Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 15]

[0a]

bolidemichael said:

The bolsters and armrest look like velour to me

Good points - looks like the stuff in my 190.

I thought the velour on the w126 had this pattern:

[0a]

bolidemichael said:

I've always had this on the mind since I spotted the listing in the Baron's Auction - an X305 LWB Daimler Double Six, the vendor claims that it is one of five made. It didn't sell. I'd love to own a British Double Six.

Lovely:

[BFleming]

bolidemichael said:

The bolsters and armrest look like velour to me

The W126 had the following upholstery options:
Cloth
MB-tex
Leather
Velour

Looking at those pictures, that's the cloth interior (irrespective what the bolsters and armrest are clad in).

Cloth:


Velour:

[Etypephil]

E65Ross said:

If we are talking about UK cars (eg not a Toyota Century!) then I'd hazard a guess at a BMW E38 750i. Seem to be a bit cheaper than the S Class and they're pretty reliable old lumps I think.

That V12 Beemer is the most unreliable piece of junk ever. Mine did a gearbox, several alternators, steering just to note the £1,000 + items. It had to be recovered on several occasions.

[0a]

My W124 320 has the MB Tex interior. It's one of the few things I don't particularly like about it. It has not yet turned 80k miles, so it was hardly ordered as a taxi. The original owner was in Mayfair, and it's very well specified. I suppose the original owner was an early vegan or something.

When you get into it on a cold day, it's like you are sitting on cold plastic. Because you are. There's no leather smell either. Looks like new though.

[Macron]

Plain Jane 528i for £650, remind me how much a steering rack is?

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1175717

As it's exposed towing eye day, here's a C32 with gash alloys at thread max.

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1140239

And well over thread at 8.5k, I have seen this DS up close and can't work out if it's being sold by someone who picked it up for tuppence or the original owner. It was languishing on a main road with flat tyres for quite a while, no MOT but exempt anyway, then it went one day. Has much patina, in and out. Probably a horror underneath too. Still, am tempted!

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1157464

[TVR-Stu]

0a said:

My W124 320 has the MB Tex interior. It's one of the few things I don't particularly like about it. It has not yet turned 80k miles, so it was hardly ordered as a taxi. The original owner was in Mayfair, and it's very well specified. I suppose the original owner was an early vegan or something.

When you get into it on a cold day, it's like you are sitting on cold plastic. Because you are. There's no leather smell either. Looks like new though.

My W124 300E was also purchased in Mayfair and spent the first twenty years of it's life pottering around London doing a couple of thousand miles a year. Now at just under a hundred thousand.
Has leather, which still looks great, and the accompanying smell but still feels bloody cold on a chilly morning.

[slk 32]

Macron said:

Plain Jane 528i for £650, remind me how much a steering rack is?

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1175717

As it's exposed towing eye day, here's a C32 with gash alloys at thread max.

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1140239

And well over thread at 8.5k, I have seen this DS up close and can't work out if it's being sold by someone who picked it up for tuppence or the original owner. It was languishing on a main road with flat tyres for quite a while, no MOT but exempt anyway, then it went one day. Has much patina, in and out. Probably a horror underneath too. Still, am tempted!

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1157464

That C32 is at least 2k too expensive. It's a great engine in the C32 .. supercharged and turbine smooth but the biggest killer here is rust and frilly arches

[0a]

TVR-Stu said:

My W124 300E was also purchased in Mayfair and spent the first twenty years of it's life pottering around London doing a couple of thousand miles a year. Now at just under a hundred thousand.
Has leather, which still looks great, and the accompanying smell but still feels bloody cold on a chilly morning.

My old 300e was like yours and so much better for it! 149k when I bought it.

[cornershop]

Nice looking e90 330i mini barge

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[forzaminardi]

Rubins4 said:

forzaminardi said:

I had a IS250 for a while. It was an excellent car but a little boring.

Plusses - Absolutely brilliant value for money as a whole, generally extremely reliable, very comfortable, loads of gadgets to muck about with (some way ahead of their time, others just silly like the rear sun-blind), brilliant stereo, people seem to think they're way fancier than they are (if you care).

Minuses - not very swift, thirsty, engine is a bit dull, not a thrilling car to drive.

The only thing that annoyed me was the so-called manual mode on the gearbox - the flappy paddles don't actually change gear, they simply change up or down what counts as top gear, which I can see absolutely no rationale for. Other than that, I can't fault it; on balance it was probably the best car I had in terms of zero problems and value for money, but it'll not make your heart beat faster. I fancy a IS-F now we live in Oz though...

PS apparently the manual has terrible gear ratios, and the diesel is to be avoided (obviously)

Thanks for taking the time to respond. All very interesting feedback.

Reliability and a good stereo are massive positives; a dull drive somewhat disappointing but a (mini-)barge is a (mini-)barge, I suppose.

I’m not sure I’d bother with the manual mode on the auto (I’d avoid a Spanish ‘box in one of these like the plague).

Out of interest, what was your real world mpg?

Yeah, I'd not really use the paddles on a regular basis, rather in my previous Audi I enjoyed having the freedom to shift up a gear (it held in 5th when crusing whereas 6th felt better) or down in advance of an overtake or anticipated corner. The Lexus didn't let yo do this, my fault for not properly trying it on the test drive. On the other hand, it didn't put me off, rather I thought it daft to have paddles that essentially did nothing.

Real World MPG - can't say I really recorded it but it wasn't great. Not disastrous either though. I mainly drove B roads and suburbia.

[A44RON]

Superb thread.

I currently live in NZ and the market here is littered with all sorts of JDM import barges. I'm keen to try a Lexus IS350 3.5 V6 as a potent mini-barge, and the GS460 V8. I also like the Nissan Skyline 370GT 3.7 V6 in 4-door saloon and coupe guise, it's like a cheaper alternative to a 630i.

2008 Nissan Fuga 450GT 4.5 V8: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/nissan/...

2004 Ford Falcon XR8 5.4 V8: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/ford/au...

2007 Merc E550 Avantgarde: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/mercede...

a leggy 2002 HSV Clubsport R8 (VXR8): https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/holden/...

or an entry-level 2004 Holden Commodore V8 (SV8) with some life left in it yet: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/holden/...


Have a look here and feel free to give me some ideas/poison my mind: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors

An eccentric British chap works at the same place as me and uses this as his daily, it's there every day without fail:



He's owned it since brand new and brought it here with him. There is hope for the rest of us

Edited by A44RON on Wednesday 13th November 06:04

[Etypephil]

A44RON said:

Superb thread.

I currently live in NZ and the market here is littered with all sorts of JDM import barges. I'm keen to try a Lexus IS350 3.5 V6 as a potent mini-barge, and the GS460 V8. I also like the Nissan Skyline 370GT 3.7 V6 in 4-door saloon and coupe guise, it's like a cheaper alternative to a 630i.

2008 Nissan Fuga 450GT 4.5 V8: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/nissan/...

2004 Ford Falcon XR8 5.4 V8: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/ford/au...

2007 Merc E550 Avantgarde: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/mercede...

a leggy 2002 HSV Clubsport R8 (VXR8): https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/holden/...

or an entry-level 2004 Holden Commodore V8 (SV8) with some life left in it yet: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/holden/...


Have a look here and feel free to give me some ideas/poison my mind: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors

An eccentric British chap works at the same place as me and uses this as his daily, it's there every day without fail:



He's owned it since brand new and brought it here with him. There is hope for the rest of us

Edited by A44RON on Wednesday 13th November 06:04

Great to see some interesting stuff from the other side of the planet; thanks.
Your colleague’s daily is yet more proof that an old Jag is a practical proposition. Of the three barge makes I have tried; Jag, MB, BMW, only the Jags have never left me stranded at the roadside.

[PenultimateSpiderman]

A44RON said:

2007 Merc E550 Avantgarde: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/mercede...

I should add the E550 to the "list of cars I didn't know existed" thread!

[cornershop]

Still technically in budget:

https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1969-mercedes-...

[Macron]

How much is petrol in NZ?!

[tobinen]

If anyone buys a Double Six for a daily I'll buy him a large port and lemon with TWO picked eggs at the next barge meet I can attend

[E65Ross]

Don't expect forecourt shots today! MOT being done but it depends on that wing mirror! If it can get done today I am free this afternoon so collection later is possible. Otherwise, I am working until 7pm tomorrow and Friday and also Saturday morning so no chance otherwise until Saturday lunch time. The mirror isn't a deal breaker, but it'd be nice to get it working if I can of course.

Fingers firmly crossed though!

[bolidemichael]

A44RON said:

Superb thread.

I currently live in NZ and the market here is littered with all sorts of JDM import barges. I'm keen to try a Lexus IS350 3.5 V6 as a potent mini-barge, and the GS460 V8. I also like the Nissan Skyline 370GT 3.7 V6 in 4-door saloon and coupe guise, it's like a cheaper alternative to a 630i.

Very interesting indeed and great post. A minor request for us Islanders... can you post the GBP conversion next to the links so that we can gauge the relative thread value?

PenultimateSpiderman said:

A44RON said:

2007 Merc E550 Avantgarde: https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/mercede...

I should add the E550 to the "list of cars I didn't know existed" thread!

This is the E500 in Europe and E550 in N America, where they like big numbers. Presumably, Oceania too.

[bolidemichael]

BFleming said:

bolidemichael said:

The bolsters and armrest look like velour to me

The W126 had the following upholstery options:
Cloth
MB-tex
Leather
Velour

Looking at those pictures, that's the cloth interior (irrespective what the bolsters and armrest are clad in).

Okay, technically, you may be correct, but my finger would feel velour... so it's velour

Thanks for the clarification.

EDIT: Is it now thread etiquette to offer a CdG inspired apology for a double stacked reply?