Best smoker barges 1-5 large [vol11]

[olly755]

phil_cardiff said:

Sterillium said:

I've gone £1500 over budget... might be reachable with a very strong haggle... however, this is a great example of an awful lot of car, dropping ever closer towards top-thread budget as the days go by. Very comprehensive advert, dozens of very good images and what looks like a very detailed service history.

A near 400 bhp, leather-clad, bell & whistle laden wafter, and also bomb-proof..?

I'll wager someone else has already taken the hit of a very high % of all the depreciation this car will ever see.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-LS460-LS-460-Super...

Are these as bomb proof as the earlier LS400 though? Nice car all the same, people will think you've spent a lot more if you care for such things.

I don't think any barge post LS400 will be as bombproof as an LS400. But a '460 will still be more robust than it's contemporaries.

The other half and I had a chat about LS460's last weekend en route to a weekend away (in the LS400) and she thinks I should treat myself to one (which is nice, but masks an underlying mild embarrassment towards the '400 on her part), so I've been looking all week at them, including the one above.

I reckon the above car is a great prospect if £6k or so is all you have to spend. But for me there seems to be too small a gap between a "basic" spec, skyrocket mileage car like the one above, and a full house SE-L with 50k miles at £10-11k with Levinson, the lovely 5 spoke wheels, radar cruise and LKA, all of which the above car lacks and, for me at least, are additions that are too irresistible to not have.

Also I'd wager that if 3 years and 30k miles are added to both cars, both would lose £4k in depreciation. The value of the higher mile car will plummet at 200k, yet the higher cost/spec car will still have sensible mileage and hold some value. I'd assume running costs for both would be similar. Maybe it's man maths, but it seems a no brainer to go for the higher spec, lower mileage car if the purchase price can be found.

[Sterillium]

phil_cardiff said:

...people will think you've spent a lot more if you care for such things.

Do you think?

I always feel the opposite about Lexus, I image the normal man-in-the street to think it a cheap Eastern copy... conversely, my E39 BMW 530 Sport Touring seems to give people the impression it was (or is) hugely expensive... (it's a 16 year old car with 165,000 miles!). But then, people are odd...

Speaking of the 530 Sport Touring... I really do need to find it a good home. Somewhere it's understated solidity is valued. I've ended up keeping it two years now, spoiling it with all new suspension etc etc.. I'll miss it.

[BorniteIdentity]

Lowtimer said:

On my 4-speed R129 it was simply a case of getting all the little vacuum leaks sealed to turn it from "generally ok but occasionally brusque on upshifts into top" to "lovely all the time" , though a fluid and filter change is not going to hurt either

Ok.

I'm tempted to bid him and see what he says. He's had it a while, but has also just dropped the price.

What are we looking at price wise to repair vac leaks in the transmission? Then I'll try to chip him that.

[Stegel]

BorniteIdentity said:

Check out this luxuriously appointed gentleman's lounge? You even get a free motor car thrown in!



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-W124-E320-...

Just catching up while on holiday and thought I recognised that car from elsewhere - its listed in Brightwells' modern classic auction in August with a guide of £3-5k. I expected it to have been through an auction, not be heading for one!

[carinaman]

E24man said:

The South Africa 745i was the M88/3 M5 and M635CSi engine with either a manual or switchable auto gearbox; for the rest of the world the 745i was a turbocharged I6 in lhd only.

Thanks. I'd not heard of the South African version before.

[nobrakes]

Have we had this?
E500 estate 2004 Elegance 107k mileshttp://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201706026052485?onesearchad=Used&minimum-badge-engine-size=5.0&radius=1500&model=E%20CLASS&sort=sponsored&body-type=Estate&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=sw194qu&make=MERCEDES-BENZ&transmission=Automatic&price-to=14000&page=1


We had a flourish of them a while back. It may be one of these still on the market. Discrete bargeness.

A bit like grandads. And, that LS 460 looks by far the better bet.

[Krikkit]

nobrakes said:

Have we had this?
E500 estate 2004 Elegance 107k mileshttp://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201706026052485?onesearchad=Used&minimum-badge-engine-size=5.0&radius=1500&model=E%20CLASS&sort=sponsored&body-type=Estate&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=sw194qu&make=MERCEDES-BENZ&transmission=Automatic&price-to=14000&page=1

Looks good, near identical to one of the ones we had earlier! Definitely another.

Interestingly that seller had the only petrol Citroen C6 I've ever seen - LPG and good spec, shame it sold before I could get up to view.

[bob-lad]

Bring out your brave pills.

Slightly iffy W12 Phaeton in budget.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

[phil_cardiff]

Sterillium said:

phil_cardiff said:

...people will think you've spent a lot more if you care for such things.

Do you think?

I always feel the opposite about Lexus, I image the normal man-in-the street to think it a cheap Eastern copy... conversely, my E39 BMW 530 Sport Touring seems to give people the impression it was (or is) hugely expensive... (it's a 16 year old car with 165,000 miles!). But then, people are odd...

Speaking of the 530 Sport Touring... I really do need to find it a good home. Somewhere it's understated solidity is valued. I've ended up keeping it two years now, spoiling it with all new suspension etc etc.. I'll miss it.

My uncle turned up at a recent family gathering in a LS430 and everyone assumed it was a £10k+ car when he'd paid around half.

Not scientific but my large extended family were fooled.

[TheLordJohn]

bob-lad said:

Bring out your brave pills.

Slightly iffy W12 Phaeton in budget.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

If you were a VW specialist, and could get that for £3K, that'd be a good buy.
Not a bad number plate, either, in the grand scheme of things.

[Krikkit]

Not a bad find, I can't find anything but I bet the W12 uses a fairly generic ZF gearbox which a specialist would be able to have a meddle with, especially if you could have it removed at modest cost.

[TheLordJohn]

Krikkit said:

Not a bad find, I can't find anything but I bet the W12 uses a fairly generic ZF gearbox which a specialist would be able to have a meddle with, especially if you could have it removed at modest cost.

I have no VAG beard (and proud of the fact) but I'd guess it isn't an internal gearbox problem. Could be, but I doubt it.
Especially if it's intermittent, it's more likely to be a software issue, or if it is a hydraulic shifting gearbox, valve/solenoid issues.

[Krikkit]

TheLordJohn said:

Krikkit said:

Not a bad find, I can't find anything but I bet the W12 uses a fairly generic ZF gearbox which a specialist would be able to have a meddle with, especially if you could have it removed at modest cost.

I have no VAG beard (and proud of the fact) but I'd guess it isn't an internal gearbox problem. Could be, but I doubt it.
Especially if it's intermittent, it's more likely to be a software issue, or if it is a hydraulic shifting gearbox, valve/solenoid issues.

Sorry, didn't note the mileage - I'd assumed it was the usual case of a "sealed-for-life" box with 100k+ miles that needs some TLC to the hydraulics/clutches etc. At those miles I'd guess it's electrical, in which case all bets are off! I bet a TCU is a bit pricey.

[sly fox]

olly755 said:

I don't think any barge post LS400 will be as bombproof as an LS400. But a '460 will still be more robust than it's contemporaries.

The other half and I had a chat about LS460's last weekend en route to a weekend away (in the LS400) and she thinks I should treat myself to one (which is nice, but masks an underlying mild embarrassment towards the '400 on her part), so I've been looking all week at them, including the one above.

I reckon the above car is a great prospect if £6k or so is all you have to spend. But for me there seems to be too small a gap between a "basic" spec, skyrocket mileage car like the one above, and a full house SE-L with 50k miles at £10-11k with Levinson, the lovely 5 spoke wheels, radar cruise and LKA, all of which the above car lacks and, for me at least, are additions that are too irresistible to not have.

Also I'd wager that if 3 years and 30k miles are added to both cars, both would lose £4k in depreciation. The value of the higher mile car will plummet at 200k, yet the higher cost/spec car will still have sensible mileage and hold some value. I'd assume running costs for both would be similar. Maybe it's man maths, but it seems a no brainer to go for the higher spec, lower mileage car if the purchase price can be found.

So the Bork Factor 11 cost on the LS460 is ... the power steering mechanism. Rack/pump/motors/wiring is essentially one part.
It's a £6k job, no separate parts available - full kit or nothing and lots of dismantling to do. So check steering feels ok, that it slightly changes note on full lock. Any hesitation/noises, stiffness, walk, no Run away.

Air suspension woes don't seem to affect the 460 - but bushes/mounts/sensors are expensive and will fail. Not cheap

Yes i looked at buying one to replace my LS430 a few years ago - the 460's were then around £15k with sensible miles (sub 100k) and i would have a one year warranty to get most things sorted, but the one i looked at at main dealer in Cheltenham didnt come off.

It's a bloody long car btw - my ls460 was over 5m and 460 is longer again. Doddle to park if you have the space. Have being operative word. Multi storey car parks a nightmare.

Would consider one again, but happy with XKR still.

[Ace1650cp]

http://joechakscars.co.uk/vehicle/name/volvo-s80-2...

Any opinions on this, maybe a little pricey?

[Croutons]

V10 derv Toureg, stupid idea? Ignore the naff grille, £4995...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

[cornershop]

Sterillium said:

I've gone £1500 over budget... might be reachable with a very strong haggle... however, this is a great example of an awful lot of car, dropping ever closer towards top-thread budget as the days go by. Very comprehensive advert, dozens of very good images and what looks like a very detailed service history.

A near 400 bhp, leather-clad, bell & whistle laden wafter, and also bomb-proof..?

I'll wager someone else has already taken the hit of a very high % of all the depreciation this car will ever see.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-LS460-LS-460-Super...

like that too, but if that seller is linked to 'LexusChap' a quick Google may prove prudent

[JZZ30]

'lexuschap' does have a new eBay I'd, but that's not him. Wrong area.

I can't remember his new eBay name.

[Troubleatmill]

cornershop said:

Sterillium said:

I've gone £1500 over budget... might be reachable with a very strong haggle... however, this is a great example of an awful lot of car, dropping ever closer towards top-thread budget as the days go by. Very comprehensive advert, dozens of very good images and what looks like a very detailed service history.

A near 400 bhp, leather-clad, bell & whistle laden wafter, and also bomb-proof..?

I'll wager someone else has already taken the hit of a very high % of all the depreciation this car will ever see.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-LS460-LS-460-Super...

like that too, but if that seller is linked to 'LexusChap' a quick Google may prove prudent

It is a lovely thing..... but beyond the smoker barge budget.

Ping me and let me know what you think in 6 months... This is on my "might be my next purchase" list

[0a]

bristolracer said:

MJK 24 said:

Cheers!

Barge people, am I on the money with the price or should I be asking more/less? Input appreciated!

If anything i would say you are under.
There are a lot of very tatty "classics" out there for much more money than that.
If i were you id be firm on that price.

I wouldnt be at all surprised if someone has that and flips it on for a bit more.

I hesitated to answer - but I also feel you are under.

You might not have many bites at a bit more, but the buyer you are looking for isn't buying on price. He's like me: he wants that w124.

You are unnecessarailly cheap at the moment: it just reduces your sale price rather than increasing your probability of selling.

You can always go down - you can't ever go up!

In my opinion.