Titivating my Mercedes 124
Discussion
olly22n said:
I find cars find their own happy cruising speed. My 3.2 w124 was about 80 on the mway. My m5 was about 115mph and the 540 was just below the ton. They sort of find themselves at those speeds.
I'd agree with this. In the dry 90 seems about right to me in the w124. 90 was nothing in the a8 and a waste of its time.Strangely I love doing long journeys in the w124 and go out of my way to find them though!
I agree about cars finding their cruising speed. I found my E21 (316 but lightly fettled) was around 60-65mph with the 4 speed box, that went up to around 75mph, maybe 80mph when I put the 5 speed box in (though it would sit at higher but was always a bit buzzy under the bonnet!); E38 728i was somewhere around 85-90mph but would also do 100. The 745i feels like it'll do much more but I get nervous cruising at much more than 100.
RoverP6B said:
My E39 520iT feels happiest at 90-100, but it'll do 140 on the level and seems quite content at such speeds... it feels like the rest of the car is up to more than the engine.
Yup. That's because it is I've done >160 in the 745i and even at that it was still so bloody quiet and composed. I'd love to do a proper, sustained high speed cruise in it but would have to go to Germany, at the very early hours of a summers morning I suspect.
Could cover some serious miles in little time.
The diesel 124 is very happy at 75 to 95mph; the 129 really likes to be above the ton.
I didn't get much done today. Properly fixed some interior trim that the body shop had improperly fixed, started the interior clean, and dusted it. More action, better reports and some photos to follow. The engine bay is a bit better but it still looks like an old and dirty engine bay to my eyes. One thing, there is a tiny amount of primer overspray on the dashboard and I just cannot shift it. Any ideas?
I didn't get much done today. Properly fixed some interior trim that the body shop had improperly fixed, started the interior clean, and dusted it. More action, better reports and some photos to follow. The engine bay is a bit better but it still looks like an old and dirty engine bay to my eyes. One thing, there is a tiny amount of primer overspray on the dashboard and I just cannot shift it. Any ideas?
E65Ross said:
Yup. That's because it is
The odd thing is, at high speed, 170bhp feels like plenty, but at 'normal' speeds (say between 20 and 60) I'd really like the extra 60hp from the 530i. The 520i isn't SLOW, but it's certainly not as quick as it could be.Apologies for hijacking the W124 thread btw. Of the various petrol engines offered in the 124, which would my esteemed fellow PHers say is the sweet spot in the range? Not interested in diesels.
I can't fault the 24 valve 3 litre in mine. Non catalyst model with 231bhp.
It is almost completely silent at idle, makes a lovely sound at higher speeds. It's great for cruising at 70-95, it accelerates in first like a scalded cat, keep your foot on the floor and it still accelerates hard at 125 mph. It even gave me 29 mpg on the last tank.
Plus none of the wiring loom nonsense that the 280 and 320 have.
It is almost completely silent at idle, makes a lovely sound at higher speeds. It's great for cruising at 70-95, it accelerates in first like a scalded cat, keep your foot on the floor and it still accelerates hard at 125 mph. It even gave me 29 mpg on the last tank.
Plus none of the wiring loom nonsense that the 280 and 320 have.
londonbabe said:
I can't fault the 24 valve 3 litre in mine. Non catalyst model with 231bhp.
It is almost completely silent at idle, makes a lovely sound at higher speeds. It's great for cruising at 70-95, it accelerates in first like a scalded cat, keep your foot on the floor and it still accelerates hard at 125 mph. It even gave me 29 mpg on the last tank.
Plus none of the wiring loom nonsense that the 280 and 320 have.
Which engine is that, sorry? And why are only the 280 and 320 affected by loom problems?It is almost completely silent at idle, makes a lovely sound at higher speeds. It's great for cruising at 70-95, it accelerates in first like a scalded cat, keep your foot on the floor and it still accelerates hard at 125 mph. It even gave me 29 mpg on the last tank.
Plus none of the wiring loom nonsense that the 280 and 320 have.
RoverP6B said:
londonbabe said:
I can't fault the 24 valve 3 litre in mine. Non catalyst model with 231bhp.
It is almost completely silent at idle, makes a lovely sound at higher speeds. It's great for cruising at 70-95, it accelerates in first like a scalded cat, keep your foot on the floor and it still accelerates hard at 125 mph. It even gave me 29 mpg on the last tank.
Plus none of the wiring loom nonsense that the 280 and 320 have.
Which engine is that, sorry? And why are only the 280 and 320 affected by loom problems?It is almost completely silent at idle, makes a lovely sound at higher speeds. It's great for cruising at 70-95, it accelerates in first like a scalded cat, keep your foot on the floor and it still accelerates hard at 125 mph. It even gave me 29 mpg on the last tank.
Plus none of the wiring loom nonsense that the 280 and 320 have.
The 3litre would be the 300e but they also did a 24 valve one (300e-24).
Performance will be marginally better than your E39, they're brisk but nothing much more from my experience.
E65Ross said:
They changed the wiring loom when they changed the engines on later cars.
The 3litre would be the 300e but they also did a 24 valve one (300e-24).
Performance will be marginally better than your E39, they're brisk but nothing much more from my experience.
Right, so an older example could be a better bet? There's no need for something terribly fast, I have to say. Son is also eyeing up old X308 Jags for as and when he can afford something a bit quicker.The 3litre would be the 300e but they also did a 24 valve one (300e-24).
Performance will be marginally better than your E39, they're brisk but nothing much more from my experience.
r129sl said:
The diesel 124 is very happy at 75 to 95mph; the 129 really likes to be above the ton.
I didn't get much done today. Properly fixed some interior trim that the body shop had improperly fixed, started the interior clean, and dusted it. More action, better reports and some photos to follow. The engine bay is a bit better but it still looks like an old and dirty engine bay to my eyes. One thing, there is a tiny amount of primer overspray on the dashboard and I just cannot shift it. Any ideas?
Tried "magic sponge"?I didn't get much done today. Properly fixed some interior trim that the body shop had improperly fixed, started the interior clean, and dusted it. More action, better reports and some photos to follow. The engine bay is a bit better but it still looks like an old and dirty engine bay to my eyes. One thing, there is a tiny amount of primer overspray on the dashboard and I just cannot shift it. Any ideas?
RoverP6B said:
Which engine is that, sorry? And why are only the 280 and 320 affected by loom problems?
The first version of the M104, from the 300E-24 It still has a proper distributor and HT leads, whereas the 280 and 320 have plug coils and a loom to operate them that gets fried by under bonnet temperatures.
R129sl - Maybe you could try contacting member swingout on the official mb forum, he got some manifold dressing from the US and over-ordered so has distributed some. There is a thread called 'Rusty Manifold Dressing' which has a few before and after photos. The product is called Calyx
Actually, I think I'm going to give up on engine bay detailing. This is a well-used car. The engine is clean and dry and out of sight and that's that. The important thing is that I've done about four hundred miles this week and really enjoyed them: the car is for use. All that remains are the following snags:
(1) adjust window in N/S/R door (it does not fully close, giving wind noise at speed),
(2) replace rear wiper arm (on order),
(3) fit missing trim inside N/S/R wheel arch (ditto).
It gets an MOT on Tuesday and also will have the air con re-gassed as it lost its gas when the nearside inner wing was done. Just needs re-gassing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The sunroof failed to work yesterday, but happily it was just a bad fuse. I'm going to renew all the fuses as they're ancient.
(1) adjust window in N/S/R door (it does not fully close, giving wind noise at speed),
(2) replace rear wiper arm (on order),
(3) fit missing trim inside N/S/R wheel arch (ditto).
It gets an MOT on Tuesday and also will have the air con re-gassed as it lost its gas when the nearside inner wing was done. Just needs re-gassing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The sunroof failed to work yesterday, but happily it was just a bad fuse. I'm going to renew all the fuses as they're ancient.
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