V8 Vantage Spec

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Discussion

Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
Even then a knackered clutch is no big deal. £3k will see a lightweight flywheel and uprated clutch fitted which sounds expensive-ish in isolation, but only if you're comparing it with a more mainstream car. In the real world it's only a modest outlay on top of what you'd expect to pay to replace a clutch and flywheel in a posh Audi.

maybe someday

Original Poster:

164 posts

145 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
Impasse said:
Even then a knackered clutch is no big deal. £3k will see a lightweight flywheel and uprated clutch fitted which sounds expensive-ish in isolation, but only if you're comparing it with a more mainstream car. In the real world it's only a modest outlay on top of what you'd expect to pay to replace a clutch and flywheel in a posh Audi.
Very true when you compare it like that Impasse smile

Even looking at the servicing, it's not much more than as you say, a posh Audi smile

I know what I would rather have wink

davek_964

8,796 posts

174 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
Impasse said:
Even then a knackered clutch is no big deal. £3k will see a lightweight flywheel and uprated clutch fitted which sounds expensive-ish in isolation, but only if you're comparing it with a more mainstream car. In the real world it's only a modest outlay on top of what you'd expect to pay to replace a clutch and flywheel in a posh Audi.
Not entirely convinced by that. A 996 turbo clutch would be half that and I'm pretty sure my 360 clutch would be too.

maybe someday

Original Poster:

164 posts

145 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
davek_964 said:
Not entirely convinced by that. A 996 turbo clutch would be half that and I'm pretty sure my 360 clutch would be too.
I spoke to an Indy and they reckoned a clutch plus a service would be around 2.5k smile

Jon39

12,782 posts

142 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
davek_964 said:
Not entirely convinced by that. A 996 turbo clutch would be half that and I'm pretty sure my 360 clutch would be too.
On Astons I think there is time consuming spannering involved, to access the clutch. A substantial alloy cast tube is between the clutch housing and the rear mounted gearbox. It looks easy when you see those parts being assembled at the factory, but when that is done, the car itself is not present.

With conventional rear drive layouts, just disconnect the front prop shaft joint, remove the gearbox and the clutch is then on view.

Do I sound like an expert? That is the only bit I know. - smile




maybe someday

Original Poster:

164 posts

145 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
Jon39 said:
On Astons I think there is time consuming spannering involved, to access the clutch. A substantial alloy cast tube is between the clutch housing and the rear mounted gearbox. It looks easy when you see those parts being assembled at the factory, but when that is done, the car itself is not present.

With conventional rear drive layouts, just disconnect the front prop shaft joint, remove the gearbox and the clutch is then on view.

Do I sound like an expert? That is the only bit I know. - smile


Sounds as though you definitely know what you're talking about Jon39 smile

davek_964

8,796 posts

174 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
maybe someday said:
davek_964 said:
Not entirely convinced by that. A 996 turbo clutch would be half that and I'm pretty sure my 360 clutch would be too.
I spoke to an Indy and they reckoned a clutch plus a service would be around 2.5k smile
I wasn't questioning the Vantage cost - just that I think it's quite a bit more than even most premium cars.

Anyway, £2.5k for clutch and service sounds pretty good - my local Indy told me a clutch was about £2.5k I think.

maybe someday

Original Poster:

164 posts

145 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
davek_964 said:
I wasn't questioning the Vantage cost - just that I think it's quite a bit more than even most premium cars.

Anyway, £2.5k for clutch and service sounds pretty good - my local Indy told me a clutch was about £2.5k I think.
Yeh you are bang on, it is more than most premium cars and I have to admit that I would use an Indy rather than a main dealer. I'm sure that some will challenge me on that, but from what I have read/seen so far the Indy's are better on more ways than just plain cost smile

Jockman

17,912 posts

159 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
mikey k said:
Or set up a web site? wink
www.askjockman.com
Lol. Don't tempt me biggrin

Jon39

12,782 posts

142 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
maybe someday said:
Jon39 said:
On Astons I think there is time consuming spannering involved, to access the clutch. A substantial alloy cast tube is between the clutch housing and the rear mounted gearbox. It looks easy when you see those parts being assembled at the factory, but when that is done, the car itself is not present.

With conventional rear drive layouts, just disconnect the front prop shaft joint, remove the gearbox and the clutch is then on view.

Do I sound like an expert? That is the only bit I know. - smile
Sounds as though you definitely know what you're talking about Jon39 smile

I have tried to learn since becoming an owner. There is certainly something special about the whole Aston Martin 'thing'.

Here is a film Andy, which shows how the cars are built, and includes the torque tube being fitted to the clutch housing.
http://www.streetfire.net/video/aston-martin-speed...

Here is another one that you should enjoy. A pity they could not do better with the sound. The cars in the tunnel would have made a better noise than they recorded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocUKnn7pBcg


Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
Not sure why the need for the hair splitting. But when there's a chap in GG who has been quoted £1300 for a clutch and flywheel on a ten year old diesel Focus, it's not much of a stretch to assume a more premium mainstream saloon car will be more expensive for the same type of job.

maybe someday

Original Poster:

164 posts

145 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
Impasse said:
Not sure why the need for the hair splitting. But when there's a chap in GG who has been quoted £1300 for a clutch and flywheel on a ten year old diesel Focus, it's not much of a stretch to assume a more premium mainstream saloon car will be more expensive for the same type of job.
Maybe I've come across wrong Impasse, but certainly not hair splitting. In my opinion it's best to know upfront what sort of costs could be incurred when having never owned such a marque. Incidentally I was quoted well over £1500 for a clutch, MOT and service on a family diesel and that was about 3 years ago!

Mind you, I'd far rather have an Aston and manage by without having to replace the clutch wink

maybe someday

Original Poster:

164 posts

145 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
Jockman said:
Lol. Don't tempt me biggrin
That sounds as though you might well do it Jockman smile

maybe someday

Original Poster:

164 posts

145 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
quotequote all
Jon39 said:

I have tried to learn since becoming an owner. There is certainly something special about the whole Aston Martin 'thing'.

Here is a film Andy, which shows how the cars are built, and includes the torque tube being fitted to the clutch housing.
http://www.streetfire.net/video/aston-martin-speed...

Here is another one that you should enjoy. A pity they could not do better with the sound. The cars in the tunnel would have made a better noise than they recorded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocUKnn7pBcg
It's that special Aston thing that's appealing to me hugely Jon39. Will watch the first link when I have more time, but the second link is a good short review smile

Jockman

17,912 posts

159 months

Friday 31st July 2015
quotequote all
maybe someday said:
Jockman said:
Lol. Don't tempt me biggrin
That sounds as though you might well do it Jockman smile
Sweet Jesus, you must be joking. I'm about as popular as an American Dentist eating a lion bar rolleyes

maybe someday

Original Poster:

164 posts

145 months

Friday 31st July 2015
quotequote all
Jockman said:
Sweet Jesus, you must be joking. I'm about as popular as an American Dentist eating a lion bar rolleyes
lol That just made me laugh out loud in front of the boys there Jockman! smile

woodsypedia

870 posts

152 months

Friday 31st July 2015
quotequote all
maybe someday said:
woodsypedia said:
Perhaps a silly suggestion - but alloy wheel and tyre insurance. I remember buying my first Aston, it's quite difficult at first to see where the front corners are - especially coming out of tight multi story car parks etc. If you can afford it, I would get it. It's worth it's weight in gold when you realise you've curbed a wheel smile

Chris.
Good point there Chris, what sort of cost is involved with that then? smile
I can't recall the exact figure but I believe it was somewhere around £500 for two years with a maximum of 10 claims. It's very worth it.

maybe someday

Original Poster:

164 posts

145 months

Friday 31st July 2015
quotequote all
woodsypedia said:
I can't recall the exact figure but I believe it was somewhere around £500 for two years with a maximum of 10 claims. It's very worth it.
Yeh it definitely would be at that cost smile

Jon39

12,782 posts

142 months

Friday 31st July 2015
quotequote all
maybe someday said:
woodsypedia said:
I can't recall the exact figure but I believe it was somewhere around £500 for two years with a maximum of 10 claims. It's very worth it.
Yeh it definitely would be at that cost smile

Depends how careful you are.
Judging the width can be tricky, but in four years I have lightly touched a kerb twice with the front left. Fortunately only the tyre touched, so that would now make me £1,000 up.

maybe someday

Original Poster:

164 posts

145 months

Saturday 1st August 2015
quotequote all
Jon39 said:

Depends how careful you are.
Judging the width can be tricky, but in four years I have lightly touched a kerb twice with the front left. Fortunately only the tyre touched, so that would now make me £1,000 up.
I would like to think that I would be very careful indeed Jon39, but at that cost or thereabouts it's a bit of a no brainer to have that piece of mind I reckon smile

Did you insure through a mainstream company etc ?