I've left a deposit on a Vantage!!

[Grumpydev]

Oh, for what its worth, one other piece of advice I would give when buying from a dealer would be to ask them to put you in touch with the previous owner - nothing would allay my fears more that having a long chat with the guy/gal to try and get a feel for whether they have the same mechanical sensibilities that you do.

[rash_decision]

Grumpydev said:

7k? Personally i would be worried about a car with so few miles.. No time for the niggles to be wriggled out and I would be concerned it was a short trip shopping trolley.

These cars are made to be driven, averaging 1k a year would leave me with serious questions.

Hopefully I am worrying about nothing and it works out for you though.. How many owners has it had?

Judging by the condition of this car, and the history that I have been told about, it's been no shopping trolley! It looks to have been someone who wanted an Aston, and it has been a garage queen.

What serious questions would you have about the car?? I'm interested, then I can ask for answers from the dealer.

[rash_decision]

Grumpydev said:

Oh, for what its worth, one other piece of advice I would give when buying from a dealer would be to ask them to put you in touch with the previous owner - nothing would allay my fears more that having a long chat with the guy/gal to try and get a feel for whether they have the same mechanical sensibilities that you do.

Cheers, just noticed your replies, my page hadn't refreshed!

I'll ask about the warranty now that I know there are 2 available! Good shout!

I'm not sure that in this day and age with privacy etc they will put me in touch with a previous owner??? If he's a long standing customer he isn't going to want to put the car down anyway, I wouldn't have thought! Lol. I'm convincing myself that someone in the position to buy a brand new Vantage V8 and average 14 miles a week has loved and cherished the car!

[Grumpydev]

rash_decision said:

Judging by the condition of this car, and the history that I have been told about, it's been no shopping trolley! It looks to have been someone who wanted an Aston, and it has been a garage queen.

What serious questions would you have about the car?? I'm interested, then I can ask for answers from the dealer.

As I said, I'd try and speak to the owner rather than the dealer as even the best dealer will tell you what you want to hear - the previous owner has no vested interest now so is more likely to tell you the truth

I'm sure others know much more than I do, but general questions / concerns:

• Has it ever been tracked? The low mileage could be because it was used as a track car.
• What kind of journeys were done in it for such a low mileage? Infrequent longer journeys (> 20miles or so), short trips or infrequent short trips?
• If it was generally used for longer journeys was it only driven infrequently? If so, how long was it generally "laid up" for, and was the battery kept on trickle charge for the shorter periods, and/or were the instructions followed for "storing" the car for anything longer than a couple of months.
• How was it driven? Spirited driver or kept at low revs and wafting along? (the latter being more of an alarm bell than the former) if you want to really get into specifics as them about how they use the clutch (holding the pedal in at lights, holding it on the clutch on hills, reversing up hills frequently)

Then some general things to check (which is quite likely telling you how to suck eggs!):

• The lights - they all steam up a bit, but ask about whether there have been any issues with them.
• The noise - in my experience shopping trolleys generally sound pretty nasty, there shouldn't be any rattles or clattering from the engine, they should sound good even from cold.
• The battery - depending on how its been stored the battery might be on its way out - the voltage does get checked on the service so you could check the history, but I'd push on getting them to cover it under the warranty.
• The clutch - make sure there's no noise engaging/disengaging it, try and pull away in 2nd/3rd, if the car doesn't struggle then the clutch is probably slipping - if you get back from the test drive and it smells a bit that's not too much of a concern by the way, they are a bit "whiffy" sometimes.
• The painwork - go over it with a fine tooth comb, check for signs of bubbling around the door handles, and check for signs of a respray around the panel/door edges - if its got bad paint I don't believe its covered by the corrosion warranty as its not actually corroding.

Hope none of that scares you off, it's just a bit of a brain dump of what I went through when I bought mine recently

[mikey k]

mybrainhurts said:

rash_decision said:

I've left a deposit on a Vantage!!

You filthy beast. What the hell did you eat...??

'nurts strikes again

[Grumpydev]

rash_decision said:

Cheers, just noticed your replies, my page hadn't refreshed!

I'll ask about the warranty now that I know there are 2 available! Good shout!

I'm not sure that in this day and age with privacy etc they will put me in touch with a previous owner??? If he's a long standing customer he isn't going to want to put the car down anyway, I wouldn't have thought! Lol. I'm convincing myself that someone in the position to buy a brand new Vantage V8 and average 14 miles a week has loved and cherished the car!

I don't mean they give you his / her phone number, I mean they speak to them and ask if you can contact them or get them to contact you - if it's a well loved car I don't think the previous owner will have an issue with that, I certainly wouldn't

[rash_decision]

Grumpydev said:

As I said, I'd try and speak to the owner rather than the dealer as even the best dealer will tell you what you want to hear - the previous owner has no vested interest now so is more likely to tell you the truth

I'm sure others know much more than I do, but general questions / concerns:

• Has it ever been tracked? The low mileage could be because it was used as a track car.
• What kind of journeys were done in it for such a low mileage? Infrequent longer journeys (> 20miles or so), short trips or infrequent short trips?
• If it was generally used for longer journeys was it only driven infrequently? If so, how long was it generally "laid up" for, and was the battery kept on trickle charge for the shorter periods, and/or were the instructions followed for "storing" the car for anything longer than a couple of months.
• How was it driven? Spirited driver or kept at low revs and wafting along? (the latter being more of an alarm bell than the former) if you want to really get into specifics as them about how they use the clutch (holding the pedal in at lights, holding it on the clutch on hills, reversing up hills frequently)

Then some general things to check (which is quite likely telling you how to suck eggs!):

• The lights - they all steam up a bit, but ask about whether there have been any issues with them.
• The noise - in my experience shopping trolleys generally sound pretty nasty, there shouldn't be any rattles or clattering from the engine, they should sound good even from cold.
• The battery - depending on how its been stored the battery might be on its way out - the voltage does get checked on the service so you could check the history, but I'd push on getting them to cover it under the warranty.
• The clutch - make sure there's no noise engaging/disengaging it, try and pull away in 2nd/3rd, if the car doesn't struggle then the clutch is probably slipping - if you get back from the test drive and it smells a bit that's not too much of a concern by the way, they are a bit "whiffy" sometimes.
• The painwork - go over it with a fine tooth comb, check for signs of bubbling around the door handles, and check for signs of a respray around the panel/door edges - if its got bad paint I don't believe its covered by the corrosion warranty as its not actually corroding.

Hope none of that scares you off, it's just a bit of a brain dump of what I went through when I bought mine recently

Do you mind if I ask what age yours is and what mileage?? Just out of curiosity, and if you actually uncovered any issues that were dealt with?? Dealer/Private?? Just for real world experience.......

I will ask about being put in touch with the previous owner, but have my doubts.............

[rash_decision]

Grumpydev said:

I don't mean they give you his / her phone number, I mean they speak to them and ask if you can contact them or get them to contact you - if it's a well loved car I don't think the previous owner will have an issue with that, I certainly wouldn't

Yeah I get you, I'll do that this morning.

[Grumpydev]

rash_decision said:

Do you mind if I ask what age yours is and what mileage?? Just out of curiosity, and if you actually uncovered any issues that were dealt with?? Dealer/Private?? Just for real world experience.......

I will ask about being put in touch with the previous owner, but have my doubts.............

Mine is a 2007 with 21k, which was low enough to make me concerned - I bought privately though and had a very long chat with the owner then spent 4-5 hours with him and the car before I bought it. There were no issues (touch wood!) with my car and no claims on the warranty, which he was almost bitter about given how expensive the warranty is It has also been serviced fairly recently and had new tyres on the last service which was good, hopefully it will mean I won't have to spend anything on it (other than fuel) until the middle of next year.

The warranty is of course a huge piece of mind, but anecdotally it seems that if you have issues with things like the lights the car will keep having issues even after they are replaced - whether that's the car, the way its stored, the local climate or pure bad luck I don't know - same goes with the paint, if you have a "bad one" it will keep coming back to bite you.

[rash_decision]

Grumpydev said:

Mine is a 2007 with 21k, which was low enough to make me concerned - I bought privately though and had a very long chat with the owner then spent 4-5 hours with him and the car before I bought it. There were no issues (touch wood!) with my car and no claims on the warranty, which he was almost bitter about given how expensive the warranty is It has also been serviced fairly recently and had new tyres on the last service which was good, hopefully it will mean I won't have to spend anything on it (other than fuel) until the middle of next year.

The warranty is of course a huge piece of mind, but anecdotally it seems that if you have issues with things like the lights the car will keep having issues even after they are replaced - whether that's the car, the way its stored, the local climate or pure bad luck I don't know - same goes with the paint, if you have a "bad one" it will keep coming back to bite you.

Thanks for that.

I've sent an email asking if the dealer can put the previous owner in touch with me for an insight into how the car was used. I'll see what they come back with. The salesman wanted to give me his personal mobile number in case I had questions out of hours!! Given that level of keen, he should hopefully have no issues with my query. Hopefully he doesn't just pass on my email address to one of the other salesman to pose as the owner!!!

I think you are right in saying a bad car will always be a bad car. Although I also believe this of any marque. I've been lucky, (touching wood!), over the years with cars that friends have had huge issues with! Some surprising, some allegedly common........

Would I be right in saying to extend the warranty, it's £1500?

[Grumpydev]

rash_decision said:

Thanks for that.

I've sent an email asking if the dealer can put the previous owner in touch with me for an insight into how the car was used. I'll see what they come back with. The salesman wanted to give me his personal mobile number in case I had questions out of hours!! Given that level of keen, he should hopefully have no issues with my query. Hopefully he doesn't just pass on my email address to one of the other salesman to pose as the owner!!!

I think you are right in saying a bad car will always be a bad car. Although I also believe this of any marque. I've been lucky, (touching wood!), over the years with cars that friends have had huge issues with! Some surprising, some allegedly common........

Would I be right in saying to extend the warranty, it's £1500?

Last invoice I have was £2249 for 2 years, but you also have to pay for a £500 inspection too.

[rash_decision]

Grumpydev said:

Last invoice I have was £2249 for 2 years, but you also have to pay for a £500 inspection too.

Cheers.

£500 for an inspection? I wonder if the dealer I am buying from would charge that, given they have serviced it all it's life and sold it from new come renewal time? I might ask about that, and see if they can waiver that charge next year as a negotiation.

I've been told that the previous owner is quite a 'private' gentleman, so not sure if he would get in touch or not.........Oh well. I'll see what the car is like when I view it and drive it. I've also stated that I want it on a ramp for me to have a look around the underside.

Edited by rash_decision on Friday 27th November 11:01

[Jon39]

Grumpydev said:

Last invoice I have was £2249 for 2 years, but you also have to pay for a £500 inspection too.

I think a few owners have been unlucky, but many others, who would tend not to be heard, have trouble free Aston Martins.

Hoping not to temp fate, but I have owned my V8V for four years, with no claim on dealer warranty which was not renewed, and nothing has gone wrong at all.

Obviously many of these cars originally cost over £100,000 with options, so we must expect some big bills if faults do arise. We enjoy everything associated with the marque, and we certainly cannot accuse AML of profiteering from us.

Taking as much care as possible when buying is obviously sensible, but usually it is quick to spot a car previously owned by a careless person.

Good luck with your purchase, and we look forward to seeing the photos.

[rash_decision]

Jon39 said:

I think a few owners have been unlucky, but many others, who would tend not to be heard, have trouble free Aston Martins.

Hoping not to temp fate, but I have owned my V8V for four years, with no claim on dealer warranty which was not renewed, and nothing has gone wrong at all.

Obviously many of these cars originally cost over £100,000 with options, so we must expect some big bills if faults do arise. We enjoy everything associated with the marque, and we certainly cannot accuse AML of profiteering from us.

Taking as much care as possible when buying is obviously sensible, but usually it is quick to spot a car previously owned by a careless person.

Good luck with your purchase, and we look forward to seeing the photos.

Thanks Jon. I'm going into this with my eyes open, and feel that I would be able to spot a lemon. I have the comfort of buying this from a main dealer, so it comes with premium warranty, I therefore have some peace of mind.

[Neil1300r]

rash_decision said:

Grumpydev said:

Last invoice I have was £2249 for 2 years, but you also have to pay for a £500 inspection too.

Cheers.

£500 for an inspection? I wonder if the dealer I am buying from would charge that, given they have serviced it all it's life and sold it from new come renewal time? I might ask about that, and see if they can waiver that charge next year as a negotiation.

I've been told that the previous owner is quite a 'private' gentleman, so not sure if he would get in touch or not.........Oh well. I'll see what the car is like when I view it and drive it. I've also stated that I want it on a ramp for me to have a look around the underside.

Edited by rash_decision on Friday 27th November 11:01

AM dealers typically include the warranty in the sale price of the car. When I looked at renewing my warranty the dealer would waive the warranty inspection price if they serviced it.

[Grumpydev]

Neil1300r said:

AM dealers typically include the warranty in the sale price of the car. When I looked at renewing my warranty the dealer would waive the warranty inspection price if they serviced it.

Seems to be dealer specific though because that wasn't the case with the previous owner of my car, still needed a complete re-inspection despite being serviced by them, having done less than 5k over the two years and the renewal happening before the warranty ran out :/

Worth noting that the better warranty of the two is only up to 10 years old, I'm not sure if you can extend beyond the 10 years if you do it before the 10th year or whether it's a drop dead date. The lesser of the two warranties is a bit of a waste of money, you may as well go 3rd party at that point.

[Neil1300r]

Grumpydev said:

Neil1300r said:

AM dealers typically include the warranty in the sale price of the car. When I looked at renewing my warranty the dealer would waive the warranty inspection price if they serviced it.

Seems to be dealer specific though because that wasn't the case with the previous owner of my car, still needed a complete re-inspection despite being serviced by them, having done less than 5k over the two years and the renewal happening before the warranty ran out :/

Its called negotiating.

[Grumpydev]

Neil1300r said:

Its called negotiating.

And that's called patronising.

[Neil1300r]

Grumpydev said:

Neil1300r said:

Its called negotiating.

And that's called patronising.

Not really. Been discussed multiple times and for many years on here. Don't know anyone on here that has paid to renew the warranty - the advice has always been to tell the dealer to include it in the cost of the service - they have to check pretty much the same as part of the service - or find a different dealer.

[rash_decision]

Guys who do you insure with?

I've a decent quote at £589 fully comp, and I'm happy at that, but have time to make a few more calls if anyone can recommend a specialist insurer.