Update – Not too long after listing his Maserati, Ethan decided to hold on to it until the spring. Well, it’s springtime and he’s relisted it here on eBay. He has also lowered his reserve as he puts it, “a realistic reserve”. So be sure to take a closer look at this Quattroporte!
Reader Ethan M has decided to part ways with his Maserati barn find. It might be a four-door, but this Quattroporte looks fantastic with its Frua body. The engine is going to need a rebuild, but the major components are present and it has the ZF 5-speed transmission. Ethan is open to offers from buyers that plan on restoring it rather than parting it out to build a 450S replica. If that person is you, be sure to take a closer look at his ad via the link below.
What Makes It Special? This Maserati has not been touched since 1976 or 1977. It’s one of only 760 QPI cars made, and hundreds of these cars have been pillaged and scrapped over the years. While having 4 doors makes it worth about a third of a similar Maserati 2-door of the era, I think the Frua design will become more and more attractive as time goes on.
The price is OBO, but I’m trying to dodge the Maserati 450S replica builders that are still to this day scrapping these cars for engines, ZF transmissions, rear diffs, and VIN plates/titles. Some are building $300k+ cars, so $20k or $30k is still in the “parts car” price range.
Body Condition: It has a low-quality repaint. The body appears to be solid, with just a little surface rust underneath. QPI’s often developed gaping rust holes in the sills due to water collecting there. While this car was likely stored in a non-climate-controlled barn or shed in Louisiana for 40+ years, it seems to have dodged the bullet that took out many of these cars in the ’90s and early 2000s.
Mechanical Condition: The cylinder heads were removed in 1976 or 1977, and the pistons and liners have rust. The intake and carbs are missing. I have been told that the engines are relatively straightforward to rebuild. The ZF 5-speed gearbox feels great at the shift lever. The brakes were disabled when one frozen caliper was removed. The car needs restoration.
Seller’s Listing: Here on eBay
Special thanks to Ethan for listing this Maserati with us! Hopefully, it goes to a good home where it can be restored and enjoyed. So, would you rebuild the engine and enjoy this beautiful Italian?
- Asking Price: $40,000
- Location: Pottstown, Pennsylvania
- Title Status: Clean
- VIN: AM107.1332
Do you have a barn find that needs a new owner? Please consider listing it here on Barn Finds!
These are really great cars and I love the interiors and front end styling. The rear of the car looks a little less resolved.
I own two vintage Maserati’s, a Ghibli and an Indy and love them, and they share the same basic driveline as this car. The problem with them is that the parts prices are eye watering. How eye watering you may ask.
A piston set is 1800
Main bearing set 700
Gasket set is 500
Water pump 1000 and it just goes on.
This is one of the reasons that these cars are worth so little as the restoration cost is expensive, and it cost the same to restore this as it does a Ghibli.
Unfortunately I think the ask is pretty high for the car.
The parts are expensive, but I believe some can be sourced cheaper by dealing directly with the manufacturer (such as JE pistons). From what I hear these engines are relatively straightforward to rebuild, with most issues occurring from the head gasket up (gaskets, valve seals). The bottom end is relatively unstressed at QPI power levels.
The 330GT in the background is the poster child for cars being pilfered and scrapped because at one point their market value didn’t make restoration viable. But just like the 330GT 2+2, eventually the world runs out of complete cars and the value of what’s left skyrockets.
As one who has rebuilt a Bentley engine, I’d say Maserati parts are a bargain!
Sorry to say, but I always get amused when people drop prices like “My car part to this and that cost arm and both legs”. And it is fine that they do – if you do not do your homework.
Let me use pistons as an example. If you do your homework you pay ~130$/piston. This price is for a 100% bespoke forged piston made to supplied specs.
I anticipate someone preparing to throw “low price = bad quality” claims towards me.
Well I am using the pistons, in this example, in my M20B25 endurance race engine. Three full seasons / 6 races per season each 6h race + 1-2h practise. Engine remains unopened. Previous forged chinese pistons dropped skirts mid 2nd season…
Question. Does it give extra bragging rights to drop large sums on inexpensive trivial parts? Else I do not get it
Sellers and comments regarding parts prices are the killer for the 4 door Maserati.This looks like the early Type 107 with the smaller 4136 cc V8 and the de Dion rear end. Yes the rear end body just looks like a box, but the interior is outstanding. The price is high as in addition to all the bits and pieces, a lot of which are british, the restorer has to replace the rare engine specific intake manifold and 4 dual throat Weber carbs. My research shows a total of 679 Tipo 107/107A built, with the 107 being much rarer.. The later 107A had a rigid rear end that replaced the de Dion and was better received due to improved handling. $20-30K sounds about right for the first Maserati try at a 4 door. Good luck finding all the engine parts. I’d think about restoring the body, electrics and interior, but this would be a great candidate for a SBC. Sort of the Italian version of the time contemporary Jaguar sedan, but the XJ6 was much more popular and cheaper. New, this was a 140 mph car.
I’ve never seen one of these in a barn. Guess I need to visit wealthier farms…
very nice
The photos are interesting especially the Sebring behind this car. I have worked on a few and almost all the suspension and brake replacement parts are from various Jaguars, the transmission is ZF and along with the clutch finding parts is not that unusual. The front and rear glass as well as the plastic front and rear light lenses are breathing taking in cost if you can find them.
I have driven early XJ-6, XJ-12 and one of these. The Xj-12 is smoother and quieter but neither is as aggressive looking at the Maserati. The fuel consumption is equal to the XJ-12. As for expensive engine parts. There are those that are recasting many of the parts and as for expensive bearing shells, go directly to Timken bearing supply the makers of these parts and the cost is very similar to almost every other car.
The bodies on these with the exception of the sills which are really just flat metal are very well made. They use that really thick Italian style primer to hide minor flaws but they hold up very well. Some of the Trim is brass plated with chrome but some is polished Stainless Steel. That is almost unobtainable and hellish to make.
These are really the Italian Rolls Royce. More sporting in flavor but most certainly a cut above the Jaguars of the time especially when you consider the materials in the interior and comfort. Even today if and when you see on on the road they look different and very very expensive.
They were meant for only the richest of the rich and they look it.
Yes these have been pillaged for parts for 450S knockoffs, but I wonder whether with CAD/CAM technology an intake manifold could be made if someone could be persuaded to lend one temporarily as a sample. And unless the Webers are also unique there must be someone with some to sell. Rob Box, maybe?
The cost of these fixes vs. the ultimate market value might make this a labor of love with no prospect of financial payoff in the restorer’s lifetime, but there has to be more to it than that for at least a few Maserati lovers out there.
These were rare to begin with, and they got rarer over time for reasons spelled out above. But this car’s rarity plus vintage Italian cachet can be its own reward for some Italian car lovers.
That, and the big 4+ liter DOHC V8 under the hood.
Some years ago I followed one of these Q-portes along the ocean drive that winds around the Victoria, BC, Canada peninsula, with an older couple out for a Sunday drive by the sea. That seemed priceless to me, boxy rear end and all. It was just so rare and unique that you could wait a lifetime before you see that again.
I hope someone steps up for this car and puts some money into making it whole again. The money needed might be a lot less than the amounts being thrown at lesser cars at the big, glitzy auctions these days, especially the dime-a-dozen P-cars, which are no longer a dime a dozen any more. Just have a look at any issue of SCM magazine if you need convincing.
And if you want to save a few bucks after getting the missing components reproed and sorted you could do a lot worse than saddle soaping the leather and then driving it as is, because that interior is priceless.
That’s a lovely drive around there, east of downtown Victoria. Beautiful homes and autos abound.
How does a car like this end up in Pottstown? Did it do something like club seals for a living in a previous life?
CS Pottstown PA is about 40 miles from Philly. In the 50’s and 60’s sports cars were popular so the Maserati would have fit right in. Roger Penske was from the Philly area.
Some great comments here and it seems that Barn Finds has really put a lot of eyeballs on the eBay listing (almost 3k clicks).
This is one of ~500 second series QPI’s with the solid rear axle. The earlier cars have a DeDion rear end that Maserati found to be too loud. The second series cars can usually be distinguished by the 4 round headlights, and definitively by a VIN above AM107.1000.
I have another QPI as well as some spares that I don’t intend to sell. I would be happy to lend the buyer an intake if they had a way to replicate it. As far as the carbs are concerned, I have a feeling finding replacement Webers wouldn’t be too difficult.
The ZF S5-20 gearbox in these cars is some serious unobtainium and I hear the going rate is about $10k when you can find one.
The asking price is probably a little optimistic, but at the moment it’s likely the only QPI for sale outside of Europe. Beverly Hills Car Club sold a QPI with a little more rust and an automatic transmission for $30k a couple years ago. I believe it sold in just a day or two. I am open to offers on the car, but without a solid offer I’ll probably just give it some more “barn time”!
I love the looks of this Maserati … totally screams “Bond Villain.” Can’t you just picture the sinister front end in the rear view mirror of a DB6?