HMC- Lada back from exile

[320touring]

W124?

[gadgetgricey]

Defo, something with a three pointed star.

[Asimo]

Volvo S80 mk2, Freeloader mk2, Mondeo?

[OM646]

W210?

[scdan4]

Just now, OM646 said:

W210?

Minimads? 

[HMC]

You guys were on the money. 
 

Straight 6 3.2 turbo diesel in a w210. 
 

Do you ever see those e bay ads by frustrated novelists? “He bought the car and every Sunday colonel smith would wax the car and go to church, assuming the weather was dry....”  I’ve stumbled on some rich material for an over the top e bay ad.

The first (and long term owner) was a former commander of the desert rats, a nato commander in Kosovo, and a chief of defence intelligence. His who’s who entry around the time he bought the w210 lists interests as skiing, fishing, walking, and paying school fees. His last job is also the reason why there’s a bit of late registration madness going on.

The first thing I noticed about this e320cdi estate was that it’s an 11 plate. As in 2011. What’s going on there? Maybe an import from some obscure Mercedes satellite factory where they kept knocking together the old w210 long after it was out of production maybe? There was also the spec. Special order paint and trim plus a lot of options ticked (xenons, park distance control, heated electric seats, 7 seats, electric memory steering wheel and seat etc)

Anyway it was cheap enough and had a long MOT and I did a buy.

 

It’s pretty tidy, everything works, drives nicely. Some rust issues in a couple of places as you are probably expecting. Lots of paperwork  Including the original order- placed whilst in Germany and to be collected at the factory.

 

It’s all in d-marks as they hadn’t quite gone over the the euro yet.  I think that also means that rear plate surround is original as the main MB  HQ is Sindefingen.

It spent 5 years in the uk, then followed the owner when he became the lieutenant Governor of Jersey.  The service invoices from that time are to the official residence which features on the island’s £50 note of the time.

When his stint was done he returned to the uk. In a move that DVLA used to do a little while back the car was given a number plate related to its entry to the uk rather than year of manufacture.  An error @LightBulbFun ?  Hence the late registration madness of what presumably is officially the last uk registered w210? 

[LightBulbFun]

23 minutes ago, HMC said:

An error @LightBulbFun ?

ohh its an interesting one 

when you mention it spent 5 years in the UK before going to Jersey, do you know when this was?

it has an MOT record going back to 2006 and is down as first registered 25th of June 2001

but according to the DVLA and looking at it via my special tools, its been registered as if it was a new car in 2011

it has no import/used on date of first registration marker or such and is down manufactured in 2011, as if someone took a new car and registered it so technically not an error on the DVLA side at least

but maybe an error on the person registering it who may have filled in a V55/4 rather then a V55/5!

looks to have had a private plate before 2018 for what thats worth

 

I have to wonder if it was registered as Diplomatic car/with a diplomatic plate, during its first 5 years here? while they wont show up on the main DVLA checker/any tools they WILL show up in the MOT checker, as the MOT checker is a DVSA thing rather then a DVLA thing which is also why you see record discrepancies from time to time

 

 

does the V5 have anything in its special notes like "Declared new at first registration" ?

[320touring]

Can I please call dibs on this:)

[OM646]

Congrats on the purchase. These post-facelift W210 have always appealed to me... Also, I can't believe I was the one getting this right!

Seems that the DVLA pulled a "Portugal" with the reg. My 2006 W203 has a 2007 plate due to it being a used import.

Cheers.

[320touring]

Is this an om613? Or is it some sort of odd spec?

[dome]

It's a facelift so should be the 3.2 v6

[OM646]

4 hours ago, dome said:

It's a facelift so should be the 3.2 v6

Nope, OM613 still.

Then the W211 switched to the OM648, still a straight six, and only the facelifted W211 got a V6, in 2006

[Minimad5]

20 hours ago, scdan4 said:

Minimads? 

Sadly not.

But what a fine example

[320touring]

1 hour ago, OM646 said:

Nope, OM613 still.

Then the W211 switched to the OM648, still a straight six, and only the facelifted W211 got a V6, in 2006

That's good news - I liked the 612 in the ML, and I remember @HMC saying it was a straight 6.

Still holding dibs please!

[OM646]

1 hour ago, 320touring said:

That's good news - I liked the 612 in the ML, and I remember @HMC saying it was a straight 6.

Still holding dibs please!

 

OM 60x, 61x and 64x are great engines. I really regret losing out on a (slightly knackered) W211 E320 CDI estate last year. Ended up getting the W203 with 2 less cylinders 

Looking back, taking into account the 6000 miles i covered in 7 months, it was probably for good taking into account the fuel expenses 

[HMC]

@320touring yes as confirmed, it’s the 613 straight 6. One thing I was careful to Check on was the fuel injectors and the seals, after having issues with them on 612 and 613 in the past. All dry and tidy under there. I have got the engine covers but I prefer to leave them off as I’ve got injector seal OCD.

[320touring]

Be still my beating heart 💓

[HMC]

Been using the merc this last week and it’s  just excelling at working and having no “issues” 

 

I had to transport something about 2 metres long and it did it’s thing of converting into a small van and swallowed it up. Looking at next weeks weather I’m glad it’s got heated seats 🧊 

[HMC]

I dropped the kids back at my ex’s today and so found myself pulling up in my xj6 beside my old neighbours x308 xjr.

If there was ever an advert for what lack of use can do to a car, this xjr is it. About 4 years ago it was a pretty tidy thing but not used often. Some water got into the fuel tank, it got sidelined and over time it’s become a mouldy old relic. I think the duck bill drain under the scuttle is blocked too as it seems permanently wet inside with new uncategorised forms of mould thriving within.

Seeing it sat unhappily made me feel slightly less bad about using mine come rain or shine (or snow)

Fleet shot in the late afternoon sun on my return.

 

[montytom]

Since having my jaguar and subsequently giving it to my dad I thought I had gone off jags but that is lovely. I like the mercedes but jaguar's seem more special to me

[somewhatfoolish]

That XJR has a bridge to cross.

[HMC]

Fleet shot. No snow on the western edge of Dartmoor. Putting my teeth on edge mind; Better wash the salt off ASAP.

[Marm Toastsmith]

Fab fleet. Let it rust - enjoy it while you can.

[Broadsword]

That is a fantastic pair of cars to own!

[Zelandeth]

Yep, Jags thrive on use.  99.9997% of the issues with my XJ-S could be traced back to it having spent years and years barely getting used.  The single best thing I did was give it a damn good thrash...though I did briefly think I'd blown something up because of the magnitude of the cloud of clag which came out the exhaust the first time we hit 4000rpm!

Since I've been using it regularly it's generally run and felt so much better.  I imagine with the added complexity of the electronics on the newer models make them even more sensitive to disuse. 

Not keeping the fuel cap drains clear on all of these does seem a recipe for disaster!

[HMC]

Dear Daimler AG , I write as a big fan of your passenger car output, but just not the metal they are made from.....

.... Yours, a purchaser of Zinga cold galvanising paint

[Fumbler]

Yeowch! Last place I expected rust would be at the tops of the passenger doors. They really do like to dissolve everywhere it seems.

[crad]

used the rest of fiats soviet steel for those it would appear

[HMC]

13 minutes ago, crad said:

used the rest of fiats soviet steel for those it would appear

 

Funnily enough there is a red star on the boot, slapped on by me as a nod to ms_HMC’s communist origins .

[HMC]

This is now my only car. Let’s see how long it lasts 😆

Ive been asking the current ms_hmc about her 1980s Moscow upbringing as there are family Volgas and Ladas and I’m hoping for some iron curtain communist family car pics.