Should I sell up? - V8V Pics Added

[Edin430]

Yeah the front is easy enough. I'm going to take the plastic holder off and stick the plate straight to the bumper - looks much better (holes are only two inches apart bang in the middle so plate will cover it). But....will only put a short plate on the front if I can put it on the back as well....

[Edin430]

Please wear a baseball cap pointing upwards to increase chav and WTF factor

Thanks Ha, I might as well... People definitely expect to see an older gentleman driving it!!

[a4drk]

You can see the holes on mine -
I not that bothered about it, as the holder with go back on when i sell it
and I'm not spending £250 painting the front bumper!
David



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[Stewart]

Thanks for posting the pics Lewis. That is one cool car.

If I thought I could afford the fuel I would be sorely tempted.

Right of to PH classifieds

[Edin430]

Looks good David.. Can't even notice the holes

No worries' Stewart. I have to admit, the petrol has been a bit of an eye opener!! Just drinks it... I reset the comp and have managed 18mpg around town since I brought it back (good or bad depending on how you look at it?!) In saying that, I couldn't recommend it enough! Happy to let you look about if you are considering the move

[a4drk]

I get 20mpg around town in the Z4 coupe.... (3.0)

[Ferg]

David, have you thought about a wee bit of plastic filler and a dod of touch up paint to reduce the effect of the holes?

[a4drk]

yup - it's on the list to do......
got the paint !
Had it for 2 months now & not even polished it yet........!

[Edin430]

Wow, that makes me feel a lot better

I actually felt better when my friend told me his X5 gets 15mpg...!

Good shout there Ferg. You could pop the bonnet and reach down behind the grilles as well - do the filler from behind?! (ooh la la)

[Jacobite]

Looking fab enjoy
And there a plenty of car's out there getting less MPG than that

[Tommy Twist]

Your Aston looks fantastic

Meteorite silver (very dark grey), 19" wheels, black leather, sat nav, HID's, upgraded sound system, hands free, integrated phone,

Not trying to be cheeky, but my mate's dad just bought a Skoda Octavia and it boasts pretty much all the items on that list... Tell us more about what makes owning/driving the Aston so special! (along the lines of the V8 comments)

[StiflerMR2]

Stunning. Glad you took the plunge, I can tell you already don't regret it

Stewart, lifes too short - get it done (how much do you want for the 111s......)

[Stewart]

Stewart, lifes too short - get it done (how much do you want for the 111s......)

I have just spent the last 2 hours reading the AM forum on PH. I could probably convince myself about the fuel economy. If I only do 5k miles a year and I get 20 less mpg than the elise the extra fuel cost would only be ~£800 more. The other potential costs scare me, particularly the depreciation of which I have no idea about. Depreciation on a well bought lotus is next to nothing - just 1% for me on my exige after 20 months and 14k miles.

My biggest fear is how easy could I sell it on quickly if I wanted/needed to. I wouldn't want a +£7k hit which would be close to impossible with a 4-6 year old lotus.

Watching and listening to Youtube clips of V8Vs isn't helping me

[Edin430]

Your Aston looks fantastic Tell us more about what makes owning/driving the Aston so special! (along the lines of the V8 comments)

Well lot's of things really.....

- The brand. The fact it's an Aston Martin not a Skoda has a lot to do with it.
- The look of the car. It's stunning... I mean gorgeous in the flesh.
- The interior is out of this world. Nicest I have ever sat in.
- The sound.... Oh the sound....
- Then the best bit; the drive. It's so comfy and so fast it's a bit out of this world. Very different type of speed to the Lotus.

Stunning. Glad you took the plunge, I can tell you already don't regret it

Thanks me too and you are spot on

My biggest fear is how easy could I sell it on quickly if I wanted/needed to. I wouldn't want a +£7k hit which would be close to impossible with a 4-6 year old lotus.

I think the answer is you can't. I looked into it for ages as it was my biggest hang up!! All the private ones have been on for months (and it's summer) so if you want a quick sale you need to go through a dealer and you will take a depreciation hit.. Two things though:

- Firstly; no idea how much of a hit. I guess it depends how good an example you get, what you paid for it and when you are going to sell. I got a very good deal on mine and expect to lose little (if I sell private next year) due to the mileage. I also waited to get the best spec possible as there are lots of things people wont buy without. Anything over 40k miles seems to take forever to sell, even through a dealer so wouldn't touch anything close (+30k) if you are worried about depreciation.
- Secondly; I stopped worrying about it in general. What will be will be. If you want it enough you need to go in with an open mind and a big deposit to be safe, that's what I did. You are bound to lose at least a few thousand but as above, your guess is as good as mine. Private owners think they will go as low at £30k in a years time for 05/06 high milers where as all the garages I speak to (including Gaydon) think mid to late £30k's is the minimum they will drop to (apart from the obvious one of two that people just want rid of... Or have crazy high miles etc)

On the running costs in general, I tried to do the calculations on petrol but they don't stack up I've put over £250 in petrol in 10 days and I did not plan that.... Although given I have been driving it more than I usually would.

Servicing - budget £1000 a year. £1500 for major every 4th.
Road tax - £400 a year.
Insurance has gone up but not by much.
Brakes all round - £2k (pads are £500 alone!)
Tyres are £250-£400 a corner depending on the wheel sizes etc.
Clutch is the only "out of this world" cost that I can find... £3-£4k even from an indy and they appear to be made of jelly, so budget for one!

In saying all that, I really think that if you want one you just have to go for it, but that's just me.

[Gareth]

Some good research there.
IMO, the nicest car on SE. The Vantage is simply stunning.