New member, questions to follow
#1
New member, questions to follow
Hello all,
I posted almost this same thing over at pistonheads.com, and they kindly pointed me here for a U.S.-based forum.
I'm new to the community here, so of course I'm probably going to lead off with annoying questions. I promise I have done things like peruse the FAQ, etc. I have also ordered a guide from http://www.astonmartinreview.co.uk/ based on recommendations I found.
Anyway, I have a 2012 Rapide which I've had for a couple of years here in the U.S., and I just added next to it in the garage a 2012 DB9 Volante Sport Edition (apparently 1 of 60 made that year).
One of the reasons I'm registering right now to post is that the DB9 I just got has a dented right front rim which needs replacement. The local AM dealer is quoting over $2500. $2500 for one wheel. Is that because it is a "sport edition" wheel? The description of the 19" wheel seems to be "10-spoke forged wheel with a gloss black and diamond turned finish. This is then individually machined on a 5-axis milling machine to produce a ‘pin-stripe’ along each spoke which is then painted gloss black". It seems a rather high quote to me given that I picked up a spare set of 19" wheels for my Rapide off of eBay for less than $1500 for the set of 4!
I've found astonmartinbits.com -- I imagine they can get a better price for me. Thoughts? Alternatives?
I posted almost this same thing over at pistonheads.com, and they kindly pointed me here for a U.S.-based forum.
I'm new to the community here, so of course I'm probably going to lead off with annoying questions. I promise I have done things like peruse the FAQ, etc. I have also ordered a guide from http://www.astonmartinreview.co.uk/ based on recommendations I found.
Anyway, I have a 2012 Rapide which I've had for a couple of years here in the U.S., and I just added next to it in the garage a 2012 DB9 Volante Sport Edition (apparently 1 of 60 made that year).
One of the reasons I'm registering right now to post is that the DB9 I just got has a dented right front rim which needs replacement. The local AM dealer is quoting over $2500. $2500 for one wheel. Is that because it is a "sport edition" wheel? The description of the 19" wheel seems to be "10-spoke forged wheel with a gloss black and diamond turned finish. This is then individually machined on a 5-axis milling machine to produce a ‘pin-stripe’ along each spoke which is then painted gloss black". It seems a rather high quote to me given that I picked up a spare set of 19" wheels for my Rapide off of eBay for less than $1500 for the set of 4!
I've found astonmartinbits.com -- I imagine they can get a better price for me. Thoughts? Alternatives?
#4
+1 to wheel repair. I'm not sure if there are certain wheel types that can't be repaired (I'm sure there is a limit to the extent to which repairs can be made), but I'd absolutely reach out to a wheel repair shop before I spend that kind of money on a wheel.
#6
The damage is on the inside lip. It is dented, but not a sharp, angular dent -- more of a rounded dent, if that makes sense. It is not dented enough that the tire seal is completely broken. However, it is dented enough that the tire is losing a very slight amount of air at that point while driving, to the tune of 2 or 3 psi a day. I suspect that what is happening as the wheel flexes while driving, it sometimes loses a little bit of the seal, allowing a little bit of air to escape.
Tomorrow I'll see if I can somehow get a picture without going to the trouble of taking the wheel off the car.
One question I have is whether that is a fair price for such a wheel from the dealer. I still may go the repair route, but if I don't, I'd at least like to know whether I'm getting ripped off or if they're really just passing along roughly the cost from AM to me.
#7
Trending Topics
#9
Yea. That's pretty minor. Shouldn't be a problem for a good wheel repair shop. Now you just have to find one. Your dealer wanting to replace the wheel is just LOL. What about the tire? Is it damaged too?
Last edited by silver997; 02-10-2017 at 04:35 PM.
#10
The tire wasn't damaged. I already found a close-by repair facility that agreed to help me out with a quick fix this afternoon. 30 minutes, and it was as good as new. $120 for the fix.
Thanks for all the advice!
Thanks for all the advice!
#13
I must say that Aston service costs are quite a shock having been accustomed to several Lotuses (Lotii?). I had 3 different Esprit V8 twin turbos and an Elise and for the times I owned them, maintenance was not much more than a BMW. At least so far, knock on wood, I haven't had anything horrible happen with the Rapide.
#14
Big brother Rapide is in for annual service at the moment!
#15
Great color and car, and glad you repaired it instead of getting a new wheel, bents like those are so common in the north east. I get at least 1 bent wheel a winter back when I drove a sedan.