Those ' not so cool ' Aston moments

[Lerichio]

Hi all. I am Thomas, I live in London and I drive a DB9 Volante.

I have been reading the forum for some time now and found the perfect topic to start my first post.

So here we go. The list is long but not really all AM related

In my Panda some 20 years ago, on a snowy twisty road back in France, I was trying to impress the girlfriend and after overtaking a few "slow" cars, got into the mother of all drifts, and suddenly found some grip. Car in the ditch, girlfriend not so impressed and grining slower drivers re taking their place ahead of me...

Moved to a 911 3.2 G50 some years latter, nice entry bend to the Paris peripherique, boot the car and get into a nice drift (again) this time kissing the pavement..Bent arm and a wheel refurb, so not too bad.

1997 and I take delivery of an F40 at Ferrari Pozzi in Paris. The guy ask me if I have driven one before implying I do not have the skills (possible). Well been a passenger before but that's it really. Anyway, drive the car away, totally scared to be honest and zoom off to the autoroute du nord on my way back to the UK. 3rd gear, all fluids warm, 80 miles an hour and decide to boot it just to check all is well. Car spins it back wheels gets into another drift (story of my life) and I nearly kiss the car next lane. I am white, shaking and sweating but no damage other than pride. I take it easy for the next few miles...

Then 6 months latter on my way to France for a Ferrari UK WE, I decide to race the Eurostar.. Stopped at the toll in Senlis.. 272KMH and the cops are not happy. Not so clever anymore. Lucky it's the Easter WE and nobody at the Komandantur. They let me off with a 900 Francs fine and tell me not to come back to the UK between 2 and 4 pm the following Sunday. NICE !

Summer time in London and a lovely pair of legs in a mini skirt walks in front of me when stopped at the light. I gently bent sideway to see who these legs belong to and she stops, lower herself down and wave... OWNED.

More recently, I have moved to AM ownership with a DB9 Volante (I know getting old...). On my way to the lake district for Easter WE I Stop at a petrol station to refill and the car will not start. Battery flat in 10 minutes! AA gets me moving and 2 days later having checked off the Hotel the car does not want to start again. Flat battery once more. My wife was writing the car orbituary by then since we had had to take her car a few times before because the car was stranded in my garage with a flat battery. In the end it turned out to be a faulty tracker.

I take the car to France for this summer vacation (you would have guessed by now I am French), light up my Coyotte Radar Pier to Pier alertor and close to Bordeaux I get a Mobile Radar Alert. Slow down, see the trap, pat myself in the back and boot it. Chased by the motards straight away and stopped for speeding! Double speed trap!! I had put the Coyotte in my wife handbag when followed by the Gendarmes(no need to annoy the Forces de l'Ordre) but forgot to shut it down. I could hear the voice "Bip bip bip Alerte Radar Mobile bip bip bip" from my wife handbag while I was getting my ticket done LOL.

Bar the battery issue, I have done 10K with the DB9 and appart from the interesting handling, I have enjoyed that car very much. To be honest I have enjoyed the engime a lot having had the exhaust valves open since taking delivery !

So I went to my dealer last week end and tested a V12V and Vantage 4.7 Volante (need to work on my tan) both manual. What a joy to go back to heel and toe. The V12V is the perfect car. It's power delivery is amazing, handling is superb and the noise is exactly what I love. Since I will be using the car in south west France for most of it's miles I whish Aston did it in Volante form... Yeah I know, hairdresser stuff :-)

It's a tough call...

[Jockman]

Lerichio said:

Hi all. I am Thomas, I live in London and I drive a DB9 Volante.

Bonjour Thomas.

Really good first posting - a few more would be good !!

Don't worry about the volante thing, we all make mistakes. Indeed, 'bouffant' is I believe a French word.

Stick to the coupe V12V mon ami

[George H]

Lerichio said:

So I went to my dealer last week end and tested a V12V and Vantage 4.7 Volante (need to work on my tan) both manual. What a joy to go back to heel and toe. The V12V is the perfect car. It's power delivery is amazing, handling is superb and the noise is exactly what I love. Since I will be using the car in south west France for most of it's miles I whish Aston did it in Volante form... Yeah I know, hairdresser stuff :-)

It's a tough call...

The V8V convertible is a roadster, Volante is reserved for 4 seat convertible Astons. You aren't the only one wishing for a V12VR though it seems

Have you considered a V8V S roadster? Won't be too far behind the V12V in pace, and you can have a better gearbox.

[Zod]

Thomas said:

but forgot to shut it down. I could hear the voice "Bip bip bip Alerte Radar Mobile bip bip bip" from my wife handbag while I was getting my ticket done LOL.

That actually did make me laugh out loud!

Get the V12V. I've been stopped twice by bikers in the thre weeks I've had it. The first time, I thought I might somehow have pisse him off by accelerating at a rapid rate ahead of him, but he, like the next one just wanted to say how fantastic the car sounded. High praise from a biker!


PS although your English is just about perfect, I could tell you were French. It's just the rhythm.

Edited by Zod on Thursday 13th October 20:39

[Zod]

George H said:

Have you considered a V8V S roadster? Won't be too far behind the V12V in pace, and you can have a girl's gearbox.

I think that's what George meant to say.

[Lerichio]

George H said:

The V8V convertible is a roadster, Volante is reserved for 4 seat convertible Astons. You aren't the only one wishing for a V12VR though it seems

Have you considered a V8V S roadster? Won't be too far behind the V12V in pace, and you can have a better gearbox.

Absolutly right. Roadster not Volante. Must get this DB9 out of my mind

I have tried the V8V S roadster too. But since I now want manual I did not mention it. It's a great car but I wish the gear change was a lot quicker. More like PDK or VW Smg. The downshift is great but the upshift is ssssslllllooowwww.

I had the time to check out the other cars at the dealer and must confess the Virage is a great looking car. It makes it a lot more actual without losing this great Aston look

[peterr96]

Lerichio said:

Hi all. I am Thomas, I live in London and I drive a DB9 Volante.

In my Panda some 20 years ago, got into the mother of all drifts, ....

Moved to a 911 3.2 G50 some years latter, boot the car and get into a nice drift (again)

1997 and I take delivery of an F40. Car spins it back wheels gets into another drift (story of my life)

More recently, I have moved to AM ownership with a DB9 Volante

OK so the DB9 might not have started a couple of times but at least it hasn't tried to kill you. Maybe it knew something! Spooky but clever.
Welcome to the forum

[Lerichio]

Jockman said:

Bonjour Thomas.

Really good first posting - a few more would be good !!

Don't worry about the volante thing, we all make mistakes. Indeed, 'bouffant' is I believe a French word.

Stick to the coupe V12V mon ami

Hahahaha. Indeed . Bonjour !

I have a few more...

Once at Silvertone in 1995 I am getting well warm in the 355. I have a mate of mine in the passenger seat, his travel bags in the front boot because I have to drop him off at Heathrow on the way back to London. I have previously checked the other 355 drivers braking point for Stowe form the pit wall and once I am allowed on the track, I take the full lap to properlly warm up the car. Back to the straight, I am flying. Deep inside I am thinking " let's show all the girls where they should brake". No need to say I end up very deep in the gravel trap....The rescue truck shows up and we cannot find the Tow Key. They have to go in the pits, borrow one and get me out. 30 minutes... No need to say I was the darling of the paddock when returning behind the rescue truck... For a few weeks I was constantly reminded of this low point when hearing the last few gravels fall off the car when cornering or braking. The good thing is my mate made it to the airport on time !

[Zod]

I've never thought to ask, but do the French talk about hairdresser cars?

un francais might have said:

Ca, c'est une bagnole de coiffeur.

[George H]

Lerichio said:

I have tried the V8V S roadster too. But since I now want manual I did not mention it. It's a great car but I wish the gear change was a lot quicker. More like PDK or VW Smg. The downshift is great but the upshift is ssssslllllooowwww.

You won't be able to change any quicker with a manual!

And the sound on downshifts

[michael gould]

Excellent post mr La Froggie .......keep them coming and welcome to the forum

[tarks63]

My wife taking a DB7 Vantage Volante for a test drive for two miles with the handbrake on.

Plumes of smoke pouring out of the back end on return to Aston dealer.

During the test drive she did complain it was a tad sluggish.

[Steve*B]

Lerichio said:

Summer time in London and a lovely pair of legs in a mini skirt walks in front of me when stopped at the light. I gently bent sideway to see who these legs belong to and she stops, lower herself down and wave... OWNED.

Could've been worse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkwdGJ4WDaI

[E55 Max]

Just yesterday I turned up to the Collinwood Arms in Cornhill for the Area 8 AMOC Border raid, ask the staff where the AMOC were to the reply of 'They are not here until next Sunday, which is why there is a distinct lack of Aston Martins in the Car Park'
Now do I turn up next week as well?

[krisdelta]

E55 Max said:

Just yesterday I turned up to the Collinwood Arms in Cornhill for the Area 8 AMOC Border raid, ask the staff where the AMOC were to the reply of 'They are not here until next Sunday, which is why there is a distinct lack of Aston Martins in the Car Park'
Now do I turn up next week as well?

Of course - carry on regardless - maybe mumble something about "testing their customer service skills" as you walk through on Sunday

[TJB69]

Picking up my first V8V the helpful sales chap brought my new car out the showroom and left it running on the forecourt.

Me and the missus jumped in and headed north up the M6, stopping for fuel some time later I jumped back into car after paying turned the key and nothing.....

Messed about for over half an hour with everyone and their dog giving advice but to no avail.

Then it dawned.... foot on clutch when turning key

Edited by TJB69 on Monday 24th October 19:04

[FisiP1]

TJB69 said:

Picking up my first V8V the helpful sales chap brought my new car out the showroom and left it running on the forecourt.

Me and the missus jumped in and headed north up the M6, stopping for fuel some time later I jumped back into car after paying turned the key and nothing.....

Messed about for over half an hour with everyone and their dog giving advice but to no avail.

Then it dawned.... foot on clutch when turning key

Edited by TJB69 on Monday 24th October 19:04

I swear that feature is just a cruel joke on people buying newer cars. Happened to me too.

[williamp]

my most embarassing aston moment was when I had first met this girl. We drove into the country for a wlak along a canal/pub lunch. I'd love to say that we were doing north of 130mph when I lost it, but sadly I had left the handbrake off and it rolled into another car..

They had minor bumper damage. I had new grill (2.5k), bumper, bodywork, respray... Aston wanted £18k for the work. I didnt use them, but after we decided to do the full respray, the additional bodywork, the new roof, the new.... the small accident went into mega money.

It was lovely when finished, though!

[robsco]

FisiP1 said:

TJB69 said:

Picking up my first V8V the helpful sales chap brought my new car out the showroom and left it running on the forecourt.

Me and the missus jumped in and headed north up the M6, stopping for fuel some time later I jumped back into car after paying turned the key and nothing.....

Messed about for over half an hour with everyone and their dog giving advice but to no avail.

Then it dawned.... foot on clutch when turning key

Edited by TJB69 on Monday 24th October 19:04

I swear that feature is just a cruel joke on people buying newer cars. Happened to me too.

Starting a car with the clutch depressed is the "correct" method - it reduces the load on the starter motor.

[yeti]

robsco said:

Starting a car with the clutch depressed is the "correct" method - it reduces the load on the starter motor.

Does it? That's good to know... I have started to do it on all the cars now after being forced to in the Aston. Glad to know it's a good habit!