even when parked. Of course the steering obeys
your input at all times, it is just that if you let go of
the wheel when it is turned it will want to self
center (return to the head on position), so you easily
learn not to let go of the wheel in a long constant
radius turn for example, but this is purely
instinctive.
The fourth and final aspect of the steering is that
the assistance is variable.
Rest assured that its French Citroen hydraulics
do not vary based on the mood of the car or the
“humor” of the Gallic engineers that presided over
its conception but on your speed (not engine rpm
but miles per hour). At low speed, in town or around
tight turns, the assistance is very high allowing you
to maneuver easily.
The faster you go however and the less assisted
the steering becomes meaning the harder it becomes;
this makes complete sense since you don’t need
much if any power steering on the highway. There
is a safety reason behind that too; if it remained as
light at high speeds it would mean that sneezing at
150mph would make you change lanes, actually 3
or 4 lanes before you know it!
Thus when you slow down, say from 100mph
on the highway to a U-turn off ramp you will feel
your steering gradually get lighter. It may seem
daunting at first but is brilliantly thought out to fit
your needs and will become second nature before
you know it.
SEAT ADJUSTMENTS
Your seat can be adjusted fore and aft by
traditional adjustment but you also have the lever
between the seat and the door which makes your
seat go up and forward, for smaller drivers and
backwards and downwards for taller drivers, thus
you can easily achieve a near perfect driving
position. Note that the passenger seat has no
hydraulic adjustment, just standard ones.
What then you ask is the point of all those
hydraulics? Superbly simple; they make a big
brawny car feel light, nimble and precise as a tiny
sportscar, like a Lotus Elan with a 5 liter V8, which
makes the Khamsin feel like a thoroughly modern
car when you want it to be but, thanks to its
Carbureted classic 4 cam V8 better sounding and
looking I think than anything modern and mass
produced. This is what makes the Khamsin unique:
most cars of that era had very heavy steering, clutch,
brutally hard gearchanges which is why a Daytona
was very annoying in traffic and a Miura was only
bearable for short periods of time.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
The car bottoms out easily, not the nose or the
tail but the underside which is relatively low so be
careful at rough railroad crossings, leaving parking
lots and gas stations, on speedbumps etc. Of course
there might be a huge truck right behind which does
not plan to brake…but if he is right behind maybe
you are driving too slow! If you need to, put on the
warning lights: it only takes one hard hit under the
car to do serious damage so do be careful. I never
had a problem with that in mine.
Shift gears carefully and positively, when
shifting diagonally across the gate do not try to take
a diagonal short cut but decompose your motion as
per the layout; straight, left or right, straight. The
ZF gearbox is an excellent unit, appreciates a positive
driver but not a sloppy one. Note that since the
Khamsin has huge torque you can stay in third or
fourth gear around town and certainly do not need
to change gears all the time. The classic Maserati
V8 engine is not one that benefits from and enjoys
being in very high rpm; if you are above 4500rpm
and not accelerating hard, shift up a gear.
The throttle pedal? Hah! It reawakens the gods
of Italian motorsport, their spirit roused by the
four twin choke carburetors, the four exhausts
bellowing basso profundo then screaming, you are
leading the Mille Miglia, the Grand Prix at Monza
your right foot controls the song of sirens, the gates
of Valhalla, the enchanted path to the paradise of
beatifically contented drivers, gorgeous women give
you that special look (no I haven’t smoked anything
funnyJð maybe it’s my cooking?!). Obviously too
much loud pedal and the back of the car may have
political ambitious to precede the front but barring
any nonsense Khamsin’s are remarkably neutral and
mellow.
One point which cannot be overemphasized:
quite obviously you never, NEVER want to let
or valet parking attendant (or any type of
unqualified driver) within a mile of a Khamsin,
unless you want a dead clutch, over-revved engine,
scraped underside, bodywork damage and God
knows what else, along with lame excuses, a lot
of aggravation and repair bills. They may have
driven faster flashier cars, will feel they know
everything and will not listen when you tell them
it is different to drive. Ignore what your friends
or wife or the valet say: they are not paying the
repair bill and this has happened repeatedly: just
go park it elsewhere. Similarly if you leave it at a
hand car wash, garage, exhaust shop etc, designate
one person authorized to drive it and explain it to
him or give him a printout of this text.
Finally the above applies to automatic Khamsin’s
as well, note that they are geared short, their top
speed is about 25mph/40kmh lower than 5 speed
manual cars. Not ideal but livable then and now.
When going back to drive a Khamsin after driving
another car you have to mentally readjust yourself
to it but this time it will only take a few seconds.
You are now ready for lift off: enjoy: I know
you will!
Copyright 2005
www.Maseratikhamsinregistry.com
MASER MIGLIA X
GEORGIA ON OUR MINDS...
Come Join Us For Our Tenth Maser Miglia At The Beautiful
Chateau Elan Resort & Spa With It’s French Country Flare
And Southern Hospitality.
Dates: September 26 - 30, 2007
Location: Chateau Elan Resort & Spa - Just northeast of Atlanta, Georgia
• Cars • Wine • Cuisine • Friends • Roads
For Hotel Reservations Call (678) 425-0900 - Please Mention The Maserati Club
(Event Registration Forms Will Be Available in June - Please Call (865) 882-9230 For Additional Information)
Eastern
Chapter
News
Euro Auto Festival – 2006
Kai Dyhr-- Proud Owner of a Maserati GranSport
Magnificent! The event was in everyway
wonderful. We had the weather, the colors, the
shapes, the lines, the cars, their drivers and
the BMW facility, all working together to make
it a memorably day. We had youngsters with
their dogs, moms with their babies, boys with
their caps and men with their wives/girlfriends
and their cars, everyone with the most
enthusiastic attitude I have ever seen. A boy
of no more than 4 and just passing my
GranSport; yelled out: WHAOOO DAD SEE
THAT!. Not sure if he really appreciated the
“Giugaro Design” or just the bright blue color,
but we sure got a good laugh from that.
On the scene of cars there was good and
bad news. For sure, way too few Maseratis!
Please help us with more units for display
next year, as we were only three exhibited,
most notable our friend from North Carolina,
Willem Oosthoek in his Red 1963 Maserati
3500 GT: “Super Leggera”, a master piece!
Mike Demyanovich’s Bertone penned Silver
1975 Kamsin (and doing over 500 miles that
week-end, excellent!), and my Giugaro
penned Mediteranio Blue 2005 GranSport.
Two more Maserati were displayed, thanks
to Foreign Cars Italia of Greenville, with a
Charcoal Quatroporte and a Silver GranSport
Spyder, but we missed a large portion of the
classic era models: Ghiblis, Mexico, Mistrals,
Boras and more.
This years event featured Triumph, with
many special English cars from Jaguar,
Jensen, Alvis, Bently, RR, Morgan, Austin
Healey (next years feature model), Lotus,
Austin/Morris, Riley and still more. Germany
was well represented, naturally by BMW,
but also Porsche, but few Mercedes and
iL NETTUNO | TMC 8
Audi’s, although some VW’s were
represented. In all, the official estimate for
the 11th. year running of the festival was a
record, with around 500 cars.
Now, for Italian cars we were again having
some surprises. A good representation of Alfa
Romeos and Ferraris was present, with an F40
as the premier car. But only one older, however
stunning, Lamborghini 3500 GT, also a “Super
Leggera”, a few Lancias, Fiats and a wonderful
Italia car from time past. Ivan Ruiz drove his
Alfa Romeo Guilietta for which he received a
nomination. He should of course have driven
his Maserati, but we hope to see it next time.
The event provided an opportunity for
people to do other than look at stationary cars.
BMW offered a test drive of their cars in
different formats which gave “boys & girls”
TOP:
ABOVE:
FOLLOWING PAGE TOP:
CENTER:
BOTTOM:
with valid drivers licenses a chance to play!
Rasmus and Martin, my sons, really enjoyed
this and I am sure they can be counted on to
participate next year! With the involvement
and now being a member of TMC, I can say it
has been with great pleasure to come to this
show, and now more than ever I have learned
the value of: Owning Maseratis has made me
realize that there is more to life than perfection!
iL NETTUNO | TMC 9
EC Holiday Party
Charles Roy, sgPond
ear friends and members
of the Eastern Chapter—
Our Maseratis are fast
and react quickly when faced with obstacles on the road. And being of a competitive nature, naturally, we are not to be
outdone by our cars. As it happened, one
morning in December I received confirmation that I had to fly almost immediately to Australia to do due diligence on a
business acquisition thereby assuring my
absence at our annual Holiday celebration. Quickly your Board members convened on the telephone to cancel the
agreed upon venue (i.e., our home) and
discuss the alternatives. I delegated myself and Nathalie to the task of finding a
suitable replacement. Thus we took Charlotte out of her garage and drove to the
Castle at Tarrytown. What better way to
explore dining alternatives then to drive a
Maserati! We had been at the Castle before but never given the full tour. The NeoGothic architecture and decor were very
convincing for such an event. So was the
kindness of the staff and the quality of the
food. There is something to be said about
a good meal. Had we held our Holiday
gathering at a gas station we may not
10
N E T T U N O| TMC
1 iLI LNETTUNO
have had the same turn out! And so I understand that while I was in Australia
under a beautiful and warm blue sky
being served drinks next to the pool by
the friendliest of cocktail waitresses and
missing you all, you were cozy next to the
fireplace having an elegant lunch. At this
point, having exhausted my capability of
telling you how great it was to be there (at
the Castle, I mean!) and I must pass the
pen (or keyboard) to someone who actually attended!—Charles
And so goes the story of how Charles’
first Holiday Party as our new Eastern Chapter president was held without Charles!
Lucky for him he chose this fabulous location very wisely because then all we were
left to do was to have a toast in his honor
celebrating his organization of the event!
Truth be told, the Castle was an excellent location. Formally elegant it made a
truly special setting during the most festive time of year. During the holiday one
likes to celebrate at a high level in beautiful surroundings and this one didn’t disappoint. A wonderful meal ensued as we
all got caught up on old friendships as
well as welcoming new ones, like Branimir Bricelj (just waiting for you Eastern-
ers to try and pronounce THAT last
name), a recent addition who in Europe
owns one of the few examples of a ‘91
Maserati “Racing.”
Kevin Delia (EC treasurer) held our usual
50/50 raffle. I should explain this so those
of you who are unfamiliar know what to
look forward to. Kevin visits the tables of
members and gently urges them (mostly
gently) to buy tickets (note the plural). The
idea is to raise money to fund future chapter activities but in addition to this, a lucky
club member walks away with 50% of the
take, thus paying for his expenses for the
day and hopefully, then some. This year
was especially profitable for the winner
(congratulations to Ken Stern!). The credit
for this result goes to our new president
for suggesting that the chapter offer a new
2006 membership benefit—paying for
half the cost of all members’ luncheons.
What I personally found surprising was
that given the fact we were a relatively
small group (+/-30), and that we spent a
good three hours carrying on, eating, and
drinking some very nice house wines, I still
came away feeling like I missed talking to
several members. I guess that’s one reason
why we keep organizing more events!
Eastern
Chapter
News
Italian Car Day 2006
Blue skies, slightly cool morning air and
the top is down. What more can you ask for,
other than the top is a part of a Maserati.
Well this time around it was attached to an
Alfa Romeo but you won’t hear me
complaining. Unfortunately my Maserati has
been sidelined as of recent, so as much as I
love bringing a Maserati to Italian Car Day
here in Atlanta at least I’m arriving in
something Italian. Really though it doesn’t
matter what you show up in as long as come
out to see this great annual event.
My wife and I arrived in Italian style a little
late to Kurt’s Restaurant where the show was
held and we saw that there was already an
amazing display of new and old Italian cars and
motorcycles. I parked the car with the other
Alfa Romeos and started greeting the familiar
faces of Italian car enthusiasts who manage to
come out almost every year. There must have
been around one hundred Italian mechanical
toys out for the show and I don’t believe I’ve
ever seen so many Lamborghinis in one spot.
Representing Maserati was a 1967 Mistral
Martin Dyhr
convertible, a 1987 Biturbo Si, a 1972 Bora, and
a 2004 Coupe. So although there were few
Maseratis, they did manage to represent the
different eras rather well. With as much Italian
machinery abound and good food and drink
available, there was plenty to experience
throughout the day. Before you knew it, the
time had come for the awards and the
competition was strong. The show is judged
by only the entrants which creates a nice
relaxed atmosphere and still as one can imagine
there are some good judges among the crowd
to keep everyone on their toes.
It was a triumphant day for Lancia as a
beautiful 1955 Lancia Aurelia took home Best
of Show and the “Car I Would Like to Drive
Home” award as well. With a 1976 Lancia
Scorpion as the winner of the “Best Modified”
award it was a great day for the marque all
around. This show usually occurs in the first
few weeks of October when it is usually the
most pleasant and beautiful time to be in Georgia
so pencil it in for next year and I’m sure you
will not be disappointed.
For pictures from this year’s show, go
t o h t t p : / / g a l l e r y. i t a l i a n c a r c l u b . c o m /
carshows/atlantaICD/atlantaicd2006/
Alfa Romeo:
First Place: 1965 Guila SS Owner: Ty
Kennedy
Second Place: 1959 Giulietta Spider Owner:
Ivan Ruiz
Third Place: 1973 GTV Owner: Joe Dolgetta
Ferrari:
First Place: Dino 246GT Owner: Mark
DelRosso
Second Place: 250 GTE 2+2 Owner: Alan Boe
Third Place: 1969 Daytona Owner: Terry
Springer
Fiat:
First Place: 1981 Abarth 131 Volumetrico
Owner: Tim Vacarro
iL NETTUNO | TMC 11
Second Place: 1981 Spider 2000 Owner: Sal
Sanzone
Third Place: 1986 Bertone X 1/9 Owner: John
Dolgetta
Lamborghini:
First Place: 1974 Uracco S Owner: Don
White
Second Place: 1967 Miura Owner: Kirk
Stevenson
Third Place: 2005 Murcielago Roadster
Owner: Allan Schuster
Lancia:
First Place: 1955 Aurilia Owner: Michael Gue
Second Place: 1976 Lancia Scorpion Owner:
Jeff Davison
Third Place: N/A Owner:
Maserati:
First Place: 1972 Bora Owner: Rick Russo
Second Place: 1968 Mistral Owner: Ivan Ruiz
Third Place: GT Coupe Owner: Maarten
Kuik
DeTomaso Pantera:
First Place: Pantera Owner: Howard Suddeth
Second Place: Pantera Owner: Mike Murray
Third Place: Pantera Owner: Dan Hough
Open Class:
First Place: 1968 Iso Rivolta S Owner: Gary
Goldstein
Second Place: N/A Owner:
Third Place: N/A Owner:
Italian Cycle:
First Place: 2002 Ducati MH900E Owner: Rick
Radford
Second Place: 1973 Moto Guzzi Owner: Bud
McIntyre
Third Place: N/A Owner:
Best Modified Vehicle: 1976 Lancia Scorpion
Car I Would Like to Drive Home: 1955 Lancia
Aurelia
Kid’s Choice: 2005 Lamborghini Murcielago
Roadster
BEST of SHOW: 1955 Lancia Aurelia
11 iL NETTUNO | TMC
Southeastern Chapter News
Southeastern
Chapter
ItaliaFest 2007 Michael
Michael A.
A. Demyanovich
Demyanovich
ItaliaFest 2007 was held in the West Palm
Beach area and Boca Raton on February
16 – 18. And what an excellent event it
turned out to be. As in previous years,
Italian vehicles could be seen, and heard,
hurling themselves around the Moroso
Motorsports track all day Saturday. The
highlight of this years track portion was
T M C : S E m e m b e r J o h n S c h u m a n n ’s
Maserati MC12.. That’s right, an MC12 at
Moroso. The sound and smoothness of
this car is something special as it seems to
float effortlessly around the track,
catching and passing everything in its
path. When in the paddock area, there was
always a crowd surrounding it, snapping
pictures, viewing the magnificent details,
and just gazing in amazement at this
beauty! Of special note was the thrill I
had when John gave me a ride in the car
along the Beeline Highway. I still can’t
get the smile off my face! Our thanks to
John and his wife Cathy for once again
bringing a magnificent piece of automotive
history to Moroso!
The event councours, held on Sunday,
found us back at our old site at Mizner
Park Shopping district in Boca Raton. The
day started out gloomy as it rained
virtually all morning, putting a damper on
the turnout. Of interesting note, the first
3 cars to show up (even in the rain) were
Maserati cars. A total of six Maserati cars
took advantage of the excellent afternoon
w e a t h e r. R u s s e l l G l a c e b r o u g h t h i s
fabulous 3500GT (AM 101.1954), once
owned by Peter Revson. Utah resident
(wintering in Key West) Jim Cantrell
brought his freshly restored beautiful
yellow Ghibli. New member Richard
Cartledge, and his father John, brought two
excellent 430’s. New member Phillip Marsh
brought his new Spyder, which also was
on the track at Moroso the day before (that
first rock chip is a tough one to swallow!!).
Obviously, I was also in attendance with
my 1975 Khamsin (AM 120US1120).
Despite the weather, some Ferrari’s,
Lamborghini’s, and Alfa Romeo’s attended
as well.. TMC:SE members Tom and Carol
Rossi brought a beautiful white Alfa
Romeo Giulietta to display, and went home
with nice award. This venue is certainly
one of the best with all the shops and
restaurants Mizner Park has to offer. Many
familiar faces were seen throughout the
ItaliaFest 2006
TOP: Jim Cantrell’s freshly restored Ghibli
ABOVE: The beautiful 430’s of Richard and
John Cartledge
FOLLOWING TOP: Khamsin of Mike
Demyanovich
FOLLOWING CENTER: Always a crowd
pleaser! 3500GT of Russel Glace
entire weekend and that is exactly what
these events are about; camaraderie and
FUN! Our thanks again to organizer Jim
Kaminski, President of the Lamborghini
Owners Club, for making this a weekend
for all us Italian car lovers to enjoy. And a
very special thanks to those Maserati
owners who brought out their cars.
iL NETTUNO | TMC 13
Southeastern
Chapter
A TRIBUTE TO TMC:SE PATRONS
I would like to take this opportunity to once
again recognize those members who support
TMC:SE by contributing over and above the
regular membership dues. It is their
contributions which have kept TMC:SE on a
solid financial footing in the past and if
continued, will do so in the future. As you
can imagine this funding is crucial to the health
of our chapter. We face a myriad of expenses,
from postage to insurance to Maser Miglia
support. Without this additional support I
believe the general chapter dues would be
even higher than they currently are. Our
patrons help keep TMC:SE as one of the most
financially solvent chapters, as well as help
provide the level of activities and support our
members deserve. TMC:SE relies on this
extra support to keep going.
We thank and honor our patrons by
mentioning them below. And I encourage all
who are able, to consider joining this list by
becoming a Patron at club membership
renewal time in March/April, 2007. We offer
our sincerest thanks to the following:
Steve Claassen
– Tropical Sports Car Center
Mitchell Barnes
Ted Mozino
Harvey Goldberg
Daniel Serrato
Russell Glace
Omar Fernandez
Morton Meltzer
John Schumann
Thomas Boehning
Ivan Ruiz
Tom Jones
Walter Levine
William Dempsey
Ray Maranges
John Kane
Mike Demyanovich
Rocky Mountain Chapter News
Winter Gives Way To Spring
– by Andy Katz
Patrons Pave the Way!
In a small club, such as The Rocky
Mountain Chapter of TMC, our very
existence depends on the generosity
of our members. And TMC-RMC is
extremely fortunate to have a number
of members who choose to support
the club, above and beyond the
minimum dues required for
membership. Today we would like to
honor those folks for contributing their
financial resources, as well as their
time and talents.
Because of these people, our chapter
is proud to sponsor 10 Maserati race
car drivers and two journalists as
members of TMC. In addition, our
“Advanced Members” allow the chapter
to subsidize events, keep our regular
dues reasonable and provide a level of
service that would simply be
impossible without their help.
Our gratitude goes to the following
members:
Jim & Patti Arnieri
Ted & Kathy Baer
John & Carolyn Bookout
Chris & Maria Cantrell
Russell Daniel
Ron & Nancy Deem
Derek & Sage Fennig
George & Chris Finley
Fred Gamble
Steve & Laura Garran
Tim Girton
Harvey & Susan Goldberg
Terry & Noel Hefty
Mark Herzfeld
Jim & Mary Kay Hudson
Andy Katz & Ro Fleury
Augie & Joan Pabst
Dean & Sheri Rietz
Gary & Jill Sisson
Chuck Walser
Susan Young
When you see these members at
events, please take time to thank them
for making our club a success. They
truly “pave the way” for all of us who
drive a Maserati!
iLiLNETTUNO
NETTUNO
| TMC
| TMC1115
Maserati
Maserati Club
Club of
of Ontario
Ontario
Giovanni
Giovanni Marcelli
Marcelli
I grew up in Italy in the 60ís and could
not help inherit a burning passion for
Italian sport cars. Those days, Maserati
was regarded as the epitome of the sport
car, beautiful, fast, luxurious and well
built.
Maserati has had a long and
illustrious racing history, it is in fact the
oldest car manufacturer in existence that
was founded on pure racing purposes,
long before Ferrari.
The birth of Maserati Racing happened
in 1926, at the start of the Targa Florio
where Alfieri Maserati drove a brilliant
race with the first Maserati car bearing
the distinctive Maserati Tridente and
16 iL NETTUNO | TMC
came first in class.
This remarkable achievement well
depicts the passion, creativity, skills and
ability of the Maserati brothers.
I am honored to serve as the president
of The Maserati Club of Ontario and I
need to make an urgent appeal to all
members to promote the club by
participating to more events and by
talking to other automobile aficionados
Let us make an effort to bring some new
Maserati owners to our club, Maserati
cars are selling again and are being
pleasantly noticed by many people.
We need more members and yes, we all
have many conflicting interests in our
busy lives, however, our camaraderie and
our desire to keep the club alive and well
is now more important than ever before.
Let us passionately depict the
rewarding experience of going for an
outing as a group, driving through a
scenic panorama, enjoying a Sunday
lunch with friends, talking about classic
automobiles, seeing new cars and sharing
repair and maintenance tips.
Let us genuinely care about the club
and rekindle our friendship.
Forza Maserati!
16 iL NETTUNO | TMC
iL NETTUNO | TMC 17
15
California Chapter News
Pismo Beach Rally
TMC California has successfully
completed its 13th annual Pismo Beach Rally,
this has truly become a west coast tradition..
Longevity for club events is rare, as most
come and go. But the Pismo Beach Rally has
become a venerable fixture of our west coast
Maserati calendar.
The Pismo Rally heralds in springtime, and
is always held in the month of April.
Scheduling this event is always a challenge
for this month is filled with holidays, spring
breaks, and the Long Beach Grand Prix. Toss
in the always variable central coast’s vernal
weather (yes, it does rain in California…
sometimes) and a throw of the dice, and you
never know what you’ll come up with. This
year, it was a bit ironic that during a record
year for drought, we hit the one rare weekend
of two rain fronts.
Turnout was very good considering the
aforementioned late winter storm and some
scheduling conflicts that kept several
venerable attendees from participating. We
had 20 cars on the rally, and the rally was
18 iL NETTUNO | TMC
-- by
by Doug
Doug Magnon
Magnon
blessed with good fortune as the skies
cleared and gave us a sunny Saturday for
the rally.
Also along on the event were three
journalists from Maserati Monthly, Maserati
North America’s e-journal. We were able to
rotate journalists Adam, Mark and Martin into
four vintage Maseratis: a 3500GT, Ghibli
Coupe, Bora and a Quattroporte III. This
turned out to be a real treat for our guests as
they have appreciated, studied and written
about these classic cars, but had not had yet
get to experience them from behind the
wheel.. our guests verified that they got a
full taste of TMC hospitality and friendliness.
TMC has always been a group that prides
itself on openness to new members, guests
and the like — no snobbery here — just a
bunch of Maserati crazy folks and good
friends.
I would be remiss not to mention Tom
Geiger, our Rally Master. His support and
local knowledge really make this rally and
without him the event wouldn’t be the same!
One of our hardest tasks is to choose a date
that does not clash with the may conflicting
events in April, (Easter, Orthodox Easter,
Passover, Long Beach GP, etc.). I’ve had
some very disappointed members in the past
when personal schedules have conflicted. In
fact this year we had at least 10 members that
are fixtures to the event that had conflicts
and couldn’t participate
I look forward to the 14th annual Pismo
Beach Rally next year in April and invite all
Maserati owners to join us to experience
firsthand what The Maserati Club is all about,
California style!
Arriverderci, L’anno Prossimo! (See you
there next year!)
TOP: Maseratis forma nice foreground to
Arciero-EOS Winery.
ABO
VE RIGHT
ABOVE
RIGHT:: RallyMaster Tom Geiger
going over the route instructions stands in
front of some fine Arciero Racing Memorabilia.
RIGHT
RIGHT:: Al Arciero addresses the TMC
California Chapter. iL NETTUNO | TMC 17
iL NETTUNO | TMC 19
Tech Group Tips
TECH
DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!
TECH
-- Ivan Ruiz
Ready for that long anticipated trip in your
Maserati? It is not everyday that you decide
to take your pride and joy out for a much
needed extended workout. One of the joys of
owning a Maserati is the joy of listening to
the engine roar over extended periods of time
and navigating scenic roads. Unfortunately
even the best planned trips can lead to
unanticipated problems, and you may find
yourself in a massive traffic jam when
something simple, like a cooling hose,
decides this is the right moment to fail.
Although you can never be ready for life’s
unexpected surprises, there are a few things
you can do to minimize the unwanted
adventures.
The first rule is to try to anticipate the most
common failure points. Okay you can stop
laughing … we all know that on a Maserati
that list can be very long, but let’s try to focus
on the most common ones.
Weak battery. Our cars are usually not
driven much. As a result, batteries tend to
have a very short life. Two or three years tend
to be the typical lifetime. The more often you
let the battery drain down the quicker it will
fail. There is nothing worse than waking up
on day two of your trip just to discover the
car’s battery is dead. In case of doubt replace
a battery before starting a long trip.
Cooling system. As you see the line of cars
slowly creeping for miles up on the road in
front of you, now is not the time to consider
if the cooling system is working properly.
Our cars tend not to overheat as long as they
are moving and air is freely flowing through
the radiator. Bring the car to a halt and
memories of Chernobyl will quickly loom
through your head as you watch the
temperature needle creep north. With some
planning, overheating problems can be
minimized. Make sure the radiator is clean
and the coolant at the proper level. Coolant
is very good at increasing the boiling point
of water and in providing lubrication to the
water pump, but it is NOT the most efficient
way to remove heat from an engine. Pure water
is a much better heat dissipater. If your trip is
during the warm months, try using a mixture
of 80% distilled water and the other 20% a
mixture of coolant and Redline Water Wetter.
20 iL NETTUNO | TMC
Another critical part of the cooling system is
the electric radiator fans. Make sure they are
working properly and that they are blowing air
through the radiator towards the engine, not
against it. I have seen fans connected
backwards many times. Fan technology has
greatly improved since your car was
manufactured. A modern fan from Zirgo or
SPAL will greatly increase the airflow,
especially in standstill traffic, when it is most
needed.
Electrical system. The electrical system on
most Maserati GT cars tends to be over taxed.
Simply put, too much amperage is being run
through the wires. As the car ages, connections
get dirty and electrical resistance increases.
This leads to even more amperage being
required, which makes the wires run hot and
increases the resistance even more. During
short trips you may not notice what is going
on but during a long trip this may lead to
disaster. Driving a Ghibli during one of the
MaserMiglia events, the ignition wires on my
car got so hot they were glowing red! A few
maintenance steps can greatly minimize this
danger. First, remove all the fuses from the
fuse box and clean the box’s connections with
electronic cleaner and fine grade sand paper.
Replace the fuses with new ones. Now look
for and clean critical electrical connectors
such as that under the ignition switch, the
connectors to the radiator fans and those to
the headlights. A simple test is to turn
everything on; headlights (on high beam),
radiator fans, heater fan, wipers, etc and then
feel the temperature of the fuses. A fuse that
is very hot means that too much amperage is
in that circuit.
Tires, belts and hoses: You pride yourself
on owning a very low mileage Maserati with
many original parts. Although that may impress
the concourse judges, it will not be of much
help when one of those 40 year old hoses and
belts decide they just had enough. The same
is true with tires. It is not uncommon to see a
Maserati with 20 year old tires on them, with
plenty of tire thread remaining. Upon close
inspection you will see hailing cracks all along
the sidewall, not exactly the safest thing when
you are traveling at triple digit speeds. How
about that spare tire … when was the last time
you checked the air pressure? Do you have the
tools and jack to replace the tire if needed?
Tools: You have checked the car and
everything looks good, fluids are at the proper
level and all critical components are in good
working order. Now it is time to pack for the
trip! First, make sure you have a complete set
of tools. This includes a metric socket set,
open wrenches, adjustable wrench, Phillips
and flat blade screwdrivers, electric tape ….
and duct tape. It is amazing what can be fixed
with duct tape! Also do not forget to bring a
flashlight. I also like to have an electrical
multi-meter to help solve electrical problems.
Extra parts: I tend to bring many extra parts
with the philosophy that whatever I do not bring
will most likely break; therefore if I bring a
lot, the odds of something breaking will be
minimized. Until now this has worked quite
well with three Maser Miglias and no major
breakdown. Let’s start with the fluids, a few
extra liters of engine oil are recommended.
Luckily these are easy to find during your trip
if additional liters are needed. I always bring
some Castrol brake fluid and an extra gallon
of water. If you are driving a Citroen era car,
several liters of LHM are a requirement.
A complete set of extra fuses is good to
have, as are extra belts and hoses. If you
replaced the belts and hoses, keep the old ones
as they can be used to create your emergency
road kit. I have found that hydraulic
components can easily fail at the most
inopportune times. The clutch slave cylinder
is especially vulnerable. I like to bring rebuild
kits for the clutch master and slave and the
brake master cylinder. These things can be
fixed by most competent mechanics while on
the road, if they have the parts available.
Having plenty of extra parts can also help out
your friends that get stranded, plus they are
great for negotiating just about anything you
may want. An alternator belt for a bottle of
Vueve Clicquot, a water pump repair kit for
use of his Maui villa … you get the picture!
Taking our cars on long trips is driving the
car the way was meant to be driven. These cars
love long trips and you will be amazed at how
well it does after a few hours on the road. With
a little planning, most unexpected surprises
can be avoided. If Murphy, with his infamous
laws, was still to attack, then there is always
the AAA card … never leave home without it.
Maserati Market Classifieds
Market
Classifieds on the TMC website and in iL NETTUNO are free
to any member from any chapter of The Maserati Club.
Non-member’s charge is $25 per issue (coinciding with the publishing of iL NETTUNO).
AUTOMOBILI
‘60 3500GT - Webers, 5 speed, front disc brakes,
rear drums. Borrani disc wheels with hubcaps,
new Michelin tires. Nice driver, runs strong. Contact
Larry at carnutz@myway.com or (541) 855-5502.
(07/05)
‘71 INDY - 4.7L V8, 5 speed ZF transmission, power
steering, air, new red paint with white interior, great
touring car, $27,500. Contact Larry at
carnutz@myway.com or (541) 855-5502. (07/05)
1977 Maserati Bora, Just over 10K miles. Silver
with Red interior. Stainless Top. Has been very well
maintained and everything is in working order. Runs
great! Asking $52K Call 772-260-0999 (Florida)
‘74 BORA- 4.9L, White/red, 32k miles, European
bumpers, original, complete car. $85,000. Call
Marjan @(203)327-1747. (12/03)
‘74 MERAK- 3.0L US model with stainless steel
bumpers. Yellow with black interior. Floors
replaced. Body nice. Runs and drives. Needs a
little TLC to make a nice ‘driver’. $12,500. Contact
Larry at carnutz@myway.com or (541) 8555502.(07/05)
‘79 MERAK SS - “bleu sera” metallic, 65k miles, in
excellent condition. $16,000. Call Mark Herzfeld
@(303)825-1481. (08/02)’79 MERAK SS - Red/
black, 43k miles, $19,500. Call 860-350-1140 or
email: forzamot@aol.com. (07/05)
‘80 MERAK SS - Black w/brown int., 14k miles,
excel. cond.- $25,000.00. Car has never seen
inclement weather and is located in Michigan.
Contact Remo @313-369-1666 ext 203 or:
remo@dciequip.com. (12/03)’
’84 QUATTROPORTE good condition. $6,000
Pictures
available
at
www.cannillomotorsports.com. Office: 631-2424414 mobile: 917-620-8158. (07/05)
’84 QUATTROPORTE anthracite gray with tan
leather. Very good condition all around, especially
for its age. I’ve driven it 35,000 reliable miles in
seven years; 88,000 total. Full manuals, nearlynew tires, cold AC, fresh ball joints, bushings,
transmission overhaul. Extras: fog lights, remote
door and trunk locks, cruise control. Drive anywhere!
Asking $8,500. Call or email for photos and details.
George Bullwinkel, Hinsdale, IL, 630-325-4177
evenings, or vabene@aol.com. (01/06)
’84/’89 BITURBO RACE CAR - 2.8L 300+ HP, one of
a kind and very exciting to drive.Inner tube welded
racing frame with all joints weld reinforced. There
is an automatic fire extinguished system and
fiberglass hood with two forward pins. Electronic
suspension. Call Robert Hanna in Toronto for
pricing, Serious inquiries only. (416) 833.7282. (09/
05)
· New tires · HRE custom wheels · Beautiful wood
steering wheel · New extra wood for interior · Recent
full service · Always garaged · All manuals · Must
see to appreciate · $25,000 or best offer. Dennis
from the Maserati Club · 760-439-7380.
’87 BITURBO SPYDER - Red w/tan interior.
Outstanding condition, just over 35,000 miles.
Major service performed at approximately 30,000
miles. Newer top with clear back glass, new tires,
and upgraded alternator. Body is perfectly straight,
paint is in great condition with a few paint chips
here and there. Interior leather in very good - excellent
condition. Fully functional automobile used as a
daily driver. You won’t be disappointed with this
one. $8,800. Call Ed at (727) 381-4149 or email:
equillia@tampabay.rr.com
’89 228- excellent condition, automatic, 66,000 km.
Mostly stock. $19K (USD). Call Robert Hanna in
Toronto @(416) 833.7282. (09/05)
‘87 BITURBO SPYDER- 5 Speed fully customized .
Beautiful Red Paint (Paint was taken down to bare
metal. Fully detailed engine , twin coils , chip , hi
performance exhaust with chrome angled side
pipes , Chrome stabilizer bar , Engine completly
taken apart and balanced and blue printed 300
HP. Custom ordered 16 inch Chrome wheels with
matching red centers, Custom brand new top with
Masserati embroidered Logo , folding Glass rear
Window . Chrome Roll bars and custom sound
system , custom body side molding , interior great
. MUST SEE Less than 1,000 miles on rebuild .
Give away at $12,000 email 951-738- 1433 . Call
951-738-1433 Bill Sanders
’89 BITURBO SPYDER- Red with tan interior. 33,000
miles. Automatic. Top end of motor just gone thru,
new service also. Nice car $8000. 860-350-1140
or email: forzamot@aol.com. (10/04)
‘89 SPYDER - red/tan, 55k miles, new: paint, brakes,
belts. Runs & looks excellent. $8,500.00. Call Peter
@(917)650-6408. (08/02)
‘89 SPYDER - black metallic/beige, 37k miles, 5spd, euro bumpers, euro wood steering wheel,
factory wood interior upgrades, custom low
restriction cat (U.S. legal), custom programmed
computer chips, shock tower brace, slotted brake
rotors, high pressure brake lines, s/steel exhaust,
Bilstein shocks, $1,000 custom stereo (CD-AM/
FM), custom built oil cooler system, integrated PIAA
fog/driving lights, perfectly maintained, everything
works, garaged, all synthetic fluids. $17,000 . (732)
249-2177 or email@themaseraticlub.com. (11/04)
1989 Maserati 228 - One of 70 cars produced,
winner at Concourso Italiano · Rifle grey metallic
with crème color interior · Real wood and Alcantaca
throughout · 5speed · 50,000 original miles ·
Excellent Condition · No expense spared on
maintenance · All records included · Second owner
for last 10 years · Upgraded AC · Upgraded stereo
’89 228- excellent condition, manual gearbox,
86,000 km. Significant upgrades, around 300 HP
w/lowered suspension and rear sway bar. Call
Robert Hanna in Toronto @(416) 833.7282. (09/
05)
2002 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa. 19,500miles.
Black Metallic w/Cinnamon leather interior and
Black top. F1 style transmission. New tires, Loaded
w/ all power options, Sat Nav ready, CD changer,
Keyless entry, Traction Control and Premium Alloy
Wheels. Non smoker, garage kept, never seen
snow. $50,000. VIN #ZAMBB18A120007950.
Contact
Steve
Madura
@
stevemadura@bellsouth.net or call 205-936-0157.
(Birmingham, Al).
RICAMBI
GHIBLI PISTONS: Weisco custom pistons for 4.7
Ghibli. Made at .030 over. a set of 8 pistons @$1,000
per set. Contact Len via saulb9@aol.com (email),
(815) 398-1415/weekdays, or (815) 282-4466/
evenings + weekends. (08/02)
MASERATI PARTS: 4.7 Ghibli engine, 4.2L Mexico
engine, 6 cylinder & V8 engine parts, 3500GT 5
speed ZF transmission, Ghibli ZF S5-325
transmission, Ghibli/Khamsin starburst mag
wheel, NOS-lenses for 3500s, Mexico’s & Ghiblis,
Veglia instruments, factory original 3500GT intake
manifold with triple Weber 42DCOE8s and original
linkage, V8 intake manifold with quad Weber
42DCNF carburetors and linkage, two new Pirelli
185SR16 Cinturato tires, 3500 and Sebring II radio
block off plates, 3500/Sebring restored horn button
assembly, Mistral /Qporte I wood steering wheelrestored, Ghibli/Khamsin/Bora steering wheelrestored, 3500 and Sebring hubcaps & more. Call
Larry at (541) 855-5502 or carnutz@myway.com .
(07/05)
MASERATI PARTS:
A6G CS/2000 parts: diff/rear axle assembly with 2
ring and pinions(1 is limited slip unit).
Driveshaft, perhaps A6G 2000? Or 3500? Has rubber doughnut.
2 42mm hubs, appear to be NOS fronts, unsure
exact date but A6G at the newest, likely older.
1 200S or 300S front Borrani.
20" x 4" Rudge-Whitworth Borrani wire wheels,
alloy rim, new spokes & NOS or as new 42mm
(Continued on Page 23)
AD POLICY
POLICY:: We advertise Maserati cars, parts, literature, and services. The exception is under “ALTRI” where we will advertise current paid members’ other
Italian (only) cars or parts. The “Ad Man” (Skip Wichart) checks the currency of each ad prior to publication by contacting the listed phone numbers (or via eTE : It is, however, your responsibility to contact Skip when cars are sold or information changes. In addition if you do not reply
mail) to verify renewal. NO
NOTE
promptly to Skip’s inquiry prior to publication your ad WILL be stricken! Call, fax, or e-mail your ad to Skip at: (303)492-4392 (tel), (303)492-2199 (fax), or via
email to: classifieds@themaseraticlub.com.
iL NETTUNO | TMC 21
Maserati Market Classifieds (continued)...
hubs as on various prewar cars,
& perhaps Maserati.
3500: nice grill, rear bumper, window surrounds, inside handles,
Market
armrests, ashtray,
set of 4 disc wheels & hubs,
windshield wipers, lug wrench, radio delete plate,
left fender vent, Touring emblems, parking lite housings/bezels,
airhorn compressor rebuilt, etc.
3500(from Vignale spyder) drum brake/wire wheel
rear end , less brake drums, diff rebuilt.
Vignale spyder tranmission tunnel with ashtray.
1 Carello headlight and 2 rims.
3500 etc.Cibie headlite assembly.
BROCHURES & MANUALS:
Original 3500GT owner’s manual(includes
Vignale spyder and Sebring)
“ Khamsin brochure, MIE parts manual.
“ and original or repro Bora manuals, all. .
“ Bora/Merak brochure, Merak Road & Track
articles(Maserati’s reprints).
“ Kyalami owner’s manual.
A6GCS2000 owner’s, nicely bound copy from Maserati.
Tipo 61 (3 liter Birdcage) old copy in original Maserati grey cover.
Nicely bound copy 300S, same for Tipo 63; old
bound copy A6G1500, & A6G2000.
Old hand-typed Mistral owner’s, English.
Ghibli old bound copy owner’s/maintenance/use.
Ghibli schematics book-very helpful, breaks each
circuit into separate schematic.
Copies: Lucas Fuel Injection.manual (3500 on up)
Indy shop, Merak owner’s, Quattro III owner’s.
BOOKS: Lots of Italian & English models, manuals, books, posters, records, old magazines, Maser club magazines,etc.
CARS OF COURSE! Please inquire with wants/
needs.
WANTED: Borrani wire wheels, old steering
wheels, hardtops, soft top bows, Weber carbs,
tools,
manuals, engines, gearboxes, for Maseratis,
Ferraris,etc. Any A6G parts, manuals.
Any older Maserati, Bora on back to prewar, any
condition.
Call Jerry Bensinger 330-7595224, days, EST. 3307595225, fax
MASERATI QPORTE III PARTS: restoration, and
service. I am a collector that loves the Quattroporte
III. Working with restoration firms, garages, and
private individuals I provide any QP3 parts required.
I deal only in QP3 parts and currently have a good
selection and range of items. I pull, inspect, clean
and ship all parts myself. Prices are very
reasonable. I am buying whole cars or single
pieces regularly. Friendly and courteous at all times,
int’l shipping available. Also, WANTED: Ghibli—
any condition. Call JD Smith @413 219 0877/cell,
413 529 2604/fax-hm. (05/03)
MASERATI BITURBO & QPORTE PARTS: Steve
Claassen of Tropical Sports Car Center in Ft.
Lauderdale donated a substantial portion of his
Biturbo and QPIII parts inventory to TMC. The parts
are available to ALL TMC members and will be
distributed through TMC:SEC on a first-come-firstserved basis with profits benefitting TMC:SEC.
Prices are WELL below those of other sources.
Currently efforts are underway to identify all parts
22 iL NETTUNO | TMC
by part number. A basic parts list is available upon
request. Once the parts are gone that’s it, so check
the list and place your orders. Call Mike
@(561)333-5308/eves
or
e-mail:
madvich@gate.net.
MASERATI PARTS: Set of five Coker P205/75R15
Classic 3/8" Redline tires (p/n 17661). Recently
removed from Mistral after very light use (spare
never touched). Overall very good condition with
some faint checking on sidewalls. These are a
good substitute for the original 205 / 15’s. Check
www.coker.com for detailed dimensions and
specs. $275 / obo. + shipping. Ian Wayne 310 2443377
(w),
310
273-5060
(h),
ianwayne@sbcglobal.net. (03/05)
ALTRI
BROCHURES & MANUALS: Original brochures for:
Khamsin, Bora/Merak, +Merak Road & Track
articles (Maserati’s reprints).Original owner’s
manuals for: 3500GT/Vignale Spyder/Sebring,
Merak, Kyalami. A6GCS / A6G-2000 owner’s - nicely
bound copy from Maserati. Tipo 61 (3-liter Birdcage)
old copy in original Maserati grey cover. Nicely
bound copy for 300S, same for Tipo 63; old bound
copy A6G1500, also A6G2000. 3500GT/Vignale
Spyder/Sebring poor, but original, parts manual.
Old hand-typed Mistral owner’s in English. Ghibli
owner’s/maintenance/use. Ghibli schematic bookvery helpful, breaks each circuit into separate
schematic. Copies: Lucas Fuel Injection.manual,
Merak owner’s, QPIII owner’s, Mexico parts(MIE
reprint). MODELS: 1950’s on, 250F, 200Si,
Birdcage, Mistral, Ghibli, etc. BOOKS: Lots of Italian
& English models, manuals, books, posters,
records, old magazines, Maser club
magazines,etc. Contact: Jerry Bensinger
@(330)759-5224/days, (330)759-5225 / fax. (08/
03)
MASERATI BOOKS/ARTICLES:
1) “La Maserati di Adolfo Orsi”: The history of the
marque post-Maserati brothers, i.e., the history of
Maserati under Adolfo Orsi, the man who bought
the company in 1937 and moved it from Bologna
to Modena. 180 pages (in Italian), $34.95.
2) “1926-2003 Maserati Cars: Sport, GT & Grand
Prix”, by M. Tabucchi. Covering all production and
racing cars. In hardcover, 400 pages, $77.95.
Portfolio books:
These books are compilations of road test reports,
product introductions, classic retrospective articles,
and other types of published writings about the
subject vehicles compiled from English language
publications from around the world. We carry
Portfolio books from both Brooklands and
Unique:Brooklands:
3) 1982-98 covering: Biturbo, Ghibli, Karif,
Quattroporte, Shamal, 430, 222E, Royale, Open
Cup, 425, 2.24v, and more. 136-pages,$24.95.
4) 1971-82 covering: Ghibli, Indy, Khamsin, Merak,
Bora, Kyalami, Quattroporte, and more. 136-pages,
$24.95.
5) 1957-70 covering: 3500, Ghibli, Sebring, Mexico,
Indy, Quattroporte, and more. 136 pages, $24.95
6) 1957-98: complied in a hardcover, leatherette
book. The monster Portfolio book of 320 pages;
largest book of this kind published. $74.95.
Unique Books
7) 1955-98 “250F”—a 74-page portfolio of articles
from Unique about the Maserati 250F including
coverage from the French Grand Prix, Italian Grand
Prix, & Monaco Grand Prix. $16.95.
8) “Sports Racers” 124-page portfolio from Unique
of articles about Maseratis including 8CL, 8CTF &
8CTF/3000, 300S, Costin-Zagato, 450S, 200 SI,
5000GT, A6GCS 2000, Cooper-Maserati Type 81
& 4 CLT: $19.95
9) “Maserati of the 60’s”: Compilation of articles
from Unique in book form. 75-pages, $16.95.
10) “Maserati since 1970”: a compilation of articles
from Unique in book form. 120 pages, $26.95.
11) “1998-2001: 3200GT, 4200GT”: 70 page
Portfolio of articles in book form from Unique. 70
pages, $16.95.
12) “46-79 Postwar Production Cars by Maserati,”
230 page, hardbound history book by Crump &
Box. $59.95.
13) “Maserati, a History” —by Anthony Pritchard,
400 pgs (9" x 6"). $59.95.
14) “DeTomaso Automobiles” —(10"x7-7/8")
Complete 225 page history through 1981 by
Wallace Wyss. $39.95.
15) “History of Maserati Motorcycles and other
Modenese Motorcycles”: A very interesting portrait
of motorcycle production in the Modena area, with
a special emphasis on Maserati motorcycles,
including a generous collection of adverts, leaflets,
and vintage pictures. 160 pages (in Italian), $34.95.
16) “5000GT—a History of the Maserati 5000GT”
by Maurice Khawam. $99.95.
17) Biturbo Sales Brochure —4 page (8"x10 ½”)
color brochure featuring Anthracite Biturbo Coupe.
NOS, $12.95.
18) Biturbo Sales Brochure —6 page (8"x10 ½”)
color brochure featuring Red & Silver Biturbo
Coupe’s with Quattroporte on back cover. NOS,
$14.95.
19) Biturbo Convertible Sales Flyer—(8.5" x 11")
Color photo w/text “Absolute Power Corrupts
Absolutely.” Specs on back, NOS, $8.95.
20) Large Postcard of Red Biturbo Coupé—
original factory promotional item: (9"x 5 1/2") NOS,
$4.95.21) “Maserati Shamal” —by Bruno Alfieri,
compact illustrated history of Maserati supercar.
English edition. 72 pg color. $24.95
22) “Racing Maseratis,” 192 hardbound pages in
English by Giancarlo Reggiani about Racing
Maserati Cars from the early 30’s through the 60’s.
$79.95.
23) “Zagato” a two-volume history in slipcase
covering 1919-2000 (English & Italian). $89.95.
24) “70th Anniversary Pininfarina” 308 hardbound
page book. Official Factory Publication by A. Pruet:
Art & Industry 1930-2000. $89.95.
25) “Pininfarina Catalogue Raisonné,” (10"x11-1/
4") 2-volume new out-of-print hardcover in
slipcase; complete history of the Carrozzeria
including all the designs over the years 1930-1990.
693 high quality pages from Italy. $295.00.
Service Manuals, Parts Manuals, and Owners
Manuals are also available. For any of the above
publications contact Alex Voss @(206) 721-3077
or write to: 4850 37th Ave. South., Seattle, WA 98118,
USA. Online go to: www.books4cars.com. (12/03)
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