Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 10]
Discussion
There's not one thing good about that, but it looks like it's had a fortune spent on it!ELUSIVEJIM said:
Shame there isn't a better pic showing the bonkers button-fest that is the dash.
I loved mine back in the day, despite its schizophrenic nature.
Love it.
ELUSIVEJIM said:
Krikkit said:
Quite like this for a haggle into thread budget, what are the w221 like? S350 rather than 500, but the V6 is potent enough to propel 2T quickly enough.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Personally think these look great.http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Is £500 tax correct?
That would hurt.
bob-lad said:
Fake7 said:
I've been reading this thread for many months now, and would like to thank everyone for an excellent read. Maybe one day I too will purchase a car suitable to be added to the discussion (I've had a couple of barges in the past).
Anyway, I've soaked up all the advice and listened attentively, so I think I now know what you will appreciate. I have found this little beauty...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mercedes-w126-380-sel/12...
enjoy
Well... there's very little to enjoy there. Anyway, I've soaked up all the advice and listened attentively, so I think I now know what you will appreciate. I have found this little beauty...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mercedes-w126-380-sel/12...
enjoy
We have ourselves a new thread comedian
BlueHave said:
ELUSIVEJIM said:
Krikkit said:
Quite like this for a haggle into thread budget, what are the w221 like? S350 rather than 500, but the V6 is potent enough to propel 2T quickly enough.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Personally think these look great.http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Is £500 tax correct?
That would hurt.
BlueHave said:
ELUSIVEJIM said:
Krikkit said:
Quite like this for a haggle into thread budget, what are the w221 like? S350 rather than 500, but the V6 is potent enough to propel 2T quickly enough.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Personally think these look great.http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Is £500 tax correct?
That would hurt.
lostkiwi said:
BlueHave said:
ELUSIVEJIM said:
Krikkit said:
Quite like this for a haggle into thread budget, what are the w221 like? S350 rather than 500, but the V6 is potent enough to propel 2T quickly enough.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Personally think these look great.http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Is £500 tax correct?
That would hurt.
Could it *be* any more grey?
XK8 in Carnival (?) red with cream and aparently under 100k. Lots of receipts but apparently no SH is offset by buying it for £3.5k.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
And just to add some yang to the ying have what I thought would be a LHD euro-trip-family mobile, but this Cadillac SRX 3.6 with an LPG conversion is RHD. Why did they do that??? It does look comfy, and 8.1 to 60 is not as sluggish as I thought it might be. I await the flaming!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
And just to add some yang to the ying have what I thought would be a LHD euro-trip-family mobile, but this Cadillac SRX 3.6 with an LPG conversion is RHD. Why did they do that??? It does look comfy, and 8.1 to 60 is not as sluggish as I thought it might be. I await the flaming!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
279 said:
Like you say, the main thing with that car will be establishing just how bad the rust bug has bitten. In an ideal world you'd want to remove the plastic covers along the sills and rear bumper to see what the state of the metal is like behind, although realistically a careful inspection of what is visible and a strong dose of brave pills is the best you're going to get.
They can rust practically anywhere, but particularly you're looking at the all arches, inner wings, doors (both at the bottoms and below the plastic trims), boot lid, etc.
It is worth mentioning that a lot of the 'rust' claims for the W220 are bubbling areas of paint as opposed to being full blown, MOT failing rotten, but it can happen, see here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/S500-Spares-or-repair-/1...
You'll also want to check the Plenum drains for blockages, the carpets for wetness, the interior and boot for that moldy smell and the electricals for full function - The drains have a habit of getting blocked allowing water to drain into the cabin and flood some every expensive wiring and control modules.
Check as much of the suspension pipe work for leaks/seeping hoses as much as possible. Again, you're fairly limited to what you can inspect without jacking it up, but do the best you can. Make sure the ABC level is correct both at cold and once its been running, and that the fluid is bright green and does not have a 'burnt' smell to it. Excess fluid around the ABC reservoir indicates knackered accumulators, but truth is at this age you might want to budget for replacing them anyway (~600 pounds DIY).
Unless it has very recent receipts for coil packs and a ABC pump, assume that they will need to be done at some point soon. Failing coil packs will cause a random misfire/rough running maybe a EML, a failing pump can be anything from being noisy in operation, to spewing fluid out of the O-Rings to simply not making enough pressure, but there's no way of checking the later without a STAR diagnostic computer (highly recommended if you do buy one). Raising and lowering the car puts the pump under a lot of stress, so scroll through the height settings a couple of times and keep an ear out for what the pump is doing, and a eye on the dash for any red warning lights during/after raising.
The engine should be next to silent, not smoke and pull strongly. Its maybe worth trying giving it some beans, letting the heat soak in, and then trying another pull. If it feels weak on subsequent runs it is likely to have a bad charge cooler pump. Not an expensive part, but bleeding the system is a specialized job.
Its also advised you try a couple of hot restarts, as starter motors are known to fail (and require the engine to come out!).
I think the main thing when buying one for this sort of money is to be realistic and view it as a long term project that you don't mind putting money into. If you're looking for something close to perfect you're probably going to be disappointed with any 600 that will come up for thread budget.
Good luck!
Thank you for this, very very helpful. They can rust practically anywhere, but particularly you're looking at the all arches, inner wings, doors (both at the bottoms and below the plastic trims), boot lid, etc.
It is worth mentioning that a lot of the 'rust' claims for the W220 are bubbling areas of paint as opposed to being full blown, MOT failing rotten, but it can happen, see here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/S500-Spares-or-repair-/1...
You'll also want to check the Plenum drains for blockages, the carpets for wetness, the interior and boot for that moldy smell and the electricals for full function - The drains have a habit of getting blocked allowing water to drain into the cabin and flood some every expensive wiring and control modules.
Check as much of the suspension pipe work for leaks/seeping hoses as much as possible. Again, you're fairly limited to what you can inspect without jacking it up, but do the best you can. Make sure the ABC level is correct both at cold and once its been running, and that the fluid is bright green and does not have a 'burnt' smell to it. Excess fluid around the ABC reservoir indicates knackered accumulators, but truth is at this age you might want to budget for replacing them anyway (~600 pounds DIY).
Unless it has very recent receipts for coil packs and a ABC pump, assume that they will need to be done at some point soon. Failing coil packs will cause a random misfire/rough running maybe a EML, a failing pump can be anything from being noisy in operation, to spewing fluid out of the O-Rings to simply not making enough pressure, but there's no way of checking the later without a STAR diagnostic computer (highly recommended if you do buy one). Raising and lowering the car puts the pump under a lot of stress, so scroll through the height settings a couple of times and keep an ear out for what the pump is doing, and a eye on the dash for any red warning lights during/after raising.
The engine should be next to silent, not smoke and pull strongly. Its maybe worth trying giving it some beans, letting the heat soak in, and then trying another pull. If it feels weak on subsequent runs it is likely to have a bad charge cooler pump. Not an expensive part, but bleeding the system is a specialized job.
Its also advised you try a couple of hot restarts, as starter motors are known to fail (and require the engine to come out!).
I think the main thing when buying one for this sort of money is to be realistic and view it as a long term project that you don't mind putting money into. If you're looking for something close to perfect you're probably going to be disappointed with any 600 that will come up for thread budget.
Good luck!
Stage 1 is to get my friend to have a look round the car, he is less techy than my but will be able to tell if it is total crap or not.
Stage 2 would be to visit myself and then I could plug my Star computer into it (agree, worth its weight in gold).
Suspension accumulators etc hold no fear for me, I did them on my SL55, the engine out starter motor on the other hand.....
Ben
Alfa 166 3.0 Busso V6 with manual box. Not perfect and needs a few bits doing, also can't check the MOT history as the plate is obscured but it's currently at £316 and I don't see it going much over the bottom of thread budget if at all.
In other news this is my new barge: A 406 coupe with the 3.0l 210bhp V6, manual box and black leather. I paid a grand total of £600 for it and it's great!
In other news this is my new barge: A 406 coupe with the 3.0l 210bhp V6, manual box and black leather. I paid a grand total of £600 for it and it's great!
BigBen said:
279 said:
Like you say, the main thing with that car will be establishing just how bad the rust bug has bitten. In an ideal world you'd want to remove the plastic covers along the sills and rear bumper to see what the state of the metal is like behind, although realistically a careful inspection of what is visible and a strong dose of brave pills is the best you're going to get.
They can rust practically anywhere, but particularly you're looking at the all arches, inner wings, doors (both at the bottoms and below the plastic trims), boot lid, etc.
It is worth mentioning that a lot of the 'rust' claims for the W220 are bubbling areas of paint as opposed to being full blown, MOT failing rotten, but it can happen, see here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/S500-Spares-or-repair-/1...
You'll also want to check the Plenum drains for blockages, the carpets for wetness, the interior and boot for that moldy smell and the electricals for full function - The drains have a habit of getting blocked allowing water to drain into the cabin and flood some every expensive wiring and control modules.
Check as much of the suspension pipe work for leaks/seeping hoses as much as possible. Again, you're fairly limited to what you can inspect without jacking it up, but do the best you can. Make sure the ABC level is correct both at cold and once its been running, and that the fluid is bright green and does not have a 'burnt' smell to it. Excess fluid around the ABC reservoir indicates knackered accumulators, but truth is at this age you might want to budget for replacing them anyway (~600 pounds DIY).
Unless it has very recent receipts for coil packs and a ABC pump, assume that they will need to be done at some point soon. Failing coil packs will cause a random misfire/rough running maybe a EML, a failing pump can be anything from being noisy in operation, to spewing fluid out of the O-Rings to simply not making enough pressure, but there's no way of checking the later without a STAR diagnostic computer (highly recommended if you do buy one). Raising and lowering the car puts the pump under a lot of stress, so scroll through the height settings a couple of times and keep an ear out for what the pump is doing, and a eye on the dash for any red warning lights during/after raising.
The engine should be next to silent, not smoke and pull strongly. Its maybe worth trying giving it some beans, letting the heat soak in, and then trying another pull. If it feels weak on subsequent runs it is likely to have a bad charge cooler pump. Not an expensive part, but bleeding the system is a specialized job.
Its also advised you try a couple of hot restarts, as starter motors are known to fail (and require the engine to come out!).
I think the main thing when buying one for this sort of money is to be realistic and view it as a long term project that you don't mind putting money into. If you're looking for something close to perfect you're probably going to be disappointed with any 600 that will come up for thread budget.
Good luck!
Thank you for this, very very helpful. They can rust practically anywhere, but particularly you're looking at the all arches, inner wings, doors (both at the bottoms and below the plastic trims), boot lid, etc.
It is worth mentioning that a lot of the 'rust' claims for the W220 are bubbling areas of paint as opposed to being full blown, MOT failing rotten, but it can happen, see here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/S500-Spares-or-repair-/1...
You'll also want to check the Plenum drains for blockages, the carpets for wetness, the interior and boot for that moldy smell and the electricals for full function - The drains have a habit of getting blocked allowing water to drain into the cabin and flood some every expensive wiring and control modules.
Check as much of the suspension pipe work for leaks/seeping hoses as much as possible. Again, you're fairly limited to what you can inspect without jacking it up, but do the best you can. Make sure the ABC level is correct both at cold and once its been running, and that the fluid is bright green and does not have a 'burnt' smell to it. Excess fluid around the ABC reservoir indicates knackered accumulators, but truth is at this age you might want to budget for replacing them anyway (~600 pounds DIY).
Unless it has very recent receipts for coil packs and a ABC pump, assume that they will need to be done at some point soon. Failing coil packs will cause a random misfire/rough running maybe a EML, a failing pump can be anything from being noisy in operation, to spewing fluid out of the O-Rings to simply not making enough pressure, but there's no way of checking the later without a STAR diagnostic computer (highly recommended if you do buy one). Raising and lowering the car puts the pump under a lot of stress, so scroll through the height settings a couple of times and keep an ear out for what the pump is doing, and a eye on the dash for any red warning lights during/after raising.
The engine should be next to silent, not smoke and pull strongly. Its maybe worth trying giving it some beans, letting the heat soak in, and then trying another pull. If it feels weak on subsequent runs it is likely to have a bad charge cooler pump. Not an expensive part, but bleeding the system is a specialized job.
Its also advised you try a couple of hot restarts, as starter motors are known to fail (and require the engine to come out!).
I think the main thing when buying one for this sort of money is to be realistic and view it as a long term project that you don't mind putting money into. If you're looking for something close to perfect you're probably going to be disappointed with any 600 that will come up for thread budget.
Good luck!
Stage 1 is to get my friend to have a look round the car, he is less techy than my but will be able to tell if it is total crap or not.
Stage 2 would be to visit myself and then I could plug my Star computer into it (agree, worth its weight in gold).
Suspension accumulators etc hold no fear for me, I did them on my SL55, the engine out starter motor on the other hand.....
Ben
Suspension really doesn't look right on that S350, plus I think I can see damage at the bottom of one of the rear doors. Have seen ones in better condition albeit higher miles for similar money to what you'd pay once you'd sorted the engine management light, so I think I'd rather go with one of those.
Krikkit said:
Quite like this for a haggle into thread budget, what are the w221 like? S350 rather than 500, but the V6 is potent enough to propel 2T quickly enough.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
The 350 engine is a nice engine, and smooth enough. My dad had it in his 2006 CLK350 cab. But yes, they suffer balancer shaft issues from what I gather which can be very costly to fix IIRC. I've only experienced this S-class in diesel form, and it was a nice enough place to be, but I'd much rather it with a petrol, of course.http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
A few interesting barges popped up on my search today:
Low mile 525
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
Unusual Saab 9-5 - some beautiful cars at this garage.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/s...
80s-tastic Opel Monza 3.0
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/o...
Nice-looking XJ X350 Sport
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/j...
Low mile 525
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
Unusual Saab 9-5 - some beautiful cars at this garage.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/s...
80s-tastic Opel Monza 3.0
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/o...
Nice-looking XJ X350 Sport
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/j...
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