Congratulations Ben, this is such a great video, not only about a car nobody even realised existed, but the amazing back story of Tadek Marek, who it seems was a real life Bond hero! What a fitting tribute to both the car and him.
Voted down the video as he just can't stop talking and the radio playing in the next room as he added the pointless voice over ruined everything. Doesn't anyone watch their videos before uploading? Trying to listen to a v8 and get some chatterbox with a radio in the background.
Engine sound - perfect. Monologue - damned good. Sound track - WHY??? Just NO Ben. Check out Harry Metcalf's, ('Harry's Garage), latest video on the Aston V8 Vantage 7.0 litre conversion, to see how he does that engine note justice.
Its amazing when you find yourself sitting there smiling all the time watching you and this epic car. Thanks for letting us take part in all those adventures…
I worked at Aston Martin on db11 and vanquish, vantage but these models did not have what db5 has, it is a work of art. As a Pole, I am proud that a Polish engineer contributed to the creation of one of the most beautiful cars in the history of the automotive industry, well done Tadeusz Marek
Just came from Harry's review of the seven liter Vantage. Also prepared by RS Williams. To think that this pretty little car could have 500hp to the wheels is absolutely nuts. Great job showcasing this incredible machine Ben.
Hi , I am lucky to own (30 years)and have the skills and the time to work on my own DB6 , the engine bay is pretty tight for a classic car so they really did struggle to fit a V8 in there , so your car definitely doesn’t have the air conditioning option, which is going to make the cockpit very warm indeed , also the chassis has been modified to fit the extra exhaust tubing and mufflers I would guess as the spare wheel well is over to the drivers side and will make it difficult to wrap the exhaust around it . The more I look the more substitutes I can see in the interior and exterior design. I have been a little complacent about my car recently having spent some 1500 hours making it the best it can be and I am still not finished but this well constructed video has exited me all over again . This V8 is a truly fabulous machine unique , timeless and absolutely beautiful. Thank you
Great video ! ( I love that fisheye lens effect ). Can we take a moment to consider the size of Mr. Marek's cajones to have made that wartime trip to pick up his wife. What a dude ! Harry Metcalfe's current video on an 80's V8 Vantage describes a bill from that restoration company of GB150,000+ for upgrading the engine and brakes on it, so lord knows that the bill for bringing this machine back to as new condition cost ...
In the late 1950’s my father worked with a French doctor in Spain and later moved his clinic to Casablanca Morocco. My father uplifted the family and followed him there since he was a great man to work for. This doctor drove a DB 5 then and my father told me that he would pre order a new DB 5 when he would pickup his new car for delivery every two years. He respected my father very much and offered him one of his cars before delivery of his next new one. Because my father had just started his family he found it would have been unfair for the kids having to deal with a two door getting in and out. My father also told me he wa s not able to afford that type of car and his boss told him not to worry and pay him what ever he could whenever he could . My father never took him up on it but what a great memory and I still cherish the the photo of my dad standing by the car with the Atlas Mountains of Morocco as a back drop.
Great vid, Ben. Your passion and love for the car is evident throughout. You were wasted as The Stig. Harry's Garage also has a Williams fettled 84 Vantage with a 7 litre upgrade. These old school Aston's are fucking brilliant.
I have seen over video of this great car l do like it very much but it was the DB6 having said that I would not say no to this beautiful car you are a lucky man to get your hands on this beautiful car 😊
Never knew this car existed. Thank you so much for bringing it to us. Could you please re-release this video with only the music from the car plus your excellent commentary?
Fabulous story! Just when you think you know everything about the Astons, here comes another part. I believe it took some time to get the V8 running perfectly for the DBS!
Wow, amaaaaaazzzzing! A 7.0 liter DB5! I saw Harry's review of a 7 Liter DB V8 and was awestruck, BUT THIS. ..... By the way, a transfer case is for a 4WD or AWD system, you mean TRANSMISSION👍🏼
A garage in Queensferry, North Wales, that I've used for rolling road tuning in the past had a DB5 in for work last time I was there. They'd converted the stock SU carburettors into throttle bodies and were running on EFI through a Motorsport ECU. A very tidy conversion, where they had hidden the wiring and fuel system well, so that the car still looked like it was running carbs, but with the advantages of modern engine management. It made more power, had better manners and better fuel economy.
Beautiful . No chrome bumpers front or rear make it look like a real junk-yard dog ! But we all know it could purr majestically through Monte Carlo ....
Ben, I've been on RU-vid a long time and this is, by far, one of the best motoring videos I've ever seen. A fascinating car with an even more fascinating history. Top stuff!! PS - engine no 69? Couldnt be more fitting, Mr Bond!
My word what a stunning car you had the chance to drive and then, talking about that amazing man! His history, deserves a film on its own! That was a delight to see thank you!
Thank you Ben for these amazing stories that you bring back to life. And i know that they are many more to be discovered. I a huge motorbike lover and i spent a lot of time in the library and in the archive to reserch some of the missing prototipe bikes and hope to find one some day 😊
Big fan & appreciate all the good content. Can you get the camera operator to film the good stuff?! Even when you're pointing out engine bay bits we're still seeing Ben in half the frame. Super cool Aston, thanks for bringing it to the awful commenters of youtube.
The odds of this actually being the car they say it is……less than zero Amazing how often “lost cars” suddenly pop up these days almost as if the value makes recreating things like a serial number plate worth it
Thank you for bringing this car and its wonderful back story to light for the rest of us, the great unwashed! One can only imagine the exhilaration you must have felt when seeing this for the first time and then to actually pilot such a creature must have been really something. Nice that you've had so much experience with the DB5 so as to give more detail to this compelling piece. Many thanks and cheers from Sydney - David
Ben a fantastic history lesson from a much loved car, please in future can you lower the background music, as it was overbearing and had it off-putting what you had to say with great interest. Also could hardly hear that glorious 7ltr V8. Congratulations Ben showing us a piece of top history.
Please note that all other aspects being equal, increasing the diameter of a wire wheel makes it weaker, not stronger. Ask anyone who has built bicycle wheels, as I have, and they will tell you that the smaller a wheel is, the stronger it gets. I suspect that larger wheels were needed to clear brake discs of a larger diameter. Heavier gauge spokes may have also been used to make the wheels stronger, but it is clear that your engineering knowledge is not as good as it should be for someone who makes car videos.
One could easily imagine that engine swap would have been done because a racing official somewhere didn't know the history of the car and insisted there were no V8's, so would have to be put right to race ... Imagine that blokes face finding out what it was much later. Shame it's not the original motor, because you can bet that unit wasn't 'stock' inside.
