Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 13]

[bob-lad]

louiebaby said:

Balmoral said:

Krikkit said:

W00DY said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Renault-Safrane-V6-RXE/...

What a stunner.

Absolutely magnificent.

There was a Biturbo Safrane available too.

That's just down the road from me, I can go view for someone if necessary.

I might need a short notice wagon soon, I'll pop it on the watch list, just in case.

Better be quick it's due to rain this weekend. The car may have dissolved by Monday.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

E24man said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

E24man said:

It has full rear AC, a rear fridge and rear heated and reclining seats.

I know that since this posting ref the nasty BMW with tasteless rimz we've all gone into a frothing frenzy about wheel designs and mediocre French saloons, but I just want to drag us back on a point of order to object in the strongest possible terms to an esteemed colleague's faux pas highlighted above. Surely every one of us knows that no-one bar the driver - i.e. us - counts for anything.

I offer my most miserable and worm like apologies Sir; the car has front fully automatic AC and automatic air-re-circulation, heated memory drivers seat, heated memory mirrors (if Sir deigns to glance at what the V12 engine has just vanquished to the past) and if Sir is indeed designed like a baboon, a fridge within reach.

I accept the apology on behalf of the thread, thank you. Now I suggest we move on and pretend this unseemly aberration never happened.

In any case, I've become distracted by the grey 500E. What a thing, but 27 grand buys a lot of alternative automotive pron; I could have half a dozen SC430s or a score of Honda Leg-ends for that. That's a dilemma that most men don't face in a life-time.

[Geekman]

Croutons said:

In LHD form they’re 15-20k Euro, it’s amazing how patriotic the French are. Not much different to us wanting the exec our dads had (or aspired to) I suppose!

Back to yesterday’s question, £800 for 2 rear airbags on an E39 tourer, way too much or suck it up?

I’ll freely admit to knowing very little about E39s, but the supplier I got my RRS air struts sell E39 rear airbags for $60 each. Can’t imagine they’re that hard to fit, so yes, sounds like they’re massively overcharging you.

[Prinny]

Paulog13 said:

As a general lurker of this very enjoyable thread, I often think of selling my current car and joining the fold....

With others having some love for Mercedes, any interest in this?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-S600L-V12-Bi-T...

Oooo I like that, and I’m in Rochdale.

Good job I’m taking the SL to be re-seated tomorrow & all this month’s money is going on a service for the M6. I could otherwise be tempted.

I wonder if he’ll take a sans-turbo v12 7 in p/ex? (without rear A/C or fridge, since these things matter on this thread). Must resist... But I can take a gander if anyone’s interested?

Oh, and the link above has to be the longest one I’ve ever seen! Made me laugh upon quoting.

[Croutons]

Geekman said:

I’ll freely admit to knowing very little about E39s, but the supplier I got my RRS air struts sell E39 rear airbags for $60 each. Can’t imagine they’re that hard to fit, so yes, sounds like they’re massively overcharging you.

Think they're assuming a compressor at 250, plus a pair of bags at 140 from tinternet. £400 labour still sounds a lot.

It's done 194k and is rusty. Its time may have come

[Croutons]

This glacier green Spanish 523i may well be its replacement, Tomorrow will tell!

https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/99s-bmw-523i-se-2.5-...

[derin100]

Geekman said:

Croutons said:

In LHD form they’re 15-20k Euro, it’s amazing how patriotic the French are. Not much different to us wanting the exec our dads had (or aspired to) I suppose!

Back to yesterday’s question, £800 for 2 rear airbags on an E39 tourer, way too much or suck it up?

I’ll freely admit to knowing very little about E39s, but the supplier I got my RRS air struts sell E39 rear airbags for $60 each. Can’t imagine they’re that hard to fit, so yes, sounds like they’re massively overcharging you.

This correct. You can get two replacement bags for under 70-quid now. Fitting them can be done with basic tools in very little time with the car on axle stands if needs be. No special tools required.

My sister recently got ripped off to an almost similar tune when she had to have them done on my Mother's car (which she has left with her and gone back to live in Germany)

[tobinen]

Morning bargistas

I love that 500E.

I could've bought two NOS front wings a few years ago for £400. Damn the passage of time.

Good to know about the E39 suspension bags, although the chap from whom I bought it said they were recent so hopefully no issues there.

[Fatlad1973]

Anglia Car Auctions has some nice offerings in next week's catalogue, amongst which this took my eye: https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic/saturday-2...
Good MOT history if it's to be believed, but hardly been driven for a few years. Any love for it?

[E65Ross]

dscam said:

I will run the risk of public flogging with another over budget offering.

Just look at it.

If I had that exact amount of money in the bank there’s nothing else I’d spend it on. Magnificent.

The ad says the colour is ‘anthracite grey’ but I’m thinking Impala is correct?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

Wonderful, although not so sure that'd be where I'd spend >£25k though.

[Zonergem]

I like the C124 but I'd want to have a close look at the jacking points, the inner wings (especially under the washer bottle and battery tray) and the various welds around the boot before I spent too much. Plus it would need wiring harnesses, throttle body etc if they hadn't been done already.

Might just be me but it looks as though the track is a bit wider than standard somehow.

[SpeckledJim]

Since you were all so helpful with the recent 190e problem, I’ve another for you!

1994 XJS 4.0 won’t start.

On the key I get a smidge of starter motor action and then rapid kerchunk kerchunk kerchunk and the fan rotates a smidge per kerchunk.

The kerchunk is, I think, the starter solenoid? It’s not the full chu- chu- chu- of the starter motor proper.

I’ve had Mrs Jim womanning the ignition while I hit the starter motor with a crowbar. No dice.

The terminals on the back of the solenoid are an absolute sod to get to.

Any ideas please?

[4941cc]

E65Ross said:

dscam said:

I will run the risk of public flogging with another over budget offering.

Just look at it.

If I had that exact amount of money in the bank there’s nothing else I’d spend it on. Magnificent.

The ad says the colour is ‘anthracite grey’ but I’m thinking Impala is correct?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

Wonderful, although not so sure that'd be where I'd spend >£25k though.

Fabulous thing. Sadly I remember when these would sit around unsold for years at £8-10k. Putting £25k+ into one seems unwise, long term.

[deeen]

SpeckledJim said:

Since you were all so helpful with the recent 190e problem, I’ve another for you!

1994 XJS 4.0 won’t start.

On the key I get a smidge of starter motor action and then rapid kerchunk kerchunk kerchunk and the fan rotates a smidge per kerchunk.

The kerchunk is, I think, the starter solenoid? It’s not the full chu- chu- chu- of the starter motor proper.

I’ve had Mrs Jim womanning the ignition while I hit the starter motor with a crowbar. No dice.

The terminals on the back of the solenoid are an absolute sod to get to.

Any ideas please?

Starting with the cheapest first, check the battery voltage? Or try jump-starting it?

[SpeckledJim]

deeen said:

Starting with the cheapest first, check the battery voltage? Or try jump-starting it?

Battery is at 12.7 and seems strong. The difficulty with jumping it is I’d need to roll it out of the garage, and so downhill, with no practical way to get it back up the hill again if it won’t start.

[ian316]

dscam said:

I will run the risk of public flogging with another over budget offering.

Just look at it.

If I had that exact amount of money in the bank there’s nothing else I’d spend it on. Magnificent.

The ad says the colour is ‘anthracite grey’ but I’m thinking Impala is correct?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

I need that in my life

[Stegel]

Could the starter be jammed, possibly down to a defective solenoid? Rocking the car in gear (drive if automatic?) may free it up. It’s likely to reoccur and you may need to address the starter issue, but at least you’ll know.

[SpeckledJim]

Stegel said:

Could the starter be jammed, possibly down to a defective solenoid? Rocking the car in gear (drive if automatic?) may free it up. It’s likely to reoccur and you may need to address the starter issue, but at least you’ll know.

Thanks, I'll try that. It has sat since about October, so may well be something sticking.

Does rocking in drive really exercise the starter motor?

When it's turning over, the fan is moving by about 10-15 degrees per kerchunk, so I think that means it is linking to the flywheel.

[Stegel]

SpeckledJim said:

Stegel said:

Could the starter be jammed, possibly down to a defective solenoid? Rocking the car in gear (drive if automatic?) may free it up. It’s likely to reoccur and you may need to address the starter issue, but at least you’ll know.

Thanks, I'll try that. It has sat since about October, so may well be something sticking.

Does rocking in drive really exercise the starter motor?

When it's turning over, the fan is moving by about 10-15 degrees per kerchunk, so I think that means it is linking to the flywheel.

I’m not absolutely sure about the drive - perhaps try sticking it in a low gear - but my SEC is in need of a starter motor refresh, and occasionally just whirrs (meaning it hasn’t engaged) but sometimes cluncks (indicating it's jammed) and if I pop it into 2nd and rock the A pillar it’s ok. (Just typing that description has painted a mental picture of how I must appear to bystanders, so it’s coming out ASAP!).

[bern]

Krikkit said:

longblackcoat said:

Krikkit said:

bern said:

Krikkit said:

Green or black pump?

Make sure everything works if fitted, and the front suspension should be nice and quiet. They're robust cars though, and not difficult to fix it obtain parts for.

Black. Petrols seem very thin on the ground.

The OM648 is a great engine, I think it's the best bit about mine.

Make sure you have a listen/poke under the engine covers to check for leaky injector seals (the "black death") - any stench of diesel in the engine bay, walk away or barter hard. The seals themselves aren't hard to do, but extracting the injectors after 15 years can be very tricky. I killed one of the two I had to do.

The other thing is the transmission (the 722.6, I think, though I welcome correction by beardy types with better knowledge than mine) which is, despite being 'just' a 5-speeder, is one of the nicest I've used. Not as good from an efficiency perspective as the 722.9 7G-Tronic on my W221, but more unobtrusive

Good point, it's also very good - it's a 722.626 if a pre-facelift. Mine has a bit of bother with a worn valve body causing jerky changes, but it's easy to enough to replace them, and it's made it to 160k miles without serious malady.

Thanks for all the advice. Didn't buy it in the end. It had a warning message on the dash about the suspension, presumably something to do with the self levelling system? And some dodgy paint repair down the near side with lacquer pealing off. But most of all it was just a bit boring. Met silver / black interior, just all a bit meh.

Loved the engine and gearbox combination though, so I think I'm going too look at a few CLS's and take the hit on practically?