Best Smoker Barges 1-5 large [Vol 5]

[derin100]

r129sl said:

I agree entirely with LBC. You can run a banger 124 on a tu'penny budget, but where's the pleasure in that? Run it as a daily and keep it in proper condition, and it'll cost the kind of serious money that a newer car won't. Now, the newer car will depreciate, for sure, but it is also a newer car with many, many advantages, not the least of which is that it won't be anything like as worn out. My own view is that even one of Nick Froome's w124s will need stuff doing to it and will suffer failures: this is not to do down Mr Froome, far from it, his cars are the best and his open and helpful approach is a blessing to all of us, it is just to state the fact that 20 year old cars with 100k plus miles suffer long term wear and tear.

But the fact is, you have to buy the car you want, whether the reasons for doing so are rational or not. Just as part of LBC's buying decisions are informed by his personality, so are mine. I like to be contrary, I have an irrational love for these old Mercs, it pleases me to do them up, modern metal isn't my cup of tea and, finally, I quite like pissing money away.

I agree with this. My trouble is that I don't need two of them. So one will need to go and unfortunately my experience so far, having not found a serious buyer for the red Coupe yet, is that it seems so few people actually can see and understand what both you and LBC are saying.


However, it may also be, as CMOOSE suggested, that it's because it the 230 4-cylinder and people's perception of it versus a 6-cylinder. I have now driven this car over 15,000 miles and I have to say I don't share the common belief.

Yes, in the 2.0L guise, which I had in three 190Es, it isn't great and they were the slowest cars I've ever owned. However, and this is where I have to disagree with LBC, the mere 300cc difference in capacity (IMHO) belies the way the engine feels. It feels completely different. Once up and running and despite the extra weight of the C124 over the W201s, it is a much, much better unit....and I've heard and read other people say this as well. I once had to give the car to my BMW Specialist mechanic to drive from here to his work-shop. Even he said: "Gosh, when you're driving along in that you wouldn't believe it was a four-pot!"

Collecting the 300CE last night was the first time I've had the opportunity to drive them back-to-back. Yes, the six is more powerful and smoother...but the difference isn't SO vast, in my opinion, as to in anyway dismiss the 2.3L. Sure the 4-pot gets a bit screamy if you're really pushing it at very high revs but even my Merc Specialist said that in many ways the 2.3L is the pick of the engines in the real world...The 220 is a horrible screamer and the six cylinders you pay for at the pump. His 320, he reckoned, was so thirsty he used to think twice everytime he took it out...I had that engine in a R129 SL320...nice but it really did like a drink!

I need more time to get acquainted with the 300CE because I have so few miles in it so far ( hadn't even seen it more than once in a year and a half! ) but the one thing I did note straight-away is that the C124's natural tendency towards understeer seemed accentuated in the 300CE because of the bigger lump in the nose. My 230CE feels the nimbler car. The comparison may not be entirely fair as the 230CE has 'Sportline' springs and equivalent shocks and the 300CE is also carrying aircon 'stuff' under its bonnet......non-functioning by the way (and it's not just a re-gas job!). I'm not going to do a time-trial but on the twisty country roads and A-roads with lots of fast roundabouts around here I don't think the 230CE would be very far off the pace - if at all!

[deadslow]

slippery said:

deadslow said:

Would anyone on here buy a damaged vehicle which had been rebuilt on a brand new manufacturer bodyshell? Rebuilt by independent marque specialists. Zero history. Will it shake itself to bits?

B602WEX. My old E28 520i fitted that description to a tee. Not a rattle. Not a squeek. Probably long dead now as it was nearly 25 years ago!
. I would say proceed with caution as each car like that is a unique proposition, but if the price is right it's worth a look.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. Car looks good, and current servicing garage give a thumbs up. But it is still a scary proposition for some reason.

[derin100]

SuperHangOn said:

derin100 said:

Stuff

I feel guilty in that I enjoyed reading that post, I could sense the pain!

My last 124 had rusty wings and worn out rear suspension. The suspension was left and the wings painted with hammerite. Therin lies the difference

Yep, this true! That is actually the sensible approach! And certainly what I should have done! I only bought it in the first instance as a stop-gap whilst my wife's car was being fixed about two and a half years ago with the intention of doing just that. Somewhere I took a wrong turning!

Worst still having failed to learn my lesson with this one...I've gone and done it again with the 300CE. After buying it and discovering just some of what was going to be needed I came within a whisker of just scrapping it and selling the parts...that's what I should have done! I would probably have been quids in very quickly. Instead, I just couldn't bring myself to do it because the body and paintwork were so good.

But now even after handing over yet another check for £1900 (not including the £1500 already handed over last year, not including refurbing the wheels and buying 4 new Michelins, not including all of the other parts - brakes, springs, shocks, miscellany - that I'd already bought last year) I got back here in it last night and still felt like just getting my sledge-hammer and smashing it all to bits and pretending it has never happened in the face of all the work and expense that I've STILL got to put into it. There is even more pain in this one...far more...than the red one!

Edited by derin100 on Wednesday 19th June 20:02

[bmthnick1981]

derin100 said:

Yep, this true! That is actually the sensible approach! And certainly what I should have done! I only bought it in the first instance as a stop-gap whilst my wife's car was being fixed about two and a half years ago with the intention of doing just that. Somewhere I took a wrong turning!

Worst still having failed to learn my lesson with this one...I've gone and done it again with the 300CE. After buying it and discovering just some of what was going to be needed I came within a whisker of just scrapping it and selling the parts...that's what I should have done! I would probably have been quids in very quickly. Instead, I just couldn't bring myself to do it because the body and paintwork were so good.

But now even after handing over yet another check for £1900 (not including the £1500 already handed over last year, not including refurbing the wheels and buying 4 new Michelins, not including all of the other parts - brakes, springs, shocks, miscellany - that I'd already bought last year) I got back here in it last night and still felt like just getting my sledge-hammer and smashing it all to bits and pretending it has never happened in the face of all the work and expense that I've STILL got to put into it. There is even more pain in this one...far more...than the red one!

Edited by derin100 on Wednesday 19th June 20:02

Chin up! I think all your cars look great, and I always enjoy seeing the work that goes into them and the finished article. Bravo I say.

[V8Wagon]

Not exactly a barge but looks like a decent modern well specced motor with a good engine and a decent turn of speed for close to the thread budget.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/bmw-...

[texasjohn]

I think you might have just found me my next car. Thanks!

[bmthnick1981]

Derin, have you seen this;

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...

You and R129 aren't the only ones!

Chap who did that 535 has a thread running somewhere, bogracer is his username I think.

[Mustard]

Bit of a mismatch of spec, (wood, manual, electric cloth sports seats) but does look value for a sensible lowish mileage E90 with the earlier more reliable 3.0 at just over £5k with a good haggle

[Fox-]

S3_Graham said:

Not that I'd buy if its a pup but there really aren't many 540 sports for less than £3000!

What does that tell you about this one then?

[bmthnick1981]

Fox- said:

What does that tell you about this one then?

It must be a bargain!

[derin100]

bmthnick1981 said:

Derin, have you seen this;

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...

You and R129 aren't the only ones!

Chap who did that 535 has a thread running somewhere, bogracer is his username I think.

Thanks buddy. I feel his pain!

[SuperHangOn]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A8-4-2-Quattro-Spor...

seller said:

The car will have a full tank of petrol

seller said:

the fuel gauge has stopped working

You'll have to take his word for it then. My moneys on enough for a test drive and a few miles down the M1

[texasjohn]

Mustard said:

Bit of a mismatch of spec, (wood, manual, electric cloth sports seats) but does look value for a sensible lowish mileage E90 with the earlier more reliable 3.0 at just over £5k with a good haggle

Yep, but appeals to me as I can take or leave leather and don't care for the older nav. Anyway I spoke to seller and going to view it tomorrow hopefully, as for the spec: Believe it or not there is a sister 335i in blue but otherwise the same options...

See my post in this thread!

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[derin100]

olly22n said:

derin100 said:

I got back here in it last night and still felt like just getting my sledge-hammer and smashing it all to bits and pretending it has never happened in the face of all the work and expense that I've STILL got to put into it. There is even more pain in this one...far more...than the red one!

I know how you feel. I want to park my e12 in a barn and not go near it for a thousand years.

I wish I had never taken it on somedays.

I know exactly how you feel. I could have honestly cried when I got my 300CE back last night. A year and a half and I feel like I too wish I'd never taken it on.

[Rollcage]

SuperHangOn said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A8-4-2-Quattro-Spor...

seller said:

The car will have a full tank of petrol

seller said:

the fuel gauge has stopped working

You'll have to take his word for it then. My moneys on enough for a test drive and a few miles down the M1

The BIN is a bit high - it's a bit scruffy.

[tbc]

V8Wagon said:

Not exactly a barge but looks like a decent modern well specced motor with a good engine and a decent turn of speed for close to the thread budget.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/bmw-...

could probably do another 40k without much bother

just hope the drive train stays intact

[ATM]

tbc said:

V8Wagon said:

Not exactly a barge but looks like a decent modern well specced motor with a good engine and a decent turn of speed for close to the thread budget.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/bmw-...

could probably do another 40k without much bother

just hope the drive train stays intact

I'd have that.

[nobrakes]

longblackcoat said:

richardxjr said:

Was there talk of ruinous Mercs?

140k £3850 Ludicrous grin:coin ratio no?



http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...

From what I know, those are ruinous.

There are plenty silver C class estates on the road - that's quite the sleeper.

[derin100]

olly22n said:

derin100 said:

I know exactly how you feel. I could have honestly cried when I got my 300CE back last night. A year and a half and I feel like I too wish I'd never taken it on.

I seemed to have turned CSL into a ropey e12 through my need to rescue st old cars.

F.M.L.

Same here...a few months ago I still had this...look at me now!

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/2003_M3_CSL/index.htm...

[Krikkit]

bmthnick1981 said:

Derin, have you seen this;

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...

You and R129 aren't the only ones!

Chap who did that 535 has a thread running somewhere, bogracer is his username I think.

That's got to be an award-winning waffling bks advert. I like a good read with an interesting car, but I do have a life to get on with!