Best Smoker Barges 1-5 large [Vol 7]

[0a]

S3_Graham said:

Tried to view that 500SEL but they gave me the impression it was pretty much sold, annoying. That was about 6 weeks ago.

Good news on the E55 cat, the noise is ace isn't it. If I stick to 70 and cruise on my commute i'm getting 26 mpg. Really impressed so far! Although its going in for the service next Tuesday. £975.. and that's before they find anything! Had a problem with the alarm too, interior sensor setting the bloody thing off!

It's great to see some positive experiences of this era of merc AMG on the thread. I'd like to try one!

What's the £975 for? Sounds a lot for a service?

[Sterillium]

Zwolf said:

STUFFS!

Find me a silver one with black leather and sports seats please.

[0a]

300E with 107k for £1,350. Looks sparsely equipped though and what's that spoiler - the 300E is hardly the kind of car in need of aero mods to improve lap times?!

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C533275#

[SuperHangOn]

Zwolf said:

Nope. At 56-62 mph cruise she returns 34.2-33.8 hovering around 1,500rpm.

30 is from more typical motorway cruising speeds at ~2k rpm. It drops to 24 and quickly thereafter once you exceed 2,600rpm in top...

Sorry to be cheeky, any thought on this?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Not sure at what point this is a bit OTT.

[bmthnick1981]

How about a blue with blue W140 S600 with low miles for £3k ish?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-600-S-V12-1996-...

Crap advert.

[GWS33]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-MERCEDES-E430-AVANT...

This looks pretty good

[0a]

GWS33 said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-MERCEDES-E430-AVANT...

This looks pretty good

I know the owner (I do business with him!) and have discussed this car with him - a very good chap indeed, with LS400 and MX5 to his name. In fact he was in my W124 last week.

The car is the same car I mentioned that was described to me as rust free a few pages back (I have not seen it myself and wouldn't like to vouch further for this era of merc!).

I understand that it was a late night purchase prior to the thought of insurance or parking when the chaps who purchased it have other cars using both of these!

[E65Ross]

Bugger.... I may be about to break down! Done around 180 miles and going from a 50 limit back to national I floored it and the car "coughed" and didn't want to rev at all and was very lumpy under throttle. Cruised at 50 for a while and it seemed fine. Before services I put foot down again (no full throttle) and it seemed ok so just hoping it was a small electrical glitch.

At services now (was due a break anyway) and will leave car odd for 15mins or so and then drive again. Next services in 10 so I'll drive normally and then just before those I'll floor it and if needs be I'll go in and call the AA

[r129sl]

Air mass meter?

[bmthnick1981]

Possibly a dodgy MAF or sensor of some sort, dont panic!

[hornetrider]

Hopefully nothing to serious. Nothing worse than driving around with a virtual sword of damocles over your head waiting for the most inopportune moment to strike.

[Zwolf]

Sterillium said:

Find me a silver one with black leather and sports seats please.

You and everyone else! Dull as hell combo though. /personalopinion

SuperHangOn said:

Sorry to be cheeky, any thought on this?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Not sure at what point this is a bit OTT.

Changing hoses just for the sake of it? OTT.

Changing them because you're replacing the entire cooling system as preventive maintenance? Understandable, if likely a bit "overkill".

[E65Ross]

Car is much better and drives normally except full throttle past 6k. Oddly, Idrive now saying microfilter change is due... Yesterday it was 7k miles!

Thoughts?

I did fill up with BP fuel yesterday.... Only £30 but usually use Vpower

Edited by E65Ross on Wednesday 27th August 09:38

[Lowtimer]

Hardly overkill on a car of this age. Hose failure is a "when", not an "if", and more calendar related than mileage related.

[r129sl]

Zwolf said:

Sterillium said:

Find me a silver one with black leather and sports seats please.

You and everyone else! Dull as hell combo though. /personalopinion

SuperHangOn said:

Sorry to be cheeky, any thought on this?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Not sure at what point this is a bit OTT.

Changing hoses just for the sake of it? OTT.

Changing them because you're replacing the entire cooling system as preventive maintenance? Understandable, if likely a bit "overkill".

If it's a keeper and if you rely on it for serious transport, then it strikes me as very sensible preventative maintenance of the once-a-decade or once-every-200,000miles kind.

[Zwolf]

r129sl said:

...once-a-decade or once-every-200,000miles kind.

On a BMW? 80k seems to be a more realistic life expectancy for most of their cooling systems at least as far back as E30/32/34. 100k without replacing any of it and you're doing bloody well.

Hoses are simple enough to keep an eye on if the car's in regular use and you're under the bonnet regularly anyway. If you're replacing the pump, thermostat, VC, fan and radiator anyway, I agree it seems practical to change the even more readily perishable rubber bits.

Hoses seem to be less problematic IME than the (usually plastic) connections on the radiators that often crack first.

[Lowtimer]

If you do 100,000 miles in three or four years - which I have done in plenty of BMWs - then the cooling system will be fine.

It is much more to do with the passage of time.

[BigBen]

bmthnick1981 said:

How about a blue with blue W140 S600 with low miles for £3k ish?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-600-S-V12-1996-...

Crap advert.

Crap advert indeed, but it does imply that it is a one owner car which has only been MB serviced. Could be a bargain.

[Zwolf]

Lowtimer said:

If you do 100,000 miles in three or four years - which I have done in plenty of BMWs - then the cooling system will be fine.

I'll find out soon.

Lowtimer said:

It is much more to do with the passage of time.

Of course it is, as with all rubber components.

Is SHO using it in that way though? I didn't see that he was.

[Lowtimer]

SHO's car is 1997, so on the basis of calendar life regardless of mileage I'd be changing everything made of rubber that is either significantly load-bearing, or that comes into contact with coolant or oil or significant heat, that I could reasonably reach during any job that gave access to it. Unless I know it had already been replaced within the last five years or so.