David Askew's
Maserati Parts Service
26th July 2010
Well it’s been a long time since I did an update - unfortunately my computer went kaput about 3 months back, and the program I use to update my website needed some updates to work with Windows 7. So this is the first attempt with the new software, if it works I will do a more interesting update soon.
7th March 2010
Well after about 8 weeks of snow and ice here it looks as if Spring is approaching, blue sky and sunshine but only 5 degrees. It has not been pleasant stripping cars outside, all my covered storage is full and no room to work undercover!
Tyson has been really fed up, turned into a curled up bundle by the fire most of the time, although the past few days he has spent outside in the sun catching mice.
Anyway thankyou to all you guys who gave me business, as it kept me busy during a real winter.
1st January 2010
Just a quick note to wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010!
6th December 2009
I must apologise for the few updates I manage, the weeks seem to fly by! Anyway, Tyson is fine now, apart from pretending to limp now and again when he wants some fuss.
The past few weeks have been very busy, things seem to take longer as the weather gets more wet and windy as I have all my undercover space full of parts. This means car dismantling cannot be done undercover. Outside I have a 3200gt, 4200GT, QP1V, Ghibli, 430, which need stripping and it is now getting cold.
I was looking through some old photos of cars in Italy you could buy for peanuts just a few years back, around 2004/2005, now worth a fortune. I will put some photos below.
I do not normally buy cars to sell, but recently purchased a very good 3200GT, 35OOO MILES, if anyone is interested. Photo below.
Will update again before Christmas, hope we have snow here to make it feel like Christmas a little more!
27th September 2009
Well Tyson is happy again, no bandage, and is now free to wander and mark all the Maser bits again. See photo of his last green bandage with a seal easy wet weather cover. He is sorry the episode cost £800 but assures me it was worth it! See also photo now with no bandage , so he now can lick his leg clean.
One of the photos below shows about 25 years of Maserati engines, 2.5 Biturbo carb, 2.8 Biturbo injection, 2 litre Ghibli, 3200GT, 4200gt. Also a photo of the cambelt set-up on a 3200GT recently rebuilt.
I find breaking some of these cars a bit criminal, see photo of a perfectly good 1998 V8 QP1V, it had an engine fault, the engine is rebuilt and ready to drop in, but I supply parts, so it is important to keep breaking them. On this car I have never seen such good quality woodwork, I have had many of these but this looks a bit special. The wood looks like it is made from solid wood with out and peeling, faded veneers.
See also a 2005 4200GT, 13000 miles and still smells new! Just a thought but if you are a bit of an enthusiast, and have the time, and own a QP which is going rusty you could have the shell from this QP 1998 with the UK paperwork and swap your parts over. It is just a shame to see it crushed when I have finished with it!
See a photo of how it looks more and more like a "junkyard" as I bet my neighbours sometimes say! My grandson, Benjamin also demanded a photo, he does say he will have a Maserati one day! He is right as I have a Maserati Spyder pedal car ready for his next present!
19th July 2009
Well I am a man down, Tyson has a broken leg, must have caught it in a Maser part, poor boy. He demanded camouflage bandage, he has desert or jungle to choose from. When it rains I cover it in a seal easy bag, this makes quite a noise as he hops around, so I always know where he is.
I am still keeping reasonably busy, not too difficult now Tyson cannot help. Demand grows more and more for 3200/4200GT parts, not surprisingly as Maserati have never produced so many cars as in this era. The problem with breaking cars is the amount of parts that need to be stored, after the initial stripping of all the parts which sell immediately there is the majority of the car left, these parts will sit maybe for years.
I do hear of cars here and there which need parts that are unobtainable from the Maserati factory, Italy has suffered badly in this economic downturn and I am sure this must reflect on the supply of parts to Maserati, there have been many company closures down there.
Good cars such as Ghibli and QP1V that are still road going I am now deciding to break, difficult decision as it is a shame. The reason is I think that the price of supercars, like the 3200/4200, are so cheap that the Ghibli and QP owners are now buying.
22nd March 2009
See photos of various parts that I refurbish, shock absorbers, climate control units, starter motors, 3200GT Throttle bodies, engines and steering racks. Excuse Tyson he likes to be in on everything.
14th December 2008
Well it is so long since I updated. I have just walked round and seen why it takes ages to find and sort out parts, I just don't get time to tidy up.The weather has been quite cold lately, last year we only had 2 or 3 frosts before Christmas, on the news they said this is the coldest start to winter for 12 years.
Over the past few months the demand for Biturbo parts 83-94 has declined dramatically, with fewer cars around and the slump in their prices, this is to be expected. I do think that the demand for good cars from now forward will increase, the price also. They have now lived through all the detrimental remarks from different medias, and will again be a desired model. Don't all you guys out there forget, that without the Biturbo which kept the factory busy throughout the 80's, you may not be able to buy a Maserati today, maybe!
With so many new different Maserati's being produced over the past 8 years deciding what stock to buy has become more difficult. As the cars become more efficient then less parts from each car are in demand.
Just heard the catflap, Tyson's in, must be getting dark. His first job everyday is to go and sniff around my parts to see if any other cats have tried to mark his territory, most of the other cats are Ford/Vauxhall/BMW/Mercedes cats, he knows they stand no chance against a Maserati cat!
I will update again at Christmas, yes this Christmas, if you want to be bored further. Happy shopping, and don't get in a gridlock, my biggest fear!
29th June 2008
Well as I said in the past, I will try to update more often, huh! I normally have to use Sundays catching up on requests, but could not leave website any longer. It's raining and Tyson is sat on my knee while I'm typing, normally he would be asleep in the sun on Sunday.
In the past few months Maserati's have plummetted further in price, whether it being a car from the Biturbo range, a Ghibli, 3200GT, 4200GT or even a new Quattroporte, you can now buy alot of car for the money. With fuel increasing in price, I hope it will not hit Maserati desirability. The early pre 80 models do seem to be increasing in price though.
Over the past few months I have been able to increase my business with the refurbishing of shock absorbers for Ghibli, QP, 3200GT, and also refurbishing throttle bodies on the 3200GT which are a common problem for many owners. Also, I have acquired some space on a farm nearby to store a few wrecks.
With the advent of new models, owners of older cars are experiencing diminishing parts supply from Maserati. The sourcing of replacement parts in particular has become more difficult for the Maserati enthusiast, it is good to know that I can help in recycling parts to keep your classic cars on the road!
Sun is out now so Tyson has gone, I will go and find him amongst the junk, no sorry I mean parts, and photo him.
25th December 2007
Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.
Tyson also sends his best wishes as he knows without you guys he would have to live on mice alone!
Thankyou for all the business you have put my way over the past year. See photo of Tyson every morning he attacks my shoe laces.
9th September 2007
Well I am pleased to say my new email service provider has solved the problems I had. It's Sunday and Tyson is resting on the path, getting ready for Monday, a day we both don't like!
I have acquired 3 cars which I would like to sell, so if anyone out there is interested please mail me. See photos, a 1995 2.8 QP auto, a 1996 Ghibli Gt 2.8 6 speed manual, a 2001 QP 3.2 manual, they are all good cars, with MOT.See in Cars for sale.
Would just like to say thankyou for all you guys out there who have kept me busy lately.
25th August 2007 - Important E-Mail Changes
Due to continuing problems with my email service provider, I have moved to a new one. Please update your bookmarks accordingly:
david@davidaskew.co.uk
Both incoming and outgoing emails have been subject to lengthy delays for some time now, and this has resulted in slow responses to your queries and requests. I can only apologise for this, and I would recommend that you re-send any emails sent to me in the past week, using this new address.
21st August 2007
Sorry I have not updated lately, I will try to in the future. I am having problems with my mail server,it has been about 6 weeks now, if it does not correct the problem I will have to sort a new email address. I am receiving mails 2 days after they have been sent,so sorry if you think I have been slow replying. I will give it 2 or 3 days to improove and will post a new address if I decide it is causing too many problems.
By the way, Tyson has just completed a Maserati awareness course coming 1st, which entails seeking out good sleeping places, so he insisted on owning his own Maserati, as you can see by the photos he had a Spyder as it was summer, now he is grumpy as he realises there is no hood on his car and is concerned about winter comfort!
18th April 2007
Well I know I should update more often, and I will from now on, it is just, well, finding time, no excuse that is, just the subject matter needed. I am often still emailing till bedtime or trying to find some part in the various heaps of parts I keep making. I do not have time to organise the various stores, it is more important to give a quick service, bit of a catch 22 I suppose.
Anyway, the weather has gone from winter to summer overnight, about 2 weeks back. I have been freezing in the wind and rain,Jan,Feb,March, now it is hot, fantastic. Tyson, my companion is now lying upside down in the sun, instead of curled up in a Maser. See photo of him in the snow trying to look for a gearbox or pedal box missing so he can get inside a car! He jumped up on top of the V8, no doubt wishing he could find something as powerful as this to throb between his legs! That's a lie as I had him castrated some time back.
The new Maser, I must say is an improvement in style. The other day I followed a guy along a dual carriageway, for you guys overseas this is a road you can actually overtake other cars on, without being given a 2 finger sign,he was in a 4200GT, anyway the road was not empty but enough cars to make it fun. He was in a 4200GT, I was following quite close,well close, he went no faster than 60mph with an open road, I followed for about 5 miles, round roundabouts, I felt embarrassed, if you are going to have a Maserati, give it a little! Maybe he had a fault, I did think about running into the back of him because I have a good used rear 4200 bumper I'd like to sell!
I will update quickly, but I bet you won't want to look again after reading this.Anyone recognise the town in the photo? Told Tyson to do the paperwork,you cannot get the staff!!
21st January 2007
Well I don't suppose it is ever too late to wish everyone "All of the best for 2007," and I hope it is better than last year. All those plans and hopes of having a better car, or improving the ones we own, or just gettiing them running are no doubt the same dreams we had last year. I thought I would have learnt all about Maserati's by now, but feel I never will, not enough time to read,travel and make a living.
In the UK we now have had weeks of wind and rain, miserable to be outside stripping parts off cars, they keep talking about global warming and I think they maybe right, but lets have a few frosty, sunny, calm winter days and not this penetrating wind continuously. Bet you guys down in Aussie like to hear this moaning, your summer, and the Ashes to keep you warm!!! Even Tyson, my pussycat and workmate stays in now, see photos,won't look at me and goes back in front of the fire.
Well I have broadened my parts supply a little in the past few months, steering wheel extensions, also I can now refurbish Ghibli/QP and 3200GT shock absorbers. Also have now become alot more aware of engine construction and how without the correct maintenance how engines fail.
Sorry I have not talked much about cars. I have attached a few images of driving out of Italy up to Monte Bianco, some of you may recognise, I got by the Ferrari easy!
30th July 2006
Over the years I have heard many complaints as to the seating position of the driver, mainly in the Ghibli and the QP of the 90's. Obviously we are all different shapes and sizes, but the biggest complaint seems to be that the steering wheel does not protrude far enough into the cabin. Therefore I have recently had manufactured, by a friend and Maserati enthusiast, a polished aluminium extension to solve this problem,see pics below.Fitting is easy and quick, the results will be "comforting"for some!
The heat over the past 2 weeks has been unbearable for working in,temperatures in the 90's everyday.All my covered space is full of parts or disabled cars, consequently any work has to be done outside on concrete in the blazing sun.I am sure many of you around the world say, "what's the problem?",all I know is that by the end of the day I am shattered!!!!
I often feel bad about not having time to do updates on my site, or what really to add that would be interesting,my son Adam says "just say what happened that day, people like reading about others",well I shouldn't say it but my best company in everyday is my cat, Tyson, he knows the names of all my customers,also the size of the next spanner or hammer I need.He also knows which car is the most comfortable,and that when a gearbox is removed he can get into a locked car to sleep. Just shows that a pussy can also be a Maserati fan!!!
29th April 2006
I made the decision to replace the engine in the 424, not financially viable to break. The engine had loads of extra pipework on the intake and extra wiring to the injectors.These both led to 2 brackets which must have held some magic upgrades.I was told on purchasing it had smashed sump plate and driven with no oil, so no good! They were right about it being no good, I found a perfect sump plate in the boot,the one from the engine, to my surprise! On extracting the engine I saw a con rod sticking out of the side of the block, see photo.
I must say I have heard many stories of engines breaking down where modifications have been done. Maserati, I think, produce these engines to extract a maximum amount of power, any upgrade must have the necessary work to compensate for the increase in power.
See photo, I have a 3200 Spyder to sit in for my coffee break, many parts missing but the coffee is good! one can dream!!
29th January 2006
Well I am running out of space and do not want to increase overheads with more premises,which would put prices up. I have several cars, which if I strip, cannot store the parts,so just attack them for the parts required until they are bare.
Difficult decisions as to breaking cars which are good, are not easy. For example the 424, see pic below, perfectly good car apart from the owner smashed the sump and carried on driving!!! Well I have an engine to replace it, or I could repair, but by the time I make it good, it will stand me at £3500, about it's value in the UK as it is LHD. So I suppose I have to break it, such a shame for a good car when I shall dump most of the shell as this piece is not wanted often enough.
Other recent purchases, a 224, only half left now, a 3200GT, would have been an easy repair but insurance demands it must be broken!
Is the red car below worth £11000?
26th December 2005
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, make sure you take your Maserati's out for a festive run, unless the snow is too deep!
10th December 2005
Well I see Clarkson is at it again, with no real explanation that a Merak, in good condition, will cost £15,000. He spent under £10,000, and I’m sure without little inspection jumped in and drove. Any fault would have given more spice to the event, and did he create that(!). There was smoke from the rear of the car at the start, maybe a loose oil filter, anyway his desire to tarnish Maserati’s good name for once, has not altered. He loved every clattering second, and must have completely destroyed the engine.
Talking of engines, my experience of Maserati engines is that nearly all failures I have seen have been operator faults. By far the biggest cause, cambelt failure, is due to not being changed as per the recommendation, and cars being driven when the engine is overheating. Other than those failures there are few; the engines are excellent and show little signs of wear even after high mileages - provided they are serviced correctly!
29th October 2005
I recently sent this crankshaft out to Turkey (pictured in and out of the box below). Unfortunately it's still in customs because they won't allow used motor parts into the country! If you're reading this from somewhere else that doesn't allow used parts into the country, it would be very useful if you could drop me a mail and let me know :)
(Then at least I can write 'new' on the box next time around!)
Also pictured (and approved by my cat) are some Maserati hats that I've had made out in Indonesia.
25th September 2005
Hi all. I just bought the domain name "davidaskew.co.uk" for my website! No need to change your bookmarks, they will still work as normal. I've also been fixing up some new racking in my garage for all the engines and parts I'm amassing. I'll post some photos soon when I've got it looking tidy.
11th August 2005
I took the remains of a 430 and all other scrap metal I could load into the shell to be weighed in for big bucks. Having learnt recently that China is short of metal and consequently the scrap metal price has risen sharply. Well, they gave me UKP 15.20p, this was after they asked me what make of car it was, I think they must watch Top Gear as well, the next guy got UKP 29 for his Ford Mondeo!
17th July 2005
A couple of weeks ago, I listed my 1994 Spyder on eBay. I can only assume that Jeremy Clarkson's recent contributions on Top Gear must have really turned people off Maseratis - I didn't get any bids!
This was probably one of the last Biturbo Spyders to roll out of the factory, and I thought I started the auction at a very reasonable price.
The car can still be viewed on eBay for a couple of weeks, just put the item number 4559920275 into the eBay search box and you'll see all the photos and details.
12th June 2005
Today sees the "Italian Car Concours" at Stanford Hall (in the UK). This will host one of the largest gatherings of Maseratis in the UK. I'll be there - I hope to see some familiar faces!
While the majority of my stock covers 80's and 90's cars, I'm increasingly getting hold of modern V8 Maseratis for breaking. The pictures below show a 3200GT that I acquired the other day.
28th May 2005
Did anyone see this on Top Gear on Sunday? Clarkson is threatening my livelihood again. I bet he has never had the pleasure of a test drive, to justify his obvious conviction that will accompany this clip!
24th May 2005
Welcome to my first attempt at an update to my website. As you might have guessed, my son wrote the previous one. I will update on a weekly basis, and hope to add a "Guess the part" quiz soon (with prizes!).
The photos below show a 1994 Maserati Spyder, which will shortly be advertised for sale. Also, a 228 which is on the verge of being broken, but is almost too good to do so. I'll make my mind up soon. The other photo(s) show some other cars at various stages of "brokenness".
Note the numberplate that's probably worth more than the car!
23rd May 2005
Hi everyone. You'll notice that the front page of my website has adopted a fresh, simple look. My son has written a tool to generate the page source & thumbnails, given a simple text file and some images. This means I don't have to learn HTML, and I will be able to update the site more frequently :) I'll aim for at least once per week.
I'm aware that it looks a bit 'odd' compared to the rest of the website now. The other pages may get the same treatment soon, if my son has any more spare time.
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