Titivating my Mercedes 124

[0a]

Looks like a great trip. The W124 looks fantastic and the light really brings out the colour.

I must replace the last minute rear tyres my mechanic put on for me - at the moment I have Conti Winters on the front, and cheapo summers on the rear. It's amusing at the moment on the greasy roads around here, but of no use in actual bad weather.

[r129sl]

[tobinen]

Excellent planning as ever

[LeoZwalf]

Marvellous. I look forward to seeing continued updates and following this car's story. Here's to 400k

[Lowtimer]

Well done. Must be very satisfying. Also totally justifies the expense.

[r129sl]

Amusingly enough, the speedo (and thus the odo and trip) have just ceased working. I suspect the cable has either snapped or come off the back of the speedo. The cruise control also doesn't work as it takes its signal from a Hall-effect sensor on the back of the speedo. It is surprisingly difficult driving without a speedo and without cruise. I'm on my way back from Cardiff and have blu-tacked my phone to the dash so I can use a speedo app. The car is going into Baister on Friday for various bits and bobs (new starter motor, chiefly), so I will add this to the list.

The total cost of running this car is £0.254 per mile.

[ian316]

brilliant

[r129sl]

I pulled the cluster out and found the speedo cable is still firmly attached; it may have come out at the gearbox end, I suppose, or it may have snapped. I took the precaution of ordering one for delivery first thing in the morning.

While I was at it, I dropped the engine oil; it hasn't been done for 7,000miles, tut, tut. I then realised I didn't have a new filter. Grrr. So the new oil will have to be a flush and I'll do the job again at the weekend. Waste of time. Still, it was nice to be beavering away in the garage: it has been a while.

[JakeT]

For some reason I love this thread. Possibly the factor of something going from being totally unloved to being on display at MB world. It also makes me want a W124 badly. My grandfather had a 123 years ago and still rates it as the best tow car he's ever had.

[r129sl]

Thanks, Jake!

This car is so faithful to me, it is a really satisfying vehicle.

Lord Baister came up trumps again and fixed the speedo. He replaced the cable. I ordered one on the off chance yesterday afternoon at about 2.45pm; it was waiting for me at MB Newcastle at 8.30am this morning; and it was fitted (no mean task) by Baister by lunchtime. £76 plus VAT for the part. One happy side effect is that the speedo needle is now super smooth and rock solid, no more wiggling around like a crazy thing. Sometimes Baister drives me bonkers but when it comes to the crunch he is a fantastic mechanic. He also swapped in a new oil filter.

In an hour or two I am setting off again for Monmouth en route to Cardiff, 350miles each way.

[harrykul]

Any chance that you have the cable part number to hand? Fixing the wobbly speedo has been on my to-do list for ages.

[r129sl]

A1245400586. From memory! Febi do one for £30.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

r129sl said:

A1245400586. From memory! Febi do one for £30.

Bugger, you beat me to it. I was about to say that. From memory. Really. Yep, all true.






Not.

You're a very sick man with all that rubbish retained in your cranium!

[martin mrt]

Fantastic thread, fantastic car and your knowledge of things Mercedes is startling.

I've had a W124 itch that I've not been able to scratch for quite some time, reading threads like this doesn't help

[r129sl]

Here's the Febi part, £20.90 delivered. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FEBI-21329-Tacho-Shaft-/... I would have gone with this but for the fact that I needed it fixed urgently. I'm happily posting from the Harvester at Donnington park services, halfway to Monmouth. This is really not how I hoped my life would turn out.

I don't know why the numbers stick, CdeG, but they always have.

The 124 is a super car but it offers plenty of potential for disappointment. They take a lot of neglect, and many are put up for sale when the niggling faults which result from years and years of neglect become intolerable. If you can find a cared for example or if you have the stomach for serious backlog maintenance, you can find a car for life. Sure, it's not Lotus Elise—heck, it's not even a BMW 3-series—but as an all purpose car for driving and travelling over any journey, it is unbeatable.

[irish boy]

Here's another one for sale. Less than half the miles but I would say less than half the condition!

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C757959

[Lowtimer]

r129sl said:

The 124 is a super car but it offers plenty of potential for disappointment. They take a lot of neglect, and many are put up for sale when the niggling faults which result from years and years of neglect become intolerable. If you can find a cared for example or if you have the stomach for serious backlog maintenance, you can find a car for life. Sure, it's not Lotus Elise—heck, it's not even a BMW 3-series—but as an all purpose car for driving and travelling over any journey, it is unbeatable.

Exactly my relationship with the E39 Touring. Which is *still* not finally reassembled - waiting for a sunroof seal and then I need to spend all day tomorrow working on it myself at the body shop I think, it's the only way to concentrate minds...

[r129sl]

I've just stepped out of this car after 335 miles in a single 5 ½ hour sitting. Still ⅓ of a tank left, too.

[r129sl]

irish boy said:

Here's another one for sale. Less than half the miles but I would say less than half the condition!

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C757959

That's been for sale a while now. It's a nice looking car and the ad reads plausibly. I like the mushroom leather. It would probably be a good place to start, much better than mine was!

[ian316]

r129sl said:

I've just stepped out of this car after 335 miles in a single 5 ½ hour sitting. Still ? of a tank left, too.

I'm always amazed how little mine uses on a long motorway run, Hull to Bristol and back and still over a 1/4 of a tank left, which in an old car with an old style engine is great