There are projects and then there's this...

[John Jones Jr]

1989 Maserati 222 - picture overload p2 | Retro Rides

I have to admit I always liked the baby Masser even since I saw my first one in Chiswick many, many moons ago. Now, I've always had a 'project' on the go and I'm always considering what car will be the next project, but never in a million years would I consider one of these. Great inspiration & hats off to the owner.

 

[jamesfuller]

I've got a real soft spot for these.

 

[mabz]

That interior is gorgeous, great find and how cheap!!

 

[Scott_F]

As always, a car is cheap for a reason.

This one dates from a time when Maserati's fortunes were at a low ebb and that is reflected in both the design and quality of the product.

The exterior is completely uninspiring (from the rear it looks like a 1980 Talbot Solara) whilst the interior would make an '89 Orion Ghia look like the pinnacle of style and taste.

It will almost certainly prove to be a thankless money pit.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

They were money pits when they were new, but I can see the appeal in one as long as you enjoy the tinkering (read repair) aspects of owning a modern classic.

 

[John Jones Jr]

They were money pits when they were new, but I can see the appeal in one as long as you enjoy the tinkering (read repair) aspects of owning a modern classic.

Yes, indeed.

 

[french]

They were money pits when they were new, but I can see the appeal in one as long as you enjoy the tinkering (read repair) aspects of owning a modern classic.

They certainly were/are lol....this has had 15k thrown at it over the past few years, I have based it on the cup & had Autoshield do a lot of the work for me.


You think mecedes are a nightmare engine bay...well this has 6 extra injectors & a piggy back ecu so the engine bay looks like this ...

 

[cb1965]

As always, a car is cheap for a reason.

This one dates from a time when Maserati's fortunes were at a low ebb and that is reflected in both the design and quality of the product.

The exterior is completely uninspiring (from the rear it looks like a 1980 Talbot Solara) whilst the interior would make an '89 Orion Ghia look like the pinnacle of style and taste.

It will almost certainly prove to be a thankless money pit.

Pretty much sums up my thoughts, but each to his own.....live and let live and all that

 

[John Jones Jr]

You think mecedes are a nightmare engine bay...well this has 6 extra injectors & a piggy back ecu so the engine bay looks like this ...

You got tell us the spec. Iirc the 2.8's were good for an easy 260BHP+, so what are we looking at here?

 

[french]

John the 2.8's 3v were 250bhp Std the 4v 2.8 with coil packs with chains & belt (front were 284 bhp std weighing in @ around 1100kg.

This one was a 3v & was Dyno'd @352bhp race & rally, had all heads ported balanced ,engine out , uprated oil pump, Sump baffles blueprinted.higher lift cams which was better as the 3v 2,8's had more lower torque but did not rev as high ,so this made it rev higher. Injectors were from a Aston martin vantage , the piggy back was megasquirt. Both Turbo's were IHI std ,they were replaced with Turbo Technic's own modfied version with larger roller 360' thrust bearings (race spec),cut back hi flow Turbines, these were std off a Lancia Y10 so were bought & refurbished & i kept the std ones tucked away.


It had the M5 getrag gearbox fitted with RC Clutch pack. The diff was a salibury slip but had it uprated ,took a diff from TVR Chimera. Custom headers & exhaust designed by race & rally manchester who also set it with Autoshield .

On top of that before the respray I had a Top notch LPG system fitted ...
Go LPG Research - Maserati

It was so much fun,with a switchable map for petrol to LPG it waslight fast & very adaptable...

 

[John Jones Jr]

John the 2.8's 3v were 250bhp Std the 4v 2.8 with coil packs with chains & belt (front were 284 bhp std weighing in @ around 1100kg.

This one was a 3v & was Dyno'd @352bhp race & rally, had all heads ported balanced ,engine out , uprated oil pump, Sump baffles blueprinted.higher lift cams which was better as the 3v 2,8's had more lower torque but did not rev as high ,so this made it rev higher. Injectors were from a Aston martin vantage , the piggy back was megasquirt. Both Turbo's were IHI std ,they were replaced with Turbo Technic's own modfied version with larger roller 360' thrust bearings (race spec),cut back hi flow Turbines, these were std off a Lancia Y10 so were bought & refurbished & i kept the std ones tucked away.


It had the M5 getrag gearbox fitted with RC Clutch pack. The diff was a salibury slip but had it uprated from a TVR Chimera. Custom headers & exhaust designed by race & rally manchester who also set it with Autoshield .

On top of that before the respray I had a Top notch LPG system fitted ...
Go LPG Research - Maserati

It was so much fun .light fast & very adaptable...

Hat's off, Sir. The description and parts adaption (impressive) sound epic not to mention the 325/1100.

 

[jamesfuller]

As always, a car is cheap for a reason.

This one dates from a time when Maserati's fortunes were at a low ebb and that is reflected in both the design and quality of the product.

The exterior is completely uninspiring (from the rear it looks like a 1980 Talbot Solara) whilst the interior would make an '89 Orion Ghia look like the pinnacle of style and taste.

It will almost certainly prove to be a thankless money pit.

Have you seen what people do to things like MGB's

 

[french]

Hat's off, Sir. The description and parts adaption (impressive) sound epic not to mention the 325/1100.

John

I up the power from 250 BHP standard to 408 BHP.
When we put larger turbos, added a fuel boot regulator, ECU upgrade for the ignition system, introduced two larger intercoolers and bypassed the turbo boost management system, by inserting a three way valve into the pressure pipe that connect to booth turbo waste gates. problem then was fuelling & huge blowbacks, the Two new alloy Intercoolers were water injected & cost me a fortune so I had to back her off to a Road usable 352bhp ,it was tamer then lol.
Basically this allowed me to over boost the system without it shutting down. The rolling road reading was 408 BHP at the wheels. The only problem I had was the Differential was unable to handle power above 400BHP. I tracked the car several times and blew the diff once twice at Donington down the Craner Curvers. This is when we came up with the Diff from a TVR 5.0 Chimera, we discovered that the original diff was a modified Range Rover Salsbury Diff ( you gotta love Maserati)so the obvious choice was a Chimera diff, went in a treat!
If you had power on at full throttle in first and second the clutch would not last long. I was getting flames from car. The car would wheel spin in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. I loved it but I have 5 Kids ,at the time my Baby daughter was 3yrs & my eldest boy needed help with a mortgage so it had to go bye bye...but at least I had fun !!:bannana:

So will you! But £££'s disappear at an alarming rate, my 4.5 Cerbera was cheaper to fix/run Lol

 

[John Jones Jr]

By the sounds of it, the five kids may have saved you loads of money! Still, great to hear about people doing projects like this, really a nice change from the usual popular tried & trusted modified cars.

Ever consider just mildly uprating a standard 2.8, would it make a good & 'practical' fast road car, or is that the silliest question you been asked this week, month even year?

 

[neilrr]

Junk.

However, it does have a rather stylish dashboard clock that, once mounted on a suitable strap, would look the biz on the poor man's watch thread.

 

[E55BOF]

A friend of mine had a Biturbo, and he has a very soft spot for them; the gravel pit down the road. Each to his own; at least it was cheap to buy...

 

[MarriedBlonde]

Surely all rest projects are bottomless pits...

 

[french]

By the sounds of it, the five kids may have saved you loads of money! Still, great to hear about people doing projects like this, really a nice change from the usual popular tried & trusted modified cars.

Ever consider just mildly uprating a standard 2.8, would it make a good & 'practical' fast road car, or is that the silliest question you been asked this week, month even year?

I've fettled so many cars over the years John,most of them all gave the same problems .
Clutch failure followed by gearbox failure followed by planet gear in the diff sometimes along with underbonnet heat!

One of the most fun & cheap projects was a Alfa 156 2.4 Diesel sportswagon, went like hell & had all but the heat problems broke the gearbox ,drive shafts planet gear & two sports clutchs.

Had the usual re chip went OK but still not silly so I embarked on fitting a bespoke LPG system onto the diesel engine Phoar!!
Had to be very careful as LPG on a diesel is similar to petrol engine on Nitrous Oxide but very smooth!

All ended badly as the diff just could not cope, especially when the missus was late on a shopping trip

was fast though lol

 

[John Jones Jr]

Very interesting French, never heard of anybody using LPG on a diesel before - nice to be informed, cheers.

How's the the auld Beetle, do ever run just a normal RWD car?