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+2 re W124!! First trip back to UK from Spain (used to do it 3x a year) in the new company Focus instead of the W124 300D... Sure it's faster and easier to drive but misses some of the fun and despite the focus having a nice ride/road holding balance (nothing like VAG/Audi over-firm rubbish)...

Whilst it's true the UK got a jump on the rest of the world (not really due to the government/EU but mostly due to the fact all the best research in this area in the world is done in Cambridge), it's now not quite such a difference as many in UK believe. For example I'm 37 and get my second dose...

To be honest what's dangerous is someone thinking it's a great idea to buy a fancy new car for such a short commute without being able to properly afford it. It doesn't really matter if it's by PCP bank loan or remortgaging the house, etc, a new car costing 26k and depreciating at 6k a year has...

To be fair I had the same dilemma and had no diagnosis or estimate until it was taken apart. No idea of exact cost breakdown but after a few hours labour once the head was removed the rings/pistons were declared "as new" and the work defined and priced up immediately. I can't see how it's all...

Very different engine but I had exactly the same on my w124 (huge cloud of smoke after booting it after idling a long time and general misfire. Also on over 200k at the time. Diagnosed as head gasket and stem seals. So new seals, skim and head gasket was done in local garage all in in the UK...

They have a good following but are very underpriced comapred to the estates/convertibles (basically the same price as the saloon). It will certainly be worth something and they're on the up. I assume you're friend would not be interested/does not have contacts in shipping, a nice one here is...

Are people seriously saying that if a fire engine or ambulance (that are needed to save someone's life) was behind you at a red light you wouldn't go through it to let it pass??"!! It's just totally normal here to do that, and used to be in the UK (checkign the traffic has stopped for the...

Watching with interest and after reading this I think I would like to completely DIY respray my W124, more out of interest as to how difficult it really is and how bad it will really look than anything else. It's a difficult one knowing when to listen to the naysayers and when not. At every...

Well I looked on .gov website and looks like even if France/Spain are "green light" that's still 900€ worth of PCR tests for a return journey for one person to then self-quarantine at my parents house (if that's even allowed or I have to quarantine alone??) for half the holiday. Despite the fact...

To be honest, I didn't know they had gone into lockdown outside of Paris. I'm quite ignorant of matters outside of Spain and UK hence this thread. Even studying it in the media it's often exaggerated and out of date, I know many of my English friends who've thought spain was in lockdown at many...

I've looked at the ferry and its 1000€ and 40 hrs - I think I'd fly instead as that would be an awful and expensive journey. Will keep an eye on France restrictions. I can't even get to the border between Spain and France until May 8th and get into UK in any shape/form until June so I'm thinking...

Thanks, useful information. I'd be checking the UK "Traffic Light" rating before setting off and only a ferry to book which i'd do on the day. I'm just trying to get an idea of what could be possible and when. Out of interest, is the UK traffic light system based on a strict criteria in each...

Hi All, I know a lot of you journey/have interests in France so thought I's ask here. As I haven't seen my parents for nearly 18 months I'm planning to drive to the UK this spring/summer. I know that in Spain from 8th May the internal/external borders will be open and that in UK travel will be...

Exactly, if they can identify the country of the car and you're not doing anything stupid then morally/practically they should and almost certainly will leave you alone. My favourite scare advert on the ferry are the AA/RAC ones where it states that a breakdown in europe typically costs €4,000...

It will be like when new detailed coronavirus rules come in here, for the first week the police are everywhere trying to find examples so they can "explain" the new rules or fine you. A few weeks later it's basically policed on a more common sense basis. No doubt some port heard that food and...

One thing to think about with all these people buying basic/keeping older cars yet having money is maybe, just maybe, they don't actually care that much about cars and if it does the job have better things to do with their time than look, choose, replace, finance etc. There's probably people on...

In Spain this is already widespread among most manufacturers and they even market it as "renting". Typically anything from 200 to 700 a month for a new car for 3 or 4 years renting and the only thing you pay is fuel (insurance always included). They dont allow switching or canceling though which...

Thanks for the replies, sounds like it's not too much of an issue then. There does seem to be opinion on some corners of the internet that these are some kind of nightmare if you're not a racing driver...I think it would help that it would be the only manul car I drove so would help make it...

Well it depends on your definition of diposable. As I'm 36 I see my savings of around that amount as being able to retire 5-10 years eaarlier (or do a 10 hour week teaching English instead of 40 hours in a "proper" job) and yes that money would enable me to do that for 10 years as cost of...

Hi All, I am looking at old Mercedes to buy as a second car and, having had every other W124 already, am drawn back to the one I always wanted, an E320/320CE Convertible. Being in Spain, the manual option is actually rather popular but is a dogleg Getrag box as would be found on a 190E...