New to the W124 club...
Discussion
...and now I see what all the fuss is about. Wow! What a lot of car for not a lot of cash.
The car in question is a powder blue, F-plate 300E saloon. 92k miles on the clock and only two previous owners (a heart surgeon and his neice). 6 months tax, 5 months MOT. Bodywork in very good condition, interior almost unmarked (aside from a little wear to the drivers seat). And all for less than a grand.
I collected it yesterday, and bought it as a winter run-about, to keep my 635csi out of the rain and slush over the coming months. I am absolutely bowled over by how solid, smooth and strong it is.
The auto gear change is silky smooth, the 3.0 lump is near-silent yet plenty potent, the seats well-cushioned but supportive, the air con works, the sunroof works, and there's even a button on the dashboard that pops down the rear headrests.
Incredible. Why doesn't everyone have one?
The car in question is a powder blue, F-plate 300E saloon. 92k miles on the clock and only two previous owners (a heart surgeon and his neice). 6 months tax, 5 months MOT. Bodywork in very good condition, interior almost unmarked (aside from a little wear to the drivers seat). And all for less than a grand.
I collected it yesterday, and bought it as a winter run-about, to keep my 635csi out of the rain and slush over the coming months. I am absolutely bowled over by how solid, smooth and strong it is.
The auto gear change is silky smooth, the 3.0 lump is near-silent yet plenty potent, the seats well-cushioned but supportive, the air con works, the sunroof works, and there's even a button on the dashboard that pops down the rear headrests.
Incredible. Why doesn't everyone have one?
Edited by Gruber on Sunday 10th October 17:27
Thanks for the "heads up" Nick. I read through your checklist on the honestjohn site before I went to look at mine - most helpful! Thank you.
With regard to the balljoints, are there any tell-tale signs of impending doom - knocking etc? I'm taking it to my local trusted back-street garage next week for an oil / filter / coolant change, so I'll make sure I ask him to look at the balljoints.
With regard to the balljoints, are there any tell-tale signs of impending doom - knocking etc? I'm taking it to my local trusted back-street garage next week for an oil / filter / coolant change, so I'll make sure I ask him to look at the balljoints.
Thanks all - much appreciated.
Nick - thanks for the warning about the ball joints. Mine doesn't seem to be exhibiting any of those symptoms, but I guess I should get it looked at anyway.
Bob - I'll take some pics at the weekend and get them posted. Is there anything that can be done to avoid the fire risk, or just keep an eye on the wires for fraying?
And this afternoon's update is that the old dear seems to have developed her first issue: one of the rear calipers seems to be sticking. No biggie (and probably just the result of it only having done 10k miles in the last 6 years...) but I need to get it sorted.
So, can anyone recommend a reasonably inexpensive Merc specialist? I'm in Fulham/Chelsea area but happy to travel a little way (though not too far with a sticking caliper!).
Nick - thanks for the warning about the ball joints. Mine doesn't seem to be exhibiting any of those symptoms, but I guess I should get it looked at anyway.
Bob - I'll take some pics at the weekend and get them posted. Is there anything that can be done to avoid the fire risk, or just keep an eye on the wires for fraying?
And this afternoon's update is that the old dear seems to have developed her first issue: one of the rear calipers seems to be sticking. No biggie (and probably just the result of it only having done 10k miles in the last 6 years...) but I need to get it sorted.
So, can anyone recommend a reasonably inexpensive Merc specialist? I'm in Fulham/Chelsea area but happy to travel a little way (though not too far with a sticking caliper!).
Mikey_W said:
Excellent stuff - well done. The face-lifted version definitely looks a lot more modern than my pre-facelift version.Just by way of update... (on the off-chance that anyone cares!)
First, a picture of the old girl:
(Not a great picture, admittedly, but the Blackberry memory was full and time was tight).
Wallet is now £300 lighter, following a service. She's had a new rear caliper, rear pads, brake fluid, oil & filter and new coolant. Hopefully now good to go for the winter! The previously smooth straight six seems even smoother with fresh oil.
The other news is the great discovery of service history. I bought the car believing there to be no history, but have now found the service book - tucked away in the car and presumably long-since forgotten. Fully main-dealer stamped from new to 82k miles in 2003. The old girl has only done 10k since then. Although the previous owners have lost all the invoices for the last 7 years / 10k miles, I've been in touch with the back-street garage they took it to, who confirmed it has been in to them from time to time for odds and ends. To my mind, that's almost a full service history - especially with the £300 I've just spent on it.
This brilliant old shed looks more and more like a bargain every day!
First, a picture of the old girl:
(Not a great picture, admittedly, but the Blackberry memory was full and time was tight).
Wallet is now £300 lighter, following a service. She's had a new rear caliper, rear pads, brake fluid, oil & filter and new coolant. Hopefully now good to go for the winter! The previously smooth straight six seems even smoother with fresh oil.
The other news is the great discovery of service history. I bought the car believing there to be no history, but have now found the service book - tucked away in the car and presumably long-since forgotten. Fully main-dealer stamped from new to 82k miles in 2003. The old girl has only done 10k since then. Although the previous owners have lost all the invoices for the last 7 years / 10k miles, I've been in touch with the back-street garage they took it to, who confirmed it has been in to them from time to time for odds and ends. To my mind, that's almost a full service history - especially with the £300 I've just spent on it.
This brilliant old shed looks more and more like a bargain every day!
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