Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 21]
Discussion
six port said:
B'stard Child said:
QBee said:
Hippea said:
steeevvvooo said:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266005501507?mkcid=16&a...
Overbudget (before haggle) but it's Friday. Looks nice, but maybe that's the leaves, some sort of filter and a nice blue hue.
Is there anything to watch out for on these Japanese imports? Any weird specs?Overbudget (before haggle) but it's Friday. Looks nice, but maybe that's the leaves, some sort of filter and a nice blue hue.
The radios don't work very well and you'd be wise not to trust the sat nav
Need to shift a Caravelle or my R32 quick now so I got somewhere to park it!
Gutted it’s not ULEZ compliant though even though all other petrol facelift E39s seem to be.
CharlesdeGaulle said:
tobinen said:
That 126 price seems fairly reasonable to me.
I agree. Nice car and worth the money I reckon. I realise it won't have all the tech but is it still going to be able to waft AND hustle like an airmatic 7G equipped S class?
donkmeister said:
Having never owned a 1980s barge, what would that be like to drive (assuming all is in fine fettle) in comparison to say an S500 of W221 vintage?
I realise it won't have all the tech but is it still going to be able to waft AND hustle like an airmatic 7G equipped S class?
Er, no.I realise it won't have all the tech but is it still going to be able to waft AND hustle like an airmatic 7G equipped S class?
I test drove one many moons ago when they were only 10 years old (it was an ex middle eastern royal family car that had only been driven by the chauffeur) and it was a wallow beast. Lovely mind, quiet and with plenty of go but hustling needed concentration. It felt very similar to my W123 280e just bigger, more luxurious and faster. What I really liked is it had a full velour interior which I think was more pricey than leather.
The one in the pics looks a bit tired to me and the wheels wouldn't be to my taste, maybe a bullet dodged.
donkmeister said:
Having never owned a 1980s barge, what would that be like to drive (assuming all is in fine fettle) in comparison to say an S500 of W221 vintage?
I realise it won't have all the tech but is it still going to be able to waft AND hustle like an airmatic 7G equipped S class?
It'll waft with aplomb. Once used to it you'll also find it makes as much progress as any dignified chap really needs. They seem effortless and unfussy, which reduces the sensation of pressing-on but simply increases its appeal. I realise it won't have all the tech but is it still going to be able to waft AND hustle like an airmatic 7G equipped S class?
I think that any 'executive' cars of this era will be savagely undone by comparison with their modern successors, but that's to ignore their real virtue, which is subtle and classy transport from A to Z.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/94856488...
Is this a disaster waiting to happen or likely to happily keep going? What's the orange light in the binnacle?
Is this a disaster waiting to happen or likely to happily keep going? What's the orange light in the binnacle?
Hippea said:
We used to have a 520 version of one of those in the family, a manual gearbox version but a later car. It was very stylish, but ultimately not that good to drive and impossible to live with; it was either breaking down or broken and the build quality wasn't up to much. If you had your own museum and could put it on display, then yes by all means but never again as something to actually use. 
CharlesdeGaulle said:
donkmeister said:
Having never owned a 1980s barge, what would that be like to drive (assuming all is in fine fettle) in comparison to say an S500 of W221 vintage?
I realise it won't have all the tech but is it still going to be able to waft AND hustle like an airmatic 7G equipped S class?
It'll waft with aplomb. Once used to it you'll also find it makes as much progress as any dignified chap really needs. They seem effortless and unfussy, which reduces the sensation of pressing-on but simply increases its appeal. I realise it won't have all the tech but is it still going to be able to waft AND hustle like an airmatic 7G equipped S class?
I think that any 'executive' cars of this era will be savagely undone by comparison with their modern successors, but that's to ignore their real virtue, which is subtle and classy transport from A to Z.
So much for my ambition to daily such a machine then.
Missy Charm said:
Hippea said:
We used to have a 520 version of one of those in the family, a manual gearbox version but a later car. It was very stylish, but ultimately not that good to drive and impossible to live with; it was either breaking down or broken and the build quality wasn't up to much. If you had your own museum and could put it on display, then yes by all means but never again as something to actually use. TVR Sagaris said:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/94856488...
Is this a disaster waiting to happen or likely to happily keep going? What's the orange light in the binnacle?
Low fuel?Is this a disaster waiting to happen or likely to happily keep going? What's the orange light in the binnacle?
donkmeister said:
I fear that the ability of air suspension and complicated multi-link suspension set-ups to allow for waft, normal and maximum attack modes have spoiled the modern bargeista (including myself).
So much for my ambition to daily such a machine then.
Yes there can be a tendency in barge circles to lionise these titans of the past as being better than anything that has come along subsequently, and it's as much a crock of sSo much for my ambition to daily such a machine then.
t as it is to say that an 80s supermini is better than a new one. They're fun things to waft about in, sure, but unless you're into some sort of weird hairshirt self flagellation they make for pretty ropey dailies.As you say modern multilink rears, 6+ gear cuckboxes, variable valve timing engines, super stiff chassis, excellent NVH management, not dying if you clip a Yaris, and creature comforts beyond a mono radio and a mirror in the sunvisor some sap paid £900 for in 1988 make for a compelling daily.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 6th December 01:07
stickleback123 said:
donkmeister said:
I fear that the ability of air suspension and complicated multi-link suspension set-ups to allow for waft, normal and maximum attack modes have spoiled the modern bargeista (including myself).
So much for my ambition to daily such a machine then.
Yes there can be a tendency in barge circles to lionise these titans of the past as being better than anything that has come along subsequently, and it's as much a crock of sSo much for my ambition to daily such a machine then.
t as it is to say that an 80s supermini is better than a new one. They're fun things to waft about in, sure, but unless you're into some sort of weird hairshirt self flagellation they make for pretty ropey dailies.As you say modern multilink rears, 6+ gear cuckboxes, variable valve timing engines, super stiff chassis, excellent NVH management, not dying if you clip a Yaris, and creature comforts beyond a mono radio and a mirror in the sunvisor some sap paid £900 for in 1988 make for a compelling daily.
Edited by stickleback123 on Tuesday 6th December 01:07
W00DY said:
I disagree entirely. For a daily I'd get more enjoyment from the sinking into that blue leather and enjoying the warm glow of the instruments and proper wood trim. Multi-link suspension and VVT are great if you're Troy Queef looking to spank it on a Winter's morning commute, but I promise you I'd enjoy woofling around in that a million times more than some modern toss with the heated seat button buried in a touch screen menu somewhere, an invasive lane keep assist system and 35 profile tyres that no modern suspension can keep from crashing into potholes. Is a modern car measurably better in many categories? Yes. Is that required and does it add to the experience? Not for me. Give ma a lazy V8 and a proper slushbox and I'm a happier man.
I fully agree with this. We have become so accustomed to the tech and suspension fitted to modern cars that we have completely lost sight of what actual comfort used to feel like. To me, that used to mean big soft armchairs, big, torque rich, (at least) six cylinder engines mated to a smooth slushbox, soft suspension and a driving style adapted to suit. If you wanted to drive fast, you bought something that was more more focused on that task, with firm suspension, racy seats etc, and accepted the compromise in comfort.
I think that too many modern cars are trying to be both sporty and luxurious and are in fact, failing at both due to the compromises to try and attain this state. There are few brands that manage to pull it off convincingly, Jaguar being one of them.
With regards to the aforementioned W126? Not sure on those wheels but otherwise, seems ok for the money.
Derventio said:
I think that too many modern cars are trying to be both sporty and luxurious and are in fact, failing at both due to the compromises to try and attain this state. There are few brands that manage to pull it off convincingly, Jaguar being one of them.
I think this is the biggest issue - what can't be argued against is how much the NVH and stiffness of bodyshells, advances in suspension geometry etc has improved the core of a barge. Drive one of each generation from the 80s to the 2010s and you'll see huge advances every time.One thing that does hinder the barge-like quality of newer cars (imho) is air suspension, as it's never plush enough at low speeds and over small road imperfections like a soft-sprung steel coil.
Shame hydraulic suspension never really established itself and was bypassed, because as Citroens and various Mercs etc proved, it's excellent at that part.
W00DY said:
I disagree entirely. For a daily I'd get more enjoyment from the sinking into that blue leather and enjoying the warm glow of the instruments and proper wood trim. Multi-link suspension and VVT are great if you're Troy Queef looking to spank it on a Winter's morning commute, but I promise you I'd enjoy woofling around in that a million times more than some modern toss with the heated seat button buried in a touch screen menu somewhere, an invasive lane keep assist system and 35 profile tyres that no modern suspension can keep from crashing into potholes. Is a modern car measurably better in many categories? Yes. Is that required and does it add to the experience? Not for me. Give ma a lazy V8 and a proper slushbox and I'm a happier man.
I totally see your point, I find getting behind the wheel of a big barge with the glow of polished walnut, soft leather, tasteful (incandescent) lighting and a squishy ride very relaxing indeed but I find going back to them now as a daily can be a real "don't go backwards" experience. You forget the creaking trim and a chassis that shudders like a s
tting dog when you hit a big bump, the squishy mushyness of the cars responses, the awful travel sick inducing body control if you try and go faster than a pensioner in his Jazz, the wind noise at speed, the feeble and noisy HVAC, the fuel economy in the teens that requires you to stop every 250 miles and chuck in £100+ of super in exchange for BMW 320d performance, the stereo that sounds like an old Alba from Argos, the frustation of the gaping chasms between gear ratios. I can 100% see why there is a fondness for the old barges, and for a weekend barge I'd probably go that way, but for the weekday business of actually covering big miles on modern roads and with modern traffic the newer the better for me.
Also agree with the point about hydraulic suspension. FWIW I think Jaguar got the sporty/ride balance seriously wrong with the X351 but it's interesting to contrast the suspension setup with my ABC equipped Mercedes S600 which managed hugely superior body control than the X351 with significantly smoother ride. All it takes is a couple of thousand of pounds worth of hydraulic kit, a constant couple of horsepower load on the engine, and a hundred million or so in development costs.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 6th December 12:04
I have a 2003 Jag XJ8 4.2 which i have posted on here a couple of times. It was bought as a 'high days and holidays' car. However, the current financial situation caused me to leave role at Network Rail & double my pay by getting my snout back into Aerospace contracting trough. So the old jag has been pressed into service for my regular (usually fortnightly) trips over the Pennines from East Yorkshire to the Fylde coast. My intention was to buy a disposable car for the job, but having started making the trips in the Jag, I dont see myself doing that. Maybe the Jag is the sweet spot in terms of 'olde world' charm allied to enough modernity to be reliable & dependable. in fact It doesnt feel like an old car at all . An added bonus is the regular warning lamps (air suspension fault, ride height too low, doors not locking) have all faded away with use. and I'm regularly getting 34+mpg for the 250 mile round trip.
Swat said:
I have a 2003 Jag XJ8 4.2 which i have posted on here a couple of times. It was bought as a 'high days and holidays' car. However, the current financial situation caused me to leave role at Network Rail & double my pay by getting my snout back into Aerospace contracting trough. So the old jag has been pressed into service for my regular (usually fortnightly) trips over the Pennines from East Yorkshire to the Fylde coast. My intention was to buy a disposable car for the job, but having started making the trips in the Jag, I dont see myself doing that. Maybe the Jag is the sweet spot in terms of 'olde world' charm allied to enough modernity to be reliable & dependable. in fact It doesnt feel like an old car at all . An added bonus is the regular warning lamps (air suspension fault, ride height too low, doors not locking) have all faded away with use. and I'm regularly getting 34+mpg for the 250 mile round trip.
Sounds like the perfect tool for the job - 34mpg is perfectly sustainable imho, comfy ride, plenty of performance with 300hp on tap.ChocolateFrog said:
six port said:
B'stard Child said:
QBee said:
Hippea said:
steeevvvooo said:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266005501507?mkcid=16&a...
Overbudget (before haggle) but it's Friday. Looks nice, but maybe that's the leaves, some sort of filter and a nice blue hue.
Is there anything to watch out for on these Japanese imports? Any weird specs?Overbudget (before haggle) but it's Friday. Looks nice, but maybe that's the leaves, some sort of filter and a nice blue hue.
The radios don't work very well and you'd be wise not to trust the sat nav
Need to shift a Caravelle or my R32 quick now so I got somewhere to park it!
Gutted it’s not ULEZ compliant though even though all other petrol facelift E39s seem to be.
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff