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

[bmthnick1981]

judas said:

bmthnick1981 said:

Chaps, after considering it before Christmas (then the ignition barrel died on me!) I have decided my E38 is going up for sale. Likely replacement is a E38 750i (SWB) on Style 32's, an E39 M5 or maybe a Merc, Lexus or Jag/Daimler of some sort so I am intending on keeping my toe firmly dipped in the Barge world.

So i've taken some pics and penned an advert but am stuck on price and would appreciate the collective advice of the thread. Basis details are 1998 740il 64,000 miles, good history, 16" wheels, contour seats, 4 months tax, 6-7 months MOT. Thoughts?

I'll give you £300 for it - that's the going rate for 740s these days isn't it?

It was for some lucky chap! I'm afraid I will be after a little more for mine.

[bmthnick1981]

Zwolf said:

bmthnick1981 said:

So i've taken some pics and penned an advert but am stuck on price and would appreciate the collective advice of the thread. Basis details are 1998 740il 64,000 miles, good history, 16" wheels, contour seats, 4 months tax, 6-7 months MOT. Thoughts?

Gut says £2-2.5k.

Thanks Len, that was my feeling too.

[steeevvvooo]

Loving this thread (followed the vol 2 for about a week too)

Currently have a CLK 200 CDI on a 56 plate. We-buy-any-car offered 5.5k, so only just above budget at the moment!

Full history, I know it's a good one etc

So, back around to topic... would you sell a decent, reliable, economical barge for something older, cheaper to buy, more expensive to run and older styling/image etc?!? I'd love an S class, CL, 7 series (circa 1998-2002) etc but the girlfriend thinks they look "old" and wouldn't drive one. She'd want her own car then, and considering we don't use a car for work, seems a bit pointless having two motors just to satisfy my barge lust (already have 2 bikes ). The other option would be a barge she likes, such as the newer CLS or S5, but not really smoker barges yet

[Zwolf]

Hmm, curiously tempting.

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3311841.htm





Unmodified, low mileage with documented service history and for just £3k. Seems bargainous, maybe less as a barge in its own right, but maybe as an adjunct to something properly libellous

[Fox-]

40k in 10 years.

Thats someone who should have bought a 330i, that is.

[GBB]

E38Ross said:

micro-barge update - i got the hands-free in car phone working

happy days!

Me, too. Turns out it was unplugged in the boot. 2 minutes and 1 minute to fit a PAYG Sim (only O2 and Vodafone do the correct card mounts apparently.

Plus a nice original dealer tax disc holder to replace the cack on in the car. Also fitted the spoiler>inner liner corner pieces, no clue how long they will last. Unfortunately my nice cheap PDC sensor is the wrong one (pre 2000) so didn't get that done.

[Zwolf]

Fox- said:

40k in 10 years.

Thats someone who should have bought a 330i, that is.

Totally agree, but you can't tell 'em at the time.

[louiebaby]

GetSerious said:

louiebaby said:

All being well, three x 330i, a brace of 540is and a 740i Sport that happens to be on the way between some of the others.

Maybe a sneaky 328i too. I have to make it friendly for the missus, so I suspect it's go 330i, but I can hope for a V8...

You need to try to convince her that you need the space of a 5 or 7er.

You're only trying to be practical, right?

That said, a nice example of a 330 is still very a good thing.

Great Success!



http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or in case advert disappears:





Mmmmmm... Minty...

[Zwolf]

Well done LB

Right, that's this week's £1-5k barge victim sorted. Who's next?

[louiebaby]

Zwolf said:

Well done LB

Right, that's this week's £1-5k barge victim sorted. Who's next?

I'm sure I'll have lots of questions, but the only real job seems to be an up to date disc for the nav, and maybe whether it has an Aux in I can use for an iPod?

This week is going to drag a LOT...

[kprm77]

Zwolf said:

200bhp said:

Here's a question for you seasoned barge buyers.

How many cars do you go and see but not buy? I've spent this morning looking at Lexuses (Lexi??) and each one had a different small problem.

I've never bought a formerly expensive car cheaply before, so its all a bit new to me.

If it carries on like this, I can see me wasting a lot of time driving around the place looking at cars that are not as good as the advert makes out.

Even at the top of this thread's nominal budget, in most cases we are talking about cars that are presently 10% (or often much less) of their original cost new. They will have minor faults, the point is that whilst they've lost 90% of their value, they are not 90% borked and should still offer the same amount of mileage use again that they currently have, provided you spend money looking after them.

As dear as some of them may be to run - you'll never spend that £45k to do another 100k miles (let's leave E34 M5s out of it for now ).

However, that is not to say you should just buy any of them with no further consideration. I'm overly critical if anything, so too have walked away from around 3 times as many cars as I've ever bought. I spent 18 months shopping for my first V12 Seven, and it paid off.

"Buy in haste, repent at leisure" was coined for just these eventualities. Find a good one, then start the search for its replacement, knowing you're not under pressure to buy anything as what you have is a good one. I always recommend looking at at least four or five ostensibly similar examples of your intended purchase in the metal to get a feel for the range of quality of them, even at the same mileages and prices etc. You may find a 150k mile example that feels much better cared for than one with half the miles for instance - so that's the one you buy.

That's why this thread exists in part, post up your potentials and others will advise as to pitfalls as you can tend to trust them a LOT more than any vendor, as they have no vested interest in which one you end up with, but vendors do, obviously.

Don't get hung up on not buying one because there's another one £500 cheaper. It WILL be cheaper for a reason. You'll know the right one when you find it.

I'd have to agree with Zwolf. I made several mistakes buying my first barge. I had seen another barge previously, but it was a Lexus LS400, so the Audi I bought was the first A8 I had seen. The second mistake I made was the old "I've come this far", so I went ahead and bought it - if it was around the corner from me, I would have left it.

Then again, I paid only 4 - 5% of the cars original value. Despite the fact that it has far more niggles than the advert suggested, they are mostly just that - niggles. The car still goes and sounds great, and I would never have owned one otherwise. The most I stand to lose on the car (i.e. scrap value) is 25% of what I have lost in depreciation on my Saab in one year, so it wouldn't be the end of the world if the Bork Fairy came to visit.

I was overly keen to get into my first proper barge, but now I have it I can follow Zwolf and start searching for a new one with no pressure. Having followed this thread, I now hanker after a W12 A8 - need to wait until they drop a lot closer to the territory of this thread...

We need a barge smiley

[bmthnick1981]

That looks awesome, nice late model, lowish miles, best engine, nice trim level, good tyres, good history...etc... 10 out of 10!

[SimonConnell]

louiebaby said:

I'm sure I'll have lots of questions, but the only real job seems to be an up to date disc for the nav, and maybe whether it has an Aux in I can use for an iPod?

This week is going to drag a LOT...

Looks like a lovely example. Can we be cheeky and ask what you haggled it down to?

[Caruso]

louiebaby said:

Great Success!

http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or in case advert disappears:





Mmmmmm... Minty...

Congratulations on making the right choice!

[hornetrider]

Awesome Touring Louie!

[louiebaby]

SimonConnell said:

louiebaby said:

I'm sure I'll have lots of questions, but the only real job seems to be an up to date disc for the nav, and maybe whether it has an Aux in I can use for an iPod?

This week is going to drag a LOT...

Looks like a lovely example. Can we be cheeky and ask what you haggled it down to?

I think everyone has their own technique for haggling, and I know mine isn't that developed yet. Having seen a couple of cars, this stood head and shoulders above the rest. It was previously advertised at £5,350, and he dropped it very recently.

We shook hands on the mythical £5k. I think I've got a good car, he thinks he got a good sale, and I certainly don't feel robbed. Two happy bunnies.

Now, there are others available cheaper, and there is a green one with similar miles. Of the others I've seen, this felt the newest. As my first premium car, it feels exactly that. The others I saw felt older, and more worn. This one feels like a pair of slippers I can wear in myself, rather than buying a pair that someone else has already done.

Any way, I'm excited. This week is going to drag arse waiting to go get it.

[hornetrider]

You paid more than it was advertised for?! Yes I think your technique needs some honing...

If I wasn't on my phone I'd post the inevitable Python clip

[louiebaby]

hornetrider said:

You paid more than it was advertised for?! Yes I think your technique needs some honing...

If I wasn't on my phone I'd post the inevitable Python clip

Oh dear. I'm going to be known as the guy who haggled the price of their car up, aren't I?

Oh well.

[Zwolf]

In fairness, nobody hands over the £5k and expects the pound coin back do they?

[jonnydm]

Nice to see the new thread up.

See people have been busy already; that 540 Touring looks particularly nice!

steeevvvooo said:

Loving this thread (followed the vol 2 for about a week too)

Currently have a CLK 200 CDI on a 56 plate. We-buy-any-car offered 5.5k, so only just above budget at the moment!

Full history, I know it's a good one etc

So, back around to topic... would you sell a decent, reliable, economical barge for something older, cheaper to buy, more expensive to run and older styling/image etc?!? I'd love an S class, CL, 7 series (circa 1998-2002) etc but the girlfriend thinks they look "old" and wouldn't drive one. She'd want her own car then, and considering we don't use a car for work, seems a bit pointless having two motors just to satisfy my barge lust (already have 2 bikes ). The other option would be a barge she likes, such as the newer CLS or S5, but not really smoker barges yet

If you're prepared to look outside of the 'big three', you will be able to get quite a bit newer luxury saloon for around your money.