Hello, General heads up.
I am a new owner of a MY07 Vantage V8. She has low mileage, but a lot of the typical Vanatge challenges that come with our cars. I am an avid DIY and a trained ASE Certified tech. (in a past career).
I've been able to source several parts that are OEM equivalents and have installed and replaced them.
My gas door had an issue. It wouldn't release. I did the research, adjusted the door, lubed the plunger, etc. I decided to try a new solenoid in case mine was weak.

A company called ML Performance USA came up on many of my searches. Avoid these people like the plague. 4 months and 14 emails, no parts, no refunds. My wife finally escalated this to our credit card company for a refund. Crazy thing is, they are still sending me excuse emails and promotional spam.

P.S. I found a BMW equivalent part ($100 less expensive), installed and working!

Cheers
Lutz

 

Ah yes, ML Performance, they are actually in the United Kingdom, and their business model is to take your money and then order the part from elsewhere and string you along until they actually get it. I went through that for 4 months over a shift ****....Finally got it, but massive irritation. Avoid.

 

I figured that as well, they do advertise some things at a lower cost than the other traditional places, like Scuderia. Their Website is good, but like you say, avoid!

I ordered a custom etched billet button from the UK (not ML Performance). A $25.00 button, $19.00 delivery. I then received the very nice tariff charge from FedEx, $51.00 :/

 

Just FYI - of the gas lid solenoid is working (and not just dead) then it's a problem of A) alignment of the cap and/or B) the little rubber latch need to be cut a tiny bit. Redpants did a video on this.

The alignment is tricky becuase when you have it open to be able to change how the lid will sit, you have no idea until you close whether you've aligned it correctly so it's just a ton of trial and error.

The little rubber latch just needs to be trimmed with a sharp knife to make it easier to clear and spring open.

A quick test for anyone reading this:

If your gas lid won't open, wedge the corner of a credit card in between the gas lid and the body work quarter panel. If you then push the button and it pops open it's 99.9% a problem of the alignment and that little rubber latch.

 

Thank you for the info.
I'm new to Aston Martin after having a Honda S2000 for 13 years. The support and knowledge base at S2KI are amazing. This forum and others like it, with all the shared knowledge, are such a gift. Getting the Aston is this kid's dream (I'm 63). If not for these forums, I would never have dared to take the plunge. My closest dealer is 5 hours away. A few calls before the purchase of my Vanatge for things like a second key or a seatbelt were teffiying.
I've been able to do quite a bit myself in about 4 months on weekends. I promised myself I would try to give back for all the times I've come to the well. If anyone has questions from the list below, fire away.
New EGR valve and SEL reset.
Second key and fob, not OEM.
Driver's side seatbelt repair and SRS light reset
Hood and Door strutts non-OEM
LED interior lights
Air filters (BMC)
Throttle Body cleaning.
Custom remote control of the fuse 22 control.

My car (her name is Jinx) now has 16K. 14.5K when I got it.
I love driving the car, and it is now my daily driver. I have secure parking at work, and my gas door works!
Cheers
Lutz

 

Had considered ordering the NGK SITR7A11G (94949) plug from them for the upgrade on the ‘10 DBS. So, who is the best source for those, as cannot find them domestically in the USA? Kindly advise.

 

Opie Oils on ebay used to sell them and they are legit. Seems to be OOS atm.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184523766723

And if you happen to have friends/fam in Germany, here's a good vendor:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/196092762155

Both verified by me. Authentic plugs.

 

I had an '03 S2000 for four years from new. Also, an earlier member S2KI and there was quite a bit of knowledge on the site. I didn't like the steering feel of the S2000 and the seats weren't comfortable. The angle of the bottom cushion would crunch my back. Had to put a thin cushion on it to level it out. I miss the drive train, ease of washing, and gauge cluster.

 

Welcome to the world of AM. Drive the car everyday and everywhere you can. As you start working on your car you will find plenty of OEM parts that are actually Ford or Volvo. Here you go. This will help

https://astondiy.com/pages/vantage-alternate-parts

 

I loved my S2000, getting in and out became a bit of an issue, and the South TX sun made it difficult to be my DD. Much better now with the Vantage!

 

Awesome! Thank you.

Good timing as well. I'm planning the thermostat and coolant replacement.

 

Tried to order a new RH airbox from ML a a while back. They advertised a pretty decent deal. After several weeks of claiming supply issues, they eventually said there was a pricing error and wanted additional money to fulfil the order. It took a couple times requesting a refund before finally getting one. One month from start to finish. From now on I'll just stick to the main suppliers.

 

What was the custom engraved switch button?

I've been trying to get a set of glass switches from Bamford-Rose for forever and they never respond to emails.

 

The etching says “passenger eject” aluminum billet with halo red LED. I’m planning to custom install it where the glass ash tray is. The section of console where the ashtray lid is chipped a bit and I’m still planning/ researching how to fix that paint. I’ll wire the button to a relay for fuse 22. I have a remote control relay on it now.

https://custombilletbuttons.com

 

I've used ML Performance and for the most part have had success. The shipping dates on the website aren't accurate. Oil filter for example, required that I would have to buy a bulk set of 10. I passed and they refunded me quickly. I'd order from them again if the item actually says it's ready to ship.