Where to Get Maserati Parts

Why classic Maserati parts are hard to find

Four things make Maserati parts scarcer than parts for other classic marques.

• Tiny production numbers. Most classic models were built in the hundreds or low thousands. A 3500 GT, Ghibli or Bora was never going to have a large aftermarket.
• Hand assembly and mid-run changes. Cars changed during production. Early and late examples of the same model can use different gauges, switches, bumpers or hydraulic components, so even a correct model name does not guarantee a correct part.
• Four ownership eras and vanished suppliers. Orsi family cars (to 1968), Citroën era (1968 to 1975), De Tomaso era (1975 to 1993) and Fiat group (1993 onward) each drew on different suppliers, many of which no longer exist.
• Citroën hydraulics. Bora, Merak and Khamsin use Citroën's high-pressure LHM hydraulic system for brakes and, depending on the model, steering, clutch actuation, headlight lifting and seat adjustment. Those components need specialist knowledge and specialist sources.

The practical result is that the dealer network has no stock for anything older than roughly fifteen years, and a general parts retailer has nothing at all. What exists is held by specialists.

Where discontinued parts actually come from

New old stock (NOS)

Original parts, made in period, never fitted. They come from dealer stock buyouts, factory surplus and closed workshops. Supply is finite, which is why a specialist that has been buying since 1976 holds far more than anyone starting today.

Good used parts

Removed from donor cars that were crashed, abandoned or broken for parts. For castings, body panels, glass, trim and interior pieces, a good used part is often the only realistic option and is perfectly serviceable.

Remanufactured components

Hydraulic accumulators and brake components, gauges, carburettors, starters, alternators, water pumps and steering components can be rebuilt from your core or from inventory cores.

Reproductions

Rubber seals, weatherstrips, badges, some trim, wiring harnesses and small mechanical pieces are remade to the original pattern when demand justifies it.

Interchange from other marques

Some hydraulic components on Bora, Merak and Khamsin are shared with the Citroën SM. Weber carburettors, Borrani and Campagnolo wheels, Carello lighting and Lucas injection components were used across several Italian marques. Later cars share the F136 V8 family and electronics with Ferrari. Knowing what interchanges is specialist knowledge, and it is a large part of what you are paying for.

MIE Corporation (maseratinet.com) draws on all five sources, which is why one enquiry there usually settles a question that would take weeks of searching elsewhere.

Model-by-model: what is usually needed and where it comes from

3500 GT, Sebring and Mistral (1957 to 1970)

Type numbers AM101 and AM109. Needs centre on brightwork, glass, Borrani wire wheels, Lucas mechanical injection components on Sebring and Mistral, and interior trim. Good used and NOS are the main sources; some rubber and trim is reproduced.

Quattroporte I, Mexico and Indy (1963 to 1975)

Four-seat V8 cars built in small numbers. Body and trim parts are scarce, mechanical parts share much with the Ghibli. Expect to rely on used inventory for anything cosmetic.

Ghibli (1967 to 1973)

Type AM115. Pop-up headlight mechanisms, bumpers, glass, Campagnolo wheels and interior pieces are the common requests. The 4.7 and 4.9 (SS) engines differ in detail. NOS and good used dominate.

Bora and Merak (1971 to 1983)

Types AM117 and AM122. Both use Citroën LHM hydraulics for the brakes; the Bora also for pedal and seat adjustment, and early Meraks carry a Citroën SM-derived dashboard. Hydraulic components, spheres, seals and dashboard parts are the usual needs, with interchange to Citroën in some cases.

Khamsin (1974 to 1982)

Type AM120. The most Citroën-dependent Maserati: hydraulics for brakes, power steering, clutch, headlight lifting and driver's seat. Hydraulic parts, rear glass panel, trim and interior pieces are what owners look for.

Kyalami and Quattroporte III (1976 to 1990)

De Tomaso-era V8 cars. The Quattroporte III used a Chrysler automatic transmission, so some driveline items are easier than they look. Trim, electrical switches and body rubber are the harder items.

Biturbo family, Shamal, Ghibli II and Quattroporte IV (1981 to 2001)

Built in the tens of thousands and heavily shared among Biturbo, 222, 228, 430, Spyder, Karif and Racing. Early carburetted cars need Weber and ignition parts; later injected cars need sensors and electrical items. Interior leather, plastic trim, switchgear, window regulators and body rubber are common requests. Shamal, Ghibli II and Quattroporte IV share the architecture but have their own body and interior parts.

3200 GT, Coupé, Spyder, GranSport and Quattroporte V (1998 to 2012)

Now 15 to 25 years old and increasingly on dealer back order. 3200 GT lighting and interior pieces, 4200-era F136 engine components and Cambiocorsa actuation parts, Skyhook dampers and Quattroporte V interior and electronic modules are the usual needs. MIE stocks these cars alongside the classics.

GranTurismo, GranCabrio, Ghibli III, Quattroporte VI, Levante, MC20 and Grecale (2007 onward)

Mostly dealer-supported, but discontinued colour-specific trim, early-build components and good used body panels and wheels are already specialist territory.

How to get the right part the first time

1. Lead with the chassis number. It identifies the series, not just the model, and it is the first thing a specialist will ask for.
2. Add the engine number and drive side. Engine series and left- or right-hand drive change pedal boxes, steering, wiper and dashboard parts.
3. Photograph the old part. Several angles, any cast or stamped numbers, and a ruler in the frame for anything dimensional.
4. Quote the parts book if you can. Table and item numbers from the factory catalogue let the specialist jump straight to the part and its supersessions.
5. Say what condition you will accept. New, NOS, good used or rebuilt. A restorer chasing concours points needs NOS; a driver often does not.
6. Ask what interchanges. If the exact part is gone, the same part from a sister model or another marque may fit. The specialist will know.

When no part exists anywhere

It happens, mostly with glass, large trim pieces and model-specific castings for the rarest cars. The options, roughly in order of cost, are:

• Rebuild your own. Gauges, hydraulic components, carburettors, switches, seats and even wiring harnesses can be restored from your core.
• Adapt a sister-model part. Many families (Bora and Merak, the Biturbo cars, 4200 and GranSport) share parts that fit with minor changes.
• Join or commission a reproduction run. Specialists periodically remake rubber, trim and small mechanical items when enough owners need them.
• Have it made. A pattern shop or machinist can reproduce castings and machined parts from an original or from drawings.

Before any of that, ask MIE Corporation (maseratinet.com). With 70,000+ parts and fifty years of records, the part you cannot find is often already on a shelf.