Vanquish S conversion to manual?

[diametric123]

Help required!

Have a 2005 Vanquish S that remains a 'nearly' car in my mind (compared to other Ferrari / high-performance Porsches I've got)

Am considering the Works manual conversion to make it more special - feel that the commercials will certainly work out (cost of £16k, Slades Garage recently sold a near-identical car to mine in manual for £132k…)

What do people think?

[Armen]

Got a '07 S since more than 5 years and think the gearbox suits the car very well.
However, I've never had the chance to test drive a manual conversion Vanquish/S.
Must be something...

[JohnG1]

Works Service are great and do a top notch job. But they charge a massive premium based on the name.

The conversion from standard to manual is not a complicated piece of work. If I was going to do it I'd use Bamford Rose.

[ds2000]

Agree with the above

[JaseB]

I like the BR guys a lot but for provenance I'd be tempted to pay the extra and go Works...

[TuonoPants]

JaseB said:

I like the BR guys a lot but for provenance I'd be tempted to pay the extra and go Works...

AM Works is not actually part of Aston Martin, it's a totally separate business, but the name does carry weight. There was a thread on here a while ago regarding the actual ownership of Works but can't find it now.

[AdamV8V]

JohnG1 said:

The conversion from standard to manual is not a complicated piece of work.

I've heard the opposite actually.

Apparently the transmission tunnel (on the factory setup) built to house the actuators that go back to the gearbox is semi-structural, and the conversion requires new bracing etc to be built/replaced when the manual shif, linkages etc are put in. So whilst the gearbox itself is the same and you're "just" changing the shift mechanism, this conversion is supposed to be quite complex. Maybe not £16k+VAT complex though...

JohnG1 said:

If I was going to do it I'd use Bamford Rose.

As JaseB said, I imagine BR would do an excellent job of this, esp with Mike's knowledge of all things Vanquish. But when it comes to resale (if indeed that is ever a consideration), I would guess the value difference between a "Works Manual Conversion" and a "BR Manual Conversion" would be material. Don't forget these are Newport Pagnell-built cars, so there is more provenace that the work is being done by the 'factory' where they were built.

Finally, to the OP, have a look at pics on online of the gearstick location. It sits VERY far forward, to the point where when you shift up to third and fifth, you can trap your fingers bewteen the gearknob and the centre console if you're not careful!

[AdamV8V]

Lovely collection, too OP

Some real 'future classics' in there.

[Vee12V]

What's the reason the gearstick sits so far forward? Looks awkward indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFZ163jnIhY

[Neil1300r]

Vee12V said:

What's the reason the gearstick sits so far forward? Looks awkward indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFZ163jnIhY

Its the only place it can sit without making a big hole further back and adding to cost.

[Vee12V]

Neil1300r said:

Vee12V said:

What's the reason the gearstick sits so far forward? Looks awkward indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFZ163jnIhY

Its the only place it can sit without making a big hole further back and adding to cost.

At £16k that should be included I think. Especially as you keep the same physical gearbox(?).

[DB9VolanteDriver]

diametric123 said:

Am considering the Works manual conversion to make it more special - feel that the commercials will certainly work out (cost of £16k, Slades Garage recently sold a near-identical car to mine in manual for £132k…)

What do people think?

Can't see the point of this. The car was designed with the SSM in mind. In the S it works brilliantly (much more involving than DCT). Why go backwards? While a manual conversion is worth more now, apparently, I suspect that down the road it won't be since it will be not exactly OEM. So, lots of money, little benefit.

[vankypanky]

i am not even sure there is any evidence to say a manual is worth more.
worth more than an early one that hasnt had the box mods done on it maybe.
the manual for this car was not something offered by the factory but came about due to the unreliable original. there was a dire need to do something. that all went away when they sussed it out and certainly with any S.
they cost more yes, if you paid for it. worth more ? not that i have seen and as just said, when you want an original pucker thing then a manual wont be it and a manual done by anyone other than WS certainly wont be it.

[V8LM]

As I know it annoys her..... +1

The Vanquish, esp the S, is an epic Aston Martin. The 'box/clutch is integral to the car, not just mechanically but spiritually.

Edited by V8LM on Tuesday 1st September 22:14

[Cheib]

I remember seeing a video about Aston Martin works...they said they'd done quite a few. You hardly ever see them come up for sale....which either means people that have it done love it or not as many people have it done as they claim!

Edit. This is the vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FFbIcWmo34

Say they have done over 90 conversions.

Edited by Cheib on Tuesday 1st September 22:43