Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 18]

[anonymous-user]

You would, because there's no door.

[r129sl]

Dapster said:

0a said:

r129sl said:

Since it's Friday. This strikes me as very nice, though I'd rather have a Maserati.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-w124-300D-ULTR...

Wow! Manual as well as only 5k miles. I wonder what the story behind that was? Surely the whole point of buying a manual 300d is to drive to the moon and back?

How much was the 300d new compared to the 300e?

Sorry for being a tragic geek but I have a period price list.

I can see metallic and alloys as the only factory extras which were £684 and £921 respectively. 5 speed manual was a no cost extra.

In 1991 a 300D would have cost you £25,750 or £27,355 with the 2 extras.

A 300E would have been £31,160, a 300E-24v £34,950 and a 300E 4-Matic £37,190 (all with alloys standard).

So basically that green 300D was an inflation adjusted £61,000 in 2021 money - I'm pretty sure that whatever reason persuaded someone to spend that kind of money on a manual diesel must have changed by the time the car arrived as as you say, it makes no sense.


Obviously if 5k is a bit too leggy for you, you can go with something with slightly fewer miles - 700 miles from new. RHD with km/h speedo (and strangely missing trim below the o/s headlight...)

https://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id...

Edited by Dapster on Thursday 4th March 14:11

Weirdly that seems to have an exhaust of an estate car. And even more weirdly, that seems to be correct.

[AlfaManc]

ian316 said:

Good look Biglips and why would that QP need a new front subframe? Fantastic colour but I still wouldn't touch it with GDGs nevermind anyone else's

The subframe is a common issue with these, and also some Alfa 159s. The issue does crop up on the forums often enough for it not to be a one off. If anyone wants to check out this QP, it's literally on my doorstep and I would be happy to assist.

[SpeckledJim]

AlfaManc said:

ian316 said:

Good look Biglips and why would that QP need a new front subframe? Fantastic colour but I still wouldn't touch it with GDGs nevermind anyone else's

The subframe is a common issue with these, and also some Alfa 159s. The issue does crop up on the forums often enough for it not to be a one off. If anyone wants to check out this QP, it's literally on my doorstep and I would be happy to assist.

Go out the back door then. Don't want to ding it.

[mondayo]

Dapster said:

r129sl said:

ian316 said:

I'm actually amazed that the sunroofs where free was this just to keep the cost of producing the the body shell down?

Sunroofs were optional in other markets but largely standard in the UK. I think they were a big deal in 80s Britain.

Exactly - it was by this stage, increasingly difficult for Mercedes to charge 150% of the price of a Ford Granada Ghia X in a car with all the luxuries of a Ukranian hotel room from 1971 relying solely on build quality and residuals. A German market 300E would have had keep fit windows, no sunroof, steel wheels and manual box. Absolute povvo spec all the way.

Exactly, even my dad's 1.6GL Cavalier had a tilt AND slide sunroof, central locking and a radio cassette.
If you reached the heady heights of a CD, you were rolling with electric windows and sunroof....

[21st Century Man]

Remember those crappy £99 fitted glass hatches that were retro-fitted to all the basic stuff that didn't have a factory roof option?

[r129sl]

21st Century Man said:

Remember those crappy £99 fitted glass hatches that were retro-fitted to all the basic stuff that didn't have a factory roof option?

My first car had one. BMW E30 316. I hated that crappy glass hatch. Not factory. How I longed for a proper slide and tilt job.

[5 In a Row]

21st Century Man said:

Remember those crappy £99 fitted glass hatches that were retro-fitted to all the basic stuff that didn't have a factory roof option?

A couple of mates added those to their Alfas, a 33 and a Sprint!

My Montego GTI was the first car I bought that had a sunroof - a tilt and slide one with keep-fit operation.

The same style one on my Dad's Rover 216 ended up getting sealed with silicon sealant!

[plasticpig]

21st Century Man said:

Remember those crappy £99 fitted glass hatches that were retro-fitted to all the basic stuff that didn't have a factory roof option?

Yes. The ones that just tilted rather slid open i think they were moonroofs rather than sunroofs. Webasto did a good line of retro fitted sunroofs in the 70's and 80's if you fancied chopping as massive hole in your roof that is.

[rejn]

r129sl said:

21st Century Man said:

Remember those crappy £99 fitted glass hatches that were retro-fitted to all the basic stuff that didn't have a factory roof option?

My first car had one. BMW E30 316. I hated that crappy glass hatch. Not factory. How I longed for a proper slide and tilt job.

I'm not as classy as you r129, but I remember having one fitted to my first car. Austin Metro. 998cc. Poverty spec. Didn't even come with head restraints! I was 17 and thought it was brilliant! (both the car and the sunroof!)

ETA: I think you could tilt it or there was an option to take the whole piece of glass out and let it smash around the boot!

[W00DY]

plasticpig said:

Yes. The ones that just tilted rather slid open i think they were moonroofs rather than sunroofs. Webasto did a good line of retro fitted sunroofs in the 70's and 80's if you fancied chopping as massive hole in your roof that is.

My Mexican Beetle had a Webasto and it was awesome.

[r129sl]

Webasto still do them: https://www.webasto.com/fileadmin/webasto_files/do...

I am slightly perplexed as to what buyer they are appealing to with their models. But then again, this is a broad church.

[Krikkit]

plasticpig said:

21st Century Man said:

Remember those crappy £99 fitted glass hatches that were retro-fitted to all the basic stuff that didn't have a factory roof option?

Yes. The ones that just tilted rather slid open i think they were moonroofs rather than sunroofs. Webasto did a good line of retro fitted sunroofs in the 70's and 80's if you fancied chopping as massive hole in your roof that is.

A friend of mine bought himself a brand new Yaris when they first came to the UK (he's long-retired so appropriate), drove it straight from there and had a massive webasto roof fitted.

He did 280,000 miles in it before chopping it in for another!

His other car's a 1920s Rover so I'm sure it all seems like a rocketship.

[bolidemichael]

rejn said:

r129sl said:

21st Century Man said:

Remember those crappy £99 fitted glass hatches that were retro-fitted to all the basic stuff that didn't have a factory roof option?

My first car had one. BMW E30 316. I hated that crappy glass hatch. Not factory. How I longed for a proper slide and tilt job.

I'm not as classy as you r129, but I remember having one fitted to my first car. Austin Metro. 998cc. Poverty spec. Didn't even come with head restraints! I was 17 and thought it was brilliant! (both the car and the sunroof!)

ETA: I think you could tilt it or there was an option to take the whole piece of glass out and let it smash around the boot!

My '85 Austin Mini was fitted with one. Loved it.

[bolidemichael]

I spotted an E39 B10 V8 Touring this evening at a petrol station and chatted to the owner. 65,000 miles, £15k, UK vehicle and he was very happy with it. It was a winner with dark blue paint (it wasn't too well lit in the corner of the yard) with Alpina stripes on the side and on the front splitter.

Classy chap, he also owned a pre-war Frazer Nash and a W 2002 race-prepped rally car!

[21st Century Man]

I really like those full length Webasto roofs, very Seventies.

[TyrannosauRoss Lex]

Am I the only person who doesn't care much for sunroofs? Had one in the old 7 series and barely used it, I think I've used it in the Lexus once just to check it worked and that's it!

[tobinen]

The sunshine roof in my CL has cost a few quid due to rust and leaks. I wouldn't choose one if I had the option.

[bolidemichael]

I love sunroofs, particularly glass roofs. Makes fir a pleasant ambience.

[21st Century Man]

TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

Am I the only person who doesn't care much for sunroofs?

Despite my comment about Webasto, which is more a period thing for me, no, I don't much either.