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

[jonnydm]

Woody - love that 540, looks ace.

[r129sl]

hornetrider said:

I can't stand that old Merc I have to say. The cruise stalk looks a nightmare (buttons on the wheel ftw) and it just looks on its last legs to me. (I realise it probably isn't!)

The cruise control stalk is an ergonomic triumph. Up to go faster; down to go slower; away to knock off; in to resume. It is by far the easiest and safest system I have ever come across and far superior to buttons on the wheel because it is intuitive and it can be operated without taking your eyes off the road. They've been doing it this way for over 40 years for a reason. I also like the combination switch and the foot-operated parking brake and have never really understood the fuss about these things (especially the later: much easier to apply than a conventional handbrake).

[r129sl]

W00DY said:

Rather keen on this as an honest smoker.




http://pistonheads.com/sales/3866903.htm

Just needs ginger to be perfect.

[confused_buyer]

r129sl said:

The cruise control stalk is an ergonomic triumph. Up to go faster; down to go slower; away to knock off; in to resume. It is by far the easiest and safest system I have ever come across and far superior to buttons on the wheel because it is intuitive and it can be operated without taking your eyes off the road. They've been doing it this way for over 40 years for a reason. I also like the combination switch and the foot-operated parking brake and have never really understood the fuss about these things (especially the later: much easier to apply than a conventional handbrake).

Strange it hasn't got speedtronic though. I had a 97 S500 and that had Speedtronic.

I agree the Mercedes system works very well - get in any Merc today and the cruise control / wiper / speedtronic system will be identical and they've kept with it because it simply works.

[confused_buyer]

confused_buyer said:

Strange it hasn't got speedtronic though. I had a 97 S500 and that had Speedtronic.

oops. I'm talking rubbish, it has. ;(

[r129sl]

Thoughts? I am finding this very hard to resist.

I know, the wheel trims are wrong. But the antenna is correct, being a dealer fit job and not factory.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1986-MERCEDES-300-TE-AUT...

[hornetrider]

confused_buyer said:

r129sl said:

The cruise control stalk is an ergonomic triumph. Up to go faster; down to go slower; away to knock off; in to resume. It is by far the easiest and safest system I have ever come across and far superior to buttons on the wheel because it is intuitive and it can be operated without taking your eyes off the road. They've been doing it this way for over 40 years for a reason. I also like the combination switch and the foot-operated parking brake and have never really understood the fuss about these things (especially the later: much easier to apply than a conventional handbrake).

Strange it hasn't got speedtronic though. I had a 97 S500 and that had Speedtronic.

I agree the Mercedes system works very well - get in any Merc today and the cruise control / wiper / speedtronic system will be identical and they've kept with it because it simply works.

Hmmm. Maybe I need to, you know, actually drive one and educate myself.

[hornetrider]

r129sl said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1986-MERCEDES-300-TE-AUT...

[BigBen]

Sump said:

Baryonyx said:

A lex said:

Robatr0n said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3869563.htm

Looks a lovely example, Ben.

That is a bloody excellent buy - especially if its all working as described. In fact the 1500 price tag worries me slightly - from the pics, the spec and the description he could/should be asking a bit more.

That just looks a right stunner. The ultimate Kensington cruiser.

Lets me get this right, someones got a bargain barge.

Why do us BBers sell cars? When they're fooked!

Or if they have decided to buy a non barge car instead. 2 years is about the longest I have kept a car and I will be sad to see it go. New car arrives tomorrow so go it must.

[BigBen]

confused_buyer said:

confused_buyer said:

Strange it hasn't got speedtronic though. I had a 97 S500 and that had Speedtronic.

oops. I'm talking rubbish, it has. ;(

I do love that Mercedes still use names that sound like Victorian inventions for features on its cars. I suppose it sounds slightly better than 'tempmatic' which was the W123 name for cruise control

[r129sl]

I thought "tempomat" was German for cruise control. Isn't tempmatik what they used to call the temperature-regulated heater on the 201/124/126? I agree with you that all of these "-tronic" things things sound a bit spaz.

[lordlee]

r129sl said:

Thoughts? I am finding this very hard to resist.

I know, the wheel trims are wrong. But the antenna is correct, being a dealer fit job and not factory.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1986-MERCEDES-300-TE-AUT...

That would take rather a long time to resell being in 'slough gold'. Still if you are OK with that its tidy.

[Luke.]

lordlee said:

r129sl said:

Thoughts? I am finding this very hard to resist.

I know, the wheel trims are wrong. But the antenna is correct, being a dealer fit job and not factory.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1986-MERCEDES-300-TE-AUT...

That would take rather a long time to resell being in 'slough gold'. Still if you are OK with that its tidy.

I don't know if it would. There are enough nutters on here that love old brown Mercs these days. Would go in a flash.

[lordlee]

This isnt bad for similar money...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-MERCEDES-S-CLASS-S5...

[mccrackenj]

lordlee said:

r129sl said:

Thoughts? I am finding this very hard to resist.

I know, the wheel trims are wrong. But the antenna is correct, being a dealer fit job and not factory.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1986-MERCEDES-300-TE-AUT...

That would take rather a long time to resell being in 'slough gold'. Still if you are OK with that its tidy.

I think it's marvellous. Agree it would be a challenge to sell again but it's one you'd buy, use sparingly and keep forever. Maybe have an example of one of the very last W124 E320 estates as well to keep it company.

[r129sl]

Luke. said:

lordlee said:

r129sl said:

Thoughts? I am finding this very hard to resist.

I know, the wheel trims are wrong. But the antenna is correct, being a dealer fit job and not factory.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1986-MERCEDES-300-TE-AUT...

That would take rather a long time to resell being in 'slough gold'. Still if you are OK with that its tidy.

I don't know if it would. There are enough nutters on here that love old brown Mercs these days. Would go in a flash.

I think the colour is what you'd call "period". Loosely translates as "so bad it's good". The interior (date) is my favourite Mercedes interior colour. Some of you may recall Brian Sewell's 560 SEC (formerly the property of one Nigel Mansell, now in the ownership of MBUK) was adorned in these fair hues (champagne metallic over date leather) and looked rather splendid.

Sewell did a little-known TV series entitled the Naked Pilgrim in which he travels the pilgrimage route to Santiago by SEC. The car is very much the star; in his words, "I love it like an old dog!" You can see episode 1 here: The Naked Pilgrim Ep1 - Brian Sewell. It really is worth the download time. The entire series is fantastic and the Mercedes gets a lot of air time. A good way to waste half an hour of the company's time, I'd say.

[gareth_r]

r129sl said:

hornetrider said:

I can't stand that old Merc I have to say. The cruise stalk looks a nightmare (buttons on the wheel ftw) and it just looks on its last legs to me. (I realise it probably isn't!)

The cruise control stalk is an ergonomic triumph. Up to go faster; down to go slower; away to knock off; in to resume. It is by far the easiest and safest system I have ever come across and far superior to buttons on the wheel because it is intuitive and it can be operated without taking your eyes off the road. They've been doing it this way for over 40 years for a reason...

Toyota/Lexus used a very similar system for cruise control (or "automatic drive" as they originally called it) - cruise on/off button on the end of the stalk, down to set or reduce cruise speed, pull to suspend, up to resume or increase cruise speed. Very easy to use.

[BigBen]

gareth_r said:

r129sl said:

hornetrider said:

I can't stand that old Merc I have to say. The cruise stalk looks a nightmare (buttons on the wheel ftw) and it just looks on its last legs to me. (I realise it probably isn't!)

The cruise control stalk is an ergonomic triumph. Up to go faster; down to go slower; away to knock off; in to resume. It is by far the easiest and safest system I have ever come across and far superior to buttons on the wheel because it is intuitive and it can be operated without taking your eyes off the road. They've been doing it this way for over 40 years for a reason...

Toyota/Lexus used a very similar system for cruise control (or "automatic drive" as they originally called it) - cruise on/off button on the end of the stalk, down to set or reduce cruise speed, pull to suspend, up to resume or increase cruise speed. Very easy to use.

The other feature that Mercs have is you can set a speed limit above which the car won't let you drive, handy for roadworks with average speed cameras.

Ben

[XB70]

BigBen said:

The other feature that Mercs have is you can set a speed limit above which the car won't let you drive, handy for roadworks with average speed cameras.

Ben

I had been unaware of that when on my first CL outing to Germany. Ran into the LIM at around 120mph or so and thought I had damaged the engine! Co-pilot flicks through the manual and recommended shifting down a gear (which I thankfully ignored!) But eventually issue was identified and increased to maximum schnell speed at each opportunity.

The petrol stations absoluely LOVED us on that trip!

[lordlee]

This would be a good autobahn companion on the subject of CL's...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...