You're quite right, I was just feeling sorry for myself...I'm currently looking at a 78 v8 5 speed...will let you know how it goes!
great choice manual is the way if possible a 78 car could be an OI wood dash and blanked off bonnet scoop or last of vlack painted dash models OI or Oscar India simply meant October Introduction the factory name for the revised spec here's mine
It has the Oi wood dash, which I have to say isn't my fave, but open bonnet scoop...it's sort of a pesto green! Your car is bloody glorious, btw
I remember back in March of 1987, my wife and I had the opportunity to tour the factory in Newport Pagnell with Rogers Stowers (now deceased). My wife was dreading it! However, when we finished, she was stunned at how much effort and attention to detail was required to assemble a hand built car. Roger was very kind to not only allow us to make photos, but to also video tape inside the facility. It was very cool to see the car that Timothy Dalton was going to use in the upcoming James Bond film, "The Living Daylights" with all the "bells and whistles" (outriders, rockets, etc...) I remember going into London the next day to see R.S. Williams who had quite a few V8's for sale. I wanted one so bad my teeth hurt! Alas, I never did purchase one but have always held a place in my heart for the V8's (especially the "Vantage"). About 3 years later I was actually able to tet drive a 1976 Saloon V8 with the 5 speed manual and could not believe how fast it was! Mike
depends on where the conversion is done. 5sp cars always command a premium. autosport designs is reselling the 78 fliptail w/ vantage spec. i nearly bought that car 11 yrs ago before settling on my boxer. i love the astons and wish i had bought the fliptail then. it was offered to me @ $70k but i suspect today it is well into the 6 figure range. handsome beast the v-8's are and true bespoke cars.
you would have made more money on the fliptail! i think they're asking 200k plus for it, but i'm not sure...unless you're talking about the right hand drive one, which is about the same as a boxer...
lhd and cherry color...simply awesome!!!!! i love my boxer and will own it til the end but i do lament not having bought that vantage fliptail as that car is bad azz!!!!! i have always had a soft spot for astons (my dad had a db-6 rhd for many years) but the v-8's are really studs!!! pcb
phil, you have a lovely and diverse collection. the m-1 and stratos are among the true greats in my estimation. a v-8 vantage spec would nicely round out your fine collection!!!! keep us posted on your hunt. you are at the very least close to a shope that sells the large portion of v-8's in the united states. as a word to the wise, tom prices hius cars very high but will work down aggressively if one is a serious buyer...you are clearly that. best, pcb
thanks pete-v nice of you to say! ...i think that the vantage might be a bit too much, but the v8 is possible, if the price is right...
here goes better picture when we had sun in UK Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
fantastic! i'm wondering if you might be able to tell me if you did any upgrades, and what they might be? i'm curious to know how you much you can improve the car, and how radical do the changes feel?
to be honest there aren't many essential upgrades but you can fit Ronal type 16 inch wheels which makes buying rubber easier but I stuck with original BBS 15's and P7's you can also spend serious $$$ with engine rebores to take them to 6.3 or 7.0 litre but does it need it well NO and its questionable as to affecting authenticity for some The best money spent is on Ignition upgrades a new ignition coil £ 20 and some Iridium plugs £ 8 each and makes a significant difference to both running and starting but we are lucky here in UK with 99 octane fuel even if it is £ 1.50 per litre (yes you read right) which essentially means they don't really need converting to unleaded the valve seats are tough and cope with unleaded well. A well tuned car is still quick even by today's standards and stops well on standard brake setup. other worthwhile upgrades are to anti roll bars if your planning on spirited driving. you can also add Vantage air dam retro to most cars if you like the look
Hi Phil , my V8 is about to start a bare metal repsray , the car was dropped off to Fullbridge Restoration a few weeks ago , should be back on the road by March next year. I am going to miss my Sunday morning blasts but will be worth it when the job is finished. I am going to keep the car in its original colour , the interior is getting spruced up and the seats are getting repadded .
out of interest, does anyone know what a good condition 5 speed left hander v8 costs these days? not a trailer queen, but a really nice driver...
So, what happened? Didi you ever purchase your dream car, or are you still dreaming? By now, almost 3 years later, the prices are about 2x, or more.
A buddy fell has recently acquired one of these lovelies. But, alas, can anyone recommend a good independent specialist in the DC area as there is trouble in paradise. Seriously, any direction that you feel good about pointing to much appreciated. Brian
I had a concours 1989 Vantage Volante X pack. I sold it at Festival of Speed a few years ago. When a jobbing motoring journalist called James May joined a BBC car show called Top Gear he memorably said If I could only have one drink, it would be a pint of bitter. If I could only drive one car it would be an Aston Martin Vantage Full story here: Cars: We All Fall in Love With Our Models: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante
Sorry to hear that. Autosports in Long Island or Steel Wings in PA are the two shops I'd recommend in the east. I have a '92 and most new dealers aren't interested in servicing the old V8s. I'd also suggest joining the AMOC or at least check out the repair forums, it might not be as bad as you fear. Aston Martin Owners Club - Index
Obviously you should try and find exactly the car you want, but these aren't mass produced cars and not too many for sale at any one time. Be prepared to walk away. I echo the others, buy the best you can afford, it'll save tears later. With regards to swapping in a ZF for an auto, it's probably better to use this Tremec kit. Steel Wings - Aston Martin Upgraded Kits Finding the correct ZF might be hard, and insuring that it's fully functional isn't easy. I asked about getting one rebuilt and was told they had a hell of a time getting parts. AM owners aren't total authenticity freaks, but as long as anything you do can be reversed you'll be fine, and have the car you want. RHD to LHD is a common change., just save all the parts they take off. One last thing, who will maintain it? Not a stupid question. AM mechanics aren't exactly common, so it's worth thinking about. They are truly hand built and wonderful cars. Engines have a plaque with the builder's name.
