Best Smoker Barges 1-5 large [Vol 7]

[Stegel]

r129sl said:

The exception to this is if you have a 300-24 or a 320. On these cars the ball joint is welded into the lower control arm and the whole arm needs to be replaced. The price from Merc doesn't bear thinking about; Febi or Lemförder LCAs are about £100 each.

I know that some Sportline components- anti-roll bar for instance- are different from standard spec. Is this the case with the lower control arm, and if so does it oblige purchase from MB?

[r129sl]

LCA is the same component on Sportline and standard cars. Pretty much everything is available on the after market at varying quality levels, whether Sportline or standard.

Sportline cars have different road wheels, springs (but then springs vary according to the engine, transmission and equipment combination anyway), shocks, anti-roll bars, anti-roll bar bushes and steering boxes (faster on Sportline cars). It maybe they have different spring cups, I can't recall.

300-24s and 320s have different LCAs/ball joints to those on the rest of the range.

320s have bigger front brake discs, callipers and pads than those on the rest of the range.

[Stegel]

Many thanks!

[barchetta_boy]

I have now put 25k miles on my facelift E280 bought from w124.co.uk and spent about £2.5k on putting things right, and it needs a new cat and the ball joints doing at this service. Plus there's also a squeaky belt somewhere.

I love it, the only thing other than the pisspoor headlamps (which was significantly ameliorated by Philips Xtreme bulbs) is the wind noise at high speed.

If I got another one - and a large part of me would be happy to drive this for the rest of my life, there's something about them - I'd want a 5 speed.

Oh yes - the point of this post was supposed to ask for Merc garage recommendations in the west Kent / Sussex area. Anyone?

Joel

[idiotgap]

barchetta_boy said:

I have now put 25k miles on my facelift E280 bought from w124.co.uk and spent about £2.5k on putting things right, and it needs a new cat and the ball joints doing at this service. Plus there's also a squeaky belt somewhere.

I love it, the only thing other than the pisspoor headlamps (which was significantly ameliorated by Philips Xtreme bulbs) is the wind noise at high speed.

If I got another one - and a large part of me would be happy to drive this for the rest of my life, there's something about them - I'd want a 5 speed.

Oh yes - the point of this post was supposed to ask for Merc garage recommendations in the west Kent / Sussex area. Anyone?

Joel

Hi Joel,
I've been using IN-Autos nr Lingfield since I got my first merc in 2007.
http://www.inautos.co.uk
They know the older cars well and are genuinely interested in keeping them going. Tell them I sent you if you decide to give them a try.
Cheers,
Dave

[BeirutTaxi]

barchetta_boy said:

I have now put 25k miles on my facelift E280 bought from w124.co.uk and spent about £2.5k on putting things right, and it needs a new cat and the ball joints doing at this service. Plus there's also a squeaky belt somewhere.

I love it, the only thing other than the pisspoor headlamps (which was significantly ameliorated by Philips Xtreme bulbs) is the wind noise at high speed.

If I got another one - and a large part of me would be happy to drive this for the reg st of my life, there's something about them - I'd want a 5 speed.

Oh yes - the point of this post was supposed to ask for Merc garage recommendations in the west Kent / Sussex area. Anyone?

Joel

Check the Merc forum section for a list of recommended repairers, I set it up years ago and hopefully it's still there. If not give me a shout and I'll dig it out.

[BeirutTaxi]

E65Ross said:

BeirutTaxi said:

......It's a big safety concern, but not that big a job, costs circa £250.

EFA

Well some other people who don't have as much cash might find that an expensive fix!

[texasjohn]

Now sold, but another Legend appearing within budget

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

[Rocksteadyeddie]

BeirutTaxi said:

E65Ross said:

BeirutTaxi said:

......It's a big safety concern, but not that big a job, costs circa £250.

EFA

Well some other people who don't have as much cash might find that an expensive fix!

You could argue that about any price though. I think it's reasonable that if you're attempting to run a barge, then having £250 set aside shouldn't be too much of a budget stretch.

[banjowill]

texasjohn said:

Now sold, but another Legend appearing within budget

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

Is that generation of Legend the one with the dodgy auto box? I know it's a Honda and everything but it seems a fearsomely complicated proposition to take on when it's old and tired. Any ownership experiences?

[E65Ross]

BeirutTaxi said:

E65Ross said:

BeirutTaxi said:

......It's a big safety concern, but not that big a job, costs circa £250.

EFA

Well some other people who don't have as much cash might find that an expensive fix!

I didn't mean it to sound like that, I meant it as in the way you said it made it sound like it was going to be absolutely horrendous and I don't think you'll find many people running cars like that will see £250 as a big bill.... Not because they have more money, but simply because a £250 bill isn't going to be toooooo out of the norm.

[SuperHangOn]

AJ Robertson if Brighton isn't too far? I had my balljoints and ARB bushes replaced there, IIRC I was charged £1hundredandsomething. Nice place to wait around while its done.

[confused_buyer]

banjowill said:

Is that generation of Legend the one with the dodgy auto box? I know it's a Honda and everything but it seems a fearsomely complicated proposition to take on when it's old and tired. Any ownership experiences?

It is the generation before that which is known for an iffy autobox. Little seems to be known about this generation - goodness knows how many they sold in the UK. 3?

[SpeckledJim]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

You're so very thread!

One of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.

It has been a very smoker-bargey few weeks. Just before the XJS cropped-up I was given the opportunity to buy a 1-owner 50k mile Proper-FJSH Sovereign that is so fresh, and so 'new' that I couldn't say no.

I do about 15,000 miles a year in my barges, and have nary a pot in which to pee (the XJS is LPG-converted) so I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but I knew I would have lost sleep if I'd turned it down.

So I've given it to my dad.

[tobinen]

Superb! Lucky old dad!

[jke11y]

From now on, a cobbled driveway is my new climbing-plant-on-house yardstick. 10/10.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

r129sl said:

Slightly off topic but hopefully relevant for many of you. I have just ordered four new tyres for my wife's Golf (puke, puke). I found www.tyreleader.co.uk to be astonishingly cheap. £35 cheaper than Camskill. £100 cheaper than Kwik-Fit. They were recommended on the Merc Club forum. I put Goodyear Eagle F1 Assymetric 2s on it, size 225/45 R 17 91Y. £316 for four, delivered. A set of Conti PC5s in 124 size is less than £200, delivered. I have no connection.

Thanks for the link. Useful timing for me, as I'm about to buy 8 tyres.

The cheapest Conti Contact 5 for me (205 60 R15) are £81 fitted, from a local place, and that compares well with the Camskill (69.30) and Tyre Leader prices (£68.29 + fitting). Think I'll send my business to the local chap.

They seem reasonable for RFTs though (not that I plan on replacing the old with new run-flats). Think I'll keep the winters on.

[SpeckledJim]

jke11y said:

From now on, a cobbled driveway is my new climbing-plant-on-house yardstick. 10/10.

Ask, and it shall be given!

[CharlesdeGaulle]

^^^ Nice collection. You need a 124 as well, to really set them off!

[TNTom]

Oi you! Nothing wrong with Langley! I lived here all my 24 years of life. There's a lot crappier parts of the country! Although it does have one to many chavs for my liking!

Motorrad said:

It could be worse......it could be Langley.