RE: Shed Of The Week: Mercedes 300CE

[OldandGrumpy]

0a said:

I had a work colleague in my W124 this week. He has a new Audi A6 3.0d and an A3 for the wife. After a couple of miles he asked "what kind of engine does this car have? It's really smooth" - it's sad that executive cars have gone significantly backwards with regards to the powerplant in terms of refinement over the last 20 years

Yup totally agree. Its a far better drive than many a modern car and I have never found a car with such a silky ride. A lot of the current crop of designers and engineers need to take a long hard look at the C124. The development engineers and Bruno Sacco created a masterpiece.

[Earl of Petrol]

Have we seen a classier sotw? Not for some time. Already a classic i'm surprised you can get one for shed money. Sounds like a grand or so spent on improvements would go straight onto its value. Can you see a modern Merc or anything else looking this good at 25? If I had a triple garage it would be mine by now.

[0a]

Earl of Petrol said:

Have we seen a classier stow? Not for some time. Already a classic i'm surprised you can get one for shed money. Sounds like a grand or so spent on improvements would go straight onto its value. Can you see a modern Merc or anything else looking this good at 25? If I had a triple garage it would be mine by now.

It does have really rusty wings though.

So does mine (a bit)... looks nice when a photo is taken from the right angle though.





The new suspension was bedding in, hence the high ride height on these pictures!

[gt69]

I bought one of these - a 300 CE in schmoke silver - when I got all growed up in my mid-30s. Became known as the Ganja Wagon, and was brilliant. I loved its 'waftiness' and the way the prow rose slightly when you more than tickled the throttle. It was a feel-good car - the black leather on the driver's seat was almost unmarked after well over 100k miles, and the passenger's seat looked and felt like new; it had everything I needed in terms of kit - electric seats and aircon, a decent stereo and the ability to flip down the rear seat head restraints when your drunk mates were kipping in the back. It felt incredibly solid, and winding down all the windows and opening the sunroof felt great. One oddity was a strangely flimsy boot lid (ok, it was light to open), and it could cost a pretty fortune to keep in rude health, but it only let me down once in 5 years (ignition barrel). It came with the original invoice from 1989 - 48k. In 1989....

Sold it when family came along, as frankly a baby seat in a coupe is a bit of a pain - replaced it with an Audi RS2 to keep my sanity.

Edited by gt69 on Friday 22 August 22:47

[405dogvan]

0a said:

Aside from the issues you mention the car has the usual rust, the seller says the bonnet needs repainting, and unless it has been done already it will need a full suspension refresh.

In such condition all W124s are realistically only worth £1k. My 300e 4 door just had a full 'underside' (suspension, brake and fuel lines, powder coating various bits and so on) and the bill was £2,300. Derin above illustrates the undeniable fact that these are old cars and returning them to good condition is expensive.

Agreed on all counts BUT Coupes have been worth more than saloons for a while (probably always) - I'm not entirely sure why but that's just how it's been...

The other thing is the miles are scary-low for a 25-year-old car - you need to be asking why that is too (has it spend 5 years in a shed, basically?)

[kainedog]

Shed of the year , never forget going out in my school mates dads 320, aged very well too

[sinbaddio]

Fast forward to 38:10. Sums it up perfectly.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hAK5BRRvTPc
And shows what a bit of a nob Peter Jones is...

Edited by sinbaddio on Saturday 23 August 10:28

[schuey]

I have always wanted a CE,I would especially like to get an old rotten E55 and transplant the engine and running gear to make a CE55 too!

[Blackpuddin]

Slightly o/t but wondering what the catch is here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-E36-AMG-AU...

[MarshPhantom]

J4CKO said:

Still a few Legend Coupes about, I know it isn't quite on a par with the Merc but whilst we are on old saloon derived coupes, there was also the Rover 800 Coupe, which I think was a really handsome thing.

Shame we never got the Volvo 780 over here.

[Whatty]

Oh my, proper Benz.

[jazzdude]

My 320ce cab unbelievably drives faultlessly, its done 124k miles without any major problems.
These were the last Mercs built by engineers and not accountants.

[dbdb]

The W124 with a six cylinder engine is a lovely car. The Mercedes six cylinder engine is very smooth indeed and really makes them.

It does not surprise me that someone used to a modern diesel would be impressed by the smoothness of the engine in a 300E. I reckon the Merc six was smoother than either the BMW or the Jaguar straight six of its time, though they were also very smooth engines. I have never been in a modern diesel whose smoothness has impressed me, save perhaps for the V8 Range Rover. Everything else - even the six cylinder diesels - are definitely compromised, and the four pot BMW diesels I have driven are positively gruff. I haven't been in an Audi, but I imagine they will be similar. Horses for courses I guess, since their power to economy is amazing, but they are not nice cars to drive or ride in if smoothness matters to you. It doesn't seem to matter to a lot of people but they may not know what a smooth engine is like and what they are missing.

Oddly perhaps, the 124 with the least appeal for me is the CE. They don't seem sleek like the 126 SEC. I prefer the estate version of the W124 - which with the right spec is lovely - and the saloon.

The W124 has moved to become a classic car now and the profile of the owners has changed to reflect this, with them increasingly owned by enthusiasts who like to improve the car. Like an old Jag, refreshing a W124 is an expensive business. Viewed as a traditional Shed and subject to 'managed retreat', then a cheap W124 makes sense. But as a classic car, buy the best you can find - it will work out MUCH cheaper than improving a needy example!

This is the second best Shed this year so far, pipped to the post by the XJ6 on Valentine's day. The Jag would be my choice, since they drive better, handle better and ride better than the Mercedes. They also have a better 'feel' - Jags possess an indefinable but undeniable sense of occasion, missing in the Mercedes. The feel like a junior Rolls-Royce, rather than a posh Passat!

Mercs of this era do have something about them though, and I fully understand why many find them so desirable.

Edited by dbdb on Saturday 23 August 17:50

[tali1]

Loaaaaddddddddddds of CEs on GSView - virtually one on every other road!

[derin100]

sinbaddio said:

Fast forward to 38:10. Sums it up perfectly.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hAK5BRRvTPc
And shows what a bit of a nob Peter Jones is...

Edited by sinbaddio on Saturday 23 August 10:28

Yes.

Without name dropping, through his brother, I also happen to know the chap that originally commissioned and had this built:

http://neroyacht.com/

If you have time, take a look at the brochure (it's worth just for the hell of looking! ) and I'm sure it'll be clear that he's not short of a bob or two and could have absolutely any car he wanted.

Guess what he drives at his place in the South of France?

Yes...a 124 Coupe.

[daytona365]

A superb car in almost all respects, both then & even now 25 years later. Probably it's only flaw now, is having to compete with similarly priced classic 80's sporting BMW's ?

[OldandGrumpy]

80's BMW's are excellent cars, but very different to Mercs. To compare the two is to misunderstand them I think. The BMW has always had a sporting edge and does that very very well. The Merc is more of a limo. It depends what you like but I always felt the c320 was like a baby Bentley and having become re-acquainted with the model after many years that impression has firmed up. Just my impression so don't take offence owners of flying B's everywhere.

[SuperHangOn]

I nearly bought a 300CE not long ago. With the windows down, driving around in the sunshine with the 6 purring away it was absolutely brilliant. Decided not to buy due to needing a lot spent on consumables but I regret it.

They can be exceptionally reliable (even now when looked after) but due to the age they will probably need a lot spending on general wear and tear. I have an E39 now which needs all the same (cooling system refurb etc) as well, goes with the territory.

The trick is to find a car which hasn't been messed around with and had lots of substandard ebay parts fitted.

Edited by SuperHangOn on Sunday 24th August 11:04

[schuey]

This was also on eBay...... Of course I was the high bidder,wife not happy! Awaiting a reply from the seller but fingers crossed I will pick it up next weekend and with a bit of good timing I have a week off so will get straight on with sorting the paint. Handily in a previous employment I was a painter for Merc which is always useful and as I have access to a spray booth etc I will be able to get it looking pretty in no time.
I will stick a thread in readers rides when I get going with it.

[MarshPhantom]

SuperHangOn said:

I nearly bought a 300CE not long ago. With the windows down, driving around in the sunshine with the 6 purring away it was absolutely brilliant. Decided not to buy due to needing a lot spent on consumables but I regret it.

They can be exceptionally reliable (even now when looked after) but due to the age they will probably need a lot spending on general wear and tear. I have an E39 now which needs all the same (cooling system refurb etc) as well, goes with the territory.

The trick is to find a car which hasn't been messed around with and had lots of substandard ebay parts fitted.

Edited by SuperHangOn on Sunday 24th August 11:04

Covered 7k miles in my 24v in just over 2 years, all it's needed is an accelerator cable. Mileage is now at 174k, it drives superbly, still nice and quick too.