Best smoker barges 1-5 large [vol11]

[Ray100]

Do any of the regular experts have any tips or advice about the potential pitfalls of this Mercedes 500 SEL? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-MERCEDES-500-SEL-AU...

Looks to be a promising project within my capabilities & with an MOT until March next year but would appreciate any tips apart from the usual crawl underneath it & a HPI,I will be in that area this Thursday.
Cheers.

[bmthnick1981]

Prinny said:

bmthnick1981 said:

Poor form to quote myself but just to update in case it is of use to anyone else I had a quote from BMW for £235 (incl VAT) to supply the idrive controller and £187 (incl VAT) to fit meaning a total bill of £422.

Apparently the idrive controller can vary from car to car depending on spec and does need to be coded to the car.

Sorry for slow reply - just seen this. I'd say it's definitely broken, there's a very positive 'stop' to each twist on mine (2004 E66), each jump to the next setting/letter in navigation/etc. is met with a resistance to twist, which then frees, before stopping again, prior to the next one. Unlike the later CCC I had in the 3-series, and the CIC in the z4, which are much more freely 'spinnable" - If I may coin a phrase...

As far as the i-drive versions in the E65/66 go, If I remember correctly, there's 3 versions. Early cars (to 2003) had no "menu" button at all, so you had to remember where the compass points refer to. This didn't go down too well, so from 2003, a "menu" button was added to let you get back to the "root" screen with relative ease. 2005/facelift (not sure on any overlap) have an updated software set, similar to the idrive found in the E60/E90 - the CCC type as earlier. I think the controller is the same from 2003 on though, so it might be worth searching for a spare? Coding if you've a laptop & the OBDII cable isn't usually that hard (admittedly not needed to try it yet on my 7, though I've done various bits on the 3 and the z4 in the past with no issue).

HTH.

eta... Do you not have a "spare" in the rear armrest? (All the best versions of the 7 have two controllers per car! ) I have no idea whether it's feasible to swap, and since I'm in Eindhoven until Friday, but the car is not, I can't give you an immediate answer, but it's a logical (?!) workaround - maybe!

Edited by Prinny on Monday 3rd April 20:23

Thanks Prinny that's really useful, I agree it is broken. I don't have a second controller in the back - I think that is mostly on the LWB cars. The coding of a second hand unit would be outside of my skill set and I don't have the equipment anyway. I suspect I will go with the option of replacing with new parts at BMW.

[Krikkit]

Ray100 said:

Do any of the regular experts have any tips or advice about the potential pitfalls of this Mercedes 500 SEL? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-MERCEDES-500-SEL-AU...

Looks to be a promising project within my capabilities & with an MOT until March next year but would appreciate any tips apart from the usual crawl underneath it & a HPI,I will be in that area this Thursday.
Cheers.

Seems very good if you can paint it... Would need some careful inspection for rot though I think, matt black hides many sins.

[r129sl]

Krikkit said:

Ray100 said:

Do any of the regular experts have any tips or advice about the potential pitfalls of this Mercedes 500 SEL? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-MERCEDES-500-SEL-AU...

Looks to be a promising project within my capabilities & with an MOT until March next year but would appreciate any tips apart from the usual crawl underneath it & a HPI,I will be in that area this Thursday.
Cheers.

Seems very good if you can paint it... Would need some careful inspection for rot though I think, matt black hides many sins.

It may even come back to life with intense machine polishing.

[K12beano]

r129sl said:

Krikkit said:

Ray100 said:

Do any of the regular experts have any tips or advice about the potential pitfalls of this Mercedes 500 SEL? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-MERCEDES-500-SEL-AU...

Looks to be a promising project within my capabilities & with an MOT until March next year but would appreciate any tips apart from the usual crawl underneath it & a HPI,I will be in that area this Thursday.
Cheers.

Seems very good if you can paint it... Would need some careful inspection for rot though I think, matt black hides many sins.

It may even come back to life with intense machine polishing.

Pah. Bit o' T-Cut....


ETA, that looks to have promise (but is it worth it?)

[tobinen]

When is the barge meet please? I can't find the post. Thanks

[r129sl]

tobinen said:

When is the barge meet please? I can't find the post. Thanks

Isn't it 11am on 7 May at the National Railway Museum?

[carinaman]

That Audi V8 that needs a windscreen is looking expensive compared to the green Jag from Ulverston IMO.

The Audi V8 will always be rarer but it was hardly a great improvement from the 200 Turbo Quattro.

[tobinen]

r129sl said:

tobinen said:

When is the barge meet please? I can't find the post. Thanks

Isn't it 11am on 7 May at the National Railway Museum?

Much obliged, I knew it was York in May but couldn't remember the date

[CharlesdeGaulle]

In barge-to-end-all-barges news, the 560 SEC has a new threadist owner. I'll leave it to him if he wants to reveal himself, but intra-thread deals are immensely satisfying.

I may have left just enough fuel in it to make the grainy forecourt shot unnecessary, so we might have to wait for pics.

[Jimmy Recard]

0a said:

I am rather fond of these old things... terrible photos though http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C854769

Nice. I promised myself one as a first car, but obviously the insurance turned out to ruin that idea. And my dad. And the government and their stupid tax on petrol.

This was my attitude:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk

[0a]

Sorry all, I will do some promotion of the barge day soon.

The SL lives and is vaguely clean!

[Krikkit]

Looking good 0a.

CharlesdeGaulle said:

In barge-to-end-all-barges news, the 560 SEC has a new threadist owner. I'll leave it to him if he wants to reveal himself, but intra-thread deals are immensely satisfying.

I may have left just enough fuel in it to make the grainy forecourt shot unnecessary, so we might have to wait for pics.

Good and bad news all wrapped up together! Another purchase imminent then?

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Krikkit said:

Good and bad news all wrapped up together! Another purchase imminent then?

No, as the reason for selling the SEC was related to good sense and practicality issues.

However, a very kind threadist conducted a viewing on my behalf yesterday of a car that I thought might prove to be a fun summer runabout, the purchase of which I might be able to hide as my wife is away on holiday and therefore in blissful ignorance.

Sadly, the car proved to be less appealing than I'd hoped, and not worth the asking. The seller is rejecting my derisory offers for now but I may yet wear him down with dogged persistence and insultingly low offers. If I do, there may be a temporary additional replacement, but the overall plan is to offload, not accumulate.

[Stegel]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

In barge-to-end-all-barges news, the 560 SEC has a new threadist owner. I'll leave it to him if he wants to reveal himself, but intra-thread deals are immensely satisfying.

I may have left just enough fuel in it to make the grainy forecourt shot unnecessary, so we might have to wait for pics.

Happy to be revealed!

There was plenty of fuel - many thanks - but the gauge did head south at a rate on the 62 mile journey home, so it will be heading to the filling station tomorrow - I'll try and remember to commemorate the ocasion in the traditional manner.

Really pleased with it and the way it drives - for a 29 year old car it is very accomplished - but given it was 3 or 4 times the average UK house price when new, perhaps it should be!

I'll add to your SEC thread in the MB section in due course.

[Ray100]

Do any of the regular experts have any tips or advice about the potential pitfalls of this Mercedes 500 SEL? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-MERCEDES-500-SEL-AU...


Thanks to Krikkit,r129sl & k12beano. I think it needs a bit more than just a machine polish otherwise the seller would have done it.
As for the question why? Well I've always fancied one & they're from the era when Mercedes made solid cars built by engineers rather than accountants,parts availability seem to be fairly good. Google tells me that electrical issues are quite common but I'm just a little bit apprehensive about the timing chain/guide rollers and the ADS of which I've no experience of.
My plan is to start preventative maintenance etc before the repaint but it certainly won't end up slammed to the floor with huge 'Gansta' alloys & black tints! I'll let you all know if I go ahead with it.
Congratulations to Stegel on your 560 SEC

[Paulog13]

RAY100, good luck with the 500SEL if you go ahead with it...?

I liked it too, however there seemed to be too many anomalies with the Mot history for my liking...

Look forward to the updates should you go ahead with it...

[Ray100]

Paulog13 said:

RAY100, good luck with the 500SEL if you go ahead with it...?

I liked it too, however there seemed to be too many anomalies with the Mot history for my liking...

Look forward to the updates should you go ahead with it...

Yes it's a concern for me too. It was registered new in London on 1st August 1991. 4 years ago it had an MOT advisory for 'front & rear suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive' just before it changed hands @500 miles since it's previous MOT when corrosion wasn't noted.
It was not registered for 3 years then passed it's next MOT without any advisories and then MOT'd last week with basically just bits & bobs advised.

The seller also has some Porsche parts for sale which is how I found it,maybe he's on Pistonheads?

[tobinen]

Stegel said:

Happy to be revealed!

There was plenty of fuel - many thanks - but the gauge did head south at a rate on the 62 mile journey home, so it will be heading to the filling station tomorrow - I'll try and remember to commemorate the occasion in the traditional manner.

Really pleased with it and the way it drives - for a 29 year old car it is very accomplished - but given it was 3 or 4 times the average UK house price when new, perhaps it should be!

I'll add to your SEC thread in the MB section in due course.

Excellent news and congratulations

[0a]

Good work stegel. I took a look at the SEL at the last barge meet, and it was a lovely old thing. The 560 variant is no doubt worth investing a little in given the prices are going up.