vanquish owners?

Exactly - color plays a role in price and despite good condition I can't see someone paying top market for the color unless they just have to have a "Green" Vanquish. In these type of cars if you want hurt the value buy one that is green, pink, or has a bright lipstick red interior...a kiss of death

 

Just got my Vanquish S on Friday. Enjoying it and pictures will be coming soon. I do find that the ASM is quite jerky (only trying it because my wife may use that mode)... I recall something about a re-learning clutch procedure. Any thoughts on this?

Despite the above, it is a howling and impressive car and I find the normal paddle up/down to work well and is sufficiently smooth (a little jerky in low gear depending on whether or not I am driving the car hard or smooth).

 

I think the judder is just characteristic and something you live with and actually you get use to it over time - even though it is annoying, I barely notice it now (just like Maserati,355, 360 owners same issue on paddle cars).

I have tried the clutch relearn, but never noticed any significant impact - others swear by it. The procedure is well documented on AMOC and goes as follows:

-- repeat the following 10 times --
Step 1. engine off
Step 2. engage neutral
Step 3. start engine, at idle, foot on brake
Step 4. wait 10 seconds
Step 5. engine off

 

I too noticed the jerky feel in asm but not ll the time. Sometimes it shifts smooth. I think it depends probably on the way thew driver controls the accelerator and the cars rpms.
It will be good enough for the wife but after she gets comfy with the car i'll move her to the paddle. once the car is going and above 300rpm the paddle are very smooth

I am using ASM in heavy traffic. it is best for a relax drive. Then once the car can go I switch to paddle. That works great for me.
The issue with ASM is that if you use it all the time the car seems to be kept in very low rpm like 2000. Not good to keep clean plugs..

I think that car does not like "very slow driving" like city driving with stop and go.

I'll be honest, after driving 2 cars with paddles, I dont see the awe about manual conversion at the price it cost to do it. I'd rather spend 1/10th of that cost getting the F1 system well tuned. That system is good enough on the roads and the vanq is not a track car.

 

Thanks guys for the notes above - useful as always. And now some pics...

 

Exactly - way too much talk about a need for a manual conversion over the years for a problem that does not really exist IMO. If you think about it, when you manually shift there is a bit of a jerk when you enage the shift and when the gear engages as well. It just seems more pronounced in the Vanq and odd when you are not clutching during the shift in a paddle car.

Some claim the manual was a fix, but I view it as more like a marketing gimmick to overcome market objections of anyone (who probably never drove the car) with ASM concerns generated by TV motor critics at the time. If you are trying to sell a $250k car you you will change anything the customer thinks he/she wants to ink that sale.

Universally I have not seen actualk owner complain about it, but non-owners spouting and rehashing car magazine article or TV critic comments...nonsense.

 

Here are three pictures to show out of the gate. More in the future
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Wow, she's a Beauty !

 

beautiful! you have one of the so 644 late S made...

 

Thanks Armen. I assume that the answer to this question is in the owners manual but my wife asked the question (just took her out for lunch and was directing her to learn to use the paddle shifters and put the car in neutral with the break on when resting in a large up-hill traffic light). She asked if the ASM could be put into or out of play while the car is rolling? I assume you should only do this when the car is stopped and the car is in first or neutral. Any experts want to advise me?

 

Countachqv --- how do you know this ("the 664 late 2 made") and how can I find out a bit more about the history of my particular vehicle?

 

One more picture that is better than my pedestrian photo skills...
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ASM can be engaged at any time. Same goes for disengage (just flip a paddle).

Agree with the group - Great looking car! Post a pic(s) on the British Car Pic thread as well...Vanqs need some representation

BTW what did Smith do for you? Service, Sale, both...

 

Thanks again for the intel. I bought the car from Naples Luxury Imports. Dave did an annual service and there were some concerns noted in the previous major service (done 1.5 years ago that were worth keeping an eye on) --- Dave made those remedies so that I wouldn't have to worry about them, etc.. Fairly standard maintenance and improvements/remedies however getting all of the under-panels off did involve some labor.

 

Armen knows all about the stats! lol.

i got this because some records say:
1086 (Vanquish S) including 442 Vanquish S with early console

I said 644 (1086-442). i think 664 is a typo you made

that said i also have:
2006 : 300
2007 : 270

Total 570. Armen: you must clarify this while we are a it!

Being a pessimistic French dude by nature I took the worst number 644.

Is your car the 06 with blue interior 21K miles that was for sale? I figured that car would not last long there...Did you also look at the 05 night blue one on sale for a while (dont recall the state)?

For you car history, car fax can be a great start to locate initial owner. If this is the car I think, it was a single owner in Naple. Should be easy to locate and contact.
Actually being a 1 owner car, may be you could even have access to the window sticker? that is cool. I got mine!.

Also reach in the official A M O C site but all they'll give you are the details of the car fabrication when you give them the vin.

Ah! i forgot, would be way too long to explain but DO NOT USE OR TOUCH the battery off switch in the trunk. It has Evil magical powers.. With that knowledge, you're golden..

 

Awesome stuff Countachqv and interesting that you mention the battery off switch. My well intentioned brother just told me "if you do not drive the car for a while then you need to use that switch in order to save your battery and headaches." What should I do if, for instance, I decide not to drive the car for a few weeks (such as if I take a long vacation)?

I do have the one from Naples, Florida and I did not look at the 05 that you referenced.

Can you post the AMOC site web link? Is that the club that wants a few hundred dollars to join, etc.? I am not keen to do that unless of course there is significant value in doing so... I can be convinced but would like to know more about how Aston owners use that site.

Thanks again!!!

 

simple answer CTECK conditioner 3300 i beleive or 7200 in conditioner mode. i got the 7200 because it can charge as well and save the computer data while the battery is replaced.
for the rest i'll pm you

 

Beautiful British racing green for sale in Germany. I am a sucker for off the beaten path elegant colors..

I think they got the bhp wrong at 469. a 05 should be 528.
Also you realize that euro cars are so much more driven that US cars although mileage is not that high for such a car!
Thomas Sportwagen GmbH in Radebeul - Vertragshändler-Maserati, Vertragshändler-Aston Martin, Vertragshändler-Harley-Davidson, Vertragshändler-Rolls-Royce, Vertragshändler-Ferrari
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Your Vanquish should have come with a Aston branded CTECK conditioner with a special 3 prong jack instead of the off the shelf CTECK that has claps - The AM branded CTECK tender plugs into the jack next to the battery off switch in your trunk. The car (if complete) comes with a very nice black cover with silver piping and the charger as accessories.

IRT the "Battery Off" button - Actually, There is nothing wrong with using the "Battery Off" button - I use it off season all the time or when I know I will not be driving the car for more than a month.

The button cuts all power - same as unplugging a battery, so you have to reset your clock, radio presets, etc and other things just like a new battery install, but it's not required to be pressed to hook up your tender. The cars DO NOT like to be at a low state of charge and flat out will not start even though there appears to be full power with all the accessory lights coming on when the key is in the ignition when you allow it to get to a low state and unfortunately it will be there in just 3-weeks of sitting without being on a tender from my experience - lots of draw on this car compared to others.

The main issues I have heard about the button is people do not know where the reactivation button is (no one ever reads the owners manual)...its a little button behind the passenger side front seat that you have to press and hold for about 5-10 seconds and if you don't know where it is or do not hold it down long enough you will have no power until then...imagine the frustration of a person just pressing a button expecting something and nothing happening (ask me how I know) .

 

Now that is a REAL British Racing Green - compared to the other Heritage Green car in Florida.

It's not a "S" so it would have the lower HP (460hp)...Visually you can obviously see it's not a later model car and in fact it is a early car - 2002-03 with older interior/stereo and the Red (not glass) start button, and nothing visually to make it an "S" such as "Vanquish S badging, grill, splitter, trunk, breaks, or wheels)

 

Great stuff above on the battery disconnect button, etc.. I will show this thread to my brother and we will talk it through and make sure I do not repeat the mistakes that the rest of you have learned over time. Very much appreciate all of this wisdom.

 

These need proper checks by techs that know them. Many of the dealers don't even know how to look after them correctly, they aren't DIY friendly at all. For instance, failure to spot, and treat, electrolytic reaction between several parts of the steel sub-assemblies and the extruded alluminium tub can render it so rotten as to be unserviceable. Weak ASM pumps can trash synchro's in the gearbox, diff fluid changes neglected ruins the BTR diff, rotten front subframes, bonding issues on the front crash structure, to name but a few...

 

Just had my car done with a manual gearbox conversion at Aston Martin Works and equipped with their Sports Exhaust. The upgrades really transformed the car.

Some pictures of my car during a short trip to Switzerland


I enjoyed so much that I have considered keeping it in Switzerland and getting it registered there as the current Kuwait numberplate attracts too much attention.
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Stunning car!

 

How do you like the manual shift? I am considering doing that, but I have heard some say that since the shifter isn't directly over the transmission the shift feel/movement is not very good. I would be interested in your opinion. Thanks.