Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 16]

[bolidemichael]

r129sl said:

Northbrook said:

Ltd Slipper said:

where do you buy these brave pills you’re all on ? Or does it just proportionate to a healthy bank balance ? ‘normal' cars cost enough to run I find ...

I am but a glimmer of potential stubble-on-the-horizon compared to the titans of The Thread, but I'd say:

No brave pills, Percy.

The barge approach varies, between patrons, from near-shedding to the pursuit of better-than-new nirvana (yes, I'm looking at him ), but I think the common thread running through our individual doses of lunacy is this:

It's 'better' to run an older barge than spend the same, or more, on a forgettable car. Even with the inevitable repair bills, you may end up better than equal on cost, and be driving something more comfortable and characterful than if you went for something nearly-new.

In my case, I have a twelve-year-old Skoda that's been pretty reliable over the last 11 years and 110,000 miles, is worth nearly nothing to anyone but me, but I know it's in decent shape. I then fell under the barge-thread spell and bought a Mercedes W124, which has cost me a goodly amount but is an interesting hobby and led to an incredible road trip last summer. It's on my driveway now, and I'm busy plotting how to spend more money and take more time improving it, when really I should get that worrying driveline noise attended to first.

Then there's the -14p Lexus, which has soaked up some cash in the last four months (thankfully I can't count) but is a wonderful lockdown-errand companion. I went out earlier - to pick up a free potted tree Herself found on her walk this evening - and just enjoyed the inimitable rumble of the V8 as I pottered over the local speedbumps.

And I wouldn't have enjoyed that if I'd been sensible, would I?

I love my banger barges and I am always broke. But that I am sure is coincidence not causal connection.

That CL500 is astonishing value for money. Who gives a st if it breaks down before you get home? £795? That's, like, one tenth my overdraft. OK, OK, one twentieth. And full Werthers, to boot. According to the 'Trader, cat N means the vehicle has suffered some damage, probably in an accident, but not to its structural frame or chassis.

Mind you, the ad says "smoke free" but what is this we see on the back seat? Could be a packet of Top Trumps, I guess... or maybe the owner likes playing bridge?

Edited by r129sl on Saturday 18th April 21:53

It was asserted within the annals of barge 1-5k vol 14 that girls approaching university age are quite partial to a barge. An avalanche of group purchase has ensued.

It has dawned on us that the wheel of cool has come full circle and on that basis, the promise of a reality that'll inevitably* come to fruition is worth the investment of thousands in annual fuel, maintenance - preventative, reactive and self-inflicted - to pursue.

One's contribution to the collective self-flagellation that is vol 16, is a pre-requisite to the implicit contract that the bargier the barge, the greater the manly manliness that we exude when searching for part numbers on the internet behind the wheel of our magnificent flying machines. **







*the asterix is a get out for frequent cognitive misgivings

**yes, beer

Edited by bolidemichael on Sunday 19th April 00:11

[SimonTheSailor]

ian316 said:

£795 on AT on a cat n with 8mths mot in normal times I'd buy it and run it till it died for that price

And this is where ALL of us would ignore the old saying -
'If it's too good to be true......' !!

[Northbrook]

At that price, I think it's worth it.

[Macron]

Northbrook said:

At that price, I think it's worth ita box of parts, conveniently arranged like a car for ease of transportation to its final destination.

EFA.

Should be fun though. Briefly.

Thread whipround to get it?!

Edited by Macron on Sunday 19th April 09:48

[r129sl]

Macron said:

Northbrook said:

At that price, I think it's [-]worth it]/-] a box of parts, conveniently arranged like a car for ease of transportation to its final destination.

EFA.

Should be fun though. Briefly.

Thread whipround to get it?!

I'll chip in 10%.

190 update. I am so glad I consigned the easy job of fitting the new front downpipes to the new man. Because, despite being very much the correct part, they were not even a remotely good fit. At either end. Good old Klarius: I won't be buying your tat again. The man rather proved his quality though. He suggested I come up and have a look at it (he's only 3 miles away). His workshop was immaculate. He then cut it, reshaped it, welded it, reinstalled it. For 1.5 hours' labour at £40 an hour. When I came back with the rats to collect the car, another chap was collecting his E36 convertible with hardtop in utterly flawless Mora metallic. The new man then showed us his Mustang GT with its wonderfully noisy 5.0litre V8. I shall be going back there.

Is there anywhere that supplies genuine Merchandise parts online?

Edit: Merchandise? That must be the Mora E36 ragtop talking. I meant Mercedes parts.

Edited by r129sl on Sunday 19th April 09:12

[Northbrook]

Sounds like another gem there.

I'll chip in on the thread CL!

Ref gen MB parts online: https://www.partsformercedes-benz.com/index.php?ma... Not necessarily comprehensive, and I've not tried them, but worth a look perhaps.

[55palfers]

Northbrook said:

Sounds like another gem there.

I'll chip in on the thread CL!

Ref gen MB parts online: https://www.partsformercedes-benz.com/index.php?ma... Not necessarily comprehensive, and I've not tried them, but worth a look perhaps.

...and I have a genuine MB W215 boot liner for the threadist who turns up on my drive in it.

[jet_noise]

bolidemichael said:

It was asserted within the annals of barge 1-5k vol 14 that girls approaching university age are quite partial to a barge. An avalanche of group purchase has ensued.

It has dawned on us that the wheel of cool has come full circle and on that basis, the promise of a reality that'll inevitably* come to fruition is worth the investment of thousands in annual fuel, maintenance - preventative, reactive and self-inflicted - to pursue.

One's contribution to the collective self-flagellation that is vol 16, is a pre-requisite to the implicit contract that the bargier the barge, the greater the manly manliness that we exude when searching for part numbers on the internet behind the wheel of our magnificent flying machines. **







*the asterix is a get out for frequent cognitive misgivings

**yes, beer

Edited by bolidemichael on Sunday 19th April 00:11

You called?

[Emeye]

Frustratingly, Autotrader says that £795 CL is 1 mile from my office!

In more normal times, I’d be on it, but saying that, I was due a visit to check the Network equipment is ok....

I might see what I can arrange - I’d take a punt on it and I have room for a thread car to live on my drive. If it makes it home...

[martin mrt]

ian316 said:

£795 on AT on a cat n with 8mths mot in normal times I'd buy it and run it till it died for that price

Would a journey from Aberdeen to collect this be classed as essential? It’s essential to me not to miss out on that

I don’t need it, but I most definitely want it

[tobinen]

That C215 would be an ideal thread car. If my barge purchase falls through (likely), I'll chip in. I might even buy it anyway.

[tobinen]

Emeye said:

Frustratingly, Autotrader says that £795 CL is 1 mile from my office!

In more normal times, I’d be on it, but saying that, I was due a visit to check the Network equipment is ok....

I might see what I can arrange - I’d take a punt on it and I have room for a thread car to live on my drive. If it makes it home...

Please report your findings either way. Cheers chap

[Dg504]

tobinen said:

That C215 would be an ideal thread car. If my barge purchase falls through (likely), I'll chip in. I might even buy it anyway.

I’ll make 4 - what better way to waft around France for a week post-lockdown

As an avid watcher of the barge thread but having no garage, tools or time this seems like the best way to dip my toes and it involves collective goodness

[olly755]

You may end up a social pariah if you travelled to collect, but nothing wrong with arranging delivery with a man and having it dropped off.

Then at least when it blows up, you’re only within a mile of the comfort of your own home.

[bolidemichael]

I'll chip in too.

bolidmichael, Asterix in Gaul, Getafix

[LetsTryAgain]

I'll chip in too

[anonymous-user]

bolidemichael said:

swiveleyedgit said:

bolidemichael said:

This is soooooo last volume, but I did spot this yesterday and thought of CdG.

Consider this the ferret to chase you, well and truly, out of the metaphoric rabbit hole.

Did you take the photo Michael? That cab next to it looks intriguing.

I did indeed, though I didn't focus on the bus thing. Why is it of intrigue to you?

Idle curiosity really, a mate buys and sells stuff like that. He's had some amazing old motorhomes over the years, pukka factory stuff to one off bus conversions. I just wondered what the back end of the one in your photo looked like. It could be a skip lorry for all I know!

[CharlesdeGaulle]

bolidemichael said:

I'll chip in too.

bolidmichael, Asterix in Gaul, Getafix

I'm in. As long as a co-owner drives it to the continent for me to use from time to time.

[Krikkit]

r129sl said:

190 update. I am so glad I consigned the easy job of fitting the new front downpipes to the new man. Because, despite being very much the correct part, they were not even a remotely good fit. At either end. Good old Klarius: I won't be buying your tat again. The man rather proved his quality though. He suggested I come up and have a look at it (he's only 3 miles away). His workshop was immaculate. He then cut it, reshaped it, welded it, reinstalled it. For 1.5 hours' labour at £40 an hour. When I came back with the rats to collect the car, another chap was collecting his E36 convertible with hardtop in utterly flawless Mora metallic. The new man then showed us his Mustang GT with its wonderfully noisy 5.0litre V8. I shall be going back there.

Is there anywhere that supplies genuine Merchandise parts online?

Edit: Merchandise? That must be the Mora E36 ragtop talking. I meant Mercedes parts.

Edited by r129sl on Sunday 19th April 09:12

Great result, sounds like a good egg.

The Klarius parts are a bit hit and miss- I suspect that some are based on actual parts they've received and copied, the others on slightly iffty diagrams. I've had some that fit like a glove, others that were miles out.

[matthias73]

R129sl- have you got contact details for tgis bloke please. I need a good chap for my e46.