Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 9]

[GreatPretender]

Agree, but the price is daft for what is effectively an old E36 competitor. 280 lump was a peach in its day, but now I think one would find the whole experience considerable whelming for the entry fee.

[harrykul]

That's really quite cool. Priced correctly it'd be a lovely daily.

[V12 AMG]

Bonefish Blues said:

I think that's absolutely lovely, incl (especially) the interior.

Ditto.

[Krikkit]

Is that really such a ridiculous price for such a low-mile, minty car?

[Lowtimer]

r129sl said:

Price-wise, the vendor of this is plainly high on drugs, but I can't help but like this little sleeper. Right up our street, surely? First, it's a Merc; second, it has a grandpa paint job; third, it has a thumping big straight six petrol; fourth, it has leather upholstery in an "interesting" hue; fifth, wheel trims! What not to like?

That putting the same money into a better-made, more classic and less rot-prone 190e 2.6 would be smarter in every way? Or, if you needed the additional space that this offers over a 190e, then a 124?

Mind you, if I'd done what I imagine the dealer did, and picked it up for under £3k from the deceased owner's estate, I'd be quite chuffed.

Edited by Lowtimer on Saturday 6th February 09:53

[GreatPretender]

Krikkit said:

Is that really such a ridiculous price for such a low-mile, minty car?

As ever, the right price is what someone is willing to pay, but I can't imagine the queue of people falling over themselves to pay seven grand for a small, twenty year old, petrol Merc is all that long.

Despite offering all the charm of the Berlin Wall, at least its 190 forbear offered the USP of being hewn from kryponite. Alas, all this Merc signifies is the bean counter era and putting any miles on it will trash the value. So you end up with a thirsty, not all that refined, poorly built, junior management rep-mobile that you can't even use

Sure the mileage is low, but the car's still twenty years old and will need mending accordingly.

I think the market for these is still at the bottom of the food chain, where someone will pay a few hundred quid for one to park outside his local flat-roofed boozer.

[r129sl]

Oh well, at least it was damned in poetry.

[0a]

Indeed!

It's an interesting curio but I just don't really like those C Class mercs.

This on the other hand... an early car, MB tex, low miles (for a W124), 6 cylinder, "beautiful condition", £1,495 for a "quick sale".

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C706902[url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/gUOj1CNx[/url]

[Lowtimer]

That's more like it.

What I will say for that 202 C-Class is that I like it more than any subsequent C-Class. As an object, it is pleasantly understated and has a good design relationship with the 124 and the 129. If I'd had the option of a new company example when they came out, especially a six-cylinder one, I would have been very happy. And they handle well, too. But as with the 210 E-Class , and for the same reasons, the quality turned out to be so disastrous that I couldn't take pride of ownership in one now. Mate of mine's father-in-law had one from new which had ghastly great scabs and falling-off bits all over it by the time it was four years old, and that lived in leafy plutocrat Cheshire, hardly a demanding environment.

If I were going to take a chance on something 4-door of that era with a reputation for flakiness it would have to be an Alfa 164 V6, which may often be broken or requiring attention but at least is a proper heartbreaker in both senses of the term.

[jonclancy]

Fellow Bargistas,

Some advice please, if I may?

In a month or so, I've a lease car coming. Yes, I know, I know.....

I'll be parting with my thread purchase 300E-24. It's due a service, MOT, and I have a pair of new front struts that need fitting. Although just inside top thread budget on purchase, and having spent a couple of grand on it over the past three years and 34K miles, it's not going to fetch too much. Too good to scrap, by far, but with faults. Do I get the work done, or sell as is for a commensurate discount?

Your thoughts, please!

VMT!

[GreatPretender]

jonclancy said:

Fellow Bargistas,

Some advice please, if I may?

In a month or so, I've a lease car coming. Yes, I know, I know.....

I'll be parting with my thread purchase 300E-24. It's due a service, MOT, and I have a pair of new front struts that need fitting. Although just inside top thread budget on purchase, and having spent a couple of grand on it over the past three years and 34K miles, it's not going to fetch too much. Too good to scrap, by far, but with faults. Do I get the work done, or sell as is for a commensurate discount?

Your thoughts, please!

VMT!

KEEP IT!

Is it a wagon? Surely any 124 with less than a billion miles on it is worth hanging onto? Especially so, for the 300-24. What an engine. Hell, if I was still in the UK, I'd drop you a PM.

[GreatPretender]

0a said:

Indeed!

It's an interesting curio but I just don't really like those C Class mercs.

This on the other hand... an early car, MB tex, low miles (for a W124), 6 cylinder, "beautiful condition", £1,495 for a "quick sale".

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C706902

Just look at this will ya:



Notwithstanding that this is one of thee best designed interiors ever, you'd never in a trillion years assume 104k miles have passed under the wheels, would you? Incredible.

Soopoib

[Lowtimer]

jonclancy said:

Some advice please, if I may?

What are the faults? If not irredeemable I'd be keeping it, having got so far. Lease cars come, lease cars go...

If you must sell it, get the work done properly and sell it for proper money, assuming it is all tidy and the rest of the mechanicals are good. Service and MOT stuff at the very minimum otherwise you will get peanuts.

Edited by Lowtimer on Saturday 6th February 11:33

[GreatPretender]

Useless to you lot, but just look at this thing!


http://tnydu.biz/DOs7OA

Only 40k miles and up for around 6k in old money. Thank you Lord for Jap imports.

Staggering.

Or y'know, you could have a C280 instead...

[edo]

GreatPretender said:

Krikkit said:

Is that really such a ridiculous price for such a low-mile, minty car?

As ever, the right price is what someone is willing to pay, but I can't imagine the queue of people falling over themselves to pay seven grand for a small, twenty year old, petrol Merc is all that long.

Despite offering all the charm of the Berlin Wall, at least its 190 forbear offered the USP of being hewn from kryponite. Alas, all this Merc signifies is the bean counter era and putting any miles on it will trash the value. So you end up with a thirsty, not all that refined, poorly built, junior management rep-mobile that you can't even use

Sure the mileage is low, but the car's still twenty years old and will need mending accordingly.

I think the market for these is still at the bottom of the food chain, where someone will pay a few hundred quid for one to park outside his local flat-roofed boozer.

£6k not £7k if we are being picky

[Riley Blue]

BigShow said:

0a said:

I rather like this a8 4.2 http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

The W124 has been put in for a service with a list of annoying things to fix. The driver's side window isn't working again - the regulator was replaced last time. Is there some "trick" to get it to work well over a long period? Also it has been 2 years/40k since I did the shocks - worth doing again?

I'm in one of those albeit the previous gen but with the 4.2... if the later models are anything like mine, don't bother, the list to fix will grow every time you take it in. On the 4.2 I've had:

Replacement head gaskets
Replacement cooling fan clutch
Rebuilt gearbox
Rebuilt engine top end
Rebuilt rear diff

Previous to this I had a 2000 735i, 2002 745i, 2003 745i and a 2005 745i and none of them let me down in the way this A8 has, it'll be my last foray into Audi barges, next stop, truck barge, loaded F150 crew-cab with the V8.

My experience (I've owned my 2004 MY 4.2 A8 for almost two years now) has been quite different. I've experienced none of the issues you have and apart from routine servicing and a few niggling little problems that have been cheap to remedy, any expenses have been my choice: transmission fluid replaced and some minor bodywork.

[W00DY]

I like that C280 too. I wouldn't buy it, but it's nice.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-0-supercharged-jaguar-...


£1500 of awesome.

[0a]

I popped into the local hand car wash and opened the window to pay, the young chap said "ahh it's the beast we hear going by the end of the road every morning, nice to have you in" - definitely time to get that exhaust changed back.

At least it's clean though!

[SuperHangOn]

I quite like 202's. I think they (along with the 210) are mostly worth buying for the turbo-diesels which offer good grunt along with old school MB simplicity and indestructibilty. The petrols are a bit dull.

[0a]

W00DY said:

I like that C280 too. I wouldn't buy it, but it's nice.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-0-supercharged-jaguar-...


£1500 of awesome.

I really like that (though am on my phone so can't look too closely at the pictures). The straight 6 supercharged engine appeals to me for some reason. I am slightly out off by the reports of rust in the PH jaguar threads I have read though (though I guess this is the same with any old car?)