i'm keen on purchasing an aston martin DBS '73 as a donor car to my latest (hopefully REALISED this time) project;a GENUINE 4-seater aston tourer! as the DBS/DBS V8 is probably the only proper 4 seater in all of aston martin's catalogue(and rather affordable),i thought you guys might be interested in my plans...and here's hoping i don't end up with a british ANTAS V8! your THOUGHTS? 1.DONOR CHASSIS: aston martin 1972/73 DBS -complete strengthening/bracing of body,floorpan,a/b/c pillars,firewall,mounts, hinges,frames and brackets,integral safety cell added: est torsional rigidity 23,000+Nm.. 2.ENGINE: aston martin 1985 v8 vantage(5.3l v8,428bhp with 3 webers) -comprehensive rework,port and polish,new heads,cams,liners,internal strengthening,custom F.Injection,ECU...plenty. 450bhp/[email protected] 5.2sec,0-100mph 11.2sec Vmax 180mph. 3.SUSPENSION: -rework of the DBSv8's fronts plus rebuilt and uprated de dion rears.2 stage settings;NORMAL and SPORT.new alcon brake assemblies. 4.TRANSMISSION: -adaptation of the 1993 V8 Vantage(virage 6.3) 4 spd auto.linkages uprated. 5.INTERIOR: -based on donor DBS' elegant configuration but with custom gauge cluster modelled to look 60's periodic.basic computer readout(LCD).full DVD/MP3/CD based sound system with 6 speakers and bluetooth connectivity. 6.EXTERIOR: -hard points of chassis largely unaltered to keep car street-legal in malaysia. full aluminium/c.fibre/GRP body panels styled BY ME.aerodynamics worked on by computer;original DBS had horrendous Cd of 0.41...proposal has an est. Cd of 0.35-0.33.kerb weight is up by 20kg to 1795kg.h/lamps and tailights custom units incorporating LEDs and HIDs. will keep you posted,FINGERS CROSSED! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
day 2. spoke at great lengths to some AMOC members in the UK,and they sound horrified to say the least! i tried to reason that my "aston GT" was in the spirit of the original coach-built astons and lagondas of the 1930's but they were having none of it. alas,aston workshops in the UK and Japan are quite keen to see what i come up with...so shipment of the '73 DBS is now scheduled for mid july. hopefully all parts including engine,tranny,suspension,etc. should be shipped to me by september at the latest. as for design,the rear end needs tweaking and the front has some integrated bumper-issues to be dealt with!
Wow sounds like an exciting project. The GT Astons of the 70's and 80's were my dream cars when I was a kid. I considered buying an early 6 or 8 cylinder DBS recently but they are quite difficult to find in good condition. Which car are you using for your donor(link to a dealers website?) Good luck and keep us posted.
Great project. They were my fantasy cars until i drove one (former GVA Show car, volante). Anyway, i love the idea. Who does the design interior/exterior ? I really love the project. And, i might repeat myself, bit i love the project.
the car was formerly of Rikki Cann/Runnymede Motor Co.,but has passed through 2 different owners over the last 11 years.found it on sale privately and quite affordable(i was looking for a sound chassis;engine and tranny as well as bodywork was never a priority!).mileage was low at 28k miles but maintenance was quite negligable.the important thing is that there was no chassis rust or dents. the car is due to arrive by mid-july;i bought it for around GBP7,500. (which according to some AMOC members is kind of pricey for it's condition). btw,AMOC members have kept strictly mum whenever i talk about this project!
hehehheh...the DBS is quite underwhelming compared to current astons;even the 80's v8 or the virage! still,despite the negative reports on the DBS/DBSv8;it still is a much more sure-footed,satisfying car to drive compared to ANY db4/5/6!(the de dion rear axle is capable of much more than these cars' live axle.) despite my friends telling me to sacrifice a virage instead of a DBS;i still am going ahead with the DBS as it has more scope for complete floorpan/interior modifications.it's chassis however needs much strengthening to cope with the modifications intended! the interior design is by myself;i'm basing it around those fantastic "hi-fi" knobs in the centre console as well as the shape of the instrument cluster. all modern amenities shall be hidden out-of-sight ala' RR phantom.speakers shall be carefully placed as to not look like they're even there!the DVD based system slides out of view. the exterior is ALSO completely designed by me with some help in terms of basic calculations and CAD by former ford/MIRA staff.
Ha ha Even after driving them I still loved them. Both DBSV8 and 6cylinder and an '85 Vantage, in Geneva incidently. The Vantage was a very good car for scaring others off the road, the size of the thing. One day the right one will come along and I might actually hand over some cash.
it's 6am and i've not gotten any sleep.why?i've just received chassis blueprints, pictures,exhaust assembly diagrams,tranny tunnel measurements and engine bay points... 1.the donor 1b.stripped apart... 2.the 1988-spec V8 vantage engine 3.the troublesome (de dion) rear suspension with IN-BOARD brakes! ....now for the design perimeters;this inevitably saves much time when the donor car FINALLY arrives... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
i've just purchased some nickel-chromium-molybdenum steel as the basis of my "frame" for the sheet-steel floorpan of the 1973 DBS.i've just found out that the DBS has the torsional rigidity of a 1983 audi 100...AT BEST(around 9,000Nm)!the roof is almost a non-structural part of the chassis;as it's remarkably thin and b pillars are completely hopeless.nothing short of a complete re-engineering of the front and rear bulkheads,sills and afforementioned roof shall suffice.my original target of around 23,000Nm should well be beyond reach. still,all the bracing in the world would still come to nought without a proper chassis and suspension set-up. am currently reviewing all aspects,rates and calculations of ALL astons between 1973-1997(from DBSv8 to 1997 V8 Vantage;all with de dion rears) in a bid to find a mix of both "sports" touring and a relatively comfortable slow-speed ride. a common problem with aston dbs/v8s is that they are succeptible to rust due to poor rust-proofing(typical of most sports cars of the time);so beware, owners!galvanisation of the bare chassis;while pricey; is the ultimate solution.
Wow, that frame looks pretty wimpy to say the least. I've seen lawn chairs that look more rigid. I'm not an engineer, but inboard brake seem like a bad idea, given the rotating mass it's trying to stop is so far away.
On the contrary, the outboard brakes add more unsprung weight. Jag E-types, Lancia B20s, used inboard brakes too.
true,but one of the main problems of inboard brakes is that they overheat easily due to a lack of cool air available compared to a the more popular "hub" brake assembly.both have plus and minusses,but perfomance cars nowadays should have outboard brakes.inboard brakes also restrict the use of overtly big brakes as well as "exotic" calipers!
Well, they didn't have the giant rotors and blingy calipers back in those days. The Vanquish would be the system to copy.
heheheh...by "exotic" calipers i meant more than 2 "pots" per caliper;i.e either 4,6,8 or even the "floating"/sliding caliper system.(i am to use almost "hub-cap" like rims with cooling ducts ala' db7 mk1). these newer tech calipers would not only fit into the original placements,they would start to fade quickly too due to poor cooling. i've discovered a kit that moved the inboards outward;but they were for a 1994 audi v8 quattro.that had a torsion beam rear,but i intend to find out whether they could be updated to aston's DeDion system.also,i reckon that the watts linkage may need to be beefed up or replaced by a better assembly.
that's one of the reasons would claim(in the 80's) that the volante was almost as rigid as the coupe! also,the chassis seems to be a rust trap haven;this leads to many "cosmetically perfect" cars having a wobblier than usual chassis. in fact,it's a pretty good idea to reinforce the sheet chassis pan with strategically welded stainless or chromoly panels.then galvanise the darn thing! scuttle shake is almost halved! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
You have the opportunity to live out what I'm sure is a dream of many people, and you care what some people you've never met have to say about it? Sounds like a great journey, keep us updated!
Very interesting Andri! Keep us updated and whereabouts are you doing up the 'project'...? I'm in KL by September anyways and would love to see the project in person.
would love to as long as i'm in town!will be in jakarta from august 26 til around the 19th of september,but will keep u posted;along with anybody interested and in town!
