Another V8 Vantage running costs thread
Discussion
I've been a potential V8 vantage buyer for some time now.
I am hoping to get a new (to me) car early 2021 now and weighing up options that range from M4 manual to Yaris GR to rs6, e92 m3 etc
And again I have ended up back at the V8 vantage.
I am sure this has been posted a thousand times but realistically it seems from my basic research that the biggest cost will be a clutch replacement and headlight issues.
I will aim to find a car with a recently replaced or ideally upgraded clutch.
Other than this I would imagine its not actually gonna be any more expensive than looking after a German equivalent right?
I also live i South London so I believe there is at least one very reputable AM indy very near me which really makes a big difference.
Thanks
Mine is on 40K, original clutch and no signs of any slippage (not conclusive I know).
If you exclude a bit of cosmetic work (paint bubbling and wheel refurb), mine hasn’t had anything other than one rear brake pipe (common issue, £30-£40 and less than 1h labour) that I can remember.
Find a good Indy and it’ll be doable on around £1,800 pa including all consumables and averaged out for a clutch.
Make sure you buy a tidy car to start, I’m the fourth or fifth owner (car is 2008, I’ve owned since 2016), FSH and around 32k miles on purchase.
Miles / owners not that important, condition is everything.
Brilliant cars, I’ve been to Le Mans and the plan is Lake Como next year, they don’t feel modern, even the newer ones, albeit I only speak to manual.
If you exclude a bit of cosmetic work (paint bubbling and wheel refurb), mine hasn’t had anything other than one rear brake pipe (common issue, £30-£40 and less than 1h labour) that I can remember.
Find a good Indy and it’ll be doable on around £1,800 pa including all consumables and averaged out for a clutch.
Make sure you buy a tidy car to start, I’m the fourth or fifth owner (car is 2008, I’ve owned since 2016), FSH and around 32k miles on purchase.
Miles / owners not that important, condition is everything.
Brilliant cars, I’ve been to Le Mans and the plan is Lake Como next year, they don’t feel modern, even the newer ones, albeit I only speak to manual.
As others have said, let us know which threads you've read already so as not to repeat the same stuff.
One thing I did pick up on though, is you mentioned a Yaris GR. Just to point out the blindingly obvious, but a hand built British V8 sportscar is going to cost you much more to run than a new Toyota, don't think otherwise. Also, the two cars couldn't be more different. The Aston will feel VERY analogue in comparison to any other car you've mentioned, so just be sure that you're prepared for that. For me the reason I love my V12 is because it feels very old school, but some people want all the gadgets etc, and you are not going to find them in an early (or any) V8V.
I would say that day to day costs are comparable to an M BMW or an RS Audi, but if you're unlucky and something does break, then it "could" get pricey, Indy route or not. Providing you get a good one to start with, then they are as a rule very reliable cars, but you need to also be mindful that you're buying a car that started life at close to £100k, so "some" consumables and parts are going to be in line with that. Just because the car is now worth £30-40k, that doesn't mean the cost of parts has reduced in line with it.
New clutch, somewhere in the £3.5k I believe region for the twin plate and lightened flywheel.
Any specific questions then just let us know, I'm sure someone will help you out.
One thing I did pick up on though, is you mentioned a Yaris GR. Just to point out the blindingly obvious, but a hand built British V8 sportscar is going to cost you much more to run than a new Toyota, don't think otherwise. Also, the two cars couldn't be more different. The Aston will feel VERY analogue in comparison to any other car you've mentioned, so just be sure that you're prepared for that. For me the reason I love my V12 is because it feels very old school, but some people want all the gadgets etc, and you are not going to find them in an early (or any) V8V.
I would say that day to day costs are comparable to an M BMW or an RS Audi, but if you're unlucky and something does break, then it "could" get pricey, Indy route or not. Providing you get a good one to start with, then they are as a rule very reliable cars, but you need to also be mindful that you're buying a car that started life at close to £100k, so "some" consumables and parts are going to be in line with that. Just because the car is now worth £30-40k, that doesn't mean the cost of parts has reduced in line with it.
New clutch, somewhere in the £3.5k I believe region for the twin plate and lightened flywheel.
Any specific questions then just let us know, I'm sure someone will help you out.
Mine cost me £1.77 per mile from new, everything included (tyres, servicing, fuel, insurance, depreciation etc).
I did 56k miles in 8yrs of ownership in all weathers. It never needed a clutch in that time and the clutch felt as healthy as it did at half the miles - technique and the install make most difference.
Biggest cost was depreciation. But IME of owning quick cars if you don't get knobbled by depreciation, something else will get you
(Most of the quick cars I've owned have been similar orders of magnitude cost wise I think).
Next was fuel (always Super Unleaded), then servicing. Car was always serviced at official dealers. Most expensive was £1.2k, cheapest £800.
Insurance next, then tax.
Then brakes. It needed a full set of discs and pads front and rear plus an extra set of rear pads and handbrake pads.
Then tyres. 3 sets of tyres if you include the ones it came with and left with.
Fantastic car to own and use. (I had a Tubi exhaust which I can heartily recommend).
I did 56k miles in 8yrs of ownership in all weathers. It never needed a clutch in that time and the clutch felt as healthy as it did at half the miles - technique and the install make most difference.
Biggest cost was depreciation. But IME of owning quick cars if you don't get knobbled by depreciation, something else will get you
(Most of the quick cars I've owned have been similar orders of magnitude cost wise I think).Next was fuel (always Super Unleaded), then servicing. Car was always serviced at official dealers. Most expensive was £1.2k, cheapest £800.
Insurance next, then tax.
Then brakes. It needed a full set of discs and pads front and rear plus an extra set of rear pads and handbrake pads.
Then tyres. 3 sets of tyres if you include the ones it came with and left with.
Fantastic car to own and use. (I had a Tubi exhaust which I can heartily recommend).
I think everybody considers a number of different options when thinking about which car to buy. I test drove a Cayman, XKR, A110, M2C before buying what i probably knew in my heart i really wanted...a manual Vantage. Went to look at a low mileage one that fitted the bill at a large independent and on a test drive it was obvious the clutch was fooked. Sat in several other manual versions in their showroom and it gave me a good insight into which ones felt right and which ones didn’t. Test drove another with higher mileage and no evidence of a clutch change at a main dealer and the clutch was perfect.
Rather than just assume it must have a new clutch I’d try a few to get a feel for what a good and bad clutch is like ( bite point / weight )👍 -assuming you’re not seeking an auto!
Rather than just assume it must have a new clutch I’d try a few to get a feel for what a good and bad clutch is like ( bite point / weight )👍 -assuming you’re not seeking an auto!
Thanks for the posts.
In terms ofnither threads I cant recall which ones but I've generally just read about the clutch and headlight issues.
I am definitely looking only at Manual 4.3 cars.
I would hope to get one with a recent clutch and then would plan to upgrade, maybe with Bamford Rose, at some point.
I am about 2 hours from Bamford Rose, or else I will be about 4 minutes luck would have it from an Indy called Pugsley and Lewis who seem to be very good from what I've read.
From my reading it looks like 600-1000 for a service depending on minor or major.
They seem to have depreciated a fair amount recently must be hitting the bottom soon right??!!
The main thing i am trying to work out is what else to look for. If they are otherwise pretty reliable it would start to seem to make sense to seriously consider some of the cheapest cars on the basis that e.g. a 22k car could compete with a 28k car...I.e. 6k would sort clutch headlights service etc on a 22k car.
Or is there anything else to be looking for?
Cheers
In terms ofnither threads I cant recall which ones but I've generally just read about the clutch and headlight issues.
I am definitely looking only at Manual 4.3 cars.
I would hope to get one with a recent clutch and then would plan to upgrade, maybe with Bamford Rose, at some point.
I am about 2 hours from Bamford Rose, or else I will be about 4 minutes luck would have it from an Indy called Pugsley and Lewis who seem to be very good from what I've read.
From my reading it looks like 600-1000 for a service depending on minor or major.
They seem to have depreciated a fair amount recently must be hitting the bottom soon right??!!
The main thing i am trying to work out is what else to look for. If they are otherwise pretty reliable it would start to seem to make sense to seriously consider some of the cheapest cars on the basis that e.g. a 22k car could compete with a 28k car...I.e. 6k would sort clutch headlights service etc on a 22k car.
Or is there anything else to be looking for?
Cheers
Timing cover leak - see comment from Bamford Rose:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=17...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=17...
Hi. I have a 2006 manual 4.3. Owned it for 13 years, now on 75,000 miles. Pretty much bullet proof and still love driving it every day. In terms of costs and items,
Timing chain cover leak was done under warranty.
Two batteries. Not expensive. Last one was about £130. You can easily fit it yourself. Lots of video guides.
One fuel pump, Ford I think, under warranty.
Clutch went at around 40,000. Currently showing no signs of trouble. It was around £2,500 fitted.
Endless rear lights. Only because I bought used replacements off ebay. Big mistake. Eventually bit the bullet and bought new ones, circa £1,000 for the pair. Been perfect for the last 8 years. The other option is to get then repaired, a lot cheaper and seems to get a good rep.
New springs and shocks. Went for Nitrons as better and cheaper than OEM. About £3,000 fitted by David Appleby
Just about to do my brakes again.
In terms of service it's worth considering David Appleby, similar costs to Bamford Rose. They have looked after mine since I bought it. One of the great things about them is they can fix parts rather than just replace. I had a problem with the heat shield. Repaired for £50 plus labour as opposed to hundreds to buy the whole assembly. They also do lots of upgrades so will often have parts on the shelf that have barely been used.
Good luck with your search.
Timing chain cover leak was done under warranty.
Two batteries. Not expensive. Last one was about £130. You can easily fit it yourself. Lots of video guides.
One fuel pump, Ford I think, under warranty.
Clutch went at around 40,000. Currently showing no signs of trouble. It was around £2,500 fitted.
Endless rear lights. Only because I bought used replacements off ebay. Big mistake. Eventually bit the bullet and bought new ones, circa £1,000 for the pair. Been perfect for the last 8 years. The other option is to get then repaired, a lot cheaper and seems to get a good rep.
New springs and shocks. Went for Nitrons as better and cheaper than OEM. About £3,000 fitted by David Appleby
Just about to do my brakes again.
In terms of service it's worth considering David Appleby, similar costs to Bamford Rose. They have looked after mine since I bought it. One of the great things about them is they can fix parts rather than just replace. I had a problem with the heat shield. Repaired for £50 plus labour as opposed to hundreds to buy the whole assembly. They also do lots of upgrades so will often have parts on the shelf that have barely been used.
Good luck with your search.
ok so if we considered an absolute worst case horrendous year it could be:
Clucth £3.5k
Rear Lights £1k
Front Lights £1k (haven't actually checked this just guessing)
Timing Cover Leak £2.5k
It starts to make it look like a good idea to consider cars at the very botttom of the salary range, ive seen cars at £21/22k so even with all the above needing doing you end up at £30k with everything dealt with?? Or am I missing something?
Clucth £3.5k
Rear Lights £1k
Front Lights £1k (haven't actually checked this just guessing)
Timing Cover Leak £2.5k
It starts to make it look like a good idea to consider cars at the very botttom of the salary range, ive seen cars at £21/22k so even with all the above needing doing you end up at £30k with everything dealt with?? Or am I missing something?
If you are looking at a 4.3L it's highly likely it will have had the timing cover fix or at the age of the car it's unlikely to develop now.
Again the lights will either be ok or they won't. Thats something you can easily check. It's not to say they won't develop problems....
Probably the thing that's hardest to tell is when the clutch goes.
Having all these problems at the same time seems to me possible, but pretty unlikely
In some ways an older car is more likely to have had the necessary routine fixes, given it's age.
Again the lights will either be ok or they won't. Thats something you can easily check. It's not to say they won't develop problems....
Probably the thing that's hardest to tell is when the clutch goes.
Having all these problems at the same time seems to me possible, but pretty unlikely
In some ways an older car is more likely to have had the necessary routine fixes, given it's age.
Z4MCSL said:
ok so if we considered an absolute worst case horrendous year it could be:
Clucth £3.5k
Rear Lights £1k
Front Lights £1k (haven't actually checked this just guessing)
Timing Cover Leak £2.5k
It starts to make it look like a good idea to consider cars at the very botttom of the salary range, ive seen cars at £21/22k so even with all the above needing doing you end up at £30k with everything dealt with?? Or am I missing something?
I think its hard to estimate a "worst case" year on a car that is now nearly 15 years old at the cheaper end. Clucth £3.5k
Rear Lights £1k
Front Lights £1k (haven't actually checked this just guessing)
Timing Cover Leak £2.5k
It starts to make it look like a good idea to consider cars at the very botttom of the salary range, ive seen cars at £21/22k so even with all the above needing doing you end up at £30k with everything dealt with?? Or am I missing something?
I had a radiator warp and one of the headlight washers break (both not uncommon issues with a Vantage). That left a £3.5k service bill at Bamford Rose.
Add in a clutch in the same year, or even just discs and pad renewal, and you would be well over £5k. That's not to say it would be every year, but I really think too much over-analysis of the what ifs can be a red herring. That's not to say you need to have tens of thousands stashed away to run one and I would certainly not say you do, but just pointing out its almost impossible on a car of that age to truly say "worst case" when many semi-consumable parts might be up for renewal.
I’ve had mine 2 years in March
Assuming nothing breaks before then it will have cost me £1200
I had a service done soon after buying for peace of mind. Needed a couple of bits inc 2 brake pipes. Across both visits it was £900 approximately.
This at AML Macclesfield
I did a minor service myself this past summer inc air filters and replaced the battery last year.
2021 it will go back to AML
I’ve only done 3.5k miles in this time which is poor I know so maybe more miles could have given more expense.
My clutch is 17k miles old so I’m hoping plenty left but who knows
I have spent on upgrades but out of choice not necessity
Car is garaged which must help with lights I reckon
Assuming nothing breaks before then it will have cost me £1200
I had a service done soon after buying for peace of mind. Needed a couple of bits inc 2 brake pipes. Across both visits it was £900 approximately.
This at AML Macclesfield
I did a minor service myself this past summer inc air filters and replaced the battery last year.
2021 it will go back to AML
I’ve only done 3.5k miles in this time which is poor I know so maybe more miles could have given more expense.
My clutch is 17k miles old so I’m hoping plenty left but who knows
I have spent on upgrades but out of choice not necessity
Car is garaged which must help with lights I reckon
If buying an older Vantage privately or from a non-franchised dealer then I would definitely get an inspection by a decent Indy before buying because you are effectively buying without warranty. Anything the inspection identifies can be used to either get the work done before purchase or negotiate on the price (or help you walk away).
If buying from a Main Dealer then get the same inspection done after you've bought it so you can identify and get anything sorted under the warranty.
My current Vantage S is now 7 years old, has 40K miles on the clock and is remarkably reliable and a total joy to own. I'm sure it helps that it is looked after by an exceptional Independent Specialist (Bamford Rose).
If buying from a Main Dealer then get the same inspection done after you've bought it so you can identify and get anything sorted under the warranty.
My current Vantage S is now 7 years old, has 40K miles on the clock and is remarkably reliable and a total joy to own. I'm sure it helps that it is looked after by an exceptional Independent Specialist (Bamford Rose).
The back lights will get water in them, then they will fail, so something that has no sign of water in them is probably OK for at least the next year. Its the water that wrecks them, so if you spot it in the light, do something about it and it won't cost anything. Fixing the existing ones is around £200 each with postage.
The front lights also fail from water ingress, getting the existing ones fixed is around £300 each with postage.
The front lights also fail from water ingress, getting the existing ones fixed is around £300 each with postage.
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