I've left a deposit on a Vantage!!

[JonV8V]

Direct line have just sent my renewal for a 2 year old V8S - £300 or so.

You need to decide whether you want the guaranteed future value, preferred repairers, track day cover etc or just go cheap as chips with a name you've heard of. There's no right answer on that.

[Jon39]

rash_decision said:

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.

The Aston is the only one of my cars, where I insist on a policy that allows me to choose a repairer.
These days, insurers like to be in control of the repair. Currently use Aviva. Cannot really compare premiums, because of such variable circumstances.

[V8V Pete]

I use Aviva through A-Plan for a quality policy that allows me to use whichever repairer I choose (which, for me, is an important feature). Locktons also seem to be popular on here and have some track day cover (which Aviva doesn't) but their quote was much more expensive for me. Not sure what the excess is on Locktons track day cover and I'm a bit dubious about the value of track day cover because it's all very well you being covered but what if the cock spinning backwards into you has no cover at all? Who pays then?

[V8V Pete]

Simultaneous quotes with the same message Jon

[rash_decision]

Thanks for the replies. I guess the main concern for me is a company that will pay the car's worth, and not what the book says. My current quote is with Admiral, who I have been with for a few years now. I have no complaints other than them starting to throw admin charges onto things whenever I've called recently. They were always good for not charging for a few taps on a keyboard, but I guess times have changed!! Adrian Flux were almost double Admiral's price which surprised me!!

As I said, I'm happy with my quote, but wasn't sure if I would have had a resounding response, recommending a particular AM specialist type insurer.

[V8V Pete]

Another variable is whether or not the insurer insists you subscribe to the tracker service for their policy. If they do (my insurer doesn't) then that adds £250 to your premium (to insure them against a total loss).

[rash_decision]

So guys...........a few weeks down the line, but the purchase never went through.

I went to view the car, and it was pretty rough in my opinion!

There was rust starting on both rear wings, at the bottom where the wings meet the side skirts. Both door edges were corroding, with the driver's door having a blister the size of your finger nail, both front wings had been painted at some point, noticeably, and the rear driver's side wing had been painted, again, poorly.

The garage's answer was, 'Oh, sorry, we never noticed, but we'll paint it!'. bks! When I pointed out the issues, they came as no surprise to the sales team. They knew. Coincidentally, their body shop guy was on site this day, and he came in for a look. He agreed on the corrosion, agreed on the poor paint to the rear wing, and the door edges corroding. The reply?? 'We can flatten and polish the wing, repair the corrosion, and blow in the door edges'. I asked him and the sales manager to listen to what they were telling me, and if it sounded reasonable, on a 1 owner car, with 5k miles, and sold to me on the phone as being in new condition!?

I was told the car was as new, being 1 owner and 5k miles, but it was far from it! Funnily enough, a friend had been in the garage the weekend before I viewed the car. I had mentioned this to the salesman before he went through, just in passing conversation, and looking back, this would explain why the car was in the valet bay, and the valeter had 'left with the valet bay keys!'.

I had foolishly convinced myself that buying from an AM main agent would have been a pleasant experience, but it was quite apparent that they were no better than any other sales garage. I have no doubt in my mind that they were hoping that I would either miss the flaws and poor repairs and just buy the car, saving them a few bucks, or at least if I didn't, allow them to paint the car. I am very disappointed with the experience, to say the least.

Back to the drawing board......................

[hashluck]

You did well not to get caught up in the emotion of it and the low miles and walk away. Sounds awful. Some things are not at all mileage dependant. Also I am afraid most AM dealers are just the same as any other dealer. They are just lumps of metal to be shifted.

[rash_decision]

hashluck said:

You did well not to get caught up in the emotion of it and the low miles and walk away. Sounds awful. Some things are not at all mileage dependant. Also I am afraid most AM dealers are just the same as any other dealer. They are just lumps of metal to be shifted.

I'm sure that they were hoping I would have got carried away and caught up with emotion!

How someone can bare faced lie in such a way is beyond me!

[Jon39]

A disappointing experience and a waste of your time. However, I suppose it might have added to your knowledge, if only not to do business with that dealer.

2007 was the peak in Vantage sales, so there should be opportunities for you to find a well cared for car. As time goes along, and prices drift down, you might come across the first of the 4.7 cars (September 2008).

Good luck finding your ideal car.

[williamp]

Yes, shame on the experience but give up on the dealer, not the car. Plenty others out there, as they say..

[rash_decision]

Thanks for the comments guys. I haven't given up on the car, but definitely that dealer!!

In a way I am glad the car was presented to me in such a poor state. Had they dickied up the corrosion, and I bought the car for it to come back in 3 months time, as corrosion tends to do, I would have been in a far worse place!

[petop]

Jon39 said:

A disappointing experience and a waste of your time. However, I suppose it might have added to your knowledge, if only not to do business with that dealer.

2007 was the peak in Vantage sales, so there should be opportunities for you to find a well cared for car. As time goes along, and prices drift down, you might come across the first of the 4.7 cars (September 2008).

Good luck finding your ideal car.

4.7 Sept 08, earlier than that. Mine is June 08 but it is a early early car.

[Murph7355]

tbf that paint doesn't sound too far off "as new"

If you're worried about "corrosion" (poor paint), walk away from the marque.

[Jon39]

petop said:

4.7 Sept 08, earlier than that. Mine is June 08 but it is a early early car.

Yes, I thought about your car as I wrote that. I think the model year system usually means, retail customer cars begin delivery on 1st September.

Are you still doing the 007 work?
Keep safe, and a happy New Year to you.

[rash_decision]

Murph7355 said:

tbf that paint doesn't sound too far off "as new"

If you're worried about "corrosion" (poor paint), walk away from the marque.

Really?? They all have poorly painted/repaired front wings, and spuriously panels?? I don't think so. This was just a rough example.

I knew of the issue around the door handles and the wing mirrors, but this was quite clearly corrosion blistering along the lower lip of the rear wing. Along the edge below the stone guard sticker, spidering up the wing at 22-25mm lengths. Nothing like I had seen before or been prepared for. Clearly from the inside out. This was just a poor example that had not been looked after at all. The car must have been kept in a damp garage all it's days with no air circulation to dry it out after a run. Looking underneath it, there was lots of corrosion on mounts, nuts/bolts etc, that looked to me like it was never allowed to dry. With poor repairs to the rear wing and front wings thrown in for good measure.

I'm not gonna let one bad car spoil the marque.

[Jon39]

rash_decision said:

Really?? They all have poorly painted/repaired front wings, and spuriously panels?? I don't think so. This was just a rough example.

I knew of the issue around the door handles and the wing mirrors, ...

I'm not gonna let one bad car spoil the marque.

Quite right. I have seen plenty of pristine examples.

Take your time, and wait for the one that you really want. There are many owners who take great care of their Astons.

I understand that dealers tend to sell dubious examples to the trade, when been taken in px. You found a dealer who does not do this, so that 'says it all'. On very rare occasions, we have been made aware on here, of a car moving several times in the trade, before finding a customer.

Hope you have better luck with your search.

[petop]

Jon39 said:

petop said:

4.7 Sept 08, earlier than that. Mine is June 08 but it is a early early car.

Yes, I thought about your car as I wrote that. I think the model year system usually means, retail customer cars begin delivery on 1st September.

Are you still doing the 007 work?
Keep safe, and a happy New Year to you.

Yep and abroad now.
Same to you.