From: uunet!amoco.com!rlindsay (Richard O. Lindsay)
> Hi gang. Are there any Aston-Martin owners in the group?
> I've always wanted one and would be interested in hearing
> any comments that you might have.
I own a 1975 AMV8. This is a rather involved subject upon
which I could expound ad nauseam. I will touch on some thoughts.
AM Driving Experience: Essentially, a british muscle car. Very
powerful, heavy controls, not very nimble. A great highway
cruiser. Miserable in city traffic. Infinitely more comfortable
(and practical transportation) than the Italian exotics. Fantastic
for taking a driving vacation.
AM Ownership: It's a toy, a rather expensive toy, like most exotics.
With the cost of insurance, parts, repairs, etc; most people use
them as fair weather excursion vehicles. Most members of the Aston
Martin Owners Club (AMOC) that I have met treat their AM's as their
most prized posession. Me too. No celebrity status. The great
unwashed public is much more impressed by MBZ, Porsche, and Corvette.
Maybe 1:1000 has heard of Aston Martin. Fine with me.
Cosmetics: Generally excellent, esp the paint work. However,
quality standards were not always what they are today. The interiors
on the older cars look like kit cars. Bondo was liberly used over
the hand-beaten body panels. If you want a concours AM, you will
definitely have to restore it to better than new.
DIY Mechanic: Most AMOC members do some amount of work on their own
cars. Unlike many LBCs, some aspects of these cars are not easy to
work on at all. The engine is big, heavy, quite complicated,
somewhat fragile, and astronomically expensive. Unless you are an
accomplished mechanic with a professional garage, there are some jobs
on an AM you should not tackle, esp. major engine work, drive train,
and suspension. However, the remainder of the car is quite conventional
and easy to work on. The mechanics are much more accessable than
Italian exotics.
Parts: Good news and bad news. The good news is that nearly _all_
parts for post-War AMs are available. BTW this tends to be the #1
problem for exotic owners. The bad news is the cost. Getting parts
from 3rd parties and OEM sources is much cheaper, but the
AM-manufactured parts are killers.
Pre-War Cars: I dunno.
DB Series Cars: These are the James Bond Italian-styled cars. They
are highly collectable and pricey. Start at $45K for a fixer-upper.
I've seen basket cases for $25K. The huge in-line 6 is very strong.
Reliablity is very good, except the usual (electrics and lever shocks).
Fast, but not blindingly fast by today's standards.
V8 Series Cars: Masive V8. Kind of a really eligant GT500. Made in
4 series over approx 18 years. Prices vary from $20K (early East coast
wreck) to $150K (late convertible Euro-spec concours car). Still
very fast by today's standards. Pretty reliable unless abused.
Lagonda Saloons: Exotic styling, big, and fast. Consists of approx
2/3 AM parts. Lagonda-unique parts may be difficult to obtain. The
Lagonda-unique stuff has a checkered reputation for reliability and
engineering. This car is so rare that most Lagondas are up for sale
because they are trouble. Owners keep the good ones. I've seen them
priced $40K to $140K depending upon year and condition.
Virage: I've seen them. They are beautiful. Expect to spend $250K
to get one home (sticker is around $220K). This is so far out of my
league... I will leave it at that.
If anyone has specific questions, I will attempt to answer them or
point you to someone much more knowledgeable.
BTW I am in mid-restoration of the AMV8's leather interior. I am
re-spraying the hides with Connolly (sp?) leather lacquer and
insulating the floor with Heat Shield padding. So far; so good.
I hope to run the Aston in the Silver State 100 (open road race
in Nevada) this Spring.
Regards,
Ron Knipper
DSC Optilink
knipper@optilink.com
707-792-7238
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