Every now and again, after looking at the local Facebook Marketplace listings for the hundredth time and seeing nothing that appeals, you’ll spot a car that isn’t a new listing but that also has never popped into your feed before. The algorithm is going to do what he does and attempt to cater to your interests, so if you haven’t been searching for Italian GT project cars, you’d never see this partially restored 1972 Maserati Indy 4.9 come up for grabs. It’s listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the seller claims the bodywork phase is done, now needing final re-assembly. The asking price is $22,000.

Silver Spring holds a dear place in my heart. Not because it’s a particularly enjoyably place to visit, or because there’s a great sushi place there, but because it’s where I snagged one of my favorite cars ever out of a backyard. The 2001 BMW Z3 M Coupe in my garage, affectionately known as the clown shoe, came from Silver Spring where no one seemingly had a clue it existed. While I was there on my 2 or 3 visits to inspect the car and pay for it, I noticed a few other projects peeking out from behind garages or parked in the street with a cover thrown over it. Maybe Silver Spring has a gravitational pull for interesting old cars, and we shouldn’t be surprised to see an Italian GT car like a Maserati Indy apparently hanging out in a garage and awaiting completion.

The Indy was produced in a few different flavors related to engine size: 4.2, 4.7. and 4.9L. The largest engine was also produced in the smallest numbers, making this Indy a bit more special than the others. If you stepped up to the larger mill, you were treated to a healthy 320 horsepower and a top speed somewhere in the range of 170 miles per hour. The Indy name was chosen to commemorate Maserati’s victories at the Indy 500 in 1939 and 1940, but the reason it was built was to allow four passengers instead of two to experience the rapid acceleration Maserati was known for. At the time, the company’s Ghibli quite popular, so the Indy was a companion vehicle of sorts for buyers who loved the idea of the Ghibli but wanted a back seat.

When it comes to Maserati, the quality control issues the company is also sadly known for were often born out of frequent ownership changes and the very big problem of running out of money. In the case of the seller of this Indy project, he has certainly run out of interest, but perhaps money and time are in short supply as well. To go through the trouble of restoring the body and then throw in the towel is particularly disappointing, as the bodywork phase is often the most frustrating and costly. Regardless, if all the pieces are there and the body can be re-assembled without too much heartburn, this could be an excellent point to pick up the baton and finish the race, but I’d want a thorough accounting of what’s included before embarking on this venture.