Early Vantages - dealer nonsense?
Discussion
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Standard Vantage engines are pretty bullet proof anyway, so not sure you'd be getting any additional reliability with one of these very early cars. If it's true then certainly an interesting side note to be aware of if you end up buying the car, but not really worth any premium IMO if that's what the dealer is expecting.
This topic has been covered before.
A source tells me that the first 1000 engines were built with steel connecting rods and tri metal big end bearings because there was a pre production scare, many V8's were failing bottom end. Because the fix was uncertain they reverted to a spec known to return durability to maintain original production timing. Post #1000 when the problem was identified, they reverted to sintered rod and tin big end bearing (greatly reduced cost Vs steel rod and tri metal bearing). Although lower quality components, sintered rod and tin bearings have been proven to be durable. No power increase is associated to the special build. The source also reflects that the first 1000 cars were subject to tight quality control, but now all cars are >10 years old, I doubt what the cars were quality scored on then, matters not at all now.
In reality, contrary to the advert, there is no benefit now to owing car #999 Vs car #1001, except the steel rods in engine #999 would be better off in a race car engine and the nostalgia surrounding the first 1000 cars - cars <#1000 will still paint bubble, fail the singleplate clutch, condensate rear lamps, fail door modules, have worn suspension bushes at 20k miles blah, blah, blah
A source tells me that the first 1000 engines were built with steel connecting rods and tri metal big end bearings because there was a pre production scare, many V8's were failing bottom end. Because the fix was uncertain they reverted to a spec known to return durability to maintain original production timing. Post #1000 when the problem was identified, they reverted to sintered rod and tin big end bearing (greatly reduced cost Vs steel rod and tri metal bearing). Although lower quality components, sintered rod and tin bearings have been proven to be durable. No power increase is associated to the special build. The source also reflects that the first 1000 cars were subject to tight quality control, but now all cars are >10 years old, I doubt what the cars were quality scored on then, matters not at all now.
In reality, contrary to the advert, there is no benefit now to owing car #999 Vs car #1001, except the steel rods in engine #999 would be better off in a race car engine and the nostalgia surrounding the first 1000 cars - cars <#1000 will still paint bubble, fail the singleplate clutch, condensate rear lamps, fail door modules, have worn suspension bushes at 20k miles blah, blah, blah
BamfordMike said:
This topic has been covered before.
A source tells me that the first 1000 engines were built with steel connecting rods and tri metal big end bearings because there was a pre production scare, many V8's were failing bottom end. Because the fix was uncertain they reverted to a spec known to return durability to maintain original production timing. Post #1000 when the problem was identified, they reverted to sintered rod and tin big end bearing (greatly reduced cost Vs steel rod and tri metal bearing). Although lower quality components, sintered rod and tin bearings have been proven to be durable. No power increase is associated to the special build. The source also reflects that the first 1000 cars were subject to tight quality control, but now all cars are >10 years old, I doubt what the cars were quality scored on then, matters not at all now.
In reality, contrary to the advert, there is no benefit now to owing car #999 Vs car #1001, except the steel rods in engine #999 would be better off in a race car engine and the nostalgia surrounding the first 1000 cars - cars <#1000 will still paint bubble, fail the singleplate clutch, condensate rear lamps, fail door modules, have worn suspension bushes at 20k miles blah, blah, blah
Anything similar on the early DB9?A source tells me that the first 1000 engines were built with steel connecting rods and tri metal big end bearings because there was a pre production scare, many V8's were failing bottom end. Because the fix was uncertain they reverted to a spec known to return durability to maintain original production timing. Post #1000 when the problem was identified, they reverted to sintered rod and tin big end bearing (greatly reduced cost Vs steel rod and tri metal bearing). Although lower quality components, sintered rod and tin bearings have been proven to be durable. No power increase is associated to the special build. The source also reflects that the first 1000 cars were subject to tight quality control, but now all cars are >10 years old, I doubt what the cars were quality scored on then, matters not at all now.
In reality, contrary to the advert, there is no benefit now to owing car #999 Vs car #1001, except the steel rods in engine #999 would be better off in a race car engine and the nostalgia surrounding the first 1000 cars - cars <#1000 will still paint bubble, fail the singleplate clutch, condensate rear lamps, fail door modules, have worn suspension bushes at 20k miles blah, blah, blah
I had one of the first 1000 cars too, Dec 05 build. It proved very reliable, but, interestingly enough it did suffer from; paint bubbles, clutch lasted 73K miles, condensate in lamps, left door module failed, probably needed new bushes/suspension 
....I saw that ad and thought it was bull, so to hear that there actually was *something* different about the first 1000 is news to me... although the truth as been spruced up a little to help sell an older car
....I saw that ad and thought it was bull, so to hear that there actually was *something* different about the first 1000 is news to me... although the truth as been spruced up a little to help sell an older car
shunt said:
That's my old car the advert is written about, shame they didn't uprate the tappets or whatever it is they had to replace to stop the ticking noise the engine had. "They all sound like that sir", as I was told, obviously wasn't quite right.
The cheaper road tax was a bonus though.
These are your souvenirs then!The cheaper road tax was a bonus though.
Runs sweet now
Thanks Mike, I just wish you were more local as obviously you have superior knowledge of these things. Did you actually do the work? Glad it's all sorted now for the next owner. Did you find anything else that needed looking at?
Out of interest how much did it cost to fix and was it just 2 tappet shims or whatever they are?
Out of interest how much did it cost to fix and was it just 2 tappet shims or whatever they are?
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