Titivating my Mercedes 124

[jamesson]

Enthralling read, OP. Not pants boring in any way whatsoever. Great photos too.

[r129sl]

bolidemichael said:

An R129SL-inspired video of our hillside chalet/apartment on the hilltop of San Sebastián to Zarautz, Basque Country.

https://vimeo.com/339436667

Ha! I see you backed down for the lorry!

Tips? Blu-Tac to wedge it between screen and dash top. Then don’t run it too long as it drops more frames the longer you run it. Ten mins is about the max. The best way would be to shoot a normal vid and convert it to time lapse later.

[0a]

R129 - fantastic photos? New camera?

I did a few hundred miles in my 320 today. Fantastic cars for high speed distance work.

[Hereward]

Wonderful pics, those roads look like they are made for SL waftage.

[Blackpuddin]

How do you find the engine/transmission from a driving perspective? And what sort of mpg are you getting? I have a chance to buy one of these OM606-engined TEs. Ran a W123 280TE for a while back in the day.

[r129sl]

Engine and transmission? Engine is smooth, very smooth, but noisy. It’s quite peaky, nothing much happening below 3,750rpm. The transmission is a four speeder, very responsive and seamless but there’s a big gap between third and fourth. When balked by traffic on long and steep autoroute grades, you have to hold third manually to 5,400rpm.

I get 30mpg but I drive too fast or in traffic. NB was getting 34.

Two dodge pots in Cannes:

[CharlesdeGaulle]

r129sl said:

Loving the socks-and-loafers look.

[Hereward]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

r129sl said:

Loving the socks-and-loafers look.

Absolutely de rigueur in that part of the world when piloting such automobiles.

[Deefor62]

This has to be one of the most addictive threads on PistonHeads. Your current road trip sounds and looks fantastic. I’m currently bumbling around the Dordogne in my recently acquired “shed”, a 2006 V70 with the 2 litre turbo petrol engine.
Not quite in the same league as the venerable 124, but I do have a 500sl R129 languishing at home, and which would be great fun out here. The only trouble is that it won’t accommodate the sheer volume of tat that my wife insists on buying at the local brocantes.
I look forward to reading your ongoing journey.

[r129sl]

Thanks for all the thumbs up everyone. The car is a faithful servant, a pleasure in itself, but what is more important is the freedom to wander it affords. Pretty much any car gives you that. I do wonder whether the 129 would have been better: the south of France after all is a 129 kind of place and hardly ever did I have passengers this time. But for some reason this 124 is my favourite.

I am afraid the journey is over for me. I am back in Northumberland, two hours after having left Cannes. NB continues in the 124. I have heard from him and he has included a sunny shot of the car under a grove of trees. Lucky chap. Not that the journey was a hardship for us. You'll forgive me for showing off, I'm sure.

This afternoon's transport as viewed from the waiting room. Security was very thorough: (Comedy French policeman) "Oh ho ho, you look very dangereuse... off you go".




And an on board shot, (hopefully small enough to be discreet) showing the clan being waited on hand and foot by the attendante (steady CdeG):




I followed the journey up France on my Michelin road atlas. Grenoble, Lyon, Macon, Auxerre, Calais then into Kent. It's grey, grey, grey back here. The E430 was waiting for me. Some damned fool in a 320d gave chase on the private test track, I suspect he was surprised by the old-man-machine's unadvertised verve.

Edited by r129sl on Saturday 1st June 19:14

[tobinen]

Sounds wonderful. What a way to travel, and the jet

[Northbrook]

I'm reading the latest comments while sitting in a rooftop bar in Saint Maxime, with r129sl's marvellous car parked up just across the harbour. 1100ish miles to get me home.

Amused by the security checks at the airport. Isn't it lucky that he's got some mug carrying the 'merchandise' home...

(it's been said to me several times, but I reckon there's nothing illicit in the car - J wouldn't want it to be confiscated)

(the car, that is)

Edited by Northbrook on Saturday 12th December 09:49

[ferrisbueller]

That shorts/socks/loafers combo looks dangereuse to me.

[r129sl]

Nor do I want anything illicit in it! Apart from maybe a turbocharger. I am not sure why this thought was prompted, but as I descended from the Col de Turini, I came across a newish Skoda Octavia with a trailer attached in a picnic spot. On one of the picnic tables its driver was asleep in a sleeping bag. Good for him, I thought.

The car continues its Provencal ramblings tonight. I am genuinely extremely jealous.

[Northbrook]

I would have said "come back down - you'd be here for bedtime".... but it's not THAT kind of thread.

I hope!

[r129sl]

ferrisbueller said:

That shorts/socks/loafers combo looks dangereuse to me.

It's alright. My wife was around to keep the ladies at bay and the Froggy French cops all had guns.

In case he reads this thread (unlikely, he's far too cool), I ought to add that we were guests of my brother. Unlike me, he is a great success in life and very generously shared it with all of us on what was the holiday of a lifetime for me and my brood. Goodness it was good to get some sunshine. And what a way to travel. My wife, with her usual perspicacity, pointed out that it is a very sociable way to travel. I could get used to it. It was my children's first ever trip on an aeroplane. They're not going to be impressed by EasyJet...

[bolidemichael]

r129sl said:

Unlike me, he is a great success in life and very generously shared it with all of us

Perhaps you're being over generous in your conflation of business and life?

[Northbrook]

I concur: you haven't mentioned much about your brother, except from memory he's taken the family away in the past, he's comfortably-off, and he drives (or drove) a Maclaren. Generosities aside (and not to diminish his achievements), life is about more than money.

Like cars.







I'm struggling, this morning, to get on the road. Hard to swap clear blue skies, warm sun, and the varied attractions of the Riviera for hours on the autostrada.

But I'll be in Switzerland for tea.

[olly755]

What a brilliant read R129. An experience that will last long in the memory no doubt.

You certainly make France-by-car look extremely appealing to this Easyjetter. Thought about writing a travel guide? Have TE, will travel, something like that. I’d be the first to follow in your wheeltracks.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Northbrook said:

But I'll be in Switzerland for tea.

The Northern roots of this car and its drivers makes me uncertain whether to expect you for a cup of Earl Grey around 4-ish, or something with chips and ketchup later in the evening. Either way, I look forward to the latest update in this strangely bifurcated but compelling thread.