I seem to live in 80s/90s Merc Heaven (Edinburgh's New Town)

I seem to live in 80s/90s Merc Heaven (Edinburgh's New Town)

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ajmcampbell

Original Poster:

514 posts

135 months

Sunday 22nd February 2015
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Went for a trot around the block today, and it's occurred to me just how massively popular classic Mercs are in my neighbourhood! Within 400 yards of my front door I counted:

1x W124 E300d saloon N-Reg Black
1x W124 E230 coupe K-Reg Silver
1x W124 1985 R107 350SL
1x W124 230te H-Reg Pink/Red
1x W124 230ce G-Reg Grey
1x W124 E280 Estate Blue
1x W124 300D Blue
2x R129 SL500s
2x R230 SL500s


Some of the above were on registration plates worth circa 5x the value of the car; this street is W124 mad! Am now tempted to look into buying a shed of a W140, as didn't see any of those and would be fun to gazzump my neighbours!

A

mickyveloce

1,035 posts

235 months

Sunday 22nd February 2015
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Good to hear! They do benefit from use, so many are year-round propositions.

They're the type of car which can appeal to non-car types too and consequently become a bit of a style statement in certain fashionable parts of town..

ajmcampbell

Original Poster:

514 posts

135 months

Sunday 22nd February 2015
quotequote all
mickyveloce said:
Good to hear! They do benefit from use, so many are year-round propositions.

They're the type of car which can appeal to non-car types too and consequently become a bit of a style statement in certain fashionable parts of town..
They do indeed; all these are daily drivers, but kept looking smart too. Reckon you're right about the style thing... also have a sneaking suspicion one or two of them could have been bought new by the present owners as well! Cheers A

ClassicMercs

1,703 posts

180 months

Sunday 22nd February 2015
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Lucky - living the dream.

I used to set a challenge whilst out driving on holiday - to see C S and W 124's each day. A few years ago that was easily possible. I'm now lucky if we can manage any 124 each day. Interesting to see what happens when we go away in four weeks time.

Area does appear to be important though. I find places like the South West and East Anglia like their old cars better than some other areas.

74merc

594 posts

191 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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My next door neighbour had a 230SL Pagoda when I lived in Newtown in the late 90's.

r129sl

9,518 posts

202 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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I used to park my r129 and c126 outside the flat I once had on Scotland Street.

55palfers

5,892 posts

163 months

Monday 23rd February 2015
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Any pics?

ajmcampbell

Original Poster:

514 posts

135 months

Tuesday 24th February 2015
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ClassicMercs said:
Lucky - living the dream.
I used to set a challenge whilst out driving on holiday - to see C S and W 124's each day. A few years ago that was easily possible. I'm now lucky if we can manage any 124 each day. Interesting to see what happens when we go away in four weeks time.

Area does appear to be important though. I find places like the South West and East Anglia like their old cars better than some other areas.
Area certainly is important; as is the passage of time! Reckon it may be a quiet class statement for some people, bearing in mind that these lovely old buses share parking space with 911 GT3s/Conti GTs/new CL600s etc... either way makes for a lovely eclectic collection for me as a local petrolhead!

74merc said:
My next door neighbour had a 230SL Pagoda when I lived in Newtown in the late 90's.
Interesting; sadly reckon most Pagodas kept away from daily driver work these days... still quite a few early R107s about though!

r129sl said:
I used to park my r129 and c126 outside the flat I once had on Scotland Street.
Brilliant stuff; did you notice the same phenomenon or was this in period?

55palfers said:
Any pics?
Yup, have a handful of random shots but not too many are stationary, and most are SLs. Will snap some more if I get time in future.
Some interesting cars in the area generally too; have a gander here: https://www.facebook.com/EdinburghSupercars




Edit: some don't seem to have uploaded; not sure what doing wrong!

mickyveloce

1,035 posts

235 months

Wednesday 25th February 2015
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Just as 70's Maseratis look best on the back streets of Naples ( I think I got that line from a song..), 124's suit wide patrician cobbled boulevards.

My first 124 was a pearl blue 1991 300TE. I remember approaching it on a sunny spring morning. The car, and the wide cobbled boulevard on which it was parked, glistened with dew and I believe this moment cemented my love of the marque.


ajmcampbell

Original Poster:

514 posts

135 months

Wednesday 25th February 2015
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^^ you're right; it does just look 'proper' in in the setting!

r129sl

9,518 posts

202 months

Wednesday 25th February 2015
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It was five years ago now that I was parking on those cobbled streets but the quality older metal caught my eye, too. There's a lot of old money in Edinburgh.

Nuisance_Value

721 posts

252 months

Wednesday 25th February 2015
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I was browsing around google one day and happened across this..

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gunzel412/3944580742...

That's me in the SL just about to pull onto Queensferry Road.

edit; that was 5 years ago too.

Edited by Nuisance_Value on Wednesday 25th February 22:14

ajmcampbell

Original Poster:

514 posts

135 months

Friday 27th February 2015
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r129sl said:
It was five years ago now that I was parking on those cobbled streets but the quality older metal caught my eye, too. There's a lot of old money in Edinburgh.
Indeed, all done in quite a discreet way. W124 on the street, Picasso in the living room. That sort of thing.

Nuisance_Value said:
I was browsing around google one day and happened across this..

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gunzel412/3944580742...

That's me in the SL just about to pull onto Queensferry Road.

edit; that was 5 years ago too.

Edited by Nuisance_Value on Wednesday 25th February 22:14
Great spot! I live not far from the Queensferry Rd where it starts in the city centre.

ajmcampbell

Original Poster:

514 posts

135 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
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Few more:




jdw1234

6,021 posts

214 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
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What is the red R107 doing with his roof?

ajmcampbell

Original Poster:

514 posts

135 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
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Lord knows; Impromptu Targa?!?

ajmcampbell

Original Poster:

514 posts

135 months

Saturday 7th March 2015
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Spending today in the cut and dice of Edinburgh Traffic now have another theory as to why these cars are so popular here; road presence. Not even a new S class has the same "move over" effect as one of the old Sacco buses... seen some pretty assertive driving from them all day. Add a roof rack and a couple of battle scars and not many people will stay in the way or give you attitude!

ajmcampbell

Original Poster:

514 posts

135 months

Monday 11th May 2015
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Not sure how many care; but here are some more!



(only joking)

r129sl

9,518 posts

202 months

Monday 11th May 2015
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Silver coupé is nice. Drummond Place?

fluffnik

20,156 posts

226 months

Tuesday 12th May 2015
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Like the new pics, the blue coupé and the 'mog are my favs...

ajmcampbell said:
Spending today in the cut and dice of Edinburgh Traffic now have another theory as to why these cars are so popular here; road presence. Not even a new S class has the same "move over" effect as one of the old Sacco buses... seen some pretty assertive driving from them all day. Add a roof rack and a couple of battle scars and not many people will stay in the way or give you attitude!
They also have much better visibility, with their skinny pillars and low waistlines, than anything modern, skinny too; you can spot and fill gaps that no-one else sees.

I will have another... smile