Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 9]

[Krikkit]

Do they not wear the fronts unevenly with the large induced positive camber from the castor anyway? MOT doesn't mention which edge is worn.

[r129sl]

Mixed bag, the red 190. Amazing amount of car for £770. Amazingly complete service history. Fundamentally solid. But probably not suitable for full-on titivation. There's some rot around the sunroof aperture and the Man's verdict is that short of replacing the roof skin, this cannot be adequately repaired: it will keep coming back. There are small blebs on most panels and the driver's door has had a repair. That's the bad. The interior is mint and the driving experience is super. The E is much perkier than my carb model although the overall feel is much the same. It needs new rear shocks and a coolant temperature sensor for the fan switch. Otherwise seems really sound. It could do with proper tyres, too. I'm going to take it home and service it tonight.

Here it is waiting for me:


Standard issue front wing bleb:


Duff paint job:


Boot rot:


As it turns out, a friend's car was at the Man's having recently been rear-ended. Probably a write-off. So there is an obvious outcome.


In the meantime, my eyes are on the look out for a nice 2.6...

[CharlesdeGaulle]

cat220 said:

280 you say...

I waved the wagon off a short while ago in the hands of its new owner who is, I'm glad to say, a PHer and threadist.

I hope he enjoys it as much as I have, and hopefully he'll post about it. We know that at least 4 of its 7 (now 8 I think) owners have been PHers. Which is nice!

[CharlesdeGaulle]

r129sl said:

In the meantime, my eyes are on the look out for a nice 2.6...

Does this help?

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/184467/merc...



Almost too cheap for the thread. Do it.

[bmthnick1981]

BlueMR2 said:

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.

Rather embarrassingly this worked! I didn't know where the latch was to be found.... Thanks for your help.

[bmthnick1981]

r129sl said:

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.

Thanks for this Jonathan, detailed as ever. Can I ask how do you price up the parts? Is there an MB website I can use for that?

2 x MA140 321 23 04 (front springs) have been ordered from Germany via Sandown Mercedes in Poole today. Should be here Thurs/Fri.

Here is a pic of the snapped coil;

[bmthnick1981]

I don't know why the photo is sideways, I haven't rolled the car!

[r129sl]

iPhone: you have to take the pics with the phone held in landscape format. I don't know why it can display them the right way up but subsequent devices can't.

I use www.mercedes-benz-parts.co.uk which is operated by the Inchcape dealership group. I think it is actually Mercedes-Benz of Oxford. Sometimes the prices are out of date; sometimes they stick to them! You have to put in the part number without spaces; and if the part has a colour code, you have to use that, too.

[KrisP]

r129sl said:

I'm drawn to this like a moth to the proverbial flame. John McCracken was burned so badly with it that he has disappeared from these pages. But... It's £500 (I know, he's asking 6). It's a late-model 2.6 sportline auto in bornite with mushroom leather. It's a project. It's a cat D. I know, I know. But it's only 50 miles away...

http://mercedes-190.co.uk/topic/6731487/1/#new

r129sl - there is a 2.6 in the same colour scheme on Gumtree right now, without the damage, and it looks OK I think (I was viewing the pics on the phone mind)

[KrisP]

Motorrad said:

KrisP said:

I don't know what your 550i is doing, but the mpg readout on my M5 is showing 20, which is probably optimistic, so a diesel Twig must be more surely?

The V10 diesel Touareg eats fuel. Average of low 20s in mixed use I reckon. We got just under 30mpg out of one in mostly motorway driving.

Low 20's is better than I'm getting right now, plus its an auto, which I'd like for commuting - this is to complement the M5, so I want a different kind of car - I'm looking at one of these, or indeed a V8D FFRR which might be a touch better, but its not like night and day.

Have you got any driving experience or ownership details you can pass on please?

hornetrider said:

KrisP said:

hornetrider said:

KrisP said:

0a said:

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

I know that no-one else has commented on this, but I have been looking at these over the last couple of days, as an alternative to a FFRR. The only annoyance is the 20mpg as a derv - is Perth anywhere near you?

I looked at them as well. Viewed them as essentially a Phaeton on stilts. The V10 is tempting but even the favourite V6 TDI drinks like Ollie Reed on a stag night. Couldn't swap my 550 for one for no benefit in running costs.

I don't know what your 550i is doing, but the mpg readout on my M5 is showing 20, which is probably optimistic, so a diesel Twig must be more surely?

27.2 long term average in mine at the moment albeit my usage profile is mainly motorway. Average on the Toerag V10 claims to be 23 and the V6 is only 26mpg, although on my use I could probably beat those figures.

The only reason to even consider a diesel is to save on fuel cost, and for me the saving would have to be absolutely compelling, ie orders of magnitude, and hundreds of pounds per month saved in order to persuade me to make a switch.

I understand - my choice isn't purely about fuel costs, but comfy, pokey, and auto and hence the interest in something along these lines

[V12 AMG]

r129sl said:

iPhone: you have to take the pics with the phone held in landscape format. I don't know why it can display them the right way up but subsequent devices can't.

I use www.mercedes-benz-parts.co.uk which is operated by the Inchcape dealership group. I think it is actually Mercedes-Benz of Oxford. Sometimes the prices are out of date; sometimes they stick to them! You have to put in the part number without spaces; and if the part has a colour code, you have to use that, too.

Always remember just the A at the beginning of a part number unless it's an accessory then it starts with a B and some AMG parts start with HWA before the number.

Makes your front springs £106.38 each.

[SimonConnell]

Today's object of curiosity / desire is this:

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



Upside is a fairly recent twin-turbo 3 litre load lugger, with sneaky cheap road tax. MOT history looks clean and the refurbished alloys wearing decent tyres are a positive sign.

Downside is a prodigious thirst without performance to match, the dull / soothing handling and the really atrocious turning circle.

Decisions decisions....

[Motorrad]

KrisP said:

I understand - my choice isn't purely about fuel costs, but comfy, pokey, and auto and hence the interest in something along these lines

We rented one to drive across to Europe with all our promo equipment. So 3 up, with 5 people's luggage and a shed load of projectors, stands, boxes of crap etc. We had to borrow a roof box to fit everything in. I'm not convinced it had any more room in it luggage wise than one of the company Mondeo estates.

It was comfortable though and as you'd expect the higher driving position was a boon on the 'wrong' side of the road. I wouldn't say it was fast, it just lunged at the horizon and was happy to sit there doing 160kph all day.

My concern with a used one would be the likelihood of something expensive occurring. I've read horror stories about 2 days of work to get the engine in and out for relatively minor stuff.

[r129sl]

KrisP said:

r129sl said:

I'm drawn to this like a moth to the proverbial flame. John McCracken was burned so badly with it that he has disappeared from these pages. But... It's £500 (I know, he's asking 6). It's a late-model 2.6 sportline auto in bornite with mushroom leather. It's a project. It's a cat D. I know, I know. But it's only 50 miles away...

http://mercedes-190.co.uk/topic/6731487/1/#new

r129sl - there is a 2.6 in the same colour scheme on Gumtree right now, without the damage, and it looks OK I think (I was viewing the pics on the phone mind)

I see it. It's on there twice, once at £1,750 and once at £1,500.

To be honest, the attraction of the one in Middlesborough is that it is in Middlesborough and is only £600 and so almost free. Although it has apparently provisionally sold.

CharlesdeGaulle said:

r129sl said:

In the meantime, my eyes are on the look out for a nice 2.6...

Does this help?

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/184467/merc...



Almost too cheap for the thread. Do it.

Something a bit more standard for me, please. Well done on the estate car: somebody did well there and I'm not sure it was you!

[W00DY]

SimonConnell said:

Today's object of curiosity / desire is this:

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



Upside is a fairly recent twin-turbo 3 litre load lugger, with sneaky cheap road tax. MOT history looks clean and the refurbished alloys wearing decent tyres are a positive sign.

Downside is a prodigious thirst without performance to match, the dull / soothing handling and the really atrocious turning circle.

Decisions decisions....

4 grands worth of 160k mile ex cop-car with a suitably boggo-spec? No thanks.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

W00DY said:

SimonConnell said:

Today's object of curiosity / desire is this:

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



Upside is a fairly recent twin-turbo 3 litre load lugger, with sneaky cheap road tax. MOT history looks clean and the refurbished alloys wearing decent tyres are a positive sign.

Downside is a prodigious thirst without performance to match, the dull / soothing handling and the really atrocious turning circle.

Decisions decisions....

4 grands worth of 160k mile ex cop-car with a suitably boggo-spec? No thanks.

I feel more positive about it than that. Get it closer to 3.5, and that's a lot of new-ish car for the money.

[W00DY]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

I feel more positive about it than that. Get it closer to 3.5, and that's a lot of new-ish car for the money.

But I think chasing plates is a mug's game. I can't think that has a lot of life left in it.

Your car for example seems like a much nicer vehicle.


On the subject of moderns, I quite like the original Passat CC as a sort of barge, although there isn't a 3.6 DSG in budget unfortunately.



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

[andy43]

In-budget-almost 63k 500 - wheel fail but otherwise not bad. And very green
Green Party

[louiebaby]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

Ex-plod

The "pad" on the dash is the only give away I can see in the pics...

What am I missing?

[cat220]

Krikkit said:

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

Thats just confirmed my gut feeling when I seen the add. Having run one for almost 6 years I'm well aware of the costs. The work above would soon mount up. Be good to see the service history and whether the v8 recall etc has been done.