Best smoker barges 1-5 large [vol11]

[Scottsz]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

You haven't actually said that out loud, have you?

So many times. She doesn't believe me though.

[Sterillium]

This looks rather lovely.




http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/d...

[CharlesdeGaulle]

I took the 124 out for a blast on a cold but lovely day today. 50-odd miles of top-down motoring to blow the cobwebs away.



Whilst out, I think I discovered barge heaven.



Which was adjacent to barge purgatory. Any takers?

[juice]

Not sure if it will stay in budget but....Am I alone in actually liking these colours ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-MERCEDES-w124-260E-...

Looks like something Oswald Boateng would have specced !

[0a]

Blimey. If an LS400 is too small what do you drive?!

Looks lovely CDG; perfect weather for the car.

[0a]

juice said:

Not sure if it will stay in budget but....Am I alone in actually liking these colours ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-MERCEDES-w124-260E-...

Looks like something Oswald Boateng would have specced !

Separately they would be fine. Together they are deeply wrong!

[Scottsz]

0a said:

Blimey. If an LS400 is too small what do you drive?!

Looks lovely CDG; perfect weather for the car.

Ridiculously I drive an astra estate, admittedly no one can sit behind me. I can only assume most barges are built with the passenger in mind, along with high profile seats and well insulated roofs and doors reducing cabin space. I'm also led to believe that 90s cars had large steering wheels but this could be nonsense.

[bob-lad]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Or a bit of both. Old school looks with more modern running gear.

Something like a Beacham MkII.

Although I really like craigjm's approach and I'd love to do something similar myself in the near future.

[bob-lad]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Built in body bag. Handy. If that's your thing.

[hornetrider]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

I took the 124 out for a blast on a cold but lovely day today. 50-odd miles of top-down motoring to blow the cobwebs away.

How have I never noticed the rear overhang on one of these before? That is loooonnng.

[bob-lad]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Whilst out, I think I discovered barge heaven.

That needs further investigation

[CharlesdeGaulle]

bob-lad said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Whilst out, I think I discovered barge heaven.

That needs further investigation

It certainly does. It's about 10 miles away from me and I'll be going back. They do RR and Bentley mechanicals and restoration. The pale Blue Bentley looked really nice. For sale, obvs, but no price shown.

[A57 HSV]

Scottsz said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

This looks nice.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/l...



Looks good in green.

I've just got back from seeing this, the car and owner were both great. Unfortunately I'm yet again cursed by being over 2m tall and couldn't fit. The car itself was wonderful though, definitely a steal at the asking price so a massive disappointment that I didn't fit!

Does anyone know if there's a bit more headroom in the LS430?

[tombar]

LS430 is a fair bit roomier front and back - taller car. The main problem with the LS400 is that the front seats don't go that far back - it isn't really a headroom issue but a legroom one. I have 33" inside leg and I was at the limit with my Mk4. There is plenty of room otherwise in an LS400 except the boot isn't as massive as you'd think.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

tombar said:

There is plenty of room otherwise in an LS400 except the boot isn't as massive as you'd think.

Interesting; that doesn't seem to be the consensus view up-thread.

[Jobbo]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Aren't they standard on most saloons nowadays? For a number of reasons: they don't crush things in the boot, they lift the bootlid clear of the rear window and your head despite the rear screen being longer and steeper, and they can be automated reliably.

[tombar]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Interesting; that doesn't seem to be the consensus view up-thread.

It was never not big enough! It is just that the petrol tank takes up a fair amount of space between the back seat bulkhead and the boot.

My favourite place was when I could talk Mrs B into driving (she doesn't like autos) and I could sit relaxed in the back - such a great car to be a passenger in. I'm not sure if I'd need any of the massaging seats frippery of the 430.

[The Don of Croy]

Jobbo said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Aren't they standard on most saloons nowadays? For a number of reasons: they don't crush things in the boot, they lift the bootlid clear of the rear window and your head despite the rear screen being longer and steeper, and they can be automated reliably.

I think I read somewhere (or more likely imagined it) that the more complex hinges that allow greater luggage room (as seen on my 1992 Honda Civic) were outlawed by the US after some numpties trapped their hands in them.

The older design used to crush whatever was in the boot.

[anonymous-user]

Jobbo said:

Aren't they standard on most saloons nowadays? For a number of reasons: they don't crush things in the boot, they lift the bootlid clear of the rear window and your head despite the rear screen being longer and steeper, and they can be automated reliably.

This is how it's supposed to be done



They take up less space and don't intrude into the load area at all. A lot of older/stter cars don't enclose the horrible swan neck things so if you're not careful they'll crush items in the boot. I think these crap hinges they use now are part of the process of no longer wasting money developing or building elegant solutions that buyers don't actually give a st about. Who ever bought one car over the other because of the boot hinges? It seems to have become a real rush to the bottom of that front, much easier to impress with cheap to implement electronic tat rather than mechanical excellence and attention to detail.

[Jobbo]

That's archaic - introduced by Audi on the first aero 80 in about 1986. Looks clever but impossible to automate and the flange round the boot opening takes all the load.

The new type like in the W211 aren't a swan neck; they slide through an arc rather than rotating, so they have to be enclosed and can't trap anything.