Half a Century - 50 years not out

So fifty years have now passed and the car still continues to make you smile.

Still just as stunning and beautiful as the very first day I set eyes on her. In fact the passage of time has been kind, the DB6 has aged incredibly well and looks nothing like as dated as the preceding DB5. David Brown certainly knew what he was doing and considered the DB6 to be the best car Aston Martin ever made.

David Brown and DB6

I continue to look after the car, always making sure that everything is as it should be.

Last year I decided it was time to replace the ignition leads and plug-caps, as quite a few years have passed since they were previously done. At the same time I also replaced the ignition coil and ballast resistor. These components along with the points have an easy life, as in the 1970s I converted the ignition to a Boyer Bransden microprocessor system. The reason for this was to dispense with the condenser within the distributor, as their quality was suspect and they were the primary source of ignition trouble in cars of the period. The ignition system fitted still retains the original Lucas distributor and has proved faultless for over 40 years. The distinctive Kopex ducting to the heater unit was also replaced.

Engine bay - NS

One job that I had intended to do for a while was to service the Halda instruments.

They continued to work properly, but as they are purely mechanical, I felt it was time to clean, oil and look over the mechanisms. I removed both the Speedpilot and Twinmaster from the car, along with the drive-cables and Halda gearboxes. It was now time to get out the watch servicing kit and have a look inside. Everything was fine in both and after cleaning and oiling all the moving parts, I reassembled the units. They are wonderfully engineered instruments and testament to a bygone age. I also cleaned and oiled the drive-cables and gearboxes, as once again it had been a long time since this had been done and it can get quite warm behind the dashboard with the heater unit being there.

Halda Speedpilot and Twinmaster instruments

As always, the car drives well.

50 years since it was first made and it still continues to impress in so many ways. The fly-off handbrake is an absolute pleasure to use and the electric windows are the fastest operating and well-engineered of any fitted to a car. Who else but Aston Martin would use a bicycle chain and sprockets to drive the window lifts, quality is everything and nothing is left to chance. The ZF gearbox is as taught and precise as it was when Dad struggled to get used to it back in 1971. The power steering is exactly the same, with both wonderful feel and feedback. Never once have I felt that it has been surpassed by modern designs. 

Carl Wark - 2016

As to the handling of the car, what can you say?

Precise, utterly predictable and perfectly controllable on the limit. Yes it is a heavy car and the rear axle live, but Aston Martin did a great job in anchoring this on parallel trailing links and locating it transversely by Watt's linkage.  Quite simply the faster you go, the better it gets. After all the car was made for grand touring, not listening to the turbo pressure-relief valve dump between roundabouts on some city ring-road.

And all this on cross-ply tyres.

The car was designed and built to use Avon Turbospeed tyres. Tyre aspect ratio is taken into consideration as a key part of the suspension geometry, it is foolhardy to ignore it. Not only do these tyres contribute to the predictable handling, but they also ‘look right’ in filling the wheel arches and provide the much needed ground clearance to the exhaust pipes of the car. I accept that they do not last long if driven hard, but to me this is a small price to pay to retain such poise and balance.

Burbage Edge - 2017

We never own a car, merely look after it for a period in time.

This I have endeavoured to do to the best of my ability and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However with the pleasure of looking after such a wonderful car comes responsibility. A responsibility to ensure that the car is kept in good condition and true to form for all future generations.

From the heart I would like to say “Happy Birthday PUW6F - roll on the next 50 years”.

1968 Aston Martin DB6

Documentation

As you would expect, the majority of the documentation relating to PUW6F over its 50 year history remains with the car.

One regret is that the original registration log-book was not returned when the DVLA registration system was updated in 1995. In hindsight I wish I had pursued this at the time. The new V5 document issued shows my father as the original owner of the car, with me as the first change of ownership in 1978. The subsequent V5C documents issued in 2005 and 2012 show exactly the same.

V5 Documents

Although the car has been MOT tested and used on the road every year since it was made, sadly I have only retained the MOT certificates going back to 1989. Clearly this was an oversight on my part, but looking back I guess at the time I never imagined I would keep the car this long and hence it was not important.

MOT Certificates

Tax Discs

I still have the original brochure that came with the car when Dad bought it in 1971. He subsequently obtained some further relevant publicity material from Aston Martin Lagonda during his many visits to the factory at this time.

Aston Martin DB6 Brochures

He also purchased Workshop and Parts manuals from the same source and these have proved absolutely invaluable over the years. The original handbook is still with the car and once again is a wealth of information. In truth there is very little that you cannot do armed only with this book. From valve timing to wiring diagrams it is all there, really all I need is a fresh pair of eyes.

Manuals and Handbooks

The original brochure, information sheet and ‘speed calculator’ that were supplied with the Halda instruments fitted to the car are also still present.

Halda Instrument documents

All documentation and invoices relating to the cars time at Newport Pagnell are retained. This includes everything Dad had carried out on his behalf in the early 70s and the work completed latterly under my ownership.

Aston Martin Lagonda invoices

Aston Martin Works Service repair invoice

Aston Martin Works Sevice invoices

Most invoices for parts that have been used in the maintenance and upkeep of the car over it's life have also been kept. This includes both Aston Martin service parts and general items such as tyres and batteries etc.