Considering a high mileage Vantage V8 c2005 ish - advice

[xftdr]

Good Afternoon AM Forum,

I am a long time Porsche owner but am considering scratching the AM itch.

I am considering a higher mileage AM Vantage, or perhaps a DB9 (yes I know they are very different cars) and would appreciate any specific observations or advice on the pros / cons of buying a higher milage car.

For example something like this one (but not necessarily this particular car):

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207207... Martin&model=Vantage&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&radius=1500&sort=price-asc&transmission=Manual

As this is just a bit of fun I am looking at lower priced vehicles - hence the mileage question.

I would be very grateful for any advice or opinions on the perils of higher mileage (65k-100k miles). I not especially concerned about perfect paint but I do want a manual gearbox if it is a Vantage.

Thank you.

Kind regards

[BiggaJ]

Looks like a reasonable car, priced to sell despite the usual aluminium panel rot. It has a full history it claims by specialist car indie, I would want to know who that indie is and if they have Aston experience. I would still get a full independent inspection of the car and make sure you ask about the clutch, at this mileage which isn't that high really, it ought to have had a replacement and was this OEM stock clutch or the twin plate. look for signs of oil from the timing chest seal and see if you can get a look at the rear subframe .... all high cost items that will cost 50% of the asking price of this car to put right if all need doing.

I drove another Vantage back to back with mine about 12 months ago, mine having about 25k the other one having 68k and the difference in driving feel was night and day and the reason the owner of the higher mileage car decided to sell his after he had driven mine. Mine still feels tight, his was very sloppy but changing the bushes all round would have helped a load.

If this car has been looked after (as it's claimed it has been) then it should feel tight but the only way to know is get it inspected and/or drive a few lower mileage (more expensive ones) to get a feel for what they ought to feel like.

The owner has had the car 10 years and put around 35k miles on it, I'm sure you know to pour over the paperwork (assuming he/she are willing to show you) to ascertain the level of care it's had.

Edited by BiggaJ on Monday 25th July 16:45

Edited by BiggaJ on Friday 29th July 10:56

[Jon39]

Some contributors here have reached much higher mileages than 65.
Priced attractively.
Very difficult to comment.

Expect you have seen some of the Bamford Rose videos.
Sometimes can buy at a low price, but then have to spend more to fix faults (Aston parts are think of a price, then add to it, because making a profit is AM's problem), so that a better car could have been obtained instead, for the same total cost.

Pre purchase inspections can be worthwhile, but you need a knowledgeable specialist to do it.

Good luck with your search. Wonderful cars to own.

[Bazziz]

So I purchased my V8VS with just over 50k on the clock and have since put a further 13k on it in 2 years. I deliberately seeked out a higher mileage car when buying as i didnt want one that had done 30-40k and was still on the original clutch, brake rotors etc. I also felt a car that had been used regularly in its first few years on the road is less likely to have any major underlying issues as they hopefully should have come to the surface in the first few years and been addressed under factory warranty. I also didnt want a car that was barely used and had potentially missed routine servicing and maintenance whilst it was sat idle for extended periods of time.

Fortunately for me, one came up for sale with full AM service history as well as a twin plate clutch fitted by BR and new brakes and tyres fitted by DAE so I jumped on the opportunity.

I have had to remediate a few cosmetic things on my car (flakey wing mirror stalk paint, worn bolsters on seats) but these are common issues and ive seen cars with half the mileage of mine that had the same issues so i dont see these as a result of high mileage.

Im sure there are some higher mileage cars up for sale that are not in the best state and should be avoided but if you find one with a good service history and clear signs of regular maintenance and care i would go for it.

Hope that helps

[Riddochg]

I have a 2006 Vantage with around 80,000 miles. It's been a daily driver and used in all weather. Totally reliable and no problem until recently.

The clutch went. No great surprise, that's it's second, first went about 35,000 miles.

Replacement twin plate from DAE fitted £2,200 plus vat. Not bad, however,

To get to it requires stripping a lot out. So rear subframe refurb sensible. I have Nitrons and they needed a rebuild. The discs were on last legs so replaced with new pads. Lots of things seized and had to be cut out. Centre section of exhaust largely gone and new rear heat shield required and so on and so on.

All totally necessary work but a function of a high mileage car that's been used. So in conclusion, go in eyes wide open and definitely get an inspection.

[alscar]

As with any older used car purchase its always a gamble but inevitably with the likes of Aston, its then the issue of just much it may then cost to get it right.
The less money you pay initially versus mileage versus condition all needs careful balancing up.
For that advert ( I know you said not necessarily this car to buy ) my knee jerk was that it looked ok all things considered but I didn't like the look of that door and neither did I like the state of the engine bay.Both could be sorted ( door will cost more than a clean ) but its more the thought of a careful owner for 10 years ? For it ,stated documentation and the like though.
I've never bought a used Aston ( but had 4 new so I'm lucky or spoilt ) but the last high mileage car I did buy used was a Defender with 172,000 on the clock.Ran it for 3 years without spending a penny other than a good service each year - it had a full service history for those 172k miles.
Given the V8 and the shape I would go for a Vantage personally.

[LTP]

I have a 2015 Vantage with 14k miles on it. I recently drove another PHer's 2013 Vantage with 45k miles on it and it drove just like mine - no rattles, no noises, no softness in the suspension, felt planted on the road, steered like mine, braked like mine, went like mine and the interior showed almost no evidence of the mileage it had covered. I said to the owner that it was a peach and I'd have paid out my own money for that car.

As others have said in various threads, the Vantage mechanicals are basically robust and were engineered to Ford standards, so these cars are not fragile confections like early Ferraris. The usual caution for wear items on higher-mileage cars like dampers, brakes, etc. applies, and Aston parts can come at a price to reflect the original cost of the car (but, as Aston raided the Ford PAG parts bins during the cars' development, there can often be identical parts from Volvo or Land Rover at lower prices).

Everyone focusses on the clutch, but the single plate clutch as a component is no worse than many others, albeit it's close to the limit of the power it can handle. The bite point tends to be high and the effort heavy, which can lead to drivers inadvertently riding the clutch and accelerating the wear and there are horror stories around of clutches failing at around 15k miles. Although it was removed before production started, the manual Vantage was originally engineered for a twin-plate clutch (a conversion that Aston themselves now offer) so if you're offered one of these then that's a real positive. The real downside is the cost of a clutch, as it reflects both the cost of the components (it's often wise to replace the flywheel at the same time) and the labour, as the rear transaxle means it takes a bit more time than some conventional cars to drop the torque tube and other bits out to get to the clutch.

People also talk about the rear subframes, which were welded-steel tubular and fabrication assemblies bolted into the rear. The original black subframe paint from the supplier was less than stellar when it comes to corrosion protection, but most of the corrosion is cosmetic and the frames were engineered and tested for a 10-year-plus life; having said that the difference in appearance when you see a rusty-looking steel subframe against the usually pristine, corrosion-free aluminium underframe can be quite stark. I have not heard of a Vantage or DB9 with structural corrosion of the rear subframe (they might be out there) but obviously steel continues to rust.

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Mine is 49900 and it’s just gone I’m for its first clutch renewal

Should get it back this week, but I thought 49000 was pretty good, it was around 80% worn but wanted it done, as I only had the car 10 weeks but knew it was a gamble when I bought it but all the other aspects of the car were. Top top , but I now know when it was done and how I treat it , impacts on the wear over the coming year

Edited by kevin_cambs_uk on Monday 25th July 18:28

[MMarkM]

We are all obviously biased but I would actually think if you're coming from a porka background you might be unimpressed with the AM. IMO the AM is a nicer car but all here would have to admit the equivalent porka would probably outperform the AM.

That being said a V12 is such an enjoyable thing that no matter what the performance numbers are I think its a better experience

[Finding Neutral]

Mileage isn’t an issue aslong as it has been maintained.

I’ve driven cars with high mileage that have felt new. It really depends on whether it’s been properly looked after, if it hasn’t… it’ll feel tired

[bogie]

I owned my first 2006 Vantage for 9 years and 83k miles. I managed over 70k miles on the original clutch. During that time it had all the usual consumables replaced, timing belt cover was done in the 2nd year, along with the squeaky aux belt. It had a couple of sensors, door module and 3 wheel bearings over that time, otherwise all routine maintenance. The wheels had been refurbished at about 50k. I think the only thing needed when I traded it in at the dealer was a front end respray for stone chips.

At the time in 2015 it was the oldest, highest mileage car they had taken in, thankfully during inspection it was all issue free and the dealer tech that drove it said it drove like a 20k mile old car.The dealer prepped it and sold it a few weeks later.

I wouldn't be worried about mileage if the maintenance records check out and the car is priced accordingly.

[oilit]

There were two DB9s on BCA recently one with over 100k miles which i think was a grade 2, and another from A main dealer with 80 odd thousand with a smoky engine, the point being they appear to be reasonably robust compared to some out there, like any car, there is servicing and ‘servicing’…. And to make things a little less clear, some people have bemoaned main dealers and promote the independents, then others have had less than ideal from independents - caveat emptor but good luck!

[simontdo]

I have an almost identical car with 55k on the clock.

I've had it for 8 years and the only expensive items I had to get sorted were the clutch (£2500) and an oil leak on the front timing cover (£2700).

On this car, I would have thought, with long-term ownership, both of these items would have already been done, but worth checking.

[simontdo]

I almost forgot. I had the same corrosion on both doors. It was about £800 to get both doors sprayed.

[Nigel_O]

Not the best advert - states premium audio (it isn’t), 18” wheels (they are 19”) and aftermarket Bluetooth (it was factory-fitted - it’s on the build sheet)

65,000 miles in most other 16 year old cars would be classed as low mileage and there’s nothing particularly mileage sensitive on a V8V other than the clutch.

TBH, it looks pretty good for the money, but you should have it checked over by someone that knows what they are looking for - although it’s a cheap Aston, it’s still £25k that I assume you don’t want to blow on a lemon

[Longy00000]

As others have said that particular advert looks very reasonable. Nice car and a good price with lots of boxes ticked. Owned firc10 years a good thing. Specialist servicing another good thing and so on.
A bit of due diligence by checking with the servicing indie etc and that could be a bery good buy for someone