Mercedes w210 E430 (no titivating allowed)
Discussion
Max M4X WW said:
I saw that yesterday. Not as well specced as mine but looks very, very tidy in the bodywork department. Looks in better condition than mine. I quite like them in Travertine Beige, too. They are really good cars. Worth it, I'd say.
This is exactly my idea of a daily - cheap to buy but expensive when new, reasonable to run, fairly invisible but not a shed - but would be prohibitively expensive to run for me.
r129sl said:
I need to open my wallet, however. It needs front discs and pads up, front anti-roll bar bushes and drop links and a pair of rear tyres. That'll set me back £500 but it can wait until after my holiday.
That seems pretty excessive cost wise, are you only buying genuine parts?Jimmy Recard said:
Hi R129, I've just read through the thread. You mention a Road Trip App - is that the name of it or the description?
I would like to try something like that
It's the name: http://darrensoft.ca/roadtrip/ and https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/road-trip-mpg-mile...I would like to try something like that
It's a good app. You have to be disciplined about putting in the data but it becomes a habit. It does't take long before you have very detailed and comprehensive data for pretty much everything. You can program reminders for things like MOTs or scheduled services, too.
markirl said:
This is exactly my idea of a daily - cheap to buy but expensive when new, reasonable to run, fairly invisible but not a shed - but would be prohibitively expensive to run for me.
Genuine parts. The bits are about £225. Discs £60 each, pads £60 for a set, then rubber bushes, drop links and new bolts. Tyres are £100 each for Michelin Primacy 3s, size 235/45 R 17. There is no saving for after market bits. Then a couple of hours' labour to fit. I'd do it myself but (1) I always fr129sl said:
I need to open my wallet, however. It needs front discs and pads up, front anti-roll bar bushes and drop links and a pair of rear tyres. That'll set me back £500 but it can wait until after my holiday.
That seems pretty excessive cost wise, are you only buying genuine parts?
k it up and (2) I just don't have the time.What would be fun with this car would be to drop in a souped up V8. I really like the old man Elegance spec: it is invisible, unaggressive and the comfort suspension is really well-suited to making very fast progress over long distances. As is, with something like 279bhp and 295lb/ft torque, I reckon it is about as fast as my SL500 (the E430 has a faster rear end, 1:2.82 against 1:2.65). On the way home I was fantasising about finding a nice, low mileage E55 AMG or CL55 AMG motor (354bhp and 391lb/ft); then thoughts turned to the tuner versions like the Brabus 6.1S with something like 445bhp and 468lb/ft. That would be a fantastic Q-ship. Fantasy island, I know.
I love the idea of quick, anonymous cars, a little like my current daily - '07 facelift 530i SE in grey. Looks like a boggo 520d but has 272bhp - it's a bit of a q-car in Ireland where no one bought large petrols due to obscene motor tax. Even more unique is it has a manual gearbox, which I was really unsure about after having only autos for the last 7 years but it makes it very engaging and there is loads of torque that it stays in 6th for all speeds over 40mph!
That car is too nice as it is to muck about with.
How about just buying an E55, in black, removing the AMG badges, fitting 'Elegance' suspension, fitting a set of steel wheels, (no hubcaps) and letting it acquire a layer of dirt. An invisible motorway express... although the overtaken would undoubtedly hear the exhaust note and become suspicious.
How about just buying an E55, in black, removing the AMG badges, fitting 'Elegance' suspension, fitting a set of steel wheels, (no hubcaps) and letting it acquire a layer of dirt. An invisible motorway express... although the overtaken would undoubtedly hear the exhaust note and become suspicious.
r129sl said:
. At no time did I exceed 155mph.
But not through lack of effort - it's that factory limiter issue!I keep thinking I should get a sticker with "This car's speed may be limited to 155 mph" but then realise that is probably a bit of a pull-magnet!
Sounds like you are really enjoying your car OP - hope you continue to enjoy it!
The computer seems accurate. I am sad enough to work it out with every fill and the long term average (over 5,000miles) is 26mpg.
How so many miles? Lots of driving. I live in the north east. Everywhere else is a long way away. Most days I do 75miles or more and at least once a week I'll do a few hundred. Plus my wife drives, too. Throw in a few touring holidays and we're up to almost 60,000 a year.
How so many miles? Lots of driving. I live in the north east. Everywhere else is a long way away. Most days I do 75miles or more and at least once a week I'll do a few hundred. Plus my wife drives, too. Throw in a few touring holidays and we're up to almost 60,000 a year.
r129sl said:
The computer seems accurate. I am sad enough to work it out with every fill and the long term average (over 5,000miles) is 26mpg.
How so many miles? Lots of driving. I live in the north east. Everywhere else is a long way away. Most days I do 75miles or more and at least once a week I'll do a few hundred. Plus my wife drives, too. Throw in a few touring holidays and we're up to almost 60,000 a year.
Wow.How so many miles? Lots of driving. I live in the north east. Everywhere else is a long way away. Most days I do 75miles or more and at least once a week I'll do a few hundred. Plus my wife drives, too. Throw in a few touring holidays and we're up to almost 60,000 a year.
My milage with two cars is about 5k a year, I do about another 5k miles on motorbikes.
Of course I work on oil rigs and don't have any commute, so most of my driving is for fun. I could probably take about half off the milage if I stopped taking the long way home or doing bike holidays.
MPG has never really been much of a consideration for me!
I've done at least 750miles this week. The usual to and from work (60miles a day), pottering around the town (say 10miles a day), the Barnsley return (300miles), a return to Carlisle (130miles); a fair bit of leisure at the weekend (maybe 200miles). Plus my wife will have put 300miles on the 190 in her commuting. On Sunday we head to Aberdeen...
Finally some expenditure. A full 'B' service including the transmission at a cost of £322. That also revealed a broken spring and confirmed the need for new front discs and pads: those will all be fitted next week.
On Saturday it gets new rear tyres (Michelin Primacy 3) at my local Kwik-Fit: another £209.
All in all an expensive week for the heretofore cost-free E430 but hopefully this should see it through to the spring.
On Saturday it gets new rear tyres (Michelin Primacy 3) at my local Kwik-Fit: another £209.
All in all an expensive week for the heretofore cost-free E430 but hopefully this should see it through to the spring.
On balance, the refinement is miles better in the w210, like a quantum leap better. Largely this is due to the big V8 (which is barely ticking over most of the time) and the much improved noise suppression. The suspension still has the lopping Mercedes-gait but slightly less so: it is stiffer and more prone to roll-rock than my 124's. I can't say that the much-vaunted rack and pinion steering feels any different to (let alone better than) the 124's recirculating ball system. There is a perceptible diminution in quality and solidity and simplicity when compared to the 124, but it is hard to say why. The 210's visibility is inferior and it feels significantly bigger, particularly wider, which does nothing for ease of use.
If I'm alone (and likely travelling faster), I'll take the 210; otherwise the 124 has it still.
If I'm alone (and likely travelling faster), I'll take the 210; otherwise the 124 has it still.
That's a very reasonable service cost especially with the 'box. My 210 was £180 for a 'box fluid and filter change. Can't have included plugs, can it?
I asked my local indy what the 'B' would be for the CL and he said no more than £350 (not including plugs or 'box), depending on brake and coolant fluids.
I asked my local indy what the 'B' would be for the CL and he said no more than £350 (not including plugs or 'box), depending on brake and coolant fluids.
R129sl - what a lovely below the radar car. Enjoyed this thread, having just read all of it.
The rather fab petrol station pic has just illustrated a point I was trying to make to Mrs bargista yesterday. Whilst they are inherently dull places petrol stations offer a sense of potential, being the gateways for road trip afventure!
The rather fab petrol station pic has just illustrated a point I was trying to make to Mrs bargista yesterday. Whilst they are inherently dull places petrol stations offer a sense of potential, being the gateways for road trip afventure!
Thanks for the positive comments. It is a really smooth and sensible car which can go like the clappers when asked. I too love petrol stations, the bright lights, the vibrant colours, the promise of the road.
Baister did the front discs and pads and the broken spring today. £375. Ouch. Mind the discs and pads are massive. And I ordered replacement charcoal filters at £20 for Mann items. It has a run down to Leeds and back for dinner tomorrow night, two colleagues and my clerk are coming with me, it will be interesting to see how they find it over a decent distance.
On Saturday I put new rear tyres on it, £209 for Michelin Primacy 3s at Kwik Fit. I prefer Contis and I was going to go for these all season tyres that are coming to the fore but the fronts (which are Michelin P3s) have plenty of meat on, so I thought I'd save the money this time and just swap the rears. I have a feeling it's going to eat rear tyres.
That takes total expenditure since purchase to just over £1,000. It does add up...
Baister did the front discs and pads and the broken spring today. £375. Ouch. Mind the discs and pads are massive. And I ordered replacement charcoal filters at £20 for Mann items. It has a run down to Leeds and back for dinner tomorrow night, two colleagues and my clerk are coming with me, it will be interesting to see how they find it over a decent distance.
On Saturday I put new rear tyres on it, £209 for Michelin Primacy 3s at Kwik Fit. I prefer Contis and I was going to go for these all season tyres that are coming to the fore but the fronts (which are Michelin P3s) have plenty of meat on, so I thought I'd save the money this time and just swap the rears. I have a feeling it's going to eat rear tyres.
That takes total expenditure since purchase to just over £1,000. It does add up...
Edited by r129sl on Monday 11th September 17:28
I am taking the w210 to the Fatherland in a couple of weeks, meeting some friends for lunch in Lübeck. We will take the Newcastle to Amsterdam overnight ferry then hotfoot due east along the Dutch autosnelweg 1, picking up Bundesutobahn 30 and then either peeling off on the A31-A28 or continuing to Osnabrück before taking the A1 to Bremen and on to our destination. The A31-A28 route is about 40miles longer but looks largely speed limit free and may be quieter than the A1 artery which running between the Ruhrgebiet and Bremen.
In preparation, I ordered this from the Berlin city authorities for the trifling cost of €6 delivered. I was expecting a yellow 2: a green 4 allows my car to go anywhere.
I stuck it in the designated place but have since moved it to the passenger side where it will not interfere with my field of vision.
Unfortunately, today's post also brought me this. I had forgotten how much cars cost to tax. It is such a swizz.
In preparation, I ordered this from the Berlin city authorities for the trifling cost of €6 delivered. I was expecting a yellow 2: a green 4 allows my car to go anywhere.
I stuck it in the designated place but have since moved it to the passenger side where it will not interfere with my field of vision.
Unfortunately, today's post also brought me this. I had forgotten how much cars cost to tax. It is such a swizz.
Edited by r129sl on Tuesday 10th October 20:10
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