RE: Shed Of The Week: Mercedes 300CE

[MarshPhantom]

r129sl said:

I've several contemporary road tests of the 300 E-24 and CE-24; I was just looking at them last weekend as a good friend has bought one. On the whole it got a good if not excellent review. I also have price lists covering most of the period. if you tell me what you want to know, I'll scan it for you. I'm quite sad, I'm afraid.

First car I've ever had that I can't imagine selling. Mine's a 1990 version if you have any details on that.

Thanks.

Currently waiting for a new phone so will take some pics when that arrives.

[MarshPhantom]

HAB said:

300TE-24 Sportline. Bought to move furniture about for a couple of months. Now I'll never sell it. Best lomg distance car I've ever been in.

Any more pics?

You have the same MB mats as I do.

[schuey]

I spoke to the seller of SOTW this evening and he sounds like a decent chap,train tickets are booked for Sunday (a reasonable £28.60 from Hull to Birmingham), so I should hopefully be cruising home in it by early evening! It won't be my first 80's German coupe,but it is my first Merc so I'm quite excited really. Wife still not amused,but as she has a Zafira her opinion doesn't count!

[MarshPhantom]

Excellent, best of luck.

[ohayler]

I've had a few cars that have been a pleasure to own including a Porsche Cayman S, BMW E30 325i Cab, Audi Q7, Toyota Land Cruiser, but there is just something about the old Merc. Just about everyone who sells their W124 seems to regret it and don't think I'll ever bring myself to part with this one. Its not exciting, economical or particularly practical but it just so well put together, fantastic to drive and still oozes class. Don't hesitate if you are thinking of buying one !

[0a]

ohayler said:

I've had a few cars that have been a pleasure to own including a Porsche Cayman S, BMW E30 325i Cab, Audi Q7, Toyota Land Cruiser, but there is just something about the old Merc. Just about everyone who sells their W124 seems to regret it and don't think I'll ever bring myself to part with this one. Its not exciting, economical or particularly practical but it just so well put together, fantastic to drive and still oozes class. Don't hesitate if you are thinking of buying one !

Never has a first post been more correct

I was pootling about earlier in mine, it's driving really nicely with the suspension renewed.

[schuey]

MarshPhantom said:

Excellent, best of luck.

Cheers,I will update the thread with some pics etc. It will spend next week in the workshop so hopefully some quick progress.

[r129sl]

September 1990 pricelist:

[MarshPhantom]

r129sl said:

September 1990 pricelist:

That's brilliant, thanks very much.

I'm going to need a calculator.

[MarshPhantom]

ASR - £1955
Airbag - £1357
Air con - £2150
Cruise - £330
Rear head rests - £232
Leather - £1638
Met paint - £648
Orthopaedic seats x2 - £764
Air temp gauge - £116
Rear blind - £355
Electric seats x2 - £958
Alarm - £550

Nearly £38k for the car plus over 11 grands worth of extras. Wow.

It also has the Carat Duchatelet rear spoiler.

[HAB]

MarshPhantom said:

Any more pics?

You have the same MB mats as I do.

Here's a couple more:










I love it! Always fancied one as a load lugger. 5 speed box makes a difference as the 300-24 engine is pretty peaky and the ratios are stacked quite closely - Estate and the early 24V is a strange combo. You have to rev the balls of it if you want to make progress,then it's a reasonably quick old thing.

Not that kind of car really though. I do a lot of 300+ mile trips in it, and it is just superb. Build quality is really something special. Deserves the hype.

Edited by HAB on Saturday 30th August 17:11

Edited by HAB on Monday 1st September 00:29

[MarshPhantom]

Thanks, very nice. There seem to be a few 24v estates and coupes but the saloons are thin on the ground.

I love mine, It's great too because my better half likes being a passenger in it, she normally hates being driven anywhere, she's also started driving again for the first time in a very long time.

[r129sl]

MarshPhantom said:

ASR - £1955
Airbag - £1357
Air con - £2150
Cruise - £330
Rear head rests - £232
Leather - £1638
Met paint - £648
Orthopaedic seats x2 - £764
Air temp gauge - £116
Rear blind - £355
Electric seats x2 - £958
Alarm - £550

Nearly £38k for the car plus over 11 grands worth of extras. Wow.

It also has the Carat Duchatelet rear spoiler.

I just checked and found that prices went up by about 4% in the October 1991 price list, making it an even more expensive car. I also didn't scan the page listing the audio equipment: you could spend serious dosh on that, too.

[schuey]

The mighty Merc is now tucked up in my toy box. The seller was lovely chap,even went to the trouble of taxing it for me without any money up front and collected me from the station in his very green Octavia (cheers Richard).
Having never driven a w124 before I was expecting it to be good from the hype but it was leagues above that,I had a very relaxing drive! I cruised back 142 miles mostly stuck at 50 on the M1 but otherwise at 75-80 once back in God's country,using a third of a tank of petrol which was pretty good I thought. Trouble free too considering it has been stood a year.
It's had some good number plates on it over the years too looking at the history:
PDO 1
MCM 1L
88 GRH

As the weather was great I had to run most of it with the sunroof open and 4 windows down!
First impressions...
It's quiet.
It's comfy.
The stereo is the worst I have ever experienced!
It wants some paint but it's rock solid otherwise.
The drivers seat doesn't tilt to allow access to the back.

A question for the beards... What is the little LCD display under the speedo for,it's knackered on this one!

[0a]

Do you mean the one shown above? (My car today).

I've no idea what it does, aside from the romantic notion that it displays error messages on the W124 hence why it's never used!

Well done for buying the car - do some miles (in excess of your initial purchase journey) to get an idea for what needs doing, then post on the 1-5 barge thread - there are several W124 experts there who will be all too happy to help (I say that as a random W124 purchaser!).

[BGarside]

schuey said:

The mighty Merc is now tucked up in my toy box. The seller was lovely chap,even went to the trouble of taxing it for me without any money up front and collected me from the station in his very green Octavia (cheers Richard).
Having never driven a w124 before I was expecting it to be good from the hype but it was leagues above that,I had a very relaxing drive! I cruised back 142 miles mostly stuck at 50 on the M1 but otherwise at 75-80 once back in God's country,using a third of a tank of petrol which was pretty good I thought. Trouble free too considering it has been stood a year.
It's had some good number plates on it over the years too looking at the history:
PDO 1
MCM 1L
88 GRH

As the weather was great I had to run most of it with the sunroof open and 4 windows down!
First impressions...
It's quiet.
It's comfy.
The stereo is the worst I have ever experienced!
It wants some paint but it's rock solid otherwise.
The drivers seat doesn't tilt to allow access to the back.

A question for the beards... What is the little LCD display under the speedo for,it's knackered on this one!

LCD display is the outside temperature gauge, an option.

[schuey]

Yep Oa that's the one,the LCD is half obscured like a broken calculator.
As for doing some miles,it will be my daily,the main things I noticed today were a load of dead travel on the accelerator pedal at the top before anything happens,as if the cable is stretched and some general vague wandering around dead centre on the steering,I suspect that may be the steering idler bushing though.

[0a]

schuey said:

Yep Oa that's the one,the LCD is half obscured like a broken calculator.
As for doing some miles,it will be my daily,the main things I noticed today were a load of dead travel on the accelerator pedal at the top before anything happens,as if the cable is stretched and some general vague wandering around dead centre on the steering,I suspect that may be the steering idler bushing though.

I must look at what it does!

Regarding the throttle - I suspect it might be a case of 'they all do that' - view the Chris Harris Hammer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MzqNn8kJqQ

Regarding the steering R129sl is the poster who will help you with what you need to replace - the steering damper is key (as it was with the old man's slk320!)

[DoctorX]

Lovely car. Dodgy first numberplate though. First owner Jimmy Saville was it?

[schuey]

DoctorX said:

Lovely car. Dodgy first numberplate though. First owner Jimmy Saville was it?

To obvious for that wrongun I reckon!