Aston V8 Vantage 4.3
Discussion
olv said:
Really no idea what is triggering the filter.
BR removed the primary cat on each side, I did not opt for their full sports cat, they're a bit raucously loud with the valves open. It was 2k all in for the remap, decat, exhaust switch and EGR removal which feels good value based on how it drives and compared to what VAP charge for a remap.
Excellent - thanks for that BR removed the primary cat on each side, I did not opt for their full sports cat, they're a bit raucously loud with the valves open. It was 2k all in for the remap, decat, exhaust switch and EGR removal which feels good value based on how it drives and compared to what VAP charge for a remap.
I had a proper go with it at the weekend on a familiar stretch of road. It's really good fun, the remap makes such an improvement to the interaction with the throttle pedal and overall the engine feels really sweet, would recommended anyone who is umming and ahhing about it to crack on. Certainly it's quelled any sense of urgency on upgrading to a twin plate clutch and lightweight flywheel until the current clutch is shot.
G111MDS said:
That is absolutely lovely. I’ve got these on my bucket list of cars to own. Currently have a Lotus Exige in the garage, and while a completely different car, I am pondering selling the lotus for one.
Really depends on the planned use. The Aston makes for a wonderful GT car that can still bring a smile on a country road. The Exige is more angry wasp in a jar with a sense of face car about it. Both wonderful in different ways.
Shnozz said:
Really depends on the planned use. The Aston makes for a wonderful GT car that can still bring a smile on a country road. The Exige is more angry wasp in a jar with a sense of face car about it.
Both wonderful in different ways.
Agreed. The Vantage will feel like a heavy, luxury machine compared to your lotus but it has a lot of its own charms. Both wonderful in different ways.
I've done a few bits in recent months. My radiator was showing signs of corrosion so I wanted to swap it out before it sprung a leak and left me stranded. I had the (professional) help of a friend for this and it just makes me want a lift but fairly sure that'd void my lease if I fitted one in my car park 
With the fan pack out there's lots of room but to unhook the AC rad from the rad it's easy to take the under tray off and the radiator support beam to give enough vertical wiggle room.
The old radiator looking a bit grim. I don't have a pic of the new one but I didn't stump up the £900 for an Aston replacement and went for a Jaguar pattern part which shares the same design.
Previously the high speed fan would kick in in traffic quite quickly but the new radiator seems to flow and cool more than adequately as the high speed fan comes in much less frequently and I've done enough gruelling standing crawls through London since fitting it to have confidence that it's doing the job.
One of the first things I did with the car at the beginning was wheel spacers, I took the fronts off very quickly as they weren't hub centric and the wheel wouldn't centre perfectly. But I missed the look so bought a set of SSC 12mm spacers to try.
I also got a new low profile jack which even fits under the car with the jackpads which is soooo much easier that my previous jack that didn't fit.
Another bit of preventative maintenance was replacing the original battery. It had not started to fail or anything and I don't keep the car on a trickle charger but at 16 years old it seemed like a good idea to change it and was an excuse to investigate lithium batteries
Access to the battery under the parcel shelf is hard enough normally but with fixed buckets it's a total pain and much of it was done through the boot hatch.
I plumped for the Deadweight Industries Touge 500, this is used and sold by the Valiant Ecosse guys and seemed a tried and tested option in the Vantage. A mere 5kg, saving 19kg over the original.
No problems so far but will be interesting to see over time if there are any quirks. It's got a built in protection method that will shut itself off if the charge runs low. I'm fairly sure I don't have any bad parasitic drains as the old battery has never go flat after weeks of not being started.
And that's up to now.
With the fan pack out there's lots of room but to unhook the AC rad from the rad it's easy to take the under tray off and the radiator support beam to give enough vertical wiggle room.
The old radiator looking a bit grim. I don't have a pic of the new one but I didn't stump up the £900 for an Aston replacement and went for a Jaguar pattern part which shares the same design.
Previously the high speed fan would kick in in traffic quite quickly but the new radiator seems to flow and cool more than adequately as the high speed fan comes in much less frequently and I've done enough gruelling standing crawls through London since fitting it to have confidence that it's doing the job.
One of the first things I did with the car at the beginning was wheel spacers, I took the fronts off very quickly as they weren't hub centric and the wheel wouldn't centre perfectly. But I missed the look so bought a set of SSC 12mm spacers to try.
I also got a new low profile jack which even fits under the car with the jackpads which is soooo much easier that my previous jack that didn't fit.
Another bit of preventative maintenance was replacing the original battery. It had not started to fail or anything and I don't keep the car on a trickle charger but at 16 years old it seemed like a good idea to change it and was an excuse to investigate lithium batteries
Access to the battery under the parcel shelf is hard enough normally but with fixed buckets it's a total pain and much of it was done through the boot hatch.
I plumped for the Deadweight Industries Touge 500, this is used and sold by the Valiant Ecosse guys and seemed a tried and tested option in the Vantage. A mere 5kg, saving 19kg over the original.
No problems so far but will be interesting to see over time if there are any quirks. It's got a built in protection method that will shut itself off if the charge runs low. I'm fairly sure I don't have any bad parasitic drains as the old battery has never go flat after weeks of not being started.
And that's up to now.
Edited by olv on Sunday 4th June 10:18
olv said:
Gooly said:
Was this at our @mildlyinterestingcarsoflondon meet? I'm sure I recognise it! Gorgeous car, what do you think of the chassis and handling relative to the 911 now that yours is on Nitrons? I'm always so tempted by a V8V but worried I will be disappointed if I sell the 911 for one...
Yes! I got chance to say hello to Mike but not you (unless you are Mike ).
First off, I really miss my 911, but I also miss my Boxster. I'd have both back in a second if I could. But as I went Vantage - Boxster - 911 - Vantage so there is obviously enough of a draw of the Vantage to go back. The big difference this time is having use of a second card meaning that the Vantage can be used purely for fun stuff and road trips, where previously it was my only car for everything and that was a bit grating after 2 years. The other draw was I'd developed the keenness to modify so could address some of the weaknesses. If your 911 is your only car to do everything, the 911 is much better. The Vantage is practical, big boot etc, but it's less manageable about town, visibility is worse (width restrictions are a pain), primary controls are heavy and so consider that.
If you drive both back to back in standard form the 911 feels more nimble, it's a noticeable chunk lighter and is a better out and out sports car out of the box. Where the Vantage trumps it is in its overall sense of occasion, its build and design feel on another level. It's also way more lairy in a fun way than the 911 is, you can hooligan it around like an M3. It's got a lot going for it in terms of stiffness and weight balance with the engine being so far back, and the steering is great. The Nitron dampers are the biggest improvement, followed by the engine remap which vastly improves the feel of the throttle.
Would you be disappointed coming from a 911? If you expect it to match your 911 for raw driving, and overall usability then yes, I think so. But if you're coming at it to experience a bit of a different way of going about things, something that can be turned into a really capable and fun B road blaster but a superb GT with a wicked Nascar-esque soundtrack then you'll love it. You are very welcome to come and nose about mine, I'm in south London.
Really I would like my 997 back to run alongside it, maybe in a few years
ds666 said:
Be interested to see how you get on with the lithium battery . These cars seem so sensitive to voltage .
I checked my alternator was healthy before I fitted it, and there are quite a few owners that have been running these for sometime now that I hope any obvious problems would have been noted by others. But we shall see!Norton850 said:
Damn that is stunning...
I have over the last few years looked at these as a possible replacement for my 928s but my spider senses always get the better of me and my bottle goes..
For me the best looking Aston...ever
Obviously it’s possible to buy a lemon, but with a decent inspection you’d pick up most big worries and the fundamental mechanicals are good and reliable. I have over the last few years looked at these as a possible replacement for my 928s but my spider senses always get the better of me and my bottle goes..
For me the best looking Aston...ever
olv said:
I've done a few bits in recent months. My radiator was showing signs of corrosion so I wanted to swap it out before it sprung a leak and left me stranded. I had the (professional) help of a friend for this and it just makes me want a lift but fairly sure that'd void my lease if I fitted one in my car park
With the fan pack out there's lots of room but to unhook the AC rad from the rad it's easy to take the under tray off and the radiator support beam to give enough vertical wiggle room.
The old radiator looking a bit grim. I don't have a pic of the new one but I didn't stump up the £900 for an Aston replacement and went for a Jaguar pattern part which shares the same design.
Previously the high speed fan would kick in in traffic quite quickly but the new radiator seems to flow and cool more than adequately as the high speed fan comes in much less frequently and I've done enough gruelling standing crawls through London since fitting it to have confidence that it's doing the job.
One of the first things I did with the car at the beginning was wheel spacers, I took the fronts off very quickly as they weren't hub centric and the wheel wouldn't centre perfectly. But I missed the look so bought a set of SSC 12mm spacers to try.
I also got a new low profile jack which even fits under the car with the jackpads which is soooo much easier that my previous jack that didn't fit.
Another bit of preventative maintenance was replacing the original battery. It had not started to fail or anything and I don't keep the car on a trickle charger but at 16 years old it seemed like a good idea to change it and was an excuse to investigate lithium batteries
Access to the battery under the parcel shelf is hard enough normally but with fixed buckets it's a total pain and much of it was done through the boot hatch.
I plumped for the Deadweight Industries Touge 500, this is used and sold by the Valiant Ecosse guys and seemed a tried and tested option in the Vantage. A mere 5kg, saving 19kg over the original.
No problems so far but will be interesting to see over time if there are any quirks. It's got a built in protection method that will shut itself off if the charge runs low. I'm fairly sure I don't have any bad parasitic drains as the old battery has never go flat after weeks of not being started.
And that's up to now.
Good work man, i am assuming you used the XKR fit rad (Nissens?) its on my list to do before a load of euro trackdays in AugustWith the fan pack out there's lots of room but to unhook the AC rad from the rad it's easy to take the under tray off and the radiator support beam to give enough vertical wiggle room.
The old radiator looking a bit grim. I don't have a pic of the new one but I didn't stump up the £900 for an Aston replacement and went for a Jaguar pattern part which shares the same design.
Previously the high speed fan would kick in in traffic quite quickly but the new radiator seems to flow and cool more than adequately as the high speed fan comes in much less frequently and I've done enough gruelling standing crawls through London since fitting it to have confidence that it's doing the job.
One of the first things I did with the car at the beginning was wheel spacers, I took the fronts off very quickly as they weren't hub centric and the wheel wouldn't centre perfectly. But I missed the look so bought a set of SSC 12mm spacers to try.
I also got a new low profile jack which even fits under the car with the jackpads which is soooo much easier that my previous jack that didn't fit.
Another bit of preventative maintenance was replacing the original battery. It had not started to fail or anything and I don't keep the car on a trickle charger but at 16 years old it seemed like a good idea to change it and was an excuse to investigate lithium batteries
Access to the battery under the parcel shelf is hard enough normally but with fixed buckets it's a total pain and much of it was done through the boot hatch.
I plumped for the Deadweight Industries Touge 500, this is used and sold by the Valiant Ecosse guys and seemed a tried and tested option in the Vantage. A mere 5kg, saving 19kg over the original.
No problems so far but will be interesting to see over time if there are any quirks. It's got a built in protection method that will shut itself off if the charge runs low. I'm fairly sure I don't have any bad parasitic drains as the old battery has never go flat after weeks of not being started.
And that's up to now.
Edited by olv on Sunday 4th June 10:18
IainWhy said:
Good work man, i am assuming you used the XKR fit rad (Nissens?) its on my list to do before a load of euro trackdays in August
Slightly embarrassed to admit it (because it's so cheap) but I fitted this one https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/cooling-... after some of the Facebook owners group had tried it with success. For your more extreme use case I'd probably splash out a little more olv said:
ds666 said:
Be interested to see how you get on with the lithium battery . These cars seem so sensitive to voltage .
I checked my alternator was healthy before I fitted it, and there are quite a few owners that have been running these for sometime now that I hope any obvious problems would have been noted by others. But we shall see!Lithium is the same voltage as a lead acid.. In fact, it will stay at 12v (well - 12v+) for longer than a lead acid, so actually should reduce issues.
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