RE: PH Heroes: Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Discussion
The cars are dinosaurs!
If you want the complete story have a look here: http://v8vantage.com/AMQ.pdf and http://v8vantage.com/AMQ2.pdf
Roo
www.v8vantage.com
If you want the complete story have a look here: http://v8vantage.com/AMQ.pdf and http://v8vantage.com/AMQ2.pdf
Roo
www.v8vantage.com
I had the chance to acquire one of these beasts one year ago. I must say, the article is a good summary of what you feel behind the wheel: it's very impressive to drive. The sound is fabulous, the engine is so strong (torque), but it remains very comfortable.
Some pics (first one taken last year at Le Mans Classic]:
After Koen's red Xpack , above on this thread, it seems that there are some good examples here in Belgium
Some pics (first one taken last year at Le Mans Classic]:
After Koen's red Xpack , above on this thread, it seems that there are some good examples here in Belgium
"Ah, isn't there a clarkson vid where he has one up against a selection of other supercars, and it screams off up the road??!? (though I think the Superlight R500 wins)"
Yes there is! It is on "Hot Metal" where he races the DB 9 against an automatic 90s Vantage and my 80s Vantage Volante
It was a great day indeed!
The "problems" with V8s are related only to one thing. Not driving them... they need to be enjoyed.
Lots of problems are the result of a car sitting in a garage for many years. But this is common to ALL classic cars.
I wanted a normal 80s Vantage but the Volante Vantage is so much better for me especially during our trips in France and Italy... with the hood down you have vantage power AND "al fresco" driving
On Classic Cars Jan 2005 there is a nice piece on my car (I then changed the plate!) and in 5 years of ownership I am totally happy with the car. You have a lot of power under the bonnet but you can enjoy a lazy 2000 rpms in 5th gear... it is not a car that pushes you to be a hooligan on the road
Yes there is! It is on "Hot Metal" where he races the DB 9 against an automatic 90s Vantage and my 80s Vantage Volante
It was a great day indeed!
The "problems" with V8s are related only to one thing. Not driving them... they need to be enjoyed.
Lots of problems are the result of a car sitting in a garage for many years. But this is common to ALL classic cars.
I wanted a normal 80s Vantage but the Volante Vantage is so much better for me especially during our trips in France and Italy... with the hood down you have vantage power AND "al fresco" driving
On Classic Cars Jan 2005 there is a nice piece on my car (I then changed the plate!) and in 5 years of ownership I am totally happy with the car. You have a lot of power under the bonnet but you can enjoy a lazy 2000 rpms in 5th gear... it is not a car that pushes you to be a hooligan on the road
BOR said:
OK. Dumb question from me: Massive engine, massive power and torque, massive weight. So how come the Vantage trademark is the blanking plate in the grille ? The cooling air to the rad looks extremely limited, do any of you owners ever experience overheating problems ?
I can't talk about the Aston Per se, but on an X300 Jag, I found out through collegue who showed me all these CFD plots that most of the cooling air enters the engine bay under the bumper/front apron....
BOR said:
OK. Dumb question from me: Massive engine, massive power and torque, massive weight. So how come the Vantage trademark is the blanking plate in the grille ? The cooling air to the rad looks extremely limited, do any of you owners ever experience overheating problems ?
The engines on the Normal V8's wwere found to run slughtly cool anyhow, so the blanking plate increased water temp by 10 degrees. You're right about the colling air: taken in from under the front bumper.Oh, and often V8 vantage specified in hot countries did not have this blanking plate for the extra cooling, so its not necessarially a tell-tale "Vantage" thing.
V8LM said:
Le Man said:
Sciroccology said:
Personally though, I'd plump for a fantastic car.
The Virage and Vantage were not the leap forward that Aston Martin hoped and as a piece of evolution, represent kissing a Prince and turning it into a frog.
Each to their own.
Replying to Dr G's comment about 1:18 model. I am a self confessed v580 nut and as I have a family and drive a lovely (not) Touran an 80's vantage is a dream. Although I will get one eventually. So to pacify my dream I collect model vantages and have never got my hands on a 1:18 scale only 1:43...
so anyone have any ideas wher I could get one ?
By the way Bramleys were origonally asking 120k for the featured black 89 vantage - no credit crunch there then - and since this article was written I have noticed its no longer on their site !
so anyone have any ideas wher I could get one ?
By the way Bramleys were origonally asking 120k for the featured black 89 vantage - no credit crunch there then - and since this article was written I have noticed its no longer on their site !
paul0843 said:
BOR said:
Whitney-Paine said:
Here you go. Motoring porn of a class A variety:
Enjoy!
Stuart
Whoa ! <<grips chair>> I'm regressing ! I'm 21 again !Enjoy!
Stuart
Thanks, Stuart.
The people my parents bought their house from in 1986 left one of these in the garage. Just left it - we opened the garage when moving in (I was just a child) and there it was in all its jade green with cream leather glory.
They didn't even want it back. (To be fair, they left the country in a hurry, leaving numerous other things, including their manservant!!).
My father would pick me up from school in it on Saturday afternoons after a week at boarding school. You could hear the V9 from half a mile away.
I have never forgiven my parents for selling that car.
They didn't even want it back. (To be fair, they left the country in a hurry, leaving numerous other things, including their manservant!!).
My father would pick me up from school in it on Saturday afternoons after a week at boarding school. You could hear the V9 from half a mile away.
I have never forgiven my parents for selling that car.
Harry Flashman said:
The people my parents bought their house from in 1986 left one of these in the garage. Just left it - we opened the garage when moving in (I was just a child) and there it was in all its jade green with cream leather glory.
They didn't even want it back. (To be fair, they left the country in a hurry, leaving numerous other things, including their manservant!!).
My father would pick me up from school in it on Saturday afternoons after a week at boarding school. You could hear the V9 from half a mile away.
I have never forgiven my parents for selling that car.
V9? Cool!They didn't even want it back. (To be fair, they left the country in a hurry, leaving numerous other things, including their manservant!!).
My father would pick me up from school in it on Saturday afternoons after a week at boarding school. You could hear the V9 from half a mile away.
I have never forgiven my parents for selling that car.
Marquis_Rex said:
article said:
To overcome this Aston was forced to create bigger valves and lower-lift camshafts, but then the engineers realised that these changes could be applied to the standard V8 to create even more power. Throw in 481DA carburettors and suddenly the company had a 5.3-litre V8 producing almost 380bhp, an incredible figure for the 1970s.
A lower lift cam will NOT give you more torque neither will it gives you more power.If this is true, there would be another reason for going lower on the lift, such as because they had to go ower on duration also for reasons of torque or some other constraint.
Mechanical fuel injection like the old Astons had is superior to carbs and I heard the reason they abandonned it was because they never paid Bosch the bills in time.
basically they used the big valve head and replaced the low lift cams with the high lift versions from the older injected V8, added in the weber 48's and some other trickery and et voila 380 bhp odd.
Edited by BountyHunter on Thursday 29th January 20:48
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