Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 13]

[0a]

tobinen said:

Congratulations 0a. Looks as a good buy

That's you and W00DY to add to Prinny's 2018 list (I'm sure the thread will allow W00DY's under minimum purchase)

My second of 2018 (the lexus being the first!).

Nicely working my way through all the 1-5 barge favourites:

W124
A8 D2
LS400
Jag XJ
E39

What am I missing?!

[E24man]

E38 and possibly FFRR?

Congrats Oa, I'm also back into an E39 after a three year break but it's not a new purchase.

[ian316]

0a said:

r129sl said:

I bought my E430 from that guy. He’s remarkably ok, isn’t he? I don’t quite know how he gets such tidy cars for so little dosh. Anyway, a great choice, Oa, really one of the best cars ever.

He was great, plenty of barges on the drive (jags and old mercs), picked me up from the station, and the car drives really well.

It shows how wallowy the LS400 is (the E39 is probably a little noisier at speed). I love the straight 6 noise.

I paid £1,395 in the end which isn’t too much really.

Wow bargain for such a tidy standard looking car

[SpeckledJim]

cat220 said:

0a said:

r129sl said:

I bought my E430 from that guy. He’s remarkably ok, isn’t he? I don’t quite know how he gets such tidy cars for so little dosh. Anyway, a great choice, Oa, really one of the best cars ever.

He was great, plenty of barges on the drive (jags and old mercs), picked me up from the station, and the car drives really well.

It shows how wallowy the LS400 is (the E39 is probably a little noisier at speed). I love the straight 6 noise.

I paid £1,395 in the end which isn’t too much really.

Good work Oa, looks great.

Yes, one of the true greats.

[r129sl]

SpeckledJim said:

cat220 said:

0a said:

r129sl said:

I bought my E430 from that guy. He’s remarkably ok, isn’t he? I don’t quite know how he gets such tidy cars for so little dosh. Anyway, a great choice, Oa, really one of the best cars ever.

He was great, plenty of barges on the drive (jags and old mercs), picked me up from the station, and the car drives really well.

It shows how wallowy the LS400 is (the E39 is probably a little noisier at speed). I love the straight 6 noise.

I paid £1,395 in the end which isn’t too much really.

Good work Oa, looks great.

Yes, one of the true greats.

£1,395??? Bloody hell that’s a bargain.

That guy: it’s the 7 Star Cars guy in Slough?

[CAPP0]

Good work 0a, you should be able to get some of your outlay back selling that plate to a Simpsons fan

[Fermit and Sexy Sarah]

paulg390 said:

Krikkit said:

Split-rim alloys with bolts etc always look like they'd be horrendous to keep vaguely clean...


On the subject of lovely interiors/colour combos, has anyone tried an X351 XJ? This one popped up as a "related" search item and I'm struck with what a lovely combination of hues it is. Massively out of thread for a few years yet mind.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...





Pretty much the connect-4 of interior colour combos for me:

• Light seats
• Dark(er) dash/wheel
• Light door panels
• Tasteful wood

Yes I have a 2012 LWB Portfolio as the family transport. I have to say I love it and think they are fantastic value for money now. The interior is beautifully appointed and it has all the toys you possibly want. It is a great motorway mile muncher with super comfortable ride, minimal wind and road noise and economical too, mine (3.0 TD) has averaged 39mpg over the last 15 months, quick enough for most conditions but as you can imagine not that easy to hustle down B-roads. Wife hates it... “old mans car”. Lol...

Someone's really thought about that, when specing it up. Lovely.

[W00DY]

0a said:

It’s a 528 SE with the nice little wheels and ambers. 136k miles. It drives really nicely (more impressions to follow).

It had a long list of works done last year, tyres, and brakes for the MOT.

The car really does seem as nice as in the ad (where these pictures are from).

Oh I saw that one. Must’ve forgotten to post it. Great pictures on that ad. Really gave a very clear picture of the condition and it looks a good’un.

[dbdb]

0a said:

My second of 2018 (the lexus being the first!).

Nicely working my way through all the 1-5 barge favourites:

W124
A8 D2
LS400
Jag XJ
E39

What am I missing?!

Nice car the E39 and the one you've just bought looks a real bargain.

But no 'barge favourite' list is complete without a W126!

[Prinny]

0a said:

My second of 2018 (the lexus being the first!).

Nicely working my way through all the 1-5 barge favourites:

W124
A8 D2
LS400
Jag XJ
E39

What am I missing?!

Congrats 0a, bringing it to Jedburgh? (hint hint)

In terms of what you’re missing, obviously the thread e65?

(and you forgot one you still have - the SL)

[Zonergem]

Must be nearly time for Oa's SL to get its annual outing on the public highway. Not for him the vulgar ostentation of top-down driving in the fearsome summer heat, with all the attendant worries about premature skin ageing from UV radiation. Better by far to sneak out under cover of a drek Scottish winter night before returning the car to hibernation.

[TVR-Stu]

0a said:

It’s a 528 SE with the nice little wheels and ambers. 136k miles. It drives really nicely (more impressions to follow).

It had a long list of works done last year, tyres, and brakes for the MOT.

The car really does seem as nice as in the ad (where these pictures are from).

I have absolutely no experience with BMWs, other than what I am learning from this thread but for the money you paid that is a lovely looking thing just to own let alone enjoy using. Congratulations!

As an aside do you thread diehards not get attached to your cars (apart from perhaps r129sl)?
I'm terrible for forgiving any foibles that they throw at me and just shrug my shoulders and kid myself it will be the last big bill I need to worry about for a while. Perhaps I'm on the wrong thread.
Not that I am in the same league as most of you, a V70, W124 300E and TVR S don't usually hit me too hard on the bills front especially as the TVR is currently just a pile of bits!

[trooperiziz]

TVR-Stu said:

As an aside do you thread diehards not get attached to your cars (apart from perhaps r129sl)?

Yes.. until they play up and then I hate them.
When they really start playing up, I put them on ebay starting at a quid for a week, and see where they end up!

[Krikkit]

Great work 0a, that's a tremendous purchase. What can be better than an E39 with gingers?

harrykul said:

That looks very nice indeed, great find Oa.

May the barge Gods be with you.... For they've abandoned me and my e91 after a week!

That's a shame, what happened?

[Lowtimer]

TVR-Stu said:

As an aside do you thread diehards not get attached to your cars (apart from perhaps r129sl)?
I'm terrible for forgiving any foibles that they throw at me and just shrug my shoulders and kid myself it will be the last big bill I need to worry about for a while. Perhaps I'm on the wrong thread.

Nope. In the last 10 years I've only bought four cars and I've still got them all. With the exception of the nearly-new one that provides Mrs LT with super-reliable everyday transport, in each case I have bought properly old and fairly leggy things, at the bottom of the "ignored and unloved" stage of their depreciation curves, spent a lot of money over a period of time overhauling and reconditioning to gradually upgrade them in stages as I use them. The days of me buying a car that I don't intend to keep indefinitely are behind me.

[cat220]

0a said:

r129sl said:

I bought my E430 from that guy. He’s remarkably ok, isn’t he? I don’t quite know how he gets such tidy cars for so little dosh. Anyway, a great choice, Oa, really one of the best cars ever.

He was great, plenty of barges on the drive (jags and old mercs), picked me up from the station, and the car drives really well.

It shows how wallowy the LS400 is (the E39 is probably a little noisier at speed). I love the straight 6 noise.

I paid £1,395 in the end which isn’t too much really.

Interested to know who the vendor is. Does he have a website?

[0a]

W00DY said:

Oh I saw that one. Must’ve forgotten to post it. Great pictures on that ad. Really gave a very clear picture of the condition and it looks a good’un.

There’s some stone rash on the bonnet - you can see it in the pictures so it was expected. Otherwise it’s pretty good.

Quite a dark interior (no sunroof) though!

[0a]

dbdb said:

Nice car the E39 and the one you've just bought looks a real bargain.

But no 'barge favourite' list is complete without a W126!

You’re right! I am a massive merc fan yet have not owned any kind of S Class at all! I have owned a 7, but as that was an e23 perhaps that doesn’t really count!

[olly755]

0a said:

tobinen said:

Congratulations 0a. Looks as a good buy

That's you and W00DY to add to Prinny's 2018 list (I'm sure the thread will allow W00DY's under minimum purchase)

My second of 2018 (the lexus being the first!).

Nicely working my way through all the 1-5 barge favourites:

W124
A8 D2
LS400
Jag XJ
E39

What am I missing?!

Nice one Oa. That looks a superb little buy. As good as time as ever to snaffle a bargain. Having owned all of the above, as well as a V8 R129, I can also confirm that we both have impeccable taste. Our respective driveways must now look very similar!

[0a]

That’s brilliant - I will be able to get a very similar photo indeed when I’m up north again! My Lexus IS light green rather than gold though.