The Shifting Metal team have taken on a cheap auction-bought 2004 Aston Martin DB9, addressing a subtle V12 misfire, a seized exhaust valve, and a water-damaged LED taillight assembly.
Ben used a TOPDON scan tool to investigate a lumpy idle on the 6.0-litre V12. To identify which ECU controlled the misfiring bank, he temporarily unplugged a throttle body to trigger a fault code before renewing the spark plugs.
The workshop also addressed a common Gaydon-era issue of water ingress shorting out the rear LED clusters. Instead of soldering the corroded board, they retrofitted facelift-style clear lens units and freed off a seized active exhaust valve.
Inside, Joe resolved a sticking satnav screen mechanism and tackled sun-damaged, shrunk dashboard leather. He peeled away the ruined material and retrimmed the front panels using self-adhesive Alcantara.
To finish the cabin, faded red leather stitching was meticulously restored using a specialised textile dye pen, helping turn the £15,680 auction gamble into a retail-ready competition prize.
