70's & 80's Aston Martin V8's

70's & 80's Aston Martin V8's

Author
Discussion

richard300

Original Poster:

1,086 posts

215 months

Tuesday 14th February 2012
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I love these cars in all their forms, be it Vantage, Volante, Standard V8, DBS.

But why oh why do they all have that thoroughly hideous big, bulbous plastic box under the rear bumper? (that the exhausts protrude out of)

Now i am assuming it hides a spare wheel or the metal work of the boot floor or perhaps a fuel tank. But it really is dire..... Does anyone run their V8 without this horrid piece of bodywork? surely whatever is behind it could be painted in a satin black and look better or a fabricator could manufacture a deeper more integrated rear valance??

Anyone with pics of alternative solutions or what the cars look like with the piece removed?

vpr

3,788 posts

244 months

Wednesday 15th February 2012
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A lot of people mention this but I don't actually mind it and indeed don't really notice it.

I think there is a big square edged metal boot floor underneath, Not sure how you could alter it without making the side profile (rear wing under bumper) suffer

Actually...early cars such as DBS didn't have it???

williamp

19,501 posts

279 months

Wednesday 15th February 2012
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the very earliest cars had a vertically mounted spare wheel held agianst the fuel tank. The boot floor wasnt flat though- there was a dip down but it wasnt excessive

The plastic cover tidies the area up around the exhaust exits and holds the reversing lights and numberplate. If you get down low you can see the sloping boot floor, which becomes more shallow as it goes aft

When they updated the look of the cars, and the DBS vecame the AM vantage, DBS V8 simply became the V8, the spare wheel was moved to a larger area under the boot floor- hence the need for a deeper cover for the area. The reversing lights were still there, as were the exhaust holes. Later on, fog lights were fitted in place of the reversing lights.

I have seen the car without the cover (mine was held on with Zeuss fasteners), and it does look odd- unfinished, so I guess William Towns did know what he was doing. although, oddly its a very complex bit of metal bashing: a single alloy piece, bashed into a very comple curved structure. And then partly covered by this offending item!

E55 Max

1,143 posts

178 months

Thursday 16th February 2012
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I don't think it looks bad, if removed you would then have to relocate the number plate.