Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 9]

[tobinen]

bmthnick1981 said:

Sorry Harry!

1998 CL600 with a few little jobs to do, one unexpected job is a broken front coil Spring! Hopefully ordering a pair tomorrow.

An excellent choice sir. Welcome to C140 ownership. Great to have another bargista with one, though I have not scaled the heady heights of a V12

[V12 AMG]

BlueMR2 said:

bmthnick1981 said:

Thanks chaps.

Yes the bonnet is not st properly. Currently when I pull the release in the cabin it releases the bonnet on both sides but does not present the latch through the the grill to pull to finally open the bonnet. Any ideas?

Thoughts so far are that is lovely, so solid and proper. Engine is a beast and so smooth and quiet. Interior a lovely place to be. Drove very well on a long drive home (despite having a broken spring!).

First jobs are to sort the springs, get the bonnet open and put an MOT on it then a list of smaller jobs to work through.

One item I am after if anyone has any ideas is a rear light cluster passenger side, I thought I had secured one in eBay but the chap let me down.

If its the same as the 129 SL put your fingers palm up into the bottom third of the star, and you should feel the latch above, pull it towards you and you should be good to go.

If the plastic pull handle has snapped off then get a coathanger and pull the metal safety latch towards the front of the car to release.
Very easy to do after the first time.

The C140 600 is probably the V12 that i've spent most time in, my dad had one when they were new and I was learning to drive.
He drove it everywhere and it was utterly reliable for him.
I remember eventually getting a drive when I was 18, best day of my life.
I left my wedding in that same car many many years later. Some guests joked about the ugly box that we were leaving in, but a handful knew how special is was both technically and sentimentally.

Loads of other great experiences between these 2 events as well.

I hope you'll make some great memories just as I have in such a special car. As special as the C140 is, the car is still all about THAT engine.

[BigBen]

I think this one has been on the thread before

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-S500-V8-W1...

Looks quite good and has had the all important AC work done. A good purchase at circa £4k I would think.

Ben

[E65Ross]

cat220 said:

phil_cardiff said:

0a said:

£2,700, surely possible for half of thread budget with negotiation? 96k mile 745

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

That is not an attractive interior!

Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole! Looks filthy inside!

That will be an absolute dog. You could spend £5k on a decent example, or £2500 on that car and spend £3-4k EASILY getting up to a very nice standard.

[Krikkit]

Any particular reason for presuming it's a dog other than the crap pictures?

[tobinen]

V12 AMG said:

If the plastic pull handle has snapped off then get a coathanger and pull the metal safety latch towards the front of the car to release. Very easy to do after the first time.

Mine is the same; I keep meaning to enquire about a replacement

[harrykul]

BigBen said:

I think this one has been on the thread before

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-S500-V8-W1...

Looks quite good and has had the all important AC work done. A good purchase at circa £4k I would think.

Ben

It was, and the buy it now price has risen by a grand! Looks very nice though, lovely colour combination.

[hornetrider]

Krikkit said:

Any particular reason for presuming it's a dog other than the crap pictures?

I don't think so, apart from a vague gut feel of not feeling the love.

God the interior looks dull though. A sea of grey.

[olly755]

E65Ross said:

That will be an absolute dog. You could spend £5k on a decent example, or £2500 on that car and spend £3-4k EASILY getting up to a very nice standard.

Or it could be a superb example masked by the inexperience of selling privately, a price point £500 higher than the trade-in offer, and the need of an afternoon's polish, a rug doctor, and a lesson in picture taking.

Low owners, private sale, FSH and long MOT hardly shout dog.

[Krikkit]

hornetrider said:

Krikkit said:

Any particular reason for presuming it's a dog other than the crap pictures?

I don't think so, apart from a vague gut feel of not feeling the love.

God the interior looks dull though. A sea of grey.

Maybe I have much to learn, but usually the more inept the advert (from private sellers) for things like this the better the car could be - if they're not technically minded enough to take decent pictures they can often be an older person who keeps The Man a phone call away for sorting it out.

Shocking quality aside, the interior actually looks pretty clean.

[r129sl]

V12 AMG said:

BlueMR2 said:

bmthnick1981 said:

Thanks chaps.

Yes the bonnet is not st properly. Currently when I pull the release in the cabin it releases the bonnet on both sides but does not present the latch through the the grill to pull to finally open the bonnet. Any ideas?

Thoughts so far are that is lovely, so solid and proper. Engine is a beast and so smooth and quiet. Interior a lovely place to be. Drove very well on a long drive home (despite having a broken spring!).

First jobs are to sort the springs, get the bonnet open and put an MOT on it then a list of smaller jobs to work through.

One item I am after if anyone has any ideas is a rear light cluster passenger side, I thought I had secured one in eBay but the chap let me down.

If its the same as the 129 SL put your fingers palm up into the bottom third of the star, and you should feel the latch above, pull it towards you and you should be good to go.

If the plastic pull handle has snapped off then get a coathanger and pull the metal safety latch towards the front of the car to release.
Very easy to do after the first time.

The C140 600 is probably the V12 that i've spent most time in, my dad had one when they were new and I was learning to drive.
He drove it everywhere and it was utterly reliable for him.
I remember eventually getting a drive when I was 18, best day of my life.
I left my wedding in that same car many many years later. Some guests joked about the ugly box that we were leaving in, but a handful knew how special is was both technically and sentimentally.

Loads of other great experiences between these 2 events as well.

I hope you'll make some great memories just as I have in such a special car. As special as the C140 is, the car is still all about THAT engine.

Somewhat hilariously, a new bonnet release handle, item 74 in the picture, part number A1298870127, is £1.94. The pin to hold it on, item 78, part number A2019910701, is £1.67. And the associated spring, item 80, part number A1299930320, is £2.59.

There is no rhyme or reason to Merc parts prices.

[tobinen]

Excellent, thanks r129sl.

[r129sl]

You probably only need the handle. Certainly I have had them snap around the pivot point on 124 cars and it is essentially the same design.

[r129sl]

In ten minutes' time I clap eyes on the new 190 for the first time. A full report to follow this afternoon.

[V12 AMG]

0a said:

I was thinking new wing, but then surely it wouldn't manifest itself at the top where it's easy to realign (unless it was a very bad job).

I like the colour, myself!

Edit this just doesn't look good to me

Edited by 0a on Saturday 21st November 17:14

I'd look at the bonnet hinge myself.

0a said:

Though I love old cars I wonder whether I'd put my wife and kids in them. Not a criticism of anyone at all, just an observation after seeing a very shaken boss who couldn't be happier that a 5k mile car has been written off (as his family is okay).

Edited by 0a on Saturday 21st November 19:51

This was a consideration when choosing the W220 as a daily drive instead of a W126 as my wife does rack up quite a few miles in it with 2 kids in tow.

[0a]

Krikkit said:

Maybe I have much to learn, but usually the more inept the advert (from private sellers) for things like this the better the car could be - if they're not technically minded enough to take decent pictures they can often be an older person who keeps The Man a phone call away for sorting it out.

Shocking quality aside, the interior actually looks pretty clean.

I think it could be a bargain - at the end of the day the seller wants it gone, and in late November there's little demand for an old V8 barge, so a low offer may be in order. Worth a try anyway!

I don't think there's anything to suggest this would need any more or any less mechanically than more expensive examples. The worst of both worlds is to overpay for an example AND have all the usual work to do on it!

[V12 AMG]

0a said:

Krikkit said:

Maybe I have much to learn, but usually the more inept the advert (from private sellers) for things like this the better the car could be - if they're not technically minded enough to take decent pictures they can often be an older person who keeps The Man a phone call away for sorting it out.

Shocking quality aside, the interior actually looks pretty clean.

I think it could be a bargain - at the end of the day the seller wants it gone, and in late November there's little demand for an old V8 barge, so a low offer may be in order. Worth a try anyway!

I don't think there's anything to suggest this would need any more or any less mechanically than more expensive examples. The worst of both worlds is to overpay for an example AND have all the usual work to do on it!

I'm definitely in the camp of buy cheap and put it right yourself rather than buy high and take a gamble.
Extensive documented history is great but sometimes it's all 5-10 years old and really not too relevant.

This has potential to be a bargain but only way to know is to check it out in the metal.
Biggest turn off for me is the Ford Ranger with cement mixer in the back.

Regarding the interior, I actually find the E65 one of the few BMW interiors I don't mind.
Yeah, it's too grey, but I think the styling is all right on them, even though my preference is firmly Mercedes when it comes to interiors.

Edited by V12 AMG on Monday 23 November 11:57

[BlueMR2]

V12 AMG said:

0a said:

Krikkit said:

Maybe I have much to learn, but usually the more inept the advert (from private sellers) for things like this the better the car could be - if they're not technically minded enough to take decent pictures they can often be an older person who keeps The Man a phone call away for sorting it out.

Shocking quality aside, the interior actually looks pretty clean.

I think it could be a bargain - at the end of the day the seller wants it gone, and in late November there's little demand for an old V8 barge, so a low offer may be in order. Worth a try anyway!

I don't think there's anything to suggest this would need any more or any less mechanically than more expensive examples. The worst of both worlds is to overpay for an example AND have all the usual work to do on it!

I'm definitely in the camp of buy cheap and put it right yourself rather than buy high and take a gamble.
Extensive documented history is great but sometimes it's all 5-10 years old and really not too relevant.

This has potential to be a bargain but only way to know is to check it out in the metal.
Biggest turn off for me is the Ford Ranger with cement mixer in the back.

Regarding the interior, I actually find the E65 one of the few BMW interiors I don't mind.
Yeah, it's too grey, but I think the styling is all right on them, even though my preference is firmly Mercedes when it comes to interiors.

Edited by V12 AMG on Monday 23 November 11:57

Do the 45 engines have a known fault with an expensive to fix oil leak?

I wonder where the oil leak advised on the last MOT is coming from.

Test date 18 September 2015
Expiry date 24 September 2016
Test Result Pass
Odometer reading 95,890 miles
MOT test number 3251 4037 7729
Advisory notice item(s)
Under trays fitted.
Engine covers fitted
Front discs in poor condition. (Both)
Oil leak.
Rear (both) brake hoses cracking.
(Both)front tyres wearing on edges

Definitely some money to spend on that one, how much is a set of front brakes?

[Krikkit]

BlueMR2 said:

o the 45 engines have a known fault with an expensive to fix oil leak?

I wonder where the oil leak advised on the last MOT is coming from.

Test date 18 September 2015
Expiry date 24 September 2016
Test Result Pass
Odometer reading 95,890 miles
MOT test number 3251 4037 7729
Advisory notice item(s)
Under trays fitted.
Engine covers fitted
Front discs in poor condition. (Both)
Oil leak.
Rear (both) brake hoses cracking.
(Both)front tyres wearing on edges

Definitely some money to spend on that one, how much is a set of front brakes?

IIRC the oil leak is in the V of the engine and quite a pain to fix, which is a bit off-putting. Brakes are £160 for a set of Bosch replacements, easy fit.

Couple of new tyres, brake hoses will again be easy enough to sort. A decent haggle and a day spent at your local indy will see that on your drive with a bit of an oil leak for 3 bags I reckon, sounds like a bargain.

ETA: If the oil leak is the one I'm thinking of it's the alternator bracket one which is a bh to get to, 8h labour apparently. Reading a guide it doesn't look too bad, you just have to remove a lot of parts to get to it. One of those classically stupid design choices that looks fine on the bench/CAD, but in reality is a really stupid idea - having an alternator bracket with a rubber seal which closes an oil passage in the block.

Edited by Krikkit on Monday 23 November 12:33

[E65Ross]

Plus the tyres wearing unevenly could be quite expensive to fix!