Found a 2011 V8VS Roadster with 6,000 miles. The car is 3000 miles away from me so I am buying it unseen. Great price from an independant dealer and had a CPO inspection done on it from Aston Martin Ft. Lauderdale. The car checked out great but here is what they tell me it needs.

1. Two new tires - do I hold out and switch to Michelins when I get it?
2. Rear brakes - I keep reading about squeal issues. Is this a DIY project on this car?
3. New wiper blades
4. Two year service. My nearest dealer is 150 miles from me so I am probably going to let the Ft. Lauderdale dealer service it.

I have to call in the morning with the thumbs up or down for the car and decide what the dealer should work on. Can I get some help on this.

 

I bought my car sight unseen too! Came out okay with a PPI from a reputable source.

1) my tires were shot too, I asked them for a new set and they (surprisingly) agreed. I was getting new wheels anyways, but it was nice to have a new set of tires to roll on for a week or two.

2) rear brakes (specifically the hand brake) will always squeal at slow speeds. Pretty much no permanent fix

3) easy DIY, can probably buy replacement blades for under $100

4) my car also needed the fluids changed, and the dealer (again, surprisingly) threw it in during my PPI

 

Glad you had success mkzhang, I'm hoping Aston of Ft. Lauderdale is reputable. The car was not put into service until 11/12 so I believe I still have a year of warranty left. It also looks like I need to purchase a glass key because the original one is not with the car.

 

Wow the glass ECU will set you back at least 1k when its all set and done :/

 

if by rear pads you need a new set, pricey unless you go aftermarket like porterfield.

Did the car have a one year service? AM is kinda picky and they specify in most documentation that not keeping current on service intervals can potientially void the warranty. The AM dealer that did the CPO can confirm if it's still under warranty and til when. They don't specify it has to be done by a dealer but that the intervals have to be maintained (within a certain grace period). An annual service will run you $1200-1600 at a dealer.

A shame about the key. Good luck.

 

Car sounds great, I hope it works out.

I'd recommend the Michelin Pilot Super Sports. (I just put on 4) Bridgestones are really stiff.

I went with the Porterfield R4S brake pads front & rear. Factory pads are VERY dusty. Porterfields have a fraction of the dust, stop great, and once bedded in, my rears don't squeal. Very reasonable price. Its a DIY job or, quick job for you local (qualified) mechanic.

The Aston wiper blades don't strike me as anything 'exotic'.... I have been using the Rain-X blades on other cars (has Rain-X embedded in the rubber)... and will put those on the Aston when it needs them. Different 'one piece' look, but fine by me. You are in CA... Will you ever use the wipers?

Good luck with the purchase!

 

Where did you get your Porterfield R45 from? The tires are very close to replacement time but I am considering different wheels so I may put off the tires until I decide on a what wheels to go with.

I am also looking at the AM indoor covers but I have read that some have trouble with the fleece getting all over the covertable top and a pain to take off. Any recommendations?

 

Talk with Stuart at Velocity for best deal onthe R4S pads. Stuart is also working some custom springs in another thread... you 'may' want to coodinate new wheels/ drop/ pads for one visit to the shop? I will note that the car with OEM springs is very low in the 'middle'... between the wheels. I can bottom out on speed bumps with stock springs... you may want to think about the overall ride height ... as you look at the options. Perhaps more offset and bigger wheels will fill the wheel well for the right look with out the drop? (I throw this in as I think we all consider lowering at some point)

I went with a California Car cover made of their WeatherShield HP material. Very light, and water resist. no fuzz. Their custom pattern was short so I'd recommend you request a 4" skirt addition. (They custom make each cover) They later added a skirt to my cover. This will let the cover wrap around the front bumper better, but not touch the ground on the sides. Washes and dries easily in home washer, folds up small.

 

I have a feeling that Stuart and I may become good friends . I like the springs he is putting together. I'll check out California Car Covers. Is yours an indoor or outdoor cover?

 

Weathershield HP is an outdoor cover, but very light material for what it is. (think more like satin vs the flannel Evolution 4 materials that are huge) Its very good at heat/sun reflection which is why I use it daily here in Fl. (garaged at night) It has a 4yr warranty... so if you do use it... and the sun chews it up into tissue paper in 3 years (which it will)... CA CarCover will send you a new one. I typically get 2 for one on all my covers if I keep the car >4yrs.

Stuart is great to work with... definitley a good friend to have!

 

This car will not be my daily driver. It is black so I'm looking for an indoor cover to keep the dust off.

 

I think that I would ask for the service and the glass key to be part of the deal. It sounds like others on here have done deals like this with stuff like this as part of there deal. What dealer will you use in So Cal? I use Galpin in the Valley. I hope it works out for you.
Ron

 

I am not purchasing the car from an Aston Martin dealership. The dealer I am working with says that prior owner has the key someplace but is in the middle of a move and can't find it. He says he will get it to me when found. I'm not holding my breath on this one.

I live in Northern California. The nearest dealer for me is in Los Gatos.

 

Los Gatos Aston Martin has great service. You won't be disappointed.
As for springs, you should drive the car for a few months first, the car "just" squeezes over most curbs and parking blocks...
As for the glass key, ask your dealer for the phone number of the previous owner. If it's just a used-car-story, you should be able to get a discount on the purchase.

 

Other options in Ncal for Aston Martin service: Cole European in Walnut Creek and Marin Luxury Cars in San Rafael.

These used to be Aston dealerships but switched out when Ford sold Aston. They still perform service on Aston Martin cars at the dealerships. In fact, I'm getting new keys and fobs programmed on Tuesday.