Tales of a V8V (illustrated)
Discussion
Hi, my name's Dean, I'm a photographer, and I'm from Aotearoa, or New Zealand as it's sometimes known, but I now live in Switzerland. I have a manual 2007 4.3 Vantage, which I had the pleasure calling mine on the 6th of October 2015.
I've been floating around on PH for a few months now and injecting the occasional comment or photo here and there and the end result is being press-ganged into attending Burghley 2016 (which I am thoroughly looking forward to), and now, as some form of payback, maybe, I'm prepared to try something a bit different to the usual threads, and that is to basically create a blog about my car ownership, peppered with photos of the vehicle in question in thought provoking and strategically interesting environments...
I have a bit of catching up to do however, as I am a few months into ownership but I'll endeavour to get up to speed quickly and painlessly! Also, I realise this is possibly a little egocentric but my intentions are pure (and yeah, a little egocentric) but bear with me, because I think this could be a valid thread for future Aston Martin hopefuls, as I was up until 7 months ago, and maybe even slightly entertaining for all the Aston stalwarts lurking here, but whatever, you decide.
First, by way of an introduction, a bit of a blurb.
I have since I can remember, been a "PistonHead" (I shall use this in deference to our platform... In NZ we would say petrol head) and devoured car magazines and books, worshiped anything with two doors and a sporty profile and watched The Cannonball Run several times just to hear the glorious sound of that Countach. Magnum P.I. was my weekly dose of "I want one of those one day."
I loved the idea of attending Le Mens and Paris/Dakar and went to numerous motorsports events both as an enthusiastic spectator and as a photographer, and of those I went to, rally not only captured my imagination but also made the best images! This was in the days when the Group B Audi Quattro was the dominant force and I even bought my Dunlop tyres (lightly worn) @ 55 kiwi shekels each - much less than half price - from local kiwi rally maestro and Quattro driver, Malcolm Stewart, for my first car...
My first car was a rotary engined Mazda RX-2 which I then spent all my earnings on modifying or improving, and when that 1148cc engine was putting out a healthy 210bhp through a competition clutch and LSD I used as much of my spare time as possible going sideways through the forestry roads of Hawkes Bay in NZ's North Island, or doing self-imposed time trials from A to B through various back roads. I was, what is now referred to as, a boy racer. Sounds horrible. It was great fun! No regard for authority and a car that could outrun the local 5.0L V8 Holden Commodore police car (more than once) was an exciting introduction to the world of motor car ownership. Clearly that was long ago and I have since... ahem, grown up.
In the time since, several cars have passed through my hands and others have shone brightly from afar in my "I want one of those one day" category, but like fashion they generally come and go, yesterday's Corvette Stingray became a Ferrari 288 GTO, which became a Ford GT or Lamborghini Gallardo, or a Maserati... wait a minute... what is that absolutely gorgeous deep red Aston Martin of some description passing by, and oh my, what a noise it makes!
That was 2006 and of course the car was a V8 Vantage cruising down Auckland's "K" Road. Previously I had been fortunate enough to get behind the wheel of a DB7 and never had I sat in a car that felt so custom made for me. I also had the chance to get loose in it on some slippery roads and it handled intuitively. When I saw and heard this latest incarnation I was smitten, and since then there was no car that wanted more than an Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
This desire was primitive, primarily appearance based, and of course the exhaust note was thrilling but my previous experience in an Aston was no guarantee that this Vantage malarkey was of the same ilk. Oh well, time passes, we'll see...
Since then I had been both passenger and pilot in 911's, Lambos and a Vanquish among others, but the image and memory of that Vantage was still the one that always drew me back. In recent years after frequently studying prices I realised that ownership of a Vantage was actually becoming obtainable, albeit not new, but a Vantage none the less. OK, down to the good stuff…
I figured, from reading the reviews and sundry online opinions and speaking with a dealer, that a 4.7 sportshift was the way to go, so I budgeted for a 2009/2010 model. After keeping an eye on the market for two years I pounced, as suddenly both privately, and at a dealer, there were a couple of low mileage 4.7 options available within my price point, and conveniently two well specced 4.3's somewhat cheaper, comparison time! I decided the easiest option was to go to the local dealer and take a test drive. Long story short, I drove a 2010 sportshift back to back with a 2007 4.3 manual, and after a few days of pondering that 4.3 is what I ended up buying.
Alright, that didn’t go according to plan… but the 4.3 was impeccable, one owner summer driver, low mileage and pretty much ticked all my boxes regarding options, but ultimately it was a much more engaging drive. I found the power difference to be negligible, there was for sure more mid-range grunt in the 4.7 but not shockingly so and not something that can't be addressed with a trip to Bamford Rose. I much preferred the ride in the 4.3 too, taught and sporty but not as jiggly.
I plan on using this as a car, rather than it being a weekend warrior or an occasional show-piece, and while it is a selfish purchase it needed to be versatile AND comfy for the occasional passenger (which more often would be my wife and not some adrenaline junky mate visiting from afar) rather than a hard core sports beast.
The other problem I had was in Switzerland pretty much everybody ordered the 4.7 in sportshift so the manual versions are few and far between, and when they do pop up they seem to carry a 5-10k plus premium over the equivalent sportshift, so even if a manual 4.7 was available it would probably take me outside my budget. Besides I’d been looking long enough and I was in the mood to buy.
So, what I ended up with was a February 2007 registered Tungsten Silver coupe with Obsidian Black interior and Raven Black stitching that had done 27,500km (17,000 miles). It sat on a set of the original 7 spoke 19 inch wheels and Bridgestone tyres.
It included Rear Parking Sensors, Auto-fold Mirrors, Heated Memory Seats, Sat Nav, Cruise Control, Bluetooth and Battery Conditioner. Missing from my ideal specs were Front Parking Sensors and the grunty stereo, ahh well, stuff can be retro fitted, no!?
I've been floating around on PH for a few months now and injecting the occasional comment or photo here and there and the end result is being press-ganged into attending Burghley 2016 (which I am thoroughly looking forward to), and now, as some form of payback, maybe, I'm prepared to try something a bit different to the usual threads, and that is to basically create a blog about my car ownership, peppered with photos of the vehicle in question in thought provoking and strategically interesting environments...
I have a bit of catching up to do however, as I am a few months into ownership but I'll endeavour to get up to speed quickly and painlessly! Also, I realise this is possibly a little egocentric but my intentions are pure (and yeah, a little egocentric) but bear with me, because I think this could be a valid thread for future Aston Martin hopefuls, as I was up until 7 months ago, and maybe even slightly entertaining for all the Aston stalwarts lurking here, but whatever, you decide.
First, by way of an introduction, a bit of a blurb.
I have since I can remember, been a "PistonHead" (I shall use this in deference to our platform... In NZ we would say petrol head) and devoured car magazines and books, worshiped anything with two doors and a sporty profile and watched The Cannonball Run several times just to hear the glorious sound of that Countach. Magnum P.I. was my weekly dose of "I want one of those one day."
I loved the idea of attending Le Mens and Paris/Dakar and went to numerous motorsports events both as an enthusiastic spectator and as a photographer, and of those I went to, rally not only captured my imagination but also made the best images! This was in the days when the Group B Audi Quattro was the dominant force and I even bought my Dunlop tyres (lightly worn) @ 55 kiwi shekels each - much less than half price - from local kiwi rally maestro and Quattro driver, Malcolm Stewart, for my first car...
My first car was a rotary engined Mazda RX-2 which I then spent all my earnings on modifying or improving, and when that 1148cc engine was putting out a healthy 210bhp through a competition clutch and LSD I used as much of my spare time as possible going sideways through the forestry roads of Hawkes Bay in NZ's North Island, or doing self-imposed time trials from A to B through various back roads. I was, what is now referred to as, a boy racer. Sounds horrible. It was great fun! No regard for authority and a car that could outrun the local 5.0L V8 Holden Commodore police car (more than once) was an exciting introduction to the world of motor car ownership. Clearly that was long ago and I have since... ahem, grown up.
In the time since, several cars have passed through my hands and others have shone brightly from afar in my "I want one of those one day" category, but like fashion they generally come and go, yesterday's Corvette Stingray became a Ferrari 288 GTO, which became a Ford GT or Lamborghini Gallardo, or a Maserati... wait a minute... what is that absolutely gorgeous deep red Aston Martin of some description passing by, and oh my, what a noise it makes!
That was 2006 and of course the car was a V8 Vantage cruising down Auckland's "K" Road. Previously I had been fortunate enough to get behind the wheel of a DB7 and never had I sat in a car that felt so custom made for me. I also had the chance to get loose in it on some slippery roads and it handled intuitively. When I saw and heard this latest incarnation I was smitten, and since then there was no car that wanted more than an Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
This desire was primitive, primarily appearance based, and of course the exhaust note was thrilling but my previous experience in an Aston was no guarantee that this Vantage malarkey was of the same ilk. Oh well, time passes, we'll see...
Since then I had been both passenger and pilot in 911's, Lambos and a Vanquish among others, but the image and memory of that Vantage was still the one that always drew me back. In recent years after frequently studying prices I realised that ownership of a Vantage was actually becoming obtainable, albeit not new, but a Vantage none the less. OK, down to the good stuff…
I figured, from reading the reviews and sundry online opinions and speaking with a dealer, that a 4.7 sportshift was the way to go, so I budgeted for a 2009/2010 model. After keeping an eye on the market for two years I pounced, as suddenly both privately, and at a dealer, there were a couple of low mileage 4.7 options available within my price point, and conveniently two well specced 4.3's somewhat cheaper, comparison time! I decided the easiest option was to go to the local dealer and take a test drive. Long story short, I drove a 2010 sportshift back to back with a 2007 4.3 manual, and after a few days of pondering that 4.3 is what I ended up buying.
Alright, that didn’t go according to plan… but the 4.3 was impeccable, one owner summer driver, low mileage and pretty much ticked all my boxes regarding options, but ultimately it was a much more engaging drive. I found the power difference to be negligible, there was for sure more mid-range grunt in the 4.7 but not shockingly so and not something that can't be addressed with a trip to Bamford Rose. I much preferred the ride in the 4.3 too, taught and sporty but not as jiggly.
I plan on using this as a car, rather than it being a weekend warrior or an occasional show-piece, and while it is a selfish purchase it needed to be versatile AND comfy for the occasional passenger (which more often would be my wife and not some adrenaline junky mate visiting from afar) rather than a hard core sports beast.
The other problem I had was in Switzerland pretty much everybody ordered the 4.7 in sportshift so the manual versions are few and far between, and when they do pop up they seem to carry a 5-10k plus premium over the equivalent sportshift, so even if a manual 4.7 was available it would probably take me outside my budget. Besides I’d been looking long enough and I was in the mood to buy.
So, what I ended up with was a February 2007 registered Tungsten Silver coupe with Obsidian Black interior and Raven Black stitching that had done 27,500km (17,000 miles). It sat on a set of the original 7 spoke 19 inch wheels and Bridgestone tyres.
It included Rear Parking Sensors, Auto-fold Mirrors, Heated Memory Seats, Sat Nav, Cruise Control, Bluetooth and Battery Conditioner. Missing from my ideal specs were Front Parking Sensors and the grunty stereo, ahh well, stuff can be retro fitted, no!?
Edited by Mr.Tremlini on Friday 20th September 22:27
RobDown said:
Great write-up and really looking forward to more photos (I think you have a fan club already from the Aston photo thread)!
Thank you Rob, I hope the future images meet expectations!agaton12 said:
A great photo of a beautiful car.
The original shape was (imo) the most beautiful of them all.
Thanks agaton12. I look at the new side sills and wonder if they add or detract from the car, I kinda think without them the curves are just that much more provocative... still undecided...The original shape was (imo) the most beautiful of them all.
J12KJR said:
An interesting write up Dean and yet another of those quality photos we associate with you. Look forward to meeting you at Burghley.
Likewise, it will be great to put some faces (and cars) to the names! Cheers for the kind words :-)kensilver said:
With your story another layer is peeled from the onion, and you surprisingly turn out to be a Kiwi, like me. I thought your English was too good for a Swiss national 
And another stunning photo!
Cheers Ken. A Swiss would say "I knew your schweizerdeutsch was too horrible for you to be anything other than a foreigner" ;-) I hope to maintain a few more skins on my onion yet... And another stunning photo!Pocketing the one year warranty when purchasing the car from an Aston Martin dealer certainly makes you feel more comfortable with the process, and even with a second hand vehicle, the dealer experience adds to the feel good factor a little bit. Wandering around amongst all the new metal & leather while your own (slightly more rustic version) is being prepared, completes the adventure, and sets the trap for years to come…
As a cherry on the top, the previous owner of my Vantage to be, clearly a man of great integrity, asked that the car be given the once over to make sure it was “wie neu” for sale. The result was an invoice for him of just under 8000 Swiss Francs for a full service, rear brake pads, drive belts, pulleys, gaskets, O-rings, filters, wiper blades and other sundry seals and what not, work that was performed two weeks before I drove it away. Nice.
Before driving away however, I ordered an Ultimate Car Cover. Having moved six months earlier to a house in the country, sans garaging, I felt this prudent.
It’s a nice cover, black with a red lining, and some white embroidery on the outside (“Aston Martin” & wings on the front, “Vantage” over the side strakes) and comes in a duffle-style bag. It fits snuggly and has two straps which run under the car between the wheels to secure it, but even without these I don’t think it would go anywhere.
I’ve used it several times and it seems pretty decent, little or no moisture underneath when removing, and I feel that the moisture that was there was from condensation from the heat after rain/snow rather than the cover not being waterproof. I have had it on for two solid days of rain and removed it one day later and everything was dry.
After driving away, the first thing I did was make a couple of changes to the audio system. Firstly by spending £3 on ebay for a “Mini 1.58" Black Carbon Fiber Short Stubby Aerial Antenna Mast Fit Most Cars New” and secondly, with the removal of that pesky fuse 22.
The original long aerial doesn’t bother me particularly, but the short one is certainly a cosmetic improvement, as long as you don’t look at it too closely… and means that I don’t need to unscrew the aerial when putting the car cover on.
Taking out fuse 22 makes you feel a bit like a naughty boy, and the sound of the car on cold start up and burbling around at low revs is a guilty pleasure, however I do keep the fuse on hand and slip it back in on occasion to avoid irritating neighbours with early morning departures, or early morning arrivals…
I’m looking forward to getting one of Clive Chedzey’s Fuse 22 on/off electronic switches fitted at Burghley in a couple of months to ease the process!
Now unfortunately I bought the car in October, in Switzerland, which meant that if I wanted to continue to enjoy it physically rather than just visually some winter rubber would be required very soon ...
As a cherry on the top, the previous owner of my Vantage to be, clearly a man of great integrity, asked that the car be given the once over to make sure it was “wie neu” for sale. The result was an invoice for him of just under 8000 Swiss Francs for a full service, rear brake pads, drive belts, pulleys, gaskets, O-rings, filters, wiper blades and other sundry seals and what not, work that was performed two weeks before I drove it away. Nice.
Before driving away however, I ordered an Ultimate Car Cover. Having moved six months earlier to a house in the country, sans garaging, I felt this prudent.
It’s a nice cover, black with a red lining, and some white embroidery on the outside (“Aston Martin” & wings on the front, “Vantage” over the side strakes) and comes in a duffle-style bag. It fits snuggly and has two straps which run under the car between the wheels to secure it, but even without these I don’t think it would go anywhere.
I’ve used it several times and it seems pretty decent, little or no moisture underneath when removing, and I feel that the moisture that was there was from condensation from the heat after rain/snow rather than the cover not being waterproof. I have had it on for two solid days of rain and removed it one day later and everything was dry.
After driving away, the first thing I did was make a couple of changes to the audio system. Firstly by spending £3 on ebay for a “Mini 1.58" Black Carbon Fiber Short Stubby Aerial Antenna Mast Fit Most Cars New” and secondly, with the removal of that pesky fuse 22.
The original long aerial doesn’t bother me particularly, but the short one is certainly a cosmetic improvement, as long as you don’t look at it too closely… and means that I don’t need to unscrew the aerial when putting the car cover on.
Taking out fuse 22 makes you feel a bit like a naughty boy, and the sound of the car on cold start up and burbling around at low revs is a guilty pleasure, however I do keep the fuse on hand and slip it back in on occasion to avoid irritating neighbours with early morning departures, or early morning arrivals…
I’m looking forward to getting one of Clive Chedzey’s Fuse 22 on/off electronic switches fitted at Burghley in a couple of months to ease the process!
Now unfortunately I bought the car in October, in Switzerland, which meant that if I wanted to continue to enjoy it physically rather than just visually some winter rubber would be required very soon ...
Edited by Mr.Tremlini on Friday 20th September 22:37
Hello Dean I've been following your posts on here and enjoying your photos. I aspire to one day maybe getting just one good photo. 
Without wishing to sound like I know what I'm talking about, I think your next great step in automotive photography could be to take photographs of the car while its moving? To me a moving car is so much more interesting than a parked one. The only problem with this is that you can't be driving and taking a photo at the same time? What a dilemma Anyway, I look forward to seeing future efforts.
Without wishing to sound like I know what I'm talking about, I think your next great step in automotive photography could be to take photographs of the car while its moving? To me a moving car is so much more interesting than a parked one. The only problem with this is that you can't be driving and taking a photo at the same time? What a dilemma Anyway, I look forward to seeing future efforts. Has anyone ever bought a later car and made it look like an earlier one? Or are the only people that value the "purity" of the early design the ones with the older car? I think the later engine and consol are preferred by most people aren't they? So why has no-one retrofitted the old stuff as I'm sure you can pick up the parts cheap?
Don't get me wrong, the original design is great, but I chose to upgrade/ruin my V8V whichever way your preference is. Then I got a godawful looking V12V with all the bolted on extra crap and carbon.
Don't get me wrong, the original design is great, but I chose to upgrade/ruin my V8V whichever way your preference is. Then I got a godawful looking V12V with all the bolted on extra crap and carbon.
Good report, great car and a nice little improvement with the stubby antenna, I like the car cover, where did you get it from?
Living also in Switzerland I know that the ownership of an Aston can be quite expensive. Some dealers think, that just because you are driving an Aston, you don't care about how much money you spent. I had some bad experience with a AM main dealer in Zurich. E.g. once they wanted to replace my headlight and charge me 2.000 CHF just because the 'washer-thingy' was broken, which is plastic part worth 20 CHF. Anyhow, there are also some good and reliable dealers (AM and Indy) around. Also AM parts are significantly more expansive in CH due to the monopoly of the main importer. It might be advised to find a dealer / indy which allows you to bring your own parts (e.g. from astonmartinbits).
Anyhow enjoy your AM. You definitely need winter tires. The V8V is a surprisingly capable daily driver, even in winter conditions (assuming the right tires are mounted ;-)).
Living also in Switzerland I know that the ownership of an Aston can be quite expensive. Some dealers think, that just because you are driving an Aston, you don't care about how much money you spent. I had some bad experience with a AM main dealer in Zurich. E.g. once they wanted to replace my headlight and charge me 2.000 CHF just because the 'washer-thingy' was broken, which is plastic part worth 20 CHF. Anyhow, there are also some good and reliable dealers (AM and Indy) around. Also AM parts are significantly more expansive in CH due to the monopoly of the main importer. It might be advised to find a dealer / indy which allows you to bring your own parts (e.g. from astonmartinbits).
Anyhow enjoy your AM. You definitely need winter tires. The V8V is a surprisingly capable daily driver, even in winter conditions (assuming the right tires are mounted ;-)).
Quarterly said:
Hello Dean I've been following your posts on here and enjoying your photos. I aspire to one day maybe getting just one good photo. Without wishing to sound like I know what I'm talking about, I think your next great step in automotive photography could be to take photographs of the car while its moving? To me a moving car is so much more interesting than a parked one. The only problem with this is that you can't be driving and taking a photo at the same time? What a dilemma Anyway, I look forward to seeing future efforts.
Thanks Quarterly! Actually you do know what you're talking about, I have been wanting to do some moving shots for some time, but finding the time and willing personnel to indulge my fascination is not so simple. Obviously being stationary while someone drives by only requires one additional person but what I ideally would like is to do some car-to-car shots which means I need two drivers! Without wishing to sound like I know what I'm talking about, I think your next great step in automotive photography could be to take photographs of the car while its moving? To me a moving car is so much more interesting than a parked one. The only problem with this is that you can't be driving and taking a photo at the same time? What a dilemma Anyway, I look forward to seeing future efforts. It'll happen...
martindesu said:
Nice thread, and I think I'll do the same once I eventually get mine. I am still torn on the 4.3 vs 4.7. I do think I prefer the interior of the 4.7 enough to hold out for one and make it my "keeper".
Do you own another car? As I need to drive to an office every day, I am going to be getting a daily runner, probably auto and nothing too boring, and save the Aston for weekends and road trips.
Nice photos, too. I am a bit of a photography nut myself.
I don't suppose you're near Zurich at all? I am going there this summer for a conference, and would love to meet up for a coffee—I'd like to pick your brains as I'll be going through similar decisions in the near future. I'm happy to get the train somewhere!
Martin
Cheers Martin! In the end I was 50/50 on the interior, and really we are only talking about a glass key and one square foot of real estate that doesn't concern me particularly when I'm hands on wheel. The 4.7 certainly looks more modern, but I actually like the symmetry and simplicity of the 4.3, and besides, the cup holders are in a daft place on the 4.7 particularly if it's manual!Do you own another car? As I need to drive to an office every day, I am going to be getting a daily runner, probably auto and nothing too boring, and save the Aston for weekends and road trips.
Nice photos, too. I am a bit of a photography nut myself.
I don't suppose you're near Zurich at all? I am going there this summer for a conference, and would love to meet up for a coffee—I'd like to pick your brains as I'll be going through similar decisions in the near future. I'm happy to get the train somewhere!
Martin
I also have and Audi S6 Avant, 2002 model, which I've had a few years now and it officially became the "family" car, replacing my wife's Alfa 147, when I bought the Aston... as you can see we never seem to get past the A's when looking at cars to buy
The S6 is really a big, roomy GT, 4.2 V8 and Quattro with plenty of load space and great for cruising. I really like it.I live 45 minutes from Zurich so pretty close really, I'm back and forth to that airport all the time! Let me know your movements and hopefully I will be around for a catch up.
outofstepuk said:
Has anyone ever bought a later car and made it look like an earlier one? Or are the only people that value the "purity" of the early design the ones with the older car? I think the later engine and consol are preferred by most people aren't they? So why has no-one retrofitted the old stuff as I'm sure you can pick up the parts cheap?
Don't get me wrong, the original design is great, but I chose to upgrade/ruin my V8V whichever way your preference is. Then I got a godawful looking V12V with all the bolted on extra crap and carbon.
Some stuff works, some works not so well, some people hate black wheels, some can't live without them, luckily we're all different and there's something for everyone... I think there can a tendency to get caught up in a "what can I upgrade next" syndrome. Don't get me wrong, the original design is great, but I chose to upgrade/ruin my V8V whichever way your preference is. Then I got a godawful looking V12V with all the bolted on extra crap and carbon.
One of the things I am looking forward to at Burghley is checking out all the variations of Vantage colours, accessories and treatments first hand over a short period of time and seeing what I think of them, as it sounds like pretty much everything will be there! I have some ideas about what I may like to do to the car cosmetically, which is not much, and reversible, but it will be terrific to see how I like certain things up close.
james-witton said:
Great Thread Dean
I hope you have an enjoyable journey over to the UK
I bet you will be inundated with well wishers - with requests for photographs of their cars - bring your camera!!
See you there
James
Thank you James, & yes I will be bringing a camera or two! I'm starting to wonder how easy or hard it will be to track people down with what will clearly be more than 500 cars!I hope you have an enjoyable journey over to the UK
I bet you will be inundated with well wishers - with requests for photographs of their cars - bring your camera!!
See you there
James
LordBretSinclair said:
Kia Ora Dean,
great thread - hope we can meet up at Burghley
Kia Ora, Your Lordship, and thank you. I guess you'll be easier to find at Burgley than most, what with the trumpets, corgis and velvet standards?great thread - hope we can meet up at Burghley
jarodw said:
Good report, great car and a nice little improvement with the stubby antenna, I like the car cover, where did you get it from?
Living also in Switzerland I know that the ownership of an Aston can be quite expensive. Some dealers think, that just because you are driving an Aston, you don't care about how much money you spent. I had some bad experience with a AM main dealer in Zurich. E.g. once they wanted to replace my headlight and charge me 2.000 CHF just because the 'washer-thingy' was broken, which is plastic part worth 20 CHF. Anyhow, there are also some good and reliable dealers (AM and Indy) around. Also AM parts are significantly more expansive in CH due to the monopoly of the main importer. It might be advised to find a dealer / indy which allows you to bring your own parts (e.g. from astonmartinbits).
Anyhow enjoy your AM. You definitely need winter tires. The V8V is a surprisingly capable daily driver, even in winter conditions (assuming the right tires are mounted ;-)).
Happy you've enjoyed it so far! The car cover is an Aston accessory so your local free coffee purveyor will happily take an order from you I'm sure! Ordered mine from Emil Frey in Safenwil, 750chf from memory. My dealer has been reasonably helpful thus far and everything I've gotten from them has been cheaper than expected or quoted! I may look to an indy after my warranty expires, depending on how things go.Living also in Switzerland I know that the ownership of an Aston can be quite expensive. Some dealers think, that just because you are driving an Aston, you don't care about how much money you spent. I had some bad experience with a AM main dealer in Zurich. E.g. once they wanted to replace my headlight and charge me 2.000 CHF just because the 'washer-thingy' was broken, which is plastic part worth 20 CHF. Anyhow, there are also some good and reliable dealers (AM and Indy) around. Also AM parts are significantly more expansive in CH due to the monopoly of the main importer. It might be advised to find a dealer / indy which allows you to bring your own parts (e.g. from astonmartinbits).
Anyhow enjoy your AM. You definitely need winter tires. The V8V is a surprisingly capable daily driver, even in winter conditions (assuming the right tires are mounted ;-)).
I do have some winter rubber, but back on summers now. The car works fine in the colder conditions as long as you are smart ;-) While I am not driving it daily it is getting used, because I will find any excuse to drive somewhere!
Grumpydev said:
How do you find the aerial for reception? I switched the aerial on my old TT with an S2000 one that was much smaller than the original, but still significantly bigger than the stubby one
I can't really give an accurate opinion as after fitting it I tuned into a couple of local stations and it seemed perfectly fine but to be honest I tend to listen to CD's if I want music, or actually prefer the cars soundtrack. I hope I am not the only one that stops songs in mid-flow to listen to an overtake...
outofstepuk said:
Has anyone ever bought a later car and made it look like an earlier one? Or are the only people that value the "purity" of the early design the ones with the older car? I think the later engine and consol are preferred by most people aren't they? So why has no-one retrofitted the old stuff as I'm sure you can pick up the parts cheap?
Don't get me wrong, the original design is great, but I chose to upgrade/ruin my V8V whichever way your preference is. Then I got a godawful looking V12V with all the bolted on extra crap and carbon.
MY09, 10, 11 and the first 1/4 of MY12 combine the 4.7 engine with the original exterior design (especially the '09, which still has the smaller mirrors and 8-bar grille). I think the original design is the prettiest, as is often the case with really great designs (XK120 is prettier than 140 or 150, Series 1 E-type prettier than S2 or S3, DB4 (IMO) even prettier than 5 or 6, etc). All Vantages are gorgeous, but the original is the most gorgeous IMO. Yes, mine is an MY09.Don't get me wrong, the original design is great, but I chose to upgrade/ruin my V8V whichever way your preference is. Then I got a godawful looking V12V with all the bolted on extra crap and carbon.
Sadly, four days after picking up the car I had a 9 day trip to the USA. To sate the withdrawal symptoms I went to Exotics Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and did a bunch of laps in an Audi R8 V10, Nissan GTR, and a Vantage GT (N430). My excuse was I was interested in trying to see the handling limits and feel for the Vantage when really pushed, but also in driving cars I liked, that were cars I could have chosen for similar money to my 4.3. I was thinking to try a couple of Italians as well as the new Corvette, but it starts getting expensive so another time maybe.
This was my first time on a track and it was good fun and although the presence of an instructor sitting alongside advising and commenting was a little off-putting at times, it was also helpful. The ideal would have been to get a few laps in with him there and then have some fun alone, but I guess their insurance policy is not that comprehensive.
The R8 and GTR were certainly quicker than the Vantage, the R8 was the most planted, composed and flattering, but through my rose-tinted glasses the Vantage just felt like the best fit for me, the car handled brilliantly and I felt so in tune punting it around the track. It helped too that afterwards the instructor reckoned I was one of the fastest and smoothest he’d had in the Aston which was reinforced when I overheard the R8 instructor asking who was in the Vantage, as it took much longer for them to overhaul it than usual. I’ll take that, thanks very much!
With my head suitably enlarged I left with the enthusiastic thought that I had a very similar car waiting for me at Zurich airport in a few days!
Before leaving on this trip I mentioned to the AM dealer that I would like a quote for some winter rubber, and then sat back and waited for the worst. About a month later after I had returned from ‘Merica, conveniently around the time the weather was turning, he contacted me with what I thought was a great deal.
He had a customer who a few years earlier had swiftly bought some new wheels for his Vantage and had left his old ones in storage with them, and after them sitting there unused, the owner said to get rid of them for him. So, for 4200 Swiss Francs (3000 British Peso) I could have a set of near new 5 spoke sportpack wheels with new Pirelli Sottozeros. Done.
I whipped the car in to get the Pirellis put onto the original 7 spokes for winter, and the Potenzas swapped onto the 5-spokes would wait for summer. I was pretty stoked because the wheels I liked the most in that 2006-2010 model period were the two sets I ended up with.
While I was getting that done I also asked them to address the first problem that had cropped up, a dash message which read “Front Brake Pads Low,” which seemed an unreasonable assessment as I had only done 250km when the message came on and the pads were evidently rather new.
Turns out there are small beasties in Switzerland called Marder (Pine Marten) which have a taste for rubber and plastic and apparently do millions of dollars of damage to cars in Europe annually. I’d never heard of them, but they like brake sensors on a V8 Vantage it seems. The nice folks at the dealership replaced these for me free of charge!
The next issue was how to prevent repeat offenders, and happily cans of Anti-Marder spray can be obtained easily and sprayed around the underside areas of the car it should keep the vicious little sons of un-married mothers away. However, don’t spray this stuff around too liberally, as a side effect seems to be squeaky brakes! I know squeaky brakes is a habitual problem with these vehicles, but mine has only done it on two occasions and that was for a few days after the first two times I sprayed around the wheels, and not since, as now I am a lot more sniper-like with my application.
This was my first time on a track and it was good fun and although the presence of an instructor sitting alongside advising and commenting was a little off-putting at times, it was also helpful. The ideal would have been to get a few laps in with him there and then have some fun alone, but I guess their insurance policy is not that comprehensive.
The R8 and GTR were certainly quicker than the Vantage, the R8 was the most planted, composed and flattering, but through my rose-tinted glasses the Vantage just felt like the best fit for me, the car handled brilliantly and I felt so in tune punting it around the track. It helped too that afterwards the instructor reckoned I was one of the fastest and smoothest he’d had in the Aston which was reinforced when I overheard the R8 instructor asking who was in the Vantage, as it took much longer for them to overhaul it than usual. I’ll take that, thanks very much!
With my head suitably enlarged I left with the enthusiastic thought that I had a very similar car waiting for me at Zurich airport in a few days!
Before leaving on this trip I mentioned to the AM dealer that I would like a quote for some winter rubber, and then sat back and waited for the worst. About a month later after I had returned from ‘Merica, conveniently around the time the weather was turning, he contacted me with what I thought was a great deal.
He had a customer who a few years earlier had swiftly bought some new wheels for his Vantage and had left his old ones in storage with them, and after them sitting there unused, the owner said to get rid of them for him. So, for 4200 Swiss Francs (3000 British Peso) I could have a set of near new 5 spoke sportpack wheels with new Pirelli Sottozeros. Done.
I whipped the car in to get the Pirellis put onto the original 7 spokes for winter, and the Potenzas swapped onto the 5-spokes would wait for summer. I was pretty stoked because the wheels I liked the most in that 2006-2010 model period were the two sets I ended up with.
While I was getting that done I also asked them to address the first problem that had cropped up, a dash message which read “Front Brake Pads Low,” which seemed an unreasonable assessment as I had only done 250km when the message came on and the pads were evidently rather new.
Turns out there are small beasties in Switzerland called Marder (Pine Marten) which have a taste for rubber and plastic and apparently do millions of dollars of damage to cars in Europe annually. I’d never heard of them, but they like brake sensors on a V8 Vantage it seems. The nice folks at the dealership replaced these for me free of charge!
The next issue was how to prevent repeat offenders, and happily cans of Anti-Marder spray can be obtained easily and sprayed around the underside areas of the car it should keep the vicious little sons of un-married mothers away. However, don’t spray this stuff around too liberally, as a side effect seems to be squeaky brakes! I know squeaky brakes is a habitual problem with these vehicles, but mine has only done it on two occasions and that was for a few days after the first two times I sprayed around the wheels, and not since, as now I am a lot more sniper-like with my application.
Edited by Mr.Tremlini on Saturday 21st September 16:29
Ok, it’s been a while, but I’m back on this after a mad, mad year and have some catching up to do, soooo to continue….
Despite the downside of the car being attacked by ground based critters, and occasionally shat on by flying critters, nothing really takes the shine off walking out to your very own Aston Martin! As a photographer, it’s a bit like having a supermodel in your driveway, it’s pretty much impossible to take a bad photo of it… A drive is sometimes not so easy, as it occasionally involves throwing a camera in the car as I never know what I might find the light doing, or I may come across some cool location, in fact sometimes I just drive off on side roads looking for stuff.
I love the look of the sportpack wheels, they freshen up the car and seem to go nicely with springtime and are very smart, and clearly sporty, but the original 7-spokes look great too. What’s truly nice is to just get out and drive for no reason other than to enjoy the experience. I know this is the least powerful Vantage and is only one step up from the launch model so is a long way from the current versions in regards to tweaks and refinement, but it works for me just fine!
Yes, I do feel I would like some more power, and I will address this with a power upgrade/exhaust over the next year or so, but I do not find the 4.3 slow. It gets up and moves and makes a terrific noise about it. I like the ride and handling even when pushed, it`s comfortable and the interior is a nice place to be.
When I was swatting up on the models within my budget, and I am sure this is true for many others, it’s amazing how much time things like the updated centre console or GPS system occupy your thinking. Now, when I`m driving, I never think to myself I wish I had the newer 4.7 style centre console, in fact I like the symmetry of the 4.3’s console, (The latest haptic version though is on a different level) and that square foot of real estate does not bother me at all, and it would be the same if it was the 4.7 I bought – in retrospect I don’t think it is worth worrying about more than personal preference.
As I have a tendency to travel a fair bit through countries with languages in which I am unfamiliar a good GPS was quite important to me, and there was so much written about how crappy the Vantage system is. I don’t know, maybe I am naive to the ways of the GPS world, but the thing works perfectly fine and always gets me where I want to go, and was not worth the concern I had building up to ownership. It’s a 10 year old system and so much has changed since it came out so clearly it is not up to today’s standards, but to me it would be a bit like b
hing about an older Aston not having a GPS at all. It was what it was when the car came out. It works. Get over it.
When I found MY 4.3, one of the questions I asked pre-purchase was “Can the passenger airbag be disabled” to which I was told “Yes.”
When I arrived to pick up the car my wife in double-check mode asked the same question. Again “Yes.”
This was a pertinent query as my wife was to give birth to our son 2 & ½ months later and as we were downgrading one of our car’s seating specifications the Vantage had to be able to transport the little guy on occasion as well.
A few months later on a snowy Swiss evening after driving back from Austria I had to stop at the sister-in-law’s house to uplift said little guy. It was then that I discovered that the illustrations and instructions I had previously seen in the Owner’s Manual did not correspond with what I was seeing on the passenger side of my car. There was no off switch for the airbag.
Shortly after a string of expletives, a slow and nerve racking drive home followed, and up until now has been the only time my boy has been in the car.
This has been a proverbial pain in the posterior, as not only does it mean that the person that stays home with the boy also stays home with the Audi S6 wagon (no slight against the Audi you understand) so the Vantage has been used a bit more than originally intended.
I obviously broached the subject with my dealer who was both apologetic and embarrassed as he thought they all had “the switch” and promptly promised to look into ways to fix the issue. None immediately presented themselves, but a few weeks later I had a three-week trip away so I left the Vantage with them to try and find a solution to the airbag problem, and also couple of other small irritations that had developed while they were at it.
Firstly, that occasionally when turning on the GPS it would unfold, then go back down (but not completely) and then unfold open again. Not a big thing but clearly an error that needed sorting out.
Secondly, that the passenger side speaker would randomly cut out, and then start working again. I had not used the stereo a lot so I didn’t know if this intermittent fault had been around since the beginning. I listen to music a lot, but music seems a little superfluous in the Aston, better just to crack the window a little! (Originally, I had the premium audio high on my ideal spec list, but in review I’m happy to have that little bit more boot space).
Long story short – a solution was found for the airbag, but the company would not allow the modification as it could have legal ramifications if it went wrong one way or the other, so no son in the passenger seat for a couple of years. It’s disappointing as he points at it and says “brooom brooom” all the time – hang tight lil buddy, you’ll get your chance!
Also, both the stereo and GPS were fixed and no longer misbehaving, and evidently it was after much poking around and swearing looking for a solution. My wife picked up the car and she said a few in the workshop cheered when she arrived to take it away…
Despite the downside of the car being attacked by ground based critters, and occasionally shat on by flying critters, nothing really takes the shine off walking out to your very own Aston Martin! As a photographer, it’s a bit like having a supermodel in your driveway, it’s pretty much impossible to take a bad photo of it… A drive is sometimes not so easy, as it occasionally involves throwing a camera in the car as I never know what I might find the light doing, or I may come across some cool location, in fact sometimes I just drive off on side roads looking for stuff.
I love the look of the sportpack wheels, they freshen up the car and seem to go nicely with springtime and are very smart, and clearly sporty, but the original 7-spokes look great too. What’s truly nice is to just get out and drive for no reason other than to enjoy the experience. I know this is the least powerful Vantage and is only one step up from the launch model so is a long way from the current versions in regards to tweaks and refinement, but it works for me just fine!
Yes, I do feel I would like some more power, and I will address this with a power upgrade/exhaust over the next year or so, but I do not find the 4.3 slow. It gets up and moves and makes a terrific noise about it. I like the ride and handling even when pushed, it`s comfortable and the interior is a nice place to be.
When I was swatting up on the models within my budget, and I am sure this is true for many others, it’s amazing how much time things like the updated centre console or GPS system occupy your thinking. Now, when I`m driving, I never think to myself I wish I had the newer 4.7 style centre console, in fact I like the symmetry of the 4.3’s console, (The latest haptic version though is on a different level) and that square foot of real estate does not bother me at all, and it would be the same if it was the 4.7 I bought – in retrospect I don’t think it is worth worrying about more than personal preference.
As I have a tendency to travel a fair bit through countries with languages in which I am unfamiliar a good GPS was quite important to me, and there was so much written about how crappy the Vantage system is. I don’t know, maybe I am naive to the ways of the GPS world, but the thing works perfectly fine and always gets me where I want to go, and was not worth the concern I had building up to ownership. It’s a 10 year old system and so much has changed since it came out so clearly it is not up to today’s standards, but to me it would be a bit like b
hing about an older Aston not having a GPS at all. It was what it was when the car came out. It works. Get over it.
When I found MY 4.3, one of the questions I asked pre-purchase was “Can the passenger airbag be disabled” to which I was told “Yes.”
When I arrived to pick up the car my wife in double-check mode asked the same question. Again “Yes.”
This was a pertinent query as my wife was to give birth to our son 2 & ½ months later and as we were downgrading one of our car’s seating specifications the Vantage had to be able to transport the little guy on occasion as well.
A few months later on a snowy Swiss evening after driving back from Austria I had to stop at the sister-in-law’s house to uplift said little guy. It was then that I discovered that the illustrations and instructions I had previously seen in the Owner’s Manual did not correspond with what I was seeing on the passenger side of my car. There was no off switch for the airbag.
Shortly after a string of expletives, a slow and nerve racking drive home followed, and up until now has been the only time my boy has been in the car.
This has been a proverbial pain in the posterior, as not only does it mean that the person that stays home with the boy also stays home with the Audi S6 wagon (no slight against the Audi you understand) so the Vantage has been used a bit more than originally intended.
I obviously broached the subject with my dealer who was both apologetic and embarrassed as he thought they all had “the switch” and promptly promised to look into ways to fix the issue. None immediately presented themselves, but a few weeks later I had a three-week trip away so I left the Vantage with them to try and find a solution to the airbag problem, and also couple of other small irritations that had developed while they were at it.
Firstly, that occasionally when turning on the GPS it would unfold, then go back down (but not completely) and then unfold open again. Not a big thing but clearly an error that needed sorting out.
Secondly, that the passenger side speaker would randomly cut out, and then start working again. I had not used the stereo a lot so I didn’t know if this intermittent fault had been around since the beginning. I listen to music a lot, but music seems a little superfluous in the Aston, better just to crack the window a little! (Originally, I had the premium audio high on my ideal spec list, but in review I’m happy to have that little bit more boot space).
Long story short – a solution was found for the airbag, but the company would not allow the modification as it could have legal ramifications if it went wrong one way or the other, so no son in the passenger seat for a couple of years. It’s disappointing as he points at it and says “brooom brooom” all the time – hang tight lil buddy, you’ll get your chance!
Also, both the stereo and GPS were fixed and no longer misbehaving, and evidently it was after much poking around and swearing looking for a solution. My wife picked up the car and she said a few in the workshop cheered when she arrived to take it away…
Edited by Mr.Tremlini on Wednesday 25th September 23:43
Great write up! Let's meet sometimes, I live in Zurich and own a 4.3 (with upgraded clutch!!!)
Nevertheless I would not drive the car on snowy and salty roads!!!
Who's your AM dealer? AM Zurich wanted 450chf only to look at the car and see what was to be done for the service....
Nevertheless I would not drive the car on snowy and salty roads!!!
Who's your AM dealer? AM Zurich wanted 450chf only to look at the car and see what was to be done for the service....
Edited by fvert on Thursday 19th January 19:00
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