Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 18]

[21st Century Man]

The Don of Croy said:

jon_273 said:

...and the famous electric boot lid with it's fancy hinges.

These hinges, just how special are they? It’s a niche interest, granted, but you’ve sparked my interest now.

Those hinges

I could happily spend much quality time with like-minded souls who appreciate such things.

[ian316]

Tiff needell raved about the hinges

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

21st Century Man said:

The Don of Croy said:

jon_273 said:

...and the famous electric boot lid with it's fancy hinges.

These hinges, just how special are they? It’s a niche interest, granted, but you’ve sparked my interest now.

Those hinges

I could happily spend much quality time with like-minded souls who appreciate such things.

As an aside, is there an update on the Century mate?

[21st Century Man]

Much as I love the many wacky features of my Century it is let down by a certain cheapness of components that one would not see in a RR or Bentley, or a Pheaton. Too much plasticky Toyota parts bin stuff that is at odds with the cars reputation and price point. How in the hell can it be engineered, built and painted like it is, but with switches and vents from a Corolla?

[21st Century Man]

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

As an aside, is there an update on the Century mate?

Booked in for repair on May 4th. Thanks for asking. I'm fairly confident a good enough job will be done.

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

21st Century Man said:

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

As an aside, is there an update on the Century mate?

Booked in for repair on May 4th. Thanks for asking. I'm fairly confident a good enough job will be done.

Let's hope they deliver!

[anonymous-user]

21st Century Man said:

Much as I love the many wacky features of my Century it is let down by a certain cheapness of components that one would not see in a RR or Bentley, or a Pheaton. Too much plasticky Toyota parts bin stuff that is at odds with the cars reputation and price point. How in the hell can it be engineered, built and painted like it is, but with switches and vents from a Corolla?

I bet those switches, cheap and tacky though they might feel, will be working long after the soft finish has peeled off the switches in a European car and one or two have stopped working.

[Mikedknight]

Any bearded enthusiasts here for the w123? I’ve bought quite a few 124’s but have been offered a 123 250 in hearing aid beige.

The seller is having issues getting the carbs to run right but I have someone for that. Anything else to look at?

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

stickleback123 said:

I bet those switches, cheap and tacky though they might feel, will be working long after the soft finish has peeled off the switches in a European car and one or two have stopped working.

Maybe so, but I get his point. The indicator stalk on my LS460 isn't too far off the Corolla's. Having something feel and look nice (as well as being robust) does add to the ambience I think. I reckon the switchgear on my E65 felt nicer than that on the LS460. All of those buttons still worked well it was just the rest of the car

The LS460 also has developed an irritating creak when cold going over bumps which turns out to be a fairly common problem, but thanks to Olly755 a quick fix will soon be making its way to me

[anonymous-user]

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

Maybe so, but I get his point. The indicator stalk on my LS460 isn't too far off the Corolla's. Having something feel and look nice (as well as being robust) does add to the ambience I think. I reckon the switchgear on my E65 felt nicer than that on the LS460. All of those buttons still worked well it was just the rest of the car

The LS460 also has developed an irritating creak when cold going over bumps which turns out to be a fairly common problem, but thanks to Olly755 a quick fix will soon be making its way to me

I think with the E65 the only switch that gets a chance to wear out before they get turned into baked bean cans is the one for the hazard warning lights. Didn't they come with a pack of 10 towing eye covers too?

[ian316]

Mikedknight said:

Any bearded enthusiasts here for the w123? I’ve bought quite a few 124’s but have been offered a 123 250 in hearing aid beige.

The seller is having issues getting the carbs to run right but I have someone for that. Anything else to look at?

Depends how much they want, rust on the floor pan is a big killer but if it's cheap the trim pieces alone go for decent money

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

stickleback123 said:

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

Maybe so, but I get his point. The indicator stalk on my LS460 isn't too far off the Corolla's. Having something feel and look nice (as well as being robust) does add to the ambience I think. I reckon the switchgear on my E65 felt nicer than that on the LS460. All of those buttons still worked well it was just the rest of the car

The LS460 also has developed an irritating creak when cold going over bumps which turns out to be a fairly common problem, but thanks to Olly755 a quick fix will soon be making its way to me

I think with the E65 the only switch that gets a chance to wear out before they get turned into baked bean cans is the one for the hazard warning lights. Didn't they come with a pack of 10 towing eye covers too?

Believe it or not, I never actually broke down in that car! It was reliable, never let me down. Just cost a lot to run. Like, a lot.

[mondayo]

Mikedknight said:

Any bearded enthusiasts here for the w123? I’ve bought quite a few 124’s but have been offered a 123 250 in hearing aid beige.

The seller is having issues getting the carbs to run right but I have someone for that. Anything else to look at?

If you paint it red......you could be quids in.

Think of a number, then double it.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184727703705



I know it's not Friday yet, but that one is "The Best In The World"!

[MercedesClassic]

jon_273 said:

The Phaeton to me is a much more interesting car than the A8, especially with the back story of Ferdinand Piech and the transparent factory in Dresden. I visited the factory a few years ago and the the attention to detail is off the scale - the floors are canadian maple rather than concrete because it's more comfortable to walk on, and the car was built by hand by technicians wearing white coats with not an oil stain in sight! This attention to detail kind of sums up the car really. The engine and 4wd system are shared with the A8 but apart from that they are quite different - the platform is shared with the Bentley Continental and Flying Spur, and in fact they were building Flying Spurs in Dresden alongside the Phaeton when I visited.

I have been looking for a Phaeton on and off for quite a few years, wanting a five seater SWB with as many options as possible, and ideally a 5.0 V10 TDI. But they stopped making the V10 in around 2006 so they are all getting on a bit now, plus most of them are miles away in Germany, and nobody likes to travel miles to see a car that's rather disappointing in the metal. I happened to see a 2010 "GP3" facelift car, something which I had never really considered as the earlier cars are more true to the original Phaeton concept (for example the earlier cars have no external antennas in order to minimise drag, and have the double seatbelt inertia reel/pretensioner setup). It was only 20 minutes away so I had nothing to lose, and when I got there it turned out to have more options than advertised with, result!

So here it is, a 2010 GP3 facelift, 3.0 V6 TDI (240PS/500Nm), short wheel base, 5 seater. 18 way adjustable heated/cooled massage seats, Sensitive leather (softer and with no visible grain compared to Vienna leather), extended wood package, wooden steering wheel, rear climate control panel, remote preheating, solar sunroof, Dynaudio sound system, factory 19" wheels, soft close doors and the famous electric boot lid with it's fancy hignes. Really the only thing it's missing is the leather dash and massage rear seats. Now of course yes a petrol one would be better and about ten people have already asked me "is it a W12?" Well, no it isn't, and my budget doesn't stretch to filling up a W12 at the moment. The V6 TDI suits the car really. The 4.2 V8 petrol would be ideal but they are hard to find in SWB, plus with the 90L tank the diesel should potentially give a range of 700 miles.

The good news is it's a lovely thing to drive around in. All Phaeton's have air suspension with continually adjustable damping, so even with the 19's in sport+ mode it's more comfy than a mk7 Golf GTI with DCC in comfort (my daily), and it's nowhere near as wallowy in the corners as I was expecting. A previous A6 C5 Avant 1.8T was much much worse.

The bad news is I've hardly driven it because its been in a garage getting the air con regassed and then a cracked exhaust manifold pipe replaced! Hopefully it will behave itself because I live just outside Geneva and would like to drive back to the UK in it as soon as possible.

It gets a surprising amount of attention - to be honest I thought nobody would take any interest in it but they do! My colleagues even put flags on it as a joke because they think it's some kind of VIP limousine:


Yes that is an actual working phone! There is a holder for it in the armrest.




Forecourt pic (on the second fillup though so it's kind of cheating... 139CHF to fill it up!)


Apologies about the essay - I could go on all day.

Thanks Jon for the owner's view, I'm glad I asked the question. Your car looks immaculate. I'm now tempted to consider them if/when I change.

[Mikedknight]

mondayo said:

Mikedknight said:

Any bearded enthusiasts here for the w123? I’ve bought quite a few 124’s but have been offered a 123 250 in hearing aid beige.

The seller is having issues getting the carbs to run right but I have someone for that. Anything else to look at?

If you paint it red......you could be quids in.

Think of a number, then double it.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184727703705



I know it's not Friday yet, but that one is "The Best In The World"!

Wow. “The best in the world” does it have a certificate to validate that claim?

[BigBen]

stickleback123 said:

21st Century Man said:

Much as I love the many wacky features of my Century it is let down by a certain cheapness of components that one would not see in a RR or Bentley, or a Pheaton. Too much plasticky Toyota parts bin stuff that is at odds with the cars reputation and price point. How in the hell can it be engineered, built and painted like it is, but with switches and vents from a Corolla?

I bet those switches, cheap and tacky though they might feel, will be working long after the soft finish has peeled off the switches in a European car and one or two have stopped working.

It is what has put me off Lexi, far too much Toyota. Possibly better for longevity but remind me of an MR2 I once owned in between barges.

Apex window switches are the ball bearing pivot switches used in Mercs from the 1970s to the W140 ish.

Never had a switch break in any car, they are one thing that is relatively simple so easy to test the s**t out of.

Ben

[paddycam]

Mikedknight said:

mondayo said:

Mikedknight said:

Any bearded enthusiasts here for the w123? I’ve bought quite a few 124’s but have been offered a 123 250 in hearing aid beige.

The seller is having issues getting the carbs to run right but I have someone for that. Anything else to look at?

If you paint it red......you could be quids in.

Think of a number, then double it.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184727703705



I know it's not Friday yet, but that one is "The Best In The World"!

Wow. “The best in the world” does it have a certificate to validate that claim?

I suspect that isn't even the best in Berkshire.

I only owned a W123 for a short period so my beard is wispy at at best. It was, however, not far removed from the W115 that I know very well and was generally very robust except for the tinworm, which could take hold anywhere, particularly structural areas (sills, bulkhead, suspension mounts, etc).

[dbdb]

Instruments and switchgear are really important to the feel of a car. My XJ40 is let down by the plastic centre console insert and the instrument binnacle behind the steering wheel and the centre vents in the middle of the dash. All are terrible - and all the more so for being sited next to or part of interior parts of genuine quality. The instruments could learn a thing or two from Mercedes of the time as well.

[BigBen]

paddycam said:

I only owned a W123 for a short period so my beard is wispy at at best. It was, however, not far removed from the W115 that I know very well and was generally very robust except for the tinworm, which could take hold anywhere, particularly structural areas (sills, bulkhead, suspension mounts, etc).

A 123 was my first barge (and in fact first car) and agree with this check for rust, bulkheads and in particular around the sunroof if it has one. Mine had a leaky battery which had gone from the engine bay to the passenger footwell, flooded the car when it rained......

[bolidemichael]

Very nice write up on the Phaeton and the factory.