Best smoker barges 1-5 large [vol8]

[derin100]

SpeckledJim said:

Blazer over Elephant.

LMAO!

[markh1]

derin100 said:

Over budget but gravel, BMW Warranty, mileage and S124 in the background do offset that to an extent?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C590628

Edited by derin100 on Sunday 10th May 21:31

Looks smart but from the looks of it it's an auto

[harrykul]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

The S500 looks great lagerlout - nice work.

+1. Superb barge!

[derin100]

markh1 said:

derin100 said:

Over budget but gravel, BMW Warranty, mileage and S124 in the background do offset that to an extent?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C590628

Edited by derin100 on Sunday 10th May 21:31

Looks smart but from the looks of it it's an auto

Ah yes...sorry. I didn't see that you wanted a manual.

[W00DY]

mccrackenj said:

I see WOODY is selling his lovely Barolo 230E already

What's the story Mr WOODY sir?

I''m glad it's so far away from me as to be completely unrealistic, otherwise 2 pre-Sacco w124 saloons would be gracing McCracken Towers sharpish.

Unfortunately I'm moving to where I'll only have on street parking and won't be able to borrow a shed for bike transporting duties both of which would rather ruin the Merc. I'm half tempted to lock it away, but I don't think thta'd do me or the car much good.

[W00DY]

Lagerlout said:

Spent a bit of time on the old barge I picked up a few months ago, starting to look very good, and drives very well too!

Looks fantastic.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

SpeckledJim said:

I'm not a huge fan of the spec. I think a V12 XJS convertible is such a decadent, indulgent, silly romp of a car, it really can carry something a lot sexier than Blazer over Elephant.

On an overcast day, I'd worry that could look pretty dowdy, even if it's actually a really nice example.

I wouldn't disagree, chum. Find me one sexier (and not stupidly more expensive) and I'll buy it

[LeighW]

Baryonyx said:

That's lovely. If there was ever a better 'drive to The Lakes for lunch' car, I've yet to see it. Well, maybe I have, but the XJS has a real charm.

I could seriously see myself the X350 XJ as my next car. I really like my X308, but I know it's end is drawing near (as is the 170,000 mile mark). The X350 would be an ideal place to stop next. Not sure if I'd go for the 2.7TDVi, whilst they are a fine engine I'm not sure I do the miles to justify it (I'd still rather commute on a motorbike) and you'd get a lot of miles out of a petrol engined model before you were ready to make a saving on the more expensive diesels. I've even come to appreciate the less slinky look of the things, because the interior looks magnificent.

Anyone who has sat in one, are the seats as good as the X308 seats? And the steering wheels, are they are thick as they look?

I've read some horror stories about the diesel lump, which is one of the reasons I went for a 3.0 petrol. I've seen 35 on a run, and it's plenty quick enough for me. Two and a bit years in, and I love it. The seats are just superb, they're 16 way adjustable in my Sovereign. The steering wheel is electrically adjustable, as are the pedals and even the headrests(!), so it shouldn't be difficult to get comfortable. An XJR type grill helps with the looks no end.

Mine in it's full 'old man' spec glory.

Edited by LeighW on Sunday 10th May 23:09

[mccrackenj]

W00DY said:

mccrackenj said:

I see WOODY is selling his lovely Barolo 230E already

What's the story Mr WOODY sir?

I''m glad it's so far away from me as to be completely unrealistic, otherwise 2 pre-Sacco w124 saloons would be gracing McCracken Towers sharpish.

Unfortunately I'm moving to where I'll only have on street parking and won't be able to borrow a shed for bike transporting duties both of which would rather ruin the Merc. I'm half tempted to lock it away, but I don't think thta'd do me or the car much good.

What a shame, I'm gutted for you. But you're right, all cars need to be used, old ones especially, which is why I have to sell either my R129 or C126.

[0a]

mccrackenj said:

W00DY said:

mccrackenj said:

I see WOODY is selling his lovely Barolo 230E already

What's the story Mr WOODY sir?

I''m glad it's so far away from me as to be completely unrealistic, otherwise 2 pre-Sacco w124 saloons would be gracing McCracken Towers sharpish.

Unfortunately I'm moving to where I'll only have on street parking and won't be able to borrow a shed for bike transporting duties both of which would rather ruin the Merc. I'm half tempted to lock it away, but I don't think thta'd do me or the car much good.

What a shame, I'm gutted for you. But you're right, all cars need to be used, old ones especially, which is why I have to sell either my R129 or C126.

Is there a link to the ad? No harm in looking. I don't have a red car after all

320 miles in the SL today - no particular petrol smell, just lots of petrol used, though I have a fuel filter on order. I've put in 6 tanks so far since collecting it on Monday - I will return to using the w124 for main duties this week! I'm really enjoying it though.

That w140 S class looks fantastic, good to hear it is going well.

[davamer23]

derin100 said:

Over budget but gravel, BMW Warranty, mileage and S124 in the background do offset that to an extent?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C590628 ]

6.5k and they haven't even cleaned it.

[hman]

markh1 said:

derin100 said:

Over budget but gravel, BMW Warranty, mileage and S124 in the background do offset that to an extent?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C590628

Edited by derin100 on Sunday 10th May 21:31

Looks smart but from the looks of it it's an auto

I think you'll be hard pressed to find one in manual??

Anyway - I presume you have done your homework on tailgate wiring, corrosion around the jacking points/fuel filler/arches, CCV hoses and valve, cam cover warpage and cracking, rads exploding, fans disintegrating, pdc sensors failing.

What I am saying is dont presume that paying top whack for a clean looking example is going to net you a good one, you have to look deeper into the history to see what remedial work has been completed to date and also carry out a thorough inspection (eg. pulling the jacking pads off and getting a light into the holes to see the inside of the sill for corrosion).

To be honest If I was looking to buy again (I already have one) then I would be knocking money off left right and centre if the above list hadn't already been dealt with as from experience EVERY e39 is subject to those faults unless they are dealt with through preventative maintenance.

[JZZ30]

Looks good with a comprehensive history

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1990-H-Mercedes-Benz-260...

[muffy]

Baryonyx said:

Krikkit said:

Some very good info there muffy, the only thing that I struggle with now is the acres of wood inside - it came at the wrong moment and now somehow looks badly dated, even when a Bentley etc doesn't with wood.

Funny, I typically hate Volkswagen but I adore the Phaeton and all that wood. I'd happily own one.

I must be honest, I'm not really a wood veneer man but thought that if one day I really can't stand looking at it anymore then I would buy some carbon fibre pattern or matt gunmetal fablon sticky back film and cover the veneer in that. A friend of mine did that to his beemer not that long ago and it looked pretty good.

[confused_buyer]

I think I'm right in saying that the 960 has the advantage of a different (independent) rear suspension layout.

960/S90 3.0's are really quite amusing. The engine is excellent (easily a match for the 2.8/3.0 BMW straight six from the same era and beyond) and combined with better suspension they go and handle in a rather surprisingly good way.

[derin100]

davamer23 said:

derin100 said:

Over budget but gravel, BMW Warranty, mileage and S124 in the background do offset that to an extent?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C590628 ]

6.5k and they haven't even cleaned it.

Agree! Very poor presentation of the car. He may struggle to sell at that price simply because of that.

[derin100]

hman said:

markh1 said:

derin100 said:

Over budget but gravel, BMW Warranty, mileage and S124 in the background do offset that to an extent?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C590628

Edited by derin100 on Sunday 10th May 21:31

Looks smart but from the looks of it it's an auto

I think you'll be hard pressed to find one in manual??

Anyway - I presume you have done your homework on tailgate wiring, corrosion around the jacking points/fuel filler/arches, CCV hoses and valve, cam cover warpage and cracking, rads exploding, fans disintegrating, pdc sensors failing.

What I am saying is dont presume that paying top whack for a clean looking example is going to net you a good one, you have to look deeper into the history to see what remedial work has been completed to date and also carry out a thorough inspection (eg. pulling the jacking pads off and getting a light into the holes to see the inside of the sill for corrosion).

To be honest If I was looking to buy again (I already have one) then I would be knocking money off left right and centre if the above list hadn't already been dealt with as from experience EVERY e39 is subject to those faults unless they are dealt with through preventative maintenance.

Agree. A manual may be very difficult to find. We have an E39 525i Touring that we keep in France which is a manual...and to be honest I wish it wasn't a manual. It's just what happened to come up as a good car at the time that we were buying. But having had several auto versions they are IMHO the much preferred option. It doesn't matter so much where we are in France because there's no traffic but I wouldn't entertain a manual over here.

[S3_Graham]

W00DY said:

mccrackenj said:

I see WOODY is selling his lovely Barolo 230E already

What's the story Mr WOODY sir?

I''m glad it's so far away from me as to be completely unrealistic, otherwise 2 pre-Sacco w124 saloons would be gracing McCracken Towers sharpish.

Unfortunately I'm moving to where I'll only have on street parking and won't be able to borrow a shed for bike transporting duties both of which would rather ruin the Merc. I'm half tempted to lock it away, but I don't think thta'd do me or the car much good.

Sounds like you need an S124?

While going for a strole with the o/h I saw/found 2 'abandoned' cars. One was a poor little boxster with fake turbo 911 wheels. All tyres flat and hole in the roof. The boxster has been there every time we go for a walk. Few houses down from that there is a house that has a lovely 124 300CE24 and an SL500 that I always admire but hiding behind/in a bush a few more houses down there is a lovely mid 90's CL merc. Blue underneath but completely green and all tyres flat. Obviously been there a loooong time. Poor old thing! Was very tempted to knock on the door but our fish and chips was getting cold! Will get a picture next time.

[0a]

Over budget but look how lovely this is. Close to my perfect e28 daily driver. http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C612331#

528 with leather and 65k miles

[longblackcoat]

hman said:

from experience EVERY e39 is subject to those faults unless they are dealt with through preventative maintenance.

Maybe I got the only good one?

Mine cost me £1500 a year or so back, and other than some brake lines needing replacing, a wheel bearing and some suspension bushes (hardly a crime at 13 years old) and some pixellation issues (OK, a specific issue, but easily sortable for under £200), it's been brilliant. Everything works (admittedly it has broken cupholders, but who cares?), there's no rust, and it's basically a solid old beast. I've put almost 30k on it in that time, so it's not like it's sat in a garage doing nothing.

Has now passed 2 MOTs witn no advisories, does high 20s as a long run average, and has yet to let me down. Bargain motoring, frankly; I'd imagine I could sell it for around what I paid for it.