Classic Aston Martin V8's
Discussion
Thank you again for the positive comments from everyone, I really appreciate the encouraging words.
I'm not sure what to do now. I do need to raise funds for the Vantage but at the same time, I am extremely reluctant to let the 72 go. If I can find a way to hold onto them both then that would be ideal. I've put so much into the green one and it has turned out way better than I expected, I know I will regret selling it. I built it to my ideal spec as though it was a keeper, rather than something to just do and sell on. I just need to think about how to pull some money together for the rest of the Vantage.
I may well put the 72 into storage over the winter and mull over the options. At the moment, it's still with the trimmer but I need to move it from there soon. I did speak to a few places about selling, both dealers and some auction houses (not Coys!!), but nobody filled me with confidence.
I'm not sure what to do now. I do need to raise funds for the Vantage but at the same time, I am extremely reluctant to let the 72 go. If I can find a way to hold onto them both then that would be ideal. I've put so much into the green one and it has turned out way better than I expected, I know I will regret selling it. I built it to my ideal spec as though it was a keeper, rather than something to just do and sell on. I just need to think about how to pull some money together for the rest of the Vantage.
I may well put the 72 into storage over the winter and mull over the options. At the moment, it's still with the trimmer but I need to move it from there soon. I did speak to a few places about selling, both dealers and some auction houses (not Coys!!), but nobody filled me with confidence.
Stick Legs said:
The 72 Series II car is beautiful.
They were often overlooked falling between the original DBS & the later Carburettored cars but the elegance of the single headlight, slim bonnet scoop & non-flip tail makes them so pretty.
If you do manage to retain both it will be the perfect companion to the more muscular Vantage.
Stunning restoration!
Thank you. That's right, these Series 2 cars are the forgotten ones. They were made for just over a year from April 72 to July 73, and only 288 were produced before the carb'd Series 3 car was introduced. With the more powerful Bosch MFI engine, they are in effect a DBS V8 with less headlights and air con as standard.They were often overlooked falling between the original DBS & the later Carburettored cars but the elegance of the single headlight, slim bonnet scoop & non-flip tail makes them so pretty.
If you do manage to retain both it will be the perfect companion to the more muscular Vantage.
Stunning restoration!
I agree with you that there is a definite purity to the design with the lack of additional lights and the smaller bonnet scoop.
classicaholic said:
Looking great, have you dared to work out the rest cost? Probably better not too!
I've got a fair idea what I have spent. Including purchase price, restoration work, interior and parts the project has cost me in the region of £120k. I feel this is pretty good as usually the cost of a good restoration far exceeds the value of the car but in this instance the value is probably around that same number. I would also say that spreading this cost out over nearly six years has made it a lot less painful than spending it in one hit , which I don't have the cash to do. If I take away the purchase price of the project and the gearbox (£34k +£10k = £44k), this has meant a spend on the restoration of £76k. So the restoration has averaged out at just over £1,000 a month over the six years making it much more manageable.
One of the reasons I bought this project is that the engine had been rebuilt so that meant a chunk of money I didn't have to spend. An engine rebuild on one of these with a specialist starts around £20k.
I want to be up front with these numbers so that they are helpful for anyone considering a project like this. There is a project DBS V8 on sale for £68k at the moment. The body shell looks to be in a similar condition to mine (pretty good) but the engine is in pieces. So I would estimate, based on my two restorations now, that one would end up spending £160-£170k to do that car (inc purchase price). DBS V8's are valued higher than my car and there are a few restored ones on sale for this sort of money so it's possible to come out the other side and not lose your shirt.
It is a labour of love though!
It's sad in a way that prices of these Aston V8's have shot up so much in the last 15 years. I paid £11k for my DBS V8 in 2005, for the money it was a fantastic car. I did spend a lot on it and probably broke even when I sold it in 2013 for £55k. If prices hadn't gone up then I'm sure I probably would have kept that car. It shocks me to think that 7 years later, people are asking more for a project car than I sold my restored one for. I find it sad because it has pushed these cars out of the reach of a lot of enthusiasts. They are not without faults but once sorted are perfectly usable cars, fuel consumption aside!
Stick Legs said:
Yup that's me!
Turned down a DBS6 in Axminster that had been taken apart but was complete at £8k in 2000. (I was 23 and had just moved out to rented house so knew it was insane!)
Then had to choose between buying a house and a V8 Series III for £20k in 2003.
Since they went over £50k they have consistently been the one step ahead of my purchasing power.
I am resigned to buying either a Virage or a DB9. But neither are the same.
The Virage because it is still a separate chassis V8 Aston.
The DB9 because it's at or near the bottom of the depreciation curve and would make a fine companion.
If my numbers came up it's a DBS V8 Manual or an Oscar India for me, but that's the only way it's happening now.
It is however a pleasure to watch what you are doing and to see these beautiful cars being treated properly and sympathetically.
If only we had time machines! The cars we would go back and buy for pennies...Turned down a DBS6 in Axminster that had been taken apart but was complete at £8k in 2000. (I was 23 and had just moved out to rented house so knew it was insane!)
Then had to choose between buying a house and a V8 Series III for £20k in 2003.
Since they went over £50k they have consistently been the one step ahead of my purchasing power.
I am resigned to buying either a Virage or a DB9. But neither are the same.
The Virage because it is still a separate chassis V8 Aston.
The DB9 because it's at or near the bottom of the depreciation curve and would make a fine companion.
If my numbers came up it's a DBS V8 Manual or an Oscar India for me, but that's the only way it's happening now.
It is however a pleasure to watch what you are doing and to see these beautiful cars being treated properly and sympathetically.
I like the Virage, and they are relatively cheap for what is still a handbuilt V8 Aston. I think they are more useable than the earlier cars and there is lots of knowledge to correct their issues.
The DB9 is a great buy too. The well proven V12 engine and a stylish. I looked at these in quite some detail as a replacement for my 911 RSR. In the end, I decided to go for something completely different but that was because it's not my main car and I wanted more of an event. I've no doubt the DB9 would have been a very enjoyable though.
leglessAlex said:
classicaholic defintely wasn't the only one wondering about the cost CQ8, so thank you for putting it all down.
I guess it's a reflection of the classic car market these days, but something the region of £120k for a perfectly restored, mint car like this seems very reasonable, yes it's a lot of money outright but not so much you'd feel awful driving it. My Evora listed at £104k, for example, and that's going to lose a heck of a lot more money!
It's utterly beautiful and I'm very envious. I hope you find a way of keeping it and driving it as much as possible!
That is a very good way to look at it. The rise in values has meant that depreciation is not a factor, although that could change at any time.I guess it's a reflection of the classic car market these days, but something the region of £120k for a perfectly restored, mint car like this seems very reasonable, yes it's a lot of money outright but not so much you'd feel awful driving it. My Evora listed at £104k, for example, and that's going to lose a heck of a lot more money!
It's utterly beautiful and I'm very envious. I hope you find a way of keeping it and driving it as much as possible!
TR4man said:
Obviously £120k is a huge amount of money to most people (myself very much included) but it does actually seem very good value when you consider what it may have cost do do something similar on a comparative Italian car.
It is a significant sum no question. But as you say, for what (I think) was at the time the fastest four seater in the world it's not outrageous.I remember chatting with the owner of a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona in the underground car park of a London supermarket. My DBS V8 was parked away from everyone else at the far end and he had parked his Ferrari close by. We talked about the merits of each car and admired them both parked together. As much as I love the Daytona, at the time it was worth 10 times my Aston, but I wasn't convinced it was ten times the better car. To fully restore one of those would cost a great deal more than the Aston.
Hi Magicam,
Apologies for the delayed response, I wasn't expecting any comments on the thread so hadn't checked back for a while.
The main feature I had with the leaking pump was the central Vee between the cylinders filling up with fuel. Luckily I spotted it before anything serious happened but if I'd have gone around a corner too quick the fuel would have sloshed over the sides of the engine's Vee onto the hot exhaust manifolds....
My DBS V8 was running so badly that I had large amounts of black smoke coming out the exhaust. To the point where I was stopped in London by the police because they could not believe the car was legal!
If the pump is set up correctly, then the car should run much better regardless of whether it is leaking or not. The issues you are describing do sound like over fueling.
When everything is working, the cars can run very well. But it will never be as good as an electronic injection system. My suggestion is to have the pump rebuilt and then set up by someone who is familiar with these Bosch pumps. The knowledge did not exist when these cars were new and the resulting problems lead Aston Martin to switch back to the simpler carb set up. But variations of the Bosch Mechanical fuel injection pump have been used in numerous Porsches and Mercedes of the era with success and there are people out there who do understand them.
I haven't had the chance to drive my V8 and it is now back in storage. But when it was being moved around between storage and trimmers, they also found it difficult to start. This was cured after I had an Aston Specialist spend a day setting it up and the car, I'm told, now runs very well. I'm hoping to go and see it when the lockdown is lifted to confirm.
Please feel free to PM me and we can discuss in more detail.
Apologies for the delayed response, I wasn't expecting any comments on the thread so hadn't checked back for a while.
The main feature I had with the leaking pump was the central Vee between the cylinders filling up with fuel. Luckily I spotted it before anything serious happened but if I'd have gone around a corner too quick the fuel would have sloshed over the sides of the engine's Vee onto the hot exhaust manifolds....
Magicam said:
"The car is a very bad starter, it has problems with dropping back to idle and it suffers from horrifying engine run ons when I turn it off. It also suffered from high speed knocking, but this has now been pushed back with the help of some fumbling with the ignition timing. Do you recognise these symptoms from the time that you had a leaking FI pump?
What I would say with these issues is that they sound very much like the problems I had with my DBS V8 before the pump was rebuilt. Although these are very primitive systems, they do require setting up even when they have been rebuilt. Poorly set up MFI systems can cause all sorts of issues from problems starting through to poor running. The system will chuck too much fuel into the engine and when this happens over a prolonged period of time the excess fuel washes the oil off the bores and leads to premature wear in the engine.My DBS V8 was running so badly that I had large amounts of black smoke coming out the exhaust. To the point where I was stopped in London by the police because they could not believe the car was legal!
If the pump is set up correctly, then the car should run much better regardless of whether it is leaking or not. The issues you are describing do sound like over fueling.
When everything is working, the cars can run very well. But it will never be as good as an electronic injection system. My suggestion is to have the pump rebuilt and then set up by someone who is familiar with these Bosch pumps. The knowledge did not exist when these cars were new and the resulting problems lead Aston Martin to switch back to the simpler carb set up. But variations of the Bosch Mechanical fuel injection pump have been used in numerous Porsches and Mercedes of the era with success and there are people out there who do understand them.
I haven't had the chance to drive my V8 and it is now back in storage. But when it was being moved around between storage and trimmers, they also found it difficult to start. This was cured after I had an Aston Specialist spend a day setting it up and the car, I'm told, now runs very well. I'm hoping to go and see it when the lockdown is lifted to confirm.
Please feel free to PM me and we can discuss in more detail.
RayHas said:
Hello,
Firstly I’d like to congratulate you on seeing this through... and thank you for taking the time to keep everyone updated with a thoroughly fascinating story.
I find myself in a somewhat similar position and wish I had come across your post much earlier.
I have bought 2 DBSV8s over the last couple of years.
One is in great original condition (I bought it in Switzerland) and the other I bought from an auction in Monaco - but needed much more work than envisaged!
I have had both of them shipped to Dubai where I live so finding the right people to work on them - is half the fun!
I know people will hate me - but I’m actually considering sympathetically resto-modding one - so I can use it daily!
Anyway, I’m nearly there...but you might be able to help... you mentioned some of the switchgear was Lucas and used in Fords?
I have a very floppy indicator stalk and wondered if you knew where I might get one? Or part number etc?
Any advice will be much appreciated.
Hi Ray,Firstly I’d like to congratulate you on seeing this through... and thank you for taking the time to keep everyone updated with a thoroughly fascinating story.
I find myself in a somewhat similar position and wish I had come across your post much earlier.
I have bought 2 DBSV8s over the last couple of years.
One is in great original condition (I bought it in Switzerland) and the other I bought from an auction in Monaco - but needed much more work than envisaged!
I have had both of them shipped to Dubai where I live so finding the right people to work on them - is half the fun!
I know people will hate me - but I’m actually considering sympathetically resto-modding one - so I can use it daily!
Anyway, I’m nearly there...but you might be able to help... you mentioned some of the switchgear was Lucas and used in Fords?
I have a very floppy indicator stalk and wondered if you knew where I might get one? Or part number etc?
Any advice will be much appreciated.
Thank you for your kind words.
I had real problems with the indicator stalk. As WilliamP says, all the parts are Lucas. I ordered from these guys:
https://www.autoelectricalspares.co.uk/column-swit...
Specifically I ordered:
Lucas 39719 119SA indicator column switch
Lucas SQB118 39553 119SA 37H8050 indicator column switch
These were part numbers I got from someone on the Aston Martin Owners Club forum. But when they arrived, they didn't quite work. But my restorer found one on - line. He said, "It took quite sometime to find one which did all the required operations (indicators, dip and flash) and an email confirmed it would flash – so I took a chance. Its probably not the exact one the factory would have used but it works. I had to change the stalk with one unit we already had, some fettling to the support member for clearance and position adjusting for all operations."
So it was abit of a bodge job. But I didn't have an indicator stalk to begin with, they were missing so you have that in your favour. It might be that you can buy something with similar internals and cobble something together to stop yours being floppy? The two stalks I didn't use were only £25-£30 each so worth a shot?
Not much has happened with the car recently. It's safely tucked up in storage and I haven't been able to see it due to lockdown. However, with the weather improving and restrictions easing I am hoping to get up there in the next month or so. I will then take her for a tentative first drive.
I did enter the AMOC virtual concours that the club put on to provide some distraction in late Feburary. To my great surprise the car won the Newport Pagnell V8 class! Although not a true concours, it's still a nice accolade to have and there were some lovely V8's entered.
I did enter the AMOC virtual concours that the club put on to provide some distraction in late Feburary. To my great surprise the car won the Newport Pagnell V8 class! Although not a true concours, it's still a nice accolade to have and there were some lovely V8's entered.
Not a huge amount to report but I have driven the car for the very first time!
I had low expectations, my DBS V8 never drove that well if I'm honest, and as this car was assembled from boxes of bits, I expected the same. It took a few goes to fire up from cold but once it was running the ticker was very even.
Out on the open road, it took me a good for miles to get a feel for the gearbox. Not just the dog leg first but which ratios to use, where they actually were (as opposed to where I thought they should be) and the action of slotting the lever back into gear. It all felt very slow and mechanical but once the gearbox warmed up the ease of change was much improved.
I was incredibly nervous to drive the car, the restoration was an emotional roller coaster. Would the finished article live up to the dream?
I am pleased to say it really did! The car was fantastic, leagues ahead of my old one. The engine was so smooth and pulled cleanly through the rev range. The gearbox was never going to be the slickest but there was a joy to mastering the change and the torque of the engine meant you only really needed second and third on the country roads around the Cotswolds.
I met up with a good friend of mine who drove up from London in his Testarossa. We rendezvous'd at the Mather Collectables in Moreton in the Marsh, had a nose around the cars for sale and then enjoyed a spirited drive across country to a pub for lunch.
I'm pleased to report that the V8 was able to hold it's own against the Ferrari, helped a little by the bumpy surface and narrow width of the roads. Following lunch, a last drive back to the storage facility on my own to drop the Aston off and collect my car before the long trek home gave me time to savour the experience of piloting the Aston. The view over the bonnet, the smell of the leather, the induction roar of the engine and the rumble from the exhaust. It was fantastic.
It was so good in fact that I decided to move the car closer to me in Devon. It may still be sold but at least this way I may get a few more drives in before she has gone. I'm very, very happy with the finished car.
I had low expectations, my DBS V8 never drove that well if I'm honest, and as this car was assembled from boxes of bits, I expected the same. It took a few goes to fire up from cold but once it was running the ticker was very even.
Out on the open road, it took me a good for miles to get a feel for the gearbox. Not just the dog leg first but which ratios to use, where they actually were (as opposed to where I thought they should be) and the action of slotting the lever back into gear. It all felt very slow and mechanical but once the gearbox warmed up the ease of change was much improved.
I was incredibly nervous to drive the car, the restoration was an emotional roller coaster. Would the finished article live up to the dream?
I am pleased to say it really did! The car was fantastic, leagues ahead of my old one. The engine was so smooth and pulled cleanly through the rev range. The gearbox was never going to be the slickest but there was a joy to mastering the change and the torque of the engine meant you only really needed second and third on the country roads around the Cotswolds.
I met up with a good friend of mine who drove up from London in his Testarossa. We rendezvous'd at the Mather Collectables in Moreton in the Marsh, had a nose around the cars for sale and then enjoyed a spirited drive across country to a pub for lunch.
I'm pleased to report that the V8 was able to hold it's own against the Ferrari, helped a little by the bumpy surface and narrow width of the roads. Following lunch, a last drive back to the storage facility on my own to drop the Aston off and collect my car before the long trek home gave me time to savour the experience of piloting the Aston. The view over the bonnet, the smell of the leather, the induction roar of the engine and the rumble from the exhaust. It was fantastic.
It was so good in fact that I decided to move the car closer to me in Devon. It may still be sold but at least this way I may get a few more drives in before she has gone. I'm very, very happy with the finished car.
FastAndy said:
And any updates ??
No, no updates of any note unfortunately. The car is in storage and hasn't been driven. The storage company spotted what they thought was a leak from the fuel injection pump so I sent the car for investigation with a specialist but they were unable to replicate the leak despite driving it extensively. They did however fix a couple of niggles that they picked up.They also cleaned up the engine and engine bay as it was quite dusty
Here's a lovely shot of the underneath which shows how clean it is
Thank you.
It's a bargain for what it is. When you see restoration projects at £60k-£80k which you will then have to spend at least another £100k to do properly then it makes sense to buy one that has been done. Fully restored bodywork, complete retrim in Connolly leather, rebuilt engine etc.
Fingers crossed!
It's a bargain for what it is. When you see restoration projects at £60k-£80k which you will then have to spend at least another £100k to do properly then it makes sense to buy one that has been done. Fully restored bodywork, complete retrim in Connolly leather, rebuilt engine etc.
Fingers crossed!
Thank you. I thought it would be an interesting project to document so I'm glad so many on here have enjoyed reading the thread.
The auction didn't reach the reserve and although there are a couple of people making enquiries I'm not convinced they will lead to anything but you never know.
Either way, I have booked the Vantage in for the restoration to commence. This will most likely be just after Easter as they have a couple of other projects to finish first.
In the meantime, here's a few photos from the H&H website. I can't fault them, they presented the car very well and I was happy with everything they did. These Aston V8's don't seem to typically do well at the more traditional auctions but the car was in storage nearby so I thought it was worth a try. A very nice Series 3 V8 with a manual gearbox and 7 litre RS Williams engine conversion did sell on Collecting Cars recently for just over £150,000. A good price so maybe something to consider.
The auction didn't reach the reserve and although there are a couple of people making enquiries I'm not convinced they will lead to anything but you never know.
Either way, I have booked the Vantage in for the restoration to commence. This will most likely be just after Easter as they have a couple of other projects to finish first.
In the meantime, here's a few photos from the H&H website. I can't fault them, they presented the car very well and I was happy with everything they did. These Aston V8's don't seem to typically do well at the more traditional auctions but the car was in storage nearby so I thought it was worth a try. A very nice Series 3 V8 with a manual gearbox and 7 litre RS Williams engine conversion did sell on Collecting Cars recently for just over £150,000. A good price so maybe something to consider.
classicaholic said:
Sorry it didn't sell but I have not bought from the big auction houses for some time due to the 'buyers premium' it is a stupid thing to do to make you pay to buy something.
The collecting cars site has no buyers premium and the seller pays the commission which seems better to me - maybe I am the only one that is fed up with this premium, Auctioneers are just estate agents really, they dont charge these fees yet.
Some of the cars on the auction yours were in were quite soft on prices, maybe the market is readjusting.
Yes, agreed I didn't think the prices were that strong. It might be a readjustment or at least a levelling out, a good thing in my opinion. The collecting cars site has no buyers premium and the seller pays the commission which seems better to me - maybe I am the only one that is fed up with this premium, Auctioneers are just estate agents really, they dont charge these fees yet.
Some of the cars on the auction yours were in were quite soft on prices, maybe the market is readjusting.
NDA said:
leglessAlex said:
These seem a little undervalued in general I've always thought? Quite a few in the upcoming Bonhams seem to be in the mid five figure range, that's a lot of car for the money! I'm struggling to think of another classic as handsome and prestigious for the same money.
It depends on the model... some go for quite big money. I had one for many years - a volante vantage, quite a rare one as it happened. 
For a standard pre-1977 V8, prices had been in the doldrums for a while. Only now are they reaching respectable levels. I can't think of many contemporary cars with that level of performance that could seat four in relative comfort. Lamborghini Espada is much more money. Ferrari 365 GT4 is probably the best comparison.
I will be interested to see how the Bonhams auction goes too. The V8's offered look like they will need work at some point...
Just a brief update on the my 72 AM V8.
After no luck at the H&H auction where the highest bid was £95k I spoke to Collecting Cars about potentially listing it with them. They would not accept the car with a reserve higher than £100k and ideally they wanted it at £85-£90k. This was too low for me.
So I put a classified ad up on Car and Classic and the car has just been sold to a very nice German man for £145k.
Sad to see her go but relieved it's gone to a very good home and an owner who is going to keep in touch and update me on his life with the car.
Now hopefully the work on the Vantage will begin soon....
After no luck at the H&H auction where the highest bid was £95k I spoke to Collecting Cars about potentially listing it with them. They would not accept the car with a reserve higher than £100k and ideally they wanted it at £85-£90k. This was too low for me.
So I put a classified ad up on Car and Classic and the car has just been sold to a very nice German man for £145k.
Sad to see her go but relieved it's gone to a very good home and an owner who is going to keep in touch and update me on his life with the car.
Now hopefully the work on the Vantage will begin soon....
Thank you everyone!
I start a new thread when work starts, and put a link in here. I'm hoping it will be soon but there's a car ahead of me that needs to be finished first so I don't know when it will be.
I start a new thread when work starts, and put a link in here. I'm hoping it will be soon but there's a car ahead of me that needs to be finished first so I don't know when it will be.
Calinours said:
Given the quality of the previous posts, I also look forward to a Vantage restoration continuation of this thread, and picking up a few maintenance tips. I've been gradually modifying my early Oscar India to late 80's X-pack spec, it now looks the part 
- all that remains to do is (gulp) the engine upgrade. I've held off until now as my cars original lump still runs very sweetly and the cost of a full rebuild to the later spec (or one of the popular bigger bore versions), even if the required and very rare carbs can be found, is eye-watering 
Do you have any photos of your V8? Would love to see the car! - all that remains to do is (gulp) the engine upgrade. I've held off until now as my cars original lump still runs very sweetly and the cost of a full rebuild to the later spec (or one of the popular bigger bore versions), even if the required and very rare carbs can be found, is eye-watering Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff