Oh, if there is a Aston in the Kansas City area, highly unlikely, I'll go check it out for you.


Regards

 

Thank you for the KS offer, very kind. I'm glad you found your DB9 -- I saw the dealer photos and it's stunning!

Thank you so much to everyone for your replies and advice. Wonderful group of people. I especially appreciate the recommendation to put the 05 up on a lift and take a close look at the details, and to inquire when the dipstick was corrected (great thought -- maybe the car was driven extensively with the incorrect amount of oil!). Since the coils are original I'm guessing they'll need replaced before 30K miles?

I have a lot to think about. I'm leaning towards looking nationally for my dream 09 DB9 Coupe.

Any suggestions for the best websites or places to search nationally?

 

Welcome! Best of luck in your search.

At the risk of coming across as an alarmist, this thread on engine ticking noises in early DB9 engines is worth a read. Synopsis: possible cause of damages that result in warm engine ticking in the earlier V12s, is driving car while low on oil.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ing-noise.html

 

Also, many '05 DB9's had corrosion issues with the auto transmission cooler pipes. About $2K to fix. Check around the cooler connections for leaks.

 

Invaluable information, thank you. From what I've learned from everyone, the dealer is going to mistake me for an expert. I give credit to everyone helping me.

 

When searching nationally is there a standard protocol to follow if the car is a flight away?

Do you place a deposit (non-refundable and if so how much is reasonable)?

If it's private sale or non AM dealer how do you arrange a PPI at nearest AM service center?

Do you discuss price when you arrive or beforehand?

Fly, inspect/drive, then either drive or ship car home?

Is there a reliable source to determine used DB9 prices by model years?

Thanks for any advice or recommendations.

 

This biggest issue with the 05's is the transmission cooler lines. If your 05 has the original lines they will leak. It's not a matter of "if" but a matter of "when". Aston came up with a transmission oil cooler line update kit but it's pricey. The dipstick recall was implemented because owners were not adding oil when it was getting low so Aston decided to come up with a new dipstick to add an additional quart of oil to the sump as a buffer -- words from my dealer. My 2005 DB9 was bullet proof reliable for the 3 years I owned it, so there are good 2005's out there.

 

I bought this 05 DB9 Manual from Beverly Hills Porsche in February of 2014. I always wanted a DBS but figured it would be years before affording one. So I flew out to LA for a test drive and pre-buy inspection, liked what I saw then negotiated a price of 54,750. Next was $1,500.00 in shipping, 6% PA State Sales Tax, registration and inspection. Then over the course of two years I changed the plugs, coils, serviced all the fluids and upgraded the rear tail lights to clear, changed the wheels to sport pack and replaced the grille with the 5 bar bright finish. Inside Stainless dash ***** were added plus the wood trim was laminated in high gloss black... You get the picture.

In all I'd invested about $65,000.00 total and I was considering an ECU tune, stainless headers and a rear spoiler but no matter what I did to this 9 it was never going to be an S. Don't get me wrong this car is a beauty. I had people chasing me around video taping me and the faster I drove to create space the faster they went to keep up. It was insane!

Bottom line is when an S came on market I had trouble selling it. The best I could do was trade it for around $47K. However in my case it was worth it because the DBS was so deeply discounted I considered the loss acceptable. Funny thing is if you were to pick this car up now Smith Motors in Los Obispo California is offering it for $52,995.00. That's less then I paid for it prior to all those mods two years ago. And I only put two thousand miles on it. But I'm an aircraft technician by trade so doing the mods myself saves $$$.

All I can say is stay focused and be flexible. You've waited this long I think it would serve you well to be selective. But if you are in the market for an older nine with rare 6 speed in SKYE GRAY Smith has my former for a bargain!

Best of luck.

 

 

Wow, what a difference from when you first purchased it. Looks beautiful.

 

Thank you,

It was a truly remarkable transformation. I can only compare it to seeing the night lights in Paris for the first time. And it drives and sounds as good as it looks.

 

pure beauty indeed!

 

Hey drivergmx, were you the one with the DBS at the steelstack cars and coffee on 5/23?

 

Yes Sir! 2009 DBS Manual, Lightning Silver...

 

BEAUTIFUL looking car and great color! Believe it or not, that was my first time seeing a DBS in person

I was the green vantage with the yellow lipstick