Best smoker barges 1-5 large [vol8]

[r129sl]

Rather smart looking late 129 here, a little over budget.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-sl500-Convertib...

[Oak Green]

r129sl said:

Rather smart looking late 129 here, a little over budget.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-sl500-Convertib...

Looks nice, shame it's Cat D

[0a]

Despite the CATD it does look good (for a late one ), and the owner has an E38 7 series in the background of one of the photos which is always a good thing.

[r129sl]

I missed the cat D. It would put me off, but I suppose it depends on what the problem was, how it was resolved and whether it was intended to keep the car long term.

[golfer19]

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C632246#



Over budget but looks stunning .
Are those wheels original.
Most of their stock seems overpriced to me.

[JZZ30]

golfer19 said:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C632246#



Over budget but looks stunning .
Are those wheels original.
Most of their stock seems overpriced to me.

Very nice. It is pricey, but, 3.2 v6 manual, a case of find another if you want one?

The wheels were Alfa, the Ti wheels would be nicer IMHO.

[Jobbo]

Those are the Ti wheels, surely?

[tobinen]

Without wishing to tempt any barge fate or upset any barge deities, I have a 3½ hour train journey this Saturday morning which will hopefully not require use of the return option. Pics to follow of course....

[JF87]

Had arranged to go up to Macclesfield this weekend to view (& almost certainly buy) an extremely promising R129 500... but the vendor emailed last night to say he'd just sold it. Balls. (Here it is if you're interested: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/classifieds-cars-sa... - I even managed to track down the listing from the dealer he bought it from three years ago for just £500 more! Clearly that was when they bottomed out.)

Anyway, fresh from this crushing blow I've reappraised my priorities. The R129 was to be a boldly inappropriate replacement for our V6 Rover 75 tourer, but with three children at or approaching university age I now accept that my V8 SL dream should be put on hold for a couple of years (by which time decent R129s will of course be well into five figures. Sigh.).

Hence now looking at student crap-luggers with consolation extreme performance. This caught my eye. No doubt been on the thread before, but I've been away for months and haven't checked. Sounds well loved and looks good beyond a baggy driver's seat. Any opinions?



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

[deadslow]

JF87 said:

Had arranged to go up to Macclesfield this weekend to view (& almost certainly buy) an extremely promising R129 500... but the vendor emailed last night to say he'd just sold it. Balls. (Here it is if you're interested: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/classifieds-cars-sa... - I even managed to track down the listing from the dealer he bought it from three years ago for just £500 more! Clearly that was when they bottomed out.)

Anyway, fresh from this crushing blow I've reappraised my priorities. The R129 was to be a boldly inappropriate replacement for our V6 Rover 75 tourer, but with three children at or approaching university age I now accept that my V8 SL dream should be put on hold for a couple of years (by which time decent R129s will of course be well into five figures. Sigh.).

Hence now looking at student crap-luggers with consolation extreme performance. This caught my eye. No doubt been on the thread before, but I've been away for months and haven't checked. Sounds well loved and looks good beyond a baggy driver's seat. Any opinions?



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

I've always fancied one of these, but they do rust, in a massive way.

[RobinBanks]

I can never remember which way it goes - in Mercedes speak is Wxxx a saloon and Sxxx an estate?

[JF87]

Rust issues are indeed well known. This one doesn't seem externally blighted though, according to the vendor's photos and words. Assuming the wings etc are as clean as claimed, what structural corrosion issues should I look for?

[BigBen]

JF87 said:

Rust issues are indeed well known. This one doesn't seem externally unaffected though, according to the vendor's photos and words. Assuming the wings etc are as clean as claimed, what structural corrosion issues should I look for?

Rust seems to depend massively on the colour and similarly estates seem to fare better than saloons. Dark green estates seem to be very good at not rusting, although this is only based on my own observations

[BlueMR2]

Sounds like you need an E55k estate .

[Rincewind209]

deadslow said:

JF87 said:

Had arranged to go up to Macclesfield this weekend to view (& almost certainly buy) an extremely promising R129 500... but the vendor emailed last night to say he'd just sold it. Balls. (Here it is if you're interested: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/classifieds-cars-sa... - I even managed to track down the listing from the dealer he bought it from three years ago for just £500 more! Clearly that was when they bottomed out.)

Anyway, fresh from this crushing blow I've reappraised my priorities. The R129 was to be a boldly inappropriate replacement for our V6 Rover 75 tourer, but with three children at or approaching university age I now accept that my V8 SL dream should be put on hold for a couple of years (by which time decent R129s will of course be well into five figures. Sigh.).

Hence now looking at student crap-luggers with consolation extreme performance. This caught my eye. No doubt been on the thread before, but I've been away for months and haven't checked. Sounds well loved and looks good beyond a baggy driver's seat. Any opinions?



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

I've always fancied one of these, but they do rust, in a massive way.

If it's not rusting by now it's probably going to be no worse than any other 15 year old car. This looks pretty goood so if a viewing pans out grab it. Huge and fast what's not to like.

[JF87]

BlueMR2 said:

Sounds like you need an E55k estate .

Bit too dear still! Also from what I've read the W210s are appreciably more reliable.

[r129sl]

Rincewind209 said:

deadslow said:

JF87 said:

Had arranged to go up to Macclesfield this weekend to view (& almost certainly buy) an extremely promising R129 500... but the vendor emailed last night to say he'd just sold it. Balls. (Here it is if you're interested: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/classifieds-cars-sa... - I even managed to track down the listing from the dealer he bought it from three years ago for just £500 more! Clearly that was when they bottomed out.)

Anyway, fresh from this crushing blow I've reappraised my priorities. The R129 was to be a boldly inappropriate replacement for our V6 Rover 75 tourer, but with three children at or approaching university age I now accept that my V8 SL dream should be put on hold for a couple of years (by which time decent R129s will of course be well into five figures. Sigh.).

Hence now looking at student crap-luggers with consolation extreme performance. This caught my eye. No doubt been on the thread before, but I've been away for months and haven't checked. Sounds well loved and looks good beyond a baggy driver's seat. Any opinions?



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

I've always fancied one of these, but they do rust, in a massive way.

If it's not rusting by now it's probably going to be no worse than any other 15 year old car. This looks pretty goood so if a viewing pans out grab it. Huge and fast what's not to like.

I think it has now been established that the rust was caused by micro-organisms in the dipping tanks which were not cleaned out sufficiently frequently. For some reason connected with this, cars in less-frequently specified colours suffer rust less. So silver and black are obviously pretty disastrous but green or aquamarine less so. The 210 is a nice car, but for the rust. You should look under the jacking point covers, at the inner wings, especially toward the front, at the front spring perches, and have a good look in the spare wheel well and the corresponding compartment on the otherside. I have opened a few of those compartments only to look at my feet, great big gaping holes where metal should be. Also look at the door tops behind the seals, the door bottoms and panel edges generally. So look everywhere for rust!

When I went off to College I was given one each of these:

[JF87]

Thanks R129, informed input as ever. Haven't seen too many grey W210s about so hopefully that will mitigate the rust issue.

You are so right about the Students Of Today Don't Know They're Born transit issue. My father only drove me up to university once, and that was because I insisted on taking a full-size Missile Command arcade machine up there (which we somehow fitted into his Lancia HPE - it came back filled with marble funerary accessories from a cemetery that was being bulldozed opposite my halls of residence).

[cat220]

JF87 said:

Thanks R129, informed input as ever. Haven't seen too many grey W210s about so hopefully that will mitigate the rust issue.

You are so right about the Students Of Today Don't Know They're Born transit issue. My father only drove me up to university once, and that was because I insisted on taking a full-size Missile Command arcade machine up there (which we somehow fitted into his Lancia HPE - it came back filled with marble funerary accessories from a cemetery that was being bulldozed opposite my halls of residence).

R129 has covered the rust areas. I've had mine since August last year, as been mentioned earlier if it's in decent shape now it's not going to suddenly crumble into a pile of rust. The 5.4 v8 is a joy, makes a lovely noise and really does shift, still quick by today's standards. Disks used to be really expensive from Mercedes (only place you could get them at one point) however Mercedes have since discounted them and they're now priced the same as the non AMG car. Tyres are around £150/corner. Might have been mentioned earlier but just in case it hasn't Check the hydraulic suspension reservoir level (on the right when you open the bonnet) if this is low it's likely leaking.

Cheers,
C

[BlueMR2]

To those with SL's in the grey colour (as shown by interior colour codes in picture, you will need the info from a data card but your dealer can look at this with your reg/vin) they have been reduced to circa £25 inc vat, the other colours are all £107+vat . If your interior is 077 or 277, then sorry, there is no more stock.

You find your colour code at the top, then the 4 digit code above the dash is added to the end of the part number. Mine is the last column, hence a1296800158 7095 is my item number the number in brackets is the number in stock (only 6 left on the end now) with price at the bottom, still cheaper the the old £180, remember the wood panel and middle trim has to be removed to get to it, but at £25, get the last 6 while you can.