Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 13]

[anonymous-user]

Jim the Sunderer said:

Did it read read that right? 50,000 miles a year in an XJ12!?

That's obscene

Yep, I downsized to a 4 litre Sovereign after that in a rare fit of sensiblesness

ETA


Any excuse to look at that.

[Zonergem]

defblade said:

Croutons said:

Can't believe no one wants this Laguna. Still. I know it's been Christmas and all, but 1495 with low miles, 3 litres and Renault electrics? Come on, get amongst it!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2018...

So. Much. Grey.

John Major's Spitting Image puppet is the only likely buyer

Were I on the hunt for a big grey French barge I'd be all over this. Suspect it could be close to thread minimum and it looks ok.

https://mathewsons.co.uk/vehicle-auction-catalogue...

[Krikkit]

Fabulous, what a wonderfully gallic slab of styling.

[Fermit and Sexy Sarah]

E65Ross said:

defblade said:

Croutons said:

Can't believe no one wants this Laguna. Still. I know it's been Christmas and all, but 1495 with low miles, 3 litres and Renault electrics? Come on, get amongst it!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2018...

So. Much. Grey.

John Major's Spitting Image puppet is the only likely buyer

My dad's wife had one of these a number of years back. Electrical gremlins and something with the gearbox went pop. It wasn't great.

We had the same spec, exactly the same as that, different engine. I wouldn't recommend one at all. A lovely thing to drive, but not reliable. We bought, needing cheap wheels at the time, as a 1 owner FSH, 42k, £1700. A few years on, when it had got to about 80k, we bought a new car, and it was left idle for a month or so. When we charged the battery back up the thing wouldn't start, and the dash was full of warning lights. £500 of electrical diagnosis later and no-one (including Renault) could figure out what it was. It was sold spares or repair for £125, to someone who broke it.

[austinsmirk]

The Velsatis is interesting, but who wants a family car, doing 16.8 mpg ! I know this is against the moral's of this thread- but still !

[Croutons]

Salmonofdoubt said:

Krikkit said:

Croutons said:

Can't believe no one wants this Laguna. Still. I know it's been Christmas and all, but 1495 with low miles, 3 litres and Renault electrics? Come on, get amongst it!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2018...

Would make a reasonable school mobile, but a full time barge? I've always thought they were a handsome thing though.

I'm sure it's a decent family wagon when its not coming up with new ways to break.

£2.5k Vel satis?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2018...

Or same engine in a very pretty shell. I didn't know they did a V6 Laguna Coupe.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2018...

Didn't someone on here have a coupe?

Vel Satis should be similarly priced to the 'Guna, most make it to Gumtree or Car&Classic for that or less.

[SpeckledJim]

Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:

E65Ross said:

defblade said:

Croutons said:

Can't believe no one wants this Laguna. Still. I know it's been Christmas and all, but 1495 with low miles, 3 litres and Renault electrics? Come on, get amongst it!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2018...

So. Much. Grey.

John Major's Spitting Image puppet is the only likely buyer

My dad's wife had one of these a number of years back. Electrical gremlins and something with the gearbox went pop. It wasn't great.

We had the same spec, exactly the same as that, different engine. I wouldn't recommend one at all. A lovely thing to drive, but not reliable. We bought, needing cheap wheels at the time, as a 1 owner FSH, 42k, £1700. A few years on, when it had got to about 80k, we bought a new car, and it was left idle for a month or so. When we charged the battery back up the thing wouldn't start, and the dash was full of warning lights. £500 of electrical diagnosis later and no-one (including Renault) could figure out what it was. It was sold spares or repair for £125, to someone who broke it.

Up there with the 307 as possibly the single worst modern car of them all.

[SpeckledJim]

JOB - the G class is bloody terrific, nice one!

[W00DY]

SpeckledJim said:

JOB - the G class is bloody terrific, nice one!

Seconded. Really nice spec too.

[idiotgap]

It is a beaut! Well done.
129 SL looks nice too, some great buys recently.

I love that these Lagunas, vel'satis, avantimes, XMs etc. are around for other people to buy.

[Krikkit]

Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:

We had the same spec, exactly the same as that, different engine. I wouldn't recommend one at all. A lovely thing to drive, but not reliable. We bought, needing cheap wheels at the time, as a 1 owner FSH, 42k, £1700. A few years on, when it had got to about 80k, we bought a new car, and it was left idle for a month or so. When we charged the battery back up the thing wouldn't start, and the dash was full of warning lights. £500 of electrical diagnosis later and no-one (including Renault) could figure out what it was. It was sold spares or repair for £125, to someone who broke it.

Did you remove the battery to charge it?

[Rubins4]

A bit more update on the 190 back end overhaul...

Despite not knowing me from Adam, Zonergem has been kind enough to share his MB spring compressor tool. This kind of behaviour sets us apart from the other animals.


Great tool it is, and thanks again. One issue I did have is that even taking in as much spring as you can, it doesn't compress enough to pull the spring out without dropping the inner end of the lower control arm


Springs all out without major injury. As one might expect, one of the springs had broken at the bottom so a pair of those to the shopping list. Does anyone know, or can guide the way, to a breakdown of the green/white paint coding on the spring and what it means?


Spring cups looking quite surface-rusty as described in the MOT advisories. I'll be treating all this with a wire brush (manual and/or machine operated), a rust stabiliser, primer then chassis black paint. Any recommendations on the rust stabiliser?


As ever, thanks in advance for any advice, criticism, humour etc.

Edited by Rubins4 on Monday 14th January 13:35

[tobinen]

Your MB parts dept will be able to sort the spring codes with the chassis number - they aren't silly money, certainly my 210 and 140 springs were within acceptable pricing

Top man Zonergem.

[Krikkit]

For a rust killer I've used Hammerite Kurust before - I remember the Bilt Hamber range of items are well reviewed, but a different class of expense really.

[4941cc]

Stedman said:

W00DY said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Alpina-B10-V8-No-26...



Looks like a good'un at a great price.

They XYZ car always 'needs a regas'...

Nice motor nonetheless

Lovely thing.

[Croutons]

This Irish reg'd 750Li is available near me. It seems to have four wheel steering though...

Assume I should steer clear?!

[4941cc]

0a said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

Croutons said:

Pity the rear seat passengers in that Lexus...

Compare it to any Mercedes SL. None of these are genuine 4-seaters in any kind of real-world way.

I once carried 3 people in my SL. The chap who went in the back still remembers the experience. In short you need to have no legs at all.

They were only ever a token nod to the US taxation system that unduly penalised two-seat vehicles at the time. It's why 8 Series, DB7, XK8 etc feature "rear seats", 911s too.

[Krikkit]

Croutons said:

This Irish reg'd 750Li is available near me. It seems to have four wheel steering though...

Assume I should steer clear?!

Ouch, another one bites the dust...

[Bonefish Blues]

Croutons said:

This Irish reg'd 750Li is available near me. It seems to have four wheel steering though...

Assume I should steer clear?!

I see what you did there. If you don't steer clear, it surely will, all on its own

[Prinny]

Croutons said:

This Irish reg'd 750Li is available near me. It seems to have four wheel steering though...

Assume I should steer clear?!

P6000 strike again!

They were horrible back in 2000 - how anything is still using them today is beyond me.