Aston Martin advice from Bamford Rose independent specialist
Discussion
works well!I thought it was time to reacquaint PH readers with my love of Bamford Rose.
Readers may remember my rant against Aston Martin for failing to spot my rotton front subframe when doing a pre-delivery inspection for my privately purchased Vanquish, but to my delight that was put right by the boys at Bamford Rose at a fraction of the cost AM wanted to charge me.
Recently Bamford Rose came and collected my broken down Vanquish, which was refusing to start, the car was stuck in first and refusing to go into neutral. The car had to be dragged out of its winter hibernation by a Landrover before being loaded onto BR's trailer and taken away. I thought the car would have to have the magnetic gear position sensor upgrade, as I presumed the gear system was broken. I have always liked the gear change, and as such have not had the change as I have always found it smooth and accurate provided you use it correctly. When Mike called I was fully expecting them to say “car fixed sir, gear position sensor upgrade please pay £3500 to pass go”. To my relief, they phoned up to say my own battery fitting skills were not that great and the gear system was disabled because I had inadvertently dislodged some fuses – so not the disaster I was expecting - whilst the car was there they serviced it,crawled over it as I have come to expect, giving me a full appraisal of the Vanquish - in Mike's own words - "she is very tidy"
There is not better place to send an Aston, and no better people to deal with, and they are the only reason I have not sold it and I cannot wait to pick it up and drive it home. I am off to France later in the year and cannot wait to test it on a long run -
James
Readers may remember my rant against Aston Martin for failing to spot my rotton front subframe when doing a pre-delivery inspection for my privately purchased Vanquish, but to my delight that was put right by the boys at Bamford Rose at a fraction of the cost AM wanted to charge me.
Recently Bamford Rose came and collected my broken down Vanquish, which was refusing to start, the car was stuck in first and refusing to go into neutral. The car had to be dragged out of its winter hibernation by a Landrover before being loaded onto BR's trailer and taken away. I thought the car would have to have the magnetic gear position sensor upgrade, as I presumed the gear system was broken. I have always liked the gear change, and as such have not had the change as I have always found it smooth and accurate provided you use it correctly. When Mike called I was fully expecting them to say “car fixed sir, gear position sensor upgrade please pay £3500 to pass go”. To my relief, they phoned up to say my own battery fitting skills were not that great and the gear system was disabled because I had inadvertently dislodged some fuses – so not the disaster I was expecting - whilst the car was there they serviced it,crawled over it as I have come to expect, giving me a full appraisal of the Vanquish - in Mike's own words - "she is very tidy"
There is not better place to send an Aston, and no better people to deal with, and they are the only reason I have not sold it and I cannot wait to pick it up and drive it home. I am off to France later in the year and cannot wait to test it on a long run -
James
V12woollie said:
Many things come down to personal taste and the Zagato interior really doesn't do it for me. But you like it so great job on personalising your car 
I agree with you to a certain point, the key to this working, is not having the "Chavvy" seats of the full Zagato interior. My plan ultimately is to do custom interior panels with my daughter designing them. she has just graduated with her BA in Handbag and Accessories Design from London School of Fashion. Brave man hey, letting your girl have freedom to do this to her dad's P&J. It is my commitment to her, I want her to have the chance to shine after graduating as the design students find it so hard to get work. She has a week booked off work (her non design job she is earning her keep with currently) in August to be with the car, she will be designing concepts and sampling leather ideas. Who knows maybe back here with a new interior and letting the Zagato interior go in time to come.Actually the zagato panels really lifted the quality feeling by having the craftsmanship feeling, a real difference. I am getting a rear parcel shelf made in the same Zagato weave to match the roof orientation.
Edited by W1111AM on Thursday 19th June 23:28
I picked up the Vanquish from BR, always an utter joy to poke around BRHQ. I am not a technical chap, and it was great to see the engine and exhaust shop as well as see all the cars in various states of repair and hear the individual plans that the owners have for them.
The Vanquish ran like a train on the journey home - thanks Mike and Adrian for sorting it out.
Plans for the future
1 - Get the paintwork into A1 condition - any thoughts on where to go for a respray?
2 - Recarpet the interior in black - it is currently light grey
3 - Vanquish S or BR equivalent sports pack - this is the head scratcher -
jt
The Vanquish ran like a train on the journey home - thanks Mike and Adrian for sorting it out.
Plans for the future
1 - Get the paintwork into A1 condition - any thoughts on where to go for a respray?
2 - Recarpet the interior in black - it is currently light grey
3 - Vanquish S or BR equivalent sports pack - this is the head scratcher -
jt
I have just googled them and they are a touch ott -
I have been looking for sports seats for my vanquish for years and cannot find any - the seats in it are the same recarros as I had in my RS6 and the Vanquish S sports seats are almost identical to those form my Porsche 993 - yet Aston wanted an astronomical sum for a new pair.
I have been looking for sports seats for my vanquish for years and cannot find any - the seats in it are the same recarros as I had in my RS6 and the Vanquish S sports seats are almost identical to those form my Porsche 993 - yet Aston wanted an astronomical sum for a new pair.
Hi
First post as part of my research into buying an Aston.
I am a retired Motor Dealer so lots of experience in buying at Auctions etc but none of buying an Aston except my father bought a 1969 H reg DBS straight six in 1970 on Warren Street 6months old for £4000 list was £7501.So time I had one but cant afford a six month old one!
Three years ago I bought a lovely 1997 Jaguar XK8 not having done enough research and sent it to a great Jaguar specialist to get it ready for me to use. £3000 later it was ready timing chain some suspension stuff,underbody treatment etc but of course I now know if you buy an XK8 you will basically need to get this stuff done. Since then I have spent a couple of thousand a year keeping it in top condition some of it neccessary some of it not like a slightly noisy air con pump which the specialist said could last for years but I wanted it done.Fortunately this year it just had a service and a tyre £400ish.
I only do around 4000 a year but want it in tip top shape for days out and trips up to the Lakes or down to the south coast.
So now I fancy an Aston but which one would you suggest the DB7 looks great but is it just like my XK8 only it has the Aston badge .Should it be a V12 or not. my XK is a coupe so maybe a Volante this time.Or would a DB9 be better as its significantly different than my XK8 when I look out at it on my driveway, again similar questions.
If /When I buy I would want to send it to an Aston Specialist for a full service and inspection .My own skills should ensure its a good pedigree etc but like the Jaguar what can I expect to have to do on most Astons?
Whichever car it will have to be the best I can find one to be proud of budget 25k to 40k at retail I guess but hopefully one will turn up in a classic auction.
Any advice welcomed
Cheers
Woody
First post as part of my research into buying an Aston.
I am a retired Motor Dealer so lots of experience in buying at Auctions etc but none of buying an Aston except my father bought a 1969 H reg DBS straight six in 1970 on Warren Street 6months old for £4000 list was £7501.So time I had one but cant afford a six month old one!
Three years ago I bought a lovely 1997 Jaguar XK8 not having done enough research and sent it to a great Jaguar specialist to get it ready for me to use. £3000 later it was ready timing chain some suspension stuff,underbody treatment etc but of course I now know if you buy an XK8 you will basically need to get this stuff done. Since then I have spent a couple of thousand a year keeping it in top condition some of it neccessary some of it not like a slightly noisy air con pump which the specialist said could last for years but I wanted it done.Fortunately this year it just had a service and a tyre £400ish.
I only do around 4000 a year but want it in tip top shape for days out and trips up to the Lakes or down to the south coast.
So now I fancy an Aston but which one would you suggest the DB7 looks great but is it just like my XK8 only it has the Aston badge .Should it be a V12 or not. my XK is a coupe so maybe a Volante this time.Or would a DB9 be better as its significantly different than my XK8 when I look out at it on my driveway, again similar questions.
If /When I buy I would want to send it to an Aston Specialist for a full service and inspection .My own skills should ensure its a good pedigree etc but like the Jaguar what can I expect to have to do on most Astons?
Whichever car it will have to be the best I can find one to be proud of budget 25k to 40k at retail I guess but hopefully one will turn up in a classic auction.
Any advice welcomed
Cheers
Woody
DB7 has a lot of XK genes as you know, it can also have a LOT more issues 
I'd suggest a Gaydon era car, best bet is to buy Grants definitive guide
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Then go to somewhere like McGurks to have a look round some 05/06/07 cars.
Teaching you to suck eggs here but a lot will depend on what you use it for
Volante vs Coupe, GT vs Sports, Auto vs Manual
Defining those three will pretty much determine which Aston!
Good luck with the search!
I'd suggest a Gaydon era car, best bet is to buy Grants definitive guide
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Then go to somewhere like McGurks to have a look round some 05/06/07 cars.
Teaching you to suck eggs here but a lot will depend on what you use it for
Volante vs Coupe, GT vs Sports, Auto vs Manual
Defining those three will pretty much determine which Aston!
Good luck with the search!
Edited by mikey k on Tuesday 22 July 09:26
woodwards26 said:
Hi
First post as part of my research into buying an Aston.
I am a retired Motor Dealer so lots of experience in buying at Auctions etc but none of buying an Aston except my father bought a 1969 H reg DBS straight six in 1970 on Warren Street 6months old for £4000 list was £7501.So time I had one but cant afford a six month old one!
Three years ago I bought a lovely 1997 Jaguar XK8 not having done enough research and sent it to a great Jaguar specialist to get it ready for me to use. £3000 later it was ready timing chain some suspension stuff,underbody treatment etc but of course I now know if you buy an XK8 you will basically need to get this stuff done. Since then I have spent a couple of thousand a year keeping it in top condition some of it neccessary some of it not like a slightly noisy air con pump which the specialist said could last for years but I wanted it done.Fortunately this year it just had a service and a tyre £400ish.
I only do around 4000 a year but want it in tip top shape for days out and trips up to the Lakes or down to the south coast.
So now I fancy an Aston but which one would you suggest the DB7 looks great but is it just like my XK8 only it has the Aston badge .Should it be a V12 or not. my XK is a coupe so maybe a Volante this time.Or would a DB9 be better as its significantly different than my XK8 when I look out at it on my driveway, again similar questions.
If /When I buy I would want to send it to an Aston Specialist for a full service and inspection .My own skills should ensure its a good pedigree etc but like the Jaguar what can I expect to have to do on most Astons?
Whichever car it will have to be the best I can find one to be proud of budget 25k to 40k at retail I guess but hopefully one will turn up in a classic auction.
Any advice welcomed
Cheers
Woody
For what it's worth, I am on my third Vantage, 2 of them new, including the current one, one bought at 6 months old.First post as part of my research into buying an Aston.
I am a retired Motor Dealer so lots of experience in buying at Auctions etc but none of buying an Aston except my father bought a 1969 H reg DBS straight six in 1970 on Warren Street 6months old for £4000 list was £7501.So time I had one but cant afford a six month old one!
Three years ago I bought a lovely 1997 Jaguar XK8 not having done enough research and sent it to a great Jaguar specialist to get it ready for me to use. £3000 later it was ready timing chain some suspension stuff,underbody treatment etc but of course I now know if you buy an XK8 you will basically need to get this stuff done. Since then I have spent a couple of thousand a year keeping it in top condition some of it neccessary some of it not like a slightly noisy air con pump which the specialist said could last for years but I wanted it done.Fortunately this year it just had a service and a tyre £400ish.
I only do around 4000 a year but want it in tip top shape for days out and trips up to the Lakes or down to the south coast.
So now I fancy an Aston but which one would you suggest the DB7 looks great but is it just like my XK8 only it has the Aston badge .Should it be a V12 or not. my XK is a coupe so maybe a Volante this time.Or would a DB9 be better as its significantly different than my XK8 when I look out at it on my driveway, again similar questions.
If /When I buy I would want to send it to an Aston Specialist for a full service and inspection .My own skills should ensure its a good pedigree etc but like the Jaguar what can I expect to have to do on most Astons?
Whichever car it will have to be the best I can find one to be proud of budget 25k to 40k at retail I guess but hopefully one will turn up in a classic auction.
Any advice welcomed
Cheers
Woody
I have had a succession of fast cars, Ferrari Merc SL 55 etc, and from my perspective the Vantage I found suited me best of all. firstly I have found them all to be very reliable, with one exception. The second hand one I bought was a sports shift, and it was dreadful, juddering like a diesel van with 200k on the clock. 2 dealers couldn't fix the issue so I bought a 4.7 manual Roadster in 2010, got a great deal from Grange Essex.
Secondly, reasonable to service via specialists....expect around £650 average, excluding things like new pads etc..
thirdly, they don't attract much limp wristed action...people genuinely love the cars.
Performance will disappoint a bit, given the latest small turbo cars around, but if it's just performance, go buy one! I spent about £10k to get a competitive level of performance......and it certainly competes.....
The most mileage I put on was my first car and that was about 25K ...... Reliability has been good.
I love the size too, it's about the size of a 911 so is very easy to point.....and handling with the sports pack is very good too.
Suspect you can easily get a nice one within your price bracket. I considered a DB9, but felt it was too much of a tourer.....best of luck and welcome to the club...
Thanks Glendower I think it is an industry thing with the sport shift type of gearbox I have heard a similar tale of woe about a Jaguar. And lower down the scale Peugeot had a semi auto in their 1007 which lurched and paused until you developed a knack of driving it.ie just use the paddles.Obviously didn't put you off the marque but must have been a stressful time.
Woody
Woody
Thanks Glendower I think it is an industry thing with the sport shift type of gearbox I have heard a similar tale of woe about a Jaguar. And lower down the scale Peugeot had a semi auto in their 1007 which lurched and paused until you developed a knack of driving it.ie just use the paddles.Obviously didn't put you off the marque but must have been a stressful time.
Woody
Woody
P2139 DTC
Hi, I wonder if someone with knowledge of the inner workings of the V12 ECU could help me.
I am looking for threshold values for a P2139 (Throttle/Pedal Position primary to secondary correlation) code on a 2010MY DBS.
The scan data I have is only for Primary & Secondary APP1 & 2 Volts, % Pedal Position & supply volts. The OBD information I have only states “disagreement between sensors > 1.1 degrees but degrees are not available from scan tool.
Can the degrees be converted into volts or a % value?
Any information would be appreciated.
Hi, I wonder if someone with knowledge of the inner workings of the V12 ECU could help me.
I am looking for threshold values for a P2139 (Throttle/Pedal Position primary to secondary correlation) code on a 2010MY DBS.
The scan data I have is only for Primary & Secondary APP1 & 2 Volts, % Pedal Position & supply volts. The OBD information I have only states “disagreement between sensors > 1.1 degrees but degrees are not available from scan tool.
Can the degrees be converted into volts or a % value?
Any information would be appreciated.
Why I love BR (thinking I can actually write this on their own thread without stoking the proverbial fire)......:
1. Drop Mike a txt on a Saturday Morning, knowing the guys don't necessarily work over the weekend, on the off chance of getting a bit of advice on a rattle from my front end (oooer missus). Get txt back immediately from Mike asking if I'm coming to Burghley, as they can look at it tomorrow. Sadly no, as I have relatives over from Australia.
2. Ask if Mike is in the office this afternoon. Yes, he's says. I say I'll pop over. Turns out he and Adrian are only there to sort stuff for Burghley, and the last thing they probably needed was a muppet with a rattle. So, did they politely ask if I could rearrange at a slightly more convenient time - no. What they did was put the kettle on, chat the symptoms through, BOTH take it for Independant test drives, then spend at least 1/2 an hour inspecting, assuring and fettling, after having done the workshop shuffle to get mine in and up on a ramp.
3. The prognosis was inconclusive, but I was assured by both that the car was mechanically sound and may be showing signs of potential wheel bearing or lower wishbone wear. I offered to book the car in for further investigation and remedial work. Mike then offered the most honest and refreshing statement. "There is nothing wrong with your car that needs fixing right now. Sure we could change the wheel bearing and the wishbone, but that could be a needless cost for you. It's sound, let's just wait for further symptoms before committing to any work." If Carlsberg did engineers......
4. Given that by this stage I'd wasted half of their afternoon, and they were supposed to prepping for Burghley, I made myself scarce.....but not before asking them what I owed them for their time. I think we can all guess what they said.
Thanks fellas, it's stuff like this that sets you apart from others. And I don't expect any replies to this as it's not meant to fire off a debate, just to state the facts of this afternoons activities.
1. Drop Mike a txt on a Saturday Morning, knowing the guys don't necessarily work over the weekend, on the off chance of getting a bit of advice on a rattle from my front end (oooer missus). Get txt back immediately from Mike asking if I'm coming to Burghley, as they can look at it tomorrow. Sadly no, as I have relatives over from Australia.
2. Ask if Mike is in the office this afternoon. Yes, he's says. I say I'll pop over. Turns out he and Adrian are only there to sort stuff for Burghley, and the last thing they probably needed was a muppet with a rattle. So, did they politely ask if I could rearrange at a slightly more convenient time - no. What they did was put the kettle on, chat the symptoms through, BOTH take it for Independant test drives, then spend at least 1/2 an hour inspecting, assuring and fettling, after having done the workshop shuffle to get mine in and up on a ramp.
3. The prognosis was inconclusive, but I was assured by both that the car was mechanically sound and may be showing signs of potential wheel bearing or lower wishbone wear. I offered to book the car in for further investigation and remedial work. Mike then offered the most honest and refreshing statement. "There is nothing wrong with your car that needs fixing right now. Sure we could change the wheel bearing and the wishbone, but that could be a needless cost for you. It's sound, let's just wait for further symptoms before committing to any work." If Carlsberg did engineers......
4. Given that by this stage I'd wasted half of their afternoon, and they were supposed to prepping for Burghley, I made myself scarce.....but not before asking them what I owed them for their time. I think we can all guess what they said.
Thanks fellas, it's stuff like this that sets you apart from others. And I don't expect any replies to this as it's not meant to fire off a debate, just to state the facts of this afternoons activities.
Mark,
I'd like to add one thing with out the need of a supporting Fire Engine……
They sorted your issue and worked on late with a hiccup on a show car on Saturday Night,in fact Mike missed his Dinner at the George.
But on Sunday Morning well before 7 am Mike,Adrian and Martin were bright eyed and bushy tailed and cleaning off Blofeld and Jessica in the North Court Yard at Burghley.
They did themselves a power of good on Sunday and helped push the Charity pot up to where it now stands,close to 11 grand.
I'd like to publicly say to them all a very big thank you and to Adrian in particular who was the star of the show as he worked like a Trojan in considerable heat to fit 15 Switches
including the switch from hell on Dewi's Rapide whilst juggling with other bits and pieces all day long.
Well done guys take a bow………..
I'd like to add one thing with out the need of a supporting Fire Engine……
They sorted your issue and worked on late with a hiccup on a show car on Saturday Night,in fact Mike missed his Dinner at the George.
But on Sunday Morning well before 7 am Mike,Adrian and Martin were bright eyed and bushy tailed and cleaning off Blofeld and Jessica in the North Court Yard at Burghley.
They did themselves a power of good on Sunday and helped push the Charity pot up to where it now stands,close to 11 grand.
I'd like to publicly say to them all a very big thank you and to Adrian in particular who was the star of the show as he worked like a Trojan in considerable heat to fit 15 Switches
including the switch from hell on Dewi's Rapide whilst juggling with other bits and pieces all day long.
Well done guys take a bow………..
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