Test Drive V8 Vantage
Discussion
Just been for my first ever drive of an Aston.An amazing car to drive. Sound is awesome.A firm but not too firm ride. Just a enjoyable place to be.But l, m not telling anyone on here something they don, t already know. But a excellent car. Its advertised on this site and l, ve made an offer, so time will tell
Not really, pretty bullet proof. At 30k the clutch will be due if it hasn't already been changed.
Early 2007 manuals have a linkage and oil change effected to improve 1st to 2nd gear change. Late 2007 had this done. Apparently only the oil change has a reasonable effect on drive-ability.
If it hasn't been bent or repaired and it drives well then there isn't a lot specific to a V8V that you wouldnt check on any other car. Aston do a 140pt check on cars, might be worth asking if they have an electronic copy they can send you.
Early 2007 manuals have a linkage and oil change effected to improve 1st to 2nd gear change. Late 2007 had this done. Apparently only the oil change has a reasonable effect on drive-ability.
If it hasn't been bent or repaired and it drives well then there isn't a lot specific to a V8V that you wouldnt check on any other car. Aston do a 140pt check on cars, might be worth asking if they have an electronic copy they can send you.
deano7 said:
AM Dealer with 12 month warranty. Clutch replacement at 30,000? Surely not.Is this common? If it has been dented and repaired would this show in the 140 point check?
I bought an 07 Vantage a few months ago, 36k miles, clutch is fine. If it goes, it goes, you'll read a lot about AM's rubbish clutch, but I'm not sure the numbers back that up, I think it's a case of a disease you will inevitably suffer, known as New Aston Owner Paranoia. Every time the car does something odd, you think it's the end of the world. Then after a few months, you realise it's not made of crystal and can cope with life quite well.You may have to spend a few hundred quid sorting out some niggles, as is often the case when a new owner takes over a used car, but I wouldn't worry about it too much.
deano7 said:
AM Dealer with 12 month warranty. Clutch replacement at 30,000? Surely not.Is this common? If it has been dented and repaired would this show in the 140 point check?
Clutch is a difficult one. It's a performance car so can wear clutches. A lot depends on how previous owner(s) treated it. Racing standing starts are not good for it, nor lots of reversing up hills. Reverse is similar gear to second so lots of people slip the clutch.Mines covered 37k on its original clutch, Bogie from memory has 60k + out of his, but quite a few with less than mine.
140 point check should confirm it's not been bent.
montecristo said:
deano7 said:
I bought an 07 Vantage a few months ago, 36k miles, clutch is fine. If it goes, it goes, you'll read a lot about AM's rubbish clutch, but I'm not sure the numbers back that up, I think it's a case of a disease you will inevitably suffer, known as New Aston Owner Paranoia. Every time the car does something odd, you think it's the end of the world. Then after a few months, you realise it's not made of crystal and can cope with life quite.
Still going through this faze. Nicely put !!Neil1300R said:
140 point check should confirm it's not been bent.
I'd be very wary of trusting the 140 point check.
I've had mine for just over 18 months now. I had a residual warranty, and had some minor work done. Since then, nothing at all, other than my upgrades at Bamford Rose, which have transformed the car, but frankly, the V8V is a wonderful blend of class, performance, desirability and joy. The clutch will of course be a relatively weak link because AM scrimped on the quality of the components, but there is nothing to say that it will let go early or late. As Neil states, it depends entirely on how it has been driven.
I bought the first one I saw, luckily from a fellow forum member who now owns a DBS. He'd looked after it very well indeed, and it has been nothing but an absolute pleasure to own and drive. Ignore the doom mongers, go with both your head and heart and buy the car that you want and can afford. They are without doubt an entirely different proposition to so many other equivalent cars. Status, for those that want it, adoration, beauty and ample performance for day to day driving. That's what you'll get. And women's underwear thrown at you at the lights.........
Buy it, come and meet us, you might even get on with some of us, but one things for sure, you'll get some reasonable advice on occasion, but ignore anything written after 2200......all likelihood is it'll be tainted by booze.
I bought the first one I saw, luckily from a fellow forum member who now owns a DBS. He'd looked after it very well indeed, and it has been nothing but an absolute pleasure to own and drive. Ignore the doom mongers, go with both your head and heart and buy the car that you want and can afford. They are without doubt an entirely different proposition to so many other equivalent cars. Status, for those that want it, adoration, beauty and ample performance for day to day driving. That's what you'll get. And women's underwear thrown at you at the lights.........
Buy it, come and meet us, you might even get on with some of us, but one things for sure, you'll get some reasonable advice on occasion, but ignore anything written after 2200......all likelihood is it'll be tainted by booze.
Neil1300R said:
...nor lots of reversing up hills. Reverse is similar gear to second so lots of people slip the clutch....
IMO this is probably the biggest cause of premature clutch wear on these cars - and not just up hill reversing either.Why on earth Aston used the ratio they did for reverse I will never know. I seem to recall something around final drive ratios being changed late in development and/or costs being an issue. Either way, it was fecking stupid...unless you get bonuses on the amount of clutches you change!
deano7 said:
AM Dealer with 12 month warranty. Clutch replacement at 30,000? Surely not.Is this common? If it has been dented and repaired would this show in the 140 point check?
It's the risk you take buying a 6 yo old car....you have no idea how the previous owners have treated it ! It's one of the advantages of buying an older DB9 autoGassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff