Best Smoker Barges 1-5 large [Vol 7]

[bigee]

£8k could win you the odd battle,but, you would probably still lose the war.

[r129sl]

derin100 said:

As r129sl said, I think it's probably a perceived complexity rather than an actuality. I would have also said that apart from the roof mechanism there hasn't been anything that has struck me as overly complicated above and beyond a W124?

They're not really complicated at all. The running gear is all w124. Even the optional ADS suspension is straight forward enough. The roof has many elements to it, but it isn't incomprehensible. Where it does differ from the 107 is in the amount of ECUs and corresponding circuits. There's a lot more wiring in a 129 than in a 107. Later models have pretty complex power train management. But the thing is, it works with beautiful logic; it's very robust; and mechanics and garagistes have not stood still, they're all familiar with this stuff nowadays. Even the DIYer can obtain at low cost a diagnostic machine and get to grips with a 129.

[r129sl]

I came across these people for the first time today. They specialise in 1970s Jags but at the bottom of their list they have this stunningly-presented little thing:

http://milesclassic.co.uk/cars/mercedes-190e-2-6-a...



I'm back onto 190s. I'm currently running my friend's A4 B5 2.8 quattro again. I did a mini-Derin/mini-Ross on it tonight but it is a soul-less thing.

[SuperHangOn]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Crown-Royal-Saloo...

I think I really like this, naff 70's Vauxhall badges and all.

Bet its stupendously well built.

[texasjohn]

Nice 190 2.6 there.

I should be back on the road in a couple of months so I am beginning to watch this thread a bit more closely for potential buys.

[slippery]

bigee said:

£8k could win you the odd battle,but, you would probably still lose the war.

I would beg to differ. Big Ben will throw some light on the subject when he pops in, but I don't think eight grand contingency on top of normal running costs is likely to leave you short. The suspension is the thing most likely to bite, but that's not just an SL 55 trait.

[harry kular]

£8k contingency?

Are they really that bad? Surely there isn't too much that is unique to them?

I've some experience of Airmatic issues, which wasn't that bad really- surely it can't be much worse, particularly if you make sure the roof seals are ok and it actually works...

[slippery]

No Harry, they're not that bad. The 8k figure was only mentioned with reference to the fact that in my opinion, they should be a 20k car.

[tali1]

Sterillium said:

brickwall said:

Sterillium said:

I have developed a semi for this.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1990-Mercedes-300-TE-24v...

Oof. Now that is seriously tempting. Almost the exact perfect spec for me.

GERROFF!

Doesn't seem to have Sportline seats

[idiotgap]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Any recommendations for decent aircon places near Farnborough?

Sorry it's not closer, but I can recommend vehvac in Edenbridge who got my S124 aircon going again.

[Baryonyx]

derin100 said:

I agree. R230 is a stunning looking car!

Stunning to look at and to drive. A friend of mine went from a Designo Alanite R129 SL320 to a R230 SL500. The classic looks of the R129 won that battle for me but the R230 had a better interior, and was just incredible in every sense.

As proof of the wild R129 market, you can buy a perfectly good one for £3500 - this Designo Alanite went up for £13,500 when he sold it to Avant Garde! You can pay next to nowt, or you can pay very serious money for the R129. His R129 looked like a new car when it went, 'fastidious' does not begin to describe the care that was lavished on it.

As a result, the R129 remains a strong favourite for me. I have the good fortune to often see a V12 SL600 in two tone grey/silver being driven through my village quite often; it's clearly in daily use and looks as fresh as the day it rolled out of the showroom! It's such a local fixture, it even features in the background of some of my wedding photos as it was parked on the street outside the grounds of the reception hall.

[derin100]

^^ Yes.

I've just been leafing through the latest Mercedes Gazette this morning. There are quite a few 129s at some of the well-known classic dealers at much, much higher prices than the ones that come up on this thread. I guess because we're limited to the £5K top budget here we get a slightly distorted picture of where 129s market is currently. Best to think of prices as "all over the place"?

There are some potentially decent ones within thread budget but the really good ones are much more. The really top, low mileage ones are actually multiples of top thread budget.

[hornetrider]

Is the lack of leather that kills it for me. Otherwise it's just an LS400 if you squint.

[SuperHangOn]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Better. With the suspension in good shape and decent tyres they can actually be hustled along surprisingly well. I think a smaller wheel is a massive improvement in legroom and feel (although R129SL disagrees!). The 124 is more a full on barge.

Lack of a/c is a bummer. Even a borked system is a bonus - the dash can be ripped out so easily in those that even an evaporator problem wouldn't be too huge a deal.

[EskimoArapaho]

Consensus is that the 6-pot 190E is a bit of a heavy lump to have at the front and the 4-pot is better suited to the chassis. So the correct answer is a 2.5-16V (with auto for barginess).

The beryl blue 2.6 190E (on Ebay and posted here a few weeks ago) is a far better specced car at that figure (AC and the full AMG kit). I nearly bought it about 4 years ago, but couldn't quite live with the colour.

[andy43]

Brahn.
500, 59k, 2.5k inc private plate. Shmokin'! (silver).

[E65Ross]

andy43 said:

Brahn.
500, 59k, 2.5k inc private plate. Shmokin'! (silver).

Just up the road from where some friends live too! I like that, not a big fan of the brown interior, but I could forgive it that for having a nice V8 and being a W140.

[NastyNick74]

My 190e 2.0 auto is pretty nippy for a 20 year old car. The balloon tyres give a magic carpet ride as you waft along. My wife can't stay awake on long journeys.

Parts are plentiful and very cheap. And it gets a lot of approving looks.

[E65Ross]

NastyNick74 said:

My 190e 2.0 auto is pretty nippy for a 20 year old car. The balloon tyres give a magic carpet ride as you waft along. My wife can't stay awake on long journeys.

Parts are plentiful and very cheap. And it gets a lot of approving looks.

Mate of mine had one of these, it did have a good ride; not the best I've ever been in but certainly very good. It's engine was a bit down on power but don't think it suited a barge very well in my opinion. Quite buzzy/noisy at speed and they aren't especially refined compared to more modern cars. They do have a nice charm about them though.

[mccrackenj]

r129sl said:

I came across these people for the first time today. They specialise in 1970s Jags but at the bottom of their list they have this stunningly-presented little thing:

http://milesclassic.co.uk/cars/mercedes-190e-2-6-a...



I'm back onto 190s. I'm currently running my friend's A4 B5 2.8 quattro again. I did a mini-Derin/mini-Ross on it tonight but it is a soul-less thing.

They've had that for sale for months, looks very nice indeed. I must say I was tempted. Would've been even more tempted if I didn't already have a 190e 2.6.