Best smoker barges 1-5 large [vol8]

[CharlesdeGaulle]

derin100 said:

Well you're right of course...and this is very close to me and it is German:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C632831

Lovely though it probably is, that would have divorce written all over it in a way that sheddy Mercs don't (quite yet)

And, by the way, it's expensive, seems utterly pointless, and - unforgiveably - is ugly. Begs the question 'why'?

[0a]

derin100 said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

derin100 said:

Now Merc-less.

For a professional man, of discerning taste - and even as an avowed BMW man such as yourself - I simply can't see that situation lasting for too long.

<Irritating Irish woman> 'Go on, go on, go on' <End irritating Irish woman>

You know it makes sense to touch all the German bases!

Well you're right of course...and this is very close to me and it is German:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C632831

Congratulations on the sale Derin, a good price - don't enjoy the money too much though, it just shows how much money you are going to have to spend when you realise the mistake you have made . Edit - actually reading the posts what's that E34? Looks nice! Edit 2 - I read your response, very nice. Sometimes it's nice just to draw a line and move on, and it sounds like it's a car you know and want back.

I traveled 800 miles by W124 this weekend, and very pleasant they were indeed. I just got out of the car having done 320 miles without stopping, and could have done more (apart from 1. I got to where I was going to, and 2) I needed a pee!).

The 190 above with the Cosworth body kit has a fantastic looking interior and exterior colour combo, it's just the kit that puts me off. I am now thinking a cheap, high mile early one with a 2 litre engine might be good - do I really need another large engined car?

Edited by 0a on Sunday 2nd August 21:39

[cat220]

derin100 said:

Been trying to sell that 300CE for nearly 2 years (see my website). In the end I got fed up with time-wasters of various types etc and so did a straight swap for the E34 540i. It's a car that I used to own:

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/e34_540i_saloon/index...

I sold it about 3 years ago (IIRC) for £8500 and the chap I sold it to spend about another £6K at Bird's having a Quaife LSD, Bilstein suspension and other stuff fitted...but it still looks 'normal' and it has only done 5K miles since.

If ever there was a true Q-car this has got to be it. To the untrained eye it could pass as a 520i... but with the above plus a near 300-horsepower 4.0L V8 up front...
I might even re-badge it

Edited by derin100 on Sunday 2nd August 20:47

Edited by derin100 on Sunday 2nd August 20:48

Excellent, sounds like an good deal. I bet the 540i goes well, they were never common but very rare now.

[0a]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C643775 'Probable low mileage'. 2.6, but unforgiveable colours and optimistic pricing at £3250.

I want to like it, and the grey leather looks fine. The white though, I just can't. It doesn't suit mercs from this era at all.

[derin100]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

derin100 said:

Well you're right of course...and this is very close to me and it is German:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C632831

Lovely though it probably is, that would have divorce written all over it in a way that sheddy Mercs don't (quite yet)

And, by the way, it's expensive, seems utterly pointless, and - unforgiveably - is ugly. Begs the question 'why'?

I'm only joking. I wouldn't buy such a thing but when you watch this one can see why some people would:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8vAu__2gu0

[0a]

brickwall said:

W00DY said:

Perhaps a rare spanish 645?


http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I like that.

Though I'm guessing the handling isn't really up to being hustled around a B-road....

How interesting, and I would guess very rare. I read (on here somewhere) that the manual gearbox in these is pretty poor.

I think I may need to buy a manual car with a large engine (so not a merc then!) There doesn't seem to be much choice in budget aside from S4s, eg

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

[derin100]

W00DY said:

derin100 said:

All in all a very busy day indeed...two Mercs gone and one BMW back...all in one day!



Now Merc-less.

Awesome.

That was a fabulous motor before and i sounds like it's got even better. How do you rate the changes?

Yes, it was always a bit "under the radar" and under-appreciated that car but even my wife used to say that was the best car I had ever done. It looks so benign.

I remember when I had it up for sale before and it was being discussed here on PH someone who clearly wasn't paying attention in his 'O'-Level Physics classes seemed unable to grasp and accept that this would blow away an E34 Alpina 535i and insisted upon telling me about "hotter cams" and some such...

But the figures are here: http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Other/Models.htm

And the simple fact of the matter is: Same weight of car + more power + more torque = faster

And now with the ratios installed in the Quaife LSD apparently even faster! (Haven't driven it yet)

So, lemme think, if I had £20K to spend...

Mine...with proof that it was the third from last E34 Saloon ever built, on the very last day of production, out of a total 1.3 million E34s built or this?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C582695

Hmmmm....

[0a]

derin100 said:

Haven't driven it yet

?

Last Sunday I drove my SL to Tesco at 1am (I remembered I had run out of shaving foam!). Why not?!

[derin100]

0a said:

derin100 said:

Haven't driven it yet

?

Last Sunday I drove my SL to Tesco at 1am (I remembered I had run out of shaving foam!). Why not?!

With one thing and another, I have had a very, very long and busy day. This was also last day out of seven days in a row on-call, in a week where I had to complete my 5 year revalidation as a doctor, run a household whilst my wife is away in Berlin, get up and leave at 5.30am to do the to-ing and fro-ing to drive 15 miles each way to take my youngest son to work because the buses don't run at that time (or the Sundays at all) to our village suit his first job.

I'm 52...it's getting harder to do it.

[Shaw Tarse]

derin100 said:

With one thing and another, I have had a very, very long and busy day. This was also last day out of seven days in a row on-call, in a week where I had to complete my 5 year revalidation as a doctor, run a household whilst my wife is away in Berlin, get up and leave at 5.30am to do the to-ing and fro-ing to drive 15 miles each way to take my youngest son to work because the buses don't run at that time (or the Sundays at all) to our village suit his first job.

I'm 52...it's getting harder to do it.

You're a Dr?
Can you advise me how to get rid of my bad back?

[0a]

derin100 said:

With one thing and another, I have had a very, very long and busy day. This was also last day out of seven days in a row on-call, in a week where I had to complete my 5 year revalidation as a doctor, run a household whilst my wife is away in Berlin, get up and leave at 5.30am to do the to-ing and fro-ing to drive 15 miles each way to take my youngest son to work because the buses don't run at that time (or the Sundays at all) to our village suit his first job.

I'm 52...it's getting harder to do it.

That sounds rather stressful Derin.

Get that 190 purchased for the son (do please buy a Yaris).

[BlueMR2]

derin100 said:

0a said:

derin100 said:

Haven't driven it yet

?

Last Sunday I drove my SL to Tesco at 1am (I remembered I had run out of shaving foam!). Why not?!

With one thing and another, I have had a very, very long and busy day. This was also last day out of seven days in a row on-call, in a week where I had to complete my 5 year revalidation as a doctor, run a household whilst my wife is away in Berlin, get up and leave at 5.30am to do the to-ing and fro-ing to drive 15 miles each way to take my youngest son to work because the buses don't run at that time (or the Sundays at all) to our village suit his first job.

I'm 52...it's getting harder to do it.

Welllllll, if you hadn't sold all your mercs, maybe you could have let him go himself. Perhaps he's more moped than car age though.

[derin100]

Shaw Tarse said:

You're a Dr?
Can you advise me how to get rid of my bad back?

No. I can't even get rid of my own bad back!

[BlueMR2]

derin100 said:

Shaw Tarse said:

You're a Dr?
Can you advise me how to get rid of my bad back?

No. I can't even get rid of my own bad back!

Its that heavy wallet weighing you down, time to buy another car.

[hornetrider]

0a said:

How interesting, and I would guess very rare. I read (on here somewhere) that the manual gearbox in these is pretty poor.

I think I may need to buy a manual car with a large engine (so not a merc then!) There doesn't seem to be much choice in budget aside from S4s, eg

If it's the same gearbox as the E60 then au contraire my friend, it is actually a very good manual box indeed. It's a short throw and feels very tight.

The problem... is the clutch

I still haven't perfected the change on downshifts and I do think from my research that it's to do with the CDV (clutch delay valve) that BMW have fitted. You can have it removed which apparently improves things no end. I however am a bit wary of straying from OEM, but this is one 'mod' that really tempts me. I should really get around to it.

[hornetrider]

W00DY said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...

I love Atlantis blue. A bit of de-chavving and this would make a nice car.

Ugh, why do people glue on so much tat?! That could be so nice.

[r129sl]

derin100 said:

0a said:

derin100 said:

Haven't driven it yet

?

Last Sunday I drove my SL to Tesco at 1am (I remembered I had run out of shaving foam!). Why not?!

With one thing and another, I have had a very, very long and busy day. This was also last day out of seven days in a row on-call, in a week where I had to complete my 5 year revalidation as a doctor, run a household whilst my wife is away in Berlin, get up and leave at 5.30am to do the to-ing and fro-ing to drive 15 miles each way to take my youngest son to work because the buses don't run at that time (or the Sundays at all) to our village suit his first job.

I'm 52...it's getting harder to do it.

I thought it gets better as they get older. This all sounds depressingly familiar to me.

[phil_cardiff]

hornetrider said:

0a said:

How interesting, and I would guess very rare. I read (on here somewhere) that the manual gearbox in these is pretty poor.

I think I may need to buy a manual car with a large engine (so not a merc then!) There doesn't seem to be much choice in budget aside from S4s, eg

If it's the same gearbox as the E60 then au contraire my friend, it is actually a very good manual box indeed. It's a short throw and feels very tight.

The problem... is the clutch

I still haven't perfected the change on downshifts and I do think from my research that it's to do with the CDV (clutch delay valve) that BMW have fitted. You can have it removed which apparently improves things no end. I however am a bit wary of straying from OEM, but this is one 'mod' that really tempts me. I should really get around to it.

Very, very similar to my e92. Not sure if mine has a CDV or not. Sometimes the changes are smooth but every now and again...I thought it was due to me getting old and losing my touch!

[harrykul]

Ivenever got on with the manual boxes in BMWs. Had an e46 323 and e39 m5, and both times sold them after a short space of time because of the box.actually moved from the e46 to a Ford puma, which was sublime!

[Adrian E]

0a said:

I think I may need to buy a manual car with a large engine (so not a merc then!) There doesn't seem to be much choice in budget aside from S4s, eg

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

That should be lovely, but by all accounts the gearing on the manual is really silly. To the point the auto is more economical and seems better suited to the engine.

Does it need to be an estate? If so, there's a nice looking S6 Avant auto for just under £6k on AT with only 74k miles (had a new box 10k miles ago so a fluid and filter change every few years will keep it sweet). Only expense to be wary of is cambelts every 5-6 years depending on mileage. The S4 is chain drive but they're known for getting noisy too.

There's also an E500 Elegance with the 7 speed box for £5k albeit with 154k miles. 11 Merc stamps apparently.

I concur the options for small-ish car with big engine are few and far between :/

That shape S6 above is pretty small - my wife's current S5 is wider and almost as long as the preceeding A6 Avant the same shape that we had before

ETA - apols for lack of links but AT is blocked at work so I'm looking on the phone app!