# Finally bought my dream car!



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

I know it might seem like a bit of a show off, but I don't really want it to be, I feel so lucky that I am able to go and do this now. After paying off our forthcoming wedding and 90% completing my 911 restoration I have just received the redundancy pay out from my previous school which was agreed as a condition of me leaving. We talked over what to do with the money which wasn't a whole lot but enough to pay off a small chunk of our mortgage but with 22 years left to go and nice low monthly payment, we decided to spend the money and a bit extra (ok, quite a lot extra!) on the car I've wanted since it came out and never thought I'd be able to have. An Aston Martin DB9!!!! :doublesho

Specifically, this DB9 https://used.astonmartin.com/en-GB/...01-2e11-470e-9c71-55a4a1fde4c6/?from=results&



I went to view it today and put a deposit on it; it's absolutely immaculate and perfect for us. The salesman was superb and the service exemplary. I've never had an experience like this when buying a car but we decided as it was so much money to have one it was worth the few extra pounds to have one from an Aston dealer and have the experience of feeling wealthy, though I won't next week after I've checked the bank balance lol

So the wedding plan has changed; I will arrive in the DB9 and my fiancée will arrive in the 911 which is a very special car to us, the car we've been all over Europe on holiday in and done over 65,000 miles in.

I've sold the X5, SWMBO is now using my Volvo S40 and as of next week, my new daily driver will be this beast!!! Ain't spending so much money on it not to use it haha

Can't wait to get the detail up on here, Stratstone will prep it for me and once it's dirty again I'll go all out for the winter prep. Might have to pick up some Swissvax goodies at the NEC in 2 weeks. Absolutely can't wait, love they way it looks, drives and sounds, hasn't sunk it that I am gunna own it next week. Aaarrgghhhhhhhh!


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## s29nta

well done, what a motor:thumb:


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## polac5397

enjoy every minute cooks.......!!!


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## Chrisr1806

Beautiful, my dream car too! Hopefully one day.


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Thanks lads!!! Can't wait, nearly gave up and had a peek at a new shape XK at half the price but glad we found the extra for the Aston. Never spent this much on a car before, most was £10,000 on the 911 and have spent another £10,000 on it over the last 2 years but we now have a really tidy example of a 911, just gotta find the extra for a respray. It has helped being £90 a week better off as I don't have to drive 127 miles a day for work any more, I can now walk so it's made the car much more affordable for us :thumb:


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## Naddy37

Well done fella, looks a stunning car.


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## s29nta

cant wait for some detailing pics:thumb:


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## Bristle Hound

Good for the both of you :thumb:

You only live once, so what the hell! :thumb:


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## Rabidracoon28

Fantastic pal, extremely jealous but made up for you. Think this will be the UKs most pampered DB9 👍


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Bristle Hound said:


> Good for the both of you :thumb:
> 
> You only live once, so what the hell! :thumb:


Cheers BH, that's the thought process we had with it. Had £18k handy to buy outright but couldn't wait anymore. Would have bought that XK at £20k trying to get the price down and carried on saving. By which time, the XK would have lost more than half it's value so it would have cost me more in the long run than borrowing the extra £20k now and I'd have been stuck with the second best car for 8-10 years and seething with jealousy every time I saw a DB9! I intend to keep it a while so have borrowed £20k to pay it off with as our wedding came in under budget and we've saved for that since getting the house. I feel I've worked hard enough the last 9 years to have this little luxury lol


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## stonejedi

A Lovely car,*ENJOY!!!*.SJ.


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## Kriminal

S-e-x on wheels :argie: :thumb:


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## mike41

Lovely motor,as others have said Enjoy (lucky bugger) :argie::argie::thumb:
Mike


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## Soul boy 68

Well done cooks, lovely Aston, it's nice to have something to aspire to and dream of and you certainly done that.:thumb: :car: congratulations on your fourth coming wedding.


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Thanks again, know it's gushing time now but its nice to see you guys appreciate the car and what it is as opposed to the cost of it and how much it'll cost to run. It'll average single figure mpg figures and is due a small service in February which they quoted £900 but I got that in the price and a pair of front mudflaps for it as it doesn't have any and will need them as a daily driver as there are some stonechips on the front wings that need attending to but like 2 small ones a side and handful of marks which should polish out  but I don't care about any of that, look after it and it'll never lose any value so the 8 odd % on the £20k loan should be about the only depreciation it'll suffer, leaving a nice pot to maintain it. It's not due a cambelt yet either thank christ :doublesho


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## gally

Brilliant stuff chap. You truly are only here once and for a very short time, buying things like the Aston is something more people should do, if they can afford to. 

I must add, your other half must be very understanding. ; )

Can't wait on the detail.


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## Blueberry

Jealous? Me? Oh hell yes ! Enjoy enjoy enjoy 👍


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## bidderman1969

nice car.................. mister Bond


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

gally said:


> Brilliant stuff chap. You truly are only here once and for a very short time, buying things like the Aston is something more people should do, if they can afford to.
> 
> I must add, your other half must be very understanding. ; )
> 
> Can't wait on the detail.


Cheers, she is haha but she wanted it as much as me. She won't drive it though, doesn't want to lol. Our mortgage is joint but the car comes out of my salary so it's very much a personal luxury and after some recent events it's made me really take a look and live while I can. Am only 30 but life is very short and having the opportunity to own something like this even if only for a short while will surely be something to savour :thumb:


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## polac5397

I know I had a serious health scare makes you look at things diffrently


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Main reason for doing it tbh is my back getting worse. I've had a dodgy disc or 2 all my adult life but in the last few months it's worsened. I've had surgery twice and further surgery isn't going to be of benefit. Having just had another MRI I've been shown another problem. I have a back disease I can't remember the name of (!) and it's slowly going to fuse my spine together, making life more bloody uncomfortable and getting in and out of the Aston will eventually become more difficult. I've stopped using the Volvo as the clutch pedal is just too much now, I don't drive anything any more, the Aston will be the only car as I worry about the 911's clutch pedal too and we don't want to sell it after investing all the money into it and the connection we have with it so Mrs Cookie might start using it when it's done and we'll keep the S40 for dirty jobs.

Also I lost a close friend to cancer recently (another one!) and at only 32 years of age. Just makes you think doesn't it. So I wish you guys here health to drive :driver:


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## andy665

Lovely car and very sound reasoning for its purchase - hope you enjoy it, can't imagine that you won't


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## President Swirl

Tip of the cap Sir. Enjoy it.


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## Mini devil

Beautiful car! Your leaving my dream I've always wanted an Aston :thumb:

Please do a full write up :buffer:


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## MEH4N

Lovely car Cooks. Enjoy it, as they say you only live once. Get some more pics up.


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## robertdon777

Very nice, great cars for the money. Real sense of occasion with them. Sound great too. Better mpg than the old DB7's, mates dad sees about 18mpg in his so not too bad.


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Thanks so much for all the replies, means a lot to have positive support from people who don't know me but understand my decision and reasons for having the car. People I work with and live around think I'm mad to spend this kind of money on 'just another car' and think that having a 34 year old 911 is too much of an extravagance. Yes I come from a working class background and grew up on a rough ass'd council estate in North Wales, yes I live in a non descript dormer bungalow in a small town and I'm only a secondary school teacher (Head of DT now but not great money) so not rolling in it but come on! It's so much more than just a car, it's a dream and it's come true for me and I never thought it would. It doesn't matter what your dream is, follow it! It's just nice to share the car with people who appreciate it like you guys here and don't judge me for having it, just my work detailing it like every other car posted here from Ford to Ferrari.

More pics will come after collection, and as the advert has now been taken down from Stratstone Wilmslow's website I can only give you the ones from the link on AM's central used car stock  Went to view it on my own as Mrs Cooks was working and didn't think to take a pic myself as I'll have it on the drive next week!





It's so odd, it looks and smells like a 9 month old car, never mind a 9 year old one with 45,000 miles on it. It's also the £280 tax bracket not the £495 which is handy


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## Cookies

Now that is absolutely beautiful bro lol. I showed mini cooks and he said "that's just like James Bond's DB9!" So huge kudos from a 007 fan.

You've worked hard for it so enjoy it chum. Oh, and there is a big enough boot for some COOKIE..... Nom nom ne nom ne nom. 

By the way, so sorry to hear about your back trouble chum. I've a ruptured disc which is nowhere near as bad as yours, but you have my sympathy as it is awful. Enjoy your new toy and drop in with a few pics now and again to remind us how good it is!!! 

Cooks (the other one)


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Ahhh Cookie!!! Thanks for the kind words fella, yes back trouble is awful, can understand exactly how that feels  I'm a bit gutted after the diag tbh but I'll live and at least it won't affect my daily life too much though they can't tell yet how much as the discs slowly break down. It's taken 30 years to get to the bottom 2 being fused together, so if in another 30 years only a few more are affected I'll live with that. Reality is I shouldn't have accepted the first surgery when I was 21, should have held out as I might have had a bit longer on the 2nd disc before they shaved the bulge off. Second surgery was emergency when I was 26 as I ended up totally paralysed from the waist down and now at 30 they've found out why I'm having these troubles.

Yes the boot is big enough for the good stuff though not as big as the 911's :thumb: You must thank your son for his kind words about the car, remember to continue his training on the way of the Cookie  I think it's a pretty similar colour to the Casino Royale DBS. It's listed as Silver, but it's definitely Grey!

Will make sure its travels are documented and brush up my camera skills for the detail :thumb:


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## TonyH38

Good luck and enjoy one beautiful car.


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## R7KY D

Congrat's , you are going to have sooooo much fun in it , It's a great car that's the same colour as the one I had iirc it's Meteorite silver , It was a sad day when I got rid of mine


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## Jack

Lovely car, enjoy


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## griffin1907

nah, don't like it..................... I love it. MASSIVE congrats to you, extremely happy for you & the future Mrs.

I can only echo.. life is far to short & tomorrow is just that, so live for today.


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## Bill58

Fantastic Car. Now the fun begins!


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## J4KE45

All my life I've wanted a nice Aston, I'm full of jealously, congrats pal!:car:


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## possul

Not a bad dream car i suppose!!
Im sure you'll enjoy every minute, congrats


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Thanks for all the positive replies again, makes the wait far more bearable!



R7KY D said:


> Congrat's , you are going to have sooooo much fun in it , It's a great car that's the same colour as the one I had iirc it's Meteorite silver , It was a sad day when I got rid of mine


Yes it is indeed Meteroite Silver though it's the darkest Silver I've ever had; it's a darker Grey than my Grey Volvo lol


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## Cookies

Jeez chum that's awful. Did you end up with Cauda Equina? I was warned to keep an eye on this when I lost most of the feeling in my right leg 3 years ago - rupture at L5/S1. For you that must have been horrendous and so stressful chum. 
It's a great perspective setter, so you're just right to chase your dream!!
Oh and I'd love to hear that v12 on full song.... 
Cooks


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## Cookies

Btw mini Cooks just corrected me about the Bond DBS too lol. 

I can only dream....

Cooks


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Cookies said:


> Jeez chum that's awful. Did you end up with Cauda Equina? I was warned to keep an eye on this when I lost most of the feeling in my right leg 3 years ago - rupture at L5/S1. For you that must have been horrendous and so stressful chum.
> It's a great perspective setter, so you're just right to chase your dream!!
> Oh and I'd love to hear that v12 on full song....
> Cooks


I did as it happens! L5/S1 disc has been shaved down but is now badly compressed and it's starting to climb the spine and get to more discs. It is a but unfortunate but I'll live


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## 182_Blue

Nice, possibly one of the best looking cars made.


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## WP-UK

Absolutely awesome! Congratulations and many happy motoring miles!


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## spursfan

Cookiemonster, enjoy that stunning car, I know what you mean about living with illness, so enjoy it while you are still young.

Kev


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## Summit Detailing

A lot of car for not much money now in the grand scheme of things:thumb: - you could probably spec a BMW 320d to more £!:wall:

I was glad to see it's a Touchtronic not a manual when I saw the interior pic! - manual DB9's are absolutely horrible to drive:driver:

Enjoy:car:


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## Nozza

Bloody good luck to you mate, you work hard for it, why not spoil yourself? For 16 years all I've ever wanted was a Subaru Impreza, not in the same league as your car but I was always putting it off, insurance, running costs, storing it etc but last year I needed a family car to replace the Citroen C4 I had, and the Impreza fitted the bill (to a degree!)

Enjoy it :driver:


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## Cookies

Summit Detailing said:


> A lot of car for not much money now in the grand scheme of things:thumb: - you could probably spec a BMW 320d to more £!:wall:


A good friend bought a 335d x-drive recently and it cost £47k!! It's a nice car but I'd faaaaar rather have the DB9. :car:

Cooks


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## Spoony

A lovely car! Strangely all I can think is that it is great value for money lol.


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Summit Detailing said:


> A lot of car for not much money now in the grand scheme of things:thumb: - you could probably spec a BMW 320d to more £!:wall:
> 
> I was glad to see it's a Touchtronic not a manual when I saw the interior pic! - manual DB9's are absolutely horrible to drive:driver:
> 
> Enjoy:car:


Yes it is a lot of car for the cash, a colleague has just bought a 2.0 TDi Audi A6 and it was nigh on £40k with the toys on!!!! A 4 cylinder 4 series BMW with a reasonable spec will be around that price too, so at just short of £37k the DB9 isn't too pricey and they can be had for less but as I am spending so much on it, may as well spend the extra and have an Aston Matin approved car with 12 months warranty from the factory for piece of mind as well as the experience of a dealer purchase. It had to be an auto due to me having issues with clutch pedals these days! The salesman called me today to tell me it'll be ready for collection on Saturday!!!!!


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## Rowan83

Wow, awesome car mate. not jealous at all, lol. 

Enjoy it!!!


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## Buckweed

Well what a great thread and a big congratulations to you and mrs Cooks to be. Very pleased for you. :thumb:


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## robertdon777

Cookies said:


> A good friend bought a 335d x-drive recently and it cost £47k!! It's a nice car but I'd faaaaar rather have the DB9. :car:
> 
> Cooks


Yeah shocking isn't it, I know someone that just spent 53K on a 435D X Drive! and the Chap at work has the original sale bill for his e90 318D....£37,600!!!

I think you've done the best in the bang for buck out of them!


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## Mr K

I tested one recently, maybe the wrong colour [ metallic light blue ] A lot of things impressed me but it just didnt float my boat as I thought it would.

I came home still thinking about it and phoned a dealer to get the ********** on servicing costs. Baring in mind that it would only be driven 6 months a year and very low miles after that as it would be a second car, the servicing costs put me off. .

It has lots of presence and I am sure you will enjoy it, I bought a BMW M6 instead.

Perhaps if the one I looked at had been a different colour I may have been swayed.


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## robertdon777

They do a fixed price service scheme for 6 year old or over Aston's. I designed and printed the flyers for Newport Pagnells Aston Martin Works dept.

DB9 in 2013 was

60k/72 months £998
70k/84 months £1564
80k/96 months £1042 for the Auto
90k/108 months £778
100.5k/120 months £1048

Inc VAT.


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Mr K said:


> I tested one recently, maybe the wrong colour [ metallic light blue ] A lot of things impressed me but it just didnt float my boat as I thought it would.
> 
> I came home still thinking about it and phoned a dealer to get the ********** on servicing costs. Baring in mind that it would only be driven 6 months a year and very low miles after that as it would be a second car, the servicing costs put me off. .
> 
> It has lots of presence and I am sure you will enjoy it, I bought a BMW M6 instead.
> 
> Perhaps if the one I looked at had been a different colour I may have been swayed.


Yes the costs for servicing are a bit painful considering but it'll be a 12 months a year daily driver to cover about 7-9k a year I just gave in to the presence and heritage of the car and brand. Having sold a BMW to have it I couldn't have another so quickly. I quite like the M5 but I don't think it really mattered if the car was no good, it's a dream so I had to do it 



robertdon777 said:


> They do a fixed price service scheme for 6 year old or over Aston's. I designed and printed the flyers for Newport Pagnells Aston Martin Works dept.
> 
> DB9 in 2013 was
> 
> 60k/72 months £998
> 70k/84 months £1564
> 80k/96 months £1042 for the Auto
> 90k/108 months £778
> 100.5k/120 months £1048
> 
> Inc VAT.


That's great ta, the 60k service is happening in Feb and paid for in the purchase price of the car


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## robertdon777

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Yes the costs for servicing are a bit painful considering but it'll be a 12 months a year daily driver to cover about 7-9k a year I just gave in to the presence and heritage of the car and brand. Having sold a BMW to have it I couldn't have another so quickly. I quite like the M5 but I don't think it really mattered if the car was no good, it's a dream so I had to do it
> 
> That's great ta, the 60k service is happening in Feb and paid for in the purchase price of the car


So if you keep it 5 years the Servicing from Aston Martin Works comes to just over £90 a month.

Don't look too bad considering it would make the car so easy to sell in 5 years, and I don't think you will depreciate much more now either.


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## Mr K

*servicing costs*



robertdon777 said:


> They do a fixed price service scheme for 6 year old or over Aston's. I designed and printed the flyers for Newport Pagnells Aston Martin Works dept.
> 
> DB9 in 2013 was
> 
> 60k/72 months £998
> 70k/84 months £1564
> 80k/96 months £1042 for the Auto
> 90k/108 months £778
> 100.5k/120 months £1048
> 
> Inc VAT.


Until you come to the service where the spark plugs have to be changed and all the headers have to come off, £2700 ouch,


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## robertdon777

From the understanding I have. The plugs are done on the 70k service hence the additional cost.

The usual 70k service without plugs would of been nearer £760.


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## The_Bouncer

Just caught this thread

:thumb:

Awesome car and I too have a DB9 on my list ( may be quite a while yet ) - They just ooze class in my eyes.

Having run the AMG (> One of my bucket list cars<) for over 4 years and already best friends with the petrol station, I'm under no illusion just how fast the fuel tank goes down.

Some will say 'All nice but it won't get you there any quicker'

The reply to that is 'Yes, but every miles a smile'



Well done.

J


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## Starbuck88

Wow!

What fantastic news and what a brilliant thread to see amongst all the doom and gloom, if this was Russell Howards good news, you'd be the bit at the end 'It's not all Doom and Gloom'....

I'm 26 and I worry constantly that today could be my last day and what I haven't done and what I don't think I can achieve with terrible anxiety, pessimistic outlook when it comes to my own life and well being, yet can help others see the positive in things, bizarre.

Anyway, my dream car is to buy an Aston Martin, I always wanted the original Vanquish being a bond car, an early one might be attainable one day but honestly, I'd settle for an AMV8.

I've seen these DB9s not much more than the Baby Astons and boy have you made the right decision , it's stunning.

My dad was looking at buying a Jag, his all time dream car, whilst in the process of finding one he wanted, he suddenly passed away right in front of me. I feel awful that he didn't get to have and do the things he wanted. Life can be so so cruel.

So it's lovely to see somebody go for their dream and just do it. Even if you end up flogging it in a few years time. You'll have bloody well done and had what you wanted, a lot don't have the guts.

Can't wait for more pics and I want you to start a blog type thread to tell us what it's like initially living with a supercar  the comments, the looks etc.....

Fantastic


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Thanks so much for all the replies guys it's quite humbling to hear all the positive comments about the car and the situation. Regarding running costs, I've just taken what I've spent on the 911 and doubled it for my mental estimate lol.

Asonda, I'll think about doing something like that as I'd like to dispel the myth that running a supecar has to be stratosphericlly expensive


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## Moggytom

Congrats mate I'm hoping one day I can own mine. Would love a 65 mustang fastback that is my dream car

Atm turning 23 next month with 2 kids and a wedding coming up and a new mortage I can't see it anytime soon but I can still hope 

Enjoy it mate


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Ouch! I sympathise with wedding costs, ours has cost us about £20k and it's not till next year lol. Was so lucky to have the windfall from leaving the school now otherwise I wouldn't have done it. It helped cover nearly half the car unexpectedly and with no more travelling I'm only something like £60 a month worse off than I was before and I get to own an Aston!!! Slight no brainer for me really, feel so lucky might put another quid on the lotto haha


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## JBirchy

Massive congratulations pal, very well done. My Father-In-Law has a 55' plate Volante which is an exceptional car (also supplied and serviced from new at Stratstone Wilmslow!). The noise it makes is simply incredible and really makes you feel special driving down the road. I used it for a few weeks in the summer and the feeling you get when starting it up is brilliant, IMO one of the very best start-up noises in motoring.

There is a fuse box on the right hand side of the boot floor - locate it and pull Fuse 22 out. This is the exhaust flaps and removing it keeps them open at all revs. Its not too loud, but I found that having the flaps closed was just too quiet.


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## Moggytom

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Ouch! I sympathise with wedding costs, ours has cost us about £20k and it's not till next year lol. Was so lucky to have the windfall from leaving the school now otherwise I wouldn't have done it. It helped cover nearly half the car unexpectedly and with no more travelling I'm only something like £60 a month worse off than I was before and I get to own an Aston!!! Slight no brainer for me really, feel so lucky might put another quid on the lotto haha


Mines in 12 weeks  January 26th and costing about 9k ...... A lot when I'm a builder and she dosnt work but it's getting sorted one way or another I'm lucky to have parents who don't mind helping when we need it


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## Starbuck88

When do you pick it up then?


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Saturday! Only 2 more sleeps


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## Starbuck88

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Saturday! Only 2 more sleeps


Wicked... I imagine picking up an Aston involves having your picture taken in full Bond attire sipping champagne?

Mine would anyway haha


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Lol, no it'll be go in, 2 hours is handover time then tank it and take it home. Then stare at it out the window


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## Cookies

Well!!!????!!!!??!?!??!!!????


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## Deanoecosse

You could be teaching the geekiest, most dull subject on the entire school curriculum, but you have now elevated yourself to the level of coolest school teacher your school kids will ever know!
Enjoy the new toy, it will be a great feeling tomorrow morning to wake up and say "I think I'll take the Aston for a spin":thumb:


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## Cookies

Aah yes - looking out through the window tomorrow morning will be (as my son would say) epic. 

Health to enjoy your new car chum!!

Cooks


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Well today was fun!!! Arrived at Stratstone at 1 pm to do the handover and on collection I found a few faults. Firstly one of the rear light clusters wasn't working, the stone chips I noticed last week have been touched in quite badly, the sat nav doesn't work properly and finally the air con won't switch off.

Some of the above has been sorted today and the rest will be in a few weeks when they come to fit the number plates (I know!) but other than those minor details the drive home was cracking, passed an F430 on the way home and loved every second of the smugness haha. Got home at 5 in the dark so pics on my drive tomorrow  still love it but will be interesting to see how well the car is actually built :thumb:


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## MDC250

Shame it wasn't perfect when you collected but hopefully it didn't and it sounds like it hasn't taken the shine off of your day.

Bet you wake up early tmw...


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## lofty

Good old crappy dealers up to their usual tricks 'Assured' my ****, they are no better than any other back street garage. Pleased your enjoying it though, they are pretty special cars.


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Yeah a few small faults won't deter me from enjoying it and I get to fix the chips better myself. Also the remote for the parrot is missing, and I only found it had one today as the screen is hidden away lol they didn't know it had one!


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## Summit Detailing

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> still love it but will be interesting to see how well the car is actually built :thumb:


As long as your not expecting Lexus levels of build quality / reliability you'll be fine:thumb:



CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Yeah a few small faults won't deter me from enjoying it and I get to fix the chips better myself. Also the remote for the parrot is missing, and I only found it had one today as the screen is hidden away lol they didn't know it had one!


Quality main dealer prep then:wall:


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

God no, it feels solid enough though. The materials in the cabin feel expensive and the car does give off a sense of quality to a point.

Yes the dealer prep unfortunately wasn't quite up to standard but in fairness they offered me another car to use for a week while they fixed this one so I was tempted but as they are coming to me to fit the new number plates it doesn't matter as they can sort out the remaining issues then :thumb:


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## Cookies

Some things can fail to go according to plan, but I find it's how the dealership attempts to rectify the situation that demonstrates its true after sales service. In Cookie Monster's case, on the face of it, I think the dealership is doing a good job to try to make amends. 

So, looking out through the window this morning - nice feeling? Did you have a few sneaky peeks while walking past the door/window last night?

Cooks


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## Starbuck88

If only I could look out the window and see that monster parked in my spot!

Had a martini yet?

Come on, we need pics and an exhaust video clip


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Yes Stratstone are trying to fix the issues, the sat nav is no biggie cos it's rubbish anyway and I don't need it. I found the remote for the Parrot (in the boot!!!!) and after changing the lead to suit my steam driven iPhone 4 it all works fine and I now have bt and music. The A/C button is I think a bit sticky cos it seems to have a mind of its own and works when it wants to haha so all is good bar the paint repairs which I want to do myself anyway and the thin front tyres which they'll be changing at a discounted rate :thumb:

I forgot about the exhaust vid (oops!) but here are the piccys!

I thought the key fob looked familiar when I got it home haha, found the key for my S40 and look at this



LOL!

Anyway, the car itself!













Paint is generally OK as you can see







And finally



Will get an exhaust vid up in the coming days, took it to Dad's today, the long way haha and it's driving spot on and doing 15.1 mpg 

Every small child has pointed and many heads have turned, far more than the 911 so that's quite humbling tbh. Loving the drive and trying to plan to use it on holiday after the hunnymoon as we've decided to take the 911.

Numberplate wise I think I'll be putting future Mrs Cookie's p/plate on it as mine is on the S40 but we might swap round or maybe have the EJT plate from the CLK but it would break the Merc tradition so probably not. We'll see, but all in all it doesn't really matter, the car is awesomes!

Regarding Martini, does a glass of Martini Proseco count?


----------



## Danman

Well done fella thats a sweet car. Enjoy the money now as you cant take it with you!


----------



## Cookies

Ooooh that's beautiful. I'd be proud as punch driving around in that. Congratulations chum. Bet your dad was impressed!!!

When doing the handover, did anyone say "Listen carefully Cookie Monster. ...And try not to break anything!!!!"

Sorry - Bond moment there...

Cooks


----------



## Skilzo

Car is beautiful really is! Good on you for getting one


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Cookies said:


> Ooooh that's beautiful. I'd be proud as punch driving around in that. Congratulations chum. Bet your dad was impressed!!!
> 
> When doing the handover, did anyone say "Listen carefully Cookie Monster. ...And try not to break anything!!!!"
> 
> Sorry - Bond moment there...
> 
> Cooks


LOL!!! Love that line fella :lol::lol::lol:


----------



## Cookies

LOL - I actually had Desmond Llewelyn in my head while typing that!!


----------



## robertdon777

Very nice, can't beat the Aston shapes of the DB9, AMV8 and Vanquish.

Enjoy.


----------



## Starbuck88

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Will get an exhaust vid up in the coming days, took it to Dad's today, the long way haha and it's driving spot on and doing 15.1 mpg
> 
> Regarding Martini, does a glass of Martini Proseco count?


Nice pics....video will be awesome, can't wait 

As long as you put it in a shaker and added these ingredients:

3 measures of Gordon's Gin
1 measure of vodka
1/2 measure Kina Lillet
Lemon peel for garnish

So no.... Sort yourself out :lol:


----------



## VW STEVE.

Lovely car.Tempted by a v8 vantage but parking it worries me. We live on a very quiet cul-de-sac but the street lights go out around midnight & don't come back on untill around 05.00. I have a single garage but it's tight & no driveway & would be scared it would become a target once known.


----------



## magpieV6

wow!!


----------



## Starbuck88

Can't believe we're still waiting for videos!!!   :driver:


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Ahh, well. Work?  Sorry, I leave at 8 get back at 5 these days so it's dark; as it's my first term in this school and as Head of Dept. I'm a little busy lol. Also the car hasn't moved and the battery optimiser plugged in to get a bit of charge in it as the battery is a bit low.

Already decided to look into pulling fuse 22 out as suggested by JBirchy as my Dad's Alfa 159 is louder and he only has 2.2 litres and 4 cylinders :doublesho So this means war!!! It's a lovely noise nonetheless. Car has to go to the NEC on Saturday for the classic car show, so if you're going and you see it in the car park, please excuse the dirt and minor swirls, stonechips and a questionable colour match on the passenger door mirror.


All will be sorted :thumb:


----------



## GlynRS2

Hi Cooks,
Congratulations and welcome to AM ownership :thumb:

You have to remember to factor in more time to speak to admirers whenever you park in a public place or fill up with petrol etc. The car makes a lot of people feel very happy, even those that don't have petrol running through their veins.

For general advice and banter get yourself on the PistonHeads AM forum: link

It will also increase your detailing enjoyment no end - caressing such a beautiful body


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Hi :thumb:

Yes, the looks have been noticed! The 911 only attracts looks from a certain kind of person haha the DB9 is a bit different :doublesho

Which AM do you have? I'll lookie at PH now  Already toying with the idea of changing the keyfob to a Jaguar one :thumb:


----------



## Starbuck88

Excuse me, don't mind me any more, I'm going to jump off a cliff in a sheer fit of Jealousy at all these AM owners popping up....hahaha

I looked at DB7s today to see if I could bag one and it could be done but I don't think SWMBO would be too happy considering we're saving up for a house 

Plus the interior on the DB7..is well...ghastly.

One day....one day....I'll have to wait for what I want, a DB9, DBS or Original Vanquish.

Can't wait for when you do the stone chips and things, I hope you'll do a thorough write up as I'll enjoy sitting and reading through it all.

So have you not munched many miles in the David Brown number 9 yet then?


----------



## 20vKarlos

When Desmond Llewelyn was still alive, he lived in the same town as I.

We had a charity gig for my disabled sister(years Ago) and he came along and supported the "local Charity".

The bloke was a really nice person! I had the pleasure of sitting at the dinner table with him, and I will never forget, we were at The Grand Hotel (before it burned down) in Bexhill and he donated a lot of money to help the local charity and it paid for a specialist chair for my sister! 

The bloke was a great man. He invited me to a bond set, but he died the following year during filming. 

I love bond films


----------



## robertdon777

On a side note Cookie, how do you rate the CLK?


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

asonda said:


> Excuse me, don't mind me any more, I'm going to jump off a cliff in a sheer fit of Jealousy at all these AM owners popping up....hahaha
> 
> I looked at DB7s today to see if I could bag one and it could be done but I don't think SWMBO would be too happy considering we're saving up for a house
> 
> Plus the interior on the DB7..is well...ghastly.
> 
> One day....one day....I'll have to wait for what I want, a DB9, DBS or Original Vanquish.
> 
> Can't wait for when you do the stone chips and things, I hope you'll do a thorough write up as I'll enjoy sitting and reading through it all.
> 
> So have you not munched many miles in the David Brown number 9 yet then?


They are a little aren't they? Hence me almost ending up with a 55 plate XKR instead as I had the £20k to buy it outright instead of having a DB7.

I'll do my best with the chips and paint defects when I can but it might be a few weeks unfortunately as the Ovlov is next in line for the winter prep!

I'm sure you'll be able to have what you want eventually, it took me to borrow money for the first time to buy this car but I had to do it now or I might never have done!

I have done 270 miles in it at 14.7 MPG so far and it's up for doing a few more at the weekend going to the NEC 



robertdon777 said:


> On a side note Cookie, how do you rate the CLK?


In a word, great! Love it, but would love it more if it was an auto and didn't rust so much. So much car for such a small amount of money. This is my second, a 230 Kompressor Elegance cabriolet manual following a 430 V8 Avantgarde auto coupe.


----------



## Adi_328

A school teacher driving an Aston? Walter is that you??? Well done mate, that's what life is all about, carpe diem


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

New plates fitted today!!! Mrs Cookies plate as agreed (don't ask why, mine stays on the S40) No prizes for guessing her name lol









The guys from Stratstone were great, sorting out a couple of little issues that I've noticed. The passenger door seal is weeping slightly and it's noisy at 70mph letting wind noise into the cabin. I wished I'd never taken it to the NEC now as that annoyed me the whole way there and back!!! They've ordered a new one and will be coming back to fit it when it comes in. They'll also fit me a new A/C switch as mine has totally stopped working now, so I can only get cold air on auto climate and screen boost, can't manually toggle A/C atm. Other than that, as you can see, car still isn't clean, Volvo is still even mankier and I am up to my eyeballs with work so not sure when all that will be sorted.

Still loving the car and not using it much other than NEC run, optimiser is plugged in and Battery disconnect switch in use. Hopefully jack it up to clean and seal arches, brakes and wheels soon and start working around the car 

NEC run at night on the way home was fabulous other than the damn door seal, every roundabout on sport mode and manual. Car achieved an impressive 16.7 mpg, its best yet!


----------



## bidderman1969

Is her name "N9"? :lol:


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

bidderman1969 said:


> Is her name "N9"? :lol:


LOL! Why did I never think of that :doublesho :lol:


----------



## Starbuck88

You seem to be having all sorts of little 'niggles' with it...I hope this isn't meant to carry on the way it's begun with you.

At least it's all being sorted for you


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Yes, it has had a couple of faults but all getting sorted. Tbh, if the car wasn't under warranty I'd leave the A/C button and do the door seal myself. The faults that appeared on collection seem to have vanished. The brake lights all work OK now, the Parrot works great with my phone (mki 9100) the stonechips are still there though and the sat nav seems to work ok with the latest 2015 disc so it's all good, it's nothing drastic. :thumb:


----------



## Starbuck88

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Yes, it has had a couple of faults but all getting sorted. Tbh, if the car wasn't under warranty I'd leave the A/C button and do the door seal myself. The faults that appeared on collection seem to have vanished. The brake lights all work OK now, the Parrot works great with my phone (mki 9100) the stonechips are still there though and the sat nav seems to work ok with the latest 2015 disc so it's all good, it's nothing drastic. :thumb:


Like your Porsche btw. I have a deep dislike for mid 90s to late 00s ones but the classic shape of yours and the new ones they're putting out now, very nice.

Proper 80s power suit and massive mobile phone job


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

asonda said:


> Like your Porsche btw. I have a deep dislike for mid 90s to late 00s ones but the classic shape of yours and the new ones they're putting out now, very nice.
> 
> Proper 80s power suit and massive mobile phone job


Thanks fella, had it years. Won't part with it now


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Well, I still have an Aston on my driveway tonight, but not the grey one this thread is about. I actually have a 2014 DB9 at the moment as mine has gone back to Stratstone on a recovery truck after a gearbox paddles disabled warning appearing on the display, adding to the other minor faults the car already had from the last time I posted here and the slight vibration at high speed I discovered the other week.

Stratstone have been great fair play to them though, they didn't have to come to my house to deliver the loan car and take mine away as it could still be driven and they didn't have to give me a new DB9 either with a free tank of fuel to use and they are also going to change the front tyres free of charge due to the problems I've had with the car so far, so that's a few quid saved so I'm very happy with the service as I'd hoped to be, would be very upset by now if I hadn't got the car from an AM main dealer as I'm not sure an indy would look after me as well as Stratstone Wilmslow have so far, so can deffo recommend them as a dealer though the car itself hasn't been the most reliable example, but studying the service history it shows the car has done 16,000 miles in 16 months before I bought it and only 29,000 in the 7.5 years previous so the fella who had it before me either had a perfect 16 months then traded it and gave me the problem or it was a problem car and that's why he got rid. 

Either way I'm not 100% on keeping this particular car, if they offer me a different one in it's place I'd probably take it, but if they can fix it I'm happy to keep it unless it continues to throw up errors.

In other news, my fiancee and I are expecting our first child after 8 years together and being told we couldn't have children due to the shape of her womb but by some minor miracle she has fallen pregnant and we are over the moon with excitement and can't believe the news, though her body doesn't seem to like it much as she's in and out of hospital with pains and morning sickness so she's being scanned every 2 weeks to make sure everything is OK for now. The baba is doing great and progress is good so we can't wait for next year as we are also getting married though the due date is very very close so some movement may be needed! So the poor cars future is in some degree of doubt but we'll monitor the progress over the coming months, hopefully this will be the last issue it has but if it carries on it'll have to go back as I'm not having it out of warranty!!! :doublesho

Merry Christmas to all of you as well, hope yours will be as positive as mine is far


----------



## polac5397

congrats mate, ............can you get a child seat in an aston??!!!


----------



## ardandy

We were given a 17% chance of having a kid.

Shes now 4 and I sold my baby so we drive a cmax now!

Welcome to your future!


----------



## Starbuck88

CONGRATULATIONS! My other halves cousin was told she couldn't have kids, no chance, not at all. Her boy is now a year old 

I really hope all goes with with the child and your soon to be wife. That's the most important thing.

Ref your Aston. I knew people said they were unreliable but this is a bit weird isn't it?

Fair play though the way they are looking after you. They are embarrassed the car is letting you down and they are doing everything they can to put it right and try and make you happy at the same time. Every dealer should do this but I guess if you pay more money, you should expect better service.

Hope it gets sorted for you. I'd personally be gutted to get my dream car and it keep going wrong on me, would take that edge off it for me BUT to be treated like royalty I guess is part of the ownership experience so maybe I wouldn't. I dunno. 

Let's see what happens eh


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

polac5397 said:


> congrats mate, ............can you get a child seat in an aston??!!!


Not sure, think it's a bit of a squeeze tbh and getting the nipper in and out of the back of that will do my back no favours tbh so probably stick to using the S40 or CLK for family outings as we still have the Dog too (he's not talking to me anymore :lol



ardandy said:


> We were given a 17% chance of having a kid.
> 
> Shes now 4 and I sold my baby so we drive a cmax now!
> 
> Welcome to your future!


Thanks fella, that's something like what we were told, glad your little one is happy and healthy, was it the 330i you had? C-Max can't be so bad can it?


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

asonda said:


> CONGRATULATIONS! My other halves cousin was told she couldn't have kids, no chance, not at all. Her boy is now a year old
> 
> I really hope all goes with with the child and your soon to be wife. That's the most important thing.
> 
> Ref your Aston. I knew people said they were unreliable but this is a bit weird isn't it?
> 
> Fair play though the way they are looking after you. They are embarrassed the car is letting you down and they are doing everything they can to put it right and try and make you happy at the same time. Every dealer should do this but I guess if you pay more money, you should expect better service.
> 
> Hope it gets sorted for you. I'd personally be gutted to get my dream car and it keep going wrong on me, would take that edge off it for me BUT to be treated like royalty I guess is part of the ownership experience so maybe I wouldn't. I dunno.
> 
> Let's see what happens eh


Thanks fella, yes the family is top priority and I'm not bothered about the car so much anymore, this news has taken priority and the shine off the car so to speak so I'm not really bothered by it, I would be if it was the only dream that's come true, but having children was something we talked about at the start of getting together and we found out it wasn't likely to happen but now it is so it outshines the car and it's faults though it would be nice to have everything, big wedding, nice working Aston and a very unexpected baba to look forward to, but clearly my luck isn't that good lol but I don't have to fork out to change the tyres and they have looked after me really really well there so I'm not too bothered, they are doing everything I expected and much more for me so I'm very happy, they are also keeping me updated with progress on the car and they didn't have to give me a factory fresh 64 plate DB9 with a full tank of free fuel for a week so I'm not too disheartened yet, just have to see how the car is going forward out of warranty. It's a 9 year old supercar at the end of the day, it's not a Lexus is it haha


----------



## ardandy

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Not sure, think it's a bit of a squeeze tbh and getting the nipper in and out of the back of that will do my back no favours tbh so probably stick to using the S40 or CLK for family outings as we still have the Dog too (he's not talking to me anymore :lol
> 
> Thanks fella, that's something like what we were told, glad your little one is happy and healthy, was it the 330i you had? C-Max can't be so bad can it?


Its a 1.6LX.

Swap you.


----------



## Starbuck88

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Thanks fella, yes the family is top priority and I'm not bothered about the car so much anymore, this news has taken priority and the shine off the car so to speak so I'm not really bothered by it, I would be if it was the only dream that's come true, but having children was something we talked about at the start of getting together and we found out it wasn't likely to happen but now it is so it outshines the car and it's faults though it would be nice to have everything, big wedding, nice working Aston and a very unexpected baba to look forward to, but clearly my luck isn't that good lol but I don't have to fork out to change the tyres and they have looked after me really really well there so I'm not too bothered, they are doing everything I expected and much more for me so I'm very happy, they are also keeping me updated with progress on the car and they didn't have to give me a factory fresh 64 plate DB9 with a full tank of free fuel for a week so I'm not too disheartened yet, just have to see how the car is going forward out of warranty. It's a 9 year old supercar at the end of the day, it's not a Lexus is it haha


You are right in everything that you have said. Thrilled for you over the news of the little one.

Keep us updated on both, any pics of the loaner DB9?


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

ardandy said:


> Its a 1.6LX.
> 
> Swap you.


Oh right, in that case, maybe not, sorry 



asonda said:


> You are right in everything that you have said. Thrilled for you over the news of the little one.
> 
> Keep us updated on both, any pics of the loaner DB9?


Thanks again, I didn't think to get any at home but here it is



Lifted straight from their website, it's white (obviously!) with black leather, if I get chance, I'll grab a shot at home but it's bloody dark when I leave and dark when I get home still and I'm not taking it to work, it'll have no paint left on it by first break time :doublesho

If I still have it by Saturday I'll take it for a spin with the camera, but they want to have mine back by then :driver:


----------



## Cookies

Wooo hoooo. I'm gonna be an uncle lol......

Congratulations chum. Fantastic news!! It'll be the best thing that ever happens to you.

Cars will always have something or other Go wrong at some point; it's how the dealership goes about putting it right is how you get the measure of their after sales service. And by the sound of it they're bending over backwards in a triple salco stylie for you. Makes a nice change to hear that tbh. And leaving you a new DB9............

Oh, and regarding the child seat issues, Q will have that sorted in no time....

Da na da daaaaaa (bond theme)

Cooks


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

LOL, yeah mate you are :thumb:

As I've said, I can't rate Stratstone Wilmslow and Nick in particular enough for their level of service and commitment to customer satisfaction, it's really good to know they've got my back despite the odd niggle with the car.

The current fault is nothing to big, just a little awkward and instead of me ringing them every other week with a list of jobs to do on the car, Nick suggested they bring it back, fit me the new A/C button, new door seal, fit 2 new Bridgestone Potenza's on the front, have it 4 wheel aligned, investigate and fix the high speed vibration which could be the worn tyres tbh and sort the gearbox paddles out and to sweeten the deal I could use the white DB9 they gave me for as long as they have my grey one (sorry, silver one?!?) and they'd come to me with it for handover and update me on the way and it won't cost me a penny.

What more could you possibly ask for? I wasn't expecting any of that, I'd have been happy with them giving me an appointment to drive it down and have it sorted or sort it out next service in Feb, didn't expect them to give me the tyres for free etc so I'm well impressed :thumb:


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Got a call from Nick @ Stratstone today and they say everything has been sorted on the car, the new A/C button has been installed as has the new door seal, they've also sorted the window adjustment as they say that was dodgy too, they've done a few software updates and diagnosed the gearbox paddle fault and sorted that, they're fitting the tyres and doing the 4 wheel alignment tomorrow and they'll drop it off at home Friday and collect the white DB9 which I have put all of 19 miles on lol and hopefully all will be well for a bit. I hope :thumb:


----------



## Cookies

Excellent chum. Now that's service!

Now, how can we get that white DB9 over to Banbridge before Friday???....

You think they'd notice if it mysteriously morphed into a Seat Exeo?  

Cooks


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Not sure mate, better ask M what she can do for you


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

It's back!!!!!



Look, they didn't even wash it as instructed  Hopefully it'll stay with me this time, will get my ass into gear and get in and the Volvo prepared over the Christmas break with the new goodies I have been collecting for it.

I took it out to pick up my chippy tea this evening to check everything works and it does, manual mode works fine, door seal hasn't let any condensation in yet and nothing else has appeared yet either. Cross all your fingers guys, hope this'll be the last of it :driver:


----------



## Starbuck88

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> It's back!!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> Look, they didn't even wash it as instructed  Hopefully it'll stay with me this time, will get my ass into gear and get in and the Volvo prepared over the Christmas break with the new goodies I have been collecting for it.
> 
> I took it out to pick up my chippy tea this evening to check everything works and it does, manual mode works fine, door seal hasn't let any condensation in yet and nothing else has appeared yet either. Cross all your fingers guys, hope this'll be the last of it :driver:


This is it  this is the finished, complete, buttoned up, sorted car that Aston just gave you a tad too early 

You were just privileged to see the tie bits that needed doing before sale, you're an inside man...bond. :lol:

I love that, I went to the chippy in it, hahaha...


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

LOL, yes I got to see some of its 'bespoke concerns' as they are known haha :thumb:

Too right I went to the chippie in it; wanted my chips to still be warm when I got home lol :driver:


----------



## Cookies

I love the fact you brought it to the chippy. I hope you also brought the Volvo to transport the chips home!!

Hopefully this will be the end of your car woes. It's a beautiful car chum, so go and start enjoying it properly. 

Cooks

PS - M wouldn't answer her phone, although when she's drunk she looks a bit like Ralph Fiennes........


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

No I left the Volvo at home lol, chips went in the DB9, it needs a clean so I thought what the hell! It doesn't bother me it's still a car like the rest of them.

That is interesting about M though mate, I'll listen carefully next time I call lol :lol:


----------



## realist

Hope you have a good Christmas with my dream car now mate, best of luck with the family too:thumb:


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Well, this is my last week as a DB9 owner. After a long and drawn out battle between myself, Stratstone and AM, a buy back offer of £34,000 was put on the table which I accepted. I paid £36,500 for it 12 months ago so I'm happy with that. The finance has been settled and the car is going back at the end of the week. Boss Cookie's plate is coming off it and I have no idea what to replace it with, if anything. I keep swaying towards a Rapide S but I have been totally put off AM after this car, it's been so woefully unreliable and as time when on, the good service I revive at the start when problems first arose slipped away.

The car is fundamentally faulty in that it still makes excessive wind noise around the passenger side. I knew the car had seen paint (it's a 10 year old car, what do you expect?) but after having an expert round to asses the car it's clear it's been in a fairly substantial shunt around the passenger door/a post area. I can't see them ever fixing the wind noise fault because they've been trying since I bought the car pretty much and it keeps getting worse. I don't mind that it's been in an accident but I do mind the wind noise!!

On the plus, it's an incredible machine in and of itself and the noise, the effortlessness of the drive, the driving position itself, the kudos of the brand and of course, the way it looks all add up to make it one hell of a car. It's been an underwhelming ownership experience though and AM customer care isn't the greatest. The way they dress up cars faults by calling them 'bespoke concerns' hardly smells of an honest marque.

All in all, I don't think I'll replace the car tbh and I feel a bit of a fool for not going for my first choice, an XK-R as I'm sure they are the better everyday car. I'm swayed by an F-Type but I'm not sure I want to spend all that money on one. The best deal I got was my DB9 and £27k cash for a V6 S coupe but it's a lot of money; mint low mileage Ferrari F430 money and that changes things a lot. But there is no way on earth I could use a Ferrari everyday. I dunno. We'll see but I'm kinda glad it's all over tbh. I won't miss the car itself but I worry I may regret my decision to sell up and get nothing. I'm not sure.

So if you're after a DB9 and you see a Meteorite Silver one reg HX05 VJE you'd be a fool to buy it because you'll never be happy with it.


----------



## andy665

Sad when your dream turns in to a bit of a nightmare

Was talking with someone I work with last week on a Lexus event - he does a lot of work with Aston Martin and told me that 2012 on cars are massively better built and more reliable than pre 2012 cars.

He said there were a lot of production process changes and they are now pretty much bulletproof

F Type is an interesting shout but word is that they are suffering massive depreciation and quite a few are having "paint issues"


----------



## PugIain

I must have missed this one at the time. 
I opened it thinking "Let me guess, some plum has just bought a brand new 1.4 Golf"

Shame the Aston didn't work out. Although, if you're feeling flush you can always stick some notes in an envelope and post them to me.


----------



## lofty

My Aston Martin ownership lasted 6 weeks. They are not as good as many think. I traded a RS4 for it and luckily I got it back as the dealer hadn't sold it within the 6 weeks, the RS4 was better in everyway apart from the looks. The R8 I got a few weeks later was better again as was my Maserati GranTurismo, Cayman and F-Type that followed.In other words, most modern sports cars are better than Aston's. You done well to get that much money back after a year so at least that's something.


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Cheers fellas, interesting info that Andy, AM and Jag wise. Right now we will enjoy having just the Volvo and the 911 for now. I don't really need a car as I walk to work so we'll see what will happen.

I built the 911 to be a high day and holiday car now so I don't want another car not to use if that makes sense so it rules out something like a Ferrari etc. I have considered a 997 911 Carerra S but I'm not sure, then I'd have 2 911's!! So many decisions!


----------



## ardandy

Don't take this the wrong way but my sympathy level on your difficulty of what to buy next (porsche/Ferrari) is really low as I drive a Leaf! Dammit!

Tesla Model S?


----------



## Cookies

ardandy said:


> Don't take this the wrong way but my sympathy level on your difficulty of what to buy next (porsche/Ferrari) is really low as I drive a Leaf! Dammit!
> 
> Tesla Model S?


You drive a leaf ardAndy? You should have said lol 😁😁

CM - sorry your Aston didn't work out chum. It's one of those cars that I'll always want, so it's disappointing to hear your real world experiences.

Keep us posted.. happy car shopping btw

Cooks


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Haha, I know! I feel a bit pompous feeling bad about buying a Ferrari! I've reached that stage in life where I can afford such a luxury yet I feel bad about it somehow. I feel a right spoiled brat returning an Aston Martin because it wasn't good enough, but it just wasn't! I didn't see why I should accept a near £40,000 car regardless of its age that was falling apart and that wind noise really got on my wick every time I went above 50 mph! It baffled me how the previous owner managed to do 16,000 miles in 16 months in the car as I've put 4,000 miles across the hire cars I've had, and 5,000 on the car! Unless the accident was recent and the reason for the trade in (highly possible IMO) I don't see it myself. I suppose he was just really lucky with the car, taking it from 29,000 miles to 45,000 miles in the time he had it (The car had only done 29,000 in its first 7 years) and from 45,000 to 50,000 has been it's fault time.

In any case, it put me off the car itself and Stratstone were unwilling to swap the car for a similar one; in fact they wouldn't let me drive another one to compare the wind noise to! They first admitted it was there so tried to fix it, then they told me it was all in my head because 'once I've heard it, I'll always be listening out for it' (Those were the exact words of the dealer principal!) I think I'd have swapped the car for another one and been happy. The service started off well but as time went on and the faults got more prevalent, it all slipped away. They became very sharp with me in conversation and I got the sense they saw me as a difficult customer out to cause problems but that wasn't the case! I was even considering buying another car from them (The Rapide S they were willing to deal with me over) but I was always polite and courteous in my dealings with them. Sales are good but service there is so sloppy; they scratched the car twice and chipped a window so it had to have another window fitted which leaked and wasn't fitted properly so the door became hard to open, they damaged both front wheels when they replaced the bald tyres they tried to sell it to me with (think bowling ball smooth and you get the idea!) then refurbished the faces in a colour not even close to the original with dirt, runs and spray bloom all over them. I could get better service from a Ford dealer so it soon became tiring dealing with them, and that's not a complete list! The car has had 4 pages of warranty work done totaling £12,760 after I had an expert round to do the AM 134 point check and we found 52 points the checks should have picked up, so the car shouldn't have been sold like that. It's kinda my own fault for not checking the car really thoroughly when I bought it but I did expect to be looked after as I was paying a premium to buy the car from an AM main dealer. 

It's all been sorted now but I'm sorry to say Stratsone Wilmslow don't have a repeat customer here. I kinda fancy a Lamborghini Gallardo but I just know it'd be a total disaster zone and I'd never use it and I want something to use. I've driven 3 R8's (V8 manual, V8 R-Tronic & V10 R-Tronic) and I didn't get on with any of them, particularly the shocking V8 auto! So everyday supercar wise that leaves me with an XK or an F-Type, another 911 to match my older one or an Evora but I don't think I want another poxy hand made car as this one fell apart enough!

I think if I was looking to replace it, I'd have a £70k budget but I'd want something I could actually use and not a super saloon/estate, a proper coupe or convertible. Any ideas? :thumb:


----------



## andy665

Lexus RC F - wonderful normally aspirated V8, exclusive, 150 a year for UK, great build quality, fantastic dealer service - happy to put you in touch with someone who will look after you extremely well

Spent time with a customer last December on a Lexus corporate event - he had moved away from Lexus to go further upmarket, having a Maserati and Aston, he was coming back to Lexus as he knew the customer experience was on a different level - an important factor nowadays - we accept that cars may have problems but getting them dealt with quickly and efficiently can add massively to the ownership experience


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

I didn't think of those  I might have a read up and see what I think  Thanks fella!


----------



## andy665

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> I didn't think of those  I might have a read up and see what I think  Thanks fella!


They are a massively better car than Clarkson review on Top Gear, I spent a week driving them on track and it was capable well beyond my limits - they do sound fantastic and the engine is bulletproof, a Yamaha designed unit

Exclusivity is guaranteed and if the IS F is anything to go by will hold value better than the C63 and M4


----------



## robertdon777

SL 63 AMG. 09 Plate about £40K.

Does most things right. Makes the Aston look or it was made by schoolboys.

Sound very good too. Better than an F Type, the F Type just isn't worth the Premium they are asking, the parts it's made from don't add up to the asking price, good marketing has added £20K onto the correct list price of F types.


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## lofty

My F-Type V6S Coupe was my favourite. It's a useable everyday car. Pretty cheap to insure, OK on fuel, cheap to service and mine was 100% reliable in the year I had it. I've heard about paint problems but mine was perfect, I lost about 15% over a year so depreciation was no worse than any other sports car. GranTurismo had a couple of problems, done 12/13mpg, was expensive to insure and servicing is eye watering, nice car though. 981 Cayman is a cracking little car too.


----------



## Cookies

What about a Nissan GTR? It's famous for being made on a production line alongside micras and notes lol. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201510077579642









M6? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201510177919289i









Bently sir?? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201509156927082









Lexus RCF? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201510077573200









Masarati GT? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201509247196856









The left field option - Tesla P85. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201508156083620









And something individual http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201510167891315









SL 63 http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201508095910037









Some beautiful cars there buddy. I'm a kinda jealous!!!

Cooks


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Now all of the above have my attention other than the GTR. I don't know what it is about them but I just don't want one. I've been in a few and they are simply mind bending cars, trouble is that I just don't want one. I can't explain why.

I must say, that Black edition CLK looks mad but I don't know if I could use it every day. I considered an M6 convertible (V10) and it would be great for the family as I'd fit the little one and the Dog in it so maybe I should look at a newer V8 one as they seem to be pretty good. I don't fancy a Tesla I'm afraid as they are everywhere by me, there's loads of them :O

I thought about a Maserati GranCabrio as well but they are huge, heavy buggers and the Ferrari V8 can be a little temperamental I hear. MPG is not a huge concern tbh; the DB9 used to get about 16-17 MPG anyway at best so I'm open to single figures!

I'm really tempted by an F430 just because and sod the cost; I'd rather spend the money on repairs than depreciation but I'd have to get a low mileage car in, or change it after 12-18 months if I'd be putting the 10k a year I should have put on the DB9. You just don't see Ferrari's out there with higher miles on them so I couldn't keep it long.

Bentley, no. Not a W12, waaaaay to many horror stories there and they are comman as round here too.

Right now, I'm thinking RC-F, XKR-S, F-Type (I know, but I do like them!!), 997 911 Carrera S, maybe an SL63, but I'd get a new shape one with the 5.4 engine. That's if I bother replacing it. Has to be auto too for my back as well.

Sometimes I think I should give up and just buy another Range Rover (It'd be my 9th lol)


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## SteveTDCi

Range Rover sport sve, the space and presence of a Range Rover and the engine from the f type.

We have the 5.0 f type and it's awesome, the c63 isn't a bad car either. Having said I'll have an opinion on the s6 avant tomorrow


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## beetie

Porsche for me


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

The RR Sport SVR is still a bit on the pricey side and in not even sure I'd have one anyway. I think it'd be an L405 SDV8 Vogue SE for me


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## RPC

Have you drove an f430? I thought the db9 was a much better car to drive than the ferrari, didnt get to drive them for long though. Initial impressions was that the aston felt much better quality and a much nicer drive than the f430.

The only other sports car i have driven was a 911 turbo if i remember correctly, and that car could seriooously shift, fastest car i have ever driven. Enjoyed that car much much more than the aston and ferrari


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## Summit Detailing

I'm not surprised you've got rid of the AM in all honesty - perceived quality = high, real life quality = not so good.
I've been privileged to drive tons of them and it always feels like they are still in the R&D stage.

Slightly left field thought - Honda NSX?:driver:

XKR would get my vote over a 911 or F-type which are both just a bit 'meh' imo. (sorry to anyone contributing here that owns one)

Having spent a good number of years working for a Fer/Mas main dealer I can say firsthand that the car's which owners used daily/regularly were the cars that didn't suffer from all the stupid little faults which you'll read about online on cars doing 1k-2k p.a. They are also the ones that felt 'right' in terms of driving.
On that basis I wouldn't discount either a 430 or GranTurismo:thumb:

Another thought, what about something like an S-class & put an order in for an Ariel Nomad?:thumb:


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## Andyg_TSi

Cooks......what about a new Ford Mustang???

Not the 2.3L ecoboost, but the full fat one......something different & will definitely stand out?

Brand new starts at £29,999 but that's for a 2.3L......the 5.0L V8 is £4k more


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## Kerr

Andyg_TSi said:


> Cooks......what about a new Ford Mustang???
> 
> Not the 2.3L ecoboost, but the full fat one......something different & will definitely stand out?


There's a lot of people waiting on V8 Mustangs. They all sound rather annoyed with their wait and Ford not able to tell them anything.


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Yes I've driven a 430 and I loved it; couldn't afford one at the time I bought the DB9 but now I can. I've driven a 458 too but that stupid steering wheel really got me! Interesting to hear the better used cars don't suffer as badly as some of the low mileage cars.

I dunno, I've seen a Gallardo Spider E-Gear for £70k and I'm tempted but I'd rather not think about what could go wrong!!


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## Kerr

There's nothing worse when you're having issues with a car and not getting the help you should. 

Glad to here you've found a good solution.


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Yes I saw your issues with your A45, though I had nothing nothing like the troubles you had with getting a resolution from AM.

Hope your M235i is better!!


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## Clancy

Gallardo is a fantastic car, driven the ************ and it was fantastic, absolute animal and loved to go sideways 

Only downside was the breaks where crap in comparison to the Ferraris I've driven. They didn't feel good enough for a car that powerful 

I think they look better than the equivalent Ferraris but it's opinion I guess 

I would get a mint r33 gtr and another Aston for 70k


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## andy665

Its a fine line you are trying to tread between having something usable day to day whilst still being / feeling special

Ferraris / Lamborghinis are great cars and more reliable than ever before but are they truly an everyday driver - likewise the F Type is a superb car but not exactly a rare sight so may not feel special enough 

With 70k I'd seriously consider something like a late 928 as a daily driver that will still feel special and not depreciate and an Atom or Nomad - get both and have a healthy maintenance pot left over


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

I know; I could just use the 911 again which is my other option and have something special tucked away. It'll take time to decide but once the DB9 is collected I can think about it some more


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## PaulN

Bad times the dream is over with the DB9 but you had one and £2.5k cost for a 12 month dream isnt bad..... You talk about trading in the DB9 + alot of extra cash for a replacement, but surely you still have a loan on the DB9?

My advice is listen to friends and family, you've done the car thing... get the cash in bricks and mortar now....


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## Brian1612

Get a Maserati...


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## Bero

Cookiemonster - glad it's finally resolved. I suspect by xmas you will look back with fond memories and definitely think it was worth the relatively small financial outlay for 12 months with it!

You're looking for something very special but one you can rack up reasonable mileage with which will hurt the resale of a 'special' car come time to sell.

If you definitely want something special I'd think about splitting the miles between it and your 911? I F430 would be nice and they've held their money well, the last 2 years they've stuck around 65-70k entry price.



andy665 said:


> Lexus RC F - wonderful normally aspirated V8, exclusive, 150 a year for UK, great build quality, fantastic dealer service - happy to put you in touch with someone who will look after you extremely well.
> 
> They are a massively better car than Clarkson review on Top Gear, I spent a week driving them on track and it was capable well beyond my limits - they do sound fantastic and the engine is bulletproof, a Yamaha designed unit
> 
> Exclusivity is guaranteed and if the IS F is anything to go by will hold value better than the C63 and M4


Not sure about your thoughts on value and residuals. I've not been lookin gfor a year, but RS4 & M3 residuals were very good, C63 worse, and IS-F bad! But worse than that there hardly seems a market for them. RS4 and M3 have a working market with cars being bought and sold regularly. IS-F seemed to stick around and I suspect the selling prices can be quite a lot less than advertised. maybe good if you're buying, I suspect painful when you're selling.

There is very little chance they'll even sell 150 a year in the UK, so it wont be limited! After the initial launch year of the IS-F they've been selling under 50 per year.......considerably under in most years according to howmanyleft.



PaulN said:


> Bad times the dream is over with the DB9 but you had one and £2.5k cost for a 12 month dream isnt bad..... You talk about trading in the DB9 + alot of extra cash for a replacement, but *surely you still have a loan* on the DB9?


Why surely?


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## Clancy

Don't get why the forum filtered that part of the gallardo name


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## bidderman1969

I'd have to have a Lambo, spider thingy one, mmmmmmmmm


Just mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Nuff said


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## CleanCar99

When i finally pay off the mortgage and have my midlife crisis, i'll be getting a mistress... the're a good ride, costs about the same and can also make alot of noise ;-)


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## andy665

Bero said:


> Not sure about your thoughts on value and residuals I've not been lookin gfor a year, but RS4 & M3 residuals were very good, C63 worse, and IS-F bad! But worse than that there hardly seems a market for them. RS4 and M3 have a working market with cars being bought and sold regularly. IS-F seemed to stick around and I suspect the selling prices can be quite a lot less than advertised. maybe good if you're buying, I suspect painful when you're selling.
> 
> There is very little chance they'll even sell 150 a year in the UK, so it wont be limited! After the initial launch year of the IS-F they've been selling under 50 per year.......considerably under in most years according to howmanyleft.


We'll agree to disagree on residuals  - remember the IS was cheaper to begin with - not list price necessarily but after options were added most definitely so % retained value is at least as good as the others

The IS F was never a big seller, it was never intended to be and that in the long term will help keep residuals up and I know many Lexus dealers in the UK see the IS F as a good news car for them - I know of at least 6 dealers who have a waiting list for them

I suspect the same will apply to the RC F and many people who have bought them see the relatively rarity of them as a factor in their purchase


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## bidderman1969

or if you want to be different.......


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## andy665

bidderman1969 said:


> or if you want to be different.......


I had one of those on loan from MG just after they were launched, can't help but love the design but the quality was absolutely chronic


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## bidderman1969

Be used to that after AM then, lol


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

PaulN said:


> Bad times the dream is over with the DB9 but you had one and £2.5k cost for a 12 month dream isnt bad..... You talk about trading in the DB9 + alot of extra cash for a replacement, but surely you still have a loan on the DB9?
> 
> My advice is listen to friends and family, you've done the car thing... get the cash in bricks and mortar now....


Yeah it wasn't an expensive 12 months. When I bought the DB9 I paid £18000 cash and £600 pm X 36. Since then we've sold one of our rental properties as it wasn't making that much money so I now have £70k outright to buy a car with. The finance on the DB9 has been settled now.

It goes back in 2 days time!!!


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## JJ_

Absolutely tremendous car. Huge fan of the Db9 and Aston's salesmen are always a pleasure to deal with. Enjoy !


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## bidderman1969

JJ_ said:


> Absolutely tremendous car. Huge fan of the Db9 and Aston's salesmen are always a pleasure to deal with. Enjoy !


Erm, have you read the thread? 

Or have I missed something?????


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## JJ_

bidderman1969 said:


> Erm, have you read the thread?
> 
> Or have I missed something?????


lol !! No, I just read the beginning.

Just read some of the posts there.

I once had a BMW which had been in a bump and turned out to be quite troublesome. Our local dealer is in the "leven" group and the guys are very pleasant.


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## JJ_

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Yeah it wasn't an expensive 12 months. When I bought the DB9 I paid £18000 cash and £600 pm X 36. Since then we've sold one of our rental properties as it wasn't making that much money so I now have £70k outright to buy a car with. The finance on the DB9 has been settled now.
> 
> It goes back in 2 days time!!!


What about a Jaguar XKRS ?

70 gets you into a lot of nice cars, if you need any help we have a lot of customers who own these types of cars and they're info might be helpful.


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Yes, XKR-S is on the list of possibles. I'm not putting too much thought into it right now until it's gone back. It was a dream to have the DB9 but the car itself was a let down. I think I'd want something very special if I'm sinking £70k into it. My initial thought was got back and get myself a 4.2 XK-R convertible for circa £20k and pocket the rest but I dunno. I'm not getting any younger, we have the one child who is 3 months old, we were told we couldn't have any kids anyway and at 31 and 30 we won't be looking to try for another one as the odds were very against us anyway. So with that in mind, even though I could sit on the cash or try to invest it again I'd rather not play the land lord game any more. I rent one house out to my sister and that ticks over tbh. Our house is done and we won't be moving out of it probably ever and I think having another supercar/hypercar that's a little special to me would be good even if it does lose a few bob over a few years or cost in repairs/maintenance. I dunno. We'll see


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## JJ_

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Yes, XKR-S is on the list of possibles. I'm not putting too much thought into it right now until it's gone back. It was a dream to have the DB9 but the car itself was a let down. I think I'd want something very special if I'm sinking £70k into it. My initial thought was got back and get myself a 4.2 XK-R convertible for circa £20k and pocket the rest but I dunno. I'm not getting any younger, we have the one child who is 3 months old, we were told we couldn't have any kids anyway and at 31 and 30 we won't be looking to try for another one as the odds were very against us anyway. So with that in mind, even though I could sit on the cash or try to invest it again I'd rather not play the land lord game any more. I rent one house out to my sister and that ticks over tbh. Our house is done and we won't be moving out of it probably ever and I think having another supercar/hypercar that's a little special to me would be good even if it does lose a few bob over a few years or cost in repairs/maintenance. I dunno. We'll see


I can't wait to see the car, well done !


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## Rayaan

£70k - Hmm GS-F is £69995 fully loaded! 

After having an opportunity to drive both RC-F and GS-F back to back in Madrid - the GS-F is a better car IMO, the brakes feel better, the handling is better, it even sounds better, yet can carry people in comfort if needed. 

And wow - ill be honest, even my R8 didn't feel as special - its just got a vibe - probably because its unique


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## bidderman1969

fast, useable everyday..........










not that i like spending your money fella, but.......

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...500&make=bmw&search-target=usedcars&logcode=p


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## Rayaan

Yes but the M5 is a blunt machine, it never really feels special. It doesn't handle all that great either

That's why I suggested going down GSF route. You'd never see another one either, very few being sold


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

I didn't even know they made a GS-F haha

I'm still thinking about it, I'm kinda leaning towards an F430 or a Gallardo. Sod the practicality of it; if I want practical I could just use the Volvo. I need to drive the both of them back to back and they have to be the auto models due to my back. I'd like a topless one this time too, I'm not overly bothered about the 1/10th sharpness that's missing when pushing the edge and I hear the 430 spider in particular is so close you can't feed a *** paper between it and the coupe. I'm 31 and I'd like another convertible before the hair starts going too grey though I'm rocking the silver fox look more in my old age lol.

I think of it as a well done prezzie for quitting smoking after 14 years :thumb:


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## bidderman1969

in that case f**k the M5, Lambo it is!!!!!

the one Hammond drove on TG when he went running from the bulls in Spain looks the dogs danglies


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## Andyg_TSi

Cooks,

Genuine question......If the next purchase is going to be a weekend/enjoyment car, have you considered maybe buying a classic car & then having it restored/upgraded.

How about getting hold of a decent looked after Jenson Interceptor & then doing whats needed to having it made minty mint with possible upgrades to brakes/engine etc to make it feel more 'modern'

Classic coupe lines, uber cool & different. Certainly get a lot of looks and would maybe cost you a lot less than a new modern £70k car?

Thinking of the viperceptor someone has already done....


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## bidderman1969

oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh what about one of these.........


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

With regards to classics, I have one already; my 1980 911 SC I've spent the last couple of years on and is weeks away from the road. It's a 170,000 mile standard, unrestored example until I started on it. It's had some light remedial work done including a full bare metal respray (It's always been silver but it's had a few repaints in its life so I decided to have the shell dipped and coated by SPL and go from there after letting in a lot of new metal!) but mechanically it's perfect and original! I've left the threadbare steering wheel in place and the chewed rear belts the dog got hold of when he was a puupy and the dints on the roof that the boss dropped the crimbo candle holders on etc so it still feels like 'my 911'. So bearing that in mind, I'd like something newer.

I actually had an order in for a Range Rover but I cancelled it when they told me about the delay and I saw a 63 plate one for sale which had dropped £28,000 off list in 2 years!! The car I ordered was £77,000 and I dunno, in the end it didn't feel special enough even though I slightly regret it as it'd be my first ever brand new car buuuuut, it doesn't have 500 odd bhp and it's not a Ferrari is it (still leaning toward the Ferrari for some reason).

I really don't know; I hope I don't bottle it again when it comes to the crunch!


----------



## slim_boy_fat

I've had a novel idea - send me £30,000 [PayPal 'gift' details are available  ] and it'll solve your dilemma by pushing the choice available down-market a bit......:lol: :lol:

That Cobra is beautiful, and on my list for inclusion in the "Win Lottery Dream Garage". :argie:


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## R7KY D

F430 !! 

best thing I ever bought and the car that preceded it was a DB9 just like you


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## Summit Detailing

You won't regret a 430 - an event every time you drive it but having said that they're happy to pootle along at normal speeds in every day driving - that is not something that can be levelled at a Gallardo which don't do low speed stuff very well, especially e-gear cars. There's also the front driveshafts clunking their nuts off when parking or other low speed stuff:wall:


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## dandam

£70k to spend on a car would end up in me being divorced - I would end up with about 5 cars on my driveway with that cash !!

Good luck with whatever you get though, looking forward to seeing what it is


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## gally

Sorry to hear about the sour end to ownership mate.

Next up... the reason I really like the Jag choice is it is very similar to the Aston DB9 and new jags are great anyway! 

Means you may use it a bit more. A pre reg or couple month old XK is bound to be a relative bargain? And the noise! Oh the noise!










The ftype coupe is a nice machine, V6 is a waste though.

I was lucky enough to be out in this one just as the coupe was released and it was eventful!


----------



## Bero

Personally I would look at a Murchielago if possible, they never built that many of them, unlike the Gallardo where they built many thousand, infact by far the biggest seller in Lambo's history. Muchies prices have been on the way up over the last couple years....especially manual versions.

They're definitely more special, I was out a 600mile run last weekend with a couple friends, one has a Murchie roadster.....sounds and looks amazing!


----------



## andy665

Bero said:


> Personally I would look at a Murchielago if possible, they never built that many of them, unlike the Gallardo where they built many thousand, infact by far the biggest seller in Lambo's history. Muchies prices have been on the way up over the last couple years....especially manual versions.
> They're definitely more special, I was out a 600mile run last weekend with a couple friends, one has a Murchie roadster.....sounds and looks amazing!


Not very practical as a daily driver and you will struggle to get one for less than 100k, 70k will get you one if you search hard but unlikely to be one that does not need a lot of money spending on one


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

I'd love a Murci, but the cheapest E-Gear one I can find from a quick search is £110,000 which is over budget and that's a car I could never ever use! It has to be auto for my back so that narrows it down more. One of the attractions of the DB9 was the proper auto box but the Ferrari one sounds very good next to the clumsy effort from Lamborghini in the Gallardo. I'm still not sure, the AM was picked up this morning, plates changed and it was driven into the back of a truck. I'm not going to miss it!


----------



## Bero

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> I'd love a Murci, but the cheapest E-Gear one I can find from a quick search is £110,000 which is over budget and that's a car I could never ever use! It has to be auto for my back so that narrows it down more. One of the attractions of the DB9 was the proper auto box but the Ferrari one sounds very good next to the clumsy effort from Lamborghini in the Gallardo. I'm still not sure, the AM was picked up this morning, plates changed and it was driven into the back of a truck. I'm not going to miss it!


You appear right on the costs......you could pick them up for under £80k not that long ago! :doublesho

Stunning looking cars! Much more imposing than the Gallardo.

Pic from last week.


----------



## slim_boy_fat

^^ Is that Kylesku Bridge? 

I remember winning a prize in a photo competition when that was opened first......

Not far from me up here, really.


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Oh yeah, I remember seeing them up for £80k odd not far back and Diablos for less but now a Diablo is back over £100k and you can name your price for a Countach these days.

I'm still leaning towards the Ferrari tbh if anything. Found a nice white 2009 F430 spider with red leather bucket seats and ceramic brakes for sale at £79,995. A little over budget but I didn't expect to find such a new one with that spec at that price. It has 54,000 miles on it which is very encouraging! That's more than the DB9!! It's a very interesting proposition


----------



## bidderman1969

have you tried the quattroporte yet bud?


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Yep, I driven a 4.3 QP many moons ago but I haven't driven a 4.7 though. I don't really fancy a saloon though and any Masser would have to be a 4.7 with the proper auto box. None of this duo select tosh that needs a clutch every few feet. 

Part of me wants to replace the Volvo with one as our family car but I haven't got the balls for it!!

Oh yeah, and I will not have a Panamera. I'd rather look at my fiancée giving birth on repeat than look at one of them!!


----------



## Rayaan

How about a 4C? £70k with 865 miles on the clock!

You can even get an AM DBS for £70k


----------



## bidderman1969

I was going to suggest one of them, but, I don't know what it is about them that I have my doubts about, I thought they were slightly more than that too


----------



## Bero

The 4C is an inordinate amount of money for a 4 cylinder engine.

Possibly only beaten by a BMW I8....which I would not consider ether.



slim_boy_fat said:


> ^^ Is that Kylesku Bridge?
> 
> I remember winning a prize in a photo competition when that was opened first......
> 
> Not far from me up here, really.


Yes, yes it is. You get a better view of the bridge if you climb the rocky/grassy bank behind me.....but on that dull, wet day there was no chance of that happening"

Pic from a year or two ago in my old car.











CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Oh yeah, and I will not have a Panamera. I'd rather look at my fiancée giving birth on repeat than look at one of them!!


:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

I forgot about a 4C... Interesting  but it's not a Ferrari F430 is it even if it is nearly new?!? I'm off to see the white F430 I mentioned earlier at the weekend. If it's any good it could be coming home with me. My concern is that it's not always been white. It started out grey (if have preferred grey tbh but it's cheap for what it is) and it's been painted Audi Ibis white a year or two back because the owner wanted a white one. If the paint job is ok, I could be a Ferrari owner by the end of the week!!!!


----------



## ardandy

M5? Rs6


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

No saloons or estates thanks. Pretty set on an F430 tbh if anything. For £70k I want something very special. I know it's a bit 'new money' but an M5 etc I always think is an everyday car for the loaded. Our everyday car is an 11 year old 2.0 diesel Volvo! I can't quite bring myself to part with the largest amount of cash I've ever spent on a car and it's the profit of an investment property on just another BMW saloon that looks pretty similar to next door's 518d M-Sport. Only I will know what a special car an M5 is; the world know how special a Ferrari is and they look like an expensive car. I liked the AM for its looks, branding and pedigree. Something a Ferrari shares; I couldn't go from having something as exclusive as an Aston Martin to having something as common as a BMW, no matter how good the car is. It has to be progression IMO unless I'm spending less, hence considering a 997 911 Carrera S for similar money. £70k (OK, the 09 F430 I'm viewing is a fiver under £80k but I can stretch to that if its right) is a huge sum of money for me and I'd like the car to be relatively depreciation proof going forward if possible. Keep it long enough and I can't see how in 5 years time I wouldn't get £50k back for it with 80k on the clock (54k it has now). I dread to think what a 3 year old M5 is worth come trade in hence I cancelled my order for a Range Rover; too heavy on depreciation, I saw a 2 year old one up for nearly £30k below list and that was at an LR dealer; is hate to think what the p/x value was!!!


----------



## SteveTDCi

A 3 year old m5 will be mid to low 30's


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

That's quite a lot of cash to drop!!! I know I could buy a second hand one, but why when I can now afford a Ferrari


----------



## aerodynamic18

tbh if i was spending this much on a car i would wait and get a car in the colour you want and not one thats had a full respray. Don't know why but it would put me off. If u wait the right one will come up


----------



## Alan W

aerodynamic18 said:


> tbh if i was spending this much on a car i would wait and get a car in the colour you want and not one thats had a full respray. Don't know why but it would put me off. If u wait the right one will come up


I completely agree BUT we are all different and Mr. C is obviously 'comfortable' with owning a resprayed car that is not in his first choice colour. 

Different strokes for different folks and all that! :thumb:

Alan W


----------



## andy665

aerodynamic18 said:


> tbh if i was spending this much on a car i would wait and get a car in the colour you want and not one thats had a full respray. Don't know why but it would put me off. If u wait the right one will come up


I'm with you on this one, however the fact it has been resprayed is probably a key reason for it dropping within the OP's budget - if the quality is good (which I'm sure will be checked out thoroughly) then it needn't be a problem


----------



## Bero

Cost / value has to come into it as well. A car with 2,000 miles, in resale red with daytona seats, ceramic brakes, chalange rear grille or whatever the desirable options are could be twice the price.

As long as the paint job has been done well, and the car is priced correctly I would not have an issue.

Cookie - definitely sprayed and not wrapped?


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

All correct, and as said, a 2009 58 plate red F430 spider with 10k on the clock would be well over £120k. I don't mind it being white, it's of more interest to me that it has ceramic brakes, bucket seats etc and encouraging 54k miles on the clock. They say it's been painted, but I will be checking. If it's wrapped I'd leave it; I couldn't budget the risk of having to have it painted grey again if the paint was wrecked underneath. The dealer says the previous owner wanted a white one so had this one painted as they couldn't find one. I'll be checking that out and any damage etc. The colour change has been registered and it says white when you search it. It's a nice combo tbh and at £79,995 it is an encouraging prospect. I could wait and if this one is no good I will keep waiting


----------



## Summit Detailing

Good luck with the inspection.

I can see why the previous owner had it resprayed as not many people went for white when ordering new...it makes the car look more modern now compared to the common red and black ones:thumb:

A good indication of how good the respray is, apart from the finish on the white (obviously) is the matt black paint underneath the front luggage compartment panel and it's hinges on the scuttle panel, along with the pollen filter in the same location.

You'll also find the matt black in the door apertures where the hinges and check strap are located - it's not uncommon to find it flaking if it's original, if it's been repainted at the same time as the white you'd hope it'll all still be intact.

cheers

Chris


----------



## andy665

I'd also recommend checking the ceramic brakes very carefully, at 54k they will be wearing - they are often regarded as being extremely long lasting - all depends on how they have been used and maintained

Certainly white with red interior will be eye catching


----------



## Summit Detailing

andy665 said:


> I'd also recommend checking the ceramic brakes very carefully, at 54k they will be wearing - they are often regarded as being extremely long lasting - all depends on how they have been used and maintained


Yes it's worth getting brake wear checked along with the clutch wear which can be done at a main dealer using the DIAS system - you can't inspect CCM's visually for wear - only cracking which is a sign of track work where the brakes haven't been warmed up / cooled down correctly.

If you get to the negotiation stage it'd be worth using getting the car inspected at a main dealer as part of negotiations - that way the above checks would be done, along with the usual weak points - ball joints and manifolds:thumb:


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Thanks for the advice guys, here is the car in question.





It is nice


----------



## Cookies

That is absolutely stunning chum. We're you happy with it? Did you do a deal?

I'm insanely jealous btw - ever seen a green cookie monster? Lol. 

Health to enjoy the new car chum. It's beautiful. 

Cooks


----------



## Kerr

That is lovely.


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

I'm due to view the car on Saturday  It's a nice combo tbh, all pending on the condition and wear and tear the car is showing.


----------



## Summit Detailing

Certainly looks alright from the pics.

A couple of things I've noticed -

~ 'pininfarina' badges missing from rear of side skirts - not a big deal and looks better without imo.

~ bolster wear is normal on cars with racing seats.

~ judging by the angle of the handbrake lever it requires adjustment

~ non standard carpet mats

~ wing mirrors would not have been painted black at the factory

~ sealing strip on 'A' pillar has lost it's colour - would have left the factory with a satin black finish - not uncommon.

~ worth checking the leading edges of the rear most edge of the wheel arches as there should be a thin PPF strip to prevent stone chipping, also the leading edge of the side skirt vent - possibly not reapplied after respray & arch corrosion is again not unheard of.

Knowledge is power


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Wow, all very useful stuff! I only noticed the pinninfarina badge was missing!


----------



## lofty

Nice car, difficult to resell with those miles though, but as long as the price reflects that you should be ok. I notice it's 'by appointment only' I'd imagine that means it's sale or return. I'm not sure how your buyers rights are affected by this. I would definitely get an independent inspection done, they ain't cheap to fix.


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

It's the mileage that sells it to me tbh; hopefully it'd have a fair few more on it if I bring it home. They are having everything checked and measured, including the brakes and we'll take it from there


----------



## R7KY D

Get a clutch reading , Get the ball joints checked , There is a ton of things that can go wrong with these cars and when they do it ain't cheap as you will see my bills from the last couple of years , Mine came from one of the most respected Ferrari restorers in this country and I by no means bought a lemon , I use the car every time I can , And it gets driven , the bits I have replaced are common parts to need replacing at some time , but remember to smile as you punch in your pin number , Oh and these prices were from a Ferrari specialist god knows how much more from a main dealer , Things like brake pads and the ball joints are very easy to do if you have a basic knowledge

Heres a few bills from the last couple of years




























Is it worth it .....Hell yeah


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

That's nothing compared to the DB9!! Nowhere near as bad as I thought either so very helpful, thanks loads!!


----------



## andy665

This makes an interesting read off Pistonheads

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=1419350&mid=45975&nmt=Ferrari+F430+Spider


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Just read it all, interesting stuff. I don't really have any expectations on build quality tbh, I expect it to be poor after 12 months with the DB9. If I go to see that F430 and everything works on it then it's already one up on the AM haha.

There's no way I'd be taking it apart myself though; despite building cars from scratch in the past, I know from having spent so long on the 911 that I have no time for it anymore  I think if I had the time and patience to spend on the DB9 I'd still have it tbf and I'd have coped but I cba with fixing faults on cars of this caliber, if I'm handing over £80k which has been 10 years of hard graft and saving then the car has to be spot on to start with, if there's anything at all wrong with it, I'm going home. I've learnt the hard way how supercar main dealers treat you and it's not very well!


----------



## andy665

I think being treated well has little to do with how much money you are spending - customers generally are treated badly

I'm proud of the work I'm doing with a manufacturer where massive focus is being put on the customer experience and level of service. When you see the European President telling salesmen / aftersales staff that it is their number 1 priority you kind of know its going to happen - sadly not many manufacturers / dealer groups share the same thinking


----------



## PugIain

R7KY D said:


> Heres a few bills from the last couple of years


You spend £2k at a place that can't spell the word carriage.
Pfft!


----------



## Shug

Bero said:


> You appear right on the costs......you could pick them up for under £80k not that long ago! :doublesho
> 
> Stunning looking cars! Much more imposing than the Gallardo.
> 
> Pic from last week.


Just noticed this pic. Thought it looked decidedly familiar. I drove past a yellow lambo and Porsche on my way back from scourie. Was in my humble little Manta A.
Pretty sure my car was louder than those 2 put together! :lol:


----------



## Bero

Shug said:


> Just noticed this pic. Thought it looked decidedly familiar. I drove past a yellow lambo and Porsche on my way back from scourie. Was in my humble little Manta A.
> Pretty sure my car was louder than those 2 put together! :lol:


The morning of the 24th October? That would have been us, I was at the front and would have passed under the radar, :lol: we stopped in Scourie for petrol.

The Lambo has a Larini Exhaust......I'm not sure if the Manta would be louder!



CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Thanks for the advice guys, here is the car in question.


Nice car, I was negotiating with Mo @ SSC for a C63 at this time last year......we never did make a deal, no trade in, cash deal etc etc, but he would not budge on price at all.

They must have had someone on the hook for that car already, when I went back with a revised offer he said it was sold at full asking price.


----------



## nichol4s

wouldnt touch any of his stock with a sh**y stick


----------



## Alan W

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> I'm due to view the car on Saturday  It's a nice combo tbh, all pending on the condition and wear and tear the car is showing.





CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> It's the mileage that sells it to me tbh; hopefully it'd have a fair few more on it if I bring it home. They are having everything checked and measured, including the brakes and we'll take it from there


Good luck tomorrow CoOkIeMoNsTeR and here's hoping it meets, or exceeds, your expectations and can be driven home! 

Alan W


----------



## Rayaan

SSC is awful. Half of their stock are Ex rentals hence the huge mileage they have


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Well, I didn't go for it. Tbf, there is nothing that wrong with it, paint job is really good, you'd never tell it wasn't always white and it drove amazingly well. The drivers seat is in good nick too but the brakes are in need of changing, I noticed a clunking sound from the front under low speed maneuvers but nothing serious. I made them an offer to take it away as was, purely because I was there and had the car in front of me but they refused which I expected so I'm just on my way home in the Volvo. The search continues!

I'd have happily had it if they'd accepted £71,500 for it but they wouldn't budge but I was promised a call back with a counter offer. I explained I made a fair offer considering the discs and pads need changing and there's no telling what that knocking noise is until the car goes in the air.

I'm not fussed on losing out on it; I'm not having another faulty car!!


----------



## Kerr

When you're spending that kind of money, even when it's used, I'd still expect things to be right. 

I didn't read back about the car being resprayed. I wouldn't have gone with that personally. It's just something that makes me feel uncomfortable and will always have an affect on its value and desirability to others.


----------



## nichol4s

Like I said in an earlier post wouldn't touch there cars with s sh**y stick, the guy that owns it is a dodgy c u next Tuesday


----------



## R7KY D

Probably the ball joints you could hear , I missed the bit about it being resprayed , that would have put me straight off it 

Glad you walked , keep looking it'll be worth it


----------



## camerashy

Thanks for the update the right one will turn up eventually
Dave


----------



## Summit Detailing

It's not like you are in a rush, the right one for you will appear on the market:thumb:


----------



## m77lso

I'm sure the white F430 used to be a rental car as I'm sure I know the previous owner.

Anyway, I bought an '07 Rosso Corsa F430 Coupe in November. It has 24k on it and is an approved car (from Stratstones Wilmslow so it has 2 years warranty). The car was for sale for £90k.

The only thing I would say to you is be very careful of 'cheaper' 430's as, and I really don't mean this in the wrong way, £70k isn't really enough to get a decent one. You're better getting over £80k and if possible into the 90's. I looked at a few before mine and saw cars in their pre-delivery state and you'd be very surprised at how mistreated some can be, or in just generally poor condition. 
The other thing is that they are appreciating at the moment, so the goal posts keep moving.

Although you say that higher mileage isn't an issue, which I've been informed that the F430 will stand up to daily use, you still have to bear in mind that these cars cost a fortune when they need something.
CCM brakes are lovely as long as they don't need replacing (around £10k), but the steel brakes are fine for the road. The other issue would be the clutch (£2.5k). Yes you can get a read out on it, but it's a calculated guess and it's not accurate. I spoke to the specialist where my car lives and he was telling me that they could get a car with a low readout that needs changing, or a car with a high wear readout but doesn't need changing.
Also if you come to sell it, a higher mileage will always hang around for longer than a lower mileage. At this price point paying a small premium for a better car would pay dividends in the future.

If you bought one from a non franchised dealer I would be very wary of whether the warranty will pay out if it needs anything.
My car had tyres, Ball joints etc etc .... 16 bolts that cost £50+vat each and so on before I collected it.
A £70k car could very quickly become a £80k or even a 90k car with a few unexpected bills, so you'd need to have a contingency in place for that.

Have you thought about a 360? Your price point is bang on for a really nice one, or even a Left Hand Drive 430.

Like I say, I don't mean to put you off in anyway shape or form, just wanted to share my experience buying one. You don't buy a Ferrari with you head, you buy it with you heart, but my missus would kill me if the car started getting big bills!

I can't wait for the weather to pick up, as I love driving the car and it does put a smile on my face, except for the service due in March which will be over £1k and I've only driven it for 4 days since owning it!


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Thanks for the info, very helpful! I haven't decided yet what to do as I've been mad busy. I have a cursory glance every now and then but I haven't found anything that says buy me like the DB9 did. £90k is pushing it a bit because I want a pot of money to maintain it. I'd rather not have a 360 if I'm honest, they're a bit old. I don't mind having one that's LHD but I keep coming back to another 911. I have a 911 and I really don't want another. If it's gunna be a 911 I may as well use mine more.

I dunno, there's no rush. The money is ready and cleared now to buy the car outright so if I do find one I like I can complete the sale straight away


----------



## Ross

What about a F335


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Has to be an auto for my back unfortunately and the F355 is going up in value too, finding a nice one of them is hard work now. Although an LHD car wouldn't bother me, if it were to be an F355 it'd be a car to stare at as an investment so I'd want an RHD car for the extra value it'd achieve 

Right now I'm in denial that another 911 would be the best car. And it would be, I know it would be it just that I don't want one. I'll cave in and get a 997 Convertible for £30k in the end and bank the rest I know I will!!!

Thing is this is 11 years of saving here so I'm reluctant to bin it on a new car that'll lose all that money but at the same time it's a lot of money to me and I never thought I'd be able to justify it. When I bought the DB9 I actually only had £18k in cash for it, I Hire Purchased the car through Stratstone paying £600 pcm for 3 years to pay it off. Now we've sold a property I have cash to buy a car with but I really hesitated to the point of worry when I ordered the Range Rover; I was actually relived when they called me back and I cancelled it.

I dunno, a 911, I mean just an everyday comman or garden 911 is a £30-40k car to me. Obviously I could blow the budget on a GT3 and there are some very nice mint 996 GT3's about with 4 figure mileages about but that again becomes an investment car.

Sod it, expect an update in a few weeks time when I might have bought another 911... Sigh


----------



## ardandy

Tesla, tesla, tesla!


----------



## Willows-dad

how about an Alfa Romeo 4c? Absolutely gorgeous, sporty, quick, auto and well in budget. I'd consider it a nice alternative to the 911.


----------



## m77lso

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Thanks for the info, very helpful! I haven't decided yet what to do as I've been mad busy. I have a cursory glance every now and then but I haven't found anything that says buy me like the DB9 did. £90k is pushing it a bit because I want a pot of money to maintain it. I'd rather not have a 360 if I'm honest, they're a bit old. I don't mind having one that's LHD but I keep coming back to another 911. I have a 911 and I really don't want another. If it's gunna be a 911 I may as well use mine more.
> 
> I dunno, there's no rush. The money is ready and cleared now to buy the car outright so if I do find one I like I can complete the sale straight away


No problems mate, At least you could use the 911 all of the time and not worry about the miles etc.
I know what you mean about the 360.

What about a Cayman? I think they're not a bad looking car in the new shape, you'll have to forgive me I'm not too up on Porkers


----------



## robertdon777

i8.....very different, very good.

Useable everyday...Modern Classic...Won't fall apart like an Aston


----------



## fad460

Stunner!! Such a beauty.. Enjoy mate


----------



## robertdon777

fad460 said:


> Stunner!! Such a beauty.. Enjoy mate


I don't think he enjoyed the Aston Experience...:thumb:


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Haha you could say that 

Tbf it wasn't that bad I just didn't want to keep that car out of warranty. There were 2 schools of thought. 1) it's a money pit get rid of it. 2) it's had over £12k worth of warranty work done now, it should be fine once the wind noise issue is sorted.

I chose to bail out because when the engineer came out to see it and we inspected the passenger side of the car on a ramp it's quite clear that it's had a fairly big accident, we doubted the A post was in the correct position, only by a fraction, but enough distortion was evident that I don't think you'd ever get the wind noise right, though it was ok when I bought the car, every fix AM did made it worse. I pity whoever buys it in this state for they will be back...


----------



## ardandy

How about changing tack and spending £30k on an awesome Cinema Room with Bar!


----------



## Kap01

So... did you ever get a new car?


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Yes, sort of... We sold our Volvo S40 and bought a Volvo XC70 instead 

As for the DB9, no it hasn't been replaced. We decided to buy another rental property with the cash as an opportunity too good to miss arose. I've been using the 911 instead and I've fallen in love with it again. However it picked up a huge stonechip the other day so it's gone back in the garage haha!!


----------



## Kap01

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Yes, sort of... We sold our Volvo S40 and bought a Volvo XC70 instead
> 
> As for the DB9, no it hasn't been replaced. We decided to buy another rental property with the cash as an opportunity too good to miss arose. I've been using the 911 instead and I've fallen in love with it again. However it picked up a huge stonechip the other day so it's gone back in the garage haha!!


Nothing smarter then bricks and mortar!

Any pics of the 911?


----------



## empsburna

CoOkIeMoNsTeR said:


> Yes, sort of... We sold our Volvo S40 and bought a Volvo XC70 instead
> 
> As for the DB9, no it hasn't been replaced. We decided to buy another rental property with the cash as an opportunity too good to miss arose. I've been using the 911 instead and I've fallen in love with it again. However it picked up a huge stonechip the other day so it's gone back in the garage haha!!


As soon as I saw the figure banded around I wondered why you didn't get yourself a nice apartment in the sun somewhere and enjoy that for 15 weekends a year.


----------



## empsburna

R7KY D said:


> #SNIP.....
> Heres a few bills from the last couple of years
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> SNIP....


I could have confused those with my bills from Landrover. I should have had a fez instead.


----------



## sshooie

Rayaan said:


> SSC is awful. Half of their stock are Ex rentals hence the huge mileage they have


+1, I have dealt with him in the past and if he said good morning I'd look outside to check.


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Kap01 said:


> Nothing smarter then bricks and mortar!
> 
> Any pics of the 911?


Yeah but my photobucket won't let me copy them right now. There are some about here, I thought I put them earlier in this thread but maybe not haha. It's a 1980 (1981MY) 911SC 3.0 in silver  Complete with whale tail  Proper Porsche!!

An opportunity to buy another house to rent out came about with lucrative returns promised. Upon looking into it, it made sense to go for it. Our offer was accepted and we had tenants in within days, adds to the portfolio of which we now have 4 not including our home. With the little one and a busy job I decided not to bother replacing the car. For work I now commute on the train down to Cardiff or I'm given a hire car paid for by my employers (Welsh Govt.) so I don't drive anywhere really anymore and my wife now walks to work too as she has a new job close to home and she's gone part time anyway so it makes sense for us to have one family car (the Volvo) and one fun project summer car (The Porsche) and leave it at that seeing as I still have a motorbike I don't use, a jet ski I rarely use and we have a caravan which we do use and you can't tow a caravan with an Aston Martin sadly so for now, I think the Ferrari dream is on hold until I have proper money to buy a properly nice one. £80k was just a little too short to get a good one but I'd rather let it go knowing they might sky rocket and I'll never have one than buy a cheap one and throw away all the money in bills I can't justify because I couldn't muster up the extra £10-15k for a really good one.

Such is life I suppose


----------



## scuba-phil

Well that was an interesting start to finish. Db9 is a great looking car, shame it didn't work out. 
It'll be interesting to see if you do get something else and I'm close enough to see it sometime.


----------



## Andpopse

Alfa Romeo 4c stole my heart, I’ve found a new one and will pick it up 2nd Jan 18. I hope it’s a wise choice, The looks drew me in and then after considering all the + / -, I thought, go for it.
I’ve got a Smart Roadster which I love, the 4c should be an extreme cousin !
I can’t wait, Christmas week is gonna drag.
Andy


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Holy thread revival Batman!! I hope you like your 4C, we’ve now got an Audi SQ5 as a daily to ‘replace’ the DB9 if you can call it that. I haven’t got the bug to replace it with another supercar sort of thing, so we bought another house and a new caravan to go behind the Audi. 

Maybe when the little one is older I may catch the bug again and go for something really nice.


----------



## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Well this all changed fast!! Not a few days ago I was saying we won't be getting another car. On Boxing Day we were out mooching round the sales (January birthdays and next years stocking fillers, that sort of thing) in Chester when we stopped for a panad. Parked over the way from where we were sitting was a Mercedes SLC. My wife commented on how nice it would be for her to have her own car again, the kind of 2 seat convertible she'd always wanted for herself to buzz around in and use when I'm not around and she doesn't want to lug around 2 tons of Audi and all the stigma of having a yummy mummy's school run 4x4 (even though she was the one that wanted it!!) and how she really likes my sisters Mercedes and that the SLC has really caught her eye etc etc.

She will be 33 in a few days and as a birthday present I will be giving her this










It's an SLC250d, and although I wouldn't normally go for a diesel I was able to get a very healthy discount and it was sourced overnight. I nipped into the dealer in Llandudno Junction (useless, but any port in a storm) to ask about one, they only had one in which had no spec but I was able to drive it and I was impressed. I went back to find one with the right bells and whistles and found this one in group stock. That was the 27th and it arrived today. Just need to get the plate transfer sorted and that's that.

Just thought I'd bring this thread to a close as it's gone from my long suffering wife giving me the opportunity to realise my little dream, and never moaning about the money or pestering about spending it on something 'sensible' to me being able to give a little something back that I know she really wants. It's also the first brand new car we've ever had which is something I never thought would happen, though I am slightly disappointed that it was supplied with no freebies; no flowers, no merchandise, just a cheap dealer branded key ring and that's the lot, even though they knew it was a present, but never mind, I'll source my own!

Will get a full new car prep thread up in due course. I've hidden it in the garage for now, where she doesn't suspect it's hiding. Great thing I've got good in laws that can keep secrets and have kept her busy for the day and that she's scared of spiders and she never goes in the garage for a peek


----------



## Zetec-al

Nice looking Merc and what a great Birthday present for your Wife.


----------



## Cookies

One of my work colleagues has a white slc250d and absolutely loves it. That's a real beauty of a car, and I'm sure Mrs CM will be absolutely delighted. 

Health to enjoy, buddy. 

Happy new year btw!!

Cooks 

Sent from my Wenger 16999


----------



## bidderman1969

Blimey, lucky lady!

Now, if you'd like to buy our house with some ready made good tenants…………


:lol:


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## CoOkIeMoNsTeR

Thanks everyone! I do hope she likes it. It’s a very nice motor and I enjoyed the drive home in it. Hopefully I can keep it hidden for another 5 days. I could have done the handover at the dealers but I’d rather do it at home for her as she won’t suspect a thing and I can be confident knowing it’s presented properly and there will be no nasty surprises (which tbf to Merc in Junction, there wasn’t this time).

Also, sadly we aren’t looking to expand the property portfolio again anytime soon!


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