Aston Martin Vantage V8 (AMV8) Owners - favour?

[J.P.]

Hey everyone! I'm hoping to make an informed purchase in the foreseeable future, plus have some ideas for a car project - so to help with these I'm looking to find any friendly AMV8 owners based anywhere across the island of Ireland (based in Dublin myself) that wouldn't mind ideally bringing me for a spin in their pride-and-joy or even if that's not possible for any reason, at the very least allow me take a really good look around what I feel is one of the best-looking cars made to-date.

If for privacy/discretion/any reason you're an owner & don't want to advertise that on this thread, please feel free to PM me either.

I remember there was a beautiful grey (07?) KE-reg'd coupe at C&C Bray within the last year I think; I know there was a silver 06 KY-reg'd one for sale in 2020; there was at least two black ones (one coupe & one volante) on Southern plates in the last 6-9 months sold; and there was a yellow one near Belfast in the last 6 months for sale so hoping at least one owner is on here!

[Titan]

There was a garage beside me who had one in stock for a long time.

Not sure if they still have it or not,but I have a feeling they moved it on a while ago so not much use to you probably.

[J.P.]

Cheers for the tip: what was the garage & I'll try to look them up?

[Titan]

Cheers for the tip: what was the garage & I'll try to look them up?

https://www.cieranmcconnoncarsales.ie/

They dont have it listed in their stock so I guess they sold it but might be worth a call anyway.

The owner was driving it a good bit,to C&C and the like when he did have it.

[fester]

Cheap ish to buy, still Aston Martin prices to run and maintain though. I went through the pros and cons last summer, my Brother in Law was Chief Tech at AML when building the DB9. Although he no longer is with AML he spoke to a close friend still in the network and the clutch on one is still expensive as it was new, currently priced at £13k labour and parts.

£13k for a clutch.... FFS..... Beautiful car and all. But doesn't compute for me on the risk vs reward scale at all. Even if I was filthy, stinking rich, still no.

[-alan-]

^ Off topic I know .. but calls to mind the old quip about the definition of an Optimist being somebody who thinks they can just about afford to run a second hand Aston Martin
Carry on..

[Conorw89]

Cheap ish to buy, still Aston Martin prices to run and maintain though. I went through the pros and cons last summer, my Brother in Law was Chief Tech at AML when building the DB9. Although he no longer is with AML he spoke to a close friend still in the network and the clutch on one is still expensive as it was new, currently priced at £13k labour and parts.

If you're bringing it to an AM dealer, maybe(even that I have trouble believing), but there is no way it is anywhere near that expensive with a specialist. I remember looking at them a while ago, and I'm fairly sure you could have it sorted for 5k or so. From the research I did, that are a pain to maintain from an electrics perspective, but a lot of the parts aren't AM specific, so if you are looking for a nice car and don't care about concours level maintenance standards, they are fairly doable. Definitely more expensive that a 911/R8, but not supercar expensive.

[Ming]

I once ran a DB9 cabrio for a year. Not taxed or serviced and warning lights that came up from time to time, like reverse gear unavailable. I offloaded it after a fairly enjoyable year but was not minded to repeat the Aston experience. The Vantage sounds like one of those break your heart cars which you love but then it stops working.

Get a 911. It seems to be the default safe(er) thing to do for someone who really wants a V8 Vantage.

[Conorw89]

I once ran a DB9 cabrio for a year. Not taxed or serviced and warning lights that came up from time to time, like reverse gear unavailable. I offloaded it after a fairly enjoyable year but was not minded to repeat the Aston experience. The Vantage sounds like one of those break your heart cars which you love but then it stops working.

Get a 911. It seems to be the default safe(er) thing to do for someone who really wants a V8 Vantage.

I don't think a 911 is going to scratch an itch borne from wanting a V8 Vantage, they're a better car, but the sound of a V8 Vantage is what I suspect most people are after, and the 911 will not deliver on that front.

[kdevitt]

I did the V8 Vantage research a while back too - average with a specialist in the UK seems to be around 3k for the clutch change iirc. Read plenty about the electrical gremlins too - which put me off a small bit, but I was very tempted by the one in McConnons despite all that.

[Conorw89]

I did the V8 Vantage research a while back too - average with a specialist in the UK seems to be around 3k for the clutch change iirc. Read plenty about the electrical gremlins too - which put me off a small bit, but I was very tempted by the one in McConnons despite all that.

I think the main issue with them is that they aren't that good to drive seemingly, at least compared to their direct competition. They look incredible though, such a timeless design. Sound amazing too.

[Deadly Dave]

Have you read this?

http://www.backroads.ie/forum/car-re...ives-bought-it

different model but interesting to see reliability and costs

[charlie]

I'm surprised there are so many posts discouraging from buying a V8 anything.
Eamon Ryan would love you all and I'm sure he appreciated the heads up regarding how the bills will be more uncomfortable than a prostate exam with a finger wrapped in 80 grit sandpaper but I suspect he may well be aware of this. The bills that is not the sandpaper.

So come on guys and girls. Give him some encouragement. Lets see if someone on here can get JPs ass into the seat of an Aston so he can make a better informed choice and if he doesn't like it, then we can all suggest the most reliable of supercars, a TVR.

[-alan-]

Whilst the sentiments are laudable Charlie - I'm not sure 'informed choice' and 'buying a s/h Aston Martin Anything' belong in the same week, never mind in the same sentence. FFs you'd bankrupt the man.

You wouldn't wish that to a fellow petrol head surely ?

(edit OTOH anybody who's budget doesn't stretch to an Aston but are really fond of dodgy engineering, lousy build quality, and like to live on the ragged edge.. I know of a couple of 3 yr old Range Rovers just coming out of warranty that'll be for sale shortly )

[Ray4901]

Hi JP. I have a 2008 v8 vantage, updated model with 4.7 engine. Have had it for 5 years and drive daily while the weather is fine.
honestly it has cost me nothing to run this car, it is a very basic car, big engine, gearbox and hardly any electronics to confuse things.
I have done basic maintenance myself and it is very easy to work on, everything easily accessible. I agree that it may not be the most dynamic
car to drive but that is not the point, it looks and sounds amazing and makes me smile every time i drive it.
there are very few cars with the character of a v8 Aston and it still looks better than anything else on the road.