At an "ownership crossroads"....
Discussion
I've had my 06 4.3 V8 for a little over 3 years now, and have absolutely loved every second of it. Done nearly 14k miles all over the place, and it's looked after me..... as I have looked after it.
I'm wondering though if, at just shy of 70k miles, and nearly 20 years old, it might be "wise" (but not what I really want to do...) to move it on.
It's in near enough perfect order, mechanically; I've serviced the thing to death. It had a new clutch, flywheel, slave cylinder approx 14k miles ago, just before I bought it, and I've used it extremely sympathetically ever since. Still feels brand new. I know "where I stand" with it. I warm it up religiously every time it's used. I have all it's history, ever. I know its only 2 previous owners and their use of it. All new discs/pads, filters, fluids, transaxle oil, refurbished wheels, wipers and mirror stalks, lower bumper grills done, tappet shims re-specced, BR upgrades to near 4.7 performance, new aux belts/pulleys/tensioners......brand new PS4Ss as well.
I've invested in keeping it up to scratch is what i'm getting at. It's a known quantity to me.
I reckon however it'll start needing suspension soon..... dampers, springs and bushes. All fine for now, but maybe?
It also sadly has to live outside. At 20 years old it can't be doing it any good. I keep it waxed and polished, but there is a small patch of the usual door handle corrosion, so it'll need some paint soon, that's happened since I've had it.... starting to get a little stone chipped at the front as well. The subframe is fine - I jack it up twice a year, inspect and waxoyl it.
I love the thing, love owning it as much as driving it, I know it inside out and trust it completely, and I truly believe it's one of the top 5 best looking cars, of all time (the early 05-08 Vantage). It's my perfect spec as well, and being an very early one it's lower tax and one of the 1st 1000 cars with the different engine internals as well. Another page in it's story.
However am I still going to be able to drive it "as intended" as it gets to this kind of age... i.e hard? Would it be better off in the hands of someone who's happy to potter around in it occasionally.
Do I move it on and have nothing fun for a while, save up for a while and get myself into a younger, low mileage V12V to thrash about in
I'm so attached to the bloody thing, it's now "my" motor and part of the family almost... don't need the money out of it per se, just wondering if the "use case" for it is changing as it edges towards an "old" car.
Or do I stick an expensive cover on it and keep it forever....
I'm wondering though if, at just shy of 70k miles, and nearly 20 years old, it might be "wise" (but not what I really want to do...) to move it on.
It's in near enough perfect order, mechanically; I've serviced the thing to death. It had a new clutch, flywheel, slave cylinder approx 14k miles ago, just before I bought it, and I've used it extremely sympathetically ever since. Still feels brand new. I know "where I stand" with it. I warm it up religiously every time it's used. I have all it's history, ever. I know its only 2 previous owners and their use of it. All new discs/pads, filters, fluids, transaxle oil, refurbished wheels, wipers and mirror stalks, lower bumper grills done, tappet shims re-specced, BR upgrades to near 4.7 performance, new aux belts/pulleys/tensioners......brand new PS4Ss as well.
I've invested in keeping it up to scratch is what i'm getting at. It's a known quantity to me.
I reckon however it'll start needing suspension soon..... dampers, springs and bushes. All fine for now, but maybe?
It also sadly has to live outside. At 20 years old it can't be doing it any good. I keep it waxed and polished, but there is a small patch of the usual door handle corrosion, so it'll need some paint soon, that's happened since I've had it.... starting to get a little stone chipped at the front as well. The subframe is fine - I jack it up twice a year, inspect and waxoyl it.
I love the thing, love owning it as much as driving it, I know it inside out and trust it completely, and I truly believe it's one of the top 5 best looking cars, of all time (the early 05-08 Vantage). It's my perfect spec as well, and being an very early one it's lower tax and one of the 1st 1000 cars with the different engine internals as well. Another page in it's story.
However am I still going to be able to drive it "as intended" as it gets to this kind of age... i.e hard? Would it be better off in the hands of someone who's happy to potter around in it occasionally.
Do I move it on and have nothing fun for a while, save up for a while and get myself into a younger, low mileage V12V to thrash about in
I'm so attached to the bloody thing, it's now "my" motor and part of the family almost... don't need the money out of it per se, just wondering if the "use case" for it is changing as it edges towards an "old" car.
Or do I stick an expensive cover on it and keep it forever....
Sounds like you should be keeping IMO.
You're only doing ~ 5000 miles per year too, so hardly overused.
Just keep on looking after it as well as you clearly have been doing and I'm sure it will continue to serve you well.
You could easily swap it for a much younger model with less miles and get unlucky and find it to be a bag of nails in comparison.
On the other hand, if you simply want a change....
You're only doing ~ 5000 miles per year too, so hardly overused.
Just keep on looking after it as well as you clearly have been doing and I'm sure it will continue to serve you well.
You could easily swap it for a much younger model with less miles and get unlucky and find it to be a bag of nails in comparison.
On the other hand, if you simply want a change....
Edited by Lincsls1 on Tuesday 15th April 21:21
Lincsls1 said:
Sounds like you should be keeping IMO.
You're only doing ~ 5000 miles per year too, so hardly overused.
Just keep on looking after it as well as you clearly have been doing and I'm sure it will continue to serve you well.
You could easily swap it for a much younger model with less miles and get unlucky and find it to be a bag of nails in comparison.
On the other hand, if you simply want a change....
Wot e sed!You're only doing ~ 5000 miles per year too, so hardly overused.
Just keep on looking after it as well as you clearly have been doing and I'm sure it will continue to serve you well.
You could easily swap it for a much younger model with less miles and get unlucky and find it to be a bag of nails in comparison.
On the other hand, if you simply want a change....
It's a known quantity and a great car. Unless you just fancy a change or want to try something else in which case, crack on.
Similar situation to my Cerbera: don’t use quite as much as I used to (simply due to having more cars). Have occasionally contemplated selling, but it’s always a very short lived thought that passes with the next drive and the realisation that it’d be very hard to find another as good.
Fwiw though, although the suspension probably won’t be a cheap job it’ll likely transform the car. Had the Cerb done at about 40k, and a BMW done around 60k miles. In both cases it was money well spent, really freshening up and “resetting” things, to the extent that I’m considering getting everything changed on my FFRR now that’s hitting a similar mileage.
There’s also the fact that if you don’t need the money, whatever you unlock from selling is likely to just vanish into general family slush fund…
Fwiw though, although the suspension probably won’t be a cheap job it’ll likely transform the car. Had the Cerb done at about 40k, and a BMW done around 60k miles. In both cases it was money well spent, really freshening up and “resetting” things, to the extent that I’m considering getting everything changed on my FFRR now that’s hitting a similar mileage.
There’s also the fact that if you don’t need the money, whatever you unlock from selling is likely to just vanish into general family slush fund…
i think you would regret selling it and they're not fetching great money at the minute.
I always considered the V12, but could never justify the 'extra' amount as I think half the attraction is the looks and they are very similar.
Mines a 2006 with 74,000 on the clock and it still looks brand new. Its cherished like yours and also will need new dampers in the next few years.
I'd just get a decent outdoor cover and keep it. Theres nothing else out there that would attract the same kind of respect/attention.
I always considered the V12, but could never justify the 'extra' amount as I think half the attraction is the looks and they are very similar.
Mines a 2006 with 74,000 on the clock and it still looks brand new. Its cherished like yours and also will need new dampers in the next few years.
I'd just get a decent outdoor cover and keep it. Theres nothing else out there that would attract the same kind of respect/attention.
Bushings and things I'd not really worry about. There are poly upgrade kits these days that would make it night and day:
https://www.powerflexsuspensionbushes.co.uk/v8--v1...
Suspension happens.
My only take is that a well sorted V8 will cost you a lot less than a low end V12. However, the V12 Vantage is absolutely wonderful.
https://www.powerflexsuspensionbushes.co.uk/v8--v1...
Suspension happens.
My only take is that a well sorted V8 will cost you a lot less than a low end V12. However, the V12 Vantage is absolutely wonderful.
Tough call OP. An early 4.3 V8V is likely to sell for well under £30,000 nowadays so your cost to change to V12V (I assume you mean original six speed manual) is going to be fairly significant. I would add just one thing…don’t test drive the V12 because if you do the urge to buy one will be incredibly hard to resist! You know the history of your current car and it sounds like you’ve looked after it so maybe it’s worth keeping it for now. There aren’t too many original six speed V12V out there as I think people are holding on to them, but as summer gets closer the supply may increase a little. No bad or wrong decisions here, whether you keep what you have or move on. Imho V12V is very special, and if you do change I very much doubt you will regret it. Good luck with your decision. BRM.
It’s worth more to you than the low resale it would bring. I was in a similar boat and decided to keep it and use it. It was quite liberating to not give much thought as to where I parked it or the miles I put on it. I kept it mechanically sound (until I didn’t but that was due to having to abandon it for a year outside due to Covid).
The contribution you’ll get towards a V12V will be so minimal it’s negligible, for a car that looks pretty much identical.
The contribution you’ll get towards a V12V will be so minimal it’s negligible, for a car that looks pretty much identical.
Krhuangbin said:
I've had my 06 4.3 V8 for a little over 3 years now, and have absolutely loved every second of it. Done nearly 14k miles all over the place, and it's looked after me..... as I have looked after it.
I'm wondering though if, at just shy of 70k miles, and nearly 20 years old, it might be "wise" (but not what I really want to do...) to move it on.
It's in near enough perfect order, mechanically; I've serviced the thing to death. It had a new clutch, flywheel, slave cylinder approx 14k miles ago, just before I bought it, and I've used it extremely sympathetically ever since. Still feels brand new. I know "where I stand" with it. I warm it up religiously every time it's used. I have all it's history, ever. I know its only 2 previous owners and their use of it. All new discs/pads, filters, fluids, transaxle oil, refurbished wheels, wipers and mirror stalks, lower bumper grills done, tappet shims re-specced, BR upgrades to near 4.7 performance, new aux belts/pulleys/tensioners......brand new PS4Ss as well.
I've invested in keeping it up to scratch is what i'm getting at. It's a known quantity to me.
I reckon however it'll start needing suspension soon..... dampers, springs and bushes. All fine for now, but maybe?
It also sadly has to live outside. At 20 years old it can't be doing it any good. I keep it waxed and polished, but there is a small patch of the usual door handle corrosion, so it'll need some paint soon, that's happened since I've had it.... starting to get a little stone chipped at the front as well. The subframe is fine - I jack it up twice a year, inspect and waxoyl it.
I love the thing, love owning it as much as driving it, I know it inside out and trust it completely, and I truly believe it's one of the top 5 best looking cars, of all time (the early 05-08 Vantage). It's my perfect spec as well, and being an very early one it's lower tax and one of the 1st 1000 cars with the different engine internals as well. Another page in it's story.
However am I still going to be able to drive it "as intended" as it gets to this kind of age... i.e hard? Would it be better off in the hands of someone who's happy to potter around in it occasionally.
Do I move it on and have nothing fun for a while, save up for a while and get myself into a younger, low mileage V12V to thrash about in
I'm so attached to the bloody thing, it's now "my" motor and part of the family almost... don't need the money out of it per se, just wondering if the "use case" for it is changing as it edges towards an "old" car.
Or do I stick an expensive cover on it and keep it forever....
Recently had a similar dilemma with my own 4.3 V8V (2007). After nearly 10 years of trouble free ownership, I arrived at a similar crossroads. My choice was to upgrade my existing car or sell it and search for a good 4.7.
Like you, I know my car, maintain it as much as possible myself and have had it regularly serviced by trusted local independent specialist who has always said it’s a good example of the model.
After much thought and consideration, I decided to upgrade my existing car with twin plate clutch/lighter flywheel, new brakes, AM Sport Pack suspension and wheels and Mitchelin PS 4S tyres.
At the same time I had the rear subframe removed, zinc plated and powder coated.
The result Is a car I know and trust that feels totally refreshed and drives like a new car.
Sure it’s not as fast as a 4.7 or V12 but it’s plenty fast enough for some weekend fun and I can always go for some performance upgrades in the future, knowing that I have a really sound base to start from.
Bottom line is, I have kept what has over 10 years become a “trusted member of the family”, future proofed it and now I have decide it’s a keeper, I don’t have to worry about putting the miles on it!
The upgrades were not cheap but it was still considerably cheaper than upgrading to something that potentially could still have needed much of the work listed above at some point.
Plus there is something nice about not continually chasing a newer model and being content to stick with an old friend!
Hope this helps with your deliberations.
Cheers G.
I'm wondering though if, at just shy of 70k miles, and nearly 20 years old, it might be "wise" (but not what I really want to do...) to move it on.
It's in near enough perfect order, mechanically; I've serviced the thing to death. It had a new clutch, flywheel, slave cylinder approx 14k miles ago, just before I bought it, and I've used it extremely sympathetically ever since. Still feels brand new. I know "where I stand" with it. I warm it up religiously every time it's used. I have all it's history, ever. I know its only 2 previous owners and their use of it. All new discs/pads, filters, fluids, transaxle oil, refurbished wheels, wipers and mirror stalks, lower bumper grills done, tappet shims re-specced, BR upgrades to near 4.7 performance, new aux belts/pulleys/tensioners......brand new PS4Ss as well.
I've invested in keeping it up to scratch is what i'm getting at. It's a known quantity to me.
I reckon however it'll start needing suspension soon..... dampers, springs and bushes. All fine for now, but maybe?
It also sadly has to live outside. At 20 years old it can't be doing it any good. I keep it waxed and polished, but there is a small patch of the usual door handle corrosion, so it'll need some paint soon, that's happened since I've had it.... starting to get a little stone chipped at the front as well. The subframe is fine - I jack it up twice a year, inspect and waxoyl it.
I love the thing, love owning it as much as driving it, I know it inside out and trust it completely, and I truly believe it's one of the top 5 best looking cars, of all time (the early 05-08 Vantage). It's my perfect spec as well, and being an very early one it's lower tax and one of the 1st 1000 cars with the different engine internals as well. Another page in it's story.
However am I still going to be able to drive it "as intended" as it gets to this kind of age... i.e hard? Would it be better off in the hands of someone who's happy to potter around in it occasionally.
Do I move it on and have nothing fun for a while, save up for a while and get myself into a younger, low mileage V12V to thrash about in
I'm so attached to the bloody thing, it's now "my" motor and part of the family almost... don't need the money out of it per se, just wondering if the "use case" for it is changing as it edges towards an "old" car.
Or do I stick an expensive cover on it and keep it forever....
Recently had a similar dilemma with my own 4.3 V8V (2007). After nearly 10 years of trouble free ownership, I arrived at a similar crossroads. My choice was to upgrade my existing car or sell it and search for a good 4.7.
Like you, I know my car, maintain it as much as possible myself and have had it regularly serviced by trusted local independent specialist who has always said it’s a good example of the model.
After much thought and consideration, I decided to upgrade my existing car with twin plate clutch/lighter flywheel, new brakes, AM Sport Pack suspension and wheels and Mitchelin PS 4S tyres.
At the same time I had the rear subframe removed, zinc plated and powder coated.
The result Is a car I know and trust that feels totally refreshed and drives like a new car.
Sure it’s not as fast as a 4.7 or V12 but it’s plenty fast enough for some weekend fun and I can always go for some performance upgrades in the future, knowing that I have a really sound base to start from.
Bottom line is, I have kept what has over 10 years become a “trusted member of the family”, future proofed it and now I have decide it’s a keeper, I don’t have to worry about putting the miles on it!
The upgrades were not cheap but it was still considerably cheaper than upgrading to something that potentially could still have needed much of the work listed above at some point.
Plus there is something nice about not continually chasing a newer model and being content to stick with an old friend!
Hope this helps with your deliberations.
Cheers G.
Krhuangbin said:
Plus there is something nice about not continually chasing a newer model and being content to stick with an old friend!
Hope this helps with your deliberations.
Seems to be a lot of this about.....recently looked at changing my 06 V8V and although the new (2018) Vantage has grown on me since launch and there was a brief moment where if the right spec car had presented itself to me I might have jumped, I was given too long to mull over the whole situation and just came to the conclusion that £50k to change didn't give me anything close to £50k of improvement to me life so I started browsing for something 'classic' in the £10-15k price range that would but a smile on my face, but even then I think when will I use it and not the Vantage?Hope this helps with your deliberations.
Then I start thinking do I even need the Vantage?
It literally only gets used to go to 'car stuff', I cycle to work and we've just upgraded the 'family' car to something I don't mind driving, but then it comes full circle, and at the current 'cash out' value of an early V8V does it make my life £20k better and the answer to that is still yes so it's staying.....for now.
Had this discussion with 2 'car friends' and they commented that they wish they could be content with their (very nice) cars, but are always chasing the 'next thing' in some cases at HUGE losses.
raceboy said:
Seems to be a lot of this about.....recently looked at changing my 06 V8V and although the new (2018) Vantage has grown on me since launch and there was a brief moment where if the right spec car had presented itself to me I might have jumped, I was given too long to mull over the whole situation and just came to the conclusion that £50k to change didn't give me anything close to £50k of improvement to me life so I started browsing for something 'classic' in the £10-15k price range that would but a smile on my face, but even then I think when will I use it and not the Vantage?
Then I start thinking do I even need the Vantage?
It literally only gets used to go to 'car stuff', I cycle to work and we've just upgraded the 'family' car to something I don't mind driving, but then it comes full circle, and at the current 'cash out' value of an early V8V does it make my life £20k better and the answer to that is still yes so it's staying.....for now.
Had this discussion with 2 'car friends' and they commented that they wish they could be content with their (very nice) cars, but are always chasing the 'next thing' in some cases at HUGE losses.
It's the same way I've felt about my 911 Turbo (996) - was going to upgrade last year but nothing seems like it's worth the £20-30k that I would put towards something else. There's nothing that's twice as good in every aspect so I'm struggling to justify it in my head and would rather just wait for something to go wrong and fix that rather than find stuff still needs fixing on whatever I do get next in the sports or supercar genre. In a way, it's annoying. Truly first world problems. Then I start thinking do I even need the Vantage?
It literally only gets used to go to 'car stuff', I cycle to work and we've just upgraded the 'family' car to something I don't mind driving, but then it comes full circle, and at the current 'cash out' value of an early V8V does it make my life £20k better and the answer to that is still yes so it's staying.....for now.
Had this discussion with 2 'car friends' and they commented that they wish they could be content with their (very nice) cars, but are always chasing the 'next thing' in some cases at HUGE losses.
My recent experience is that I had my first Vantage 4.3 for two years about 7 years ago. Running it got a little scary (for the time) and there were other cars I wanted to try and so I sold it at the bottom of the market (back then). I then had a Boxster for a bit, and a 997 for a couple of years which I loved. But then I missed my Vantage so bought another and made it into my own version as you've seen.
If there's another car you really want to try then go for it. I have lots of itches I want to scratch, R8, Cayman R, more 911s, Gallardo 5.0 and 360 all on there! But the Vantage provides such a unique and brilliant package for the money and some of those options would leave me wanting for a Vantage still so 3 years later I'm still content. If there isn't anything particular you've got a burning desire to swap for and you don't need the money out of it then I'd be inclined to stick Nitrons on it and enjoy it for another few years, or few decades!
I think the early Vantages are now in the phase that 964/993s were 15-20 years ago, where they had become cheap enough that people were more willing to mess about with them, tune them, turn them into track cars, or fast road cars. There are now big communities on here and Facebook and lots of aftermarket support for the VH cars, they are such a good foundation to build on that I think they're are going to get exploited more and more. And then in 10+ years the nice ones will be desirable but they'll be 'cheap' for a while yet as the built plenty of them and the running costs can be chunky.
If there's another car you really want to try then go for it. I have lots of itches I want to scratch, R8, Cayman R, more 911s, Gallardo 5.0 and 360 all on there! But the Vantage provides such a unique and brilliant package for the money and some of those options would leave me wanting for a Vantage still so 3 years later I'm still content. If there isn't anything particular you've got a burning desire to swap for and you don't need the money out of it then I'd be inclined to stick Nitrons on it and enjoy it for another few years, or few decades!
I think the early Vantages are now in the phase that 964/993s were 15-20 years ago, where they had become cheap enough that people were more willing to mess about with them, tune them, turn them into track cars, or fast road cars. There are now big communities on here and Facebook and lots of aftermarket support for the VH cars, they are such a good foundation to build on that I think they're are going to get exploited more and more. And then in 10+ years the nice ones will be desirable but they'll be 'cheap' for a while yet as the built plenty of them and the running costs can be chunky.
I had a Lotus Elise S1 for 19 years. Sometimes I thought about selling it but I was in love with its lines and behavior. Then one day I started to neglect it (I had the Aston Martin Vantage V8 in mind since it came out). I realized that it had had its day and without regret I sold it. I cried only when I saw it go. After a month I had my 2006 Vantage V8 which I consider one of the most beautiful and elegant cars produced. I use it every day as if it were my first car. You can't do this with Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. More and more compliments from people for a classy choice. It will be natural for you to sell it and you won't even write it. Because if you ask you are not sure and if you are not sure you still want it with you.
Had my N430 8 years from new , came to the point where I’d had my fun with it and decided to sell it , as you describe a crossroads moment.
Put it up for sale and ended up selling to someone who used to own a Vantage , so he knew what he was looking for and what he was buying.
I watched him drive away , I initially thought I’d made a mistake and regretted selling it , but later on that day it dawned on me that I’d owned one for 8 years , something that a lot of folk will never experience.
I occasionally think about it, but in the cold light of day , I knew it was the right thing to do at the time.
Put it up for sale and ended up selling to someone who used to own a Vantage , so he knew what he was looking for and what he was buying.
I watched him drive away , I initially thought I’d made a mistake and regretted selling it , but later on that day it dawned on me that I’d owned one for 8 years , something that a lot of folk will never experience.
I occasionally think about it, but in the cold light of day , I knew it was the right thing to do at the time.
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