Keeping DB9 or Vantage on the drive

[2.5pi]

I know most of your cosseted mobile sculptures will be hand wrapped in a chamois leather carcoon before being parked in marble floored air conditioned luxury whilst plugged into a trickle charger delivering only the finest peak tariff electricity but my garage is already full but I'm getting an urge to add an early DB9 / Vantage Volante to my life.

Anyone keeping one on the drive and using it only once a fortnight or so? Any issues in doing so?

Drive is secure BTW

[AMDBSNick]

As is well known around here mine lives under a tree. At this moment in time it is my daily driver. In the new year it will be used whenever I fancy it which may be once every couple of weeks. As far as I can see she is still fine and the value is not diminished because she lives outside

[ds2000]

Carcoon is an option, have a google

[steveatesh]

Mine has lived happily on a drive because apparently the junk in the garage is more important.
No issues at all, only thing I would suggest is that you are able to reverse it to your garage door so you can plug in an optimiser from time to time from morning to dusk?
Unless your once a fortnight is a long drive of course rather than a trip to fortune and masons! ( or morrisons in my case!)

[897sma]

Mine lives quite happily on the drive.

[v8woollie]

My V8V coupe lives in the drive. I drive it once or twice a week and sometimes not for a couple of weeks. I just plug in the charger every fortnight for 8 hours and all is fine.

I have purchased a Stormshield cover for when the snow comes

[Lunablack]

My neighbour has a V8V that lives outside, and doesn't get a lot of use........ Mine is the same year, and similar mileage and lives in a garage....

If you put them size by side..... It's obvious which one lives where

[v8woollie]

As long as the car paintwork has adequate protection then living outside is fine. Every car I have ever owned has lived outside with no ill effects and the Aston is only a car so I'm sure it will survive.

A trip to the detailing spa every few years will make it good as new again.

[AMDBSNick]

Lunablack said:

If you put them size by side..... It's obvious which one lives where

Presumably nothing a good polish can't sort out

[sukh_m]

v8woollie said:

My V8V coupe lives in the drive. I drive it once or twice a week and sometimes not for a couple of weeks. I just plug in the charger every fortnight for 8 hours and all is fine.

I have purchased a Stormshield cover for when the snow comes

Under what circumstances would you say you'd need to plug in a charger for the battery? I'm driving mine once or twice at the weekends at the moment so it's untouched mon-fri.

[v8woollie]

sukh_m said:

Under what circumstances would you say you'd need to plug in a charger for the battery? I'm driving mine once or twice at the weekends at the moment so it's untouched mon-fri.

I plug mine in at least once a fortnight just to make sure there is a full charge as I don't do many long trips when I drive it and most of my drives are at the weekend. I noticed last week that, after a full charge and only driving it three times over a three week period (total around 60 miles) the starter was slower than usual as the battery had lost charge. It did start thank goodness.

The other thing that happens without you knowing is that the Tracker centre get lots of alarm notifications due to low battery power.

[Gibberish]

To garage or not to garage, discussed here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[v8woollie]

Gibberish said:

To garage or not to garage, discussed here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Good thread and Lady Topaz doth speak sagely on the last page

[897sma]

I sometimes use mine every day then not for a week or two, never had a flat battery. I even left it nearly a month when on holiday in August and it still started first time. I suppose it depends on the condition of the battery which will be affected by the type of usage it gets.

[2.5pi]

Thanks all, I've got an external power socket so a battery conditioner is no hassle, I guess the key to it is regular detailing and as most folk say the UK weather is temperate most of the time, ie it always rains..

Now I need to find the right Aston shaped Xmas present

Cheers

[JaseB]

To add my 2p worth.

Mine lives on the drive too but then is a daily driver, get's a detail from Francis every 6 months to keep/get it looking shiney and washed carefully by me now and again-ish.

Suprised me at the time that the insurance company didn't mind but if they're happy so am I.

[Lunablack]

AMDBSNick said:

Presumably nothing a good polish can't sort out

If you can polish the corrosion on the alloy mirror stalks, then yes

[DangerMonkey]

On the drive, but then it is pretty much my daily. I just can't be bothered going through the rigmorale of getting it out. That said once snow is forecast I'll put it under cover as I figure that will be quicker.

[Mysterae]

On the topic of garages, do folk manage to fit their Vantage in a "normal" single garage okay? It's the width of the car and the garage opening that I'm concerned about.

If what I have read the width of the Vantage is 1867mm or 2020 including the wing mirrors? That's comparable with the Esprit I have and that I can get in, just. It's a squeeze getting in and out of the door though! It's a shame the windows of the Vantage can't be raised with the remote as that would be ideal (possible mod).

It's the faff of getting in and out of the garage that would be the decider on where it was left each night. Then again, the neighborhood cats have a habit of walking over the cars at night, and that would be worse for the paintwork than rain or snow.

[drcarrera]

Mysterae said:

On the topic of garages, do folk manage to fit their Vantage in a "normal" single garage okay? It's the width of the car and the garage opening that I'm concerned about.

If what I have read the width of the Vantage is 1867mm or 2020 including the wing mirrors? That's comparable with the Esprit I have and that I can get in, just. It's a squeeze getting in and out of the door though! It's a shame the windows of the Vantage can't be raised with the remote as that would be ideal (possible mod).

It's the faff of getting in and out of the garage that would be the decider on where it was left each night. Then again, the neighborhood cats have a habit of walking over the cars at night, and that would be worse for the paintwork than rain or snow.

My V8V fits easily through a pretty standard-sized opening, although I do have powerfold mirrors, which helps (although it fits without folding them anyway). The garage is much wider inside, though, so I can't comment on ease of egress once it's in there.

As for the O/P, I only use mine occasionally - probably once a week max, but it always starts fine. With regard to leaving outside, as long as you make sure it's well polished it should be fine, as long as you get any bird poo off it ASAP. Clean/polish up as much of the stuff in the engine bay as you can as well, and it'll help keep it looking good. A "protection detail" in the Autumn would certainly help, if you're so inclined.