The general theme of the last couple of weeks has been a number of later model Astons coming in for MOTs and servicing along with a few fixes and finessing.
The first of these we'd like to talk about is a superb Volante version of the Vanquish Zagato. This one is rather rare as only 99 were ever made and it's no.6 from those 99. In a lovely soft dove grey, verging on silver, the car has only done 1300 miles. We've MOT'd and serviced it, having earlier collected it from its southwest London home. Once we've given the car a good clean it'll be returned safe and sound ready for another year of happy motoring.
Talking of the Vanquish, we've also just had the pleasure of working on a Series 1 Vanquish from 2000/2001 which needed a flat battery attending to, along with the MOT and service. The flat battery is now fixed and the MOT and service are both complete. This too is now ready to be returned home.
The third in our featured trio of lovely cars is the automatic, 2010 DBS Volante that's also being serviced. While we're doing the service we're also installing new shock absorbers and springs as the suspension was leaking. Now all four corners of the car are back in full working order and it too is ready for return.
If you recall another Volante - this time a V8 - from the Workshop Diary 11 which went from red to green, we are pleased to report that the transformation continues, with Ben now putting in all the lights and the grills and other features that make a car look like a car again. It's going to be a real stunner.
But beauty should always be more than just skin deep. A DB5 we're working on now is having a lot of work carried out to the things that aren't always on show - but which matter enormously nonetheless. Especially if you are one of the many Aston drivers who not only wants to have an eye-catching masterpiece but who wants to drive and enjoy their car as much as possible. That's the story with this next vehicle which the owner plans on taking over the channel to the wide horizons of the European continent. You really can't do that unless you have complete confidence in your car.
This great AM DB5 is having a high efficiency radiator installed which will have better flow, power steering fitted, a new cooling fan - and we've just removed the head and manifolds to address a head gasket leak which was pretty oily and nasty and making a lot of mess. To do this, the head of the engine has been removed and inspected for any warp-age or damage; once we establish all's well in this regard, it'll be cleaned thoroughly, removing any gunge so it's ready to be put back.
In essence, we're cleaning the car up and reconditioning it as opposed to undertaking a full restoration. This will address any faults, and make it more pleasurable to drive. Most importantly, it will be infinitely more trustworthy and reliable - wherever the owner goes on their upcoming trip. So, while we all agree it's a great car to look at, this one is also looking pretty smart under the bonnet. We're sure the owner will be delighted with the work - and he'll love driving it even more than he does already.
