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#1
11-13-2021, 07:07 PM
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Way off topic: Gaydon era Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Paceliners,
This has almost nothing to do with bikes except that the venn diagram is pretty tight for this group between the realms of "experience" and "respect for craft". I have been looking at these iconic cars for a while and I'm wondering if anyone here on the forum has any experience with them. I am really trying to figure out if I want a 4.3 or a 4.7...or would I be better served with a 911. If you have no experience with these cars but have an opinion...I'm not interested. I'd rather talk politics than hear what you think you might know. Anyway, interested to hear what the Paceline has to offer! Thank you. Last edited by IJWS; 11-14-2021 at 12:33 AM. 
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#2
11-13-2021, 07:10 PM
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See Baum thread for feedback from Paceline this place hates anything over $1.95.
Me? I've owned three 911s over the years, driven and ridden in many track days in pretty much every 911. My very favorite is the RS America, or a later GT3. AMs are too big for me. Last edited by Hellgate; 11-13-2021 at 07:13 PM.
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#3
11-13-2021, 07:40 PM
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My experience with a Vantage of that era was walking past a neighbour’s two or three times a typical day. I admired it while my dog snIffed their garden. Past tense because the spot is now filled with a DB9.
Enjoy your trip into the AM world.
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#4
11-13-2021, 08:07 PM
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I dont have any direct experience but I know a few people that have owned both the V8 and V12 versions. The reports are generally reliable with no huge concerns - unlike a 911 with a very strange history of catastrophic engine trouble.
The 4.3 V8 seems to have held steady in pricing unlike a lot of things so should be good value, especially if you are opting for the correct 3-pedal gearbox.
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#5
11-13-2021, 09:10 PM
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Quote:
 Seriously though, I did look into these a couple of years ago and the one thing I remember is how well the reliability was. Surprised me. No real experience though so feel free to ignore. 
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#6
11-13-2021, 11:44 PM
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Thank you (all) for your input. I have an old (2012) Range Rover from the era when Ford had all those prestige brands. I'm impressed by how reliable some of the cars from that era can be. (knocking on wood of course)
Again with the Venn diagram, I'm thinking of a Vantage like one of the last great rim brake bikes. Modern bikes are faster but they have a different character and I would like a classic or future-classic car to hold on to through the transition to mostly electric cars. I like the vantage because it seems like a quintessential ICE (internal combustion engine) car. It's a little heavy, has a huge freakin' engine but isn't all that fast..only fit's 25mm tires but it has a level toptube...you can see where I'm going. I spent some time today with a 4.3L engine generation (the second that I have looked closely at in the past year). Every time I look at a Vantage it just sticks in my head for a few weeks. I am asking the forum to either 1) tell me to just get a Porsche and stop overthinking this or 2) tell me to effin' go for it and get the best that is available and worry about the price difference as the car appreciates. I basically have no agenda.
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#7
11-14-2021, 01:02 AM
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I've been very interested in this era of Vantage myself over the last few years and have done quite a bit of reading on them. I personally think that they're a wonderful combination of style and performance and a great alternative to their contemporary 911 competitor (the 997). For the price of an equivalent miles and condition 997, I feel that the Vantage offers a much more exotic and cool experience - especially if you pick up a 6 speed manual. Also, there doesn't seem to be an Achilles heel to the Vantage like the 997.1s have (IMS issues, bore scoring, etc). They're fairly bullet-proof and reliable. I think you should go for it. They seem to have reached the bottom of their depreciation last year and have been on an upward trajectory this year as people started snapping up reasonably-priced enthusiast cars. They're not going to get any cheaper. I've given up on buying a Vantage for now. I really only have enough garage/life space available for one toy car at this point in life and I'm not ready to give up the current occupant. Good luck in your search! Texbike Last edited by texbike; 11-14-2021 at 01:06 AM.
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#8
11-14-2021, 02:21 AM
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I have a 1981 Aston Martin Vantage with a 540 cu in engine built by Mike Peach at Laguna. (The whole car was coach built.)
I have it in storage. It looks like a mustang on serious steroids. The Aston Martins Owner club use to have track day at Fuji International Speedway once a year. I've had the car on the track. It is crazy loud but handles like a turd. My buddy has a 1997 V8 Vantage with the super charger bringing it up to 550 hp. (again one of the last coach built) It is beast in a straight line, but again, not fun to corner in. The graydon era cars in my opinion are a bit of a miss. They handle better, and have nice lines. But I think Aston was always struggling for money so the interiors are just a bit shabby and little details just stick out. (Jeremy Clarkson agrees with me on this) There is a DB7 Zagato near me in Eaton Sq. It looks interesting from afar, but up close, the details just fall apart. If I was going to spend the money for grand tourer, I think I'd splurge on the new Bentley GT Mulliner or Speed. These are serious luxury fast cars. https://www.bentleymotors.com/en/mod...ntinental.html GT Speed v. Superleggera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gFgf_9p4tY At the end of the day, you can't really push these cars on the open road so you need to go to a track day which ends up being pretty expensive. So I rather be ensconced in luxury as I drive around. If I wanted a pure driving car, I'd probably just opt for the old 2003 Subaru WRX Sti. That was a seriously fun car. Last edited by verticaldoug; 11-14-2021 at 02:56 AM. Reason: added video and scoobie
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#9
11-14-2021, 07:09 AM
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One thing for certain, they are beautiful. This one is listed locally.
https://cars.ksl.com/listing/7496140 
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#10
11-14-2021, 08:01 AM
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I don't know about how the cars drive etc but I just happened to be at a shop my good friend owns (former teammates, best man, known him since he was 12, etc) where he had a few Aston Martins. Two caught my eye - the red one, because it's his, and this blue one (customer car), because of the (rare) factory twin supercharger set up. They generally work on older Astons, so the DB4 etc, and similar generation Ferraris, Maseratis. Some really cool cars there, unusual wacky stuff as well as the regular DB4s etc.
Red one:  The twin supercharger one:  The twin supercharger: 
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#11
11-14-2021, 08:16 AM
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I've been watching the 911 market for a long time, thinking I'd buy one eventually but its just not worth it anymore. The Air cooled cars have both exploded in value and cost to own, and the water cooled cars have all jumped up in price 20-30% in the past year and seem to have no shortage of engine problems - IMS, bore scoring, cylinder chunking, blocks and heads cracking, tensioners disintegrating, and so on down the list. No thanks. Besides how many times do you see a ****in' aston martin let alone get to roll up in one everywhere?
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#12
11-14-2021, 12:27 PM
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I am pretty much sold. I have been cross-shopping a Porsche 997.1's and like some of you mentioned 1) the market is just too much to bear right now. A low-mile S would go for around $35k this time last year...now they are 50+for "drivers".2) The issues around IMS bearings and Bore-scoring come to light when you are comparing to the AM motors.
VerticalDoug wins the thread by having the biggest baddest Vantage.  Despite Texbike's comment, Paceline really has come through (yet again) by confirming some of my worries about 997.1 reliability and generally doing the Paceline thing of saying "go for it!"
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#13
11-14-2021, 02:22 PM
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Quote:
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Oh, and to be clear, my comment wasn't a swipe in any way at the Paceline community. It was more a reference to your initial comments bolded above which seemed to indicate that you didn't care to hear from ANYONE except for those that actually have experience with a Vantage. Given the small number of Vantages produced, the likelihood of there being a significant enough number of Paceline members that have owned one and can provide a broad perspective on the cars seems fairly low. Texbike Last edited by texbike; 11-14-2021 at 02:24 PM.
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#14
11-15-2021, 09:27 AM
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Go for it.
A few [internet] friends have them. 2 V8s and 1 V12, IIRC. They all seem to love them. The V12 caught on fire while parked and was a total loss. Thankfully it was parked in the street, so no building or other vehicle damage. But the V8s have been reliable. At this point, I doubt you could lose money on one. So, even if you don't love it, it'll sell in a year or two for similar money. You'd just be out upkeep costs, and as long as you avoid carbon brakes (not sure which years/models had that option) and don't blow up the engine, that shouldn't be too bad. I'd only consider a 4.3 if it was a significant discount over the newer models. Not so much because of the engine itself - just would want the newest/nicest I could afford. I'd be more concerned about the radio/GPS situation - they're all of an era where the satnav systems were garbage (across all marques), and I'd want to upgrade if possible.
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#15
11-15-2021, 09:37 AM
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Before Covid times, at our local car show, I talked with two gents. One used a DB7 as a daily driver, the other a Ferrari Daytona. Both were proud to point out the paint chips, and how much they looked forward to their commutes, and the disapproval they received from some members of their car clubs. I guessed they were doing it right, and they knew they were.
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