Man buys flooded Aston Martin DBS and vows to fix it for a reasonable price
- A man bought a flood-damaged Aston Martin for a fraction of its original price
- He was hopeful that he could get it back running again
- But would it prove too big a challenge?
Published on Feb 23, 2025 at 4:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Feb 18, 2025 at 3:48 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A man who bought a flood-damaged Aston Martin DBS hoped to revive the vehicle without breaking the bank.
American YouTuber Samcrac bought the Aston Martin at a South Florida salvage auction for just $28,000.
The low price tag was due to the fact the car had been submerged in saltwater up to around a third of the height of its door.
But its new owner was determined to get it back on the road.
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The Aston Martin DBS had an unfortunate run-in with saltwater
The Aston Martin DBS had been damaged in Florida’s Hurricane Ian, meaning Samcrac was able to snap it up for a fraction of what it would have originally sold for.
Samcrac, who you previously fixed up a salvaged Range Rover and a fire-damaged Ferrari F430, said he was ‘pretty hopeful’ he could rescue the Aston Martin DBS because the water hadn’t appeared to make it into the center console.
Further inspection revealed one completely unsavable junction box that had been under the passenger side footwell.
But after taking a closer look at the engine, and getting underneath the car, the car lover was pretty pleased with what he saw.
“I will tell you, everything is coming up pretty great so far,” he said after checking out the drivetrain.
He also noted that the car looked a lot cleaner than previous flood-damaged cars with little signs of mud or dirt lurking beneath the hood.
Would the flood-damaged car start?
Samcrac was relieved to discover that the saltwater hadn’t made its way into the transmission and was keen to try and get it started.
Firstly, he had to buy a replacement junction box – he got a donor box from a Volvo for just $60 – and hooked it up to the Aston Martin DBS as well as a new battery.
However, let’s just say that the first attempt didn’t exactly go to plan, and not only did the car not start but it set the alarm sound off continuously. Not ideal.
Despite numerous fixes and changes, by the end of the clip, he wasn’t any closer to getting the Aston Martin DBS back up and running.
He went on to put a lot more effort into getting it going before eventually admitting defeat and selling it for $28,500 – $500 more than what he bought it for.
So, while he couldn’t fix it, it wasn’t a total loss.
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
