Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 16]

[r129sl]

0a said:

I have done 700 miles in 72 hours in the w124. A fairly swift passage south today. I think this one is geared lower than my 300e was - i wonder what the top speed is - it’s already revving pretty high at 120. Sadly making it less suitable for longer distance at this speed. I do need to get the air conditioning fixed. Any idea what the “leak” is likely to be / cost?

Condensor is the most likely candidate. It is the radiator at the front of the car. If there is any pressure in the system, a leak here can be detected with soapy water. If you have to replace it, go aftermarket: get a parallel flow condensor from Behr/Hella, used to be about £200, now more like £300 I expect. They are more efficient and better quality and cheaper than dealer stock.

Next most likely is a leak at the compressor, usually just a couple of 'o' rings where the pipe manifold joins the compressor itself. Compressors very rarely fail.

Finally, it is possible it is the evaporator. This is a real ball ache if it is. They hilariously suggest that Merc built the 124 by suspending an evaporator on a length of string and building a car around it. The dash has to come out on the interior side of the bulkhead, as does everything between the bulkhead and the false firewall on the under bonnet side. Not the end of the world for someone who has done it before: a long day's labour. But while you're in there...

[Mr Micawber]

0a said:

I have done 700 miles in 72 hours in the w124. A fairly swift passage south today. I think this one is geared lower than my 300e was - i wonder what the top speed is - it’s already revving pretty high at 120. Sadly making it less suitable for longer distance at this speed. I do need to get the air conditioning fixed. Any idea what the “leak” is likely to be / cost?

That looks like Rothesay Crescent in Edinburgh. Nice part of town.

[r129sl]

I happened across this motoring discussion just now (don't ask). Others may find it amusing, too (from the vomit-green Mondeo on): http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboard/viewtopic...

[slk 32]

r129sl said:

I happened across this motoring discussion just now (don't ask). Others may find it amusing, too (from the vomit-green Mondeo on): http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboard/viewtopic...

I believe that's Citrine yellow on that Mondeo. As I recall each Hendy dealer got a model at launch..ironically it would be worth quite a bit (for an old Mondeo) if it hadn't been covered in tat.

Edited by slk 32 on Tuesday 1st September 23:09

[21st Century Man]

r129sl said:

I happened across this motoring discussion just now (don't ask). Others may find it amusing, too (from the vomit-green Mondeo on): http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboard/viewtopic...

Barryboys! I thought they were extinct! There used to be much hilarity on the Barryboy thread, must be 10 or 15 years ago?

[0a]

Mr Micawber said:

That looks like Rothesay Crescent in Edinburgh. Nice part of town.

10/10 - very impressive!

[dai1983]

21st Century Man said:

Tough crowd for the Bentley. What do you want? Blood? Magnificent thing for beans. God I miss mine.

How does the century compare to it?

[21st Century Man]

The Century is a bit slower and the handling is hopeless, whereas the Turbo R could be thrown about with bullish confidence. The Century easily trumps the Bentley in build quality and absolutely wipes the floor with it in silence/ride/refinement. Interior fixtures and fittings in the Century are functional and that's about it, the Bentley was something else, a visual/tactile/odourous delight. As for running costs, the Century is costing relatively peanuts. My wallet is not missing the Bentley at all.

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

It won't be long until it reaches these hallowed pages, the new S Class has been unveiled. Must admit I think the outgoing version is far more styling and classy compared to this dull new one. I also don't like the huge slab of touchscreen in the middle (I don't like touchscreens in cars anyway, BMW idrive is far better in my opinion).

[728 days later]

Just seen the short promo for it, what is it with car adverts always showing their new product driving through a completely unpopulated sprawling metropolis in serenity? In reality it’s anything but..

[anonymous-user]

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

It won't be long until it reaches these hallowed pages, the new S Class has been unveiled. Must admit I think the outgoing version is far more styling and classy compared to this dull new one. I also don't like the huge slab of touchscreen in the middle (I don't like touchscreens in cars anyway, BMW idrive is far better in my opinion).

I thought the interior of the W222 (the outgoing one) was fugly, and the detailing of everything they make is rather tasteless now, but none of them have ever been lookers from the outside.

I don't think there is really much they can do to actually improve the S-Class beyond switching to a full electric powertrain, they nailed the fundamentals of NVH, seat comfort etc decades ago; adding electronic bks is pretty much the only option left open and there aren't many ways you can make driving less effort other than full self driving. A lot of these features require a learning curve that I doubt many owners can be bothered to scale - I'm constantly amazed how few people can be arsed to master the use of cruise control and speed limiters.

I suspect this generation of barge will depreciate even more than the stuff we're buying now - saloons are an increasingly marginal interest, and BEVs are going to make these extremely complicated powertrains look very stupid.

ETA - lots of moaning online about it looking "bland". Isn't that the point of these things, to be fairly understated and anonymous? It doesn't seem much different to the last one to me. I like the sound of this e-ABC that uses 48V electric pumps rather than an engine driven pump to run the hydraulics for the ABC system, but the boggo ones will all come with regular air suspension I think.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 2nd September 14:21

[tobinen]

Aside from the front bumper lower grille and the rear bumper tailpipes, I don't mind the exterior. It's the interior which does not appeal.

[0a]

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

It won't be long until it reaches these hallowed pages, the new S Class has been unveiled. Must admit I think the outgoing version is far more styling and classy compared to this dull new one. I also don't like the huge slab of touchscreen in the middle (I don't like touchscreens in cars anyway, BMW idrive is far better in my opinion).

The new era of mercs look like they have drooped at the back to me.

[W00DY]

tobinen said:

Aside from the front bumper lower grille and the rear bumper tailpipes, I don't mind the exterior. It's the interior which does not appeal.

I quite liked the interior of the W222 in the right spec, but the new one is just st.



Outside from the front, you could slap on some oversized kidney grilles and convince me it was the new 7 series.

[gobuddygo]

Can someone explain what these are please?

I know i'm an old b*gger who has never had a new car so might be something obvious.

[anonymous-user]

That coloured "ambient lighting" really is absolutely gash. I was in a minicab E class with it on the other day, and it seemed oddly appropriate when combined with the plastic seats and background odours of BO, curry, stale beer, and vomit. Like a mobile version of a late 90s nightclub.

I have it in my S600 but it's a quite subdued normally instrument panel lighting orangey colour and is not unpleasant, but Mercedes really took that ball and ran with it for the current models. Going back to that green S-Class coupe that R129 shared a few days ago - does anyone else make a range of cars that are so consistently tacky and tasteless inside and out? Do we just get the tasteless trim levels in the UK or is this a global thing?

gobuddygo said:

Can someone explain what these are please?

I know i'm an old b*gger who has never had a new car so might be something obvious.

Extraordinarily ugly tweeters for the audio system? Obviously the last generations aluminium grilles with "burmeister" engraved weren't in your face and tackly enough, let alone the very small badge on the lower speaker grille on earlier models.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 2nd September 15:48

[Macron]

I appreciate a Sov with rear tellies is a nice thing, but 6k and a queue for it seems remarkable.

3.0 XJ6 can only be described as “transport”, but it’s nice with low miles at 3250

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/201710270...

V8 in lovely red with cream, £4K
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007121...

Super V8 in thread in typical “is it all the same colour” silver.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007251...

[Krikkit]

I like the interior, the exterior is a bit mis-proportioned to my eye. Not only does the radar in the grille look a bit off, but the headlights/tail lights are a bit small for me (a consequence of modern LED packaging of course)

stickleback123 said:

That coloured "ambient lighting" really is absolutely gash. I was in a minicab E class with it on the other day, and it seemed oddly appropriate when combined with the plastic seats and background odours of BO, curry, stale beer, and vomit. Like a mobile version of a late 90s nightclub.

I have it in my S600 but it's a quite subdued normally instrument panel lighting orangey colour and is not unpleasant, but Mercedes really took that ball and ran with it for the current models. Going back to that green S-Class coupe that R129 shared a few days ago - does anyone else make a range of cars that are so consistently tacky and tasteless inside and out? Do we just get the tasteless trim levels in the UK or is this a global thing?

gobuddygo said:

Can someone explain what these are please?

I know i'm an old b*gger who has never had a new car so might be something obvious.

Extraordinarily ugly tweeters for the audio system? Obviously the last generations aluminium grilles with "burmeister" engraved weren't in your face and tackly enough, let alone the very small badge on the lower speaker grille on earlier models.

The ambient lighting is, thankfully, configurable. Once set to a warm orange or something equally trim-complementing it'll be lovely I'm sure. They're just showing it off in the press pictures to look jazzy for the new-everything magpies.

[si_xsi]

gobuddygo said:

Can someone explain what these are please?

I know i'm an old b*gger who has never had a new car so might be something obvious.

They are tweeters, presumably quite loud, so the pre-programmed German authoritative voice can be heard telling you to stop playing on your built in lap-top whilst driving... I wonder what proportion of accidents are caused by people taking their eyes off the road to fiddle with all this tech, seems unnecessary and OTT. Anyway i digress..

[BlueMR2]

stickleback123 said:

BlueMR2 said:

So your saying I really need something with a V12 twin turbo instead, .

Fair enough I wouldn't listen to car buying advice from me either

Joking aside it was a fair leap for me to buy a Mercedes because my experience of them has been universally dreadful both for how they are built and for how they are to drive. The aforementioned CLK was a very expensive shed, rode badly, handled poorly, and creaked like a galleon in a storm and as far as I know just sits rotting on the driveway now because nobody wants to use it. I bought a 2008 Volvo C70 and it was better than the CLK in absolutely every objective and subjective way despite being wrong wheel drive and a Volvo.

The 2003 W168 A-Class my ex owned and I ended up using a lot was the absolute worst car (that wasn't bad because it was clapped out) I have ever driven and both fell to bits and rusted in a manner that would have made Leyland blush, the 2003 W211 E220 I borrowed for two months in 2010 had an engine as rough as ten bears and threw up warning message after warning message, and the various C classes I used to borrow from work were dismal minicab affairs with hard plastic seats, poor ride, and crap engines. I used to take everything except the Audi A4s in preference, including Fiestas and Focuses.

So far, and I accept that it's only two weeks in so there is ample opportunity for wallet pain, it's hard to believe that the same company that made those miserable, austere, uncomfortable, slow, bad riding, poorly built, rusting pieces of st also built this S600.

Edited by stickleback123 on Tuesday 1st September 18:48

Its understandable that you base purchases on past experience with firms. Merc's have been sometimes ok sometimes not for us in the past. One good Toyota(MR2) one bad (Soarer). My Astra and Punto were both ok, however i owned them both from new.

The Volvo admittedly had a dodgy gearbox, however was expensive with loads of other stuff as well.

I quite like to have a car with something new to experience, so I started with the Punto, then went to the Astra with double the power and power steering. Then the Soarer with active suspension, my first V8 and first auto. Then the MR2, my first T bar and first mid engined car.

I cant remember which i had next, I think it may have been the 928, My first transaxle car. I think I had the W124 next, My first straight 6 24v car.

Then the R129SL, my first full convertible, followed by the Volvo V70 T5, I think my first Estate, first Turbo car and first straight 5cyl car.

After the Volvo I was a bit sick of fixing duff cars so i purchased a new van for work, however sold that in Feb and have been looking for a car since, my budget is going up slightly, around £3.5k possibly a little more, however i need to keep some back for bits of work and fuel etc.

I've wanted a V12 Century for a long time or even the bonkers V12 S600TT, however my budget is a long way off a nice Century, it's gone up to around £3.5k which is where its at currently, however I don't expect that to go up any time soon, Keeping some back for work and fuel etc. Unfortunately the prices of most cars i was looking at pre covid are at least £1k more expensive.

The CLK sounded like a nice example and is very local, however doesn't come with the personalised plate shown in the advert so i think it's over priced really and with no garage I'm not sure a convertible is ideal, especially coming up to winter.

Guess i'll just keep looking until Macron links to a cheap V12.