I have an appt. Scheduled for annual service at parkplace, then an exhaust install scheduled the week after at Kassel motorsports in puyallup. Kassel said they'll do most regular mai tenance work on the Aston. I'll report back after service.

- on another note, do Seattle area Aston owners ever meet up? Havent seen anything or found anything searching online....

 

Search Pacific NW Aston Martin owners on Facebook. That's the Seattle area group. You'll also run into some local owners occasionally on Saturday mornings at the Exotics@RTC Show.

 

We've had a few meets in the area. Use the Facebook page:

Pacific NW Aston Martin Owners

 

The Vantage is at Classic Motorsports now getting the new dual plate clutch installed this week. They've done the job on other Vantages and have experience with Aston and other British cars. I'm hopeful that I've found a good indy for this car. I'll report back next week.

It's unfortunate that they're about an hour from my house, but if they're good, it's worth it.

 

I just had Kassel motorsports in puyallup do an exhaust install. They agreed to work on the car and did a fantastic job. They have a great reputation for working on european cars and i think I'm going to try them out on general maintenance. I'll report back as well once they do a few more jobs. Works out great for me, only 10 min away!

 

They appear very German focused. Have they done other Astons?

 

They are big on BMW and Merc but have done other exotics, I'm not sure if they've done other Astons. I'll have some more discussions with the mechanics in person before moving forward. I also have the shop manual that i put on a thumb drive, should be a big help too.

 

Any updates on this?
So far, I've been able to do all the work my DB7 I6 has needed, but...

Ed

 

Classic Motorsports in Mukilteo did the dual plate clutch for me with me bringing the part to them. They also did a bunch of transmission work for a buddy of mine on his SS. I did find a nick in the paint on the deck lid that I had to repair after I got my car back but I can't say for sure that it was there before so I'm not going to blame them for it. I'd say they're competent and significantly cheaper than Park Place.

I've also been corresponding with Chaserace in Carnation. He does track car set-ups, alignments, tire mounting, general maintenance, that kind of stuff. He hasn't worked on Astons before but he's willing to do so and has a really good reputation. I think he'd probably do a good job as long as the Aston owner can provide some guidance - like where to lift the car, where to find info on the repair, that kind of stuff.

 

Thanks for sharing the experience on Classic Motorsports. I also found them on website, and you provided the first real customer review! Glad to know we definitely have a indy shop in Seattle area.

I got my Virage early this year, and just finished annual service last month at Park Place. Routine check and oil change is $1400, but finally I spent $2800+ including air and climate filter change, diff oil change, and wheel alignment. They also fixed several problems of the car. Thanks God they were covered by the extended warranty, which costs $6K+. I agreed they are good but pricy.

Any ideas whether another two-year extended warranty is worth for such an "old" car (2012 model year)? Park Place quoted me $7880 plus tax. To keep the warranty, I must do the annual service in Park Place

 

I had the same choice when I bought my Vantage. I didn't like the expensive inspection fee on a car that they had sitting on their lot and the warranty was something crazy like that price too. Two years of ownership and I'd have never gone in for anything.

 

Right? $1,400 for an inspection & oil change? Another $1,400 for a couple filters changed and an alignment? That's really crazy pricing.

 

Most of the cost are labor. Park Place labor rate is $199 per hour. Not that bad considering it is for exotic car (I think BMW labor rate is $139 or more?) They spent time to diagnose some problems of my car, and found it was caused by a part failure and old diff oil. The former is covered by the warranty but the latter is not, so I had to pay them some diagnosis fee. Yes, unfortunately they are expensive.

 

Not worth it for oil service, but for you Seattle Area guys - VelocityAP HQ is half a day's drive away, near a race track in the middle of wine country! We've had more than a few customers come in from out of town for things like clutches, power kits etc.