Best Smoker Barges 1-5 large [Vol 7]

[PSRG]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

in 2007 I bought a new A4 Cabriolet; a 2.0T S Line in metallic grey. We eventually sold it in autumn 2012, but if I'm honest regretted it pretty much immediately. So when the sun came out in the spring of 2013 eBay plus wine resulted in the purchase of the Cabriolet

The funny thing is, almost the first thing our cleaner said when she saw it was "when did you get your Audi back" !! Now I sold the A4 for around £12k, and bought the Cabriolet for £540. To her they looked the same

Mind you, any closer than the distance those photos were taken and you can see what 18 years in SW London has done yo the paintwork - a myriad of scratches that, mercifully, are hidden well by the silver paintwork

[PSRG]

Barchettaman said:

PSRG, that Audi Cab. looks absolutely superb. Top bargey shedding.

The pictures (plus £50s of Autoglymn products...) flatter it. Mechanically it's sound, and the blue cloth and walnut trimmed interior is is good shape. The bodywork is also pretty sound, but the paintwork is extensively scratched. None of them deep, but noticeable close up. Always starts though, and the V6 and old school 4 speed auto is very very smooth, and surprisingly brisk for just 150 bhp. We love it though, and it was perfect in today's sunshine. A 160 mile round trip which we didn't even hesitate about doing in a 20 year old car

[Pickled]

MJK 24 said:

I've retreated to the Algarve for the long weekend. Just hitched a ride in a W210 taxi but not a model I've seen on UK soil. E290 Turbodiesel. Sounded as if it was a 5 cylinder.

From what I saw at the taxi rank in Faro airport, as much as 20% of the taxi fleet down here is the W124 and not one rusty front wing amongst them!

IIRC Some Sprinter vans (316/416) had the 2.9 5 pot in them.

[MJK 24]

Pickled said:

MJK 24 said:

I've retreated to the Algarve for the long weekend. Just hitched a ride in a W210 taxi but not a model I've seen on UK soil. E290 Turbodiesel. Sounded as if it was a 5 cylinder.

From what I saw at the taxi rank in Faro airport, as much as 20% of the taxi fleet down here is the W124 and not one rusty front wing amongst them!

IIRC Some Sprinter vans (316/416) had the 2.9 5 pot in them.

I think Ssanyong also used it in the Musso?

[slippery]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

E36 M3 for the win.

[Mikey_W]

Always preferred the saloon, just for the stealth factor.. Were they around 190hp? I remember the noise and cracking drive

[Pickled]

MJK 24 said:

Pickled said:

MJK 24 said:

I've retreated to the Algarve for the long weekend. Just hitched a ride in a W210 taxi but not a model I've seen on UK soil. E290 Turbodiesel. Sounded as if it was a 5 cylinder.

From what I saw at the taxi rank in Faro airport, as much as 20% of the taxi fleet down here is the W124 and not one rusty front wing amongst them!

IIRC Some Sprinter vans (316/416) had the 2.9 5 pot in them.

I think Ssanyong also used it in the Musso?

Ah yes, I'd wiped that abomination from my memory

[slippery]

Compared to the Rodius, the Musso was pure art.

[Pickled]

slippery said:

Compared to the Rodius, the Musso was pure art.

Like comparing a dog turd to a cat turd

[Caruso]

Regarding spring failures, I read somewhere that rather than tapering the last coil to provide a flat top and continuous contact with the adjacent coil, manufacturers these days just cut off the last coil which can cause a high stress spot on the adjacent coil.

Old:


New:

[derin100]

Caruso said:

Regarding spring failures, I read somewhere that rather than tapering the last coil to provide a flat top and continuous contact with the adjacent coil, manufacturers these days just cut off the last coil which can cause a high stress spot on the adjacent coil.

Old:


New:

Sounds like a very good explanation. Here's a pic of the of what I found on my CSL...and this seems to be the common place for springs to fail hence people finding what they describe as a "pig tail" piece:

[CharlesdeGaulle]

I think this is exactly the issue. There was a lengthy piece by Honest John about it a while back - it's to do with the way the end of the castings are finished/crimped off.

[E65Ross]

Well, car is all parked up and shouldn't need it over weekend. At minimum it'll do 20 miles before it gets looked at, at the most around 50 miles.

Time will tell!

[Emeye]

Big old Volvo that is so local that I can almost see from my house. Under thread budget but looks amazing condition.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...


These back seats are EXACTLY what I need with a 10 year old, 3 year old and a baby on the way!


So very cheap, local, perfect rear seats, but...

The economy figures are scary and my research suggests they are not as good as a modern supermini in a crash, but that could be the prefacelift version.

Do they do a more economical engine?

[slippery]

I love those old Volvos, sooooo comfy.

[confused_buyer]

Emeye said:

Big old Volvo that is so local that I can almost see from my house. Under thread budget but looks amazing condition.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...


These back seats are EXACTLY what I need with a 10 year old, 3 year old and a baby on the way!


So very cheap, local, perfect rear seats, but...

The economy figures are scary and my research suggests they are not as good as a modern supermini in a crash, but that could be the prefacelift version.

Do they do a more economical engine?

960/S90 only ever came with a 2.5 or 3.0 (technically a 2.9) straight six. It is actually a lovely engine - ahead of what BMW were managing at the time it came out in straight six world. Obviously it likes a drink although once on the motorway they will approach 30mpg. A lot lower around town.

To be perfectly honest most of the cars on this thread are lacking compared to modern crash technology although you still have a lot of metal around you.

[Krikkit]

Emeye said:

So very cheap, local, perfect rear seats, but...

The economy figures are scary and my research suggests they are not as good as a modern supermini in a crash, but that could be the prefacelift version.

Do they do a more economical engine?

Economy is scary, but as far as crash safety goes I would honestly take it with a pinch of salt. NCAP tests (which is what small cars are designed to be great at) aren't very representative of real-world crashes, where you're more likely to have an offset head-on. In which case something like a big Volvo is still a great machine.

On the subject of spring snapping, it's not a barge but I have 4 spring deaths over 18 months to offer on my Ford Focus shed - all of them have gone within 2 turns of the top of the spring. The front ones (being a macpherson strut) were fairly obvious as a drop in ride height, the rears totally un-noticed until MOT time! So on a barge like the E65 with its independent/multilink suspension I wouldn't expect dramatic signs if you'd lost a turn or so. My thinking is that the top of the spring, right in the spring cup, does very little to shake off its coating of crap while on the road, leading to increase tendency to corrosion. Couple that with cheap processes when making the springs and it's no surprise to see them going imo.

Edited by Krikkit on Saturday 19th April 11:22

[Mustard]

derin100 said:

Caruso said:

Regarding spring failures, I read somewhere that rather than tapering the last coil to provide a flat top and continuous contact with the adjacent coil, manufacturers these days just cut off the last coil which can cause a high stress spot on the adjacent coil.

Old:


New:

Sounds like a very good explanation. Here's a pic of the of what I found on my CSL...and this seems to be the common place for springs to fail hence people finding what they describe as a "pig tail" piece:

On E46's from what I understand, when they are not used much, water sits on the bottom of the cup the spring sits in, causing the spring to corrode at its base, hence why you get springs where the end pieces snap off

[Strawman]

Emeye said:

The economy figures are scary and my research suggests they are not as good as a modern supermini in a crash, but that could be the prefacelift version.

Do they do a more economical engine?

They are still good in a crash, just not as good as a brand new car in the <1% of crashes where that would make a difference.
Manual is more economical than auto, it's a bit swings and roundabouts with 10 year old barges, you spend more on petrol but in exchange you get (hopefully) lower purchase price and minimal depreciation and the barge driving experience, as the Jaguar advert once said Grace, Space and Pace

[Rollcage]

Strawman said:

Emeye said:

The economy figures are scary and my research suggests they are not as good as a modern supermini in a crash, but that could be the prefacelift version.

Do they do a more economical engine?

They are still good in a crash, just not as good as a brand new car in the <1% of crashes where that would make a difference.
Manual is more economical than auto, it's a bit swings and roundabouts with 10 year old barges, you spend more on petrol but in exchange you get (hopefully) lower purchase price and minimal depreciation and the barge driving experience, as the Jaguar advert once said Grace, Space and Pace

This will be interesting viewing for those wondering about old vs new crash resistance, and specifically the Volvo linked above!