HMC architecte britannique

[NorthernMonkey]

After some scrotes relieved my W140 of it's cats recently and, combined with a niggly lighting issue which has constantly resisted all attempts to resolve, I may be breaking one of these soon should you need anything...

[Schaefft]

On 4/10/2023 at 2:24 PM, NorthernMonkey said:

After some scrotes relieved my W140 of it's cats recently and, combined with a niggly lighting issue which has constantly resisted all attempts to resolve, I may be breaking one of these soon should you need anything...

Can you remind me what exact W140 it was again?

Also congrats to the latest purchase. Happy to give any advice on things if needed, they are fantastic cars.

[Volksy]

What's going on with the tyres on it! They look tiny!

[HMC]

8 minutes ago, Volksy said:

What's going on with the tyres on it! They look tiny!

ill find out tomorrow 😬😂

[Volksy]

Heh. With those, the car will think it's doing about 30mph more than it is!

[HMC]

Its not even here yet and there a certain signs i could have easily picked up on if less cobra beer had been consumed-

1. imported 1999

2. had a VIC done in 2011 (presumably written off?)

3. those tyres

4. The vendor was planning to air ride it

 

[HMC]

The princess diaries-

Rover p6 (Princess Grace)

Merc w140 (Princess Di)

ADO16 (VDP princess)

[HMC]

Well this whale of a thing is here….

And indeed yes its on daft tyres (somthing like 195/50 r16 rather than 235/60 r16) i believe part of a half way there plan to slam it which im going to reverse by sticking some of the OE spec fat tyres- part worns on. This should help ease the sumo tottering around in balet shoes vibe. Its a 280 with lpg.

Theres an exhaust heat sheld lose so it makes a hillarious raspy noisy when you   cane it. Its the smallest petrol lump offered with it, but to be honest it doesnt feel that slow. When i had an s500 i just used to potter anyway.  Presumably the comedy wheels help with the gearing for a faster getaway currently.

It drives well, and has a bit of a crumpled Russian wrong un vibe complete with Russian st christopher on the centre console…

[Schaefft]

S280 for extra misery, lovely. Those tires are mental. I still have a set of these wheels here, the tires arent great though and I'd probably like to keep them around should I ever go back (they suit the early ones well). The interior looks pretty much identical to mine. Looking forward to seeing more about this!

[Matty]

3 hours ago, HMC said:

Well this whale of a thing is here….

And indeed yes its on daft tyres (somthing like 195/50 r16 rather than 235/60 r16) i believe part of a half way there plan to slam it which im going to reverse by sticking some of the OE spec fat tyres- part worns on. This should help ease the sumo tottering around in balet shoes vibe. Its a 280 with lpg.

Theres an exhaust heat sheld lose so it makes a hillarious raspy noisy when you   cane it. Its the smallest petrol lump offered with it, but to be honest it doesnt feel that slow. When i had an s500 i just used to potter anyway.  Presumably the comedy wheels help with the gearing for a faster getaway currently.

It drives well, and has a bit of a crumpled Russian wrong un vibe complete with Russian st christopher on the centre console…

I've got a Polish saints card that was in my e39 when I bought it. I've moved it around cars since cos I'm a massive superstition wanker and some kind of luck seems to be holding 😆

[D.E]

A cathedral on roller skates, cool!😁

Judging by the colourful MOT history it seems to have been sitting for a few years (2015-2022)?

[Jenson Velcro]

With small tyres like that on the back, it should be perfect for drifting yo.

video required of you pulling doughnuts around Drake’s statue 

[HMC]

I reallised id got a copy of the sept 1982 practical classics (the one with the ado16 buyers guide) They used some of their limited colour page ration to festure an ado16 on the inside front cover, again with some choice remarks….

[HMC]

Its interesting the degree of inclusivity that has developed editorially if you look at the current news stand, and the “bangernomics” bit of the mag.

[grogee]

Strange pop-up erection aerials present or not specified, @HMC?

Tesco car park is a suitably grim photo backdrop. Still big news in Tavi, in your face Morrisons!

[DaveDorson]

What in the name of rubber fetish fuckery is happening with them tyres.

 

Looks like they've come off some Scene kiddies Polo with "stretch yo" rubber bands.

 

I absolutely love it by the way, tyre nonsense aside.  Those look like Merc Winter wheels which used to command quite the premium when polished up.  

[HMC]

Its a bit of a strange one in the sense its rhd, but km/h clocks, and odd spec (no sunroof for instance) it was built in 1994 and imported in 1999. Its got no documentation, v5 aside. One of those merc vin decoders says it was intended for singapore- im not sure how accurate that is- but they do have RHD and Km/h.

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, grogee said:

Strange pop-up erection aerials present or not specified, @HMC?

Tesco car park is a suitably grim photo backdrop. Still big news in Tavi, in your face Morrisons!

5 and 600 only i think

[HMC]

1 hour ago, grogee said:

Strange pop-up erection aerials present or not specified, @HMC?

Tesco car park is a suitably grim photo backdrop. Still big news in Tavi, in your face Morrisons!

Yes, those are here and working analogue parking aids ! 

[Schaefft]

Working, yet pretty much useless considering you can't really see them from the driver's seat. Also, strange place to import a W140 from. You'd expect these to be cheaper in the UK by 1999, especially with the W220 out by then. Also Japan would have a much better selection as these were extremely popular there and very well maintained. Maybe a diplomat's car that remained in the UK?

My R129 was Azurite blue metallic, should look pretty amazing if you can be bothered to polish it.

[timolloyd]

My money is on this being a Nairobi taxi in a former life.

[HMC]

DOY also has a west london connection…. and OY is a north west london issue. Presumably in 1999 they still issued area specific numbers to imports? @LightBulbFun

[LightBulbFun]

59 minutes ago, HMC said:

DOY also has a west london connection…. and OY is a north west london issue. Presumably in 1999 they still issued area specific numbers to imports? @LightBulbFun

im honestly not sure to be honest! its seems they both do and dont from my findings I almost wonder if it depends who your V55 application lands with, as I have seen some people get location related plates and other people dont

and I do wonder if you you could explicitly request one to ensure it "hey I am registering this from London, if possible can I please get a London issue number plate for it as thats where its being registered"

I have noticed that it seems like when you rob a car of its number, your more likely to get an location related age related plate, ie if you rob a car in London you get a London mark (this is in reference to post Suffix/Prefix and modern style plates of course)

but when registering an import or ex army or what have you, can be more of a crap shoot! 

obviously things where different when LVRO's still existed!

and I have noticed for the older stuff, that the DVLA does seem to have a preferred series, for example I noticed a lot of B suffix imports where given YHH-B Carlisle plates for example

 

you can also just apply a personal plate right from the get go, if you include your application to apply your personal number in with the registration application, this creates the fun rare situation of a private plate on a car, that legitimately has no previous plate history

 

but yeah in 1999, I imagine this would of been a location related age related plate  

[HMC]

Fleet news- normally victims are to be found in the boot of a battered w140

Alas this w140 was itself a victim, a scene victim. Check out the tyres!

Anyway besides possibly invalidating my insurance as the tyres were “stretched)” the speedo was all to cock. Plus mike tyson in ballet shoes is not a good look.

So ive shod DOY with the fat rubber it originally  came with. 

[HMC]

Also- please keep up at the back- ive sold everything except DOY, above.

And something is arriving tonight.  Wierdly going from a focus 1.6 to tomights arrival gave me a refund of £1.39. 

[dave j]

Looks Much better with the right tyres! Probably drives a lot better too! 

[Schaefft]

Major improvement indeed, I cannot believe that someone willingly put these tiny tires on it before.

[loserone]

So hang on, are you driving the new arrival to France tomorrow?

[HMC]

10 minutes ago, loserone said:

So hang on, are you driving the new arrival to France tomorrow?

Either the new arrival or the w140. Well both are new really. France sounds dramatic but its 12 miles to the ferry here and a similar distance in france. Its further mileage  on the road to go from here to Exeter, going sat. eve

[loserone]

Ah of course 🤣 our trips tend to be 2500-3500 miles round trip