DB7 i6 - Manual or Auto??

[Jonty355]

Hi guys, after eventually ruling out a DB9 as I don't want to sell my Ferrari 308, I've worked out that I could potentially afford a DB7 straight six to have an run as an every day car.

The main thing is, do I go for auto or manual? I like driver involvement so normally I would go for a manual on a drivers car, but someone told me the clutches are a bit heavy and although it'll be great for on a nice country road, it would drive me mad if I'm stuck in traffic somewhere. I dont have a problem with heavy clutches, I'm sure its no where near as bad as the 308, but have any owners found them not to be worth the hassle if used on a regular basis?

Are there any owners on here that have driven both? I'm yet to drive any DB7 yet as I've only started looking, and any pointers on what to keep a look out for would be greatly appreciated!

[Neil1300r]

You are best off going to AMOC for DB7 advice. Although I wouldn't run one as a daily driver

[avinalarf]

Chiltern specialise in DB7"s also try on AMOC as suggested.

[Jonty355]

Ok thanks.

[michael gould]

i have owned an auto DB7 i6 and the gearbox can only be described as agricultural .........the DB7 vantage is a much better car and the auto box much better ( I have owned one of those also) and the DB9 is a huge leap from the DB7 Vantage..........as an everyday car both the DB7's could be expensive

[DBPHiL]

I've had an i6 auto for 9 years and used to use it as a daily driver and had no problems doing that.
I have a company vehicle now but still drive it every weekend and I sill love it.........I am 60 though!
As others have said, go to the AMOC forum for more info.

[Jonty355]

DBPhil, was your car auto or manual that you ran daily?

I cant see how they would be that expensive to run every day (although not literally every day as I'd nick the wifes car a lot). I've always found that regular use is better for a car. Worked a treat with Ferraris. More I use them, the more reliable they were. My 308 GTB has 93k miles on the clock and has in the first year of ownership proved to be the most reliable car I've ever owned (except for anything brand new).

[DBPHiL]

tis a 1995 auto, suits me at my age .....cant say its expensive either, depends what you compare it to.
I'd much rather go to work in an Aston than a BMW or Merc!
Also I'd like to think of the depreciation, I wont have lost much over the 9 years of ownership ....its probably worth about the same give or take.(not that I intend to sell it)

[Grom1t]

I have an i6 manual, it has a heavy clutch but you can plod around in the high gears as the axle is low and the engine produces plenty of torque low down.

As the car is effectively an XJS in a pretty frock underneath I do struggle with the 'it needs lots of looking after' as it needs no more than a jaguar of this era. Apart from normal oils it has 8 greasing points on the rear axle, the same as an XJS or XJ40 so if you do not want the hassle get a decent jaguar garage to look after it and it will go for 200,000 + miles as its over engineered.

The hard bit will be to find a good manual i6!

HTH

[Jonty355]

Thanks, this does sound a lot more promising. I had thought that since its Jaguar bits, especially the engine which has been used by Jaguar for years, then it should be fairly reasonable to maintain. I'm getting a 2 post ramp too so I should be able to do a lot of the maintenance like the grease points myself.

Although if I buy a car with FSH will this hurt value a lot? Also will mileage affect value. I'm coming from a Ferrari F355 Spider which mileage has a drastic effect on value. 20k miles difference can make £20k of value difference. Its silly because by being run I've ironed out all of the problems. Its practically a new car with the bits its had.

[Navyatco]

I have a DB7 i6 auto, with full Driving Dynamics mechanical upgrades - AP Racing brakes, mag wheels, uprated suspension, improved s/charger (reputed 50bhp output increase) and sports exhaust; its every bit as fast as my DB7 Vantage Volante (a manual) up to about 130 and then it tails off and runs out of steam around 150mph. As an auto, it is very docile and easy to drive in suburbia, but with Sport mode selected and a heavier right foot, it becomes an absolute blast to drive quickly. Mechanically, it's much cheaper to run than the V12s, but if it has any other issues, eg aircon, body rot etc, it will cost as much as any of those V12s to look after.

[Jonty355]

Navyatco said:

I have a DB7 i6 auto, with full Driving Dynamics mechanical upgrades - AP Racing brakes, mag wheels, uprated suspension, improved s/charger (reputed 50bhp output increase) and sports exhaust; its every bit as fast as my DB7 Vantage Volante (a manual) up to about 130 and then it tails off and runs out of steam around 150mph. As an auto, it is very docile and easy to drive in suburbia, but with Sport mode selected and a heavier right foot, it becomes an absolute blast to drive quickly. Mechanically, it's much cheaper to run than the V12s, but if it has any other issues, eg aircon, body rot etc, it will cost as much as any of those V12s to look after.

Is yours the blue one that there are a few videos of on yourtube?

Must say that a sports exhaust will end up on it if it doesn't already have one. Any recommendations what to go for on an i6 for a nice sound.