Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 9]

[SpeckledJim]

BigBen said:

SpeckledJim said:

slk 32 said:

A 100k car will always require 100k car maintenance whether or not you pay 100k or 3k for it.

I have to refute this, as I think it's unnecessary scare-mongering for those yet to take the plunge.

I have nary a pot in which to pee. I'm so poor I get a christmas tip from the mice. Yet for years and years (and years) I've run a fleet of luxury-ish bangers with cumulative new prices well into 6 figures.

My cars cost me a few hundred a year. Honestly. Just a few hundred.

Sometime spending is required. But scale of said spending is almost always optional - the necessary is very little, and sprucing-up is entirely voluntary (and often futile).

Second-hand parts, Eurocarparts, GSF, and a willingness to scuff one's knuckles and learn a bit will get you through.

Tossing keys at 'The Man' is an exciting luxury of which I'm very envious, but it's absolutely not part and parcel of the game.

Just jump in, the water's tepid.

Seconded. It is essential to go to the dealer with a new car to maintain service history and therefore value, as the car is older just using an indy instead reduces the 100k car running costs. DIY reduces them even more so.

I should add I'm not being disparaging about 'Men' or the tossing of keys towards them. They are crucial. Someone has to be doing the big stuff that we cannot on the nice cars in order that they be available for smoking about in and taking advantage of.

So they are essential for the existence of the really nice cars that I wish mine were like. So someone HAS to do and pay for that stuff. But it doesn't have to be me, and it doesn't, dear reader, have to be you either.

[bob-lad]

PlayersNo6 said:

bob-lad said:

That CL500 is listed as BLUE in the advert and the MoT database.
Is that a special Mercedes blue that looks silver in photographs?

Looks like Chalcedony - a pale metallic blue. I like it.

I like a colour that's not quite what it first appears.
My old XKR was a kind of peacock green that changed from British Racing Green, through oil slick to deep blue depending how the light caught it.

Many a time I'd return to a car park and find it surrounded by school kids. Not a scratch on it - they were all trying like crazy to get their photos to show the "magic paint".

Hopefully the next generation on PHers

[JZZ30]

JZZ30 said:

Just in time for the... errr... winter sun?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Daimler-sovereign-4-2-li...




It's been a while since we've had a Soarer - This V8 looks good in a rare colour (and local to me if it's actually of interest to anyone). Just needs the Lexus badges replacing with Toyota ones

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Lexus-Soarer-4-0-...

Edited by JZZ30 on Tuesday 24th November 08:40

This is way over budget (@ £15k) but makes the Gold one look like it could be a bargain!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-SERIES-3-CABRIOLE...


I quite like a 4 door convertible much in the same way a 3 door estate is very appealing

[0a]

Chrome arches

[r129sl]

SpeckledJim said:

BigBen said:

SpeckledJim said:

slk 32 said:

A 100k car will always require 100k car maintenance whether or not you pay 100k or 3k for it.

I have to refute this, as I think it's unnecessary scare-mongering for those yet to take the plunge.

I have nary a pot in which to pee. I'm so poor I get a christmas tip from the mice. Yet for years and years (and years) I've run a fleet of luxury-ish bangers with cumulative new prices well into 6 figures.

My cars cost me a few hundred a year. Honestly. Just a few hundred.

Sometime spending is required. But scale of said spending is almost always optional - the necessary is very little, and sprucing-up is entirely voluntary (and often futile).

Second-hand parts, Eurocarparts, GSF, and a willingness to scuff one's knuckles and learn a bit will get you through.

Tossing keys at 'The Man' is an exciting luxury of which I'm very envious, but it's absolutely not part and parcel of the game.

Just jump in, the water's tepid.

Seconded. It is essential to go to the dealer with a new car to maintain service history and therefore value, as the car is older just using an indy instead reduces the 100k car running costs. DIY reduces them even more so.

I should add I'm not being disparaging about 'Men' or the tossing of keys towards them. They are crucial. Someone has to be doing the big stuff that we cannot on the nice cars in order that they be available for smoking about in and taking advantage of.

So they are essential for the existence of the really nice cars that I wish mine were like. So someone HAS to do and pay for that stuff. But it doesn't have to be me, and it doesn't, dear reader, have to be you either.

I agree with SJ, as usual. So long as you don't do too many miles (maybe less than 10k a year) and steer away from any exotica (like AMG cars), it is possible to run these champagne motors on the proverbial lemonade budget. This is especially true of the big Mercs, which were built to be used. Consumables like brakes and even tyres are not very expensive. They are also very easy to service. Only an unlucky failure of a complex system is likely to cost you proper money and, even then, the specialist network keeps the price well below what you might be stung for at the main dealer.

Fixing them oneself is also extraordinarily satisfying. On which note, I wonder whether CdeG ever got round to doing the brakes on his 190?

[Emeye]

JZZ30 said:

This is way over budget (@ £15k) but makes the Gold one look like it could be a bargain!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-SERIES-3-CABRIOLE...


I quite like a 4 door convertible much in the same way a 3 door estate is very appealing

That looks like some misplaced airbag has gone off by accident. Never come across one of these before - what is the structural integrity like?

[bob-lad]

JZZ30 said:

This is way over budget (@ £15k) but makes the Gold one look like it could be a bargain!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-SERIES-3-CABRIOLE...


I quite like a 4 door convertible much in the same way a 3 door estate is very appealing

3 door estate you say?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1994-Reliant-Robin-SLX-/...

[SPT28]

W00DY said:

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

That is seriously tempting, no nav but on these I've heard that's not necessarily a bad thing... I pretty much cycle past it everyday on the way to the station... coupled with the fact I've been thinking of what to replace the 330ci with that's half practical and will comfortably tow my 2t car trailer... D3 was on my radar but think I might have to venture up there tomorrow morning to have a look

[rohrl]

Is there anyone out there brave enough to take this on? It was an E320 but now it's an unfinished E600.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C663569





All (!) you've got to do is to plumb it in, sort the electrics and a shortened propshaft. And a load of other things no doubt.

£3000.

[SpeckledJim]

JZZ30 said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Daimler-sovereign-4-2-li...

Great find. This is the sort of thing I'm on about. Haggle £500 off. Cheap under-the-arches respray for £1500. Few hundred a year on upkeep.

Tough, simple, basic. Yet fascinating and engaging and a bit mad. I'd be hugely predisposed to liking enormously anyone who arrived in that.

£5000 and you've got something that would be fun forever. And worth at least £5000 forever.

[r129sl]

rohrl said:

Is there anyone out there brave enough to take this on? It was an E320 but now it's an unfinished E600.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C663569





All (!) you've got to do is to plumb it in, sort the electrics and a shortened propshaft. And a load of other things no doubt.

£3000.

I would love this. And the vendor is a very nice bloke and proper enthusiast. But to answer your question: no!

Someone should, though.

[harrykul]

If it goes, so be it. If not, no harm done.

I really want an SEC but have to sell something for marital reasons.

[anonymous-user]

swisstoni said:

bob-lad said:

Max M4X WW said:

E65Ross said:

279 said:

So chaps, with all the Mercedes love in here does anybody have any experiences of W220/C215 Mercedes?

I know the smaller Mercedes from this era get a bad rep, do the larger ones turn to rust/fall apart/become a electrical fire risk?. I've personally come across a couple of jammed shifters but that's a common issue. I do seem to see a fair few around suffering from ABC problems but from my own research that seems to be more to do with neglect/poor maintenance than inherit design flaws.

CL500s seem to represent fantastic value



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-CL500-AUTO-BLUE...
£2995!

Or the slightly more mad, but oh some tempting prospect of a V12 and Twin Turbos for £5k if you're willing to put up with more doors...

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

Edited by 279 on Thursday 26th November 18:24

Less than 10 miles from me...!

I really want a CL, when I'm bored of the Volvo I may have to buy one.

That CL500 is listed as BLUE in the advert and the MoT database.
Is that a special Mercedes blue that looks silver in photographs?

Its called Tellurite. It's a bluey silver or a silvery blue.
Darker colours seem to complement the CL shape best. I've been looking at CLs for years but was dismayed to find that the early ones, at least, aren't shy about rusting in certain places. If you add that to their ability to throw up massive bills with their ABC and other systems then these aren't a good prospect for a happy relationship.
I've just bought an SL which shares the same complex systems and have been dealt a hefty blow in the wallet already by the ABC - 45,000mls and FMBSH!

What went wrong with the abc on the SL?

I know these cars have numerous horror stories about ££££ bills when new, but I was hoping with the number of breakers and reasonably priced pattern parts now on the market costs could be kept somewhat reasonable? Example being loads of people will say 2k odd for a abc pump when they seem to be available for ~£400 pattern.

If it's not sold by around Wednesday I am tempted to look at the 600. Missed out on a tidyer one about a year ago for around that money thinking there would be more, but they seem extremely thin on the ground or touching 10k for the twin turbo 600s.

[Ghost91]

279 said:

What went wrong with the abc on the SL?

I know these cars have numerous horror stories about ££££ bills when new, but I was hoping with the number of breakers and reasonably priced pattern parts now on the market costs could be kept somewhat reasonable? Example being loads of people will say 2k odd for a abc pump when they seem to be available for ~£400 pattern.

If it's not sold by around Wednesday I am tempted to look at the 600. Missed out on a tidyer one about a year ago for around that money thinking there would be more, but they seem extremely thin on the ground or touching 10k for the twin turbo 600s.

Are then pattern parts meant to be any good?

I've fancied one of these since I started looking at mercs in general. I bottled it in the end and went for the CLK500 instead but I do wonder if these are actually as catastrophicly expensive to own as people make out....

[swisstoni]

279 said:

swisstoni said:

bob-lad said:

Max M4X WW said:

E65Ross said:

279 said:

So chaps, with all the Mercedes love in here does anybody have any experiences of W220/C215 Mercedes?

I know the smaller Mercedes from this era get a bad rep, do the larger ones turn to rust/fall apart/become a electrical fire risk?. I've personally come across a couple of jammed shifters but that's a common issue. I do seem to see a fair few around suffering from ABC problems but from my own research that seems to be more to do with neglect/poor maintenance than inherit design flaws.

CL500s seem to represent fantastic value



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-CL500-AUTO-BLUE...
£2995!

Or the slightly more mad, but oh some tempting prospect of a V12 and Twin Turbos for £5k if you're willing to put up with more doors...

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

Edited by 279 on Thursday 26th November 18:24

Less than 10 miles from me...!

I really want a CL, when I'm bored of the Volvo I may have to buy one.

That CL500 is listed as BLUE in the advert and the MoT database.
Is that a special Mercedes blue that looks silver in photographs?

Its called Tellurite. It's a bluey silver or a silvery blue.
Darker colours seem to complement the CL shape best. I've been looking at CLs for years but was dismayed to find that the early ones, at least, aren't shy about rusting in certain places. If you add that to their ability to throw up massive bills with their ABC and other systems then these aren't a good prospect for a happy relationship.
I've just bought an SL which shares the same complex systems and have been dealt a hefty blow in the wallet already by the ABC - 45,000mls and FMBSH!

What went wrong with the abc on the SL?

I know these cars have numerous horror stories about ££££ bills when new, but I was hoping with the number of breakers and reasonably priced pattern parts now on the market costs could be kept somewhat reasonable? Example being loads of people will say 2k odd for a abc pump when they seem to be available for ~£400 pattern.

If it's not sold by around Wednesday I am tempted to look at the 600. Missed out on a tidyer one about a year ago for around that money thinking there would be more, but they seem extremely thin on the ground or touching 10k for the twin turbo 600s.

Ironically the SL was already booked in for a preventative flush of the ABC system and general checkover. It developed a noise a few days prior to going in. The ABC pump was making the noise! Sometimes a damper attached to the pump can go faulty and make a similar noise but this didn't fix it.
I believe a pattern ABC is available for £700+VAT but there wasn't a pattern one for my later car so basically £1k +VAT for a MB one.

[Krikkit]

r129sl said:

rohrl said:

Is there anyone out there brave enough to take this on? It was an E320 but now it's an unfinished E600.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C663569





All (!) you've got to do is to plumb it in, sort the electrics and a shortened propshaft. And a load of other things no doubt.

£3000.

I would love this. And the vendor is a very nice bloke and proper enthusiast. But to answer your question: no!

Someone should, though.

V12 in that bay looks magnificent. What a project.

[SuperHangOn]

Maybe I'm just a grinchy cynic but the seller has blatantly hit an insurmountable problem. Its just a breaker now. Bah humbug.

Edited by SuperHangOn on Friday 27th November 14:50

[harrykul]

Humbug indeed, no offence taken though!

Since we the started the project, I've now got 4 more cars- most of which don't get used and one of which is a v12 to scratch that itch

The insurmountable problem was that my trade friends who started it for me closed their business and moved into VW camper van conversions. Now found two firms on the mainland that will complete it next year should I keep it.

[SuperHangOn]

Bummer. Its got to be finished! ( apologies - it being a PH car passed me by!)

I'm guessing you must have come across Martyn Ball? He's made various 560 powered W123's etc.

[lostkiwi]

This looks a bit nice. A V12 w140...The standard wheels are included too: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C601598#

Edited by lostkiwi on Friday 27th November 15:36

Edited by lostkiwi on Friday 27th November 15:37