Best smoker barges 1-5 large [vol8]

[E65Ross]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

r129sl said:

In the meantime,this estate car looks special. Lowish miles, super high spec, velours upholstery, good condition.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-BENZ-200-SALOON...

Now, I'm a Merc fan, but at best that looks optimistically priced.

Basic spec, no radio, keep fit windows; maybe the 'servive history' carries a premium?

Agreed. For me, a barge like a W124 should be relaxing and I want it to take care of the basic stuff for me. I certainly wouldn't want a manual, and neither would I want 4 cylinders. I could live with cloth and keep fit windows, but no radio?

I had an old E21 a few years back and that was great.... But all the poverty spec doesn't suit the nature of a W124 IMO.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

0a said:

I like it that such a thing exists, but that price is crazy! Look at the interior!

I agree that it's good it exists, and that someone spec'ed it like that.

But, do I want it...nah.

[0a]

E65Ross said:

Agreed. For me, a barge like a W124 should be relaxing and I want it to take care of the basic stuff for me. I certainly wouldn't want a manual, and neither would I want 4 cylinders. I could live with cloth and keep fit windows, but no radio?

I had an old E21 a few years back and that was great.... But all the poverty spec doesn't suit the nature of a W124 IMO.

I want electric windows and leather, oh and I wouldn't give up my electric rear sunblind either!

[bmthnick1981]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

bmthnick1981 said:

Over budget but this is nice;

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

That can't be left un-remarked. Rather lovely car, with a rather magnificent engine.

Black wouldn't be my first choice, and I rather suspect there are more V12 badges on it than strictly necessary. 6 and a half seems optimistic in pricing terms, despite low miles, doesn't it?

ETA - actually, the price for a 600 seems in the right sort of ball-park.

Edited by CharlesdeGaulle on Sunday 28th December 19:09

I rather like it in Black, gives it a modern look. The v12 badges on c pillars are standard, the one on boot lid is not. Price seems right to me.

[slippery]

bmthnick1981 said:

I rather like it in Black, gives it a modern look. The v12 badges on c pillars are standard, the one on boot lid is not. Price seems right to me.

I still haven't ruled out a colour change to a similar hue on mine.

[bmthnick1981]

slippery said:

bmthnick1981 said:

I rather like it in Black, gives it a modern look. The v12 badges on c pillars are standard, the one on boot lid is not. Price seems right to me.

I still haven't ruled out a colour change to a similar hue on mine.

Surely better off buying one in the colour you want to start with? Proper colour change would be a huge job!

[slippery]

bmthnick1981 said:

Surely better off buying one in the colour you want to start with? Proper colour change would be a huge job!

This is a 98 car with 100k miles, 3 owners and mega service history. It drives beautifully and like most Mercs have a strange way of doing, is growing on me the longer I have it. To try and find another one as good for the £4k I paid is not something I'd want to try. To bring the paintwork up to scratch to really do the rest of the car justice will require work on a similar scale to that which Jonathan undertook with his S124. I'm not about to do that right now, but if I choose to, I think I would find it hard not to spend the extra and have the car back looking how I'd always imagined 'my' CL 600 would look. If this car was mint and still owed me less than £10k, I don't think it would be money badly spent.

[bmthnick1981]

slippery said:

bmthnick1981 said:

Surely better off buying one in the colour you want to start with? Proper colour change would be a huge job!

This is a 98 car with 100k miles, 3 owners and mega service history. It drives beautifully and like most Mercs have a strange way of doing, is growing on me the longer I have it. To try and find another one as good for the £4k I paid is not something I'd want to try. To bring the paintwork up to scratch to really do the rest of the car justice will require work on a similar scale to that which Jonathan undertook with his S124. I'm not about to do that right now, but if I choose to, I think I would find it hard not to spend the extra and have the car back looking how I'd always imagined 'my' CL 600 would look. If this car was mint and still owed me less than £10k, I don't think it would be money badly spent.

A fair view, glad you are bonding with it. Sounds like it will be with you for sometime.

[slippery]

bmthnick1981 said:

A fair view, glad you are bonding with it. Sounds like it will be with you for sometime.

My plan is to resist tinkering with it until it's earned it's keep for a few months. By then, I'll know if it's a keeper, or one of my many brief flings! I should have bought a saloon really, as my idea was to have a barge to run alongside my rather less practical impending arrival, but at least it's got 4 decent seats and a bloody big boot!

[STURBO]

r129sl said:

So we have finally bought it. Thanks to Oa for finding it in the first place. I'm more excited about driving this car than any before, including my r129, including the 996 my dad bought brand new on an ill-advised whim when I was a very young man. It's also going to replace a 2008 Golf TDI!

Does anyone have any advice about seat covers? MB did fitted covers in matching cloth (called "Schonbezug" auf Deutsch) but I suppose they have been NLA forever. Lucy was thinking about some sheepskin covers for the front seats (for winter comfort) and nylon for the rear bench (to protect against our boys). Any leads gratefully received.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C569882#

That's Ace. Love it. I think I need another car now.......

[slippery]

Love the 190 Jonathan, even though it's totally not my cup of tea, it's bloody brilliant and to my eyes an absolute bargain. What a characterful set of wheels for that kind of money. Congratulations on the wife too. Makes me want a new one.

[r129sl]

I muffed up posting a link before. This is the I ntesting, high spec estate care I meant to refer to you. That was an extortionately priced, wrongly geared but still quite appealing saloon.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-300-TE-W12...

Edited by r129sl on Monday 29th December 23:59

[radiodanno]

Sparse advert. One photo.



http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C571392

Charming car nonetheless, but doesn't it make the recent thread purchase seem a complete William H Bargain?!

I get this feeling he's hoping to double his money here!

[idiotgap]

r129sl said:

I muffed up posting a link before. This is the I ntesting, high spec estate care I meant to refer to you. That was an extortionately priced, wrongly geared but still quite appealing saloon.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-300-TE-W12...

Edited by r129sl on Monday 29th December 23:59

I did wonder if this was the one... Electric memory heated orthopaedic velour - an automotive cuddle.

[radiodanno]

idiotgap said:

r129sl said:

I muffed up posting a link before. This is the I ntesting, high spec estate care I meant to refer to you. That was an extortionately priced, wrongly geared but still quite appealing saloon.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-300-TE-W12...

Edited by r129sl on Monday 29th December 23:59

I did wonder if this was the one... Electric memory heated orthopaedic velour - an automotive cuddle.

I love the fact that this car comes from an era where you could go ballistic with the options YET STILL leave off the alloy wheels.

Sadly, what I don't love is the colour. One of the most appealing things (for me at least) of these cars is that they really stand out from the crowd and are different. This is just a bit too anonymous for me.

Still, different strokes for different folks.

[E65Ross]

radiodanno said:

I love the fact that this car comes from an era where you could go ballistic with the options YET STILL leave off the alloy wheels.

Sadly, what I don't love is the colour. One of the most appealing things (for me at least) of these cars is that they really stand out from the crowd and are different. This is just a bit too anonymous for me.

Still, different strokes for different folks.

Steel wheels are a thing of the past for a reason. You can still happily choose a car these days and go for smaller wheels if you like. Wheel sizes, in general, have of course increased but with the right car I don't think that's led a a large reduction in ride quality. I went in a W124 earlier this year on either 15 or 16 inch alloys and whilst the ride was good I wouldn't say it was any better than my E65 which is on 19 inch wheels. The only difference was my E65 rolls a bit. The W124 was more like a boat.

Soke cars are too firm, I drove a 2010 A6 3.0 TDI too this year and, for a car of that type and size, the ride was too film. Horses for courses.

[r129sl]

E65Ross said:

Steel wheels are a thing of the past for a reason. You can still happily choose a car these days and go for smaller wheels if you like. Wheel sizes, in general, have of course increased but with the right car I don't think that's led a a large reduction in ride quality. I went in a W124 earlier this year on either 15 or 16 inch alloys and whilst the ride was good I wouldn't say it was any better than my E65 which is on 19 inch wheels. The only difference was my E65 rolls a bit. The W124 was more like a boat.

Soke cars are too firm, I drove a 2010 A6 3.0 TDI too this year and, for a car of that type and size, the ride was too film. Horses for courses.

I think you're right, Ross. Suspension technology has changed: it's much more about the rubber bushes and shock absorbers than it is about tyre sidewalls. Although for areally good secondary ride, you need some tyre: hence all the complaints about brittleness.

One thing that did surprise me recently was when switching wheels on my wife's soon-to-be-ex-Golf. The summer alloys are 17 x 7 with 225/45 R17 tyres; the winter steels are 16 x 7 with 205/55 R16 tyres; so they are both the same size. The winter steels were much, much lighter than the summer alloys; and the ride is vastly improved, like night and day different. I think this is because whereas alloys once upon a time were all about lightness and were expensively forged, these days they're all about looks and are cheaply cast.

[iantek]

radiodanno said:

idiotgap said:

r129sl said:

I muffed up posting a link before. This is the I ntesting, high spec estate care I meant to refer to you. That was an extortionately priced, wrongly geared but still quite appealing saloon.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-300-TE-W12...

Edited by r129sl on Monday 29th December 23:59

I did wonder if this was the one... Electric memory heated orthopaedic velour - an automotive cuddle.

I love the fact that this car comes from an era where you could go ballistic with the options YET STILL leave off the alloy wheels.

Sadly, what I don't love is the colour. One of the most appealing things (for me at least) of these cars is that they really stand out from the crowd and are different. This is just a bit too anonymous for me.

Still, different strokes for different folks.

Smashing car, had I the funds that would be a contender. Crucially the wife would be onside with that as well, sadly she isn't with regard to most of the thread content. Apparently I've to stop waving pictures of old cars in her face.

I agree with the anonimity of the colour but when everything else on the car seems so good I wouldn't mind. With such a high spec and claims that drive train and suspension are sorted, shouldn't this command a higher price?

[Motorrad]

r129sl said:

One thing that did surprise me recently was when switching wheels on my wife's soon-to-be-ex-Golf. The summer alloys are 17 x 7 with 225/45 R17 tyres; the winter steels are 16 x 7 with 205/55 R16 tyres; so they are both the same size. The winter steels were much, much lighter than the summer alloys; and the ride is vastly improved, like night and day different. I think this is because whereas alloys once upon a time were all about lightness and were expensively forged, these days they're all about looks and are cheaply cast.

My MKV Golf GTi which had 17" factory alloys rode far better on it's 16" winter alloys with a higher profile. It was also more confidence inspiring to chuck around on the UK's broken up roads. Conversely my friend has a GTi of the same vintage on which he's fitted some horrible 18" RS4 replicas with the same Goodyear's I used to use. The car crashes and thumps around and doesn't have the chuckable feel of my car. A poor trade off IMO, not that I even like the way the reps look on his car.

[C Lee Farquar]

iantek said:

Smashing car, had I the funds that would be a contender. Crucially the wife would be onside with that as well, sadly she isn't with regard to most of the thread content. Apparently I've to stop waving pictures of old cars in her face.

I agree with the anonimity of the colour but when everything else on the car seems so good I wouldn't mind. With such a high spec and claims that drive train and suspension are sorted, shouldn't this command a higher price?

Possibly, but there is a lot of love here for W124s which possibly suggests there is more demand for them than there actually is.

Some of us shake our heads and think over £2k is nuts for a 25year old lumbering crate on wheels. No offence intended.