2007 V8 Vantage rear bumper supply

[JohnG1]

The Surveyor said:

Bincenzo said:

I fail to believe there are none left. Who has your insurance company spoken to within AM?

I've spoken with AM direct as I was also sceptical of what the bodyshop were telling me about the parts supply via the local Aston Dealer. AM have confirmed that their supplier has closed down and they have no bumpers available, they are looking for an alternative supplier but can't give a date of when they will have an alternative supplier lined up, and therefore when they are likely to have any more bumpers in stock.

Not happy.

OK, so it sounds like the supplier has gone bust? So, to recover the tooling, even if that's covered under the contract between AML and whatever they are called (in bankruptcy) will require the receivers and a bunch of faff. It's not an overnight process...

If there is no stated intention to stop supplying this part and instead it's a commercial problem with that vendor, it seems a bit unwarranted to suggest that it's a strategy not to supply.

In any case, your insurer could ask AML to supply a newer compatible bumper which will have a carbon fibre diffuser rather than the prone to rust mesh on the original...

That old thing about if you get lemons, make lemonade springs to mind...

[The Surveyor]

JohnG1 said:

OK, so it sounds like the supplier has gone bust? So, to recover the tooling, even if that's covered under the contract between AML and whatever they are called (in bankruptcy) will require the receivers and a bunch of faff. It's not an overnight process...

If there is no stated intention to stop supplying this part and instead it's a commercial problem with that vendor, it seems a bit unwarranted to suggest that it's a strategy not to supply.

In any case, your insurer could ask AML to supply a newer compatible bumper which will have a carbon fibre diffuser rather than the prone to rust mesh on the original...

That old thing about if you get lemons, make lemonade springs to mind...

I didn't say that the supplier had gone bust, I said it was reported that they had closed down. Nor did I say that it was an Aston Martin strategy to stop supplying the parts, only that they had let the stock of bumpers dry-up without lining up a satisfactory supply.

Also, I know this sounds feeble, but want to keep the style of the car original, I just don't want the later rear bumper. It won't match the front bumper in age and it will always show it's had an accident which won't help it when I come to sell.

[blade runner]

As your existing bumper is just cosmetically imperfect, can you not just agree with your insurer to defer the works until the alternative supply of replacement bumpers becomes available from AM? I can't believe that they won't find an new supplier fairly swiftly as there must be considerable on-going demand for these within their own world-wide dealership network and beyond. Not ideal, but I understand your desire to keep the car original and would want do the same in your position.

[The Surveyor]

blade runner said:

As your existing bumper is just cosmetically imperfect, can you not just agree with your insurer to defer the works until the alternative supply of replacement bumpers becomes available from AM? I can't believe that they won't find an new supplier fairly swiftly as there must be considerable on-going demand for these within their own world-wide dealership network and beyond. Not ideal, but I understand your desire to keep the car original and would want do the same in your position.

Realistically, that is what I think will happen. Collect the car and take it back once a replacement is eventually available. I'll just have to park it so I can't see the bumper...

[mjk1]

I can also understand why you want the original bumper, I'd do the same with my original 06 V8V. What I would do however is try to agree a cash deal with the third parties insurers based on a couple of quotes from AM bodyshops including list prices for new original parts. You can then either wait for the new original parts to become available or source an undamaged secondhand one and get the preferred bodyshop to fit it. I've done the latter a couple of times and seen the profit as some compensation for the hassle.

[AMDBSVNick]

NeinFondue said:

AMDBSVNick said:

Twitter

There must be a rear bumper on the shelf somewhere. Either at the factory or in the network. When I had an issue with the factory not responding on something I posted on Twitter. Low and behold they contacted me within 30 minutes

[Bincenzo]

The Surveyor said:

I've spoken with AM direct as I was also sceptical of what the bodyshop were telling me about the parts supply via the local Aston Dealer. AM have confirmed that their supplier has closed down and they have no bumpers available, they are looking for an alternative supplier but can't give a date of when they will have an alternative supplier lined up, and therefore when they are likely to have any more bumpers in stock.

Not happy.

In which case I sympathise. Hopefully this issue can be resolved very soon.

[Jon39]

The Surveyor said:

AM have confirmed that their supplier has closed down and they have no bumpers available, they are looking for an alternative supplier ...

A question for the business owners amongst us.

Would it be normal for manufacturers to own the tooling (by contract), which is used by their suppliers?

Presumably the answer must be yes, otherwise a supplier in receivership might mean goodbye tooling and moulds.

[abanks]

Jon39 said:

A question for the business owners amongst us.

Would it be normal for manufacturers to own the tooling (by contract), which is used by their suppliers?

Presumably the answer must be yes, otherwise a supplier in receivership might mean goodbye tooling and moulds.

Yes it is normal for the OEM to own the tools if the product is unique to them, so in the case of Aston Martin Bumpers I would expect Aston to own the tools, however if the supplier has gone bust it may take a while for Aston to get them out of the supplier.

[john ryan]

It all depends on whether the manufacturer paid for the tools at the outset -if not they will belong to the supplier. Not as uncommon as you would think, because big tooling is expensive. A few years ago, JLR's supplier of hydroformed chassis for the Disco/RRS went bust - the supplier owned the tooling, so I think JLR had to buy the company to reinstate supply.

[abanks]

john ryan said:

It all depends on whether the manufacturer paid for the tools at the outset -if not they will belong to the supplier. Not as uncommon as you would think, because big tooling is expensive. A few years ago, JLR's supplier of hydroformed chassis for the Disco/RRS went bust - the supplier owned the tooling, so I think JLR had to buy the company to reinstate supply.

I agree the OEM will have had to have paid for the tools to actually own them.

[The Surveyor]

Just an update. I picked up the car on Friday and brought it home. Happy that's its back but disappointed that it's not been repaired and I've no indication of when a new bumper will be made available so it's sat in the garage awaiting the call when it'll be repaired.

It's an Aston, it should look stunning, it doesn't so sadly I've lost interest in driving it....

[davek_964]

The Surveyor said:

Just an update. I picked up the car on Friday and brought it home. Happy that's its back but disappointed that it's not been repaired and I've no indication of when a new bumper will be made available so it's sat in the garage awaiting the call when it'll be repaired.

It's an Aston, it should look stunning, it doesn't so sadly I've lost interest in driving it....

Each to their own I guess, but that seems a bit extreme for just a small defect in the rear bumper paint.

My 360 currently has a smashed corner on the rear bumper thanks to an argument with a landing light at the supercar weekend at the start of July. It won't get sorted until mid September - but that's not going to stop it doing a couple of thousand miles across Europe next week. I'd rather not have a hole in my bumper - but from the front / sides it still looks fabulous, I can't see it when I'm in the car anyway, and it doesn't affect how it drives.
So hole or not, I'm going to enjoy it.

[jakesmith]

Seems a bit sad to me, to not enjoy driving such a car due to a tiny imperfection that can barely be seen. You sound like a real glass half empty kind of guy, so many people would be over the moon at having an Aston, yet you don't enjoy driving yours due to some tiny scratch!? Cars get scratched all the time it's a fact of life and of the environment they live in

[AMDBSVNick]

jakesmith said:

Seems a bit sad to me, to not enjoy driving such a car due to a tiny imperfection that can barely be seen. You sound like a real glass half empty kind of guy, so many people would be over the moon at having an Aston, yet you don't enjoy driving yours due to some tiny scratch!? Cars get scratched all the time it's a fact of life and of the environment they live in

^^^^^this^^^^^

There are plenty on here who use their cars for hooning. Be that a 3 hour blat on a Sunday with mates or 10 days in Europe. They get peppered and stone chipped but it goes with the territory. It can all be rectified periodically.

Pull yourself together man.

[NeinFondue]

davek_964 said:

Each to their own I guess, but that seems a bit extreme for just a small defect in the rear bumper paint.

My 360 currently has a smashed corner on the rear bumper thanks to an argument with a landing light at the supercar weekend at the start of July. It won't get sorted until mid September - but that's not going to stop it doing a couple of thousand miles across Europe next week. I'd rather not have a hole in my bumper - but from the front / sides it still looks fabulous, I can't see it when I'm in the car anyway, and it doesn't affect how it drives.
So hole or not, I'm going to enjoy it.

^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^

AMDBSVNick said:

^^^^^this^^^^^

There are plenty on here who use their cars for hooning. Be that a 3 hour blat on a Sunday with mates or 10 days in Europe. They get peppered and stone chipped but it goes with the territory. It can all be rectified periodically.

Pull yourself together man.

And ^^^^^This^^^^^

Unless of course your more interested in concours' (Nothing at all wrong with that), being worried about minor imperfections and mileage will in the end limit your enjoyment of these wonderful driving machines.... At least it would do for me.

[The Surveyor]

I'm not usually a negative person and the Aston isnt a concours garage queen, it's been around Europe and still has the stone chip on the bonnet from a brisk run up the Autostrada heading into Milan from last years cross Europe holiday. It wears that like a little badge of honour.

The whole rear bumper episode has however just brassed me off, frustrated the balls off me to the point where it's taken the shine off whole Aston ownership experience.

Loved the car but if the manufacture can't supply parts for it, sadly it'll be time to move it on once repaired.

[jakesmith]

The Surveyor said:

I'm not usually a negative person and the Aston isnt a concours garage queen, it's been around Europe and still has the stone chip on the bonnet from a brisk run up the Autostrada heading into Milan from last years cross Europe holiday. It wears that like a little badge of honour.

The whole rear bumper episode has however just brassed me off, frustrated the balls off me to the point where it's taken the shine off whole Aston ownership experience.

Loved the car but if the manufacture can't supply parts for it, sadly it'll be time to move it on once repaired.

This is nuts. I'm surprised you didn't ditch it when you first ran out of petrol. This sort of thing isn't that unusual on a low volume car. Part of your frustration seems to come from your incredibly high expectations for how your car should look, and on the part of the old duffer who caused some damage to replace a part that could probably be easily repaired to a high standard. For a lot of people a well done smart repair or resprayed 2nd hand bumper would be fine, after all, if you can't see the repair who cares. The grief you are experiencing is because you are demanding a brand new part. It is annoying that the part is out of stock but really, why does it matter. A well repainted bumper is good as new, and it will get smashed in again at some point anyway if you drive it on the road. I know a guy in Guildford who does smart repairs, he has done all my Porsches, he does loads of Astons, Bentleys, cars with really good paintwork. There is no way his work is detectable to my eye and I am fussy. Happy to put you in touch if you like, your car could be good as new within a day or two probably for £250 job done.

[The Surveyor]

jakesmith said:

This is nuts. I'm surprised you didn't ditch it when you first ran out of petrol. This sort of thing isn't that unusual on a low volume car. Part of your frustration seems to come from your incredibly high expectations for how your car should look, and on the part of the old duffer who caused some damage to replace a part that could probably be easily repaired to a high standard. For a lot of people a well done smart repair or resprayed 2nd hand bumper would be fine, after all, if you can't see the repair who cares. The grief you are experiencing is because you are demanding a brand new part. It is annoying that the part is out of stock but really, why does it matter. A well repainted bumper is good as new, and it will get smashed in again at some point anyway if you drive it on the road. I know a guy in Guildford who does smart repairs, he has done all my Porsches, he does loads of Astons, Bentleys, cars with really good paintwork. There is no way his work is detectable to my eye and I am fussy. Happy to put you in touch if you like, your car could be good as new within a day or two probably for £250 job done.

For the record, I am NOT demanding a new bumper, and the existing bumper does not just need a flash over with new paint otherwise that is exactly what the insurance company would have done to everybody's satisfaction.

The existing bumper is bent, not just scuffed, that's why the insurance company (not me) confirmed that it needs replacing. Replacing, not just repainting. What don't you understand about that? If you would be happy to accept a shiny but bent bumper on your Porsche then happy days, but I have slightly higher expectations, and thankfully so do my insurance company and the guys employed to undertake the repair.

[blade runner]

I think a few people are being a bit harsh on the OP to be honest.

The car is his pride and joy and, by no fault of his own, it's got a bent/scuffed bumper and no immediate prospect of having it replaced any time soon. Yes, the car is still perfectly servicable to use with the damaged bumper in place, but I also wouldn't feel great knowing I've got to drive my pride and joy around looking like that until such time as AM happen to pull their finger out and sort out parts supply. A few stone chips are a million miles away from a major body panel like the rear bumper. If I was in same position, I'd be equally as pissed off as the OP - although I don't think it'd put me off the whole marque and make me want to sell on.