Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 9]

[Lowtimer]

It's a lot of money for a low-powered E34, and while it's impressive to look at I never found the 520i impressive to drive, it always felt far too heavy for its engine.

But if your friend is someone who actually does want a low-powered E34, and assuming it is in the beautiful condition that its appearance and extraordinarily low mileage suggest, then where are you going to find another one as good? Taking the average heavily worn car and restoring it to that condition would cost far more than buying a really good one.

[Pennyroyal Tea]

SimonConnell said:

Pothole said:

Nice looking V90 Luxury Edition up for Auction at H&H Donington on the 24th soon





Lovely colour and back on the original wheels could do double that mileage with little fuss

Edited by Pothole on Saturday 13th February 12:48

I just don't get it. If there is a car that is less suited to shouty wheels, please show it to me. Plus the whole point about fettling a Volvo is you do it under the bonnet and leave it bone stock outside to maximise the sleeper effect.

Is it just me, or is the estimate on that toppy too? As noted, one with 50% more miles is hardly going to be less reliable.

I like it

Obviously it needs a massive turbo to do justice to the rimz, but I do enjoy a fettled Volvo all the same.

Viva la Moose!

[PowerslideSWE]

Lowtimer said:

It's a lot of money for a low-powered E34, and while it's impressive to look at I never found the 520i impressive to drive, it always felt far too heavy for its engine.

But if your friend is someone who actually does want a low-powered E34, and assuming it is in the beautiful condition that its appearance and extraordinarily low mileage suggest, then where are you going to find another one as good? Taking the average heavily worn car and restoring it to that condition would cost far more than buying a really good one.

I agreed, I have only driven an e34 520 in the non-24V guise and that was smooth, but not fast. That's what I told him, cars in this condition doesn't exist anymore, and this will eventually get bought on condition alone, not engine size I guess. Had it been priced £1500-2000 lower I would have got it for myself tho, 520 or not.

[Pennyroyal Tea]

Surely an M30B35 swap is but a twist of the spanner and a slam of the bonnet, though?

[PowerslideSWE]

Pennyroyal Tea said:

Surely an M30B35 swap is but a twist of the spanner and a slam of the bonnet, though?

True, but will lack originality after that, which I could live with tbh. But not possible to register legally here tho. But if you, for arguments sake would switch the engine for say a turbocharged Volvo 5-pot, that would be possible to register...

[Croutons]

In order to check a Merc spec am I right in thinking I need the VIN, and I can't derive that from the reg (unlike say BMW)? W220 from 2004 if relevant.

[Pennyroyal Tea]

But who's going to know? Both lumps look pretty similar in that engine bay...

[defblade]

bob-lad said:

I appreciate that this is listed slightly above thread budget, BUT it really should be well within budget.


Rover 75 V8.
http://www.hursleyhillgarage.co.uk/used/rover/75/v...

I won't post the price. I laughed so hard I think a bit of wee came out. And I don't want that to happen to those of you just skimming through

Just looked in the dictionary, this URL was listed under 'optimistic'.

That's not overpriced... they just accidentally put the comma one digit to the right.

[SpeckledJim]

defblade said:

bob-lad said:

I appreciate that this is listed slightly above thread budget, BUT it really should be well within budget.


Rover 75 V8.
http://www.hursleyhillgarage.co.uk/used/rover/75/v...

I won't post the price. I laughed so hard I think a bit of wee came out. And I don't want that to happen to those of you just skimming through

Just looked in the dictionary, this URL was listed under 'optimistic'.

That's not overpriced... they just accidentally put the comma one digit to the right.

That's over double the price of that car when it was brand spanking new when the factory closed.

[derin100]

PowerslideSWE said:

Lowtimer said:

It's a lot of money for a low-powered E34, and while it's impressive to look at I never found the 520i impressive to drive, it always felt far too heavy for its engine.

But if your friend is someone who actually does want a low-powered E34, and assuming it is in the beautiful condition that its appearance and extraordinarily low mileage suggest, then where are you going to find another one as good? Taking the average heavily worn car and restoring it to that condition would cost far more than buying a really good one.

I agreed, I have only driven an e34 520 in the non-24V guise and that was smooth, but not fast. That's what I told him, cars in this condition doesn't exist anymore, and this will eventually get bought on condition alone, not engine size I guess. Had it been priced £1500-2000 lower I would have got it for myself tho, 520 or not.

It's lovely!

As said by Lowtimer, it's not the most powerful engine for that type of car. However, interestingly, I just got out the E34's handbook and looked up the Unladen Weights of the various models and a 520i manual does save a not insignificant amount of weight. 70kg (i.e. about one passenger's worth...well, that's what the books at medical school used to class the average man at...probably a completely obsolete measure nowadays!) lighter than a 525i Auto and a massive 205kg lighter than a 540i Auto!

So, performance is actually as bad as one's natural inclination might think. The manual 520i, according to the handbook, will do 0-62mph in 10.6 with a top speed of 131mph. So, not disastrous? Faster than a 2.0L 190E, for example but we never worry so much about the performance specs of a 190E anymore?

I'd say buy it! It's about its condition not how fast it is.

[Pennyroyal Tea]

I always thought that B20 lump was the sweetest sounding of the M30 family.

[Lowtimer]

PowerslideSWE said:

Pennyroyal Tea said:

Surely an M30B35 swap is but a twist of the spanner and a slam of the bonnet, though?

True, but will lack originality after that, which I could live with tbh. But not possible to register legally here tho. But if you, for arguments sake would switch the engine for say a turbocharged Volvo 5-pot, that would be possible to register...

And you'll also need the gearbox, brakes and diff off the donor 535i.

[Pennyroyal Tea]

Lowtimer said:

And you'll also need the gearbox, brakes and diff off the donor 535i.

I was being facetious in my post above. A mate and I once did the same to his 520i over the course of a weekend. Donor was a crashed 535i Sport with the LSD. Everything was pretty much plug and play.

[Jimmy Recard]

PowerslideSWE said:

Pennyroyal Tea said:

Surely an M30B35 swap is but a twist of the spanner and a slam of the bonnet, though?

True, but will lack originality after that, which I could live with tbh. But not possible to register legally here tho. But if you, for arguments sake would switch the engine for say a turbocharged Volvo 5-pot, that would be possible to register...

Why is it that one would be allowed and the other not allowed?

[Lowtimer]

derin100 said:

So, performance is actually as bad as one's natural inclination might think. The manual 520i, according to the handbook, will do 0-62mph in 10.6 with a top speed of 131mph. So, not disastrous? Faster than a 2.0L 190E, for example but we never worry so much about the performance specs of a 190E anymore?

I'd say buy it! It's about its condition not how fast it is.

I agree in principle with everything you say, and have no worries at all about driving around in what by modern standards are cars with pretty mundane straight line performance. It's just that when I had regular access to one back in the early 1990s (it was the 24v car) it really did feel terribly sluggish even by the standards of back then. Possibly because it felt as if it had a massive flywheel, possibly because you had to rev it hard to get it to move. It was a manual and it felt much less lively than the nominally 130 hp Saab 9000 also used to borrow quite often, and much much slower than the nominally 150 hp Granada 2.9 auto we used to have on the company fleet at the same time. My own personal cars at the time were a 1.6 Mark II Escort and a 2.0 Manta GT/E.

I've never felt terribly short-changed by a 190e, though, Maybe it was a reflection of expectations versus reality, If I recall correctly it was the first 5-series I'd driven and perhaps I expected more. Perhaps I'd feel differently about it today.

[dbdb]

Lowtimer said:

derin100 said:

So, performance is actually as bad as one's natural inclination might think. The manual 520i, according to the handbook, will do 0-62mph in 10.6 with a top speed of 131mph. So, not disastrous? Faster than a 2.0L 190E, for example but we never worry so much about the performance specs of a 190E anymore?

I'd say buy it! It's about its condition not how fast it is.

I agree in principle with everything you say, and have no worries at all about driving around in what by modern standards are cars with pretty mundane straight line performance. It's just that when I had regular access to one back in the early 1990s (it was the 24v car) it really did feel terribly sluggish even by the standards of back then. Possibly because it felt as if it had a massive flywheel, possibly because you had to rev it hard to get it to move. It was a manual and it felt much less lively than the nominally 130 hp Saab 9000 also used to borrow quite often, and much much slower than the nominally 150 hp Granada 2.9 auto we used to have on the company fleet at the same time. My own personal cars at the time were a 1.6 Mark II Escort and a 2.0 Manta GT/E.

I've never felt terribly short-changed by a 190e, though, Maybe it was a reflection of expectations versus reality, If I recall correctly it was the first 5-series I'd driven and perhaps I expected more. Perhaps I'd feel differently about it today.

I suspect expectation has a lot to do with it - and a car's smoothness can dull the sensation of speed. Everyone says the 2.9 litre XJ6 is woefully underpowered (I do myself) but it is also faster than the 190E.

[BorniteIdentity]

The Sunroof on my 190e has started playing silly buggers.

It is the electric tilt and slide sunroof... and seems to open without any problems in both fashions.

However, when trying to slide it closed it keeps stopping. Hit the switch again and it'll budge along a bit and then stop. It always closes eventually, but I'm wondering what is causing the problem.

Any ideas?
Hope to hear.

PS: have posted on the 190 forum, but it's a bit hit and miss on there these days.

[derin100]

BorniteIdentity said:

The Sunroof on my 190e has started playing silly buggers.

It is the electric tilt and slide sunroof... and seems to open without any problems in both fashions.

However, when trying to slide it closed it keeps stopping. Hit the switch again and it'll budge along a bit and then stop. It always closes eventually, but I'm wondering what is causing the problem.

Any ideas?
Hope to hear.

PS: have posted on the 190 forum, but it's a bit hit and miss on there these days.

Lots of sunroof info and threads on the 190 Forum if you put "sunroof" into the search facility on there. I just tried it.

As with most things on 190s there's usually someone or several people who will have experience of exactly the same problem and usually the solution is there as well.

Good luck

[BorniteIdentity]

derin100 said:

BorniteIdentity said:

The Sunroof on my 190e has started playing silly buggers.

It is the electric tilt and slide sunroof... and seems to open without any problems in both fashions.

However, when trying to slide it closed it keeps stopping. Hit the switch again and it'll budge along a bit and then stop. It always closes eventually, but I'm wondering what is causing the problem.

Any ideas?
Hope to hear.

PS: have posted on the 190 forum, but it's a bit hit and miss on there these days.

Lots of sunroof info and threads on the 190 Forum if you put "sunroof" into the search facility on there. I just tried it.

As with most things on 190s there's usually someone or several people who will have experience of exactly the same problem and usually the solution is there as well.

Good luck

Currently on page 5 of 8.

Quite a lot of me has already died. Nobody seems to have had the same problem so far.

The hunt continues.

[tobinen]

Croutons said:

In order to check a Merc spec am I right in thinking I need the VIN, and I can't derive that from the reg (unlike say BMW)? W220 from 2004 if relevant.

There is a way. I can do it for you tomorrow if you want. PM me the VIN and/or registration number if so.

Edited by tobinen on Sunday 14th February 14:43