Best smoker barges 1-5 large [vol11]

Best smoker barges 1-5 large [vol11]

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W00DY

15,733 posts

232 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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The Crack Fox said:
charltjr said:
W00DY said:
Have we had this?




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

530i manual with purple comfort leather? Yes please.
I know this took rather a drubbing on here, but it's now down to five hundred quid on the bmw5 forum.

Five hundred.

If I had the space on the drive I'd be on the train to Birmingham right now. Suspect it's probably gone already.
Gearbox notchy, steering heavy and "the usual rust". No ta.
At £500? Drive everywhere sideways at 7k rpm until it explodes, then pop it on ebay for parts.

BigBen

11,808 posts

236 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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cat220 said:
I drove past this poor w220 on the way home from work last night. Noticed the for sale sign on the window advertising it for £1,200. So thought I'd search to see if it was a advertised anywhere on line...

https://www.gumtree.com/p/mercedes-benz/w-red-merc...



A lesson on how not to advertise a car. I don't think its even worth a gold ring!

  • Was also parked on a busy road, not the one in the advert with no tax*
The suspension looks low because the car has double glazing?

ian316

4,150 posts

111 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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r129sl said:
Can you sense-check (puke) my thinking about a car? It's out of thread budget but definitely a barge.

Merc, obvs. 1972 w108 280 SE 3.5. Silver blue over black tex. Auto. Somewhat unknown mileage, but likely 150k ish.

Good history. Three or four owners. Interior pretty tidy. Exterior has some very slight paint mis-match, a few blebs of rust appearing at the bottom of some of the doors. Engine smokes a little on the overrun, but nothing bad, valve stem seals required. So far so ok. But it sounds like the current owner hasn't done much with it over the past seven years. Various advisories on the MOT record, such as brake imbalance problems and suspension wear do not appear to have been addressed. It failed its MOT last year on chassis rot and he had it welded, but it has just been plated, not done properly. The tyres have been on since before he bought it.

I had a long chat with the vendor last night and I didn't get that warm and fuzzy feeling. Despite owning it seven years, he did not seem to know much about it. When I gave him cues to tells me what a great car it was and how, yes, he knew all about that and it was in order, he didn't (like asking, "These have a funny hydro compensator spring in the rear axle, don't they, is that all OK?"). It was all, "Uh, yes, I think so, that's fine". Very dull and non-specific, no details, no sign of an enthusiast's approach. He was very unspecific about the welding.

The price is pretty good. He would take £9k. But that would pretty much clean me out right now. Straight off the bat it's going to need tyres (£500), the welding redone (£500 at least), rear seat belts (£200), probably a good fettle of the brakes with new discs and pads and who knows what else (£750) and probably bits and bobs of suspension (£500). That's before so-called discretionary spend that makes a new car just so on stuff like proper mats and a period wireless. Next year at the latest I'd have to get it painted and that is going to cost £2,000. At some stage it would need new carpets which will cost £400. It will also need a timing chain, tensioner and guide rails as well as the aforementioned valve stem seals (£1,500).

Now, I really fancy a w108. Silver blue over black is the colour scheme I'd most like. But I want a car I can use. And I only have a limited budget. Given that the purchase cost would wipe me out, given I didn't get the right feeling from the vendor, given the uncertainty about chassis condition, it has to be a "no", right? Right?

PS. Anyone in the Merc Club may know the car and vendor.
sorry but if your going this old you have to go full fintail smile


Edited by ian316 on Friday 24th February 15:53

BigBen

11,808 posts

236 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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r129sl said:
Heater works fine, apparently. I don't think it's a shed by any stretch of the imagination. I suspect it is better than most cars I've bought. The interior looks very good indeed. I suspect it needs a bit of welding and a thorough service to be perfectly good for 3,000 miles a year and proper medium distance work. Crumbs, it was easier when you all said no.
With the budget you have what about a holiday to South Africa where you can pick up a RHD rust free example within budget whilst gorging on bargain priced wine and steak.

SpeckledJim

31,608 posts

259 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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ian316 said:
Oh my god.

Krikkit

26,951 posts

187 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
BigBen said:
cat220 said:
I drove past this poor w220 on the way home from work last night. Noticed the for sale sign on the window advertising it for £1,200. So thought I'd search to see if it was a advertised anywhere on line...

https://www.gumtree.com/p/mercedes-benz/w-red-merc...



A lesson on how not to advertise a car. I don't think its even worth a gold ring!

  • Was also parked on a busy road, not the one in the advert with no tax*
The suspension looks low because the car has double glazing?
Ad said:
Hence the reason the suspension looks low in the photos, for those who dont know what this means then basically the suspensions lowers when engine turns off then rises again when starts up
I think that means it's got a knackered air suspension system.

Even so, it might be a good shed runaround for £1300.

ian316

4,150 posts

111 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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SpeckledJim said:
Oh my god.
Probably what he drove wink

SpeckledJim

31,608 posts

259 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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ian316 said:
SpeckledJim said:
Oh my god.
Probably what he drove wink
When fuelling it for the real boss.

olly755

3,070 posts

168 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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dbdb said:
16" wheels
Just had a look through the resto thread again (always pleasurable) and the lattices look stunning. Easily my favourite wheel for an XJ40 or even X300.

W00DY

15,733 posts

232 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ABSOLUTELY-BREATHTAKING-...


Stunner.

It won't end up in budget and I'm never going to read the ad, but I figured it'd be appreciated here.

Lowtimer

4,293 posts

174 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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I really like that. I sort of feel I shouldn't, but I always enjoyed them when they were new. Super comfy and the lovely 2.7 Honda engine.

derin100

5,215 posts

249 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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A seller who always produces great photos.

JF87

686 posts

127 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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I haven't read one of "thedoctor"'s legendary listings for ages.

Slightly disappointed that he's omitted the usual florid account of its first drive home from the dealership ("June 24 1978 was a glorious day, and as Mr Jessop turned his new Austin into Laycock Avenue...")

Pothole

34,367 posts

288 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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W00DY said:



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ABSOLUTELY-BREATHTAKING-...


Stunner.

It won't end up in budget and I'm never going to read the ad, but I figured it'd be appreciated here.
Only the one MOT (September last year) since 2005....something's gotta give, possibly in a spectacular fashion!

It is lovely though.

0a

23,956 posts

200 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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The old faithful w124 passed its MOT with the usual "corroded brake pipes" trinket advisory today. It really is getting enthusiastic with the rust on the arches, but I am rather attached to it so have treated it to two new tyres and some tracking and will drive it up to and around the highlands at some point in the next few weeks. I like the old thing.

0a

23,956 posts

200 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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zigzag69 said:
Stegel said:
derin100 said:
So this is a restoration project and potentially, due to its age, of a somewhat different proportion to what you are used to? Given that we know the high standards which you always expect and do achieve with your cars I would say that inevitably your initial estimate of costs will be exceeded. You have, for example, made no estimate things like re-finishing chrome-work, seats etc. Once you have tackled all of the fundamental mechanical, chassis work and had the car re-painted you are not going to be satisfied or fully enjoy owning it if the car falls short cosmetically in other areas. You like your cars to be mechanically top-line...but you also like them to look nice? Of all of them you are really going to want this one to be beautiful?

So, like the people they show on that Grand Designs TV programme there is almost certainly going to be a budget over-spend and a time over-run on this.

However, why do something that is 'easy' if having done something that was 'hard' will give you so much more satisfaction in the end? You already know you can do 'easy'...why prove to yourself you can do that again?

A W108 280SE 3.5 is a rare car in the U.K by any description now. Silver Blue over black is your favoured colour scheme. How small a field of runners have we now got that down to?

I would say that you should go for it! It may clear you out at the present but that situation won't last for too long hopefully. You'll have the car then. Put it away until funds allow you to start the project. Don't think about driving or using it. This car will have to be a hobby but the sense of achievement at the end of the project will be immense.

Get the chassis and all of the mechanical side done first. Don't waste money at this stage worrying about carpets and mats etc...put those thoughts to the back of your mind.

I would imagine that with quite a lot of the work needed you are going to have to farm out to mechanics etc? They always take longer to get stuff done on cars than most of us would like. But, if you take a slightly laid-back approach to them and don't pursue them too hard the time delays allow you to build up and set aside funds for the restoration.

From what you have described above, I would suggest that you think in terms of: "Well, if I buy this car now it isn't going to be ready and finished for this coming summer so I may as well make the aim of it being ready for the following summer."

If I were you...I'd buy it! That's not going to come along again in the next 5 minutes.
Totally agree with this - don't try and do it this year, regard it as a longer term, as and when funds allow, project.

There's a 1972 car on eBay at present, just broken thread budget with 3 days to go (I'm using eBay app so don't know how to link). It's in primer and pieces and had £12k spent so far according to the vendor - I'm sure both the defence and prosecution could make a case from this example, but I'm citing it as evidence for Derin's argument.
Long time lurker, first time poster... As an ex-owner of what was a hopelessly shonky W108 280 SE, did you ask him if the heater blower was working correctly? If it's dead, it's a right bugger to replace properly.
A fantastic first post on PH! Welcome, please post more!

Of course this vehicle should be purchased and run as a rolling restoration r129.

Caruso

7,461 posts

262 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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Britisher Architect as the ad went.

Never really felt the love for these in the same way that I did the SD1.

ian316

4,150 posts

111 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
SpeckledJim said:
When fuelling it for the real boss.
shhhhh she doesn't need to know smile

ian316

4,150 posts

111 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
0a said:
The old faithful w124 passed its MOT with the usual "corroded brake pipes" trinket advisory today. It really is getting enthusiastic with the rust on the arches, but I am rather attached to it so have treated it to two new tyres and some tracking and will drive it up to and around the highlands at some point in the next few weeks. I like the old thing.
that's all mine got 3 pipes corroded

olly755

3,070 posts

168 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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W00DY said:



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ABSOLUTELY-BREATHTAKING-...


Stunner.

It won't end up in budget and I'm never going to read the ad, but I figured it'd be appreciated here.
Can only assume the glue sniffers who bidded it up to £9989 a week or so ago didn't show?
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