Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 13]

[Pintofbest]

GhostWKD said:

So as mentioned earlier in the thread I'm taking custody of my mothers Audi A8 for the next few months. It uses the devils fuel I'm afraid however otherwise is a perfectly nice barge to waft around in. Believe they're availiable for thread budget money, much to the disagreement of my mother who insisted it's still worth a large portion of what she bought it for when it was Audi approved used and just 3 years old iirc.

Genuinely lovely drive, feel the weight compared to my other/recent cars but can easily allow for this given the comfort it gives on the commute. The autobox is nice enough but does seem to take its time changing gears - that said my only experience of autos has been unholy 1.0 ecoboxes on holidays etc so this could be normal of older auto boxes.

No petrol station photo as it still had 400 miles range when I picked it up so you'll have to make do with a 'made it home' photo.

How I get on with the car over the 3-4 months I have it will most certainly influence what I get when it is time to hand it back. The Focus ST daily I had is definitely going though and the Noble weekend toy is obviously unaffected by the arrival of the barge

I think I can see your house from mine I'm the first one on the right as you drive in, what was the car park of the sales office.

[Salmonofdoubt]

W00DY said:

SpeckledJim said:

W00DY said:

It's just the car, isn't it? Everything else is some weak or strong variety of Not As Good.

I know modern cars are 'better', but, they're just not.

Well I agree. there are objectively better cars out there, but are they as right?


And for a grand it's insane that you can buy such a thing.

If I wasn’t doing 60-80 miles a day 6 times a week I’d be very happy smoking around in that.

[anonymous-user]

I find it interesting that we consider that E39 to be the finest motorcar ever made, whereas the consensus in the US is that they are fragile tat that cost a fortune to keep running. They seem to view all European cars as being pretty flimsy, including all FWD Volvos that we consider to be very robust.

They have a point, all these cars will run forever but do need to be fed a steady diet of replacement parts to do so. I can see why US buyers who own Japanese tin might find this annoying, but is the domestic stuff really any more robust than European cars?

[GhostWKD]

Pintofbest said:

I think I can see your house from mine I'm the first one on the right as you drive in, what was the car park of the sales office.

Very small world in that case! Ironically I almost bought your house originally (had it reserved with Jamie at one point) but for various reasons switched when the previous reservation on this house ran out.

[GhostWKD]

Rubins4 said:

I'm not an Audi fan particularly but the A8 I could get on board with. I like the idea of having free run at something for a few months to find out what its really like. I suspect you'll probably enjoy the Noble even more with a move from an ST to a barge, its a bigger jump between the two and you might notice their respective characters more (I know I have in similar circumstances). I had an original Fiesta ST several years ago and it was a complete hooligan, if the Focus ST is anything similar (perhaps more so, given how they are all driven in this part of the world).

Let us know how you get on with the A8

My only Audi experience before this had been a godawful 2001 A4 TDI which was completely gutless and a 2003 S3 which was just bland for lack of a better description. As you say it's pretty nice how it has worked out in terms of looking after the car for a few months too, especially as it has come with my mothers fuel card so immediately makes my running costs loads cheaper too. Though as part of the agreement there are some pretty bad scratches/swirl marks on the car which I've said I'll sort - car immediately feels much larger when I think about having to dig out all the polishing kit.

As you say I'm expecting to notice the difference a lot more with the Noble. Whilst having the Noble (4 years or so) my daily drivers have been 2x S2000's, S3, Z4, e46 325ci and the Focus ST. So the A8 is definitely different to the norm I've been used to. I'm weighing up a 645i/650i to replace the Focus but going to reflect on things after a few months with the A8. Gives me the luxury of having plenty of time to wait for the right car to come up too.

Edited by GhostWKD on Wednesday 16th January 11:46

[longblackcoat]

SpeckledJim said:

I'm a happy enough W221 owner, but in comparison with the E39, it's got half a dozen 'too x', 'too y', 'too z' type weaknesses.

There are places I feel a prat arriving in the W221. There's literally nowhere I'd be uncomfortable arriving in a clean original E39.

Have to say, I don't see those weaknesses, other than the headlights (which were just as poor on the E39). The engines - at least mine - are a load better, as are the electrics (a weakness on my E39), the gearbox, the ride. The only bit where I'd agree with you might be on styling, perhaps around the rear arches.

It's never occurred to me to feel like a prat arriving in my W221, but then it's a SWB version in elephant grey, currently wearing 'small' 17" winter wheels, so it doesn't stand out.

[E65Ross]

GhostWKD said:

Pintofbest said:

I think I can see your house from mine I'm the first one on the right as you drive in, what was the car park of the sales office.

Very small world in that case! Ironically I almost bought your house originally (had it reserved with Jamie at one point) but for various reasons switched when the previous reservation on this house ran out.

Not sure, but my Toyota has cost me a total of £140 in 2018

[Krikkit]

longblackcoat said:

SpeckledJim said:

I'm a happy enough W221 owner, but in comparison with the E39, it's got half a dozen 'too x', 'too y', 'too z' type weaknesses.

There are places I feel a prat arriving in the W221. There's literally nowhere I'd be uncomfortable arriving in a clean original E39.

Have to say, I don't see those weaknesses, other than the headlights (which were just as poor on the E39). The engines - at least mine - are a load better, as are the electrics (a weakness on my E39), the gearbox, the ride. The only bit where I'd agree with you might be on styling, perhaps around the rear arches.

It's never occurred to me to feel like a prat arriving in my W221, but then it's a SWB version in elephant grey, currently wearing 'small' 17" winter wheels, so it doesn't stand out.

I think the styling of the W221 is its biggest flaw.

The E39 is the car not because it's objectively the best, but subjectively. The whole is far greater than the sum of its parts, and there's a "rightness" to how it drives, much like the W124 and W201.

[louiebaby]

Caruso said:

Having just spent £1000 on a new water pump, radiator and MOT the 540 has just rewarded me by one of the rear suspension bags going flat. Any ideas how much they are to replace? It's particularly annoying as I'm about to sell it!

As a brother in arms, who bought mine about the same time as you, my gear box made a rather alarming clunk last night. I think mine might be on the way out too.

What have you sold it for, so I can gauge? Also, does the buyer want another for spares?

(Airbags aren't too bad I'm told, but I've never had to do them, until tomorrow, probably.)

[olly755]

I need to buy an exhaust for the new (to me) R129. Possibly just a centre section, but it could lead to a full system, depending on what I find when I get it up in the air.

It’s a good while since I bought any Benz parts. Can anyone recommend a source before I start googling?

As an aside, I had a go at separating the hardtop from the shell last night with the manual remove tool provided, and now have the skinned knuckles to prove it. It releases at four points, two at the screen and another pair at the rear. Three of them undo without problem, the forth (offside rear) is properly jammed, and no amount of effing and grunting would shift it. A bit of a mystery as the release mechsnism appears to be purely mechanical.

[layercake]

Having driven both w124 and E39 i much prefer the W124, don't get me wrong the e39 is a lovely place to be, maybe the years of driving a manual or could just be the auto box on the e39, the w124 auto i do get on with and like.


@E65Ross
Need to see a picture of this Toyota you speak of ? I am quite partial to one, having bought one once at midnight in a rough part of London and driven back non stop 6 hours back home, she didn't miss a beat ! 1990 corolla

[E65Ross]

layercake said:

Having driven both w124 and E39 i much prefer the W124, don't get me wrong the e39 is a lovely place to be, maybe the years of driving a manual or could just be the auto box on the e39, the w124 auto i do get on with and like.


@E65Ross
Need to see a picture of this Toyota you speak of ? I am quite partial to one, having bought one once at midnight in a rough part of London and driven back non stop 6 hours back home, she didn't miss a beat ! 1990 corolla

I don't actually have a single picture of it! I will take one tomorrow and upload it. It's not in the least exciting, and it hasn't been washed for over 18 months. 55 plate Corolla.

[layercake]

olly755 said:

I need to buy an exhaust for the new (to me) R129. Possibly just a centre section, but it could lead to a full system, depending on what I find when I get it up in the air.

It’s a good while since I bought any Benz parts. Can anyone recommend a source before I start googling?

As an aside, I had a go at separating the hardtop from the shell last night with the manual remove tool provided, and now have the skinned knuckles to prove it. It releases at four points, two at the screen and another pair at the rear. Three of them undo without problem, the forth (offside rear) is properly jammed, and no amount of effing and grunting would shift it. A bit of a mystery as the release mechsnism appears to be purely mechanical.

I bought rear section from the seller below, on ebay, not OEM but did the job

carexhaust_eu

[Northbrook]

Ta-da!

Car is booked in tomorrow at my local garage for them to take a look. There's an MB dealership over the road, so I've been to ask about ball joints. It looks like the solution for a 96 E300D is a complete control arm at £150 odd per side... unless a beard knows differently(?)

If it is a ball joint, is it worth doing both sides, and would it likely add significantly to the time taken if I get the anti roll bar bushes done (£30ish) while they're at it?

Interestingly, I've had a look at the VIN decode this morning, which seems to indicate that the car wasn't built with the great leather interior it has now, but with cloth. The other details look right, so I'm inclined to believe it.

[maxwellwd]

What do we think of this? Not a coveted E39 I know, but seems good value and I rather like the interior. Was a few things on the MOT history but they appeared to have been rectified as mentioned in ad.

Good engine these as well, thinking quite a nice cheap barge

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-530I-SE-AUTOMATIC-O...

[Riley Blue]

GhostWKD said:

Rubins4 said:

I'm not an Audi fan particularly but the A8 I could get on board with. I like the idea of having free run at something for a few months to find out what its really like. I suspect you'll probably enjoy the Noble even more with a move from an ST to a barge, its a bigger jump between the two and you might notice their respective characters more (I know I have in similar circumstances). I had an original Fiesta ST several years ago and it was a complete hooligan, if the Focus ST is anything similar (perhaps more so, given how they are all driven in this part of the world).

Let us know how you get on with the A8

My only Audi experience before this had been a godawful 2001 A4 TDI which was completely gutless and a 2003 S3 which was just bland for lack of a better description. As you say it's pretty nice how it has worked out in terms of looking after the car for a few months too, especially as it has come with my mothers fuel card so immediately makes my running costs loads cheaper too. Though as part of the agreement there are some pretty bad scratches/swirl marks on the car which I've said I'll sort - car immediately feels much larger when I think about having to dig out all the polishing kit.

As you say I'm expecting to notice the difference a lot more with the Noble. Whilst having the Noble (4 years or so) my daily drivers have been 2x S2000's, S3, Z4, e46 325ci and the Focus ST. So the A8 is definitely different to the norm I've been used to. I'm weighing up a 645i/650i to replace the Focus but going to reflect on things after a few months with the A8. Gives me the luxury of having plenty of time to wait for the right car to come up too.

Edited by GhostWKD on Wednesday 16th January 11:46

It makes a change to see the A8 get a mention here, hope you 'bond' with it. I've had a love/hate relationship with mine. When it's been good, it has been absolutely superb but electrical issues took it of the road for over a year, mostly due to the difficulty in finding someone who understood its complexity.
Now it's back, with everything working 100%, I've postponed all thoughts of selling or scrapping it but it came close, for a while.

[cat220]

Krikkit said:

r129sl said:

mondayo said:

It's an old a4 2.8 quattro, quite a bit under budget. I'm mainly posting it for the only picture in the ad......it's a smasher.

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

£400?! Seems like a bargain. Can’t say I’m even terribly put off by the picture but, you know, beggars, choosers and all that. Besides, I’m probably a lot older than you.

I miss the "using the Mrs to sell a car" thread. It did get a bit lewd mind.

Looks in decent condition, bodywork has prob seen better days but i'm sure it would still do a turn.

[Krikkit]

What irrationally puts me off an A8 is that they use the same buttons (and quality) as every other Audi - after a while the faces of the buttons have often worn off and it ruins the whole interior.

On a Merc they're often what the keyboard nerd would call "doubleshots" - the symbol in a different colour is cast into the plastic, rather than being a veneer on the top.

ETA: Now I've said it, I can't find a single example where it's present on a D3 A8...

Edited by Krikkit on Wednesday 16th January 14:50

[Geekman]

dme123 said:

I find it interesting that we consider that E39 to be the finest motorcar ever made, whereas the consensus in the US is that they are fragile tat that cost a fortune to keep running. They seem to view all European cars as being pretty flimsy, including all FWD Volvos that we consider to be very robust.

They have a point, all these cars will run forever but do need to be fed a steady diet of replacement parts to do so. I can see why US buyers who own Japanese tin might find this annoying, but is the domestic stuff really any more robust than European cars?

My mechanic, who works on a wide range of cars from all over the world tells me that new US cars are just as fragile, if not more so than their European equivalents. If we're talking mid/late 2000s though, from what I've seen, the US ones are a better buy, reliability wise. Compare for example a 2009 Escalade with a 2009 L322 and the Escalade is unquestionably more reliable and cheaper to run, although many would say that doesn't make up for the fact that you have to drive around in one.

You can't beat the Japanese stuff for reliability, but I just find virtually all of them terminally dull, even the fast / luxurious ones.

[SpeckledJim]

Geekman said:

dme123 said:

I find it interesting that we consider that E39 to be the finest motorcar ever made, whereas the consensus in the US is that they are fragile tat that cost a fortune to keep running. They seem to view all European cars as being pretty flimsy, including all FWD Volvos that we consider to be very robust.

They have a point, all these cars will run forever but do need to be fed a steady diet of replacement parts to do so. I can see why US buyers who own Japanese tin might find this annoying, but is the domestic stuff really any more robust than European cars?

My mechanic, who works on a wide range of cars from all over the world tells me that new US cars are just as fragile, if not more so than their European equivalents. If we're talking mid/late 2000s though, from what I've seen, the US ones are a better buy, reliability wise. Compare for example a 2009 Escalade with a 2009 L322 and the Escalade is unquestionably more reliable and cheaper to run, although many would say that doesn't make up for the fact that you have to drive around in one.

You can't beat the Japanese stuff for reliability, but I just find virtually all of them terminally dull, even the fast / luxurious ones.

If you could get them in RHD, I'd consider an older Lincoln Navigator in a sensible spec as a genuine alternative to a FF Range Rover. Similar-ish build quality, larger and more practical, more reliable, cheaper to fix when required, which should be less often.

It's not as classy or nicely styled, granted.