Best smoker barges 1-5 large [vol8]

[RobinBanks]

olly755 said:

Also, this P38 is just around the corner from the Merc..





http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Liking how the cloth/manual combo reflects the ethos of the original, plus 10+ year ownership, well shod, and looks like money has been spent whenever needed.

Tempting winter hack.

If that was a 4.0, maybe.
I would like to try a 4.0 manual (there were no manual 4.6s, sadly). I've driven a 2.5 DT manual (even lower spec than that) and it was pretty crap.

ETA: does that not even have rear vents? I don't recall ever seeing a P38 without. Or is that gap for the (rare) optional second radio which has since been removed?

Edited by RobinBanks on Saturday 24th January 16:14

[SpeckledJim]

W00DY said:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C578203

This looks fantastic.

Great spot. Stunning.

[0a]

derin100 said:

olly755 said:

Chaps, been for a walk around this 230 this morning.





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

Couldn't find a spot of rust anywhere, the wings, arch lips, tailgate, window surrounds, all mint. And the interior looks as good as new. 4 branded tyres all round (all excellent), and no steamed windows even at 0800hrs this morning, so guessing it's not a leaky old thing.

I've owned a '124 E280 before, so know what to expect from the drive. But the biggest concern would be the powerplant. The lack of power of the 230 wouldn't concern me in the slightest, but are the 4 pots coarse and/or noisy, or fairly benign?

No, I had a 230CE and to be honest I liked it more than the 3.0L in my 300CE or the 3.2L in my wife's E320 Estate! I have yet to be impressed by a Merc 6-cylinder engine (compared with for example, a BMW 6 cylinder). However, the 2.3L was impressive. It didn't feel like a 4-pot...even my BMW mechanic commented to that effect when he drove it and what seems like a paltry 300cc increase over the 2.0L version (as I had in three of the 190Es that I had) belies the difference in the way the engine felt in its 2.3L guise.

I love the straight 6 in my 300. I was driving down some country lanes earlier and giving it some beans and it sounds great. To me it is a key part of the character of the car. They need revs to get the best out of them (which is fine by me!).

I can see the appeal of a 4 in a workhorse if the right car comes along - the extra economy would be helpful.

[0a]

SpeckledJim said:

W00DY said:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C578203

This looks fantastic.

Great spot. Stunning.

Wow. I thought that would be more expensive as well before I scrolled down to the price. I have not seen those seats before in an E34.

[RobinBanks]

I've also just remembered that somewhere I have an unused alloy identical to the ones on that P38 and two unused Pirelli Scorpions for it. I had completely forgotten about that.

[W00DY]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Remaps to a sufficient 866Nm. Nice.

[0a]

These must have award winning bork potential, surely?

I like!

[CharlesdeGaulle]

SpeckledJim said:

W00DY said:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C578203

This looks fantastic.

Great spot. Stunning.

Agreed. Rubbish ad, but a really nice-looking car.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

One for the saloon fans.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C578165

[RobinBanks]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

One for the saloon fans.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C578165

Oof, good one. I like that.

[0a]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

One for the saloon fans.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C578165

WHAT NO STRAIGHT 6????!

A nice looking old thing. When I sort my next place out I am going to start buying more W124 saloons

[CharlesdeGaulle]

0a said:

When I sort my next place out I am going to start buying more W124 saloons

I'd be happy to help with vehicle sourcing and viewing!

[Pazuzu]

E65Ross said:

I'm sorry, but having been in both there is no comparison. The 550i is great, the M5 is in another league as an experience and performance. It's got 40% more power and a 7 speed box and a more "fun suspension" set up.

10mpg on a good day is dependant on your commute. Yes, of you drive in London all the time, perhaps. A close friend of mine ran an M6 for his daily and he averaged almost double that.

I'm glad you said that first

I had a 550i M Sport and sold it after 6 weeks, I'd still have my M5 if it hadn't been written off. Incredible car and mine averaged about 18 MPG

Cheers,

Phil

[0a]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

0a said:

When I sort my next place out I am going to start buying more W124 saloons

I'd be happy to help with vehicle sourcing and viewing!

I'm either going to drive to Poland, or buy another W124 in the coming weeks. I am not sure yet (why not?!). 300 litres of fuel and a long weekend with some stops along the way with a mate (take advantage of the lower oil prices!).

[Adrian E]

0a said:

SpeckledJim said:

W00DY said:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C578203

This looks fantastic.

Great spot. Stunning.

Wow. I thought that would be more expensive as well before I scrolled down to the price. I have not seen those seats before in an E34.

Used to live there - good rail links from London area for anyone considering it

Agreed on the Toerag - I'd love one but the fear factor is high! Oil pump failures and engine out to get at almost anything just scare the crap out of me lol

[SpeckledJim]

W00DY said:

Remaps to a sufficient 866Nm. Nice.

The reliability of a Peugeot 307 with the fuel economy of an XJ8.

Quite fast and a lovely spec though.

[Motorrad]

W00DY said:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Remaps to a sufficient 866Nm. Nice.

Bork potential to rival a twin turbo Mercedes V12. I also like it, love the spec, the 'small' wheels and the understated colour combo.

[ryanMIL]

I'm about to change jobs, meaning that I can finally get rid of the company car and get something I actually want!

I want something barge-y and need something reliable. I'm really hoping to justify a W211 E500 like this one; http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

I'm keen to know what you knowledgable bargeistas can tell me about the car, it's engine and it's maintenance requirements.

[dbdb]

0a said:

derin100 said:

olly755 said:

Chaps, been for a walk around this 230 this morning.





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

Couldn't find a spot of rust anywhere, the wings, arch lips, tailgate, window surrounds, all mint. And the interior looks as good as new. 4 branded tyres all round (all excellent), and no steamed windows even at 0800hrs this morning, so guessing it's not a leaky old thing.

I've owned a '124 E280 before, so know what to expect from the drive. But the biggest concern would be the powerplant. The lack of power of the 230 wouldn't concern me in the slightest, but are the 4 pots coarse and/or noisy, or fairly benign?

No, I had a 230CE and to be honest I liked it more than the 3.0L in my 300CE or the 3.2L in my wife's E320 Estate! I have yet to be impressed by a Merc 6-cylinder engine (compared with for example, a BMW 6 cylinder). However, the 2.3L was impressive. It didn't feel like a 4-pot...even my BMW mechanic commented to that effect when he drove it and what seems like a paltry 300cc increase over the 2.0L version (as I had in three of the 190Es that I had) belies the difference in the way the engine felt in its 2.3L guise.

I love the straight 6 in my 300. I was driving down some country lanes earlier and giving it some beans and it sounds great. To me it is a key part of the character of the car. They need revs to get the best out of them (which is fine by me!).

I can see the appeal of a 4 in a workhorse if the right car comes along - the extra economy would be helpful.

I guess opinions vary with where you place your emphasis. I agree with 0a on this. I haven't driven many W124s - and those I drove were so long ago they were still current cars, but I was impressed with the smoothness of the six in a 260E. It wasn't particularly quick and was quite lacking in torque, but it was a lovely, smooth thing.
I also drove a 230TE, owned by a friend's father. I didn't like it. It was faster than I expected, but the droning four pot caused any feeling of 'specialness' to evaporate. It felt ordinary and diminished. I'm sure it was a more practical daily driver though, since it is likely to be far more economical.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

0a said:

I'm either going to drive to Poland, or buy another W124 in the coming weeks. I am not sure yet (why not?!)

Blimey, how did that choice distill down into those two options?

I can see the obvious choices one has to make: Aldi or Lidl; cheese and pickle or prawn mayo; merlot or pinot grigio, but a road trip to Poland OR an old Merc seems a curious dilemma.