Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 21]

[Autobantz]

Muncher said:

W00DY said:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202172...

I think I'd want the price to start with a 3 though.

Hah, I was coming back to this thread to post an update, but hadn't realised someone had posted about my car before I did, I bought that a week or so after you posted.

I paid £3,500, the car is in very good condition for the miles, basically immaculate inside. The owner was great and I did a full inspection before the purchase which showed no issues.

So about 9 months in:

- no real issues with it of note
- superbly comfortable on a long trip, the radar cruise control is incredible.
- averages 19mpg on the short trips I normally take it on, the best I have seen is around 26mpg on a long trip
- I've changed the front discs and pads, ARB droplinks and bushes myself (£190), cabin filters (£24), wheels refurbed (£260), washer pump (£15) and last week I replaced the auxillary battery which was on its way out (£150)
- will be due a service and MOT in feb, I've put about 3,500 miles on it since buying it.

Hello from Abu Dhabi

I'm late to the party on this, but congratulations!

I can't help but feel these old buses are remarkably robust given the technology that went into them at the time. Really feels like Merc took the W220 cheap build criticism to heart. Everything you touch and feel in these cars feels expensive.

And you've got a proper donkey in it too. The V6s are frugal, but don't deliver the NVH or performance that these cars were intended to have.

I took a mad punt on a V12 back in July, having poked at countless W221s over the years. After finally taking the plunge on my face-lift S600 (an incredibly rare car as it turns out), it is becoming one of my favourite ever cars. It is booth eerily smooth and quiet, but also surprisingly fast chuckable with its ABC suspension. We had a slightly bumpy start, but otherwise, all I do is put (a lot) of fuel in it and drive it to work every day. My favourite trick is taking fast motorway sweepers at 911 Turbo pace

Early W221s are fast becoming the bargain of the century. They're truly amazing cars. Enjoy!

[donkmeister]

MattsCar said:

Imagine rocking up to anywhere in this...



Mildly tempted.

I had no idea they had come down so far... I'm sure last time I looked the cheapest Quattroportes were around £20k.

One has recently started parking up outside some Victorian terraces near me - it looks incongruous as it's much larger and posher than every other car there. However, with the narrow road having been turned into a rat run following councillor shenanigans, I fear one day I will see it with a missing mirror due to some oaf ttting it and then failing to stop.

If only people were allowed to encircle their parked cars with stinger spike strips? Might also help cyclists by replacing the "I need to be this far out from parked cars in case some idiot opens their door" argument with "what sort of idiot would ride over sharp metal spikes?"

[Crook]

BenB91 said:

An update for the thread, I sold my Jaguar XF SV8 last weekend.

Purchased for £7,730 in October 2021 with 58k miles and sold for £7,400 at 64k miles.

Running costs were very reasonable. Engine service, brake fluid change, new rear brake pads and a full gearbox service were circa £1k. Didn't need any new tyres in that time and pretty much everything worked perfectly.

The 4.2 supecharged V8 is the best engine I've ever had! and I hope to experience the 5.0 version in the future. Averaged 20mpg over the 6k miles.

What's next? Hopefully a BMW F10 535i Touring, or a BMW F31 340i Touring.

My other car is a Mercedes R129 SL500, which I am hoping to upgrade in 2023.

I just wanted to highlight that this is an example of exceedingly positive barging!

[Crook]

21st Century Man said:

...the old Supra ...

Celica Supra by the look of it: no flared arches.

I spent the entirety of my student loan on one - it was the fastest RWD car I could get my hands on at the time.

Apologies, probably should have added one of these

Also, you're very fortunate to get out and about to see the more 'normal' side of Japan. We were only there for a few days and didn't leave Tokyo but the variety and quality of cars there is insane.

ETA: A 'humblebrag' I believe it's called.

Edited by Crook on Friday 9th December 16:43

[donkmeister]

Crook said:

BenB91 said:

An update for the thread, I sold my Jaguar XF SV8 last weekend.

Purchased for £7,730 in October 2021 with 58k miles and sold for £7,400 at 64k miles.

Running costs were very reasonable. Engine service, brake fluid change, new rear brake pads and a full gearbox service were circa £1k. Didn't need any new tyres in that time and pretty much everything worked perfectly.

The 4.2 supecharged V8 is the best engine I've ever had! and I hope to experience the 5.0 version in the future. Averaged 20mpg over the 6k miles.

What's next? Hopefully a BMW F10 535i Touring, or a BMW F31 340i Touring.

My other car is a Mercedes R129 SL500, which I am hoping to upgrade in 2023.

I just wanted to highlight that this is an example of exceedingly positive barging!

No. No. It's not proper barging if it makes financial sense. Hence the invention of the field of mathematics known as "Man Maths". The idea of barging is:

1) you buy a car that is highly complex for its era, but "because it's so well built" it won't need much doing so you convince yourself it's not a risky, potentially expensive car to buy.
2) (optional) you lie to yourself that the entirety of your life savings is a baulk fund
3) you get said car, then spend a few hundred (ok... thousand) on tidying, servicing, renewing and fettling, then stand back and remind yourself that you weren't going to be silly this time, this will do.
4) a few months later you have read enough tales of woe that you have filled your workshop with all the parts that could potentially break and destroy your car (because it's cheaper than buying a new one) and all the "well while I'm in there I might as well" parts...
5) you spend several weekends doing all these jobs, only for it to fail an MOT due to the cupholder lid hinge having imperceptible amounts of play or some other BS. Then you fix that and get it through the MOT
6) (optional) you remind yourself that you haven't actually spent the entirety of your childrens' university fund baulk fund and therefore this has been a financially prudent venture.
7) 5 years on you sell car on to someone who also promises themselves the same things you did, and as the car is 5 years older they have a whole new smorgasbord of things to renew/fettle/service/cry over.

[Crook]

Ah but you see, that's the example you can show to prove it makes financial sense!

"Look! this chap on the internet bought AND ran a supercharged V8 Jaguar and after he sold it he still has the shirt on his back - see it IS possible!!!"

[MattsCar]

donkmeister said:

I had no idea they had come down so far... I'm sure last time I looked the cheapest Quattroportes were around £20k.

One has recently started parking up outside some Victorian terraces near me - it looks incongruous as it's much larger and posher than every other car there. However, with the narrow road having been turned into a rat run following councillor shenanigans, I fear one day I will see it with a missing mirror due to some oaf ttting it and then failing to stop.

If only people were allowed to encircle their parked cars with stinger spike strips? Might also help cyclists by replacing the "I need to be this far out from parked cars in case some idiot opens their door" argument with "what sort of idiot would ride over sharp metal spikes?"

You know you are a true bargist when you start worrying about other people's barge ...

And these have been a £10k car for a very long time. They are abysmal in terms of running costs.

[SpeckledJim]

MattsCar said:

donkmeister said:

I had no idea they had come down so far... I'm sure last time I looked the cheapest Quattroportes were around £20k.

One has recently started parking up outside some Victorian terraces near me - it looks incongruous as it's much larger and posher than every other car there. However, with the narrow road having been turned into a rat run following councillor shenanigans, I fear one day I will see it with a missing mirror due to some oaf ttting it and then failing to stop.

If only people were allowed to encircle their parked cars with stinger spike strips? Might also help cyclists by replacing the "I need to be this far out from parked cars in case some idiot opens their door" argument with "what sort of idiot would ride over sharp metal spikes?"

You know you are a true bargist when you start worrying about other people's barge ...

And these have been a £10k car for a very long time. They are abysmal in terms of running costs.

Fiat Marea Friday Night.

For the man who has a Fiat Marea for the week, a Fiat Marea Weekend for the, umm, weekend, and needs a car that’s quite similar to a Fiat Marea, but for the Friday night in town.

Which costs twice as much as the rest of the week put together.

And is probably less fun than Tuesday night when she goes to bed early and you finally get to watch MOTD from the previous weekend.

[21st Century Man]

MattsCar said:

And these have been a £10k car for a very long time. They are abysmal in terms of running costs.

Russian Roulette, with a round in each chamber.

[Voxy]

21st Century Man said:

Old houses are just about worthless, they're not an appreciating asset, they're like cars or white goods and are periodically replaced. The house we're staying in was built in 2015 on a family plot, the previous house demolished. Local authorities might adopt the better empty houses, get them habitable and then offer them free to entice people to move to the area. Prosperous areas have nice valuable houses, but with a shrinking population in general there's no demand and so no value.

Browsing real estate agents is interesting, the property market in the suburbs of a happening town is as you might expect, but go out to the country a little and decent houses are really cheap or free. Young families tend to build new kit houses, there's lots of choice, like leasing a new car, there are several such new houses nearby. These houses might also be replaced in 20-30 years.

This is an interesting channel about renovation of traditional houses, which can be aquired for free or for a few thousand.

https://youtube.com/@GoodOldHousesJapan

Let me help 21CM take the thread even further off topic! There are hundreds of rural project houses throughout Japan that can be bought for next to nothing…

Here is an example in Nagano prefecture, so not too distant from 21CM’s temporary abode:

http://nagano-akiyabank.jp/bukken/393145/

Yours for <£20,000. A friend has just bought something similar - 6 bedrooms, 250 sqm, for <£35,000.

[donkmeister]

Crook said:

Ah but you see, that's the example you can show to prove it makes financial sense!

"Look! this chap on the internet bought AND ran a supercharged V8 Jaguar and after he sold it he still has the shirt on his back - see it IS possible!!!"

True, but can we say the same of the chap who bought it off him, who had a week of great motoring until it decided that it fancied a gearbox for tea?

When I sell a car I don't feel like I've dispensed with my liability until I've stalked it through an MOT pass. Oh the relief.

[Voxy]

Voxy said:

Let me help 21CM take the thread even further off topic! There are hundreds of rural project houses throughout Japan that can be bought for next to nothing…

Here is an example in Nagano prefecture, so not too distant from 21CM’s temporary abode:

http://nagano-akiyabank.jp/bukken/393145/

Yours for <£20,000. A friend has just bought something similar - 6 bedrooms, 250 sqm, for <£35,000.

So bringing things back toward topic. How about a 1989 190E 2.0 Auto, 131,000kms, yours for £5,900 - delivery charges may be a little steep…

https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/19/7000...

[21st Century Man]

Voxy said:

Let me help 21CM take the thread even further off topic! There are hundreds of rural project houses throughout Japan that can be bought for next to nothing…

Here is an example in Nagano prefecture, so not too distant from 21CM’s temporary abode:

http://nagano-akiyabank.jp/bukken/393145/

Yours for <£20,000. A friend has just bought something similar - 6 bedrooms, 250 sqm, for <£35,000.

Just to the West of me, I'm a few streets behind the Zenkoji Temple and walk through the Temple grounds most days That house is 16kms and half an hour away by car, the sort of place I'd like my boy to buy. I could see myself living here ft, but they wouldn't have me as I'd be economically inactive and one needs to bring a shed load of money and investment with one to be allowed to settle, other than being a tourist or an English teacher.

You're Japan aren't you Voxy?

Edited by 21st Century Man on Saturday 10th December 02:36

[21st Century Man]

Voxy said:

So bringing things back toward topic. How about a 1989 190E 2.0 Auto, 131,000kms, yours for £5,900 - delivery charges may be a little steep…

https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/19/7000...

How about a "Konisar" SE?

It looks really nice too and very low mileage.

https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/13/7009...

[21st Century Man]

And another...

https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/16/7009...

[21st Century Man]

Oof!

https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/13/7009...

https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/13/7009...

https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/13/7009...

Edited by 21st Century Man on Saturday 10th December 03:14

[Voxy]

21st Century Man said:

Oof!

https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/13/7009...

https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/13/7009...

https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/13/7009...

Edited by 21st Century Man on Saturday 10th December 03:14

They always have nice stock; long sold, but a personal favourite:
http://www.garage-nichiei.jp/stockcars42.html

[21st Century Man]

Oh wow! An Eventer.

I've gone down a Goonet black hole of XM's and C6's, there's loads. Even a few Turbo R's.

As for Classic Mini, I reckon there's more in Japan than in Britain? Amost a daily sight.

[Voxy]

21st Century Man said:

Just to the West of me, I'm a few streets behind the Zenkoji Temple and walk through the Temple grounds most days That house is 16kms and half an hour away by car, the sort of place I'd like my boy to buy. I could see myself living here ft, but they wouldn't have me as I'd be economically inactive and one needs to bring a shed load of money and investment with one to be allowed to settle, other than being a tourist or an English teacher.

You're Japan aren't you Voxy?

Edited by 21st Century Man on Saturday 10th December 02:36

Yes, but in the heart of Tokyo and a very different Japan to that your son is living in.

Spotted you were in Hakuba. Should be a good bet if you’re looking to buy somewhere as it’s starting to get a lot of attention from both Japanese and overseas investors.

[Voxy]

21st Century Man said:

Oh wow! An Eventer.

I've gone down a Goonet black hole of XM's and C6's, there's loads. Even a few Turbo R's.

As for Classic Mini, I reckon there's more in Japan than in Britain? Amost a daily sight.

Classic minis, you say? Yep, plenty about….



There is even a specialist just outside of Hakuba which I randomly drove past last visit to the area.