DB7 V12 Vantage
Discussion
There's a buying guide here on PH. A bit old but still very valid.
http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=1271...
Great cars. Mine's not for sale
http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=1271...
Great cars. Mine's not for sale
andymadmak said:
Morning Gents.
I'm seriously considering a DB7 V12. It will be my first Aston. Are there any major issues I should look out for? Any buying tips?
All help greatly appreciated
Andy
Hi Andy I'm seriously considering a DB7 V12. It will be my first Aston. Are there any major issues I should look out for? Any buying tips?
All help greatly appreciated
Andy
jong time no see.. how is that big bad Wedge running these days? You'd best take one for a drive and see if you like it - they don't have the "Go" that you will be used to from your TVR.. very nice all the same.
Look for all the usual things, rust here and there (eg bulkhead), oh and make sure you get one with a FULL service history.. from memory 45,000 miles is the expensive one on the V12.
Are you thinking Manual or Auto ?
Cheers,
Matt.
Coil packs only last a few years / 40k miles usually and cost about £2k all in to replace. If you can stretch to it then the GT is very nice, though with early cars at £25k it's not easy justifying another £20k.
There's a buying guide on the AMOC - a direct link to the pdf is here.
There's a buying guide on the AMOC - a direct link to the pdf is here.
Edited by stats007 on Monday 19th January 15:28
Edited by stats007 on Monday 19th January 15:30
Hi Matt, all
The wedge was sold last year in preparation for my Aston quest. It was howling like a mad banshee when I sold it - still miss the brute wedge experience.
Thanks for all the tips and links guys. I'll get right on it. I'm in the far east at the moment, so this is first job on my return
Andy
The wedge was sold last year in preparation for my Aston quest. It was howling like a mad banshee when I sold it - still miss the brute wedge experience.
Thanks for all the tips and links guys. I'll get right on it. I'm in the far east at the moment, so this is first job on my return
Andy
Andy, I have enjoyed the past 18 months as a DB7 V12 Vantage Volante owner. Great car, sits well on the road, as previously pinted out, not a TVR but I do not suppose you expect that. Definately a cool Grand Tourer in the true sense of the term.
The only issues I have had are a problem with a faulty passenger door lock (took my local dealer 5 months to get a replacement only to discover they had ordered the wrong one). Also, the engine management light has a bad habit of lighting up my dash. Diagnostics have never found a problem and it is out now so I don't worry about it ;o)
n/a
The only issues I have had are a problem with a faulty passenger door lock (took my local dealer 5 months to get a replacement only to discover they had ordered the wrong one). Also, the engine management light has a bad habit of lighting up my dash. Diagnostics have never found a problem and it is out now so I don't worry about it ;o)
n/a
andymadmak said:
Hi Matt, all
The wedge was sold last year in preparation for my Aston quest. It was howling like a mad banshee when I sold it - still miss the brute wedge experience.
Thanks for all the tips and links guys. I'll get right on it. I'm in the far east at the moment, so this is first job on my return
Andy
Aww.. I thought your wedge was stunning, bet you are missing it !?The wedge was sold last year in preparation for my Aston quest. It was howling like a mad banshee when I sold it - still miss the brute wedge experience.
Thanks for all the tips and links guys. I'll get right on it. I'm in the far east at the moment, so this is first job on my return
Andy
Still really really suggest that you drive one or two DB7's. The external "Bond" looks are all very well and it really is a head turner, but as a Drivers car it really isn't half as "fun" as a lot of others and to be honest for me it lacks the spirit of other cars too.
In my case Mrs H has always wanted one and ours is basically her car, for me it is a "check-list" motor I guess. If I was going to spend the same money again on an Aston without consideration for the better half I would probably buy a 70's V8 as its got more "soul" in my mind.
Depends what you are after really.. each to their own and all that.
..oh but I also have to admit it is a little bit odd seeing the same switches I had in my ford Puma inside the Aston and that spoils it a little bit for me.. you don't get the "supercar" feel inside at all.
Edited by M@H on Thursday 22 January 17:07
Hi there
I went from a TVR Griffith to a DB7 Vantage Volante manual. No regrets here (except the service that is currently underway will cost me £1400 plus VAT!!
).
Have taken her to France 3 times in 8 months ownership and have trips lined up to Wales, France and Scotland in the next 3 months. Its a great car for grand touring in.
I went from a TVR Griffith to a DB7 Vantage Volante manual. No regrets here (except the service that is currently underway will cost me £1400 plus VAT!!
).Have taken her to France 3 times in 8 months ownership and have trips lined up to Wales, France and Scotland in the next 3 months. Its a great car for grand touring in.
Edited by oblio on Friday 23 January 15:00
I'v found an article which I think I got originally from PH, entitled buying a DB7. Im not sure when it was first published (and I wont vouch for what is said either ) but it might help.
Hopefully it will be below...
"If you can’t justify spending the £106,850 it will cost you for an Aston DB9, or even the £79,995 a new V8 Vantage will set you back, a tidy pre-owned DB7 might seem an attractive idea. But how do you choose between the early six-cylinder models and the later V12s, or between the coupés and the drophead Volantes, autos or manuals – and where are the pitfalls for the unwary?
To find out, we consulted DB7 evangelist Derek Campbell, of Chiltern Aston, located near Hemel Hempstead.
Let’s deal with coupés and Volantes first. Volantes offer fresh air and optimum pose value, but the hood steals rear seat space. But the decision isn’t simply about how much interior space or headroom you want: Volantes are heavier and their bodyshells more flexible, too, so coupés are the driver’s choice.
“The six-cylinder is very strong, very lazy, very much within the capabilities of the chassis,” says Derek. “You can get in a six-cylinder, thrash it within an inch of its life, and still be safe.” The rarer manual gearbox is preferable, partly because it allows you to rely on the mountain of mid-range torque and partly because the six’s auto gearboxes are not particularly impressive.
V12 Vantage
The V12s have a sharper throttle response, and are more about revs and power than high gears and torque. The V12 cars also provide the better soundtrack, and because they are later cars they benefit from several years further development in everything switchgear to body stiffness. But there are drawbacks to the V12.
The V12s’ styling is more aggressive, but arguably less cohesive. The car’s designer – Ian Callum, then working for TWR but now Director of Design at Jaguar – prefers the purity of the earlier model, and Derek Campbell agrees. But that’s purely subjective: a bigger demerit for the V12 is its running costs: fuel consumption is at least a third greater and servicing is more expensive.
As a result, values of V12 are still dropping while six-cylinder cars have now levelled out at £30,000 or so for good early models, up to around £45,000 for the last ones. V12s start around the same level, and head up to £70,000 or more for late cars. The rare Zagato models go for even more, but special edition versions of the standard car are a different story. “They’re a colour scheme and a bit of embossing on the seats,” says Derek. “On the basis that they built so few DB7s anyway, they’re all limited editions.” But Driving Dynamics and GTS kits, which include suspension and brake upgrades, do add to a car’s value, and are worth a premium of about £3,000.
What can go wrong?
Pre-purchase inspection is an essential, says Derek, because a superficially tidy DB7 can hide problems underneath. Jacking points, radius arm mountings and the front bulkhead are the areas where rust will show up first, but major rust troubles are, so far, very rare. Sometimes the front wings will have what look like rust bubbles under the paint – but the wings are composite. The bubbles are caused by poor repair work, and the only lasting cure is to replace the wings.
Front-end impacts tend to deform the chassis rails under the engine or distort the subframe carrying the engine and suspension mountings, leading to poor handling and uneven tyre wear. On all cars, the wide alloy wheels are strong at the outer rim but less well supported on the inside, and spirited driving over speed bumps can distort the inner rim causing vibrations which can be felt through the steering. Brake discs can also distort, reducing brake efficiency and causing vibrations through the pedal.
Weeping air conditioning gaskets and seals are common, a combination of old technology equipment and the irregular use that is common with DB7s. The worst news is failure of the evaporator unit, which takes two days to replace because most of the interior has to come out.
On Volantes, the hoods are generally well made and reliable, but it’s worth checking the rear quarters of the hood for wear. The hood irons are provided with rubber covers which sometimes go missing, leaving sharp edges which can rub holes in the hood cover. The only possible repair is to cut out the affected area and let in new material, a specialist job. It’s also important to check that the hood cover, which helps keep the headlining clean when the hood is folded, is present and that all the catches work.
The plastic catches which allow the seat backs to tip forward often break, and if they are broken it tells you something important about the owner. If that owner has been careless enough to break the catches, and then lazy enough to leave them like that, where else has maintenance and repair been skimped or missed entirely?
Service history
A full service history is absolutely essential, and it’s equally important that the car has been looked after by a qualified specialist. Stamps in the book from Aston Martin Works Service at Newport Pagnell are about as good as it gets, but equally effective care will be provided by an approved Aston specialist like Chiltern Aston Centre. Gaps in the history should sound warning bells, particularly if they occur at the same time as a change in ownership, and make sure bills for parts match the recommended schedule – it’s easy to fill the service book with oil changes but never do the more expensive maintenance jobs. The factory recommends that all DB7s are serviced every 7500 miles or six months, though an annual service is probably reasonable for cars which cover only low mileages. The biggest service bills come at 30,000 miles for six-cylinder cars and 45,000 miles for the V12s.
Why buy one?
So, does a pre-owned DB7 make sense? Well, no, not really. “It’s not the most efficient car in the world, it’s not the quickest car in the world, it’s not the best built car in the world,” says Campbell. But that’s not the point. If a DB7 is what you’ve set your heart on, little else will do. “It’s passion, desire, aspiration. You’re buying it because you want it.” And, Campbell adds, “it’s the prettiest car that was ever designed…” "
Cheers
Oblio
) but it might help.Hopefully it will be below...
"If you can’t justify spending the £106,850 it will cost you for an Aston DB9, or even the £79,995 a new V8 Vantage will set you back, a tidy pre-owned DB7 might seem an attractive idea. But how do you choose between the early six-cylinder models and the later V12s, or between the coupés and the drophead Volantes, autos or manuals – and where are the pitfalls for the unwary?
To find out, we consulted DB7 evangelist Derek Campbell, of Chiltern Aston, located near Hemel Hempstead.
Let’s deal with coupés and Volantes first. Volantes offer fresh air and optimum pose value, but the hood steals rear seat space. But the decision isn’t simply about how much interior space or headroom you want: Volantes are heavier and their bodyshells more flexible, too, so coupés are the driver’s choice.
“The six-cylinder is very strong, very lazy, very much within the capabilities of the chassis,” says Derek. “You can get in a six-cylinder, thrash it within an inch of its life, and still be safe.” The rarer manual gearbox is preferable, partly because it allows you to rely on the mountain of mid-range torque and partly because the six’s auto gearboxes are not particularly impressive.
V12 Vantage
The V12s have a sharper throttle response, and are more about revs and power than high gears and torque. The V12 cars also provide the better soundtrack, and because they are later cars they benefit from several years further development in everything switchgear to body stiffness. But there are drawbacks to the V12.
The V12s’ styling is more aggressive, but arguably less cohesive. The car’s designer – Ian Callum, then working for TWR but now Director of Design at Jaguar – prefers the purity of the earlier model, and Derek Campbell agrees. But that’s purely subjective: a bigger demerit for the V12 is its running costs: fuel consumption is at least a third greater and servicing is more expensive.
As a result, values of V12 are still dropping while six-cylinder cars have now levelled out at £30,000 or so for good early models, up to around £45,000 for the last ones. V12s start around the same level, and head up to £70,000 or more for late cars. The rare Zagato models go for even more, but special edition versions of the standard car are a different story. “They’re a colour scheme and a bit of embossing on the seats,” says Derek. “On the basis that they built so few DB7s anyway, they’re all limited editions.” But Driving Dynamics and GTS kits, which include suspension and brake upgrades, do add to a car’s value, and are worth a premium of about £3,000.
What can go wrong?
Pre-purchase inspection is an essential, says Derek, because a superficially tidy DB7 can hide problems underneath. Jacking points, radius arm mountings and the front bulkhead are the areas where rust will show up first, but major rust troubles are, so far, very rare. Sometimes the front wings will have what look like rust bubbles under the paint – but the wings are composite. The bubbles are caused by poor repair work, and the only lasting cure is to replace the wings.
Front-end impacts tend to deform the chassis rails under the engine or distort the subframe carrying the engine and suspension mountings, leading to poor handling and uneven tyre wear. On all cars, the wide alloy wheels are strong at the outer rim but less well supported on the inside, and spirited driving over speed bumps can distort the inner rim causing vibrations which can be felt through the steering. Brake discs can also distort, reducing brake efficiency and causing vibrations through the pedal.
Weeping air conditioning gaskets and seals are common, a combination of old technology equipment and the irregular use that is common with DB7s. The worst news is failure of the evaporator unit, which takes two days to replace because most of the interior has to come out.
On Volantes, the hoods are generally well made and reliable, but it’s worth checking the rear quarters of the hood for wear. The hood irons are provided with rubber covers which sometimes go missing, leaving sharp edges which can rub holes in the hood cover. The only possible repair is to cut out the affected area and let in new material, a specialist job. It’s also important to check that the hood cover, which helps keep the headlining clean when the hood is folded, is present and that all the catches work.
The plastic catches which allow the seat backs to tip forward often break, and if they are broken it tells you something important about the owner. If that owner has been careless enough to break the catches, and then lazy enough to leave them like that, where else has maintenance and repair been skimped or missed entirely?
Service history
A full service history is absolutely essential, and it’s equally important that the car has been looked after by a qualified specialist. Stamps in the book from Aston Martin Works Service at Newport Pagnell are about as good as it gets, but equally effective care will be provided by an approved Aston specialist like Chiltern Aston Centre. Gaps in the history should sound warning bells, particularly if they occur at the same time as a change in ownership, and make sure bills for parts match the recommended schedule – it’s easy to fill the service book with oil changes but never do the more expensive maintenance jobs. The factory recommends that all DB7s are serviced every 7500 miles or six months, though an annual service is probably reasonable for cars which cover only low mileages. The biggest service bills come at 30,000 miles for six-cylinder cars and 45,000 miles for the V12s.
Why buy one?
So, does a pre-owned DB7 make sense? Well, no, not really. “It’s not the most efficient car in the world, it’s not the quickest car in the world, it’s not the best built car in the world,” says Campbell. But that’s not the point. If a DB7 is what you’ve set your heart on, little else will do. “It’s passion, desire, aspiration. You’re buying it because you want it.” And, Campbell adds, “it’s the prettiest car that was ever designed…” "
Cheers
Oblio
I also found these as well (courtesy of the AMOC I hasten to add). The pdf document reflects personal views of owners so its up to you to take from it what you will...
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~pazpmw/BuyingADB7.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOpT3DBhl0Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df_B4avcHzk
cheers
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~pazpmw/BuyingADB7.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOpT3DBhl0Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df_B4avcHzk
cheers
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