Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 16]

[anonymous-user]

BlueMR2 said:

What should I look out for on a Mercedes-Benz CLK 2004 (53 reg) Convertible.

It's a black convertible with tan interior, 2 owner car and last owner since 2013 but now retiring from driving.

Also, how water tight are convertibles?

From my experience of a 2007 CLK220 Kompressor bought new you should be looking out for absolutely any other convertible from any manufacturer up to and including a Micra CC in preference to a 2004 CLK. If you do go ahead think of it as a heavy, floppy, noisy, inconvenient small saloon with a tent that slowly turns green instead of a roof and you won't be so disappointed when the roof keeps (expensively) breaking.

It has the dubious honour of being the only car other than a classic Mini where an important piece of the car has literally come off in my hand.

[BlueMR2]

stickleback123 said:

BlueMR2 said:

What should I look out for on a Mercedes-Benz CLK 2004 (53 reg) Convertible.

It's a black convertible with tan interior, 2 owner car and last owner since 2013 but now retiring from driving.

Also, how water tight are convertibles?

From my experience of a 2007 CLK220 Kompressor bought new you should be looking out for absolutely any other convertible from any manufacturer up to and including a Micra CC in preference to a 2004 CLK. If you do go ahead think of it as a heavy, floppy, noisy, inconvenient small saloon with a tent that slowly turns green instead of a roof and you won't be so disappointed when the roof keeps (expensively) breaking.

It has the dubious honour of being the only car other than a classic Mini where an important piece of the car has literally come off in my hand.

So your saying I really need something with a V12 twin turbo instead, .

[21st Century Man]

Tough crowd for the Bentley. What do you want? Blood? Magnificent thing for beans. God I miss mine.

[lemansky]

SpeckledJim said:

Why are you charging £125 an hour!?

"Well, it takes Julie most of the afternoon to draft your invoice, and when we tried to charge for her time as a line item, people started grumbling. Also, vellum doesn't grow on trees you know."

My first thought, too - what an incredible and pointless waste of (a lot of) time.
And therefore brilliant.

Prefer a nice bit o' copperplate writin' though, Rooney.

[anonymous-user]

BlueMR2 said:

So your saying I really need something with a V12 twin turbo instead, .

Fair enough I wouldn't listen to car buying advice from me either

Joking aside it was a fair leap for me to buy a Mercedes because my experience of them has been universally dreadful both for how they are built and for how they are to drive. The aforementioned CLK was a very expensive shed, rode badly, handled poorly, and creaked like a galleon in a storm and as far as I know just sits rotting on the driveway now because nobody wants to use it. I bought a 2008 Volvo C70 and it was better than the CLK in absolutely every objective and subjective way despite being wrong wheel drive and a Volvo.

The 2003 W168 A-Class my ex owned and I ended up using a lot was the absolute worst car (that wasn't bad because it was clapped out) I have ever driven and both fell to bits and rusted in a manner that would have made Leyland blush, the 2003 W211 E220 I borrowed for two months in 2010 had an engine as rough as ten bears and threw up warning message after warning message, and the various C classes I used to borrow from work were dismal minicab affairs with hard plastic seats, poor ride, and crap engines. I used to take everything except the Audi A4s in preference, including Fiestas and Focuses.

So far, and I accept that it's only two weeks in so there is ample opportunity for wallet pain, it's hard to believe that the same company that made those miserable, austere, uncomfortable, slow, bad riding, poorly built, rusting pieces of st also built this S600.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 1st September 18:48

[BlueMR2]

stickleback123 said:

BlueMR2 said:

So your saying I really need something with a V12 twin turbo instead, .

Fair enough I wouldn't listen to car buying advice from me either

Joking aside it was a fair leap for me to buy a Mercedes because my experience of them has been universally dreadful both for how they are built and for how they are to drive. The aforementioned CLK was a very expensive shed, rode badly, handled poorly, and creaked like a galleon in a storm and as far as I know just sits rotting on the driveway now because nobody wants to use it. I bought a 2008 Volvo C70 and it was better than the CLK in absolutely every objective and subjective way despite being wrong wheel drive and a Volvo.

The 2003 W168 A-Class my ex owned and I ended up using a lot was the absolute worst car (that wasn't bad because it was clapped out) I have ever driven and both fell to bits and rusted in a manner that would have made Leyland blush, the 2003 W211 E220 I borrowed for two months in 2010 had an engine as rough as ten bears and threw up warning message after warning message, and the various C classes I used to borrow from work were dismal minicab affairs with hard plastic seats, poor ride, and crap engines. I used to take everything except the Audi A4s in preference, including Fiestas and Focuses.

So far, and I accept that it's only two weeks in so there is ample opportunity for wallet pain, it's hard to believe that the same company that made those miserable, austere, uncomfortable, slow, bad riding, poorly built, rusting pieces of st also built this S600.

Edited by stickleback123 on Tuesday 1st September 18:48

Yeah, i quite like the look of the late 2005+ C Classes, but the interior has a £15k new car feel to it, dreadful, when you can be in a similar age S Class for the same money.

[Dapster]

21st Century Man said:

Tough crowd for the Bentley. What do you want? Blood? Magnificent thing for beans. God I miss mine.

Car looks great, but it's the cringefest ad that's accompanying it that I think we're poking fun at.

The Gothic script would be brilliant if it was actually handwritten by fountain pen in a windowless room, silent except for the ticking of a grandfather clock, by an old boy called Percival or Smythson or some such who wears a big leather apron and printers visor, but it's in all likelihood a result of the aforementioned Julie using the "Gothic" font on her iMac when knocking up the bill.

[0a]

I have done 700 miles in 72 hours in the w124. A fairly swift passage south today. I think this one is geared lower than my 300e was - i wonder what the top speed is - it’s already revving pretty high at 120. Sadly making it less suitable for longer distance at this speed. I do need to get the air conditioning fixed. Any idea what the “leak” is likely to be / cost?

[LetsTryAgain]

0a said:

I have done 700 miles in 72 hours in the w124. A fairly swift passage south today. I think this one is geared lower than my 300e was - i wonder what the top speed is - it’s already revving pretty high at 120. Sadly making it less suitable for longer distance at this speed. I do need to get the air conditioning fixed. Any idea what the “leak” is likely to be / cost?

Without seeing the car, usually the condenser (A/C Radiator, basically).
Could be the accumulator (type thing) or then the pipe fittings.

Guessing without looking, if the first one hasn't be replaced, I'd check that first.

Been a long (and I mean long!) time since I browsed PH classifieds, but thought this big Lexus at just under thread max may be worth highlighting -

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10761745?c...

Edited by LetsTryAgain on Tuesday 1st September 20:19

[tobinen]

0a, you need the dye in the system before guessing. I presume it's been converted to R134a refrigerant by now (I guess it was R12 when it was new).

My the garage are bloody good with aircon but likely to be nowhere near convenient for you.

[0a]

Excellent thanks. I think I will book it in with my The COVID Location Man to take a look.

Edited by 0a on Tuesday 1st September 20:36

[The Don of Croy]

LetsTryAgain said:

Do kids base their uni choices entirely on 'furthest drive for Dad to take us there'?

Possibly. Son’s degree was at Falmouth - we live in Sussex. Then chose UBC for his next bit. Needless to say we didn’t visit.

Now his younger brother starts at Bridgwater next week.

But it means we get to savour the V70 for many hours, and it is currently returning 38mpg on the motorway loaded up with aircon on etc. Superb family bus.

Have I just summoned the Lords of Bork?

[tobinen]

Worst case scenario is that the condenser has broken up inside and took metal particles around the system and buggered up everything, including the compressor.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

LetsTryAgain said:

Been a long (and I mean long!) time since I browsed PH classifieds, but thought this big Lexus at just under thread max may be worth highlighting -

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10761745?c...

Proper mileage on that. Looks rather toppy but worth a punt.

[0a]

tobinen said:

Worst case scenario is that the condenser has broken up inside and took metal particles around the system and buggered up everything, including the compressor.

In that case I like either being warm, or not being able to hear anything on the motorway due to the windows being open!

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

0a said:

I have done 700 miles in 72 hours in the w124. A fairly swift passage south today. I think this one is geared lower than my 300e was - i wonder what the top speed is - it’s already revving pretty high at 120. Sadly making it less suitable for longer distance at this speed. I do need to get the air conditioning fixed. Any idea what the “leak” is likely to be / cost?

Now, I like a 124 but I must admit I'd rather the car behind it!

[BlueMR2]

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10784181?

£4k, .

Not even at £1k on ebay yet, we have discussed this before, however £4k on PH classifieds, lol. People have purchased running V12 bi turbos for that.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-MERCEDES-S600-L-AU...

[LeighW]

Waved goodbye to my Jag today, I felt quite sad as it was loaded onto the transporter. Why do we become emotionally attached to tin boxes?

Anyway, I have to say, I think I bought at the right time and sold at the right time. Purchased February 2013 for £6750, sold August 2020 for £6000, so I cannot complain at that! We'll gloss over the cost of the servicing and repairs during that time which totalled £5200 or thereabouts...

Bye old girl.



ETA - I did better than the first owner though, he bought it in September 2005 for £50000, sold it to me for £6750 and his maintenance totalled £11300. Oof.
A complete service history can be interesting (if you're sad like me).

[tobinen]

Blimey, you can't complain at that depreciation.

[0a]

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

Now, I like a 124 but I must admit I'd rather the car behind it!

Didn’t notice it; ugly what is it?!