While almost all of us know what a Biturbo is, the four-door Maserati variant appears far less frequently, known by its much more subdued name of the 425. This is an example of that turbocharged four door that’s been parked for the last three years with 34,000 miles on the clock, and is listed as a ran when parked sort of project. Production was quite limited, with the seller noting that only 2,032 were built, a number that certainly makes sense given how rarely you see them pop up for sale. The two-door, yes – but never the sedan body. Find the 425 here on craigslist with an asking price of $2,500.
Now, it goes without saying that these are needy cars. But on paper, it certainly seemed like they should be desirable specimens. Italian styling, luxurious interiors, and a twin-turbocharged 2.5L V6 engine. Output was just under 200 b.h.p., a very respectable number for a muscle car at that time, and certainly for a European sedan. The 425 seen here has decent bodywork with no obvious rot, and the color – dark green or a cross between blue and green – looks to retain much of its luster beneath the dust that gathered after three years of being parked.
The interior is typical for a Biturbo of this era, with loads of leather, cloth, and wood trim. The seats are an acquired taste, but Maserati seemed to think drivers of enthusiast cars wanted a leather recliner for a driver’s seat. The wood trim, like so many older Biturbos that have been left to sit, is quite faded and will need restoration if you’re looking for a perfect interior. The 425 is equipped with an automatic transmission, but I believe a manual was offered in the sedans (it certainly was in the coupe variants), which would make for a compelling alternative to a 3- or 5-Series of the same era – but the durable inline-six of the BMW would likely prove less trouble-prone.
The seller has confirmed this is car number 514 of the limited batch built, not that it matters much for a vehicle like this that isn’t exactly a collector’s item. Still, among Maserati enthusiasts, finding a used 425 that hasn’t rusted out or otherwise been left neglected for 15 years could make this one worthy of scooping up and turning into a comfortable and fast long-haul cruiser. Of course, before doing that, you’re going to need to get it running, for which there are numerous pages of online advice about living with temperamental Biturbos. Would you take this rare Italian project on?
It’s located in North Platte,Nebraska.
I just saved $2500 (+++) by not buying this.
Yep, you save $2500 plug Luigi the mechanic’s entire college fund for his 6 kids.
This would be an inexpensive project for the right person. If they just wanted a Maserati and took their time fixing it up, it’s ideal! At least the entry price is cheap, just don’t expect a six-figure car when done..
There is no such thing as an inexpensive Maserati if you intend to drive it! You are getting off finding a good running example rather than bring one back from the dead. If would of course be different if it was a Ferrari because the investment would be a sound one. 86 is still a blow through carb set-up with oil cooled turbos. Go with a 87 and newer with injection and water cooled turbos. The Spyder I worked on was really fun to drive once I rebuilt the engine, differential, and brakes. It was fun to do and would do it again.
“Ran When Parked” Famous last words.
“Ran When Parked”. In other words, it doesn’t run now. I’m sure all it needs for it to run would be for the engine and gearbox to be flushed and drained of its old oil and fluids, make sure everything is as clean as possible, and then refueled, oiled, and then fired up again. Given its condition and rarity here in the USA, I would imagine it’d be worth somewhere between $1,000 and $3,000. That’d leave you with more than enough money on hand to have the car inspected and tested, to make sure it’s safe to drive.
Is that Italian sarcasm?
Best car to lose in a divorce.
Why bother to repair a Maserati engine? All you are likely to get is a car which requires incessant technical attention. Considering the gorgeous interior I would consider an engine swap, how about a Buick V6? Is that possible? ANY engine instead of the original would be an improvement.
I would suggest an Alfa “Busso” V6, but AFAIK all of the RWD applications of those were derivatives of the Alfetta platform with a rear transaxle, so fitting it with a bellhousing for a more conventional RWD layout like this could be a challenge.
For what it’s worth, the original Busso application, the Alfa Six sedan, featured a conventional drivetrain, and coincidentally used a close relative of the ZF transmission used in manual trans versions of this car.
But I’ll ask the same question that always springs to mind at the suggestion of investing a bunch of time, money, and effort into an engine swap: Why? The Alfa V6 is certainly an all-time great engine (and a personal favorite of mine), but what’s the point? Milano/75 not luxurious enough for you? (Because unless you’ve just got to have that Maserati interior, let’s face it; the Milano is a better car and easier to live with.) And, perhaps more to the point, isn’t the engine the whole appeal of these? Unless it’s the only way to save one that’s missing its engine or something, an Alfa swap would just be weird, and a Buick swap just sad. (And if the engine is missing, is it really rare enough to ‘save,’ or would it be better off as a parts car to keep someone else’s on the road?)
If you’re the sort of person who lives in fear of the technical attention this car may require, please just walk away rather then embark on some ill-considered engine swap that will ruin the car for the next owner. If you want to make the car more reliable, address all the deferred maintenance and then invest in a new fusebox, wiring harness, etc. But please don’t throw out the engine out of ignorance/fear.
Interesting car when new but really a crummy car overall. Endless problems and expensive parts. Absolutely NOT.
Located in Ogallala, NE
As the old saying goes, you can’t give these away.
Back in 87 I had a nearly new Alfa spyder. The woman I was dating really liked that car. I became tempted to trade it on a Maserati Bi-turbo convertible at the Maserati/Alfa dealer. Girlfriend asked why I would do that. Simple, I explained. With the Alfa I figured I was picking up 7’s… I speculated with the Bi-turbo, I could pickup 9’s. Her reply “Oh, you’re saying I’m only a 7?” I had to remind her we started dating when I was driving my Saab winter-beater. Luckily I didn’t wind up with either that BiTurbo or that girlfriend, although both were lookers.
But Rich, which one got driven the most?