Aston Martin V8 Vantage

[FC3S Murray]

That is a sexy ride Blake. Sophisticated sexy.

[digitalsolo]

Thanks guys, I honestly enjoy the car much more than I expected.    Probably because I'm old, LOL.

[digitalsolo]

Took a road trip with the local driving club today to a place called "Cammack Station".   It had a bunch of cool old Americana and pretty good food.   The guy parked next to me in the Lincoln also has an Aston Martin (White DB9).  Hah!

[Venom13132]

thats a great photo!

[kinger]

What are your thoughts on the car now almost a year in on it? 

[digitalsolo]

I love it.   My favorite “cruiser” I’ve owned.    It’s a great balance of comfort, performance and luxury.    I drove it regularly and enjoy it every single time.

[digitalsolo]

Ordered the later year center console armrest, as I hate the factory early one.  The newer has actual storage and such in it and looks much better.

I’m going to design a new “coin pocket” for the shifter area to hold the controls for the CarPlay system, as they’re in the current crappy cup holder area.   The new armrest has a place for a 12V accessory and USB ports, which are in that coin pocket now.

So I’ll utilize the armrest ones instead and make the coin area a hideaway for the controls.  I think I’ll also add a Qi charger pad to the new console interior as well.

Nothing dramatic;  just quality of life/convenience stuff.   I still want to do a full carbon interior update in the future as a possible next modification.

[spacevomit]

Have you seen the "forged carbon" aero for these lol? Super sick. Food for thought? Haha.

[digitalsolo]

I need to grab some photos, but I redid the coin tray and finished the center console work.    Really happy with how it turned out.   I got a ticket a few weeks ago, first in a while, which pushed me to get a new radar detector.   I need to add a hardwire kit for it, as I hate the cable hanging down my dashboard right now.

If you're curious, I purchased a Radenso DS1.    I'd like a Theia from them when it comes out, someday.

[Speedfab]

Damn I'm going to have to ride up to Indiana and check this out.   

[digitalsolo]

Damn I'm going to have to ride up to Indiana and check this out.   

Anytime buddy!

[digitalsolo]

In the list of mods for this, I'm still slowly tweaking things.

I had previously added the front shear plate from the "S" and "Roadster" models.   It's a big thick aluminum plate that ties everything together.   They make a rear plate as well, and I finally found one for a good price, so I ordered that.   Supposed to be a pretty big chassis stiffness improvement.    I'm also upgrading the keyfob housings (LOL) as the ones they come with are kinda cheap feeling.

I'm looking at DBS swaybars and poly bushings for those to tighten things up a little, particularly as I've got a clunk up front which seems to be a sway bushing or end link so I need to get in there anyway.
I'd also like to do 2 piece brake rotors at some point and a twin disc clutch.   Outside of that, I'd like to do the carbon interior upgrades for the center console at some point and that's about it unless I get real silly on the drivetrain upgrades.

[Venom13132]

I need to convince my wife to let me get an Aston instead of adding on to our house haha

[digitalsolo]

Sway bars should be here Monday, and I ordered the carbon interior work.   I need to send my interior panels to Poland to have the work finished up.   Yay for British cars.

Planning to do the brake upgrade next month.

[digitalsolo]

Still waiting on my panels to come back from Poland, hopefully they'll be here next week.

I'm not doing the brake upgrade for now, maybe this fall.   Checked the brakes I have and they've got plenty left.

I did get the rear swaybar installed, and started working on the rear shear plate upgrade.   Turns out my subframe doesn't have all of the right brackets for it, so I'll have to fabricate some and weld them to the subframe, which means I'm not messing with that until the Mustang is off the lift because screw doing that crap on the floor.

I'll get the front swaybar in this week, along with an oil change.   I have an occasional clunk in the front end I want to sort out while I'm under there.  I thought it might be a swaybar endlink, but it doesn't look like that's it now.   I'll go through the control arm bushings and ball joints, and the swaybar bushings will get replaced when I do the bar anyway.   If it's bushings, I'll just swap to poly.

Once the suspension is sorted and the interior gets back, I think that'll do it for this season, then just drive, drive drive.