Ever consider an Aston Vantage V8 ?
#16
Rennlist Member
I almost bought one of these when I sold RS. Bought turbo instead. Happy w decision. But AM is great looking.
Last edited by JG 996T; 06-27-2017 at 10:07 AM.
#17
I had an 07 Manual TT 997 that I sold. I am now looking for a Vantage. I have driven a 2012 sport shift and a 2013 manual. It's definately different than a 911. The interior is a thing of beauty. Feels more GT cruiser than a 997. Handing is not bad, has a real nice heavy steering feel. The 4.7 liter motor sounds awesome, revs really clean up to redline.
Nice cars IMO
Nice cars IMO
#19
my buddy has a manual black/black Vantage V12, he got it for $100 last year iirc. great car, sounds awesome, and is quick enough. the regular V8 Vantage looks nice and sounds good but is pretty slow. they also don't age well inside in terms of material fit & finish.
#20
V12 Vantage for $100K...
$100K for a V12 Vantage manual is pretty sweet. What year was it? The earlier ones were 510 hp, and the newer ones are something like 568hp if I recall correctly.
#21
it was an early one iirc, i don't recall the year. we both bought cars that day from the same dealer (i bought a Z06) so i was more focused on my purchase. it had like 15k miles, bought from vroom.com
#23
But there is NO Aston dealership in Honolulu
So, would it be nuts to buy a Vantage when the closest dealership is in California? Or is it the case that any competent mechanic could deal with any issues that arose? I read that under the beautiful AM skin there are Volvo and Ford parts that are widely available.
#24
The parts catalog is available somewhere, with diagrams. There isn't anything you can put in from Volvo. The parts are not terribly expensive and on par with Porsche, significantly less than e.g. Maserati. Whether they last as long is a different matter.
A special concern of mine is how much of the Astons is made from Aluminium. There was one totaled by a lift just recently. And any kind of fender or door bender might have you purchase the part. Body parts seem to be priced fairly for Aston Martin.
#25
#26
I'm in Honolulu, not exactly Eastern Island, but far from an Aston Dealership
I always take my cars to indies anyway, so if the Vantage isn't ridiculously complex, I figure a good quality local mechanic could diagnose and fix most things that could go wrong. Or am I wrong to consider purchase if there is no local dealership?
#27
Obviously a manual transmission would do a lot better here.
Also, are you in a state where a warning light in the dash (regardless of its nature) makes you fail the state inspection? If you decided a light is chicken****, would you be able to drive indefinitely?
#28
Rennlist Member
Hello. This is my car.
It's a 2009 4.7 Vantage with the sport pack and 6 speed manual transmission. Slate Blue. 2 tone interior. Try to find a Blue Turbo 997 with a 2 tone interior?
I really wasn't looking for an Aston Martin, but I came across this and couldn't resist it. I think it might be one of a kind. I bought it from an Aston martin dealer 1.5 years ago. It was CPO'ed. It had 10k miles on it when I bought it. It now has 20k on it. Stay away from the sport shift. It sucks. Frankly, the early 4.3l cars kinda messed up this cars reputation. It's too slow. This 4.7l rips. No it's not Turbo 997 fast. But what is? I like the way it rides too. It's a sport pack car. It's not so floaty as the regular cars. It's got a big V8 that likes to rev. Fun stuff.This Like most used cars, this had a couple of issues that I had to rectify.
#1 A common problem with these cars is the front timing cover can develop a leak. It costs $$$$ to fix it at the dealer. It's quite the involving job that requires the front suspension to be removed. If you have a lift I think it's doable though. Watchout for this. This car leaked and the dealer took care of it. Once it's been done, your good to go.
#2 The paint on this car was never really detailed properly. It left the factory with sanding marks everywhere. I am an amateur detailer so fixing this was pretty time consuming. Soft paint too. After I corrected the paint I had the entire car covered with clear film. I hate rock chips.
#3 The clutch on these cars can be a issue. They have a tendancy to not last long. Mine has been rock solid. The clutch can be kinda grabby though. It requires some skill to drive it smoothly. It's very rewarding to master.
#4 Brakes. The stock brake pads suck. Noisey and dusty. Porterfield R4S. Perfect now.
#5 Interior. Trim rattles. I had to fix more than a couple. Good thing the interior is mostly screwed together with actual screws and metal tabs. It goes back together no problem. The leather can shrink like on most cars with actual leather. The leather is not that pleather ****. You know what I mean!
#6 It's pretty easy to work on. Oil changes no problem without a lift. I changed all the fluids on this car on jackstands. Parts. Not from the dealer. Check out REDPANTS for parts.
#7 Tires. The stock Potenza's suck. Michlein pilot super sports transformed the car.
#8 Tuning. Headers, cats, tune. Fast and loud. Like my women. LOL. Easy power. It's a V8 afterall!
6 Speedonline has a great forum that's been really helpful.
It's a 2009 4.7 Vantage with the sport pack and 6 speed manual transmission. Slate Blue. 2 tone interior. Try to find a Blue Turbo 997 with a 2 tone interior?
I really wasn't looking for an Aston Martin, but I came across this and couldn't resist it. I think it might be one of a kind. I bought it from an Aston martin dealer 1.5 years ago. It was CPO'ed. It had 10k miles on it when I bought it. It now has 20k on it. Stay away from the sport shift. It sucks. Frankly, the early 4.3l cars kinda messed up this cars reputation. It's too slow. This 4.7l rips. No it's not Turbo 997 fast. But what is? I like the way it rides too. It's a sport pack car. It's not so floaty as the regular cars. It's got a big V8 that likes to rev. Fun stuff.This Like most used cars, this had a couple of issues that I had to rectify.
#1 A common problem with these cars is the front timing cover can develop a leak. It costs $$$$ to fix it at the dealer. It's quite the involving job that requires the front suspension to be removed. If you have a lift I think it's doable though. Watchout for this. This car leaked and the dealer took care of it. Once it's been done, your good to go.
#2 The paint on this car was never really detailed properly. It left the factory with sanding marks everywhere. I am an amateur detailer so fixing this was pretty time consuming. Soft paint too. After I corrected the paint I had the entire car covered with clear film. I hate rock chips.
#3 The clutch on these cars can be a issue. They have a tendancy to not last long. Mine has been rock solid. The clutch can be kinda grabby though. It requires some skill to drive it smoothly. It's very rewarding to master.
#4 Brakes. The stock brake pads suck. Noisey and dusty. Porterfield R4S. Perfect now.
#5 Interior. Trim rattles. I had to fix more than a couple. Good thing the interior is mostly screwed together with actual screws and metal tabs. It goes back together no problem. The leather can shrink like on most cars with actual leather. The leather is not that pleather ****. You know what I mean!
#6 It's pretty easy to work on. Oil changes no problem without a lift. I changed all the fluids on this car on jackstands. Parts. Not from the dealer. Check out REDPANTS for parts.
#7 Tires. The stock Potenza's suck. Michlein pilot super sports transformed the car.
#8 Tuning. Headers, cats, tune. Fast and loud. Like my women. LOL. Easy power. It's a V8 afterall!
6 Speedonline has a great forum that's been really helpful.