Inspired or idiotic? "Cheap" V8 Vantage
Discussion
When I bought the car back in October’21, I knew the subframe was a bit rusty and I also knew it was on its original shocks. I was therefore pretty certain that I’d have to spend some serious cash at some point. I had the cash put aside, but I was trying to stretch it out a bit.
The service at Bamford Rose confirmed what I already knew - the subframe needed sorting before another winter put it beyond a refurb and the shocks were tired enough that they were affecting the ride quality at anything other than a gentle cruise.
I accept that refurbishing a subframe on a ‘cheap’ Vantage doesn’t cost any less than on a much later car worth two or three times as much, but BR’s policy of ‘renew everything’ was just a bit to far for me. Additionally, BR’s suspension solution was 20%+ of the value of the car, so that idea was quickly dropped.
Extensive reading of the Aston sub-forum pointed me towards the Nitron road suspension from David Appleby Engineering, so I’ve bitten the bullet and dropped the car to them for the subframe refurb and new shocks all round. Should get it back in four weeks.
The service at Bamford Rose confirmed what I already knew - the subframe needed sorting before another winter put it beyond a refurb and the shocks were tired enough that they were affecting the ride quality at anything other than a gentle cruise.
I accept that refurbishing a subframe on a ‘cheap’ Vantage doesn’t cost any less than on a much later car worth two or three times as much, but BR’s policy of ‘renew everything’ was just a bit to far for me. Additionally, BR’s suspension solution was 20%+ of the value of the car, so that idea was quickly dropped.
Extensive reading of the Aston sub-forum pointed me towards the Nitron road suspension from David Appleby Engineering, so I’ve bitten the bullet and dropped the car to them for the subframe refurb and new shocks all round. Should get it back in four weeks.
This is how bad a rear subframe can get - both Bamford Rose and DAE have said it is one of the worst they've seen....
The good news appears to be that everything has come off the subframe without snapping / shearing / falling apart. My Bamford Rose quote included replacing just about everything that was attached to the subframe, but it looks like I've got away with a few nuts and bolts.
The Nitron shocks re-use the OE springs, top mounts and dust covers, but annoyingly, one of my front springs is cracked. I was faced with adding another £1k+ to the bill with Velocity AP progressive-wound springs, but PH has answered a call for help and I've located a decent pair of secondhand springs, so that's a few hundred that can be held back for the clutch replacement.
The good news appears to be that everything has come off the subframe without snapping / shearing / falling apart. My Bamford Rose quote included replacing just about everything that was attached to the subframe, but it looks like I've got away with a few nuts and bolts.
The Nitron shocks re-use the OE springs, top mounts and dust covers, but annoyingly, one of my front springs is cracked. I was faced with adding another £1k+ to the bill with Velocity AP progressive-wound springs, but PH has answered a call for help and I've located a decent pair of secondhand springs, so that's a few hundred that can be held back for the clutch replacement.
HeWhoDaresRoy said:
Is this just a case of cleaning it up and protecting or does it need an actual repair?
Surprisingly, I'm told it will be fine after a bead blast and powder coating. Although it looks awful, the majority of the flaking is simply the old paint / powder coating. The metal underneath is solid, but clearly quite brown...olv said:
You are going to love the Nitrons. I did a trip up to Wales in mine last week and it reaffirmed everything I love about how it drives on that suspension. I don’t feel like it’s compromised it’s cruising abilities at all but when you get to fun section of twisting and undulating roads it’s fantastic.
I can't fail to be impressed - the old shocks were pretty bad - they wallowed quite badly when 'making progress' and they really struggled over sharp bumps. Even cats eyes would sometimes get a shudder from the chassis as the minimal damping struggled to control the wheels.One side of me wanted to go for the progressive-wound springs, as well as the Nitron dampers, but I need to control the costs. Thanks to IainWhy, I've just kept the bill down by about £800, which is very welcome. I never felt the spring rates were particularly wrong on the car, it was just the awful damping control.
Well, this is going to hurt a bit....
If you care to look back at my OP, you'll see that I went in with my eyes open, but my fingers crossed. I knew the rear subframe was a bit flaky and I knew it was on its original dampers (which by all accounts, were a bit rubbish even when they were new).
I was quite prepared for £1k+ a year general maintenance (on top of tax, insurance and fuel) and I was ready for a big bill to cover the suspension and subframe. I had put £10k to one side, 'just in case', so I wouldn't have to resort to borrowing when the inevitable 'big one' arrived.
I've had very nearly two years of relatively cheap Aston ownership and this has lulled me into a comfort zone where I thought I'd got away with it. However a recent service pointed out that I absolutely hadn't got away with it and the work needed doing - NOW. I thought I already knew what needed doing, so I thought I was ready...
The plan was a subframe removal and refurb, together with new Nitron road shocks, re-using my original springs and topmounts in order to save a few quid. Expected bill about £6.5k to £7k. However, I hadn't bargained on finding other bits as the work progressed:
So now I'm looking at the thick end of £10k to put the car right which is going to empty the 'just in case' cash reserve. I'll be honest, I thought (briefly) about cutting my losses and selling it. It's probably worth £20k in bits, so even with some big jobs required, I reckon I could have got up to £25k for it, which would have meant I'd paid £5k for two years driving in an Aston - not too bad.
I thought that throwing the sale proceeds of the car, plus the £10k reserve fund would get me into a newer, faster 4.7, but I was warned that buying a newer car was no guarantee of it being in wonderful condition. Even a car that was five years younger and with half the miles could still need a clutch, suspension and subframe.
The thing is, I really like the car, so I've decided its a keeper and its worth chucking the money at. The huge bill now will probably mean no more biggies for another few years (other than maybe the clutch, but I can deal with that when / if it happens).
So - after the nasty piccies above, something a little easier on the eye:
Refurbed subframe:
New springs:
If you care to look back at my OP, you'll see that I went in with my eyes open, but my fingers crossed. I knew the rear subframe was a bit flaky and I knew it was on its original dampers (which by all accounts, were a bit rubbish even when they were new).
I was quite prepared for £1k+ a year general maintenance (on top of tax, insurance and fuel) and I was ready for a big bill to cover the suspension and subframe. I had put £10k to one side, 'just in case', so I wouldn't have to resort to borrowing when the inevitable 'big one' arrived.
I've had very nearly two years of relatively cheap Aston ownership and this has lulled me into a comfort zone where I thought I'd got away with it. However a recent service pointed out that I absolutely hadn't got away with it and the work needed doing - NOW. I thought I already knew what needed doing, so I thought I was ready...
The plan was a subframe removal and refurb, together with new Nitron road shocks, re-using my original springs and topmounts in order to save a few quid. Expected bill about £6.5k to £7k. However, I hadn't bargained on finding other bits as the work progressed:
- Top rear wishbones bushes are shot - £600-ish for PU bushes, or just under £1k for new OE wishbones
- One front spring was cracked and I couldn't find any secondhand replacements, so I'm having new Nitron springs too - another £700
- All the gearbox oil cooler pipes are rusty - another £1k
- Rear discs are beyond saving, so that's new rear discs and pads - another £900 (although to be fair, I've gone for two-piece discs to match the fronts - I could probably have saved a few hundred by going for aftermarket one-piece)
So now I'm looking at the thick end of £10k to put the car right which is going to empty the 'just in case' cash reserve. I'll be honest, I thought (briefly) about cutting my losses and selling it. It's probably worth £20k in bits, so even with some big jobs required, I reckon I could have got up to £25k for it, which would have meant I'd paid £5k for two years driving in an Aston - not too bad.
I thought that throwing the sale proceeds of the car, plus the £10k reserve fund would get me into a newer, faster 4.7, but I was warned that buying a newer car was no guarantee of it being in wonderful condition. Even a car that was five years younger and with half the miles could still need a clutch, suspension and subframe.
The thing is, I really like the car, so I've decided its a keeper and its worth chucking the money at. The huge bill now will probably mean no more biggies for another few years (other than maybe the clutch, but I can deal with that when / if it happens).
So - after the nasty piccies above, something a little easier on the eye:
Refurbed subframe:
New springs:
Spinakerr said:
Any further rustproofing or treatment on the cards once its all back together?
There's some corrosion on the bottom edge of the (aluminium) door that I'll get sorted at some point, but it can't be seen from the outside, so it's not urgent.One side of me wants to put it away in the garage and keep it away from the rain, but it just isn't pristine enough to be treated like that. I'm just going to drive it and enjoy it.
Edited by Nigel_O on Sunday 15th October 00:16
busengineer said:
Plus, as you said you knew the suspension was tired when you bought it so you should feel a mini transformation too
On smooth roads, driving at 7/10 or less, it was fairly acceptable. The weight distribution and mechanical grip (running PS4S) meant that it went round corners pretty well. However, as soon as I went above 7/10 or threw in a few bumps or undulations (or even a catseye), it got quite unruly, kicking back and jumping off line. It was bad enough that on a particularly entertaining trip across North Wales on a mountain road I'd never driven before, I couldn't shake off a very well-pedalled VW Golf (not an R), whose driver clearly knew the roads intimately.I'm hoping that the car will still be tolerable in 'GT mode' - just wafting around at under 5/10, but it will now be able to cope with 10/10 without threatening to spit me into the scenery.
Damn - best-laid plans and all that....
I was due to collect the car from DAE next Wednesday - I've booked my little Panda 4x4 into a bodyshop in Birmingham on the same day, so I can jump straight on the train to Taunton.
However, the alloy bells for the new two-piece rear discs haven't come back from the anodisers, so they probably won't get to DAE in time to be fitted before I collect. No problem, I thought - I'll get DAE to re-fit the old discs and pads just to get me home, then I'll fit the new discs when they turn up.
Turns out the old discs were an absolute 'mare to get off and had to be persuaded with a big hammer. There's no way they are going back on, so the car is stranded until the discs get there. Ar$e.... I've got next week off work to enjoy some Aston driving with shiny new bits - looks like I'll be cleaning windows and painting woodwork instead..
Talking of shiny bits - refurbed subframe fitted, with new gearbox oil cooler pipes:
New suspension fitted
I was due to collect the car from DAE next Wednesday - I've booked my little Panda 4x4 into a bodyshop in Birmingham on the same day, so I can jump straight on the train to Taunton.
However, the alloy bells for the new two-piece rear discs haven't come back from the anodisers, so they probably won't get to DAE in time to be fitted before I collect. No problem, I thought - I'll get DAE to re-fit the old discs and pads just to get me home, then I'll fit the new discs when they turn up.
Turns out the old discs were an absolute 'mare to get off and had to be persuaded with a big hammer. There's no way they are going back on, so the car is stranded until the discs get there. Ar$e.... I've got next week off work to enjoy some Aston driving with shiny new bits - looks like I'll be cleaning windows and painting woodwork instead..
Talking of shiny bits - refurbed subframe fitted, with new gearbox oil cooler pipes:
New suspension fitted
Andy665 said:
Absolutely the right decision to spend (invest) in what you already have - you know what you are working with and could not guarantee the same would be waiting for you with a younger 4.7
That was exactly the point that James Appleby made to me. Using my car-fixing fund, I could spend £40k or even £50k (with some borrowing) on a much newer and much lower mileage 4.7 and STILL need a subframe, clutch and suspension within 12 months (although the latter would be less likely with a 4.7 on OE Billies). I also know its extremely rare, but I hear more stories of 4.7 engine problems than I do about 4.3s.I can now drive around until I'm too old to get in or out of the car in the knowledge that it's basically sound underneath. I'm sure some other bits will wear out or break, but that's just incidental stuff.
I just want it back so that I can drive it a bit - I've done 200 miles since it went to Bamford Rose in mid August and I'm getting a bit bored of 60bhp of Panda 4x4...
Edited by Nigel_O on Sunday 15th October 00:18
HeWhoDaresRoy said:
Did you consider BC Racing coilovers at all instead of the Nitrons?
Yes, I did. I particularly like that ride height is independent to spring preload and I also liked that they were only about £1400, rather than the near-£3k I’ve spent on Nitrons.I wasn’t sure about increased NVH due to the solid top mounts though- the Nitrons re-use the OE top mounts.
However, I haven’t read any feedback on BC from Aston owners and I’ve had LOTS of positive feedback on the Nitrons. I can’t afford to do this twice, so I played safe.
Edited by Nigel_O on Saturday 23 September 09:35
I'm in my early sixties - I really shouldn't be getting this excited about getting my own car back 
However, it's now fully rebuilt and is going off for geometry setting in the morning. I'll be collecting it on Wednesday.
Although the Nitron shock bodies and the Nitron springs are apparently a bit shorter than standard, I'm really pleased to see that the ride height hasn't changed - if anything, it might be a few mm higher, bearing in mind I've been running on original, tired (and snapped) springs for quite a while.
Before:
After:
However, it's now fully rebuilt and is going off for geometry setting in the morning. I'll be collecting it on Wednesday.
Although the Nitron shock bodies and the Nitron springs are apparently a bit shorter than standard, I'm really pleased to see that the ride height hasn't changed - if anything, it might be a few mm higher, bearing in mind I've been running on original, tired (and snapped) springs for quite a while.
Before:
After:
LordHaveMurci said:
That looks almost too high.
I guess it’ll settle when you put a few miles on it?
That’s was my initial thought - it’s probably a tiny bit higher than it was, but if you look at the gap between the rear tyre and the arch, it’s even all the way round, so I think it’s now at exactly the right height.I guess it’ll settle when you put a few miles on it?
However, as you say, it will probably settle a bit as it’s used. The good news is that the lower spring platform is adjustable, so I can tweak it if I need to.
As I expected, there were a few extras on the invoice. A couple of snapped ARB bracket bolts, requiring the chassis to be helicoiled (£380), a rear toe arm had to be cut out of the subframe (£476), differential oil breather and filter (filter not done by BR when they changed the diff oil… - £430). Rear wishbone bushes were knackered, so replaced with Powerflex (£475). Gearbox oil cooler pipes were another big ‘extra’ (£960). Handbrake pads were crumbling (£60), geo setup is £175 and a whole host of brackets, nuts, bolts, springs, clips and general sundries - another £380. That’s almost £2.5k on stuff I wasn’t fully expecting. It’s really scary just how quickly ‘extras’ mount up.
All in, a rather hefty £9,263.76.
On top of that, I have to pay the government to be allowed to spend my own money, so VAT takes it to £11,116.51. What’s REALLY worrying is that I had £11,150 in my ‘Aston big bills’ account - how did DAE know?…..
To soften the blow very slightly, I’ll have a couple of bits to sell. The OE rear springs were powder coated before we realised I couldn’t find any replacement fronts and we would have to fit Nitron springs. I’ve also asked DAE to fit a pair of Brembo rear discs, as my BR Rotors two-piece discs didn’t turn up in time - the Brembos will be removed as soon as I get the two-piece discs, so someone will get a bargain.
I’ve surprised myself at just how relaxed I am about it. I knew the work would need doing eventually when I bought the car, and I had the money set aside. I had hoped to get away with it for a bit longer, and my research into the costs of suspension and subframe was clearly flawed, as I thought I’d get away with £3k for suspension and £2k for the subframe. Anyone that’s been reading this thread from the start will remember that I’m not ‘well-off’, so £11k is not something that can just be shrugged off easily. I’ll have to start saving again to rebuild the emergency fund.
I guess the thread title needs to change - “cheap” no longer seems to fit the description. That said, I now have a warm glow of satisfaction that the car is absolutely sorted.
Until the next bill…..
All in, a rather hefty £9,263.76.
On top of that, I have to pay the government to be allowed to spend my own money, so VAT takes it to £11,116.51. What’s REALLY worrying is that I had £11,150 in my ‘Aston big bills’ account - how did DAE know?…..
To soften the blow very slightly, I’ll have a couple of bits to sell. The OE rear springs were powder coated before we realised I couldn’t find any replacement fronts and we would have to fit Nitron springs. I’ve also asked DAE to fit a pair of Brembo rear discs, as my BR Rotors two-piece discs didn’t turn up in time - the Brembos will be removed as soon as I get the two-piece discs, so someone will get a bargain.
I’ve surprised myself at just how relaxed I am about it. I knew the work would need doing eventually when I bought the car, and I had the money set aside. I had hoped to get away with it for a bit longer, and my research into the costs of suspension and subframe was clearly flawed, as I thought I’d get away with £3k for suspension and £2k for the subframe. Anyone that’s been reading this thread from the start will remember that I’m not ‘well-off’, so £11k is not something that can just be shrugged off easily. I’ll have to start saving again to rebuild the emergency fund.
I guess the thread title needs to change - “cheap” no longer seems to fit the description. That said, I now have a warm glow of satisfaction that the car is absolutely sorted.
Until the next bill…..
12TS said:
Do you think this is typical for the model, or has your car had a hard life that's now needing all the work to sort it out?
If it had done 20k miles and had been pampered, driven gently in the summer months only and then kept in a dry garage as soon as the weather got a bit damp, then I probably wouldn't have needed a subframe. However, almost any car with a steel subframe that's used all year round is going to get rusty sooner or later. My feeling is that even if the car had been only done 10k miles on glass-smooth roads, the rubbish Dynamics suspension would still be knackered - by all accounts, it was pretty dire even as it rolled off the production line....Court_S said:
Just think, if you’d bought a shiny new car for £30k you’d have lost a shed load of cash in depreciation.
My neighbour has recently bought a nearly-new T-Roc R, which I estimate will have been £30k - £35k. I'm sure its very nice to drive, will do 30+ mpg, won't cost a £1k+ a year in basic servicing and it will probably be ultra-reliable compared with a 16 year old Aston. It almost certainly won't throw a five-figure bill any time soon. However, it's a modestly-quick four-pot VW mini-SUV and in ten years time, it will be worth half of its current value (if that). I just couldn't do it...Collected the car - James Appleby met me at Taunton station to hand it over - all nicely cleaned. Their normal geometry place has an issue with their alignment kit, so James booked me into Aston Martin Bristol, which is conveniently on the way home, just a couple of miles off the M5.
I’m currently sat in one of their very comfy chairs, drinking some rather nice tea in their very luxurious showroom, drooling over the likes of a Concorde edition DBS, or a Zagato shooting brake, or a Valkyrie….
The good news is that while the car is clearly a little firmer than it was, it is so beautifully controlled that it actually feels softer. No more pattering over sharp bumps, no more shaking the steering over cat’s eyes. Can’t wait to get it on a more challenging bit of tarmac.
My ‘seat of the pants dyno’ also confirms it’s noticeably quicker than the Panda 4x4 I’ve been driving for the last month….
I’m currently sat in one of their very comfy chairs, drinking some rather nice tea in their very luxurious showroom, drooling over the likes of a Concorde edition DBS, or a Zagato shooting brake, or a Valkyrie….
The good news is that while the car is clearly a little firmer than it was, it is so beautifully controlled that it actually feels softer. No more pattering over sharp bumps, no more shaking the steering over cat’s eyes. Can’t wait to get it on a more challenging bit of tarmac.
My ‘seat of the pants dyno’ also confirms it’s noticeably quicker than the Panda 4x4 I’ve been driving for the last month….
Edited by Nigel_O on Wednesday 27th September 16:21
When I collected the car yesterday, all I did was 150 motorway miles to get home. It was grey and drizzly, as well as hitting rush hour around Birmingham as it got dark. Not the best conditions to be exploring the capabilities of new suspension.
Today was warm-ish and dry and I needed to travel to Uttoxeter to collect some bike bits. This involves one of my favourite twisty roads - the B5013 from Rugeley, across Blithfield reservoir, then on from Abbots Bromley to Uttoxeter. The first section to the reservoir is narrow, very bumpy and off-camber in places. Previously, I had to drive this at under 5/10, as the damping was quickly overwhelmed and the spring rate just couldn't cope with the repeated bumps. If I tried to make better progress, I could feel the rear wheels chattering across the tarmac toward the verge, as the damping couldn't keep up. The second section from Abbots Bromley to Uttoxeter is more open, very flowing, well-surfaced, but its a bit undulating. I used to be able to drive it at up to 7/10, but there were a few tricky corners, with crests just before or after that demanded respect.
Don't get me wrong - 5/10 in a Vantage is still making pretty good progress compared with other traffic, but I never felt like the car could go any faster without needing a couple of brave pills.
Today was a revelation - I was clearing bumpy bends at 5/10 as though they were smooth. It was definitely still bumpy, but the wheels were simply sticking to the surface. When I got to the more open section, the speed increased a bit (OK, a lot...) but it just felt planted and in control.
I guess its not surprising really - upgrading to brand new Nitrons from 16 year old Dynamics with a broken spring was always going to yield good results and I knew it was going to feel a lot better, but I wasn't ready for the scale of the improvement.
So - no great surprise, but it's a big thumbs up for Nitron suspension. I guess Billies might have been even better, but I suspect there's a law of diminishing returns at play, so I wasn't willing to throw £7+k at the suspension when I got away with 'only' £4k-ish
Today was warm-ish and dry and I needed to travel to Uttoxeter to collect some bike bits. This involves one of my favourite twisty roads - the B5013 from Rugeley, across Blithfield reservoir, then on from Abbots Bromley to Uttoxeter. The first section to the reservoir is narrow, very bumpy and off-camber in places. Previously, I had to drive this at under 5/10, as the damping was quickly overwhelmed and the spring rate just couldn't cope with the repeated bumps. If I tried to make better progress, I could feel the rear wheels chattering across the tarmac toward the verge, as the damping couldn't keep up. The second section from Abbots Bromley to Uttoxeter is more open, very flowing, well-surfaced, but its a bit undulating. I used to be able to drive it at up to 7/10, but there were a few tricky corners, with crests just before or after that demanded respect.
Don't get me wrong - 5/10 in a Vantage is still making pretty good progress compared with other traffic, but I never felt like the car could go any faster without needing a couple of brave pills.
Today was a revelation - I was clearing bumpy bends at 5/10 as though they were smooth. It was definitely still bumpy, but the wheels were simply sticking to the surface. When I got to the more open section, the speed increased a bit (OK, a lot...) but it just felt planted and in control.
I guess its not surprising really - upgrading to brand new Nitrons from 16 year old Dynamics with a broken spring was always going to yield good results and I knew it was going to feel a lot better, but I wasn't ready for the scale of the improvement.
So - no great surprise, but it's a big thumbs up for Nitron suspension. I guess Billies might have been even better, but I suspect there's a law of diminishing returns at play, so I wasn't willing to throw £7+k at the suspension when I got away with 'only' £4k-ish
IainWhy said:
Some of those to me look odd.
1 filter in gearbox is just a mesh, you can just wash it.
2 the breather is just 30mm of steel tube (i replaced mine with a john guest fitting)
3 the Arb mounts to the subframe, not the chassis, being that this is the case, they should be helicoiled, they should have a new nut, if its the front, then yes that are in the front subframe, but are helicoled as standard so just put another one in? i had to when i had mine apart, took minutes, cost pennies.
4 cutting the toe arms? its just a bolt, Its absolutely a thing but a 500 quid thing, not so much.
Anyway glad your sorted but i would be questioning some of those costs tbh.
Fair observations - my answers:1 filter in gearbox is just a mesh, you can just wash it.
2 the breather is just 30mm of steel tube (i replaced mine with a john guest fitting)
3 the Arb mounts to the subframe, not the chassis, being that this is the case, they should be helicoiled, they should have a new nut, if its the front, then yes that are in the front subframe, but are helicoled as standard so just put another one in? i had to when i had mine apart, took minutes, cost pennies.
4 cutting the toe arms? its just a bolt, Its absolutely a thing but a 500 quid thing, not so much.
Anyway glad your sorted but i would be questioning some of those costs tbh.
1) The diff oil filter housing was cracked (missed by BR, despite them changing the diff oil) - the replacement cost inclued the filter and the plastic housing - OE parts, obviously.
2) The diff oil breather sometimes seizes in the gearbox housing. If it comes out cleanly, its a £35 part. If it seizes, it's still a £35 part, but it takes 2+ hours of labour
3) My mistake - I mis-read James' message. It was the front ARB mounting bolts seized into the front subframe - they needed drilling out and helicoiling
4) The bolt was seized solid in the rear toe arm bush. Cutting the bolt gets the arm out of the subframe, but I still needed a new toe arm, plus new nut & bolt.
I agree that £380 + VAT to drill out a couple of bolts and insert new helicoils is a bit strong, but I have no idea how long it took I guess it could easily be 1 - 2 hours per side. I only know it would have taken me a LOT longer and I would probably have ended up scrapping the subframe....
Back in January 2022, after a couple of months of ownership, I wrote this in my opening post:
Also, seeing as I’ve just had my second anniversary of owning the car, I thought I’d own up to the expenditure.
Prior to the ‘big refurb’, I was doing OK at about £8k total expenditure. A lot of this was voluntary, for example spending £275 on mats, £180 on a boot carpet and £800 on a big-disc conversion at the front, instead of £400 on OE one-piece discs.
However, ‘the inevitable big bill’ was the suspension and subframe, which by the time I’d fitted two-piece discs at the rear, turned into a £12k job.
That takes the spend to a gnat’s over £20k in two years, or a little over £800 a month….
There’s no way to make that sound any better - I’ve spent £20k on a £30k car and I’ll be lucky if it’s worth much more than I paid for it.
However - the plus points….
1) I could have spent £800pm on a lease car - it would have been a fairly special car for that much, but in another 12 months, I’d be giving it back with nothing to show for the outlay.
2) The car is now much more future-proof. I’m hoping I’ll be here in 12 months saying I’ve only spent another few hundred on it, which would bring the average annual costs down by about a third.
3) The car now drives REALLY well - handling is spot-on and I have the warm glow that everything underneath is shiny black, not flaky brown.
My quote above was partly right and partly wrong. Yes, it broke my wallet and emptied my reserve account. I was hopelessly optimistic about the £1k pa. Even without the optional spends and the big refurb, I’d still be looking at £2k - £3k pa.However, I just don’t care - my heart still soars every time I go for a drive in it - I’m as smitten now as I was the day I collected it, but now I’m smitten AND broke…
a delusional Nigel_O said:
I have a feeling it is going to break my heart (and my wallet) at some point, with a hefty unexpected bill. I'm budgeting £1k a year for maintenance and I have a decent reserve for the inevitable big bill....
Last weekend saw the second anniversary of me buying the car and it rewarded me with a failed windscreen washer pump. RRP is close to £200 but I’ve got it down to ‘only’ £44. I fully expect to find a FoMoCo or Volvo symbol on the pump when it arrives, which means I should have been able to get it for <£20.Also, seeing as I’ve just had my second anniversary of owning the car, I thought I’d own up to the expenditure.
Prior to the ‘big refurb’, I was doing OK at about £8k total expenditure. A lot of this was voluntary, for example spending £275 on mats, £180 on a boot carpet and £800 on a big-disc conversion at the front, instead of £400 on OE one-piece discs.
However, ‘the inevitable big bill’ was the suspension and subframe, which by the time I’d fitted two-piece discs at the rear, turned into a £12k job.
That takes the spend to a gnat’s over £20k in two years, or a little over £800 a month….
There’s no way to make that sound any better - I’ve spent £20k on a £30k car and I’ll be lucky if it’s worth much more than I paid for it.
However - the plus points….
1) I could have spent £800pm on a lease car - it would have been a fairly special car for that much, but in another 12 months, I’d be giving it back with nothing to show for the outlay.
2) The car is now much more future-proof. I’m hoping I’ll be here in 12 months saying I’ve only spent another few hundred on it, which would bring the average annual costs down by about a third.
3) The car now drives REALLY well - handling is spot-on and I have the warm glow that everything underneath is shiny black, not flaky brown.
My quote above was partly right and partly wrong. Yes, it broke my wallet and emptied my reserve account. I was hopelessly optimistic about the £1k pa. Even without the optional spends and the big refurb, I’d still be looking at £2k - £3k pa.However, I just don’t care - my heart still soars every time I go for a drive in it - I’m as smitten now as I was the day I collected it, but now I’m smitten AND broke…
I guess it’s the same with any car - there are times when you’re trying to do something without possession of quite enough knowledge to do the job. Learning as you go is all part of the voyage of discovery and I normally enjoy learning about how stuff works as I tinker with a car.
So this morning, I set about checking what I suspected would be a disconnected connector or chopped wire to the windscreen washer pump - I mean, how hard can it be?
Trolley jack out, offside front wheel off, faffed around with various torx bolts and screws and eventually got the wheel arch liner out of the way. Wiring looked OK, so I tested the voltage at the pump connector - zero volts. Hmmm - at least that suggests that it’s not the pump that’s dead (just as well at £180+)
Next - check the voltage at the fuse (the fuse was blown when I checked it, so there has definitely been voltage there. Still zero volts. I’m running out of ideas and patience now, so I put a post in the Aston sub-forum of PH and then put everything back together.
A couple of hours later, I check for answers to my post and find out a simple, but important fact that might have helped - none of the windscreen wiper functions (including the screen wash) work when the bonnet is open…..
Explains the zero volts then!
I’ll try again tomorrow….
So this morning, I set about checking what I suspected would be a disconnected connector or chopped wire to the windscreen washer pump - I mean, how hard can it be?
Trolley jack out, offside front wheel off, faffed around with various torx bolts and screws and eventually got the wheel arch liner out of the way. Wiring looked OK, so I tested the voltage at the pump connector - zero volts. Hmmm - at least that suggests that it’s not the pump that’s dead (just as well at £180+)
Next - check the voltage at the fuse (the fuse was blown when I checked it, so there has definitely been voltage there. Still zero volts. I’m running out of ideas and patience now, so I put a post in the Aston sub-forum of PH and then put everything back together.
A couple of hours later, I check for answers to my post and find out a simple, but important fact that might have helped - none of the windscreen wiper functions (including the screen wash) work when the bonnet is open…..
Explains the zero volts then!
I’ll try again tomorrow….
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