Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 13]

[BigBen]

tobinen said:

WorldBoss said:

I've had a play around with a couple of R230 SLs through work the last couple of days. Foolishly I checked prices on eBay tonight, and it's gaving me bad ideas...

SL500 for £5k
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-SL500-converti...

SL350 for £4.8k
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-MERCEDES-SL-350-CO...

How do R129s fair in comparison?

I've always fancied a r129, but I think I'd want a 500, which seem thin on the ground for around thread budget these days.

I've never owned either, but an R230 has to be a financial suicide mission IMO

I'd want a nice SL500 129

I have owned one and it didn't cost me much to run at all. A 350 as it runs on normal suspension shouldn't be too much bother.

Ben

p.s. the previous owner had spent something like £16,000 on the suspension which was probably why I got off lightly......

[mak250300]

Still love the look of these...http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/207631/1994-honda-legend-auto-harrogate

[SpeckledJim]

mak250300 said:

Still love the look of these...http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/207631/1994-honda-legend-auto-harrogate

Very, very handsome car.

Sad that they lost their way so badly with the Legends that followed. That one was fking cool.

[golfer19]

olly755 said:

r129sl said:

Zonergem said:

olly755 said:

I ended up buying this. An unusual choice for someone who hates rust and issues, in fact any automotive projects in general. But the money was right, and it will be good to revisit the R129, even if what I've bought is essentially a 300 SLC-24V. I initially had naughty Moss/Jenks inspired thoughts about an angle grinders, fly screen, tonneau cover, press studs and blue check cloth, but of course these are only words.

Collect Saturday, I know the drill.

Are you collecting it from Newcastle and driving south? If you fancy breaking your journey in North Yorkshire I'm sure an impromptu thread R129 beard gathering (Lowtimer, MickyVeloce, your truly) could be attempted.

Let’s do it.happy to help with station lifts.

Sounds great chaps. I’ve no other plans for the day and ETA in Alnmouth is 1pm, say half an hour or so for the formalities, and then I’m be heading south. There’s a rattler heading north pretty much on the hour on Saturday morning, so could possibly be earlier if the vendor is flexible.

I am flying into Newcastle Saturday morning and then onto Redcar for a car purchase.
Not exactly a barge but a hopefully nice MX5 for the wife.
Drive back to Cairnryan for the ferry and then home.

[ALawson]

Volvo V70 2.0 D SE 5dr, 2 owners from new 88k miles. Just over TB and JRG, pretty clean MOT history.

Boring engine I would imagine.



Clicky

[Bonefish Blues]

SpeckledJim said:

mak250300 said:

Still love the look of these...http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/207631/1994-honda-legend-auto-harrogate

Very, very handsome car.

Sad that they lost their way so badly with the Legends that followed. That one was fking cool.

Was that a relative of the Rover 8 coupe?

[anonymous-user]

ALawson said:

Volvo V70 2.0 D SE 5dr, 2 owners from new 88k miles. Just over TB and JRG, pretty clean MOT history.

Boring engine I would imagine.



Clicky

Maybe it's just me but the turbocharged 5 pot powerplant really elevated my V70 and without it I think it might have been really desperately dull. The idea of a Volvo estate with a droning Ford four pot diesel is about as appealing as gruel. The current models, lovely though they are to behold, hold limited appeal for me because of their dross powerplants.

[Joshsl]

Stegel said:

I’ve driven past this a few times - looks ok at 30mph in traffic. The workshop has a pretty good reputation, a few ex-MB techies, so it may well be in fine fettle. One for the gingercator Spartan faction perhaps.

https://www.wdmcarsmercedesspecialist.co.uk/used-c...

I enquires about that, It’s a good honest car. 1 owner from new and the garage has known it for a good few years. The drivers seat had abit of wear on the seat bolster when I looked through the window but looks a good honest car

[CharlesdeGaulle]

mak250300 said:

Still love the look of these...http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/207631/1994-honda-legend-auto-harrogate

Good spot.



It might not come as a massive surprise, but I'd much rather have one of these than a contemporary BMW.

And congrats to today's purchasers - nice work.

[SpeckledJim]

dme123 said:

ALawson said:

Volvo V70 2.0 D SE 5dr, 2 owners from new 88k miles. Just over TB and JRG, pretty clean MOT history.

Boring engine I would imagine.



Clicky

Maybe it's just me but the turbocharged 5 pot powerplant really elevated my V70 and without it I think it might have been really desperately dull. The idea of a Volvo estate with a droning Ford four pot diesel is about as appealing as gruel. The current models, lovely though they are to behold, hold limited appeal for me because of their dross powerplants.

Agree. The sooner Volvo goes all-electric the better, IMO.

The current range is lovely. Apart from the engines.

[Lowtimer]

olly755 said:

r129sl said:

Zonergem said:

olly755 said:

I ended up buying this. An unusual choice for someone who hates rust and issues, in fact any automotive projects in general. But the money was right, and it will be good to revisit the R129, even if what I've bought is essentially a 300 SLC-24V. I initially had naughty Moss/Jenks inspired thoughts about an angle grinders, fly screen, tonneau cover, press studs and blue check cloth, but of course these are only words.

Collect Saturday, I know the drill.

Are you collecting it from Newcastle and driving south? If you fancy breaking your journey in North Yorkshire I'm sure an impromptu thread R129 beard gathering (Lowtimer, MickyVeloce, your truly) could be attempted.

Let’s do it.happy to help with station lifts.

Sounds great chaps. I’ve no other plans for the day and ETA in Alnmouth is 1pm, say half an hour or so for the formalities, and then I’m be heading south. There’s a rattler heading north pretty much on the hour on Saturday morning, so could possibly be earlier if the vendor is flexible.

Saturday? Yep, I am around. So is my 129.

[Lowtimer]

tobinen said:

WorldBoss said:

I've had a play around with a couple of R230 SLs through work the last couple of days. Foolishly I checked prices on eBay tonight, and it's gaving me bad ideas...

SL500 for £5k
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-SL500-converti...

SL350 for £4.8k
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-MERCEDES-SL-350-CO...

How do R129s fair in comparison?

I've always fancied a r129, but I think I'd want a 500, which seem thin on the ground for around thread budget these days.

I've never owned either, but an R230 has to be a financial suicide mission IMO

I'd want a nice SL500 129

I can't prove it by personal experience but I've always read enough R230 horror stories from others to believe that the R129 is the place to be. Those can be bad enough...

[Lowtimer]

olly755 said:

Sounds great chaps. I’ve no other plans for the day and ETA in Alnmouth is 1pm, say half an hour or so for the formalities, and then I’m be heading south. There’s a rattler heading north pretty much on the hour on Saturday morning, so could possibly be earlier if the vendor is flexible.

If you're going a long way after dark, and it sounds like you are, you might want to bring a set of Osram Nightbreakers or similar with you. The headlamps in these things are really very late-80s, and upgraded bulbs are really a must-have for night use.

Of course, it might already have them. It turned out mine did, when I decided to do the upgrade. I was somewhat bemused.

Edited by Lowtimer on Thursday 10th January 19:23

[E65Ross]

But would you just look at an R230. In my humble opinion a fantastic looking thing and, to my eyes, so much more pretty and elegant than the R129.

[Prinny]

Lowtimer said:

If you're going a long way after dark, and it sounds like you are, you might want to bring a set of Osram Nightbreakers or similar with you. The headlamps in these things are really very late-80s, and upgraded bulbs are really a must-have for night use.

Indeed - can’t recommend the above strongly enough. After getting used to the big xenons on the 7, and the even better ones on the M6 (I do believe they’re designed to work at autobahn speeds, such was the throw and clarity - better than anything else I’ve driven), getting into the SL on a dark winters night was less than appealing. I put some Philips something or other +130% ones in and it’s much better. Still not approaching the xenons, but adequate for 90ish where conditions allow.

H4 is the type.

[SpeckledJim]

E65Ross said:

But would you just look at an R230. In my humble opinion a fantastic looking thing and, to my eyes, so much more pretty and elegant than the R129.

They both hold very great, but very different, appeal for me.

R129 deeply deeply proper. A true Mercedes.
R230 exotic and flash, without being gaudy. Which is a hard path to walk.

[Lowtimer]

Fair enough, all questions of aesthetics are subjective. Personally I wouldn't have any 7 later than an E38, or 5 later than an E39, so that's probably the pair of us fitting neatly into our respective niches for taste

[rsbmw]

LCI E60 550I M Sport in thread budget


https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

might need some brave pills though at 200k

[E65Ross]

SpeckledJim said:

E65Ross said:

But would you just look at an R230. In my humble opinion a fantastic looking thing and, to my eyes, so much more pretty and elegant than the R129.

They both hold very great, but very different, appeal for me.

R129 deeply deeply proper. A true Mercedes.
R230 exotic and flash, without being gaudy. Which is a hard path to walk.

Maybe it's because times have changed, but I'd be willing to bet the R129 was rather exotic and flash in its day though...?

[SpeckledJim]

E65Ross said:

SpeckledJim said:

E65Ross said:

But would you just look at an R230. In my humble opinion a fantastic looking thing and, to my eyes, so much more pretty and elegant than the R129.

They both hold very great, but very different, appeal for me.

R129 deeply deeply proper. A true Mercedes.
R230 exotic and flash, without being gaudy. Which is a hard path to walk.

Maybe it's because times have changed, but I'd be willing to bet the R129 was rather exotic and flash in its day though...?

Well, yes, but still a much more restrained exercise than the R230, IMO.

R129 has quite a lot in common with the cool and calm aspects of the W124 and W202, in design language, whereas R230 looks unmistakably sporting and showy in a much more expressive way. All in my humble opinion.