Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 15]

[ian316]

SimonTheSailor said:

I watched that last night too ! He does some good reviews.

Didn't think the gearbox swap was so easy though ? Why aren't there more ?

I did too a guy put it on one of the Jag pages interesting watch, and I wouldn't mind trying a drive not sure I'd want one though

[mondayo]

I think there was some love for this shape A6 the other week.
I know it's not petrol but at least it's not a 1.9 one and with the quattro could make a nice winter car....you know if it ever snows (properly) again. Probably a bit on the high side at £2k but it looks in decent condition and has low miles.

Nice interior and for once fully loaded might actually be accurate.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/audi-a6-estate-quattro-...

Edited by mondayo on Tuesday 18th February 18:18

Edited by mondayo on Tuesday 18th February 18:20

[CharlesdeGaulle]

I had to spend some cash on the Lexus today. I dropped it off for a service last week at a garage that had been recommended by a nutter that drives a diesel Opel Corsa (really badly). Furthermore, the day after she (pleasingly) hadn't stabbed me, she reversed into an enormous tree that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. So the signs about her judgement weren't auspicious, lack of stabbing aside, but I was impressed when I saw that the garage had a Mercedes SL parked outside. Inside it was even better, with a Maserati being restored and a Porsche (359 I think?) being worked on, alongside the garage-iste's own race cars and Ferrari.

Confidence restored, I left the car in anticipation of a mega-bill. He whats-apped me pictures of the rotten exhaust and catalytic converter and the bare and rusty brake discs and pads. He scared me with the retail prices Lexus charge on the Continent and kept the car for a few days. However, today's reveal showed that he'd had the exhaust repaired at a local fabricator and had found a cheaper source of brakes, and the final bill was, whilst reassuringly expensive for a country with the highest minimum wage on the entire planet, was around half what I'd feared. I think I may actually have found my 'The Man'.

No real moral to the story, except that a decent garage is worth its weight in gold, and that old luxo-barges will chuck a hefty bill at you from time to time.

Is the car worth the investment? ... kinda, I think. I was pretty set on buying a new Volvo V60, but 1700 euros has given it a new lease of life and I'll probably run it for another year, so in some ways it's saved me 35 grand for a new car. Hashtagmanmaths.

Plan now is to take the first product of my fertile loins on a road-trip eastwards, partly re-running the epic Polish road-trip of New Year, in the newly silent and happily stoppable car that, for now at least, illuminates nothing unwelcome on the dash. Life is good.

[Macron]

Excellent CdG. Hope it all stays fine and dandy.

The 4.2 A6 Estate has risen in price to £4k. WTAF? Maybe the oil leak(s) have been fixed....

Anyway, I think this is my new favourite advert. Only £200 too!

https://www.gumtree.com/p/kids-scooters/ok-a-inngg...

[Jimmy Recard]

Krikkit said:

If you're expensively converting a Jag to manual, wouldn't just about everyone do it to an X308R instead?

The X300 XJR was offered with a manual gearbox, so all the parts are available. It wouldn't be that simple for an X308, which was only ever offered with automatic gearboxes

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

Good to hear it's got a clean bill of health!

Today I went in a new RR Velar. Sitting inside you think it's nice.... Nice looking interior, but once you sit on the comfortable looking seats you realise the seat is actually quite hard. Definitely NOT the cushy sofa that is the LS460. It didn't ride as well either.

Still, it is shiny and new I guess and I'm sure it's a nice thing to live with. Can't say it'd be where I'd be putting my cash if I had the choice to spend that much on a car!

[0a]

Apologies for the infrequent posts. I've been faffing about with all sorts of boring stuff which isn't looking at or purchasing barges.

The W124 went in to a *A NEW MAN* for the MOT. And failed. Rubber steering whatsit and emissions (how boring). Now being rectified. Does anyone know what the usual W124 320 failure on emissions is caused by? Hopefully I will know tomorrow and it won't be too expensive (famous last words).

The e39 is in the process of being flogged to what sounds like a nice enough man.

I have moved on from the idea of an i3 to a Tesla model 3 performance. The idea of cheating the government of tax (while still really paying through the nose for all the other costs of a new car) is immensely appealing.

Don't worry - I still intend to get a v8 or v12 S Class for a trip to Italy in a couple of months, and I will keep various old mercs!

[tobinen]

Still yet to hear of your Polska trip CdG. I was and am very interested in a report, as I am thinking of doing the same later in the year. Or going to Spain again. Or somewhere else.

[Macron]

That sounds like a better plan than spending a random grand as you suggested you might around Xmas 0a!

However, if I was spending a grand, this 1999 528SE looks in fine fettle with low miles.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2020...

[Martin30]

ian316 said:

I had one in a w124 300d it was awful, I'd never buy another manual mercedes

To add an opposing view, I bought a manual s211 e220cdi a month or so ago. Very much not thread, but the manual box is perfectly acceptable with no issues at all. Slick change, light clutch, hill hold function on the brakes to allow smooth hill starts.

An auto suits the car far more of course, but manual is fine. And proper giveaway cheap because everyone understandably wants auto.

Martin.

[Macron]

2003 XJR, £4150, long time since I've seen one at sensible readies.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2020...

[S2r]

BlueMR2 said:

What do the thread think of this?



£2495.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-54-LEXUS-LS-430-V8...

I like that.

I actually like it enough to have checked and found that it's almost 400 miles door to door... I'd need to convince the Minster for War and Finance that it'd be cheaper to run than the half-a-barge I currently have (and I don't think that'll go well as she's got a really bad sniffle, almost man flu-esq and the mileage won't help)

[biggbn]

Macron said:

That sounds like a better plan than spending a random grand as you suggested you might around Xmas 0a!

However, if I was spending a grand, this 1999 528SE looks in fine fettle with low miles.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2020...

In a heartbeat. Loved my e39 525i.

[Krikkit]

0a said:

Rubber steering whatsit and emissions (how boring). Now being rectified. Does anyone know what the usual W124 320 failure on emissions is caused by? Hopefully I will know tomorrow and it won't be too expensive (famous last words).

Good to have you back occasionally and know that derin-grade disaster hasn't befallen you!

Did they give you a copy of the emissions test? The figures are often helpful to know what the issue is.

[forzaminardi]

Dropping into the topic after a long time out of it to say to British 1-5k smoker barge captains, you are lucky chaps. It's easy to forget how cheap these cars are in the UK. I've only been in Oz for a year, but looking at recent posts I'm flabbergasted to be reminded how affordable 15-year-old-but-still-special-Lexuses-and-Merc-megabarges are in the UK. Enjoy them, British bargers!

[rayny]

Macron said:

Excellent CdG. Hope it all stays fine and dandy.

The 4.2 A6 Estate has risen in price to £4k. WTAF? Maybe the oil leak(s) have been fixed....

Anyway, I think this is my new favourite advert. Only £200 too!

https://www.gumtree.com/p/kids-scooters/ok-a-inngg...

But wot D L izzit ?

[ian316]

Well got to go home last night unusual in the week, and on the drive the dreaded w124 front groaning started so ball joints asap on top of the down pipe starting to blow on monday morning

Edited by ian316 on Wednesday 19th February 13:39

[maxwellwd]

On my way to pick up the X350 XJR, very excited!

On another note this guy has put his XJ8 up for sale on ebay now, was previously on car & classic & Jag forum previously as I was in dialogue with him. Sounds a great car and I know he will take a bid on it as it needs to gearbox flush doing (not that he said that there was anything wrong with the gearbox, just the usual precaution)

Does look good for the money and I think if it can be had for £2.5k that is a lot of car for the money right there. I just prefer the sport version rather than that gopping grille

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174195755248?ul_noapp=t...

[The Don of Croy]

ian316 said:

Well go home last night unusual in the week...(

This is possibly the best impression of Stanley Unwin I've seen on the thread - top job!

In other news I found a broken fog light when cleaning the V70 (unusual activity in this season) and managed to replace it for less than £40 from EuroCarParts. Even the bulb still worked.

The corresponding lamp on the nearside was half full with water (an exciting wade through a byway) but has now drained, and still works.

Rapidly approaching it's third anniversary in my employ, idly dreaming of upgrading to something only ten years old...

[CharlesdeGaulle]

maxwellwd said:

On another note this guy has put his XJ8 up for sale on ebay now, was previously on car & classic & Jag forum previously as I was in dialogue with him. Sounds a great car and I know he will take a bid on it as it needs to gearbox flush doing (not that he said that there was anything wrong with the gearbox, just the usual precaution)

Does look good for the money and I think if it can be had for £2.5k that is a lot of car for the money right there. I just prefer the sport version rather than that gopping grille

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174195755248?ul_noapp=t...

Worth the asking simply for the holster on the transmission tunnel (pic 4). Proof, if it were needed, that no-one loves stick on accessories as much as a Jaguar owner.