LUXOBARGE (sub5k) of the week/day

alastair

grogi wrote: »

Mechanical parts are fine. That's why keeping an XKJ or an E-Type running will always be possible. Difficult, but possible.

Problems will happen when you need electronics... Once the chips are not available, it will be very hard to reverse engineer not only the hardware, but also the software. Mechanics might be perfect, but nothing to control it...

Unobtainium electronics, and software are rapidly becoming less of an issue. Arduino home-brew electronics and code repositories mean that reverse engineering pretty much any bit of electronics kit - even for niche applications, is not an expensive proposition. It's only going to become more straightforward.

TBi

alastair wrote: »

mean that reverse engineering pretty much any bit of electronics kit - even for niche applications, is not an expensive proposition. It's only going to become more straightforward.

Because reverse engineering is a straight forward task that doesn't need someone with years of experience in the field?

alastair

TBi wrote: »

Because reverse engineering is a straight forward task that doesn't need someone with years of experience in the field?

Not if you're just replicating the electronics and have the compiled code in a repository, no. Extracting binary code from old components and archiving it would seem to be pretty straightforward. No need for source code, or attempting to reverse engineer the software.

Red Kev

unkel wrote: »

You don't know the 928 very well then

Hint: full of electronics and they are the weakest point of the car. My '86 had electric seats, ABS, electric windows, electric mirrors, electric sunroof, cruise control, alarm, remote central locking, air conditioning and I probably forgot a few things there!

Thing is they're electrics that you're talking about, not electronics. Big difference between something that's driven by an electric motor and something that's driven by software. Electrically driven motors can be replaced or repaired, often a very similar motor is found in other machinery, so it's possible to keep them going. Many of them tend to be quite simple in construction as well.

On the other hand, both Mercedes Benz Classic and Volkswagen are talking about making software and electronic components for older cars freely available so it can be copied and sold by non OEM manufacturers. It means that late 90's, 00's and later cars will have a chance to survive when manufacturers stop making parts for them. It's still a couple of years down the road; the biggest hurdle is vehicle security, but it'll happen eventually, not least because of the well organised classic car lobby in Germany.

Voodoomelon

Had to look up the production years of the XK8, can't believe they were still making them in 2006. I remember thinking they were cool when I was a young chap, I have to say they've dated extremely badly.

Really wouldn't be my cup of tea at all now, from some angles it looks like a 70s/80s design. To think the E63 (645i etc) 6 series came out in 2003, it makes the XK look ancient.

Big Nasty

It's no barge either!

mickdw

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Had to look up the production years of the XK8, can't believe they were still making them in 2006. I remember thinking they were cool when I was a young chap, I have to say they've dated extremely badly.

Really wouldn't be my cup of tea at all now, from some angles it looks like a 70s/80s design. To think the E63 (645i etc) 6 series came out in 2003, it makes the XK look ancient.

I think they are looking better than ever.

Voodoomelon

There's one local here in Dundalk, it suits the driver well, hes in his mid sixties.

TBi

alastair wrote: »

Not if you're just replicating the electronics and have the compiled code in a repository, no. Extracting binary code from old components and archiving it would seem to be pretty straightforward. No need for source code, or attempting to reverse engineer the software.

I don't think you grasp the difficulty in "extracting binary code from old components". It isn't an easy job and could take an expert in the field months or even years to do this. Plus the code is designed to work on a particular processor so you'd need to create a perfect emulator of this processor to run the code on. Which is also not a trivial task.

alastair

TBi wrote: »

I don't think you grasp the difficulty in "extracting binary code from old components". It isn't an easy job and could take an expert in the field months or even years to do this. Plus the code is designed to work on a particular processor so you'd need to create a perfect emulator of this processor to run the code on. Which is also not a trivial task.

Extracting code from flash chips is nothing like a week's or month's task, more like an afternoon, and, while it may not be 'easy' is far from requiring 'experts in the field' - it's hobbyist activity. There's lots of tutorials available online, if you'd like to try it yourself. And many of the common microprocessors used by automotive electronics already have emulators, so no need to recreate the wheel there. And all of this is rapidly becoming cheaper and faster to do.

Soarer

Can we stop talking about electrics/electronics?

blindside88

I'm considering handing back my company car next year in favour of a car allowance as I do extremely low business mileage. I'm half thinking of buying something like this:

https://www.donedeal.ie/view/14122844
Mercedes CLS 350

Someone please tell me it's a crazy idea

frozenfrozen

absolutely but just make sure you are aware of all the extra costs involved, and that you will be able to get insured..

CheezePleeze

blindside88 wrote: »

I'm considering handing back my company car next year in favour of a car allowance as I do extremely low business mileage. I'm half thinking of buying something like this:

https://www.donedeal.ie/view/14122844
Mercedes CLS 350

Someone please tell me it's a crazy idea

Life's too short - GO FOR IT!

Duke O Smiley

blindside88 wrote: »

I'm considering handing back my company car next year in favour of a car allowance as I do extremely low business mileage. I'm half thinking of buying something like this:

https://www.donedeal.ie/view/14122844
Mercedes CLS 350

Someone please tell me it's a crazy idea

Holy crap that is cheap

bear1

If it were me, I'd go for this one:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/05-mercedes-cls-350-nct-08-17-tax-03-17/14086833

250e more but there is tax included in it.

frozenfrozen

" little faulty and it has the management light on intermittently hence the bargain price. "

RUN RUN RUN

bear1

frozenfrozen wrote: »

" little faulty and it has the management light on intermittently hence the bargain price. "

RUN RUN RUN

My mistake, missed that.

frozenfrozen

the seller actually sounds like dreamer of the year territory

" If it's not sold immediately I will be keeping it for Christmas and will repair any faults. After that time the price will go up accordingly"


looked good from the pictures but **** that noise in the description

bear1

Yeah, filtering the CLS for 4500e max then only 3 pop up, the one with a fault, the OPs one and then another one which looks a bit meh.

blindside88

Doesn't have to be a CLS to be honest, I've just been looking at the barges posted and thinking more and more about getting one. They are fantastic value for the amount of car you get

bear1

Get yourself a Lexus.

blindside88

bear1 wrote: »

Get yourself a Lexus.

I'm not a huge fan of most of the Lexus really, was thinking more Mercedes, Bmw etc. are the maintenance costs on these massive?

bear1

Hard to say but I'd imagine parts wouldn't be cheap.
Lexus would give you the most spec for the most reasonable price in my opinion but there are these two Beemers:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-735-low-milage-nct/13700692

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-7-series-745i-auto/12637831 - very short NCT on that.

frozenfrozen

is it a coupe you want? I know the cls is 4 door but what about a CL?

blindside88

Thanks for that. They are nice, it'll probably be the middle of the new year before I can see about changing but there are some good options available

ofcork

They can be very expensive if and when things go wrong heard of an 06 that needed around 5k spent on it chain and Sam's needed changing.

blindside88

frozenfrozen wrote: »

is it a coupe you want? I know the cls is 4 door but what about a CL?

Id rather something 4 door to be honest. I'm between 2 stools of getting a luxo barge or getting something a year or 2 old in the likes of a Mondeo or Superb

Duke O Smiley

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/jaguar-daimler-v8-4-0-auto-mint-condition/14118206



Daimler! €5k

Duke O Smiley

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/lexus-ls-ls-430-nct-tax/14115183



Couple of weeks NCT & tax €2250