Best Smoker Barges - 1 - 5 Large [Vol 3]

[Zwolf]

tog said:

Zwolf said:

Hmm, I find myself toying with the notion of a cheap E39 again, having had several good experiences with sub £2k examples in the past, so...

What are the 523s like?

Fine things to tool about in, provided they're manual - and as such surprisingly economical at 30+ mpg average, driven normally. Same applies to the later 525i that superseded it.

The 2.5s struggle a little bit too much for my liking as autos, so I'd go 2.8 minimum when I inevitably have another.

[GBB]

Zwolf said:

Plus buyer's fees, if it even went to a private punter and not a trader who'll have it on a forecourt for £6,995 next weekend. How many of us would be happy to buy at auction with all the drawbacks that go with the territory?

I appreciate it'll be worth it to a few, but E60 rules it out for me to a large extent and being a 100k diesel one does so definitively. What's interesting there is that logically a similar age, mileage and spec 525/530i will be comfortably under £4k for those confident enough to buy at trade...

I'd forgotten the buyers fees. Normally I'd be cautious of stuff at auction but it was in pretty much spotless condition, 1 owner and direct p/ex. As you say, it'll be up for £6,995 soon enough (if I remember I might check AT next week for it).

Best I saw was a Prelude that went through at £2K when I was looking for one. It had the 4WS on it so no way was that something you'd want to buy at auction and pretty poor outside and in. 2 weeks later I found one advertised in Northampton for £4K that sounded good so I went to have a look at it. The same car, hadn't even been hoovered inside. Your pays your money......

[jonnydm]

Pretty sure we had one of these at a dealer at similar price a few weeks back but thought this one looks good too.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3784930.htm

Never had the pleasure of either but on paper at least makes a lot more sense than the previous S8.

[bmthnick1981]

jonnydm said:

Pretty sure we had one of these at a dealer at similar price a few weeks back but thought this one looks good too.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3784930.htm

Never had the pleasure of either but on paper at least makes a lot more sense than the previous S8.

That looks like cracking value.

[jonnydm]

bmthnick1981 said:

jonnydm said:

Pretty sure we had one of these at a dealer at similar price a few weeks back but thought this one looks good too.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3784930.htm

Never had the pleasure of either but on paper at least makes a lot more sense than the previous S8.

That looks like cracking value.

My thought process in the 5 minutes around seeing that went something along the lines of:

'00 S8 - cheap! (12mpg/6.8-60) -> '03 4.2 - value! (16mpg/6.1-60) -> S Type R - fast! (15.5mpg/5.3-60) -> XJR - cheap/fast (15.5mpg/5.3-60)

[Back to Sq 1]

But for an all round car - modern with all the toys, pace + usability - that A8 is cracking.

[Fox-]

jonnydm said:

Pretty sure we had one of these at a dealer at similar price a few weeks back but thought this one looks good too.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3784930.htm

Never had the pleasure of either but on paper at least makes a lot more sense than the previous S8.

They are so nice. Even if it smacks you with £5k of bork over 3 years it's still cheaper than buying an 18 month old Golf or something equally tedious.

[kingmoosa]

jonnydm said:

Pretty sure we had one of these at a dealer at similar price a few weeks back but thought this one looks good too.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3784930.htm

Never had the pleasure of either but on paper at least makes a lot more sense than the previous S8.

Anyone know where the nav/tv/mmi screen is located in one of those? Presuming it must be a pop up unit on the top of the dashboard (like in a Volvo) as I can't see it anywhere else.

[jonnydm]

kingmoosa said:

Anyone know where the nav/tv/mmi screen is located in one of those? Presuming it must be a pop up unit on the top of the dashboard (like in a Volvo) as I can't see it anywhere else.

Yes.

[johnpeat]

jonnydm said:

Yes.

That interior looks like it came from Ikea or some child's nightmare...

[edo]

I had a D3 A8 (but not with that hideous Ikea interior).

Lovely car, but massively complex (including air suspension).

Mine was low mileage but had been sat about for a while (and jump started, which THEY HATE and had caused all sorts of electrical problems).

Great cars, but need some warranty IMHO, or need to be amazingly cheap. Have some money in a pot for repairs.

[Blown2CV]

johnpeat said:

jonnydm said:

Yes.

That interior looks like it came from Ikea or some child's nightmare...

i can't imagine thumbing through the (probably extensive) interior trim selection brochure and thinking Eureka - green, grey and maple.

[Output Flange]

It fails the thread budget test, but yesterday collected a "new" barge:



Despite the missing badge, it's injected rather than carb-fed.

It certainly decelerates better than it accelerates, but it'll waft along nicely at 70-80 leptons.

[carreauchompeur]

My mum used to have a nearly identical car to that 518. C reg, Zinnoberrot, the works. The "i" had fallen off hers too, I had to put my school friends straight. :minibeard:

[mig25_foxbat2003]

Output Flange said:

It certainly decelerates better than it accelerates

I'll remember that one! More pics please, reminds me of the D-plate JRG 520i my mum used to drive when I was little!

[GBB]

Nice, more pics please.

Also jealous of your garage!

Was someone looking for one of these? - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3788257.htm

Edited by GBB on Wednesday 4th April 09:59

[Motorrad]

GBB said:

Nice, more pics please.

Also jealous of your garage!

Was someone looking for one of these? - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3788257.htm

Edited by GBB on Wednesday 4th April 09:59

It looks and drives like an M5!

NO IT DOESN'T.

Mind you I suppose a really shagged E34 probably doesn't drive well whatever the model. Not that this one is shagged...........

[jonnydm]

GBB said:

Was someone looking for one of these? - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3788257.htm

Think Olly is/was but don't think hes after one like that.

[GBB]

jonnydm said:

Think Olly is/was but don't think hes after one like that.

Am I missing something? Other than the chav stuff which is easily reversed I can't see too much wrong with it for the price?

[jonnydm]

GBB said:

jonnydm said:

Think Olly is/was but don't think hes after one like that.

Am I missing something? Other than the chav stuff which is easily reversed I can't see too much wrong with it for the price?

Fair enough - its a bit of a hassle to get rid of it all / change it over and its not particularly cheap to start with.

[V8mate]

Motorrad said:

GBB said:

Nice, more pics please.

Also jealous of your garage!

Was someone looking for one of these? - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3788257.htm

Edited by GBB on Wednesday 4th April 09:59

It looks and drives like an M5!

NO IT DOESN'T.

Who cares? Looks great!