Aston martin v8 vantage choice
Discussion
They’re easy cars to run.
I ran a DB9 from 90k to 130k. Used Jaguar parts to fix it. Engine is basic, diy is easy. They’re such basic cars, same with the vantage. There’s just a plethora of bs from everyone to keep the prices high. Same with customers to justify their £1500 services. It’s the most straightforward car I’ve worked on and owned. I even spliced the wiring to fit the factory cruise control, did it in 30 minutes. Cost me £60 for the button and £50 for coding. Dealer wanted £2k to fit and code
I ran a DB9 from 90k to 130k. Used Jaguar parts to fix it. Engine is basic, diy is easy. They’re such basic cars, same with the vantage. There’s just a plethora of bs from everyone to keep the prices high. Same with customers to justify their £1500 services. It’s the most straightforward car I’ve worked on and owned. I even spliced the wiring to fit the factory cruise control, did it in 30 minutes. Cost me £60 for the button and £50 for coding. Dealer wanted £2k to fit and code
There are pros and cons. The key way to think of it is, they’re a sports car built of mostly Ford and Jaguar bits with a few bespoke bits, they were hand assembled, and there’s a fair few out there now being the most prolific model they ever built, and they’re only just out of production.
Mostly they’re very reliable bulletproof things that take a lot of abuse. It’s the 00’s sweet spot of old-school tech and oily bits with just enough new mod cons.
Are you happy with the spanners? They go together and come apart fairly easily because it was all designed to be done by hand, nice chunky fixings etc. If this is you then I’d say don’t hesitate.
If you’re someone who prefers paying a garage, it’s not too bad via a good independent. Don’t bother with main dealer. The techs do have useful knowledge because they’ve seen so many of these, but you’ll pay through the nose for the privilege, and they’ll want to source you brand new parts, which are going up in price as the stocks run down.
Parts can often be found under Jag or Ford numbers with some leg work, new or used. Body panels getting pricier and to the point where it’s cheaper to repair if possible than replace.
Aston-specific mechanicals are pricey though - gearboxes and such.
Mostly they’re very reliable bulletproof things that take a lot of abuse. It’s the 00’s sweet spot of old-school tech and oily bits with just enough new mod cons.
Are you happy with the spanners? They go together and come apart fairly easily because it was all designed to be done by hand, nice chunky fixings etc. If this is you then I’d say don’t hesitate.
If you’re someone who prefers paying a garage, it’s not too bad via a good independent. Don’t bother with main dealer. The techs do have useful knowledge because they’ve seen so many of these, but you’ll pay through the nose for the privilege, and they’ll want to source you brand new parts, which are going up in price as the stocks run down.
Parts can often be found under Jag or Ford numbers with some leg work, new or used. Body panels getting pricier and to the point where it’s cheaper to repair if possible than replace.
Aston-specific mechanicals are pricey though - gearboxes and such.
Venturist said:
Mostly they’re very reliable bulletproof things that take a lot of abuse. It’s the 00’s sweet spot of old-school tech and oily bits with just enough new mod cons.
This is why I love them so much. Spot on. Mates have R6's, R8's and all that but this is a true classic, just a pretty (in all senses of the word) modern one. Not really hand made in the Gaydon era, more hand finished. But so far pretty easy to work on, quite a straightforward and mechanical set up but does it all rather well.Plenty of nice cars out there for £25k, but you really have to judge each one on its merits, service history is everything. I traded in my first Vantage after 9 years and 83k miles , someone bought it from main dealer for £30k and it really drove like a nearly new car. I hope they have had lots of trouble free years out of it since.
Search on here and plenty of threads on running costs. If you can DIY straight forward jobs you can save a fortune. Its not that bad in running costs at an indy either. I have run RS Audis that cost 2x as much to run over similar time periods. Certainly you can run a Vantage for similar cost (or better) than any RS or M class V8 car.
So do your homework on the car you are buying, get a workshop manual and OBDII reader, and hopefully you are lucky and can experience AM motoring for a fraction of new car cost.
Search on here and plenty of threads on running costs. If you can DIY straight forward jobs you can save a fortune. Its not that bad in running costs at an indy either. I have run RS Audis that cost 2x as much to run over similar time periods. Certainly you can run a Vantage for similar cost (or better) than any RS or M class V8 car.
So do your homework on the car you are buying, get a workshop manual and OBDII reader, and hopefully you are lucky and can experience AM motoring for a fraction of new car cost.
My car Is not for sale!
However if it was...
I would say mine is excellent condition inside and out,no tatty leather,not creaky,great paint,almost new brakes all round,clutch done 17k miles. Mines an early facelift with 51k miles and a big history file
But what would I have to let it go for if I needed to sell. I'm not sure but my point is not all sub £30k cars are rough or needing work.
A recent Video suggested that you might as well stick another £15k in and buy a newer model,instead if bringing an older one up to scratch.
Well that might be the case in some instances but I'm sure there are plenty of nice cars out there in the lower price bracket.
Have a good look round. Having said all the above,don't underestimate the cost of a set of tyres,brakes etc unless really cheap to start with.
However if it was...
I would say mine is excellent condition inside and out,no tatty leather,not creaky,great paint,almost new brakes all round,clutch done 17k miles. Mines an early facelift with 51k miles and a big history file
But what would I have to let it go for if I needed to sell. I'm not sure but my point is not all sub £30k cars are rough or needing work.
A recent Video suggested that you might as well stick another £15k in and buy a newer model,instead if bringing an older one up to scratch.
Well that might be the case in some instances but I'm sure there are plenty of nice cars out there in the lower price bracket.
Have a good look round. Having said all the above,don't underestimate the cost of a set of tyres,brakes etc unless really cheap to start with.
Hey Lee,
I love my Vantage but they are not cheap to run, they might be ok if you are comparing them to AMG V8s, RS Audi etc but compared to other 25k cars, no. I probably depends what you are used to running. I had always had hot hatches, rally reps or smaller sports cars. I have an Elise too and this can be run very cheaply, it much easier to buy alternative aftermarket parts than for the AM.
V8V costs. Mines an MY2010(Aston timeless), I've owned it nearly 5 years and done about 30,000 miles in it.
Fuel- I average about a 25mpg
Tyres- about 1000GBP
Service- 800-1200GBP
Clutch-3000GBP
It's the bits and bobs that cost and seems to go wrong (the prices are approx as I remember). I've had the headlights issue (sidelights die) 2000GBP each(I dodged this one as I could prove they were faulty the day after purchasing the car), parking module die 500GBP, bonnet opener seized , bonnet sensor die 300gbp, glove box activator die.
Lots of small jobs I've done myself as I am not useless. (I do most stuff on the Elise.)
I am not trying to put you off, as I said I love mine and plan to keep it, but I did not realise quite what it would cost me.
I love my Vantage but they are not cheap to run, they might be ok if you are comparing them to AMG V8s, RS Audi etc but compared to other 25k cars, no. I probably depends what you are used to running. I had always had hot hatches, rally reps or smaller sports cars. I have an Elise too and this can be run very cheaply, it much easier to buy alternative aftermarket parts than for the AM.
V8V costs. Mines an MY2010(Aston timeless), I've owned it nearly 5 years and done about 30,000 miles in it.
Fuel- I average about a 25mpg
Tyres- about 1000GBP
Service- 800-1200GBP
Clutch-3000GBP
It's the bits and bobs that cost and seems to go wrong (the prices are approx as I remember). I've had the headlights issue (sidelights die) 2000GBP each(I dodged this one as I could prove they were faulty the day after purchasing the car), parking module die 500GBP, bonnet opener seized , bonnet sensor die 300gbp, glove box activator die.
Lots of small jobs I've done myself as I am not useless. (I do most stuff on the Elise.)
I am not trying to put you off, as I said I love mine and plan to keep it, but I did not realise quite what it would cost me.
Overall I would estimate over 13 years, about 130k miles so far I reckon I probably average about £1500-800 a year in "running costs" of consumables and small repair/niggles.
on the cheapest years ive had a few where just had a £650 service and no consumables fallen due
on average years, usually get a £650 service and brakes, or pair of tyres, or plugs/filters, some minor issue like sensors, battery etc to take it up to £1500 spend for the year
on the most expensive years the clutch went, £3k bill, had a couple of wheel bearings too nearly £1k fitted, add in service/consumables and thats a £5.5-6k service bill in a year without anything really failing, all just stuff wearing out, normal wear and tear.....the clutch is a bit of luck really. Ive had 5 to date inc whats fitted now. The best the original 2006 clutch in first car lasted 76k mile. 2 others went in 30k mile...you never can tell. Find a car with a twin plate upgrade clutch to make you feel more optimistic about its life.
So thats a range of £650 to say £5k of routine servicing in a year. As mentioned, everything is about the cars history, any faults and condition of consumables (inc the clutch)
on the cheapest years ive had a few where just had a £650 service and no consumables fallen due
on average years, usually get a £650 service and brakes, or pair of tyres, or plugs/filters, some minor issue like sensors, battery etc to take it up to £1500 spend for the year
on the most expensive years the clutch went, £3k bill, had a couple of wheel bearings too nearly £1k fitted, add in service/consumables and thats a £5.5-6k service bill in a year without anything really failing, all just stuff wearing out, normal wear and tear.....the clutch is a bit of luck really. Ive had 5 to date inc whats fitted now. The best the original 2006 clutch in first car lasted 76k mile. 2 others went in 30k mile...you never can tell. Find a car with a twin plate upgrade clutch to make you feel more optimistic about its life.
So thats a range of £650 to say £5k of routine servicing in a year. As mentioned, everything is about the cars history, any faults and condition of consumables (inc the clutch)
Some things are cheap and easy to do yourself if you shop around - wheel bearings and hubs (combined unit) £350/pair and you can fit yourself. Discs - Brembo for £150/corner. Pads - anything from £20 - £250 depending on what you want from them.
Clutch is the major cost, but average it out over the life of the car and it’s not that bad. You can do it yourself if you’re mechanically inclined. It’s not rocket science and there’s plenty of help and advice available on the forum and elsewhere.
Servicing - use an Indy rather than main dealer. Supply your own oil and it’ll cost you £80 for the oil.
Best bit of advice I was given was to get a 4.7l over a 4.3l. They have more power and torque and you can spend quite a bit getting a 4.3 up to 4.7 output.
On any car check the rear subframe. These will develop surface rust and should be used as a bargaining chip. I stripped mine out and had it correctly protected and painted.
Whichever one you go for, just get one. You won’t regret it.
There are very few cars that make your heart beat faster every time you look at it.
Clutch is the major cost, but average it out over the life of the car and it’s not that bad. You can do it yourself if you’re mechanically inclined. It’s not rocket science and there’s plenty of help and advice available on the forum and elsewhere.
Servicing - use an Indy rather than main dealer. Supply your own oil and it’ll cost you £80 for the oil.
Best bit of advice I was given was to get a 4.7l over a 4.3l. They have more power and torque and you can spend quite a bit getting a 4.3 up to 4.7 output.
On any car check the rear subframe. These will develop surface rust and should be used as a bargaining chip. I stripped mine out and had it correctly protected and painted.
Whichever one you go for, just get one. You won’t regret it.
There are very few cars that make your heart beat faster every time you look at it.
Good post from JonnyCJ. Only thing to add is watch out for the rear lights. If they let moisture in they are expensive to replace, although a few owners have managed to fix them themselves.
Also a good indy will often have used spares from cars that upgraded. I use David Appleby and they support one of the race series and like Bamford Rose do performance upgrades. The workshop is an aladains cave of barely used parts!
Also a good indy will often have used spares from cars that upgraded. I use David Appleby and they support one of the race series and like Bamford Rose do performance upgrades. The workshop is an aladains cave of barely used parts!
Thank you to all
Who have responded to my post, I take on board all your comments and advice and will use this information to help me make my choice. I think overall, the more I think about it, the more I think an Aston will over stretch my finances but time will tell. Thanks again for all comments.
Who have responded to my post, I take on board all your comments and advice and will use this information to help me make my choice. I think overall, the more I think about it, the more I think an Aston will over stretch my finances but time will tell. Thanks again for all comments.
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