These days, many of us are turning to Facebook Marketplace to sell or search for vehicles. If you’ve done the former, you’ll know it’s maddening platform due to the ease with which people can press a button that asks “Is this available?”, which is the modern-day version of responding to a craigslist ad with the same response. I feel for this seller, who claims he is a cancer patient and overwhelmed with responses to his ad asking if his long-stored and partially disassembled 1985 Maserati Biturbo is still available. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace with a dirt cheap asking price of $1,500.
For an additional fee, the seller has a spare engine and transmission available, so it seems like he was pretty deep into Biturbo ownership. That’s a statement you don’t hear much these days, as the reputation for these turbocharged Italians was never good, and the model didn’t exactly endear itself to enthusiasts who typically have a longer fuse as it relates to dealing with troublesome-but-rewarding cars. I suspect that was always the Biturbo’s fatal flaw was that it never emerged as a truly spectacular driver’s car. While you may deal with the occasional reliability hiccup from a BMW M6 of the same era, tolerating the same sort of nonsense on a Biturbo was a bridge too far given the chassis shortcomings.
Fortunately for anyone who is still carrying the proverbial torch of the Biturbo brand, this one looks surprisingly nice despite being locked up in storage. Of course, long-term storage inside a dimly lit storage trailer has done wonders for the often fragile interior, with the acres of leather, wood trim, and thick-pile carpeting all presenting rather well (and is that a protective covering on the factory floormats?) This Biturbo is equipped with the preferred five-speed manual, but as you can see here, the transmission isn’t installed at present. The same goes for the engine, which was removed for head work and is now ready to be re-installed with re-done heads and a new gasket kit included.
The seller describes the Biturbo as a southern car, which is usually mentioned to indicate the car in question is rust-free. This would need to be confirmed with an in-person visit, as it’s doubtful the seller will have the time or ability to get under the Biturbo in order to document the chassis condition. The paint is most likely single-stage, so hopefully, it will come back to life with a professional detailing. Biturbos have been maligned for some item, and in some ways unfairly so, especially when in the care of an attentive owner who keeps up with the maintenance. I suspect the seller had big plans for this Biturbo, so hopefully the next caretaker can pick up where he or she left off.
The only Bi Turbo I would consider bringing back from the dead would be the injected one or a spyder. The 85 had too many shortcomings with the blow trough carb and the non water cooled turbos. I rebuilt a Bi turbo engine when I worked at the Alfa dealer. Real stout bottom ends. 3 valve set up is rather odd and the valve adjustment is also odd with shim on stem riding on the edge of the cam bucket for the intake valves. The injected one I rebuilt drove really nice and I personally would be okay with its service needs. Like any Italian cars from that era the more you drive them the more reliable they are.
It’s not protective floor covering that you see, those are the gaskets in their bags.
Could be a good deal for someone who knows these beasts. I’d throw an LS1 in it and call it a day.
That’s not gaskets on the drivers side floor, it looks like an uninstalled or possibly spare head.
Oh boy, be careful with this one. Not a collector item, with doubtful appreciation.
Oh boy, be real careful with this one. Not a collector item, and no appreciation to be expected.
I’m with David, a reliable light and decently powerful V8 would be great in one of these. Fun too I bet. My uncle took us on a tour through the Maserati factory way back when, these and the Quatroportes being built then were like space ships to a young kid who loved cars.
GLWTS!
Wheeler Dealers bought one that was turned into an electric vehicle. Maybe that’s the way to go.
https://youtu.be/D0JbbRFuMhw?t=181
Put it back in the container and push it in the ocean!
I wouldn’t have paid the U-Store-it bill either.
I’ve had this one saved for a week. Came up sold this morning.
5 years after production stopped, the lack of reliability, performance and high maintenance costs, resulted in resale prices hitting the sub basement. I recall reading the auto trader in SanDiego Ca., where a seller had two of them on sale for a total of $1,100.00 for both. He was a dealer who had taken them on trade, nobody would buy those cars. Even the folks in Tijuana who would by old junkers in Southern California avoided them like the plague.
I had one, very problematic car. No resale value. Sad but true, not worth the storage fee.
Hard to believe that this isn’t worth that much just for the parts.
But, if no one is touching them at this price, then the need for parts is nil.
I actually saw one (a few weeks ago) in an LKQ pick-a-part yard!…. It made me kinda sad… Come to think of it… The one I saw was a Spyder!
Listed in Suffield, CT