Is an Aston going to ruin me?
Discussion
Lol - that may help resale but does not guarantee all work needed has been done!
Get someone who knows what they are doing to check out any prospective purchase, would be my advice.
If the car has AM warranty, that will cover a lot of things (if you know how to claim).
However, 3rd-party warranty for 'big stuff' that isn't wear and tear (i.e. clutch) costs about £350 a year..
Get someone who knows what they are doing to check out any prospective purchase, would be my advice.
If the car has AM warranty, that will cover a lot of things (if you know how to claim).
However, 3rd-party warranty for 'big stuff' that isn't wear and tear (i.e. clutch) costs about £350 a year..
Ken Figenus said:
Just because it's an Aston does not mean you can't do a bit of DIY and use local garage and specialists. Remember jacking the TVR up and swapping the front disks and pads for under £200. Ford Granada parts! Same with an Aston. ..you can get brakes for a fraction of the shiny dealer cost. Pay for a warranty to cover gearbox or engine catastrophe if you like (but it's not a Porsche so you should be OK)?? Risk it!
I thoroughly agree with Kens comments. I am a TVR owner who is hoping to get his first Aston (to compliment the TVR). I deal with almost all the work on my TVR and enjoy it. With regard to brake pad and disc changes and other jobs on a Vantage; I cant see any issues with dealing with that but, only if you are competant and have the correct tools as safety is paramount. Using more local independant specialists that you know is also a very worthy option. I thoroughly agree with the comment of getting an independant inspection of any prospective car, could be more than worth the cost. Lastly, if you can afford it follow your dream, you never know whats around the corner! Regards, Pete
Not been put off...too much, so far. 
Not adverse to a bit of DIY as and when needed, the Boxster had new discs and pads all round earlier this year, it put up a fight but tackled it over a couple of days on the drive.
I believe there is an Aston indy in Derby, so that's no further than my local TVR indy, any views on Aston Engineering? Feel free to PM me.
So current plan is try and shift the TVR in the new year, find an Aston, then sell the Boxster as well....then buy a banger for carting my bike about in, and tip runs...then use the Aston as much as possible!
Not adverse to a bit of DIY as and when needed, the Boxster had new discs and pads all round earlier this year, it put up a fight but tackled it over a couple of days on the drive.
I believe there is an Aston indy in Derby, so that's no further than my local TVR indy, any views on Aston Engineering? Feel free to PM me.
So current plan is try and shift the TVR in the new year, find an Aston, then sell the Boxster as well....then buy a banger for carting my bike about in, and tip runs...then use the Aston as much as possible!
PeteGriff said:
if you can afford it follow your dream, you never know whats around the corner! Regards, Pete
Very true, and one of the reasons for trying to live the dream....and pitiful interest rates, I've had nearly 2 years recovering from a cycling accident and am facing the fact of the limp going nowhere, and hopefully residuals aren't going drop massively...but then if they do, I've done it, no point being the richest bloke in the graveyard. Hi Steve. Just go and buy it. We've had four TVR's. Service cosst were horrendous. So if you could afford to run a TVR,you should be OK with an Aston.My last TVR was a Mk 1 Tuscan. Anything over 40 mph and we were shouting. My Aston V8V is loud when I want it to be.And a pleasure to be able to hold a decent conversation at over a ton. We have had ours for 4 months now. No boy racers yet in their Novas. Just people nodding in appreciation from everywhere we go.
So do it as soon as you can. Possibly an early Christmas prezzy. Check out Boss Motors in Hertfordshire. I could not recommend them more. Father and Son sports car dealers.They have a very nice silver V8V for sale at the moment
Dave
So do it as soon as you can. Possibly an early Christmas prezzy. Check out Boss Motors in Hertfordshire. I could not recommend them more. Father and Son sports car dealers.They have a very nice silver V8V for sale at the moment
Dave
raceboy said:
Tungsten with Black wheels, I like the silver stitching, it's in my eBay watched items. 
That's the one. Oh a bit of a warning. Don't bother looking at the White 'wrapped' vantage in High Wycombe. Or the pale blue vantage in the same area. I like the silver stitching, it's in my eBay watched items. We viewed them both. Neither of which had been prepared for my pre arranged viewing. Both Described as .....Get this ...Immaculate condition. Lots of stone chips on both. Paint peeling off wing mirror arms. I may sound bitter.But I spoke to both dealers long and hard before driving over 100 miles each way to view them both. That was four months ago. They have not sold yet. I found them on pistonheads classified.
Good luck.
Dave
raceboy said:
I believe there is an Aston indy in Derby, so that's no further than my local TVR indy, any views on Aston Engineering?
I've only heard good things about Aston Engineering (including from our local garage who look after the other car). Whilst I've not actually used them I got advice from them before I bought my V8V and if you have a look around their workshop many people with some extremely valuable Astons use them. My understanding is that they are one of only 13 Heritage approved workshops in the world. My advice would be to go there, have a chat and a look round.focusman53 said:
That's the one. Oh a bit of a warning. Don't bother looking at the White 'wrapped' vantage in High Wycombe. Or the pale blue vantage in the same area.
Seen both of those 'online' too, nothing against wraps but there's no chance I'd buy one at this sort of price point, who knows what it's like underneath.I'm probably getting my research in way to early but just want to know what I may or may not be letting myself in for but the things are just achingly pretty, but the TVR really is like part of the family and after 15 years ownership it's going to be a wrench but it's time for a new treat.....hopefully April/May time, can make it a birthday present to myself then.
I've only used Aston Engineering a couple of times for the DB9 but they've been excellent both times, very knowledgeable etc
I love the idea of a TVR. But be warned an Aston Martin is an Aston Martin - and once you get sucked in to the heritage, brand etc its very, very difficult to escape
(oh and there's a danger you end up buying a Classic Aston Martin in due course, at which point it gets very expensive!)
I love the idea of a TVR. But be warned an Aston Martin is an Aston Martin - and once you get sucked in to the heritage, brand etc its very, very difficult to escape
(oh and there's a danger you end up buying a Classic Aston Martin in due course, at which point it gets very expensive!)
Edited by downr on Tuesday 23 December 16:41
Well this is all sounding promising, need to pop to Stratstones sometime over the Christmas break to run the idea past the Mrs....not that she really has any say in the issue but it's only polite to show her where the extension money is going. :haha:
But like I've said it's a long game anyway, but there does seem quite a few TVR owners migrating to Aston's
But like I've said it's a long game anyway, but there does seem quite a few TVR owners migrating to Aston's
From what I can work out so far, they are no more to run then any Porsche or high-end Jag, BMW or Merc. They are getting cheap now and as they continue, it will become more acceptable to have your work done by indy's. I think a lot of people are put off Aston's by a perception they are expensive.... Ok the guy who bought mine lost £50k in depreciation over 3.5 years and 20k miles..... I would call that expensive, but if you buy a good secondhand one, you're getting a special car for the price and running costs of a used E92 M3.
Who cares if you get a £5k bill? You'll have a warranty for the first year, plus it's a second car for you, so just wait until you can afford to fix it. It's unlikely though.
Plus petrol is about to drop by 20%, so never a better time to own one of the most uneconomical cars on the road today!
Who cares if you get a £5k bill? You'll have a warranty for the first year, plus it's a second car for you, so just wait until you can afford to fix it. It's unlikely though.
Plus petrol is about to drop by 20%, so never a better time to own one of the most uneconomical cars on the road today!
R8VBV said:
From what I can work out so far, they are no more to run then any Porsche or high-end Jag, BMW or Merc. They are getting cheap now and as they continue, it will become more acceptable to have your work done by indy's. I think a lot of people are put off Aston's by a perception they are expensive.... Ok the guy who bought mine lost £50k in depreciation over 3.5 years and 20k miles..... I would call that expensive, but if you buy a good secondhand one, you're getting a special car for the price and running costs of a used E92 M3.
Who cares if you get a £5k bill? You'll have a warranty for the first year, plus it's a second car for you, so just wait until you can afford to fix it. It's unlikely though.
Plus petrol is about to drop by 20%, so never a better time to own one of the most uneconomical cars on the road today!
My previous owner lost £75k over 2 years and 2k miles that must off hurt.Who cares if you get a £5k bill? You'll have a warranty for the first year, plus it's a second car for you, so just wait until you can afford to fix it. It's unlikely though.
Plus petrol is about to drop by 20%, so never a better time to own one of the most uneconomical cars on the road today!
There's an 06 for sale locally that has only just done 10k, that must have been some £/mile for the previous 2 owners, the low mileage is kind of putting me off though, might go and have a look though as it's Tungsten, and they also have an Onyx one in as well, will help decide on a colour....
raceboy said:
Is an Aston going to ruin me?
Idly browsing the classifieds as we all do I noticed the price of V8 Vantages dropping ‘just’ below £30k for early cars and this got me doing the man maths…..
It’d be a push to buy the thing, but doable, and after a visit to my local main dealer the urge is strong. It really didn’t help that they had a suitable car, all be it a little pricey due to tiny miles, but it looked stunning and was very well prepped, a chat to the salesman was informative but then he did admit to not being the Vantage ‘expert’ but running costs don’t seem ‘that far’ north of the current TVR toy.
I’d be doing minimal miles, probably about 3-4k a year so the likes of petrol, insurance and tax not really any different, and the last ‘service’ on the TVR was north of £1k by the time a few ‘consumables’ were added so even the higher service bills are hopefully not going be ‘that much’ higher.
Headlights and Clutches appear to be the things to look for, so hopefully a used example with a recent clutch would be the way to go, anything else to look out for?
I can see it getting more expensive than I planned as to get it past SHMBO a trip to Monaco in it has been promised.
Biggest ‘issue’ at the moment is will it fit in a ‘standard’ new build type garage, online data says it’s 1mm wider and 300mm longer than the TVR which on paper works, but really need to ‘borrow’ one to see if you can get out the car when it’s in the garage, and hope to tackle this at the same time of ‘having a go’ in one from the dealer as it is a bit of a different animal to the TVR, a lot more refined and quiet.
So…anyone else not a powerfully built company director running an Aston?
I am thinking about an Aston as well so interesting reads so far, I am not afraid of the running costs as I have three TVR,s so know all about the costs of running them and it looks similar to AstonsIdly browsing the classifieds as we all do I noticed the price of V8 Vantages dropping ‘just’ below £30k for early cars and this got me doing the man maths…..
It’d be a push to buy the thing, but doable, and after a visit to my local main dealer the urge is strong. It really didn’t help that they had a suitable car, all be it a little pricey due to tiny miles, but it looked stunning and was very well prepped, a chat to the salesman was informative but then he did admit to not being the Vantage ‘expert’ but running costs don’t seem ‘that far’ north of the current TVR toy.
I’d be doing minimal miles, probably about 3-4k a year so the likes of petrol, insurance and tax not really any different, and the last ‘service’ on the TVR was north of £1k by the time a few ‘consumables’ were added so even the higher service bills are hopefully not going be ‘that much’ higher.
Headlights and Clutches appear to be the things to look for, so hopefully a used example with a recent clutch would be the way to go, anything else to look out for?
I can see it getting more expensive than I planned as to get it past SHMBO a trip to Monaco in it has been promised.
Biggest ‘issue’ at the moment is will it fit in a ‘standard’ new build type garage, online data says it’s 1mm wider and 300mm longer than the TVR which on paper works, but really need to ‘borrow’ one to see if you can get out the car when it’s in the garage, and hope to tackle this at the same time of ‘having a go’ in one from the dealer as it is a bit of a different animal to the TVR, a lot more refined and quiet.
So…anyone else not a powerfully built company director running an Aston?
I am looking at Vantage Roadsters so any advice would be good
I will probably sell my Griff that is in having an engine rebuild and my Cerb, both cars have had thousands thrown at them and the Griff is a one off with loads of udgrades and a unique dash
I would keep my T350 though
billynobrakes said:
I am looking at Vantage Roadsters so any advice would be good
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