Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 15]

[CharlesdeGaulle]

tobinen said:

some amusing chat about Toyota clocks

There can be no other type!

[nobrakes]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

tobinen said:

some amusing chat about Toyota clocks

There can be no other type!

Thread beardage.

[W00DY]

tobinen said:

Smith and Sniff review the Lexus ES. Some amusing chat about Toyota clocks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipjdtxD9Wco

I never knew we got an ES over here. Looks like a lovely thing to smoke about in.

[Stegel]

mondayo said:

Apparently on the E55 you have to drop the whole back of the car off, do it's not going to be a cheap job (crying face).
/

Hmmm..? I’m sure the internals are different, but the external appearance looks identical AMG / non AMG. On our S211 it was a simple job with no disturbance other than the arm cover - a couple of plastic clips - and disconnecting the drop link and the bottom of the damper. Undo bottom bolt of air spring, puncture bag, pull arm down and wangle spring out. New spring clip to underside of body, wangle new spring into place and bolt up.

[SpeckledJim]

mondayo said:

Stegel said:

I fitted Arnott springs to my wife’s non-AMG S211 and they were about 60% the cost of MB genuine springs, but the AMG version is indeed £643 for one, so looks to be not an option:

https://www.hids-direct.co.uk/arnott-mercedes-benz...

I paid less that that for a pair of non-AMG springs 18 months - on the same website as above, they’re £519 a pair. (I wonder if MB have reduced their price?). There’s no handing to the springs, identical left and right, and on the standard suspension there’s no coding or resetting. It’s plug and play, once I realised I was trying to push the air hose into the socket’s blanking plug!

(The photo on the ECP link shows an estate spring - it may fit the saloon too, I don’t know what they’re like).

Edited by Stegel on Saturday 14th December 09:30

Edited by Stegel on Saturday 14th December 09:32

Thanks for the replies chaps. It looks like the AMG versions are a bit more specialist/expensive.
I think the Merc price is lower because they're offering a £78+vat refund per airbag, if you give them back your old ones.

Looks like I might have to suck up the MB price as I don't want to get something cheap and it not be right. Apparently on the E55 you have to drop the whole back of the car off, do it's not going to be a cheap job (crying face).

Edited to add, what car have you put them on Jim?

On the front of a W221.

[Thankyou4calling]

I have good news to report. My CLS was shipped in to a garage by the AA. The chap forecast a bill of some £700 as the power steering belt had failed and possibly a pulley.

I just came up with a place off of google within s 10 mile radius and I have absolutely hit the jackpot.

The garage is as backstreet as you can imagine. They’ve changed the belt and cleaned the car and I’ve been presented with a bill for £79.80!

But the guy is keeping the car to service it for a further £80 and I collect on Tuesday.

I spent £30 minutes sitting in an office that felt like 1986 drinking tea and talking. What a great place and it’s restored my faith in human nature.

Meanwhile I’m in a 69 plate E Class so I’m in no rush.

[21st Century Man]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

tobinen said:

some amusing chat about Toyota clocks

There can be no other type!

Century's that don't have the dashboard moniter have an analogue clock instead, I read the other day that it's a Grand Seiko Quartz.

[tobinen]

Thankyou4calling said:

I have good news to report. My CLS was shipped in to a garage by the AA. The chap forecast a bill of some £700 as the power steering belt had failed and possibly a pulley.

I just came up with a place off of google within s 10 mile radius and I have absolutely hit the jackpot.

The garage is as backstreet as you can imagine. They’ve changed the belt and cleaned the car and I’ve been presented with a bill for £79.80!

But the guy is keeping the car to service it for a further £80 and I collect on Tuesday.

I spent £30 minutes sitting in an office that felt like 1986 drinking tea and talking. What a great place and it’s restored my faith in human nature.

Meanwhile I’m in a 69 plate E Class so I’m in no rush.

A very satisfying result, I bet.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

21st Century Man said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

tobinen said:

some amusing chat about Toyota clocks

There can be no other type!

Century's that don't have the dashboard moniter have an analogue clock instead, I read the other day that it's a Grand Seiko Quartz.

This is the essence of my clock nerdery. Toyota launch a luxury brand but use a generic cheap digital clock, when it's a nation famed for horological wonder. Why not 'do a Maserati' and add another little flourish that will charm your loyal customers? Seems like a trick missed to me.

[tobinen]

Nice clocks seem few and far between. The C216's is quite pleasant

[Thankyou4calling]

tobinen said:

A very satisfying result, I bet.

Very, the guy didn’t even take payment for the initial work and will complete the service before invoice.

It’s as far from a glass palace as you could imagine but I’ve more confidence in them than I would in a MB trained tech.

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

Thankyou4calling said:

tobinen said:

A very satisfying result, I bet.

Very, the guy didn’t even take payment for the initial work and will complete the service before invoice.

It’s as far from a glass palace as you could imagine but I’ve more confidence in them than I would in a MB trained tech.

Absolutely brilliant result. Really pleased for you

[nobrakes]

That silver 2004 E500 estate is still for sale
100k miles

£2500

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


What’s wrong with it?

Must be a steal at £2bags?

[Bussolini]

I haven't driven the Alfa in a while and now the battery is flat. Any recommendations for a battery charger that doesn't need mains power?

[RhysH]

Funny you talk about Mercedes springs. One of my front ones has snapped on my 2008 320CDI E class. Genuine Mercedes springs fit and replicas circa $400. Bloody old barges!

[tobinen]

Bussolini said:

I haven't driven the Alfa in a while and now the battery is flat. Any recommendations for a battery charger that doesn't need mains power?

I use the AA solar one in the E39. Works well via the OBD port (or whatever it's called). Also comes with crocodile clips. Might not be what you need for a full charge-up though, unless you can leave it for a while.

[Northbrook]

Thankyou4calling said:

I’ve more confidence in them than I would in a MB trained tech.

Where is this paragon of mechanical virtue?

[SpeckledJim]

RhysH said:

Funny you talk about Mercedes springs. One of my front ones has snapped on my 2008 320CDI E class. Genuine Mercedes springs fit and replicas circa $400. Bloody old barges!

Really? I remember them being pleasingly cheap on our 2005 W211.

[olly755]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

This is the essence of my clock nerdery. Toyota launch a luxury brand but use a generic cheap digital clock, when it's a nation famed for horological wonder. Why not 'do a Maserati' and add another little flourish that will charm your loyal customers? Seems like a trick missed to me.

The fancy Merc item will look lovely but probably require a visit to the dealer to set it, then the minute hand will fall off a week out of warranty. Whereas the cheap looking Japanese item will keep perfect time even when the car is crushed into a cube.

I’d say the Japanese will view this as some kind of result.

Edited by olly755 on Saturday 14th December 16:52

[Thankyou4calling]

Northbrook said:

Where is this paragon of mechanical virtue?

I’ve no affiliation other than today.

The guy running it is called Farrukh and absolute gentleman

https://a-m-p-auto-repair-centre.business.site/