I'm in the market for a V8V, and really would like to get a roadster since my 993 is a coupe. I am, however, concerned about the possible additional maintenance that could come along with having the soft convertible top. Those of you that have roadsters from 06-09 or so, how has the reliability of your top been? I cursory internet search didn't really turn up anything, so that could be a good sign. Look forward to your responses, thanks.

Pic of one of the ones I'm looking at.

 

No issue with top itself or mechanics but I did have the control unit fail, that was $1000. Apparently it is not uncommon. I have an 08 with 24,000

 

I own an '11 vantage roadster. A few years newer than you may be looking but LOVE IT and have had no issues.

 

Same, control unit failed last year. Luckily the top was stuck in the up position rather than down.

 

I have a 2007 Vantage V8 Roadster. The top has been a nightmare. I have had to replace the motor once, and the roof control unit has also been replaced. And I still had problems. I think that the good folks at Palm Beach Garage in Florida have finally figured out the problem and will square it away. There was a kinked hydraulic line inside the top that the dealer missed.

Altogether I will have spent $17,000 on the top (I had brought the car to a shop in Jupiter Florida and they broke the rear window. You cannot replace just the window so I had to buy a brand new canvas with glass. That was $9500 of the total).

The rest of the car has been extremely reliable. I traded in my Porsche 911 when I bought the Aston. No comparison between the two cars. The Aston is much more substantial, better looking and more fun to drive.

 

I have an 08 manual, with about 22K mikes. I've had no issues with mine. My memory tells me the manual says something about operating the top the minimum amount necessary. I could be wrong. However, I often park mine in the garage with the top down, and leave it that way till I drive the next time.

 

I have a 12 and have had no issues with the top at all. One thing you DO need to know though is that with a roadster, the leather on the tonneau is highly susceptible to shrinkage due to the amount it is exposed to the elements. Hard to protect it given it is at the rear of the car.

If you condition the leather though it should be fine. If you see shrinkage, correct it quickly and you will be able to minimize long-term issues.

 

I do the same thing, hoping to not wear out the control unit - not sure if it makes a difference or not, but that's what I do. I will say, i did start to see a bit of creasing in the top when I left it down for a few days in a row without putting it up. Now, I'll leave it down in the garage if I am planning to drive it the next day or in a couple of days, but any more than 2 and I put the top back up. I use 303 fabric gaurd and cleaner and the top still has the "shine" of a new top after 5+ years. Have about 15K miles on mine.

 

I have 2008 Roadster with no problems.Often leave home top closed then open roof while going thro town (under 30mph).
Owners manual recommends closed roof when parked for some time to avoid soiling along fold lines.I always garage mine roof closed.
Roof should be open for track days as 'extreme manoeuvres may predict a roll over and deploy rollbars" The rollbars would smash the rear window!!
The wind deflector (as in your pic) is a must for fast driving with top open.

 

I purchased a 2009 roadster last year with 8900 miles. Since then I have added approximately 4000 miles on it with absolutely no problems with the top operation -- or anything else. Raising and lowering the top is a sweet choreography of various mechanisms that might present issues in the future-- but none have occurred yet. Like others, as a practical matter, I try to minimize the opening/closing of the top.

I also try to limit the amount of top down sun exposure when not driving to avoid leather shrinkage. I use leather conditioner more often in the summer. During the summer months I keep it stored top down with occasional use. For longer periods of non-use I put the top up. In the winter the top is left up during cold weather while in storage.

When I first looked to purchase an Aston, I focused on only coupes because of their beautiful lines. However, I am a guy who loves a top down car in the summer and could not resist an Aston roadster once I drove one. If that is what you want, go for it.

 

I've had mine for 4 years and 20k miles. 60k miles now. Only problem was few years when when it wouldn't open or close. Turned out to be a leaking hydrololics line. Was about $800 to fix. Other than that it's perfect!

 

Make sure you check the rear glass...a 2009 i had a deposit on had this issue i noticed after a spirited test drive... the aston dealer said the top should be replaced because of the stress it puts on the glass joint material...a local high end upholstery shop said they would not normally make a glue repair based oon the car being an Aston but quoted about $3000 to remove glass and make a complete repair with two yearwarranty. A regular shop quoted about $1000 to repair by just reglueing.

have this checked during your PPI.

 

07 Roadster - at about 45,000 miles control unit failed. Also had to have glass reglued, probably because I live in Louisiana where it gets really hot. I love my roadster.