Parts is parts, right? Well, if putting a puzzle together is your thing, here’s an opportunity in the form of a fairly rare 1968 Maserati Ghibli. We’re told that this one’s 90% complete so let’s check it out and see what’s really here. With a listing discovered by T.J., this AM115, as it is officially known, resides somewhere in Mexico and is available, here on eBay for an opening bid of $14,000. There is a reserve.
Offered between 1967 and 1973, the Ghibli was built primarily as a two-door fastback coupe though there was a two-seat roadster version too but they’re scarce. All told, less than 1,300 Ghiblis were brought to life in its seven model years of life. The name returned to the Maserati line-up between ’92 and ’98, and then once again from 2013 forward. Today’s Ghibli exists solely as a four-door sedan.
OK, so how this Ghibli got this way, I don’t know. The listing is light but obviously, the finish has been stripped. the front bumper and grille have been removed and it looks as if Bondo is its friend. As to how truly straight the body is, is hard to say, at least based on the included images. There’s nothing significantly out of wack, but this one definitely calls for a close-up inspection. There is a large pile of parts included in the sale but having an idea of what they are, and where they go, would greatly help with the cause. Instruction sheet anyone?
The interior is gutted and scale abounds – as to how serious it is, can’t be fully determined from the images. There are instrument panel gauges included, and the original wooden steering wheel – labeled as being in poor condition, but not much else, you know important things like seats, etc. The interior will have to be built from the ground up. Oh, yeah, and there’s no air conditioning system but that’s probably the least of needs at this point.
Speaking of a ground-up redo, that will apply to the 306 HP, 4.7 liter V8 engine too – it’s completely in pieces and missing its carburetors. There is supposedly a five-speed manual ZF transmission as part of the sale but it’s not photographed.
The seller suggests, “One of the most iconic cars of this Italian brand…This is a great opportunity to purchase this model at a reasonable price and not overpriced“. I get the iconic business but this one’s got a long way to go before any “iconery” creeps back in on this example. I’d suggest GLWTA, right?
Parts car only.
Shouldn’t be too hard to get out of Mexico provided you don’t wind up dead.
If only you could teach it to walk across…
What an UGLY thing to say – I live quite close to the border, walk across frequently for shopping and dining (the BEST food in Arizona is in Mexico). For someone not involved with crime, Mexico presents no more danger than going to the mall or Walmart.
Sure. Safe as milk. And bring cash!
If the seller packs it full of cases of ground coffee, before you attempt the border crossing? Think twice about the deal.
90% complete?
So it’ll only take another $250k to finish.
Gotcha.
They are, indeed, a gorgeous car.
Only two choices;
Parts car as mentioned above or
Build it with good old American engine and parts as needed. I believe this would be the best choice. I believe to restore it would be for someone with real deep pockets. Not worth it. This is unless someone knows more than I do and that is really possible.
Replace the existing engine? (Or do you mean to install an American engine to sit in, in lieu of a new interior?) Pretty much every aspect of this restoration requires deep pockets, so replacing the included engine accomplishes, what, exactly, besides reducing the value of the car?
I don’t claim to be a Ghibli expert, but I know enough to say that assembling and installing an original engine that you already have is going to be easy compared to the rest of this project.
These are worth stupid amounts of money when restored, and labor is cheap in Mexico, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this one stays in Mexico and reappears in a couple years at a USA auction with a six-figure reserve.
A crusty, blown apart, low-production Italian that’s been hiding south of the border. Don’t see how *that* could go wrong.
Dropping a Chevy V8 in doesn´t solve any problems, because how to build a Maserati V8 can be learned and the parts bought. And of course, the value of a car like this is in originality. On the othere hand software like trim and interior parts can be a nightmare to source and to know what you´re buying here, you´d need to know about Ghiblis and go and inspect the car.
The car is in Mexico, Mexico, which probably means Mexico City. Most Barn Finders won´t see this as a going proposition. In the world in general, ther will be someone who can see some value here and is prepared to take it on if the price is realistic. Maybe someone with a rusty Ghibli, or someone who actually has the marque knowledge to restore this car.
However, I don´t see that ebay is the route to connect buyer and seller outside some law of random good fortune.
It has a bid now of $14k, but reserve not met.
It’s worth more! It was Pancho Villa’s car.
Collector cars do cross the border both ways, I’ve sold quite a few to Mexican nationals and know of some very significant cars that have come here.
I would suggest 2 possible ways to buy this car:
1. If you know these cars very well, go there in person during the week [not weekend] and inspect everything [including all legal paperwork like clear title], negotiate a price, arrange payment, and load car into your enclosed trailer, then enjoy the seller’s hospitality before you leave.
2. If you cannot go inspect the car directly, have the vehicle inspected USING EBAY’S INSPECTOR along with your own inspector, but at a different time, and if they agree on condition/value, then negotiate a price. Once negotiated and a shipper arranged, use a special 3rd party payment facilitator to accept your cash payment & hold said cash until the car is safe inside USA [not cleared by US Customs/border ICE, DOT or EPA, but physically inside the USA]. Once the car is inside the USA, the payment facilitator will release the funds to the seller. This is a very common solution to protect both the seller and the buyer.
These cars, if in extremely nice [but not mint] condition, are selling for around $175,000 to $195,000. Note that the average selling price graphs for these cars show a rapid change upward in price from last fall, but that is because the Ghibli prototype sold for almost $1 million.
NOTE; It’s been my experience that when a vehicle is offered as a 95% complete but disassembled vehicle, the missing 5% of parts are often the pieces that are extremely difficult to find, and often very expensive to buy or replicate. So make sure [if possible] to note exactly what parts are missing/damaged prior to negotiating the final price.
Thank you for a very logical path forward. Not for me, but I appreciate the time you put into that post!
That’s a lot of money for what is going to end up being a conversation piece over beers with the neighbors, stuffed in a corner of a garage.
I wouldn’t walk from this one, I’d run!
Five years ago bought a car on eBay which was grossly misrepresented from an individual in California. Car was advertised with “everything rebuilt and museum quality”. When the car was delivered not only did it have no functioning brakes, including the handbrake, but the steering wheel came off while being unloaded from the auto transporter. Seller or his mechanic failed to install the 27mm nut to secure the steering wheel but they did install the center medallion (cover).
Went through eBay’s so-called “Buyer Protection Plan” which is non-existent…eBay told me to contact the California Sheriff’s Dept. They, too, could not be bothered to investigate as it was “under $100K” in value.
Moral of the story: Don’t buy cars advertised on eBay and if you cannot personally inspect the vehicle, pay a local appraiser to do such.
Moral # 2- Nobody sells a car they like and are satisfied with in 90% of the cases.
Fleebay is great for inexpensive gizmos that can easily be refunded/replaced but with cars and their protection plan , you are so right !they run away when an issue arises and they should have removed that a long time ago
If something goes wrong then you are on your own sounds more like it
Its a lesson learned but a hard one
“U-Assemble Project:”
Pretty much what they said at the factory.
LS Swap it.
Went to $18,500 reserve not met, 15 bids.
Ended: May 26, 2023 , 3:53PM
Current bid:US $18,500.00 [ 15 bids ]
Reserve not met