Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 12]
Discussion
giblet said:
Afternoon chaps. I have a ~6000 mile road trip planned for the end of March and require a car. Only issue is I have about a week or so to find something suitable so I can get the paperwork (carnet de passage) sorted out in time.
Budget is £3000 or thereabouts and the shortlist currently consists of one car, the Lexus LS430. Is there anything else I should consider in that price bracket?
Has to be a Range Rover p38, surely?!Budget is £3000 or thereabouts and the shortlist currently consists of one car, the Lexus LS430. Is there anything else I should consider in that price bracket?
0a said:
giblet said:
Afternoon chaps. I have a ~6000 mile road trip planned for the end of March and require a car. Only issue is I have about a week or so to find something suitable so I can get the paperwork (carnet de passage) sorted out in time.
Budget is £3000 or thereabouts and the shortlist currently consists of one car, the Lexus LS430. Is there anything else I should consider in that price bracket?
Has to be a Range Rover p38, surely?!Budget is £3000 or thereabouts and the shortlist currently consists of one car, the Lexus LS430. Is there anything else I should consider in that price bracket?
E65 7 Series
X308 XJ
L322 Range Rover
VW Pheaton
Merc Cl/ S Class
Audi A8.
Some of those will be at the riskier end with a budget of £3k, depends on your appetite for risk.
ChocolateFrog said:
0a said:
giblet said:
Afternoon chaps. I have a ~6000 mile road trip planned for the end of March and require a car. Only issue is I have about a week or so to find something suitable so I can get the paperwork (carnet de passage) sorted out in time.
Budget is £3000 or thereabouts and the shortlist currently consists of one car, the Lexus LS430. Is there anything else I should consider in that price bracket?
Has to be a Range Rover p38, surely?!Budget is £3000 or thereabouts and the shortlist currently consists of one car, the Lexus LS430. Is there anything else I should consider in that price bracket?
E65 7 Series
X308 XJ
L322 Range Rover
VW Pheaton
Merc Cl/ S Class
Audi A8.
Some of those will be at the riskier end with a budget of £3k, depends on your appetite for risk.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...
Because V10.
Evening gents,
I haven’t ventured into these pages much of late. In fact since my last E39 525 I’ve been trying my best to stay away.
Alas I had a relapse this week. I’m back in a barge to ‘keep the miles off my M140’ since my B5 S4 is ‘too fragile’ to handle big miles (well that’s how I justified it to the OH).
So here it is, my latest barge. A last of the last E38 728 sport in Stratus Grey with black/dark wood interior. Few nice options, widescreen nav, power bootlid, power/heated seats and factory tinted glass.
I haven’t ventured into these pages much of late. In fact since my last E39 525 I’ve been trying my best to stay away.
Alas I had a relapse this week. I’m back in a barge to ‘keep the miles off my M140’ since my B5 S4 is ‘too fragile’ to handle big miles (well that’s how I justified it to the OH).
So here it is, my latest barge. A last of the last E38 728 sport in Stratus Grey with black/dark wood interior. Few nice options, widescreen nav, power bootlid, power/heated seats and factory tinted glass.
For a trouble free 6k miles,, I think it would be hard to look past some of the simpler and more robust barges. A petrol powered W210 would efficiently eat up the miles, X300/308 Jag would be a nice place to spend time, and an LS400 would be a silent and relaxing way of ensuring you actually return home from your journey.
S3_Graham said:
Evening gents,
I haven’t ventured into these pages much of late. In fact since my last E39 525 I’ve been trying my best to stay away.
Alas I had a relapse this week. I’m back in a barge to ‘keep the miles off my M140’ since my B5 S4 is ‘too fragile’ to handle big miles (well that’s how I justified it to the OH).
So here it is, my latest barge. A last of the last E38 728 sport in Stratus Grey with black/dark wood interior. Few nice options, widescreen nav, power bootlid, power/heated seats and factory tinted glass.
Super!I haven’t ventured into these pages much of late. In fact since my last E39 525 I’ve been trying my best to stay away.
Alas I had a relapse this week. I’m back in a barge to ‘keep the miles off my M140’ since my B5 S4 is ‘too fragile’ to handle big miles (well that’s how I justified it to the OH).
So here it is, my latest barge. A last of the last E38 728 sport in Stratus Grey with black/dark wood interior. Few nice options, widescreen nav, power bootlid, power/heated seats and factory tinted glass.
EarlOfHazard said:
6k miles? Sounds awesome! How about a 3.0 or 4.2 Jag XJ x350?
Brother owned a X350 4.2 sport a few years back and it had a few niggles. pitchfork said:
Details required, methinks. 
Easiest way to describe it is Leeds to Lahore (actual destination is around 5-6 hours from Lahore)nobrakes said:
Your LS430 is a great shout.
An Eclass would munch the miles and be within easy spannering assistance wherever you go, but you probably won’t need a spanner with the Lexus.
That’s what I was thinking. The LS430 does seem bulletproof. Test drove one a month or so ago and it seemed like a hefty old thing. An Eclass would munch the miles and be within easy spannering assistance wherever you go, but you probably won’t need a spanner with the Lexus.
SimonTheSailor said:
Is it a sporty drive through the Pyrennes and Alps ? If so maybe an exec barge might not be suitable ? Maybe a nice classic convertible would be better ?
Sadly not. A lot of motorway mile munching hence the exec barge. ChocolateFrog said:
0a said:
giblet said:
Afternoon chaps. I have a ~6000 mile road trip planned for the end of March and require a car. Only issue is I have about a week or so to find something suitable so I can get the paperwork (carnet de passage) sorted out in time.
Budget is £3000 or thereabouts and the shortlist currently consists of one car, the Lexus LS430. Is there anything else I should consider in that price bracket?
Has to be a Range Rover p38, surely?!Budget is £3000 or thereabouts and the shortlist currently consists of one car, the Lexus LS430. Is there anything else I should consider in that price bracket?
E65 7 Series
X308 XJ
L322 Range Rover
VW Pheaton
Merc Cl/ S Class
Audi A8.
Some of those will be at the riskier end with a budget of £3k, depends on your appetite for risk.
olly755 said:
For a trouble free 6k miles,, I think it would be hard to look past some of the simpler and more robust barges. A petrol powered W210 would efficiently eat up the miles, X300/308 Jag would be a nice place to spend time, and an LS400 would be a silent and relaxing way of ensuring you actually return home from your journey.
The LS does seem like the safest bet. Last thing I want is a breakdown as we are being escorted through some rather questionable areas of Pakistan. olly755 said:
For a trouble free 6k miles,, I think it would be hard to look past some of the simpler and more robust barges. A petrol powered W210 would efficiently eat up the miles, X300/308 Jag would be a nice place to spend time, and an LS400 would be a silent and relaxing way of ensuring you actually return home from your journey.
Seriously, you could do a lot worse than this:2004 E240 2.6petrol, metalic black 1owner, 90k miles, FSH. It says last one by Merc.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Job jobbed.
k it up I wonder? 
Zonergem said:
I clocked that earlier and the price and lack of air con put me off. However, we all managed perfectly fine without air con until 1993 or so and in almost all conditions, just tilting the sunroof and setting the fan a notch higher does the job. It's a tidy car that, in great colours.S3_Graham said:
Evening gents,
I haven’t ventured into these pages much of late. In fact since my last E39 525 I’ve been trying my best to stay away.
Alas I had a relapse this week. I’m back in a barge to ‘keep the miles off my M140’ since my B5 S4 is ‘too fragile’ to handle big miles (well that’s how I justified it to the OH).
So here it is, my latest barge. A last of the last E38 728 sport in Stratus Grey with black/dark wood interior. Few nice options, widescreen nav, power bootlid, power/heated seats and factory tinted glass.
Lovely!I haven’t ventured into these pages much of late. In fact since my last E39 525 I’ve been trying my best to stay away.
Alas I had a relapse this week. I’m back in a barge to ‘keep the miles off my M140’ since my B5 S4 is ‘too fragile’ to handle big miles (well that’s how I justified it to the OH).
So here it is, my latest barge. A last of the last E38 728 sport in Stratus Grey with black/dark wood interior. Few nice options, widescreen nav, power bootlid, power/heated seats and factory tinted glass.
nobrakes said:
olly755 said:
For a trouble free 6k miles,, I think it would be hard to look past some of the simpler and more robust barges. A petrol powered W210 would efficiently eat up the miles, X300/308 Jag would be a nice place to spend time, and an LS400 would be a silent and relaxing way of ensuring you actually return home from your journey.
Seriously, you could do a lot worse than this:2004 E240 2.6petrol, metalic black 1owner, 90k miles, FSH. It says last one by Merc.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Job jobbed.
S3_Graham said:
Evening gents,
I haven’t ventured into these pages much of late. In fact since my last E39 525 I’ve been trying my best to stay away.
Alas I had a relapse this week. I’m back in a barge to ‘keep the miles off my M140’ since my B5 S4 is ‘too fragile’ to handle big miles (well that’s how I justified it to the OH).
So here it is, my latest barge. A last of the last E38 728 sport in Stratus Grey with black/dark wood interior. Few nice options, widescreen nav, power bootlid, power/heated seats and factory tinted glass.
What an absolutely lovely thing, top marks! These are about the peak of 7 series styling if you ask me, although the current G11 is certainly a handsome beast I haven’t ventured into these pages much of late. In fact since my last E39 525 I’ve been trying my best to stay away.
Alas I had a relapse this week. I’m back in a barge to ‘keep the miles off my M140’ since my B5 S4 is ‘too fragile’ to handle big miles (well that’s how I justified it to the OH).
So here it is, my latest barge. A last of the last E38 728 sport in Stratus Grey with black/dark wood interior. Few nice options, widescreen nav, power bootlid, power/heated seats and factory tinted glass.
0a said:
I did another 150 miles in it today and the road noise is surprisingly loud on poor surfaces.
There's also a bit of that new BMW feeling of being on too big wheels over broken surfaces.
Would new dampers help as well as the tyres?
I'm being fussy but it's so well behaved elsewhere it's annoying me.
Given your later reassurances on wheels and tyres, and assuming the pressures are all correct, then if that were an E39 I would be looking at the subframe bushes.There's also a bit of that new BMW feeling of being on too big wheels over broken surfaces.
Would new dampers help as well as the tyres?
I'm being fussy but it's so well behaved elsewhere it's annoying me.
Going off piste here, but perhaps one of you might have a glimmer of interest in this? Maybe none of you, but I've no reputation to protect, so here goes.
Commuted in the Nissan Leaf for the first time this morning. It was fine. Fast enough, warm enough, good ride, quiet cabin. Good equipment, clever stereo.
And it's got a timer and an app to make sure it's nice and warm when you need it to be. What's not to like? Other than it looking like a bottom.
Commuted in the Nissan Leaf for the first time this morning. It was fine. Fast enough, warm enough, good ride, quiet cabin. Good equipment, clever stereo.
And it's got a timer and an app to make sure it's nice and warm when you need it to be. What's not to like? Other than it looking like a bottom.
rsbmw said:
I think it best if you hand in your card and leave quietly, sir.
Not all that difficult to do with an electric motor! 
In all honesty SJ, I for one would be interested in hearing more. As the owner of two big-engined vehicles, the idea of one of these (or equivalent) to sit alongside them for local trips is very appealing. It just makes so much more sense, rather than firing up the v12 (the economical one!).
I suspect the small electric runabout & motorway barge combination to be a “grower” in the next couple of years.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff