Long time lurker, so thought I would start to give back.

Got my 07 AMV8 in February. Prior to delivery had the AM dealership take care of the shortshift upgrade, ECU upgrade, new cats and performance exhaust. To show I'm hands-on I installed the clear taillights myself. (if anybody is worried about doing the taillight replacement, it's really easy).

I had previously driven a Vantage and DB9 each on a short trip. I got to push both of them to see what they would do. I decided on the Vantage over the DB9 because the Vantage was more agile. The DB9 felt like a boat and the weight and size ate up the larger engine.

From day 1 of receiving my car the brakes had a major squeal to them just before I would stop. I was told to brake harder since it was a used car that had sit on the lot for awhile. But, that didn't change anything. About the time I got fed up with the dread of seeing a red light I noticed something was bouncing around when I hit a bump in the road.

Took the car into a local sports car shop and they raised the car to give me a look at what was going on.

1. Exhaust - I had come loose. I know nothing about how cars work and the poor quality of the install work was very obvious. The guys at the shop were eager to point out the issues in technical terms. The joins were very sloppy, they lowered the car so that the bottom was eye level. The clamps to hold the exhaust system on were hanging down about an inch below the car...of course that's the only thing hanging down since the bottom of the car is so flat and put together. The clamps being out of whack was not a result of the exhuast coming loose. The exhaust was also rubbing against a medal piece and they showed me all of the scrapes on the exhaust as a result. The solution is they've taken the exhaust off and they're putting it back on. $300 to take it off and put it back on. I question why I paid the AM dealership $800 to put it on to begin with.

2. Brakes - They said AM has a bulletin out about the brake squeal. It's a known "issue" based on the type of factory brakes. They said they are track brakes and they have to get really heated up before they start working. Driving around town isn't going to heat them up enough. So, they're putting on performance racing pads for me. They had called a couple AM dealerships and they said AM had previously said to put some shims somewhere down there for $180. But, the AM dealerships reported that didn't always work...or work very long. The solution was to put on a different type of pads. Sorry, I forget the brand name of them. $600 including install.

3. Oil Leak - They discovered an oil leak on the underside of the engine. When I checked my garage floor it was dripping fairly well. Another known issue by the factory. The factory had a couple bulletins regarding patches for it. Forgive me for not knowing exactly. Something about the oil timing or oil exchange unit. The most plausible patch per AM will cost $1300. The AM dealerships said the fixes didn't always work and if they did they didn't last very long. Installing the new version of the part from AM including install is $2300. So, that's what we're doing.

I don't blame AM for these issues nor am I upset other than having the exhaust system installed for the second time. Knowing that AM acknowledges these issues is a big plus for me and the Vantage was still a fairly new model in 07 (I intentionally was not going to get an 06 for fear of issues such as this). I've had a Nissan and a Pontiac that were a new models and ordered from the first couple months of production. Issues, issues, issues.

For the positive thoughts. Even though I’ve only been able to drive the car for 3 weeks, I love this car! It is so engaging to push the power out of the engine. I know I have after-market exhaust, but the engine note just begs you to give it more. The interior build quality is amazing. They put leather in places you would never expect and I’ve looked over the stitching and it’s flawless. I know some people criticize that AM put too much thought into everything. But, the car is a piece of art and the level of care they put into building the car also shows of the quality. Power, beauty and soul all the way.

 

An then I forget to upload a pic...

 

Congratulations on the car, she looks nice.

That said, you had the AM shop put on replacement/aftermarket exhaust, and then when you discovered at another shop that it was faulty you paid that third party to fix it? Why did you not take it back to the AM dealership?

 

The brake shims worked for me. Not one squeal since they were done.

Which exhaust did you get, by the way?

 

I didn't send it back to the nearest dealership because it's $800 to transport it. I also wanted to establish a relationship with the local shop that I planned to start using since they would be easier to yell at when something they've done is done incorrectly.

I got the Paramount Performance exhaust. They only have one kind, so not sure the level of the exhaust compared to others. They were a pain to get them to take my money and they didn't ship all of the parts the first time. The AM dealership had to tell them what was missing so they could reship them.

As far as the exhaust performance, it is quite a bit lounder when you open it up, but at lower rpms it purrs along. Aparently most of the sound is for bystanders vs those inside the car. Now that I've gotten used to the new sound I wouldn't mind it being just a little louder.

 

Seems to me if some of the problems are known by AM and really are manufacturing defects the fixes should be at AM's expense not yours??

 

druid:

Congrats on your purchase. Did you purchase your car from Napelton Porsche in Chicago? If so, I saw your exhaust being installed at Lake Forest Sports Cars. Beautiful car.

Adam

 

GT700 - It's out of warranty. So, not sure what recourse I have. I'm not upset about it, just want it fixed and stay fixed. I guess the big unknown is what other known problems are out there that might bite me.

Adam - Yes, that would be me, thanks. That's funny you recognized it.

 

Cong.,, I like your interior, look very sharp

 

Beautiful car, hope you enjoy that fine vehicle everytime you take it out! I hope you DD it!

 

Should have talked to me!!!

 

wow... strange. I was going to buy this exact car from Napleton a few months ago. But I went with the Porsche Carerra instead. How do you like LFSC?

 

I have been very happy with LFSC. I like their service people very much as well, true car enthusiasts.

Adam

 

That's crazy that two of you recognize my car.

The only issue I have with LFSC is the quality of work installing my after market exhaust system. I don't know how much that fits within their expertise. Ignoring that, they were easy to work with, prompt with communication and give me the impression that they know what they're doing.

 

Some systems fit better than others...