Aston Martin V8 Vantage 1978

1978 V8 Vantage, AM Demonstrator car, Winner of 1979 Goodwood sprint. 580 engine development car. Full restoration. True British Supercar. 5.4 ltr

[@promerops]

Now, that's what I call a car! For me, far more appealing than the current models - excellent as they are. Thanks for the video!

[@swedishmansion8262]

Very nice car...

[@AndrewClark4MarkRacing]

Excellent

[@victorhall5681]

Why is the camera focussed on the dashboard most of the time? It's much better when we get to see the road ahead, makes you feel your in the car. This video is ruined by too many dashboard shots.

[@rjdavies1982]

Love it and great garage combo! I've got the DBS6 vantage which is a different (slower!) car. Thanks for sharing your car and it's great history

[@davekeen1963]

Wellllll this is my third attempt at posting? I suspect putting a link to Fosseway Engineering targets my post and automatically nukes it upon posting?? Great Car. Great Video. Thanks for sharing. I’ve watched the vid a few times now and each time have noted your comments about the AMV8’s brakes.. I also own a Vantage spec’d AMV8 ( Purchased circa 1982ish ) and also found the brakes to be woefully inadequate. What’s baffling is yank Iron from the same period with one booster will stop on a dime and yet the AMV8’s brakes with two boosters just aren’t adequate and require a fairly muscular right leg?? I did a restoration for a customer ( Circa 2016 ta 2019 ) and fitted a Wilwood kit supplied by SteelWings. That kit will not fit inside the 15 inch GKN or BBS rims, so we had to fit the 16 inch Ronals in order to accommodate the calipers. The improvement in the braking was dramatic, which prompted me to look for a kit for my car. Fosseway Engineering in the UK supply an excellent kit that will fit inside the GKN or BBS 15 inch rims. It’s relatively cheap and is easy to fit. There’s two options a straight lightweight 6 pot caliper conversion, or the full meal deal with the lightweight 6 pot calipers and new vented rotors. I’m in Canada and wanted some reassurances from the guys at Fosseway before I committed to buying the kit, which involved some fairly late night phones calls. I found the guys at Fosseway to be really helpful and great to deal with. I opted for the full meal deal for my car cos the calipers and rotors supplied with the kit weigh a fraction of the factory hubs and the rotors are from a BMW and will be relatively cheap and easy to replace in Canada, that’s in the event I live long enough to need to replace them. The quality of the kit was par excellence and the improvement in the braking was as equally dramatic as the larger kit from Wilwood and much easier to fit. Anecdotally I fitted the SteelWings handling package at the same time which really improved the handling. I’da posted the link but I suspect that’s verbotten? Google Fosseway they’re in the UK. Post Script Steelwings also supply an MSD ignition kit which I’d also highly recommend..

[@SniffingGlue]

Weapon!!! Has to be one of the most beautiful cars ever built.

[@Foxingban]

you got to have it in the blue

[@markcundall3793]

What a great car, it's good that you use the car and not keep it wrapped up in cotton wool - cars like this need to be on the road.

[@gdfggggg]

Your car is sexy as fook and I want it. Props to you. Can't help but feel that another set of AM rims would do it justice but it would seem you are a sucker for originality. One of my favorite all time cars. I'm a little envious but it's good to see a man like you enjoying this amazing machine. Good day and good luck.

[@aliray7979]

Lucky man, my Dad used have one of these but sold it around 2000 for about £25k…..ouch! Fantastic car, never got to drive it but I remember the amazing sound it used to make. We did about 175mph in Germany once in it fyi

[@victorhall5681]

You can't grow without criticism. Stop being so over protective.

[@myZisfantastic]

The engine is awesome and it sings like a baritone! Happy owner! Cheers

[@brandondavis7920]

Incredible car Zak! Very awesome Aston!

[@charlescrisp2814]

wow that is such a beautiful car and that engine makes an awesome noise

[@chriskappert1365]

To me the last true Aston ! ❤

[@mykehyslop198]

Had a DB9 and a 911 Turbo until recently.I sold my DB9 last month.I am regretting it now.

[@fendergibs9098]

great video & insight of a rare car, very wasp hand bulit in NP. How's the service costs & reliability ?

[@steveobarnes]

Where is the resT?

[@geo23gp63]

My dream garage... Apart from the 993 being a targa, but I would settle! :P

[@RJPick1]

@zakdhabalia8280 Our paths might cross someday. For my little tour I come out of Crowborough to Rotherfield and then left onto the A267 at Mark Cross. Up to Bunny Lane turn left and then left again on the A26 back to Crowborough. Nice little round trip to get the engine up to temp. I think you had and I have the two best looking cars in the world!

[@zakdhabalia8280]

Yes that’s a nice tour! What are you driving?

[@RJPick1]

@@zakdhabalia8280 2006 Elusive blue DB9, owned it since 2009. I saw your car was sold through DM who have recently opened a new show room in TW. Beautiful car, have lusted after one of those since my late teens! Great video though, really captures the car. Recognized the junction as you turned into Broadwater Down and then looking back again saw you were driving down Bunny Lane.

[@zakdhabalia8280]

@@RJPick1 Yes Dylan Miles has a beautiful showroom with some fantastic cars. Has the last ever X- Paxk at moment. DB9 is a lovely design too.

[@charliechetwood2358]

Do you know the name of the colour of the Silver on this car, wanting to spray ours.

[@fizmo100]

Oh the noise! When it started I had a shiver go down my spine. Beautiful car!

[@d4rkhound388]

God.. the cost of these is insane... i guess i gotta build one instead.

[@londonman8688]

love this car

[@staceybass957]

Nice 993 fella!

[@j_mor4617]

Simply stunning. Thank you for sharing Zak.

[@TR4man]

Great film, how about some more?

[@aslade749]

I restored this car back in the 2000's, it was ruined with the fitment of a 580 engine upgrade and horrible nardi steering wheel, why can't people leave perfection alone.

[@zakdhabalia8280]

I returned the steering wheel back to original style 2 years later than when this was filmed. It was already X pack upgrade when I bought it.

[@aslade749]

@@zakdhabalia8280 Do you still have the car Zak?

[@zakdhabalia8280]

@@aslade749 Hi Alec, I sold it in January after 12 years of enjoying it. Interested to know what the x pack upgrade ruined about the car as it drove beautifully to me.

[@aslade749]

@@zakdhabalia8280 The original engine a 540 vantage, had the early cams, which in my view and knowledgeable others, were superior in the way they delivered power, much smoother and allowing more revs. The X pack cams had a known flat spot at around 3500 rpm, we used to call them flat spot specials! 😂

[@Gavin-oq5tt]

@@aslade749 Nice video and I am seriously thinking about a similar car. Just curious to hear what you changed it for - assuming you are now driving something else of interest?

[@fendergibs9098]

engine rebuilt several times !

[@zakdhabalia8280]

yes engine had a rebuild during main restoration and second rebuild was more of a performance upgrade in converting to X-pack where they change pistons, cam profiles etc. Reliability is great but service costs are high if you go to AM specialists. I'm sure good mechanics are well capable of ensuring all is well for much cheaper.

[@fendergibs9098]

thanks for the insight ! great looking car, yours and later the 1989 X-pack was the last great NP car sent to the states as the 1990 Virage never really became a classic, and depreciated into oblivion going from over $200,000 back in 1991 to $30-40k today. The far better 1993-2000 Vantage 550/600/ & Le mas & special edition Volante Vantage was never imported to the states for some reason. Instead we got the glorified jaguar mass produced Db 7. I have seen your vantage with a 6.3L conversion and one x-pack built in 1990 ( special order) with the later virage sport seats. super rare.

[@brandondavis7920]

+fender gibs The DB7, however, saved AM, which at the time was in financial ruin. It's chassis was based on the the XJS, yes, but it was substantially tweaked for the DB7. When the V12 was added to the DB7, it underwent much further AM specific tuning to the chassis. It was very much a true AM in character, if not all its parts. Also, it didn't hurt that it was incredibly beautiful and at least with the V12 had a sound from the heavens.

[@apowers7783]

A beauty indeed!