I was on the hunt for quite some time before I found an original owner with a perfect service record at a great price. In my search and talking with many different Aston dealerships, one of the reasons why there are multiple owners and low mileage is due to the recurring maintenance cost. These cars are not that expensive to buy (due to depreciation), but can be expensive to maintain. A lot of people will purcahse one and drive it for a year then either sell before the maintenance schedule or sell before losing too much on the depreciation. The consenses seems to be an average of 2500-5000 miles a year driven.

Here are two post I recently did that helped me find and buy an Aston. Good Luck.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...st-pt-1-a.html

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...urves-pt2.html

 

Hey Andrew,

Good advice. Thanks and I have been using your info. It's funny that so many of these "off the main road" cars have a quirkiness to them, but that's what makes them unique and special to own, and also why 99 out of 100 people couldn't own them. It's the way it was with my Bentley. These are enthusiast's cars.

 

Yeah, same here. Fewer owners and higher miles typically means the cars were driven, and any issues have been long sorted. More owners and fewer miles introduces a whole different layer of uncertainty, especially when the service history is missing or incomplete.

 

to a certain extent, driving an expensive car for enjoyment purposes only can get old fast. it's a 'bucket list' item for many and after a few years of ownership the novelty wears off. familiarity may not breed contempt WRT sports cars, but it can lead to indifference. you don't see those guys running ferris wheels at amusement parks looking very amused even though they can hop on the ride any time they want.. ...pssst...same thing with trophy wives (or husbands)...

IME, i've noticed that it usually takes something more to maintain a long term interest in a hobby. for sports cars, maybe an interest in the maintenance aspect of ownership or competitive recreational racing or track activity. sometimes membership in a club where the involvement extends to friendships with those with mutual interests. any number of things. sometimes even reaching to a puzzling and odd participation in an online forums!

 

Well said; completely agree.

 

people will bail on cars when faced with a large maintenance bill...

 

That's very true as well. However, some might look at it as a negotiating point if the car is worth owning. I just went through this on a Vantage S I was considering. I asked if the seller knew about the condition of the clutch. He had no clue. If he did and if he answered something like "the clutch is getting to the end of its life, or, I just replaced the clutch" I could deal with either of these answers. In the first scenario I could make an offer commensurate with the cost of the clutch (after all, much like bald tires, the seller enjoyed the use of the clutch).

Since the seller didn't know, I had the responsibility at that point to suggest an inspection which I would have had to pay for. I could have done that which costs me time and money; or, move on and continue looking if there are a lot of other choices out there, which there are, and which I did.

But, back to your point, agree, most people probably would just walk.

 

This is the exact reason I bought a Giulia QV as a daily driver. However, and much to my chagrin, as spectacular as the car it is to drive, it still hasn't quelled my undying need to own a Vantage.

 

Yes, happened to me with my Bentley. The Continental GT was my ultimate dream car. I finally got it! By 3 years, I couldn't wait to get rid of it. For me, the old saying that applies to boats really fit me:

The two happiest days of my life were the day I bought the Bentley, and the day I sold it.

But in all fairness to the Bentley, 3 years is my average max for any car I've owned.

 

i did this very same thing with clutch on my car when bought several years ago.

important to go into a purchase with both eyes and potentially your wallet wide open

 

I found this video pretty enlightening:
(edit: won't embed for some reason)

YouTube -> BramfordRose -> Buying a V8 Vantage on a tight budget? Forum Chat #52
The fun starts around 1:30.

Needless to say, any pre-owned Aston should undergo a full PPI from someone who knows what to look out for.

 

bought my three-owner 2007 with 11,000 miles on it without even driving it. next day began a 3000 mile trip from california to ohio. stayed a week and drove back another 3000 miles. thermostat needed to be replaced is all. three years ago bought a 38 foot 30 year old sailboat to live on without any inspection other than a 15 minute sail. again, no problems. i judge the condition of the things i buy by judging the personality of the previous owner. people that take care of their possessions have 'tells' that are easy to read if you look for them. how they look, talk, the condition of the car they are driving, their vocabulary, sentence structure, how they dress, how they speak about other people. it all adds up. they will treat their lawnmower the same as their ladder as they will their car or boat and to a certain extent their family and strangers. saves a lot of hassle.

 

^Amen to that. Some of the best cars I've owned have been because I knew or felt a good vibe from the previous owner. A lot of the cars for sale now are at random 'exotic' dealerships and lack the storytelling component that makes being the next owner an easy, slam dunk purchase.

 

Hello Jamal,
I have an 07 Vantage manual, 36K miles, Velocity tune, Strasse wheels, H&R springs, Tungsten with Obsidian interior in the SF Bay area, that I'm putting on the market soon. PM if interested.
Cheers

 

PM me I am about to get mine put up for sale. Car is Tungsten/Black 07 manual with 32k miles with just about all the options and very well sort with ~20k in mods.

Mods:

• HR springs
• Forgeline ga1r wheels with fresh ps4s
• New Porterfield R4-S break pads
• New VAP v12 clutch and light flywheel
• VAP exhaust
• VAP tune
• Fabspeed 200cell CAT
• Red Paints air filters and box delete
• Red Paints lightweight battery
• Updated Bluetooth (replaces original flaky one that cuts out the speakers)
• DBS shifter

Cheers,
Daryl