V 8 VA N TA G E EXPERT VIEW: PETER MARTIN OF MARTIN’S ASTON SERVICES

‘ THE VANTAGE GENERALLY WEARS ITS mileage well, and high- milers can actually drive better than really low- mileage cars, as long as they’ve been maintained well.

‘ When you go to inspect the car take a close look at the paintwork, and if you’re not confident, take someone along who knows what they’re looking for. Vantages can suffer from corrosion on the doors – along the edges, around the handles and the wing mirror supports. Most will have had rectifying paintwork for this and the inevitable stone chips on the front, but how well has it been done? They can rust around the rear wheelarches, too.

‘ Inside, if the leather on the seats hasn’t been fed it can crack on the driver’s seat bolster. Unless it’s really bad, a few feeds can bring it back. Yes, the satnav is horrifically poor, but do at least check that it rises out of the dash, and make sure there are no engine warning lights on as Vantage’s are sensitive to sensors.

‘ On the suspension side, the older 4.3- litre cars can break springs near the bottom of the coil, and while you probably won’t hear it, it is an MOT fail. The part alone is £ 350, so it soon adds up. Dampers can leak with age, but that’s not as common, and wheel bearings sometimes grumble, so on a test drive make sure you get up to a decent speed. As for the brakes, the pads are hard, so they do wear the discs out, and genuine parts are costly.

‘ The biggest headache is the clutch. It depends on driving style and where the car is driven, but they can go at 20,000 or 80,000 miles. The clutch can be heavy and have a high bite- point yet still be OK, so it’s almost impossible to say when it’s going, other than if its obviously slipping. It’ll cost £ 2500 to £ 3500 to replace a clutch, depending on whether you go for an original or an uprated twin- plate item. Remember, it’s an Aston Martin, with Aston Martin parts prices.

‘ On a brighter note, the V8 engines are great and rarely give any problems. The hydraulic tappet adjusters can get noisy, but aren’t hard to change, and only a significant oil leak from the timing chain cover at the front is bad news. Rectifying it is a massive job as the whole front of the car has to come off to remove the cover. The part is only £ 120, but the labour will be £ 2000. Most cars have probably had it done by now. Finally, make sure the seller knows how to check the oil level: it’s a dry sump set- up and there’s a specific procedure. A four- year/40,000- mile gearbox oil change is important, too, and helps the gearshift quality.’