For 2011, we wanted to start off the project car season with something a little more upmarket, and being that spring was approaching, a convertible was a plus as always. Old buddy Davis Speight (formerly of Boardwalk Porsche, now with Medpro Auto Group) was called in to assist with the search, and he proved to be extremely resourceful, as within days we received a call saying he had found what he thought to be an ideal subject . That vehicle turned out to be the one: a 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster, finished in Silver Ice Metallic, 6-speed manual transmission, black leather interior with red stitching, and factory navigation. After taking delivery of the vehicle, we immediately got to work adding our personal touches as we always do.
The first area to address was the rolling stock, and for this we wanted the maximum visual impact. After some quick calculations, it was determined that a 21” diameter was the largest size that would properly fit the vehicle without any modifications or speedometer error. Longtime partner Modulare Forged was called in to provide the wheels, supplying us with a set of their latest 3-piece design, the M24, finished in brushed aluminum with a chrome outer lip and bolts, and perfectly fitted to the Aston’s usual wheel specifications. The wheels arrived in a massive 21×9 up front and 21×10.5 rear, and were subsequently mated to a set of Nitto INVO performance tires, measuring 255/30/21 fore and 295/25/21 aft. The optional etched aluminum center cap in the matching brushed finish was also used, yielding a seamless appearance from the wheel to the center cap. The offset was perfectly set and the brushed aluminum finish was a perfect complement to the Silver Ice exterior, but while we were happy with this portion of the project, it was now time to move on. The next area to address was the stance and the exterior. Aston Martin tuning expert Stuart Dickinson of RSC Tuning was called in to advise on the rest of the project. He recommended their company’s own sport springs to lower the stance 1.25”, improving both aesthetic value and handling at the same time. RSC also provided us with a set of factory Aston Martin “N400” side skirts, along with a set of factory DBS clear tail lamps and matching 3rd brake light. James Beal of Aston Martin of Dallas handled all installation duties of the mechanical items, and provided a 4-wheel alignment and needed engine service at the same time, while Mike Dusold of Dusold Designs in Lewisville, TX handled paint and install duties for the side skirts. The painting proved difficult since the factory Silver Ice paint contains both a pearlescent and metallic component, but the paint match was nothing short of perfection.
To wrap things up, we decided to address the performance aspect of things, so we proceeded to install a pair of the RSC performance air filters, while Quicksilver Exhaust out of the UK provided us with one of their Sport units, which not only improved engine breathing, but also the exhaust note as well.
