Author Topic: Aston Martin V8 Vantage (Read 76023 times)

Venom13132 · « **Reply #135 on:** May 08, 2023, 03:24:33 PM »

These keep popping up on BAT. Still hovering around that $40k mark. I really want one but I don't think my wife will go for it, lol.

FC3S Murray · « **Reply #136 on:** May 08, 2023, 09:11:09 PM »

This thread needs more pictures......

digitalsolo · « **Reply #137 on:** May 09, 2023, 09:59:12 AM »

Fine. Pictures.

Carbon interior stuff in process. The first picture is the carbon overlays right out of the mold. The second picture is the overlays bonded and in early stages of clearcoating and prep:

And rear swaybars, old vs. new. The new is (obviously) the thicker one. 29mm vs. 25.2mm.

Exidous · « **Reply #138 on:** May 10, 2023, 08:46:26 PM »

Biggest sway bars ever.

Venom13132 · « **Reply #139 on:** May 11, 2023, 07:14:18 AM »

Are you making those carbon bits yourself?

digitalsolo · « **Reply #140 on:** May 11, 2023, 02:33:51 PM »

Quote from: Exidous on May 10, 2023, 08:46:26 PM

Biggest sway bars ever.

They are huge. But then again this is a shockingly heavy for car for something made almost entirely out of aluminum and composite.

Quote from: Venom13132 on May 11, 2023, 07:14:18 AM

Are you making those carbon bits yourself?

No. Place in Poland is doing it for me. https://ecpsgroup.com/

I've done carbon work and it's a real PITA. Not to mention needing to silkscreen on labels, etc. Meh. Time is more critical than money right now for some of this stuff.

digitalsolo · « **Reply #141 on:** May 20, 2023, 06:44:16 AM »

Carbon is finished up and headed back my way. Excited to drive this car again! I'm almost equally excited to detail it, as it's gross from sitting in my garage/shop all winter.

Super happy with the photos, glad I didn't do this one myself.

Cobranut · « **Reply #142 on:** May 20, 2023, 02:59:56 PM »

Those look really nice Blake. Nice choice.

FC3S Murray · « **Reply #143 on:** May 22, 2023, 11:30:10 AM »

Wow! Nice pieces!!

digitalsolo · « **Reply #144 on:** June 16, 2023, 10:49:15 AM »

FINALLY got the pieces in (they were stuck in customs for weeks). Car is back together and looks great! Fitting the door handles was a task, the springs are annoying but good zip-tie engineering to hold them in place was victorious in the end.

I'll get pictures soon, but first step was washing the car and finally getting to drive one of my manual transmission V8 cars again!

Venom13132 · « **Reply #145 on:** June 16, 2023, 11:39:13 AM »

Nice! Can't wait to see some pictures of this installed.

digitalsolo · « **Reply #146 on:** July 10, 2023, 01:09:00 PM »

I might have convinced the wife that a supercharged LS/T56 makes sense for this car going forward. It's cheaper than buying a V10 R8, after all.

Drivetrain swap isn't a mod.

kinger · « **Reply #147 on:** July 12, 2023, 10:28:10 AM »

Quote from: digitalsolo on July 10, 2023, 01:09:00 PM

Drivetrain swap isn't a mod.

digitalsolo · « **Reply #148 on:** July 26, 2023, 12:18:29 PM »

Reached out to Craig at Dynotorque with some questions around the LT4 swap. I think I have a good grip on what's needed to make it happen.

It honestly seems pretty straightforward, with the shortening of the torque tube being the biggest thing I need to farm out, since I don't have the equipment. I'm going to talk to the ECU company that he worked with on the CAN controls for the gauges/ABS/etc. If they can help, that's worth the savings effort to buy a solution. If not, I'll decide the CAN myself and build a controller to talk to the stock gauges/ABS system (or just put an MK60 system in). On his setup, he piggybacked a separate standalone ECU to do CAN interfacing to the OEM stuff, for reference.

I need to get the Mustang finished up and on the road before I tear into this, but I think I'm sold on the conversion. I'll pull the OEM drivetrain out and sell it, and do the GM setup, probably LT4, as I know the fitment can work really well in the chassis.

Plan is to have 100% OEM interior, though I'll probably mod the gauges slightly to replace the LCD screens in the cluster with something more useful. I'll keep the aftermarket muffler I have now as it's plenty high flow, do C7 headers of some flavor, a good twin disc clutch, and a TR6060 or TR6070. OEM shifter location, MGW shifter. Reviewing engine management, but probably Holley as I'm always annoyed dealing with OEM systems.

We'll see. Maybe I'll look back at this in a year and laugh at the whole concept, or maybe I'll have a 625 RWHP V8 Vantage...